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The Parish Profile of St Francis of Assisi

Petts Wood, Diocese of Rochester

October 2017

Contents

Introduction and Summary

St Francis of Assisi Church in Petts Wood is located in the Borough of Bromley in south east London. Located in zone 5 of the London transport network, it borders the county of Kent and benefits from a frequent train service to the centre of London and an extensive bus network. The church sits within the Orpington Deanery, as part of the Archdeaconry of Bromley & Bexley, within the Diocese of Rochester.

The parish church is the only building in Petts Wood to be listed in Sir Nikolaus Pevsner’s “The Buildings of England”.

“Bricks and mortar of this church are just part of the story; for the hearts and souls of faithful parishioners shine out across these pages. It is they who created the church, who constructed a life with Christ at its centre. In peace and in war they brought hope and fulfilment to society around them.” 1

Introduction and Summary 1 Part 1: The Church 4 Part 2: The Parish and Wider Area 11 Part 3: The Incumbent 15 Part 4: The Future 18

Taken from an Introduction written by Fr. Horobin, a previous vicar of this parish, written in 1

A History of St Francis Church Petts Wood, which celebrated 50 years of the church in 1985

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Parish Profile of St Francis of Assisi Petts Wood, Diocese of Rochester

The front of St Francis

October 2017Today’s congregation has had the opportunity to reflect on the qualities it would like to see in our new incumbent. Some of these have been included in a word cloud below.

In return, we can promise:

• fun, fellowship and friendship

• respect of your family space

• that we will support you and pray with you

• that we will be honest and open with you

The St Francis Church website – www.stfrancispw.org.uk – has been professionally created and provides many details of the church, its services, activities and parish functions.

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http://www.stfrancispw.org.uk

October 2017Since 1994, Resolutions A and B have been in force, and in 2016 the PCC passed a Resolution under the HOB Declaration asking that sacramental services be conducted only by male priests and male bishops in the Diocese of Rochester. This resolution was subsequently questioned by parishioners at the last APCM and a recent survey found that 80% would be happy to accept a female vicar.

The PCC recently rescinded the Resolution by a narrow majority. It believes that this is best for the Parish, but respects the theological conviction of those who do not believe that women can be priests. We are seeking a vicar who recognises and respects our diversity of views and will bring a healing ministry to all of us.

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October 2017

Part 1: The Church Humble Beginnings St Francis Church started out as a wooden building that was constructed in 1931 on the site of the current Church Hall.

The Church Today The main church was built alongside the

wooden structure and the building was consecrated on the 5th January 1935. On the 19th April 1952, the church held a dedication service for the newly-built hall. It was hailed, by the then Bishop of Rochester, as: “One of the finest parish halls in the diocese.”

Through The Keyhole Since its consecration, the church has remained largely unchanged and now consists of a conventional cruciform layout. The high altar is situated on the east side underneath beautiful stained glass windows, which shine light to all corners of the church. In the early 1990s, a nave altar and communion rails were constructed and these are now used every Sunday for our 10:30am sung services and other major services in the church calendar.

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A front-facing view of St Francis, taken shortly after construction was completed

North-western aspect of the front of St Francis

October 2017On the north side lies the Lady Chapel where our Sunday 8am traditional Holy Communion and mid-week services take place. It houses several smaller stained glass windows as well as the tabernacle, aumbry, and a brand new baby grand piano, donated to the church earlier in 2017.

There is also a statue of the Virgin Mary located between the nave altar and the Lady Chapel; this statue was moved from the original wooden church built in the 1930s.

The “stations of the cross” are carved in wood and are located across two sides of the church. The font is situated at the back of the church and, with the exception of the Easter period, the paschal candle is also placed here.

Directly opposite are two oak cabinets where refreshments are served after the 10:30am services. This is also where the tea station and disabled facilities will be constructed, subject to successful fundraising.

The Sound Of Angels Behind the nave altar sits the choir stalls and organ. We are currently without a full-time organist, however, music is digitally supplied by the choirmaster, and hymns and mass settings are played through the church sound system. The choir sings during the 10:30am and seasonal services and is supported by a microphone placed in the middle of the stalls. Choir practice takes place on Thursday evenings, and an expanded choir is formed for our annual Nine Lessons & Carol service.

In addition, we have a Junior Choir that sings at Family Services and other seasonal events. “We welcome children of all abilities and experience,” says choir leader, Sarah. “The emphasis is on having fun while learning about rhythm, harmony, how to use the voice safely and working together as a team. There are also opportunities for more confident singers to perform solos and gain valuable performing experience.”

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October 2017

Come Outside The church is surrounded by beautiful gardens and grounds which are lovingly maintained by the loyal voluntary church gardening team. It (the garden, not the team!) is populated by trees, all with preservation orders, as a remnant of the original Petts Wood. The grounds are not consecrated for burial, although a section is used for the interment of ashes. This is situated next to the “daffodil cross” which is on the north side of the church.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

The detached Vicarage (60 Willet Way, BR5 1QE) is located very close to the church and was built in the late 1930s. It has five bedrooms, a large living room, dining room, study and downstairs cloakroom. The diocese has recently agreed to fund the refurbishment of the kitchen, main bathroom and other areas.

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A picture of the grounds during spring, looking towards the main entrance of the church

October 2017

A Place To Socialise The Church Hall has undergone extensive refurbishment and modernisation during the last ten years. It now adheres to all health, safety and electrical standards, and it also offers full disabled access.

The hall is let during weekday mornings in term time to a pre-school group, Bright Beginnings, and is also let to other organisations during afternoons and evenings. The income generated by the hall is critical to our finances. In addition, it is used for a variety of church activities, such as quiz nights, summer and Christmas fairs, harvest lunches and coffee mornings.

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BBQ at the Summer Fair, 2017

Mothers’ Union social event, 2017

Craft Tables at the Summer Fair, 2017

Barbecue at the Summer Fair, 2017

October 2017

Weekly Worship & Annual Celebrations As well as our 8am Traditional Said Eucharist and our main 10:30am modern Sung Eucharist, we hold weekday Said Eucharists at 7:30pm on Tuesdays and at 9:30am on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Communion is by request on Fridays and Saturdays. Due to the Interregnum, these weekday services have been suspended, however, we would like to re-introduce them. The Sacrament of Confession is offered at St Francis by request.

On selected Sundays during school term we hold a Family Service which offers a more child-friendly setting. The service involves the Junior Choir and members of the Sunday Club who would otherwise meet in the Church Hall during the main Sunday services.

Church Festivals St Francis hosts a variety of Christmas services and events. This starts with our annual service of Nine Lessons and Carols on the last Sunday before Christmas Eve, followed by our Crib Service and Christingle at 4pm on Christmas Eve, which in recent years has attracted hundreds of people to the church. Traditional Midnight Mass is then celebrated, concluding with the normal services on Christmas Day.

In the run up to Easter, churches across the local area take turns to host a Stations of the Cross service on Sunday afternoons in Lent. Holy Week is celebrated, commencing with Palm Sunday, followed by the Easter Triduum of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday with Stations of the Cross, Liturgy of the Word and Veneration of The Cross. We continue on Saturday evening with the Solemn Beginning of The Vigil and the Service of Light, which is followed by a party with refreshments. On Sunday there is the Mass of Easter Day, both at 8am and 10:30am.

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One of our beautiful banners

October 2017Completing the church year, St Francis, being the largest church in Petts Wood, is host to the Royal British Legion for the Annual Service of Remembrance. The Remembrance Sunday service is attended by members of all Petts Wood churches, as well as the members of the Legion, Scouts, Guides, Girls Brigade, and other organisations, resulting in over 300 attendees.

Working & Worshipping Together The church electoral roll at present consists of 97 members, most of whom take an active part in church life, whether attending Mass on Sundays or participating in church-led groups. These include:

• Bible Study Group • Senior Choir & Junior Choir • Health and Harmony (singing for health and well-being) • Families & Children’s Groups: Sunday Club, Sunday Club+, Little Lambs (a mid-week

playgroup session for toddlers and carers) • Voluntary Support Group • Social Committee • Mothers’ Union • Church Gardening Team • Church Cleaning Team • Flower Arrangers • Servers and Sidespersons • Parish representation on both Deanery and Diocesan Synod

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Remembrance Service, 2014

October 2017St Francis belongs to Petts Wood Churches Together which also includes Roman Catholic, Methodist, United Reform, Baptist and Lutheran churches.

We also help our community by allowing the church and hall to be used by local organisations. In addition, we support many charities including Orpington Food Bank, the Children’s Society, Bromley Welcare, Demelza House Children’s Hospice and Christian Aid.

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Charity Concert, 2017

October 2017

Part 2: The Parish and Wider Area

Located on the eastern side of Petts Wood, St Francis has a parish that is approximately two-thirds of a square mile in size, and is comprised mainly of suburban housing. The boundary (as shown above) is defined on the northern and western sides by the railway line.

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A view of the parish with its boundaries. St Francis is marked by the blue pointer.

October 2017Whilst the town’s high street (Queensway) falls outside this, the town’s other centre, Station Square, is within the boundary. This houses the recently Grade II listed pub, The Daylight Inn, built in 1935 and named in honour of Petts Wood resident and promoter of Daylight Saving, William Willett.

A memorial sundial dedicated to William Willett is placed within Petts Wood and Hawkwood Woodlands, around 338 acres of National Trust woodland situated just on 2

the northern boundary of the parish.

The woodland forms the scenic backdrop to the annual Petts Wood 10K, run by the Petts Wood Runners Club, which takes place every year at the start of October. The run starts in Petts Wood Recreation Ground (next to Towncourt Crescent), and sees approximately 1,000 runners taking part across a very picturesque route.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/petts-wood-and-hawkwood#Overview2

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Petts Wood and Hawkwood Woodlands

The Daylight Inn in Station Square

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/petts-wood-and-hawkwood#Overview

October 2017There are three supermarkets situated on either side of the railway. There are also several restaurants serving Mediterranean, Indian and Mexican food to name a few, as well as takeaway restaurants, coffee shops and cafes. Recreationally, the town also has a 24-hour access gym, library and a snooker hall. Petts Wood also has a petrol station, three pubs (including an award-winning micro-pub), and the Petts Wood branch of the Royal British Legion.

Whilst there are no schools within the parish itself, there are a couple of schools based on the boundary, including Crofton Infants and Junior School, home to pupils in Reception all the way up to Year 6. Traditionally, our vicar has maintained close links with this school and hosts visits to the church by the children. There are many excellent secondary schools in Bromley, the nearest being Darrick Wood Academy and Bishop Justus Church of England School.

As in many town parishes, St Francis attracts people from outside its own parish who like our tradition of worship, while some Anglican parishioners prefer to attend churches of other traditions outside the parish. Other members of the congregation choose St Francis because it is their parish church or nearest Church of England church. We need to serve them all and believe that our present tradition and liturgy enables us to do this.

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Queensway in Petts Wood

October 2017

Neighbouring Towns Further afield are the neighbouring towns of Orpington and Bromley, both of which have recently undergone (and continue to undergo) redevelopment works. Orpington now has a seven-screen Odeon cinema, whilst Bromley is currently building a nine-screen Vue cinema (in addition to its existing cinema) plus an apartment/shop complex. Both developments also include new hotels.

Close by is the Nugent shopping centre in St Mary Cray. Like Petts Wood, both local towns have good transport links into the heart of London and are within easy reach of the M20 and M25.

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Orpington High Street with War Memorial in foreground

Bromley Churchill Gardens looking towards the main town centre

October 2017

Part 3: The Incumbent

Recently, we held a Parish Consultation exercise in which members of the congregation were encouraged to give their views on how we move forward at St Francis.

Many views were expressed, showing how diverse we are, and how good God is to bring us together to share in the worship and activities of St Francis. Most felt our Anglo Catholic tradition must be maintained, but some would prefer a less “high” church.

Almost everyone saw our main needs as: to unite the congregation; to care for, support and respect one another; to welcome more people to our church; to provide good pastoral care; to develop future lay leaders and, especially, to attract and keep more young people and families.

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The view to the pews, looking from behind the nave altar

October 2017To do this we need a priest who is a holy, reverent and devout person, who can lead and motivate a diverse congregation. An understanding leader who is committed to our parish and supportive of all groups within the church = a priest with negotiating, reconciliation and listening skills – as well as ideas (and the ability) to attract young people.

We are, however, keen for our next incumbent to bring new ideas on how to improve the feel of the church, however small, and to give guidance and support for any project we decide to embark on. For example, we are keen to improve the fabric of the church and we currently have plans to redevelop the south-west corner into an accessible toilet and tea station. We have recently been given DAC approval for this project and have already started to raise the funds. This project is important for our congregation, but is even more important as a way of bringing new people into church, especially young families.

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Palm Sunday procession from the hall to the church. To the left is the consecrated land on which our special “cross of daffodils” is planted

October 2017

We have recently experienced a high turnover of important jobs within the church such as Treasurer and Churchwardens. We pray for stability to settle down and rebuild after a turbulent period, and for an incumbent who will lead us through an exciting new period at St Francis.

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The high altar at the eastern end of the church with stained glass windows above. The banners either side depict St Francis and the Blessed Sacrament

October 2017

Part 4: The Future

We hope that our profile has given you a taste of what St Francis and its surrounding area is like. We are keen to look ahead and help all within the church’s worshipping community. We see our future as one where we will continue, and improve, our efforts to serve everyone in the Parish and to meet the needs of the next generation.

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The stained glass windows behind the high altar

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