Walking the Mid-Trent Benefice

A welcome from Lichfield Diocese

One of the best weekends I have enjoyed as Bishop of Lichfield was that of 8th-9th February, when I walked between the ten churches and communities of the Mid-Trent Benefice with a group of fellow pilgrims. We walked through 30 miles of stunning Staffordshire countryside; we passed places of great natural and historic interest; we visited a great variety of carefully tended and beautifully ordered village churches; we met lots of friendly and hospitable parishioners, who served us mountains of cakes and lashings of tea; and we heard in every place a sense of pride in the life of their local church, together with a real commitment to work with neighbouring parishes to plan mission and ministry together. The two gospel images which came powerfully to me were those which Jesus calls his disciples to be: salt and light. As salt brings flavour to food by dissolving itself into other ingredients, so each of these churches is thoroughly immersed in, inseparable from, the life of its local village. And as light offers something distinctive to its surroundings, so the strength of the benefice’s organisation as a team is in encouraging and equipping Christians for the distinctive witness they have to offer to the people of mid-Staffordshire. Collaborative working and community involvement are both well developed in this benefice; if you feel that you are the priest called to lead a wonderful group of Christians and churches in being salt and light to the world, then I look forward to your ministry as Team Rector of the Mid-Trent Benefice.

Realising our Vision

We work

together

We pray

We reach

out to others

We do the

basics well

We look

forward

We are a community of ten churches in eight beautiful rural parishes operating as one in our aim to grow the

numbers of people touched by the Gospel through our church services and by outreach into our communities. We

are committed to growing our own faith and discipleship and building on the strength that being part of the

Benefice brings.

Prayer has always been at the heart of what we do, and we are growing our prayer life with an evolving Benefice

wide Prayer Scheme which will operate in each parish and include prayer walks. We participate in the World Day

of Prayer. We even have a prayer being used by each prayer group and included in our intercessions at each church

for this recruitment process, asking for God’s guidance and for a great outcome. We are praying that the Spirit will

enable us to grow in faith and effectiveness.

Our mission theme is growth and new beginnings and this is reflected in our outreach through Open the Book in

our schools, services for schools including pupils, teachers and parents, Messy Church, Workshops for children

and parents held at various churches around the Benefice, breakfast services run by two churches, fellowship

groups, tea parties, communion in local nursing homes, one of which opens its doors to the whole community,

benefice pastoral visitors scheme, fund raising and social events and special services. We have a wonderful benefice

magazine which is contributed to by the whole community with 2,500 copies delivered free across the benefice

each month. Our website keeps everyone up to date with what is happening at all the churches.

We deliver the practicalities of running the Benefice through our very effective Team Council supported by a strong

staff team, effective PCCs, a very experienced administrator and a team treasurer. An integrated service rota has

been developed to manage the cost of additional clergy and includes monthly team services. A Benefice wide,

Common Worship service book is used at eight churches with the Book of Common Prayer as an alternative at two

others. Ten lay leaders of worship have been trained to support the service rota and one church works in a L.E.P.

with Methodist members in their village.

Led by the Holy Spirit, we want our churches to continue to grow and thrive, seeking to attract children, families

and young people to ensure they remain a beacon for Christ and the joy of the Gospel in our communities and

across the Benefice into the future. We look forward to a new leader working with our Team Vicar, Curate and

Reader, joining us to continue with us on our journey.

Team

Who we are looking for

Our Team

Our new Rector?

Rev’d Mike Cadwallader

(Team Vicar)

Rev’d Vivienne Starkie (Team Associate Minister)

Andy Cooper (Team Reader)

We are looking for the person God is calling to join us here in Mid-Trent. We need

someone who is grounded in prayer and in their relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Someone who will bring the very best of themselves to this role to bring out the very best

in us.

Someone who:

• Is able to communicate with everyone of any age or background, is a good listener,

sensitive to the needs of others, has a good sense of fun and uses all these

attributes to facilitate mission and church growth

• Is able to work effectively with both laity and clergy teams, allowing them to grow

in faith and confidence, supporting and developing them and others to share the

gospel with all

• Cares for others and reaches out to those in need ensuring that the church offers

pastoral care. Builds links with the wider community and encourages all of us to

share our faith and the love of God in the Benefice

• Has the vision and imagination to recognise opportunities and is brave enough to

take risks to realise them. Is creative and forward looking, can challenge and is

open to challenge

• Is a confident, capable and collaborative leader who understands the challenges

and benefits of working in a rural community

Is this the role you are being called to? We pray that it is.

Do you want to develop your Ministry in Mid-Trent? We pray that you do.

hat we can offer you What we can offer you

Open the Book

Café Church /

Breakfast Service

Team Services

Open Churches

Prayer Walks

Messy Church /

JAM (Jesus and

Me)

Weston is active within St Andrew’s Primary School with “Open the Book” assemblies

and Good Friday workshops and Hixon have “Open the Book”, school services for

primary school and pre-school service in church for children and families.

Once every month St. Andrew’s Church, Weston hosts a popular Café Church for tea,

coffee, breakfast buffet and bacon baps, followed by an informal service and St Peter’s

Church, Hixon holds a breakfast service in the Guide Hall.

The last Sunday of every month sees all our churches come together to worship as one

in a different church each time. Donations to a local charity, House of Bread, are given.

We believe in our churches being open during the week for people to come and worship

in private or just to look around. Some are able to manage this every, or selected, days.

Prayer walks are a new venture, initially adopted by the members of Hixon and Stowe

by Chartley Churches.

JAM (Jesus and Me) holds occasional child friendly worship sessions around the benefice

specially designed for whole families with lots of activities for Children. A further

children’s workshop and craft session meets in Weston Village Hall for crafts, games,

stories and songs at 3-30 pm on the 4th Thursday each month. Children bring along their

families.

Viv’s paragraph

Fund Raising /

Socialising

Music Festivals

Concerts

Arts and Crafts

Open Gardens

Craft and Chat

Coffee Mornings

Special Events (Lent Lunches etc.)

A “Fellowship Group” meets once a fortnight at the Rev’d Mike’s home to unpack the

bible in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

Music festivals are held at various times throughout the year at Weston, Milwich and

Sandon.

In 2019 Sandon held a Christmas Concert with Stafford Grammar School Big Band,

Weston’s Christmas Concert was with the Ingestre Singers and Milwich Christmas

Praise with Greenlea School Choir.

Many of our churches have arts and craft activity during the year – much of which is

focused around making Christmas and Easter very special occasions.

Weston holds an annual “Open Gardens” weekend, famous for its “Best Scarecrow”

competition. If you are a keen gardener, Milwich, Hopton and Stowe by Chartley all

have garden / produce guilds.

Hixon “Craft and Chat” group meet once a month in the Village Memorial Hall where

villagers can pursue their hobby or craft and meet friends old and new over a cup of tea.

Hopton does “Knit & Natter” every Monday.

There are regular coffee mornings held in Hopton, Gayton, Hixon and Weston.

From fund raising, social and special events to mark the season, there is always

something going on in our villages.

Our Parishes

St. James the Less, Fradswell, is a Grade II listed building with a chancel arch dating back to 13th

century. The remainder of the church was rebuilt in 1764 and enlarged in 1852. Unusually, the tower

which dates from 1852 houses a Carillon still played for calling people to worship. The stained-glass

windows in the church are particularly fine and include an example by William De Morgan. In a very

rural setting, the church majors on services associated with the rural calendar including Rogation,

Harvest and Christmas. Communion is held once a month and Fradswell also hosts Team Services.

Built in the 12th century, and retaining its’ Norman chancel arch, St Peter’s Church, Gayton, is a small

rural church with Grade II* listing. It serves a small but enthusiastic community that has raised funds to

keep this lovely church in good repair and open for services and a major restoration project was

completed in 2014. Common Worship Holy Communion at 8-00am is held once a month as part of the

Benefice rota and St Peter’s also hosts Team Services.

St Peter’s Church, Hixon, is a mid-19th century church built to serve a small village is now part of a

growing community of over 2000 people. Linked to pre and primary schools in the village, it runs a

full programme of outreach activity aimed at growth and including Open the Book and services for

schools run in both the church and school buildings. Hixon is the largest village in the Benefice and

with CW services held each week, the congregation is not missing the opportunity it has to share the

Gospel with others. Hixon also hosts Team Services.

St. Rufins’, Burston, is a small 19th century mission church in the hamlet of Burston in the Parish of

Sandon with Burston and located on the Two Saints’ Way between Chester and Lichfield. It is open

every day and attracts many visitors particularly walkers. BCP Services are held once a month and at

Christmas. An annual village event is the Burston Tea Party held alongside the lovely mill pool in

Burston.

All Saints’ Church, Milwich. There has been a church on this site in Milwich since the 12th century.

The Nave of All Saints’ was rebuilt in the 1790s and the tower contains the oldest hanging dated

bell in Staffordshire, cast in 1409. This friendly and welcoming church is open to visitors during

the day and has good links with its local school. Services are held each Sunday, one led by the

Methodists and hosts Team Services in rotation with other churches.

St Peter’s Church, Hopton. Before the creation of this church, villagers from Hopton had to travel to Salt

with the aged and infirm being transported each week by a carriage provided by the Earl of Shrewsbury.

In 1876, the new church in Hopton was consecrated having been converted from a barn conveniently

located in the centre of the village. The barn was donated by the landowner and the conversion paid for

by the Earl of Shrewsbury. The congregations of Hopton and Salt shared clergy until the Mid Trent

Benefice was created and the wardens at Salt were happy to suggest alternative services in Salt and

Hopton and as a result, the two congregations are very close and continue to work as one.

St. James the Great, Salt, is a Grade II listed church completed in 1842 with much of the interior being

replaced in 1892 including the rood screen was designed by Augustus Pugin. The Church is opened on a

regular basis and a coffee area has been recently created, encouraging fellowship and friendship.

Festival Workshops are organised for the children and adults, to include craft teaching and informal

worship. Common Worship services are held on two Sundays and Salt also hosts Team Services in

rotation.

All Saints’ Church, Sandon, is located on the edge of Sandon Park. All Saints’ is built on the site of

churches that date back to before 1100. Much altered and extended over the years, the influence of

the families from Sandon Hall can be felt in the tombs and wall paintings, the early stained glass in

the East window and the funeral hatchments in the Nave. Grade I listed, it has been the

beneficiary of much fund raising and funding and work has been completed on the roof, the

heating system and installation of an accessible lavatory all of which support its mission around

weddings, baptisms and ongoing connections with families. A peal of six bells dating back to the

Services are held every Sunday, other than when there is a team service which Sandon also hosts. Services are BCP.

1600’s is in regular use for Sunday services and weddings with a troop of around 20 ringers available to support this.

Services are held every Sunday, other than when there is a team service which Sandon also hosts. Services are BCP.

St. John the Baptist, Stowe by Chartley. This pretty church with a long and interesting history is

situated at the heart of Stowe village. Built in the 12th century to Norman design and extended in the

14th century, the church has fascinating history and contains the tombs of Sir Walter Devereux and his

two wives who was a distinguished military leader in the reign of Henry VIII and was created Viscount

Hereford and admitted to the Order of the Garter. Also commemorated in the church are two Victoria

Cross holders, father and son General Sir Walter Congreve and his son William la Touche whose tablets

were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The bell tower has six bells most of which date from the 15th, 16th

and 17th centuries and are still in use, rung for services by an enthusiastic team of ringers. CW services

are held each Sunday and Stowe also hosts Team Services.

St. Andrew’s Church, Weston, is a Norman church built of local sandstone. Subsequent restoration

means it is now in a style typical of the early 13th Century and the bell tower dates from that period.

Its two bells include one dated 1402. The church underwent extensive restoration and

enlargement in 1872. Weston is a thriving village with a community spirit to match and St

Andrew’s holds a range of modern services designed to attract families into church including a

breakfast service once a month. Services are CW and held every Sunday. The Benefice house is

located across the road from St. Andrew’s Church.

To see much more about what goes on in each of these parishes, visit Mid Trent Churches

Our service rota (this pattern shows a typical month)

The practicalities of living in Mid-Trent

Weston

village

ST180FT

Your

rectory

Health

services

The

schools

Transport

links

What better place to make your home than this most picturesque area of the country? Often undersold, this area in Staffordshire gives you convenience, leisure and pleasure all in one spot with the county town and motorway access being easily reached.

Weston is a popular and attractive rural village situated around a large, picturesque village green. Its social hub focuses on two local pubs and a busy Village Hall community. The broad demographic population enjoys the wide range of social activities and clubs managed by a Village Hall committee.

Being so close to a county town of Stafford, villagers enjoy the usual shopping and leisure amenities including pubs, restaurants, a sports centre, multiplex cinema and out-of-town shopping facilities.

A modern detached home with a large office. Built around 2008,

the Rectory is an excellent home comprising Porch, Entrance Hall,

WC, Office/Study, Lounge, Dining Room, Kitchen, Utility on the

ground floor and Four Bedrooms, Master En-suite and Family

Bathroom on the first floor. Gas central heating. A detached garage

is approached from the driveway. The garden is fenced on all sides.

The County Hospital and two closest GP surgeries are only a 10-minute drive away.

Saint Andrews Church of England Primary School is located within the village. The last OFSTED rating

scored ‘2’ (good). Weston Road Academy, a state school with an OFSTED rating of 2 (good) lies 2.5 miles

west of the village towards Stafford. A school bus is provided.

The village is ideally situated and takes advantage of fast roads and rail links via the M6/M6 Toll and the

West Coast mainline rail link being only 4 miles from Stafford station. East Midlands airport is only 40

minutes by car.