THE PARISH SETTING

Gainsborough is a friendly market town, situated on the Lincolnshire- Nottinghamshire border, with a proud heritage dating back to Viking times. It is located on the river Trent. To the North, within the parish, lies the village of Morton with a welcoming and active community. The total population of the parish is around 20,000. Historically the prosperity of the area was founded on the river, and it was a centre for grain milling and malting.

Gradually this gave way to engineering, and manufacturing. Today the main employers in the town are smaller manufacturing & engineering firms on the industrial estates, including Ping, and West Lindsey District Council.

In the last twenty years, Government Regeneration money has funded a five million pound project to upgradecouncil housing stock in the 'Uphill' areaof the town. A similar funded project of twelve million pounds has renewed the flood defences. The latter investment has done much to improve the appearance of the riverside, and has attracted investment for conversion of the former warehousing and mill facilities into housing and commercial ventures.

The arrival of Tesco’s, in competition with Morrison’s, already present, gave a boost to the town in 1999. That was followed by the renovation of Marshall’s Yard as a new shopping facility adjacent to the town centre which attracts people from outside the town.

The town centre has been re-modelled and West Lindsey Council has plans for further development of the town up till 2035. These plans will see the town grow to a population of 40,000. The master plan has identified a need to attract younger people to live in the town. The first phase of this development is currently underway with the building of 2,000 houses in the south eastern area of the town.

Local Amenities

The River Trent.

West Lindsey District Council

Marshalls Yard

• Gainsborough is located approximately 19 miles from Lincoln and Doncaster and 16 miles from Scunthorpe with close road links to the A1 and motorway network. There are also good bus services and a local railway station.

• The compact town centre has a variety of local shops and facilities. There are also major supermarket chains located in the town. There is a busy twice-weekly market.

• Locally there is good nursery provision, primary and secondary schools and an FE college. There is also the recently built Gainsborough Academy and the Queen Elizabeth’s High School - a selective grammar school drawing from a large catchment area.

• Good health care provision in the town with two doctor’s surgeries and several local dentists. John Coupland Hospital is a small community style hospital with a minor injuries unit.

• Excellent local Gainsborough Golf course and other leisure facilities including swimming pools and gym complexes.

• The Trinity Arts Centre stages theatrical

and musical productions and is also the local cinema.

• Many local community groups in Gainsborough and Morton run a variety of activities ranging from music, sports, arts and horticulture amongst others.

• Close by are local wooded areas and riverside walks suitable for walkers.Among the many surprises in the town is a magnificent medieval Old Hall opposite the Parish Church. The area has links to the Pilgrim Fathers which are due to be celebrated fully in 2020, the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower.

THE CHURCHES

The Trinity Arts Centre

Gainsborough Market

The Old Hall

All Saints is an urban, town-centre church in the middle of Gainsborough. It has a distinct civic function and relates to many organizations within the town.

St. Paul’s, Morton is a more traditional village church with good links to the village school, nursing homes, village hall, local pubs, uniformed organisations and community organisations. Alongside the church there is a recently developed labyrinth which is already valued by the community.

There is potential for developing the church as a centre for retreats, quiet days and spirituality courses.

St. George’s was closed as a worship centre in 2008 and is now being redeveloped as a centre for social outreach in one of the more deprived areas of town. There is considerable potential here to develop prayer and worship of an innovative and less formal style.

The churches in the parish seek to be inclusive, offering a warm welcome to all who are looking in some way to journey with God.  They are churches which value faith, love, integrity, forgiveness and joy. The church communities seek to offer friendship and support to members, have a willingness to respond to good causes and seek to reach out in service to the wider community. The tradition at both churches is probably best described as ‘central’ with reservation and vestments.

The tradition of both churches is probably best described as ‘central with reservation and vestments’.

All Saints Church runs a Café which is open every morning and is well-used by

All Saints’ Church, a fine Grade1 listed Georgian Church.

St. Paul’s Church, a beautiful, Victorian Arts and Crafts church

St George’s Community Centre

members of the congregation and others. It provides a very welcome friendly atmosphere and enables the church to be kept open for visitors throughout the week.

While, St Paul’s, Morton is not kept permanently open, the people there try to ensure that it is available to anyone who wishes to use it. Both buildings are wheelchair friendly, have a toilet, and children’s area.

A regular pattern of Sunday and weekday worship is maintained across the parish. As would be expected, the church includes in its prayers those who are sick or housebound and the recently departed as well as matters of local, national and international concern. Individual church members are involved in many charities and voluntary groups.

There has been a long tradition in the Parish of Study Groups being held during Advent and Lent and at other times.

The Parish has, for many years, had a strong commitment to lay ministry. There is a dedicated team of lay ministers who are involved in many areas of church life including leading worship, leading study groups, running children’s activities, providing links with schools and offering Home Communion across the parish. The ministry team

includes two Readers and two lay funeral takers as well as other lay ministers trained under various diocesan schemes. The ground-breaking lay funeral scheme was started here in Gainsborough and is highly successful. The parish is a training hub for clergy and normally has at least one assistant curate.

Worship on Sunday and during the Week

All Saints

8.00 Eucharist (BCP)(2nd and 4th Sunday)

10.30 Parish Eucharist (CW)18.00 Evensong

(2nd and 4th Sunday BCP;3rd Sunday CW)

Tues9.30 Eucharist (CW)

Thurs11.30 Eucharist (BCP)

Sat9.00 Morning Prayer (CW)

St. Paul’s

10.30 Team Parish Eucharist atAll Saints (1st Sunday)

9.00 Eucharist (CW)(2nd and 4th Sunday)

9.00 Service of the Word(3rd Sunday)

Throughout the year a number of special services are held and these are well supported. These include

Mothering Sunday, Morton Feast, Harvest Festival, an All Souls Memorial Service for bereaved families and Remembrance Sunday. At Christmas, the Midnight Mass, the Parish Community Carol Service and the Christingle Service are very popular.

During Holy Week and Easter the Parish has a full programme of prayer and worship, and uses the liturgical material in CW Times and Seasons.

The worship of God lies at the heart of the life of the Parish and there is a strong sense of the importance of offering the very best liturgy possible which has been prepared with thought and care.

In 2016 there were 120 baptisms and 20 weddings celebrated in the churches. In addition, the clergy and lay ministers conducted 110 funerals, two thirds of which were held in church. The clergy usually say the Daily Office together and are sometimes joined by other members of the congregation.

There is a range of activities associated with the Parish, including an active Mothers Union Fellowship, a Men’s Fellowship (called the Shed), a monthly parish lunch at the Ship Inn, Morton, and a monthly prayer and meditation group. All Saints Church offers occasional Saturday workshops for children. There is potential for developing Messy Church in the parish.

There is a small group called JAM (Jesus and Me) which meets in the Vestry during Sunday morning worship.

There are a number of retirement and nursing homes in the Parish and this is

St. Paul’s

Parish Communion at All Saints

an area of ministry that could be further developed. The John Coupland Hospital and the St. Barnabas Hospice Daycare Centre are also situated in the Parish. Although there is a hospital chaplain, parish clergy are occasionally called upon to assist in an emergency.

There are two church primary schools within the parish which welcome their relationship with the church and clergy. There are particularly close relationships between All Saints Church and the Parish School next door and between St Paul’s Church and Morton Trentside County Primary School.

Clergy and Readers take assemblies and lead special services for other schools in Gainsborough as requested.

The parish is fully supportive of the ordination of women, is committed to inclusive ministry in its corporate life and would welcome interest from women or men who share this vision.

Our aims as a Team

To provide Christian Worship that is dignified, welcoming to all and is relevant to the people God has placed us among.

To continue to grow our vibrant and flourishing church congregations in size and maturity.

To mobilise, develop and encourage Lay and ordained local ministry. In recent years we have grown two OLM’s who have gone on to stipendiary ministry elsewhere.

To network with all those who work for the improvement of life in our town, and reflect on the connections between our faith and the life of the community and to celebrate when possible that which is good within the community.

To baptize, after due preparation, those who come to us seeking baptism. We have an open baptism policy.

To marry those who seek Christian Marriage.

To enhance and strengthen links with local schools.

ACCOMODATION

Housing will be provided for whoever is appointed. There is a well-appointed 4-bed vicarage in Morton. The Diocese of Lincoln is aware that this is an issue of major importance to prospective candidate and is committed to providing a high standard of housing for all clergy.

FURTHER DETAILS

The parish wishes to play a full part in the life of the Diocese of Lincoln and encourages lay and ordained ministers to access further training and engage with Diocesan initiatives as appropriate.

The parish is financially sound, pays full working expenses and will fully support and fund new initiatives.

St. Paul’s Vicarage