Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore
and
St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey

A great place with a lot to give:-

This Profile has been prepared through the joint efforts of the PCC’s of both churches.  We expect you to find us as two churches with a lively, open and welcoming approach and looking to develop our worship, discipleship and outreach both in our local communities and, wherever practical, together. The villages adjoin, so there is no travel issue, but do have quite different characters and populations, We are endeavouring to bring complementary approaches which we want our new priest to help us develop further.

Both churches are in the early stages of developing lay leading and exploring Fresh Expressions which we see as a way forward in mission, outreach and developing discipleship. We are looking to our new spiritual leader to help us take this to a new level whilst keeping an appropriate regard for the more traditional approaches and our developing Pastoral care team. 

This profile begins by introducing the countryside and communities in which the churches are set.  It then gives an introduction to the buildings, service pattern, size and nature of the congregations and our activities in the community.  We then provide information about the financial position and activities where the two churches join forces.  The focus then switches to how we see our mission developing in the community and our relationship with neighbouring parishes.  It concludes by setting out what we would like to see in our new Priest

Both Stondon and Blackmore are rural parishes and along with Hook End and Wyatts Green sit within the Tipps Cross ward of Brentwood Borough Council in Essex.

There are good links to main roads giving easy access to London, Stansted and the Dartford Crossing as well as the East coast and the north. There are bus routes to local towns during peak hours from where trains run to London and Southend.  Shenfield station is easily accessible by car where regular fast trains run to London and East Anglia. 

People move to the area to enjoy a rural lifestyle while maintaining close links to Towns, the City and local commerce. However some residents have lived in the villages most of their lives.

Church members serve as councillors at both the Parish and Borough level.

• Shops - a small supermarket, a post office, an antique shop and a monthly farmers market,

• Three pubs, all providing meals

• A mobile library,

• A garage, offering servicing and MOT, petrol etc.

• A community minibus, and

• A veterinary practice.

• All ages, growing and enthusiastic

• Open minded - beginning to explore Fresh Expressions

• Always welcoming, friendly and inclusive 

• Involved in all areas of the local community 

• A varied Sunday congregation fitting a range of services across the month

• Made up of all ages (children, parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents)  

• Growing in numbers and exploring new ways - with much that is traditional too

• Keen to work with others and across denominations

• With an established prayer and pastoral team in support 
  

• Loyal faithful congregation

• Welcoming, friendly and inclusive

• Caring and supportive

• Enjoy independence but value working together with our sister church, St Laurence, for our mutual benefit 

• Open minded - beginning to explore Fresh Expressions

• Good links with the wider community

The joint Pastoral Care Group, led by a Pastoral Care Co-ordinator, arranges visits to the sick and housebound in their homes, hospital or care homes.  Holy Communion is taken to those unable to attend church over a period of time. Visits are also arranged for those recently bereaved. This group also run the Parish Lunches, an outreach activity that occurs twice a year. We are also in the early stages of establishing a healing ministry. 

Our joint Children and Youth Work aims to help the groups’ co-ordinate teaching programmes, guide and progress good practice in youth and children’s work and to identify training needs. It also allows the leaders to pool resources, exchange ideas, benefit from sharing experiences and work together to grow the ‘Churches of Tomorrow’.

Climbers and Explorers, FROG, Rainbow Corner and Rainbow Club are our children and youth groups providing activities and teaching for the younger members of our church families.

Children’s parties are organised between the churches to assist in our outreach to the younger people.

Members of both churches are engaged in the Youth Centre project which will provide new facilities for the young people. The building for this is nearly complete. 

A Pilgrimage Walk is held each year. Children, adults and dogs assemble at St Peter & St Paul at 9.00 am and participate in the first part of the service there. They then leave and walk over the fields to St Laurence to joining the congregation for the last part of their service. 

The widely used Prayer Chain is based on telephone and e-mail to enable it to respond rapidly contact to sudden events and crises usually concerning individuals.  Participants accept obligations of confidentiality.

‘Church Matters’ - Our joint church magazine, covers the activities of both churches.

• Mission and Outreach 

• Worship and Discipleship 

• Publicity

• Social Events

• Environmental 

• Operation Christmas Child

• Brentwood Schools Christian Workers Trust

• Children in Distress

• Christian Aid

• The Children’s Society.

• A Harvest Supper in September held in the village hall. 

• Gift Day in October.  The Church is open for refreshments throughout the day.

• Concerts including the Annual Byrd Concert in July.

• Candlelight Service

• Wednesday Little Ones playgroup

• Our Harvest Supper

• quiz nights

• concerts

• A Parish where people encounter God.

• A Parish where people are cared for.

• A Parish which stands for what is right.

• A Parish where some people start and others continue their spiritual journey and encounter the Kingdom of God.      

• Establish a greater outreach to all the community.

• Encourage worship, in all its forms, in the community as well as the church.

• Develop “Fresh Expressions” of church.

• Develop ministry for young people of all ages through activities like ‘Messy Church’ and ‘Café Church’

• Encourage lay ministry, and an increased number, types and styles of service.

• Further develop house-group participation.

• Develop and advance our healing ministry.

• Continue the development and involvement of families and children (baptism, wedding, confirmation, electoral roll).

• Develop and encourage music in worship, including our young musicians and dancers.

• Increase links with our sister church.

• Recognise that we cannot do everything and need to focus our activities where God is directing us.

• Offer training and development where appropriate to provide a strong skills base within the church and for those involved in lay ministry.

• The Church will be seen as a central part of village life, reaching an increasing number of people. 

• The Clergy will have a visible presence in the village.

• More families and young people will be involved in the church.  

• Services will be held at a range of times to meet the varying needs of the community, including mid-week services and evening services.

• There will be a range of service styles.  Fresh expressions of faith and creative forms of worship will be introduced alongside our more traditional services and the mid week hour of reflection.

• There will be greater lay involvement in leading services and more people will read and lead intercessions.

• Services will be held outside the church in locations such as the Bricklayer’s Arms and the marquee at the Village Gala as well as at Tipps Cross Hall.

• The Church will work closely with the parish council and village hall committee hosting joint activities, supporting each other’s activities.

• The Church will be used more often during the week for a range of activities such as coffee mornings and an Education Support group for all ages.

• Pastoral Care will continue to have a high profile and will reach the wider community of the village.

• St Peter & St Paul will have a closer relationship with St Laurence.  Links will be reinforced where participation from both churches benefits both parishes.

• St Peter & St Paul and St Laurence will meet informally for social occasions.

• to see people come to faith in Christ and grow as disciples – both young and old 

• for outreach, mission and pastoral care

• for bible based preaching of the word of God but making it real for people today

• to direct the growth of the churches

• to co-ordinate multiple congregations and provide a wide range of ministry

• to lead worship that is sympathetic to Fresh Expressions / New Wine Network, as well as traditional styles 

• mature in faith and open to the leading of the Holy Spirit   

• encourage and motivate the congregations

• promote and support lay ministry

• maintain & develop ecumenical links, especially with the Baptist Church and other Christian communities in our area 

• participate in village life and get out into both communities including clubs, pubs, shops, schools etc.

• be equally at home with the oldest and the youngest in the congregations   

Job Description: 

It is anticipated that the priest appointed to the benefice of Blackmore St Laurence with Stondon Massey St Peter and St Paul will also be appointed Rural Dean of Ongar. It is considered that the responsibilities of this role would be carried out in the equivalent of one day per week.

The Rural Dean is seen as fulfilling shared Episcopal responsibility within the Deanery of Ongar in assistance to the Bishop of Barking. It is expected that the Dean will provide visionary  leadership in the following ways: 

Mission    

• To be a leader in Mission.  Mission is to be seen in the widest terms including evangelism and parish development, Social Responsibility and Regeneration. To develop The Diocesan five marks of mission. To develop and help deliver the Deanery Vision. To work with the Mission and Parish Development Adviser to the Archdeacon of Harlow based in the Deanery. A Deanery wide mission is being planned for 2011.
  

Pastoral Care  

• To be responsible for the provision of pastoral care to clergy, lay ministers, spouses and their families.   

• To inform the Bishop of Barking and Archdeacon of Harlow of pastoral needs as appropriate.   
  

Management 

• To assist in the appointment process of clergy.

• To lead the Clergy Chapter, to include Readers wherever possible and appropriate.

• To lead the Synodical government of the Deanery.  
  

Training 

• To work with the Barking CME Adviser and Adult Learning Adviser to encourage all clergy and lay ministers to keep developing as effective, reflective ministers.   
  

N.B. It should be emphasised that these four areas of visionary leadership are the responsibility of the Dean but in many cases the work will be carried out by Barking and Deanery Advisers in consultation with the Dean Team comprising the Rural Dean, Assistant Dean and Lay Chair.    

THE BARKING TEAM

The Deans form the core of the Barking Team together with the Bishop and Archdeacon.  The Deans’ Assistants and the Barking Advisers are appointed to serve and support the Deans in their shared Episcopal function.  

The Team meets for a morning meeting plus lunch four times a year and for a residential conference every two years.

Overview:   

• Population - 21,026 (2001 Census figures).   

• Essentially Rural.

• The smallest Deanery in the Diocese – 22 churches (nearly all Grade I listed), 14 parishes, 7 posts – 4 incumbents, 2 priest-in-charge dual role posts and 1 three day week / part stipend.    

• 8 schools (4 of which are Church Schools),

• 1 hospital - Suttons Manor, Stanford Rivers - a 24 bedded secure unit for psychiatric criminals and

• 1 Hospice - St. Clare, Hastingwood.     

• The suspension of presentation is in place in 9 parishes (12 churches) to allow for pastoral re-organisation.      

The advantages of being small and rural:

• Rural ministry is distinctive – the priest is known by name and knows the people by name, resulting in a more intimate engagement within the community than can be achieved in a high density urban parish. 

• ‘Together is better’ – we can help each other

• The Clergy Chapter is small and there is a willingness to be open and honest with each other, which means we can better support and encourage one another.   

Deanery Vision:   

In the light of God’s call and our situation here, our Vision is for:-    

• A deanery transformed by the love of God in order to transform our communities.   

• A deanery of which the individual parishes are excited to be part. 

• Parishes which become centres of excellence in  
  mission,  
  worship,    
  spiritual guidance and
  pastoral care.
  

• Churches which become centres of their communities through
  attractiveness,
  accessibility and
  inspirational leadership  …  both lay and ordained.   
  

• A deanery which makes a priority of working with children and young people, in order to contribute to the process of transformation.   

• Congregations who live out the Gospel values of
  welcome,
  caring,
  acceptance,
  listening,
  trust and
  hospitality  
  in our communities, so that Christianity is seen as a credible alternative.
  

The Ongar Deanery “Vision” will be reviewed each year to make sure we are still on track, and to consider further developments in the light of progress made. 

As part of the process of enabling the Deanery Vision to become a working reality, a Deanery wide mission is being planned for 2011 with the aid of the Bishop of Barking and Ridley College Cambridge. One of the primary aims of this activity will be the training and equipping of laity and  enabling churches to work together across the Deanery. It is anticipated  that the  Rural Dean  working alongside others including the Mission and Parish Development Advisor will be a key player in this.

THE BARKING AREA 2020 VISION

• To grow the church in numbers and depth of discipleship

• ‘To see where God is at work and join in.’ Archbishop Rowan

• To increase the leadership and ministry in our churches, but with less reliance on full time stipendiary clergy

• To encourage inherited church mission and fresh expressions in each community

• To recruit and train full time stipendiaries to be skilled leaders of clergy and lay ministers, strategically deployed to lead teams or clusters of churches.

• To help each parish and deanery to develop and revise their visions with attention to the different dynamics of rural, urban and suburban life.