Deanery of Erith Archdeaconry of Bromley and … of Erith Archdeaconry of Bromley and Bexley Diocese...

Deanery of Erith

Archdeaconry of Bromley and Bexley

Diocese of Rochester

St Paulinus Parish Profile 2017 - Page 1

Welcome

Welcome to our parish profile, as we seek a new rector to work with us in discerning and

following God’s call to worship and serve him in Crayford.

Thank you for taking time to read more about our church family. We hope that in this profile

you can find more about what we can offer as a parish, something of the variety and joy of

ministry here, and an idea of what possibilities there are for us to grow and develop the

work of God’s Kingdom.

Contents

Introduction to the Parish

Erith Deanery

Buildings and Grounds

Aspects of Church life

St Paulinus Choir

The Ministry Team

Parish Communications

St Paulinus CE Primary School

The Friends of St Paulinus

Parish Administration and Finances

The PCC

Charitable Trust and Property

Church Finances

“Person” specification for the new Incumbent 2017


Introduction to the Parish

The Parish of St Paulinus is based in the small town of Crayford, in the London Borough of

Bexley with 383 on the electoral roll. An average Sunday congregation of 150 is made up of

a wide range of ages. There are a significant number of families with young children and we

try to meet the needs of all the parishioners by offering a wide variety of services and other

activities. It is a busy parish but there is a good ministry team and plenty of help and support

from the congregation, as well as strong connections within the life of the wider community.

St Paulinus Church is situated on a hill on Perry Street overlooking the town of Crayford and

is clearly visible from most of the Parish.

The Parish contains private and Local Authority homes, some dating back to Georgian times,

though over recent years there has been a number of housing redevelopments within the

area which has increased the population growth.

Crayford has good rail links to central London stations (London Bridge, Charing Cross,

Waterloo and Cannon Street) and out to the North Kent coast, served by Southeastern lines

from Crayford and other local stations, which fall in London Transport Zone 6. Crayford also

has good road links, being situated on the A2 and M25, and is a 15 minute drive from the

large Bluewater and Lakeside shopping centres. Crayford is located in between the larger

towns and villages of Bexley, Bexleyheath, Dartford, Erith and Sidcup.

Local leisure facilities in Crayford include the Geoffrey Whitworth Theatre, a centre for

amateur dramatics groups, a popular greyhound racing track and two sports centres. Hall

Place, on the edge of the parish, is a beautiful stately home by the river with extensive and

accessible grounds, garden, café, steakhouse and gallery. The new Crayford Community

Centre, located above the library, is the venue for many groups.

Leisure facilities include "The Bear and Ragged Staff" public house well known as a venue for

live pop/rock bands, five other pubs in the town centre, including a micro-brewery, who

host a very enthusiastic carol-singing event in partnership with the church each year.

There is a large Sainsbury's supermarket situated next to the dog stadium, a small Iceland

store, and a newly opened Aldi supermarket as part of the Crayford Island Retail Park and

also there is the Tower Retail Park is opposite Crayford Town Hall.

The High Street is partly one-way for motor traffic and has a few shops and services

including a doctors' surgery (now located in the revamped Town Hall), nail bar, golf store,

Iceland, florists, takeaway shops, several betting shops and hair salons.

Crayford Motors in London Road is a Citroen car dealership. Bexley Garage in Bexley Lane is

a family owned motor works.


On its way from Erith to Old Bexley, the "London LOOP" walk follows the River Cray across

the Crayford Marshes and through the town centre, and provides local walkers with a well-

used route through the more picturesque parts of the locality.

Erith Deanery

Erith Deanery comprises 13 parishes in the north of the London Borough of Bexley. It covers

Barnehurst, Belvedere, Bexleyheath, Bostall Heath, Crayford, Erith, Falconwood,

Northumberland Heath, Slade Green and Welling. The area has a mix of urban and suburban

communities and generally the population is growing and changing.

The Deanery provides ample opportunities for our churches to work together. The clergy

meet regularly as a chapter and churches are also grouped into clusters - providing smaller

support networks and facilitating shared local initiatives. There are other useful ecumenical

networks too, e.g. Transforming Bexley Borough (TBB) and local Churches Together groups.

Our westernmost parishes border the Diocese of Southwark and this is reflected in some of

the local partnerships they form.

Through the Erith Deanery Youth Trust (EDYT) we fund a Children and Youth Work Support

Worker – providing encouragement, training and resources for our youth and children’s

work across the Deanery.

The Deanery Synod meetings are generally well attended and we try to ensure that synods

are places where people share experiences and grow in understanding of faith, celebrate

diversity and engage in interesting topics. Two synods per year are “open” meetings for all

members of the congregations. The House of Laity also meet twice a year on their own.

Our Area Dean is the Revd Canon Julie Conalty and the Deputy Area Dean is the Revd Jane

Edwards. The Deanery Lay Chair is Peter Green.

Buildings and Grounds

The Church

The church is situated at the top of a hill, surrounded by an extensive and peaceful

churchyard, overlooking the main part of the town below. The earliest part of the church

buildings date from about the year 1100 AD; various aisles, chapels and vestries have been

added during the last 800 years, most recently a vestry, kitchen and toilet extension in the

1990s. St Paulinus Church is only one of two churches in this country that have pillars going

down its central aisle. There are two chapels, the Lady Chapel, south of the Chancel and the

All Saints Chapel to the north of the Chancel. There are three vestries, one for each of the

servers, choir and clergy. There is a tower housing eight bells with a soundproof space for

parents to use for respite during services. Our recently installed audio-visual system


provides audio links to the vestry and tower room. The chancel was re-ordered in 1991,

bringing the main altar forwards and opening up a space for a more inclusive feel and

allowing flexibility for other chancel activities.

The pipe ‘tracker’ organ and choir stalls are

situated at the back of the church. The outside

tower is floodlit and the church is security

alarmed.

Building project (Heritage Lottery

Fund)

The ancient church of St Paulinus is in urgent

need of repair if we are to safeguard its

architectural significance for future

generations. The proposed works will include

improvements to the drainage system to

alleviate dampness issues, make repairs to the ancient stonework, internal plasterwork,

Lady Chapel ceiling and improvements to the accessibility of the building.

We have been successful in securing a First Round Pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund to

assist with this work, and have recently submitted our Second Round Application to enable

us to go forward with the work to preserve the fabric of our church. This process is being led

by one of our former churchwardens, and facilitated by the PCC.

Church Halls

The Church has halls situated across the road to the west of the church. There are two

adjoining halls. The larger of these two built in the 1930s has a purpose built stage, a large

kitchen and male and female toilets. The smaller hall, known as the youth hall, was built in

the 1960s is at the back of the main hall. It has its own toilets and a small kitchen area. The

two halls are internally connected but can be used independently. They are available for

hire and are run by the Church Administrator and Halls sub-committee. There is a pre-

school which hires the main hall during weekdays in term time. Toddler group, Sunday Night

Massive, Mothers Union, Rainbows, Brownies and dance groups use the hall on a regular

basis. Whilst the Halls continue to serve the Church and the local community and are

maintained, the future of the halls and the extent of their investment may be an important

focus in the coming years.


The Rectory

The Rectory is located over the road from the Church

on Claremont Crescent, approximately 200 yards to

the east, was built in 1961. It is a detached house with

5 bedrooms, bathroom, lounge, dining room, kitchen,

utility room, downstairs cloakroom, and a study. It is

security alarmed and there is a large garden, mainly

grassed with mature trees and shrubs. To the side of

the house are two garages and parking for 3-4 cars.

The PCC also own two properties, one for housing a curate, and another for rental income

from a bequest.

Churchyard

St Paulinus Church has an extensive churchyard that is divided into different sections.

Crayford Living Churchyard, also known as the “Old Churchyard”, has been closed since

2005. It is managed by the council and the churchyard committee. Burial still take place here

in existing graves where there is still room. It has a gardener Mr Mark Stallard who sees to

daily duties in the Churchyard such as clearing flowers and maintaining the Garden of

Remembrance.

The other section is the Russell

Stoneham Memorial Garden

and Churchyard. This was

opened in 2012. It has a large

Garden of Remembrance with

different beds for ashes which

people can chose for their

loved once to be interred. Each

has rose bushes which are

currently maintained by Gorden

Jacques. Headstones are placed

around the edge of the garden

for the name of those interred.

The new graveyard has also been opened since 2012 and is currently on its second row.

There is a shed on this plot where equipment is kept for the gardener and the churchyard

working group. There is a large underdeveloped area of land which is cut 3 times a year and

is ready for the next phase of development for the burial ground.


Aspects of Church life at St Paulinus

Worship at St Paulinus Church

Style and ethos

Worship at St Paulinus is centred on the sacraments, incorporating a wide range of worship

styles and settings for Eucharistic devotion and formation. We are nourished by a liberal

catholic approach to worship, and our ministry team share in leadership of our services,

together with the support of a fulsome team of servers and our choir and music group

under the leadership of our Director of Music. The Healing Team also offer a valuable

ministry within some of our services. Our lay readers and evangelist share in the preaching

ministry of our Sunday services, and six times a year a visiting speaker brings a presentation

for our ‘away giving’ in place of the sermon.

As you would expect, the liturgical year is well rehearsed in Crayford, with feast days

marked and an attentive use of

traditional variations to colour the

seasons, especially Holy Week and the

Triduum. There is also some gentle

appreciation of charismatic renewal, and

some of our congregation bring their

experiences of Pentecostal spirituality.

This creates a well-rounded and diverse

community, centred around a joyful and

open appreciation of liturgical worship,

responsive and enlivened by new forms.

Photo Copyright © 2015 Oakhouse Photography.

Patterns of worship

• Daily Office said in Church throughout the week, by clergy.

• Sunday 8am: Low Mass and Homily (Common Worship, said), 25 congregants.

• Sunday 10am [except when Family Worship]: Parish Mass and Sermon (Common

Worship, part-sung), 90 adults, 30 children. For festival days, this would be High

Mass and Procession (with incense). Once a month, Healing Ministry is offered in

the Lady Chapel during the distribution of communion, with a significant uptake.

Sunday School is offered in term-time during the Mass, with children joining at

the Peace.

• Sunday 10am [once a month in place of Parish Mass]: Family Worship: shorter

service with our music group, puppet show, all-age talk, and readings and prayers


led by our Sunday School, 80 adults, 40 children. For Patronal Festival, Mothering

Sunday and Pentecost, a Family Mass takes its place.

• Sunday 6pm [once a month, when Family Worship is on in the morning]: High

Mass and Address (Common Worship, part-sung), 30 congregants.

• Tuesday 9am: Collective Worship at St Paulinus C of E Primary School.

• Wednesday 9:30am: Low Mass and Homily (Common Worship, said), attended by

one school class in term time, with talk and prayers directed at the children, 40

adults, 35 children.

• Thursday 9:30am: Toddler Praise, a short service, in the sanctuary, of action songs

and the Lord’s Prayer before joining our Toddler Group in the Hall, 10 adults, 10

children.

• Thursday 8pm [once a month, previously weekly]: Low Mass with Healing

Ministry (Common Worship), in the Lady Chapel with laying on of hands and

anointing, served by our Healing Team, 10 congregants.

• Friday 9:15am: Low Mass (Common Worship), in the Lady Chapel, of which once a

month is a Mothers’ Union Corporate Communion, 10 congregants.

School services: Several local schools also

attend at Christmas and Easter for services. At

Patronal Festival, Candlemas and Pentecost, a

School Mass is led in St Paulinus C of E School.

Baptisms: Sunday 12:30pm, Service of Holy

Baptism. These are on set dates, on

approximately 16 Sundays of the year, with 4

families in each service. In 2016, we had 73

baptisms. Each service is attended by around

200 people total. Photo Copyright © 2015 Oakhouse Photography.

Baptism preparation sessions are held monthly on a Saturday morning to welcome and get

to know families, with some short instruction; the baptism visiting team arrange for a home

visit to discuss the service.

Funerals: We have an active funerals ministry, both in Church (mostly for burial in our

extensive churchyards), and at Eltham Crematorium, with around 40-50 funerals conducted

each year. We also conduct many burials of ashes in the churchyard, around 20-30 each

year. A bereavement support group is also run by one of our Pastoral Assistants.


Special Occasions and Seasons

• Advent: Service of Light

• Christmas: Christingle, Nine Lessons and Carols, Nativity, Carols by Candlelight,

Midnight Mass, St Stephen’s Day Mass, St John’s Day Mass, Holy Innocents’ Day

Mass.

• Holy Week: Palm Sunday Procession, Palm Sunday Confirmation Service, Weekday

Masses, Stations of the Cross, Mass of the Last Supper, Maundy Watch Vigil, Walk

of Witness (with Churches Together), Liturgy of Good Friday, Easter Vigil

Ceremonies, Dawn Service.

• Ascension Day: joint Mass with surrounding parishes.

• Remembrance Day service with parade to the War Memorial.

Sunday school

We have a very popular

and thriving Sunday

School ministry. School-

age children meet in the

Church Hall during the 10am Mass in term time, with activities, songs and games to explore

a theme or bible story and to learn to enjoy their faith. The Sunday School is run by a

committed team of helpers, working with 20-35 children each week. Our current leaders are

due to stand down Summer 2017 so we are currently seeking applications for someone to

take on this leadership of this ministry.

The children join the main service at the Peace, to take part in communion and worship.

Under the permission of the Bishop of Rochester the parish prepares and admits children to

receive Holy Communion before Confirmation, running a ‘Let’s Do Eucharist!’ course most

summers.


Sunday Night Massive

In 2015 we relaunched our Sunday

evening youth group, aimed at those in

school year 5 and over, to provide a

fun and safe space for those about to

make the transition to secondary

school, and to try to encourage an

ongoing link for them with the church’s

ministry.

Each term runs with a programme of

activities including baking, team

games, quizzes, Messy Mass, bowling and Christmas and Easter parties.

The Ministry Team

As well as the Rector we have a Curate, the Revd James Crockford who is approaching his

fourth year in the parish. The Revd Joe Hogarth is an associate priest, and although retired

he willingly helps with midweek services and funerals in church and elsewhere in the

deanery.

We have two readers, Denise Morgan and Richard Demuth, a parish evangelist Roger Laing,

and pastoral assistants Lynn Wallington and Nicky Fry. This team between them help with

our confirmation preparation, pastoral visiting and preaching.

We also have two trainee Licensed Lay Ministers, Lynn Wallington and Magali Van Der

Merwe. The two Church Wardens, Glen Bater and Francis Vordzorgbe have a strong team of

stewards who help on a rota system with Sunday services and Baptisms.

The Church Administrator is a paid employee of the church. Kelly Tharby is the present

administrator. The church office at 8a Iron Mill Lane and is open to the public from 9am

until 2pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. On the last Tuesday of the month, it is

open in the evening for wedding appointments only. Kelly Tharby also serves as Wedding

Clerk and Verger for Weddings and offers administration for funerals and churchyard

ministry.


Music at St Paulinus

The PCC employ a Director of Music, Mr Nic Turner, to lead our music ministry. Most sung

services are supported by organ and choir (around 10 members each week), with the well-

suited tracker organ and choir stalls now located at the back of the church. The Choir

practice each Friday evening, participate in local choir competitions and church music

events. There is a small junior section of the choir; chorister recruitment has not come easily

and this remains an area for attention and development.

Photo Copyright © 2015 Oakhouse Photography.

St Paulinus and Churches Together in Crayford

Churches Together in Crayford is an ecumenical body established between St Paulinus, St

Mary’s of the Cray’s R.C Church, the Baptist Church and Act 2 in Crayford, as well as a range

of new small Pentecostal chapels. The committee meet regularly to discuss and organised

shared ventures of worship and common issues, and are exploring areas of potential

service. The main points of ecumenical gathering are the Good Friday Walk of Witness, and

the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Church leaders participate in the work of the group

as and when they can.

Parish Communications

The church magazine is distributed by volunteers to regular parishioners and to interested

people throughout the parish at the beginning of every other month.

Encouragement is given to groups, the school and individuals to write articles and reports so

that full coverage of the life of the parish is recorded and interest in the church may be

promoted. Copies of the magazine are also available at the back of the church for visitors to

peruse or take away with them.

Every Sunday the congregation at each service is given a weekly pew sheet, which advertises

services and the forth coming week’s events. Snippets of news may also be added or

request for help. This weekly sheet is also posted outside the porch door so passing people

can read it. Our Communications Committee are currently engaged in reviewing and


renewing aspects of our communications, from updated noticeboards to a fresh set of

leaflets on parish life and history.

St Paulinus also publishes a website (stpaulinus.co.uk) which gives information on all aspects

of the church life, with a Twitter feed, photo gallery, and service information.

St Paulinus CE Primary School

At St Paulinus C.E. Primary School our relationship with the Church is an incredibly

important one. When you walk into our school, when you look on our website and when

you talk to any member of our school community it becomes clear what a close and special

connection we share. Our local Church plays a key role in helping us to nurture and develop

the spirituality of our children and staff.

Both the school and the Church are there for each other and mutually support each other.

School staff and members of the Church clergy meet regularly to plan the weekly Christian

themes of worship which our children celebrate. We work closely together supporting each

other to ensure the children at the school are provided with worship of a high quality.

Every Tuesday a member of the clergy visits the school to deliver the whole school

Collective Worship – this enables the children to be familiar with members of their local

Church and they are proud to welcome them to join the act of worship. Every Wednesday a

class from the school walk to St Paulinus Church to attend the 9.30 a.m. Mass. They sit in

the pews learning what it is like to become part of the congregation and are invited to the

chancel carpet for a short talk during the service. Members of the clergy enjoy seeing the

children and the children equally enjoy meeting them.

There are many other times during the year where the school and Church unite together for

special services (e.g. Harvest, Candlemas, Easter, Christmas and our St Paulinus Service) and

families and members of the local community are invited to join in with these. At times

when children are learning about a particular aspect of Christianity during their Religious

Education lessons, they may visit the Church or invite someone from Church to come and

talk to them and answer their questions.

Many members of the school’s Governing Body are also members of the Church community.

This enables us to ensure our vision (of ensuring our children grow and leave our school

with Christian values that prepare them for life in a diverse society) is at the heart of any

decisions that we make. Volunteers from St Paulinus Church are also working on a

programme where they act as ‘mentors’ to individual children and we are always looking for

new recruits to support our children emotionally as well as spiritually.

Mrs Sarah Young, Head Teacher, St Paulinus C.E. Primary School


The Friends of St Paulinus

Since 1966 the Friends of St. Paulinus has been a separate body devoted to fundraising to

support the preservation of the fabric and contents of the church. The Rector has always

been a committee member and supporter and we look forward to a continued good

relationship.

Events are organised to attract and entertain local people. Annual events in recent years

have included coffee mornings and a Quiz Night. Last year a concert was produced and

earlier an Old Time Music Hall was staged, both proving popular and successful. On-going

fundraising is through membership fees and the weekly draw.

The Friends have taken responsibility for the maintenance of the church clock and also for

the purchase and maintenance of the church flags, ensuring they are all in good order.

Occasional substantial income has included donations and bequests which have facilitated

major projects such as the restoration of the Mence Smith triptych, and the restoration and

repair of the organ.


Parish Administration and Finance

The PCC

The PCC has 25 members in total. There are 10 ex officio members, who are the Rector,

Curate, one reader, two church Wardens, Secretary, Treasure, Director of Music and the

Church Administrator.

The PCC has 14 elected members, who serve for three years after which they may be re-

elected for a further period of three years. In addition, there are four members elected to

serve as Deanery Synod Representatives.

The Rector is the chair of the PCC, assisted by the elected Vice Chair.

Each member of the PCC is expected to sit on a further sub-committee. The chairs of these

subcommittees do not necessarily have to be members of the PCC but each committee

must have at least one PCC member on it to represent and report back to the PCC.

PCC Sub-committees


Charitable Trust and Property

The Chair is a member of charitable trusts, several of which are quite small. However, one or

two are quite substantial and include a number of properties. The Rector and

Churchwardens are the trustees to three almshouses and a house on one side of Iron Mill

Lane, near the church. The Rector and a number of other trustees have the responsibility for

four almshouses and two other properties on the other side of Iron Mill Lane. From day to

day there is little to do regarding these properties, whose rents are managed by a letting

agency.

Church Finances

In 2016 our net income was £8,576, with total incoming resources totalling £197,027. A

third of our income in 2016 came from voluntary giving and tax reclaim, a fifth from funeral

and wedding fees, and just under a fifth from hall rental income. Our parish offer to the

Diocese last year was £73,292. At the end of 2016, the PCC bank balance held £64,802.22

with a further deposit of £82,174.26 with the Rochester Diocese Fund.

Each year a Stewardship Sunday is held to provide a chance to think about Christian giving,

and how parishioners can best give to support and take responsibility for the shared

ministry of the parish. Copy of the accounts can be provided on request.


“Person” specification for the new Incumbent 2017

• Well-developed leadership and team working skills.

• Good facilitator and able to encourage others to fulfil their potential in terms of their

particular ministries and gifts.

• Rooted and articulate in Eucharistic worship with good skills in leading liturgical

services, yet able to be flexible, adaptable and open to lead and support new styles of

worship.

• Able communicator, with good computer skills.

• Prepared to support and encourage outreach within the parish.

• A desire to work collaboratively with other Parishes within the Deanery, and with

other Christian congregations in Crayford.

• An enthusiasm and capability for ministry in a Church school.

• Comfortable in dealing with people of all ages and backgrounds, supportive of

diversity and able to facilitate an inclusive approach to ministry.

• Proven management ability to cope with the demands of a busy parish.

• Someone with an engaging and thoughtful approach to teaching and preaching

ministry, including confirmation classes, assemblies, and facilitating home group

ministry.

• Good organisational and time management skills.

• Approachable, caring and empathetic character, with an ability in providing pastoral

support and nurture for all ages.

• A sense of vocation to Parish ministry, and an ability to relate well to those in and

outside the church, with a particular heart for ministry through the occasional offices.

• Ability to support those exploring or new to faith, and challenge all to find a place

within the church family.

Date post:	16-Apr-2018
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