St. Peter & St. Paul

with St. Andrew

Flitwick Parish Profile 2014

Flitwick Parochial Church Council

Page 2

Page 3 Flitwick Parochial Church Council

Preface 4

About Flitwick 5

Churches and Worship 8

Pastoral and Ecumenical 11

Finances 14

Future Priorities 15

The Vicarage 17

Mission Statistics 18

Profile Contents

In God’s name, we seek to

be a welcoming, loving,

active, Christian community

who aim through our life and

worship together, to love,

serve and care for everyone

Page 4

Nestled in the heart of Bedfordshire, the

Parish of Flitwick is seeking a committed,

dynamic and energetic minister to take the

lead in reinvigorating the Church within the

community. Building on our strengths, our

Church needs to tackle the challenges ahead

and establish itself amongst the people that it

serves.

Our Strengths

We have an open, friendly and inclusive

congregation that understands and

accepts the challenges we face, and is

willing to embrace change. Throughout

the years, Church members have always

risen to address those challenges both

financially and ecumenically.

The parish church is steeped in history

and being on a secluded road on the

outskirts of town makes it an idyllic

setting for those seeking peace and

tranquillity, and quiet reflection with God.

The location combines the ancient

church, maintained churchyards and

modern Chapter House.

Whilst the Church may be viewed from

the outside as traditional, there are

worship patterns and activities to suit all

age groups.

The Challenges We Face

Like many other commuter towns, the

draw on people’s time is immense and

as a result, fellowship and worship are

not seen as a priority. Over the years,

this has resulted in a dwindling

congregation with an age profile that

does not reflect the local demographic.

With constant financial pressures of

having to maintain a Grade I listed

building and the continued need to meet

the commitment for our ministry, our

budget deficit will see the Church

struggling to make ends meet within two

years.

Being secluded and away from the town

centre, the Church does not have an

obvious presence. Having said that, the

Christmas Carol Services are attended

by over 700 people, demonstrating that

its location is not an obstacle.

Whilst the level of commitment from

many within the Church is

commendable, the number of individuals

that have the capability and capacity to

help the Church develop is very limited.

The Way Ahead

Whilst as a Church we have a solid foundation

on which to build, we need to embrace

change whilst supporting our traditional

values. We see the appointment of a new

incumbent as a catalyst to enable that change

and an opportunity for our Church to reflect

and set its future direction.

This Parish Profile document describes our

parish in more detail for those that are

interested in the ministry of our Church and

may wish to apply for the vacant position of

incumbent.

Preface

Page 5 Flitwick Parochial Church Council

About Flitwick The Diocese of St. Albans

The Diocese of St. Albans comprises the

counties of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire,

the Borough of Luton and part of the

London Borough of Barnet. Within the three

Archdeaconries of Bedford, Hertford and

St. Albans, there are 20 deaneries, more

than 400 churches and more than 330

parishes, of which about a third are rural.

There are about a dozen urban priority area

parishes, mainly in Luton, Bedford and

Watford. The population of the diocese is

1.5 million and the parish electoral roll totals

approximately 50,000. There are more

than 250 stipendiary clergy, approximately

100 non-stipendiary and more than 300 lay

readers.

The Deanery of Ampthill and Shefford

The Deanery of Ampthill and Shefford is one

of six contained within the Archdeaconry of

Bedford and comprises over thirty parishes,

between Woburn Sands in the West and

Shefford in the East.

The Parish of Flitwick

Flitwick, pronounced “Flit'ick,” is a small

town in Central Bedfordshire situated

halfway between Luton and Bedford and is

five miles from Junction 12 of the M1

motorway. It shares many services with the

neighbouring town of Ampthill to the North.

Other villages nearby include Maulden,

Greenfield, Steppingley, Westoning, and

Millbrook. St. Peter & St. Paul, the main

parish church, is in the South-West of the

town, with St. Andrew’s, a smaller daughter

church, just over a mile away in the North of

the town.

Community

There is history of permanent settlement on

Flitwick Moor as early as 4000 BC, but the

village gained importance when the Romans

built a road through Flitwick linking Ermine

Street with Watling Street (now the A5).

Flitwick is mentioned in the Doomsday Book

as a “Hamlet on the River Flitt”. In

1150 AD, the parish church of St. Peter &

St. Paul, together with Flitwick Mill, were

gifted to Dunstable Priory by the Lord of

Flitwick. The Priory held the church until

the dissolution of the monasteries.

In the 2011 census, the population of

Flitwick was recorded as being 13,230 – an

increase of 2% since 2001 as a result of

350 new homes that were built in Flitwick

during this period. Most households are

owner occupied (76%), some are privately

rented (13%) and a small amount are social

housing (11%). There are also three

residential homes for the elderly and some

bungalow accommodation. The majority of

people who live in Flitwick are aged 16 – 64

© 2014 Google — Map data © Google

Page 6

(68%). Children aged 0 – 15 make up 19%

and elderly people 13% (an increase by 3%

from 2001).

Today, Flitwick is seen as a commuter town

and is split in two by the Bedford to

Brighton mainline railway that runs through

the centre. Many people commute by train

into Bedford, St. Albans or London

(St. Pancras). Trains to London run every

fifteen minutes with a journey time of forty-

five minutes. Many also commute to Milton

Keynes, which is 18 miles to the West.

However, there are numerous places of

work both in Flitwick and the surrounding

towns and villages.

A new addition to the area is the Woburn

Forest Center Parcs, which opened in

Spring 2014 and is situated to the North-

West of the town, near Millbrook. Despite

being a locally controversial project as a

result of reduced public access to local

woodland, it has provided numerous jobs

for people in Flitwick and to Bedfordshire as

a whole. As of February 2013, the

unemployment rate in Flitwick was lower

than in Central Bedfordshire and the rest of

England, with an average of 165 people

claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Facilities

Flitwick has a Town Council who own and

operate from The Rufus Centre, which is

situated on the outskirts of the town. The

Town Council is administered by Central

Bedfordshire Council. As well as being the

Town Council offices, it is also a busy

conference and special events venue. The

Village Hall Committee is responsible for

maintaining and running the Village Hall,

which is located in the centre of the town. It

is available to hire for private and

community events or meetings and there is

a market held in its car park every Friday

selling local produce.

At present the town centre has a medium-

sized Tesco with a petrol station, a Barclays

bank, a library, a small Co-op, a few estate

agents and some smaller, independent

businesses including a veterinary surgery,

retail shops and cafés. Flitwick also has a

number of dentists and a health centre.

Despite the expansion in population over

recent years, retail facilities have not kept

up with the growth in the population and the

change of demographic. However, the

Town Council has drawn up plans to

redevelop the town centre and improve its

retail offerings. There is an industrial estate

in the East of the town with a branch of

Jewson Ltd. and a number of independent

retailers.

St. Peter & St. Paul

St. Andrew’s

© 2014 Google — Map data © 2014 Google

Page 7 Flitwick Parochial Church Council

There are a large number of organisations

in the town including the Scouts, Guides,

Brownies, Cubs, a youth club, a Golden Age

club for the elderly, the Women’s Institute,

the British Legion, Flitwick Vale Rotary

Club, the Flitwick Gardeners’ Association

and the Conservative Club.

The Church tries to make itself as visible as

possible in the town and uses the Village

Hall for its Christmas Bazaar, which is well

attended by members of the Church as well

as the residents of Flitwick in order to make

its presence known in the community.

There is frequent advertising and promotion

of Church events and groups in the local

“Flitwick Papers” magazine distributed

monthly.

Education

Central Bedfordshire education authority

maintains the three-tier system. As such,

Flitwick has three lower schools and one

middle school:

Kingsmoor Lower

Templefield Lower

Flitwick Lower School

Woodland Middle School

The local upper school with a sixth form,

Redborne Upper (Ofsted: Outstanding), is to

the North of the town on the boundary with

Ampthill and is attended by children from

Ampthill, Flitwick and the surrounding

areas. Children of Flitwick also attend

Harlington Upper (Ofsted: Good), which is

approximately 3 miles to the South of the

town, as an alternative to Redborne Upper.

The Church has good relations with the

lower and middle schools and members of

the Church have often visited to appear in

assemblies. Children are encouraged to

join some of the activities held at the

church, such as Messy Church through

assemblies and notices distributed at

school.

The Old School, situated near to the church,

has been refurbished from its state of

neglect and now serves as another

community centre, as a youth club and a

toddler group for the community.

Leisure and Recreation

There is a sports centre located just outside

the town towards the North, which has a

25m swimming pool with a children’s pool

attached. It also houses a gym, squash

courts and tennis courts. The outside

football pitches adjacent to the sports centre

have recently been sold for residential

development and replacement facilities are

being developed on an area of land close to

the upper school where a new leisure centre

is to be built.

Flitwick has four adult football teams and a

number of youth teams. Flitwick also has a

cricket club located on the road to

Westoning , which has over sixty adult

members. There is a large recreational area

behind Flitwick Library and a skateboard

park has been developed on part of which

and is extremely popular with teenagers.

Flitwick has four pubs: the Crown, the

Swan, the Bumble Bee and the Blackbirds,

and a mix of restaurants and takeaway

establishments. There is also a social club

situated on the High Street.

Page 8

Churches and Worship There are currently ninety-seven names on

the Electoral Roll between the two churches,

with most residing in Flitwick. The current

liturgical tradition is a surplice and stole.

St. Peter & St. Paul

The church and connected buildings are

Grade I listed, with the original church

building dating back to the Twelfth Century

with the chancel and South aisle being

added in the Fourteenth Century. The tower

was built in 1380 and, approximately a

hundred years later, the porch was added.

Records show little was changed until 1858

when the North aisle and vestry were built.

In 1867, the nave and South aisle were re-

roofed and in 1885, a new roof was put on

the chancel.

The tower has six bells, the oldest of which

dates back to 1608. In 1906, the original

ground-floor ring was raised to its current

height in order to increase seating capacity

under the tower. In 1982, the Chapter

House and link way were built. Also in the

same year, the churchyard

was closed for burials.

The current cemetery,

which is managed by the

Town Council, is opposite

the church; a new

cemetery is being planned

and will be located on the

outskirts of Flitwick. In the

1990s, a major

programme of restoration

works was commenced,

which included re-roofing

of the chancel, nave and

tower, as well as major

repointing of all buildings and replacement

stone work to the tower.

In 2013, two further major restoration works

were commenced. Firstly, the bells were

retuned and rehung by the bell ringers and

the Chapter House and link way were

extensively reroofed in order to resolve

issues with water ingress.

Sung Holy Communion from Common

Worship is held at 10.30am at St. Peter &

St. Paul every Sunday apart from the first

Sunday of the month where there is a thirty

minute Sunday Celebration (Family Service)

followed by Said Holy Communion from

Common Worship. The average number of

Communicants is forty-three. There is also

a smaller mid-week service at St. Peter &

St. Paul with said Holy Communion taking

place in the Chapter House at 10am every

Wednesday.

For the Sunday Celebration services, the

content is led by lay members of the Church

and a special welcome is extended to the

Page 9 Flitwick Parochial Church Council

families of the newly

baptised, who are invited

specifically to the first

Sunday Celebration

service after the baptism.

The Music Group, made

up of members of the

congregation, leads the

singing as well as

providing musical

accompaniment before

and after the service.

On all other Sundays, the

music is led by a unison

Choir, accompanied by the

organ. The Choir meets each Friday evening

during term time and leads the singing of the

hymns and psalm at all services, including

during school holidays. They also sing an

appropriate Choir piece each week after the

Communion hymn. The Choir is affiliated to

the Royal School of Church Music and

members are encouraged to develop their

skills and gain ribbons and medals.

Weekly pew sheets are available at

St. Andrew’s and St. Peter & St. Paul each

Sunday and include information about the

week’s events and future events. They also

include a short summary paragraph about

the day’s readings and Gospel. The Collect,

Post-Communion prayer and Blessing are

printed also.

St. Andrew’s

St. Andrew’s is located in the North of

Flitwick and replaced the original mission

church that existed on the site. St. Andrew’s

is a prefabricated building with a kitchenette

and toilets. The building is used for Said

Communion from Common Worship, which

takes place every Sunday at 9am. For

Festivals, hymns may be sung. The

average number of Communicants is

sixteen.

Special Services

Special Services usually take place at

St. Peter & St. Paul and are incorporated

Page 10

into the Sunday services. The

Christingle and Harvest

services are usually Sunday

Celebration services as these

are well attended by families.

Mothering Sunday is observed

and flowers are given to all

ladies in church.

Remembrance Sunday is

marked by the reading of

names from the memorial and a

moment of silence to remember

the fallen. Each year there is a

Memorial Service held for all

those who have died in the

previous year and those for

whom a special request has been made to

be remembered. This usually takes place at

6pm near to All Soul’s Day.

Occasional Offices

All Occasional Offices take place at

St. Peter & St. Paul. Baptisms usually take

place after a Sunday service at 12.30pm

and a lay assistant helps the incumbent.

Weddings and Blessings are usually held on

Fridays or Saturdays and, occasionally, on

Sundays. Funerals are booked through the

incumbent. Confirmation Services have

been held in the church in the past and

when there is a Confirmation Service taking

place in the deanery, candidates do attend

from Flitwick where possible.

Laity

Lay people assist in Sunday Services at

St. Andrew’s and St. Peter & St. Paul as

readers, intercessors, servers and chalice

assistants. There is a rota for these

positions, which is distributed on an eight

week basis. Lay people also take Home

Communion to various residential homes in

Flitwick and the surrounding area. Laity are

also involved in baptism preparation and

some general visiting within the community.

There is currently no formal pastoral team in

the parish, but this is an area where the

parish would like to grow.

Documentation

The day to day running of the Church

comprises approximately eighty different

roles, most of which are undertaken by

members of the Church. In order to ensure

that any member of the Church is able to

perform any of these roles, documented

procedures are available in printed and

electronic formats should the need arise.

In addition to this, historical documents and

church guides are available via the church

website.

Page 11 Flitwick Parochial Church Council

Pastoral and Ecumenical Organisations

The Church hosts a number of groups that

offer a variety of both religious and secular

activities to the people of Flitwick. Aimed

principally at members of the Church,

groups include the Sunday School, Mothers’

Union, the Music Group, Choir and Little

Fishes (a mother and toddler group that

meets during the week).

To the wider community, the Church

provides a Scrabble group, bell ringing and

monthly Messy Church sessions.

Website and Social Media

The Church receives the majority of its

enquiries for Occasional Offices through the

website, which is maintained by a member

of the congregation during the vacancy.

The Church also advertises events and

Services through Facebook and Twitter,

which serve as a practical mechanism for

members of the congregation and the wider

community to receive updated information

regarding events in the parish.

Magazine

A parish magazine is produced ten times a

year and includes many articles including a

contribution from the incumbent, puzzles,

life stories and recipes, as well as

advertisements. This is available to all

Church members and is distributed around

the community to individual subscribers.

The magazine is also available in a number

of public places, such as the library, dental

surgeries and health centres.

The current circulation is 350.

Churches Together

Within Flitwick and nearby

Ampthill, there are generally

good relationships with other

Christian churches and

ministers of the churches meet

regular, roughly at six week

intervals. The ecumenical

local forum (Churches

Together) meets twice yearly

and United Services are held

from time to time. However,

due to various changes in

ministers, links to other

Christian churches need

reviving as a result of some

degree of apathy.

Page 12

Historically, the congregation of St. Peter &

St. Paul has welcomed members of the

Roman Catholic and Methodist churches.

Leadership and Laity

Currently the PCC is made up of twelve

members plus the incumbent and meets ten

times a year. The members age from

mid-twenties to mid-eighties. It has the

responsibility of promoting the whole

mission of the Church – pastoral,

evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also

has the responsibility for the maintenance of

the church of St. Peter & St. Paul, the

Chapter House and for St. Andrew’s.

The PCC operates through a number of

subcommittees which meet from time to

time during the year. These include the

Standing Committee and Social Committee.

There are currently no other ministerial

colleagues, but in the past there have been

curates, retired ministry and a retired

reader. The parish is hoping that, if one is

needed, it may apply for a curate. There

Page 13 Flitwick Parochial Church Council

are also authorised

members of the laity who

take Holy Communion to

people in residential

homes.

Laity in the community play

a vital role in the

maintenance of the church,

its buildings and the

churchyards. There is a

cleaning team that clean

the church on a weekly

basis. This involves

dusting, polishing wood

and brass work and

vacuuming the carpet

runners along the aisles.

The Chapter House is also

included in this regime as

this facility is often let to

Church and secular groups alike. The

flowers in the church are co-ordinated by a

team who regularly create arrangements

appropriate to what is in season and the

time of the liturgical year. Donations are

sought from the congregation, should they

wish to sponsor a particular arrangement,

and details of the arrangement are

published in the parish magazine.

The churchyard has traditionally been

maintained by the churchyard manager, who

oversees the conservation of the wild

meadows and co-ordinates the mowing rota,

which comprises a team of approximately

six individuals who attend to the churchyard

grass over the summer months.

The church bells that are rung for Sunday

services, for weddings and other

Occasional Offices on request, are

maintained by the bell ringers who practise

every Friday evening.

Page 14

Finances Present Position

During the course of 2013, the total amount of

money held by the Church fell by £37,239, with

the greater part of the reduction occurring in

the Restricted Funds. This was due to the

repairs made to the Chapter House roof. The

Church has tried to use up as many Restricted

Funds as possible for these repairs, leaving

our Unrestricted Funds available for daily

running costs.

Due to the repairs, the Church undertook a

large fundraising effort in 2013 and raised

£30,000 for the repairs alone. As well as this,

donations and weekly collections also added

towards our domestic funds and the Church

received a good income from magazine

advertising and subscriptions as well as rents

from the hire of the Chapter House and

St. Andrew’s.

The Church is continuing to fundraise this year,

mainly to address the domestic budget, which

is currently running at a deficit. Many of the

Church’s outgoings are increasing year on

year, notably as a result of the Parish Share,

insurance and administration, while the

Church’s income is unfortunately reducing.

In order to reduce the ongoing deficit, the

Church is encouraging as many people as

possible to sign up to the Stewardship scheme

or to give via Gift Aid envelopes. It is vital that

money given is stewarded in the best possible

way and those giving are reminded of the

importance that Gift Aid makes to their

donation. There are currently seventy-five

people on the Stewardship scheme: thirty-one

give by monthly direct debit and forty-four use

the envelope system.

In 2013, the PCC decided to reduce the

amount donated to mission and charity projects

in proportion to the change in the Church’s

budget in order to help reduce the forecasted

deficit in the domestic budget. It is hoped that

once this deficit has reduced, mission and

charitable giving will increase. It should be

noted that Church members give generously to

other charitable causes through the Church,

such as the Marie Curie Daffodil Appeal, the

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Historic

Churches Trust, Christian Aid, the Children’s

Society and the Bishop’s Harvest Appeal.

Summary of the financial position as of 31st

December 2013:

The Parish Share for 2014 is £44,866.

Expenses of Office

Expenses are currently reimbursed by the PCC

for travel (45p/mile), administration, worship

supplies, internet and phone usage relating to

the parish and any other sundry costs. These

are paid at the end of each month after an

invoice is submitted to the Treasurer with

accompanying receipts/paperwork.

The PCC is happy to pay for a secretary and

one has been engaged to assist the retiring

incumbent, currently working with him for six

hours a week.

2013 2012

Unrestricted Funds £56,455 £61,867

Restricted Funds £8,150 £39,977

Total £64,605 £101,844

Page 15 Flitwick Parochial Church Council

Future Priorities Strengths and Weaknesses

The benefice of Flitwick possesses many

strengths. The church of St. Peter & St. Paul

with St. Andrew is the only Church of England

church in the town and prides itself on being

both a welcoming and liberal church that is

accepting and inclusive to all. The two

churches of St. Andrew’s and St. Peter &

St. Paul have viable congregations, the

support from which has meant that the parish

has never defaulted on a payment of the

parish share. Church members support social

events at the church, such as the Summer

Fête and the Christmas Bazaar, and create a

network to other organisations in Flitwick that

provide links to the Town Council and the

British Legion to name a few. Through Messy

Church, visiting local schools and other

events, young families attend and enjoy

Services at Flitwick. Indeed, the Christmas

Carol Services are attended by over 700

people. The recent refurbishment of the bells

and Chapter House are seen as major

testaments of the dedication of the

congregation in supporting the continued

development of the Church for the immediate

church community and wider area.

The church buildings and churchyard are

historic, well kept and cared for with

conservation forming a central part to the their

maintenance.

However, despite the numerous strengths to

be found in the benefice, there are areas that

the parish wishes to improve. The main issue

that is attributed to having given rise to the

problems faced by Flitwick is that the

demographic of the congregation does not

match that of the community of Flitwick. This

may be as a result of the increasing

secularisation of society or a sign that the

parish is not engaging with the local

community in the correct manner. In addition

to this, Church groups that aim to engage with

the wider community, such as Messy Church

and Sunday School, do not seem to result

definitively in increased congregation

numbers. Also, despite high attendance by

the congregation, the two yearly social and

fund-raising events of the Summer Fête and

Christmas Bazaar are not supported

tremendously well by the community.

Within the scope of management of the

Church, it is acknowledged that readily

available manpower is lacking. Often jobs fall

on a few committed members of the

congregation who have acquired more and

Page 16

more responsibility over the

years. As a result, the PCC is

becoming acutely aware of the

need for increased

professional assistance in the

parish, perhaps in the form of

a curate or non-stipendiary

ministry. Most concerning of

all is the continuing financial

deficit that must be addressed

quickly before the remaining

capital is depleted.

Mission Action Plan

The parish’s goals for the next

twelve months are to:

Continue to contribute to a local food

bank

Review worship patterns and content

Seek ways to increase our contacts

through Messy Church

Address the deficit in our domestic

budget

Meet the challenges and opportunities of

the forthcoming vacancy

The parish hopes that a new incumbent will be

able to address the following priorities that are

felt important for this exciting and new phase

of ministry:

To be an unconditional lover of people

with the necessary skills to value

everyone’s needs

To build up the congregation both

spiritually and numerically by teaching

and evangelism through developing the

faith

To support and promote outreach into

the local and wider community,

particularly seeking contact with schools

in Flitwick

To assist in redressing the financial

issues of the Church

To enrich and revitalise worship patterns,

particularly during festivals

To the new incumbent, the benefice is

expecting to provide a great deal of support,

not least in ensuring a smooth transition

during the beginning of new ministry.

The congregation, although established in its

traditions, is willing to adapt and support the

incumbent when the vision, aim and goal is

understood and appreciated. Consequently,

the new incumbent must be able to inspire

and communicate well, be energetic and an

enabler of change, be a good listener and

empathetic to the needs of the congregation

and community.

Page 17 Flitwick Parochial Church Council

The four bedroomed family vicarage is located

close to the Church on Dew Pond Road. The

original dew pond is still present at the top of

the road and serves as a small duck pond

today. The property comprises:

Entrance hall

Study

Cloakroom

Kitchen with utility room to garden

Dining Room

Lounge with French doors to patio

The first floor landing leading to:

Master bedroom with en suite shower

room

One double bedroom

Two single bedrooms

Family bathroom

The property possesses a double garage, part

of which has been incorporated into a study,

and an established garden laid out to lawn

with shrubs, vegetable patches and fruit trees.

At the rear of the property, there is a gate to

one of the smaller roads out of Flitwick, over

which is the Church and Flitwick Manor.

The Vicarage

Page 18

Mission Statistics The following tables are a summary of the

mission statistics for 2013 provided to the

diocese for the parish of Flitwick.

Electoral Roll

Attendance

Communicants

Occasional Offices

Baptisms 45

Thanksgiving for Gift of Child 2

Confirmations 1

Marriages 18

Blessings 0

Marriage Thanksgivings 1

Funerals 33

Total 100

Service St. Peter

& St. Paul St.. Andrew’s Total

Easter 83 20 103

Christmas 702 20 722

1st Week in October

124 15 139

2nd Week in October

51 11 62

3rd Week in October

54 12 66

4th Week in October

136 16 152

Resident Non-Resident Total

82 15 97

Service St. Peter

& St. Paul St.. Andrew’s Total

Easter 79 20 96

Christmas 81 20 101

Weekly Average

43 16 59

Page 19 Flitwick Parochial Church Council

Flitwick Parish Church

Church Road

Flitwick

MK45 1AE

Flitwick Parochial Church Council

Email: flitwickchurch@gmail.com | Website: www.flitwickchurch.org

Facebook: Flitwick Parish Church | Twitter: @FlitwickChurch

Ciaran Diver (Churchwarden) 0798 345 7799

David Watson (Churchwarden) 0775 418 6863

Helen Sims (Treasurer) 0770 101 0196

Date: November 2014

Status: Issue 3.0