Henham, Elsenham & UgleyParish Profile

1

The Diocese of Chelmsford: A message from Bishop Stephen

In the Chelmsford Diocese we believe that God is calling his church to be a transforming presence. Our vision is that the church - that is the people of God here in Essex and East London - should be a transforming presence in every one of our parishes.

These are our priorities –

To inhabit the world distinctively To evangelise effectively To hold ourselves accountable to one another and to God for the stewardship of the

gospel To re imagine the way we minister so that each ordained minister and each individual

Christian discovers their part in God's ministry and so that each church flourishes.

To this end we are looking for priests who are excited by this vision of becoming a church which is itself transformed, and which is becoming a more visible and effective presence in the huge diversity of communities that make up this most exciting and energetic part of England. There are many challenges ahead of us.

We are a diocese generously subsidised by the national church. We need to become financially self-sufficient.

Leadership often seems distant. We are creating patterns of leadership that are closer to the parishes. And we are looking to develop missionary leadership at all levels of church life. Nearly half our clergy will retire in the next ten years. We need to find out how to minister with fewer stipendiary clergy and with a re-imagining of how stipendiary ministry works. We need to re-organise the way parishes relate to each other in what we are calling Mission and Ministry Units.

Some of our congregations still think ministry is what Vicars do. We have a vision of ministry where the whole people of God are involved in the whole of God's ministry. We are also experimenting with new forms of authorized lay ministry.

Church must be a safe place. All those in ministry will be expected to undergo training that will equip them to respond well in situations associated with safeguarding.

Levels of church going are below the national average. We need to get evangelism on to the agenda and into the lifeblood of every church. We encourage and train churches to put on weekends of mission and outreach. One of our aspirations is that every benefice should have a trained lay evangelism enabler.

We are developing missionary discipleship, so that every church in the diocese is a place where Christians are formed in order to be sent out in witness and service.

Despite planning for a future with fewer stipendiary clergy, we remain as committed as ever to the local church. And what is the local church, but that community of men and women gathered around Christ, and living and sharing the gospel in the networks and neighbourhoods of their lives? But we need priests to lead and to serve.

We know we need to change. We can only be a transforming presence when we have allowed God to transform us. Therefore at the heart of all we do is a longing for intimacy with God and a renewed life of prayer. First and foremost a priest is a minister of the word and sacrament. All ministry flows from this. But a priest shares the ministry of the bishop, therefore presbyteral ministry will increasingly be a ministry of oversight, guiding, nurturing and directing the mission of God's church in the communities we serve.

It is an exciting time to be part of God's missionary movement for the world, and the Diocese of Chelmsford is an exciting place to serve. We have a clear vision and we are looking to appoint clergy who will share this with us. In every parish we long to see each person and

each community grow in faithfulness and ministry so that together we may serve in the world and Christ may be made known.

+Stephen

The Parishes of Henham and Elsenham with Ugley

Welcome

We trust what follows will give you a good insight into the nature of our three parishes.

Mission Statement

Henham, Elsenham and Ugley are three parishes with one vicar and are regarded as being ‘held together in plurality’ (we are not a United Benefice although we refer to the three parishes as ‘The Benefice’). We exist to glorify God and are committed to living as God’s people, under his Word, building up all believers in the Christian Faith. We express God’s love by caring about our communities and sharing the Good News to bring others to confess Christ as Saviour and Lord.

The Benefice

The Benefice is part of the Diocese of Chelmsford within the Colchester Episcopal Area and the Deanery of Saffron Walden (which is also our Mission & Ministry Unit). The Patrons are (Henham) the Church Society

Trust, (Elsenham) the Bishop of Chelmsford and (Ugley) Christ’s Hospital.

We are located north of Bishop’s Stortford, just off junction 8 of the M11, close to Stansted Airport. The three villages are served by Elsenham station, on the main railway line from London to Cambridge.

Currently, the Benefice is semi-rural in character, though it has been under consideration as one of the proposed locations for a new settlement. There is also a long-running question about the expansion of Stansted airport. The

total population of the Benefice is estimated at around 4,000 (Henham 1,200, Elsenham 2,400, Ugley 400). In the last couple of years 52 homes have been built in Elsenham and another 365 are currently under construction with a further 169 approved but not yet started. In Henham 50 new houses have been built in the last two years.

All three parishes with their 4 congregations are of ‘Conservative Evangelical’ churchmanship, though each has its own individual style and character. In February 2015 all three PCCs voted in favour of asking the Bishop of Chelmsford to allow for episcopal care consistent with our theological stance on male headship and in accordance with the provisions given in the House of Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests.

Mission and Ministry

Joint Ventures

The three parishes enjoy close cooperation with one other, whilst each taking primary responsibility for mission and ministry in their particular geographical areas.

There are two joint PCC meetings a year at which decisions are made regarding the ‘H.E.U. Joint Benefice Account’ from which parish share and ministry costs are met.There are periodic ‘Joint Benefice services’ to enable the wider family of God to recognize one another and to worship together. There is a monthly Benefice Prayer Meeting, incorporating supper beforehand, and a“Start the week with Prayer” meeting each Monday morning.

At present there are over a dozen Bible study home groups. These are largely lay-led and organize their own programmes.

Moore College Extension Studies courses have been run regularly over the last twenty years, currently under lay leadership.

Occasional ‘church family’ social events are held, particularly in the summer months, providing an opportunity for friendships to grow and for new people to be invited to low-key events.There is a long tradition of having parish weekends away, though this has not happened for a few years. A weekend away with a group of parishes in the neighbouring deanery of Dunmow & Stansted was held in February 2016.

A church-run lunch club meets twice a month providing food and fellowship to Senior Citizens.

Evangelistic efforts are often organized on a ‘joint Benefice’ basis, though one parish may take the lead responsibility. These have included: running regular Christianity Explored groups, men’s Pub Games evenings, beer tasting at the local brewery, grill a Christian, choir concerts, door-to-door visiting, a men’s Clay Pigeon shoot, a women’s Supper with speaker, themed Family Fun-days.

Joint buildings

An administrative office is situated at Old Frank’s, Elsenham. There is a meeting room above where Elsenham Sunday Club and Explorers meet.

Close to the vicarage in Henham is a church hall which is in a poor state of repair and at the end of its natural life span. Henham Little Fishes and Sunday Club meet here.

Joint committees

Staff Committee oversees the employment of the church staff e.g. the Benefice administrator, Anna Hicks.

Youth and Children’s Committee oversees the youth work in the Benefice.

Care Committee oversees care of Church members and others; it makes suggestions for action by PCCs and congregations and occasionally organizes special events, such as an annual Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving for the bereaved.

Mission Support Committee recommends recipients of donations on an annual basis, subject to PCC approval. The Benefice donates 10% of revenue to mission partners. The Committee maintains strong links with our mission partners and regularly updates the congregations.

Joint Finance Committee comprises the three PCC Treasurers, the Treasurer of the HEU Benefice Account and an independent Chairman. Reports from this Committee are sent regularly to the PCC Meetings and all financial policy for the Benefice is approved by each PCC before it is implemented.

Youth and Children’s Work

The Benefice runs Bible teaching for children of all ages, with an aim to make child/young adult disciples for Jesus. The youth and children’s work is staffed by volunteer teams.

On a Sunday morning 3 congregations in all parishes run groups for children aged 4-8. Older children (Y4-Y6 approx. age 8-10) attend one of the two ‘Explorers’ groups which meet at Henham and Elsenham.

Teaching for ‘Pathfinders’ (Y7-Y9) & ‘Crammin’ (Y10-Y13) is run jointly around our evening youth service.

Midweek, there are a number of groups for mums, babies and toddlers including ‘Little Fishes.’

The Vicar and a church member from Elsenham take an assembly each week in both Elsenham Church of England Primary School and Henham & Ugley Primary School.

There are weekly Bible clubs in both the primary schools in the villages and an after-school club in Elsenham.

The Benefice has run regular holiday clubs and ‘Film Thursdays’ during the summer holidays.

Occasional Offices

On average, four marriages are conducted across the Benefice per year, and about twenty funerals.

There are irregular requests for baptisms (presently an annual average of five). We make considerable effort, often through Christianity Explored, to ensure that families and candidates understand the gospel and the nature of Christian commitment as fully as possible. Baptisms take place in a main Sunday service.

Confirmations, when they take place in the Benefice, have been conducted by the current Provincial Episcopal Visitor.

Wider Church links

The parishes are part of the Saffron Walden Mission and Ministry Unit. A good number of church members maintain links with REFORM and Church Society.

Personnel

Full-time

Rev Gary Townsend is the vicar of Henham, Elsenham and Ugley. He lives at the vicarage in Henham with his wife, Sharon, and their two daughters, Evie and Maybelle. He is from Gravesend in Kent, was trained at Trinity College Bristol and ordained in 2000. He has served in his present post for six years.

Part-time

Mrs Anna Hicks is our Benefice Administrator. She works part-time in the church office in Elsenham (Old Frank’s), and is the first point of contact for people making enquiries about our churches. She provides administrative support to Gary and the lay teams. Anna lives in Elsenham and is married to Phil.

Revd. Stephen Bazlinton is an NSM with the Bishop’s permission to officiate. He lives in Stebbing, but he and his wife, Joan, take a very full and active part in ministry across the Benefice. They attend church at Henham and Stephen is on the preaching team, leads services and is available to assist the vicar in other areas of parochial work including occasional offices. He is a co-opted member of Henham PCC and he and Joan have four older children.

Lay Teams

There are several lay preachers operating under a scheme originally approved by the Bishop of Chelmsford in the 1980s. All preachers meet on a monthly basis for training and review. They preach regularly within the Benefice itself and occasionally help at other churches outside the Benefice.

The Benefice enjoys the input of numerous lay volunteers in all areas of Church life, ranging from the administrative, through to leading services and prayers, youth work and evangelism as well as the practical matters of day-to-day care for one another.

The condition, traditions and needs of the

Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Elsenham

Condition

Until recently, Elsenham was a typical small Essex village. New building, particularly in the 1960s and 70s and more recently, has changed the character of the village with the population becoming more transient and set to grow rapidly as further houses have been granted planning consent and/or are in the process of being constructed.

There has been new social housing built in Elsenham and this has made our population more diverse. Although Elsenham is no longer a community where ‘everyone knows everyone else’, community relationships are still much stronger than in the towns or suburbs. From a pastoral point of view, there is an acceptance, and expectation, of the church’s community role.

From being a very tight-knit community, Elsenham has therefore grown within living memory to something of a commuter community, with the station and nearby M11 providing ready access to London and Cambridge.

The village has its own Voluntary Controlled Church of England primary school and the incumbent sits on the board of Governors. Church members run an after-school Bible club in one of the classrooms.

Traditions

General

There are two congregations currently meeting in Elsenham on Sunday mornings; 8.45am at St Mary’s Church and 10.15am in the Village Hall.

Both congregations enjoy a considerable degree of lay leadership of services and sermons by members of the Preachers’ Group. Communion services at both venues are led by an ordained minister.

The congregations at both services are in good heart, and they actively seek ways in which to engage in evangelism and service to the village.

The financial condition of the parish is sound with sufficient funds available to meet anticipated expenditure.

St Mary’s (8.45am)

St Mary’s is a grade I listed building located on the outskirts of the village. The PCC are developing proposals for an extension to the building to provide a toilet, tea point, new vestry and meeting space. Members of the congregation and the village run a Church fabric fund to raise money for and to promote awareness of the Church

Congregations on a Sunday morning are typically 20-30 adults.

The preferred tradition at St Mary’s is the Book of Common Prayer, with Communion twice a month. Services generally last about 55 minutes.

The Village Hall (10.15am)

The Village Hall congregation meets on the school premises, in a more central location. During these services, children’s work takes place at Old Frank’s.

Congregations are typically 30-40 adults and 15 children (under 12s).

The services are generally more informal, with more modern songs accompanied by a music group. Services typically last about an hour.

Coordination and cooperation

The two congregations cooperate efforts by meeting bi-monthly to discuss mission and ministry.

Both congregations currently join together for the main festivals (Easter, Harvest, and Christmas). There are also occasional joint open-air services, for example on Good Friday, Remembrance Day and Christmas Eve, the latter two attracting significant numbers (150 - 200) of villagers.

Needs

The church in Elsenham has been and is determined to be involved in the village community and to reach out with the gospel.

However, involvement in village life and organizations remains challenging, evangelism is often difficult with responses being minimal, and there are clear gaps in the outreach. The congregations, for example, do not reflect the breadth of social mix found in the village as a whole.

In common with Ugley and Henham, Elsenham is no ‘rural backwater’ where one can have a relaxing time. The work is challenging, the needs are great, the opportunities are as many as personal energy will allow.

The church wishes to maintain its strengths (high levels of engagement in Bible study groups, a good depth and spread of Biblical knowledge, good children’s work, etc.) and address its weaknesses (support for families, co-ordination of activities, communication, etc.).

The condition, traditions and needs of theParish of St Mary the Virgin, Henham

Condition

The Village

Henham is a rural parish with a population of approximately 800 adults. The majority of the 460 or so houses are within the main village but the parish also includes the nearby hamlets of Old Mead Road/Old Mead Lane, Little Henham and Pledgdon Green. Some new

housing is currently under construction with significant additional housing in the planning process.

Transport links are good with easy road and rail access to London and Cambridge. Locally there are regular bus services and many footpaths linking the villages.

The village has a popular primary and nursery school serving Henham and Ugley with approximately 200 pupils aged from 3 ½ to 11. There is a small community-run general store (located in a building owned by the church) that opens daily, a part-time Post Office and a village pub. There are four meeting halls of varying sizes where a good number of community events and regular clubs take place. There is also an active tennis club, nearby rugby club, biennial 10k fun run and village fete.

There is a broad social spectrum, including farmers, commuters and many new incoming families seeking the benefits of village life, good schools and good transport links. However, housing is pricey and young couples find it hard to afford homes here. There is a village monthly magazine, called The Dragon, which includes a regular, prominent editorial piece written by the Incumbent. It also lists services and other church-related activities and meetings, supplementing the main village news sections.

Our village website contains a wealth of information about all aspects of the village: www.henham.org

St Mary’s Church

The church, which dates from the 13th century, is supported by a significant fabric fund and is well maintained. It can hold up to 250 people. The churchyard is closed for burials, which now take place in the cemetery towards the north-east end of the village. Plans to re-order the internal arrangements, and adding a new hall (with catering and WC facilities) are being explored.

Currently there are 64 members on the electoral roll, some from outside the parish.

Traditions

Pattern of Services

8am Service – monthlyPrayer Book Morning Prayer. Typical attendance – 3 adults. Although sparsely attended, it was recently decided to continue with this service. The clergy robe for this service.

11.15am Service – weeklyThe service is reasonably informal in style and the music is a blend of traditional and contemporary, accompanied by keyboard. Members of the congregation play a significant part in the running of this service. The clergy do not robe for this service. Holy Communion is held on the 3 rd Sunday of each month and follows the pattern in Common Worship Order ‘C’.Typical attendance at the 11.15 service is 15 - 20 adults plus 4-6 children. Additionally, the Henham Sunday Club meets at the Church Hall from 11am. Typically there are 3 children. The Explorers start in the service but then move to have their teaching in OSCA – a large hall in the village. Typically about 10 children attend. There are facilities (in the tower) for a small crèche, which is run informally and on demand.

6pm Benefice Youth ServiceThe 6pm service typically attracts 20 adults and 20 or so teenagers. The service is very informal and friendly in style and the music is contemporary, normally accompanied by keyboards, and a band.

The Pathfinders and Crammin’ start in the service but then leave to have teaching and food in their respective groups.

Welcome

Services held to celebrate Christmas (especially the carol service) and Remembrance prove particularly popular and present opportunities to share the gospel with local residents. We also hold special services for the school community at harvest and Christmas plus Christingle services to encourage young families.

Lay Participation

Lay members lead the 11.15 am service each week; they also lead the prayers and read from the Bible. They have responsibility for clearing and setting up the church before services, welcoming people and preparing refreshments. The preaching might also, but not always, be undertaken by a layman. All these responsibilities are organised on a 3-monthly advanced schedule.

The PCC

The Incumbent chairs the eight-member PCC and meetings are held monthly.

Commitment to Involvement in the Community

The church is committed to involvement in the local community, building relationships with other groups such as the school, pub, shop, Parish Council and magazine etc. and joining their activities as well inviting them to ours. ‘Henham Teas’ provides an opportunity for the elderly to meet together and is an expression of the church family’s care for them.

Needs

The village is traditional and many villagers keep themselves to themselves. Hence, while evangelistic outreach events are well supported and attended, converting attendance to church regulars has proved a challenge.

The festival services are well attended (particularly by the irregular attendees).

Although Henham embraces a broad range of ages, housing is expensive and therefore as young people get older they tend either to live with parents or to move away. Some recent new housing has brought new families to the village, presenting new opportunities to encourage church attendance and involvement.

There is a perception in some areas of a disconnection between the church and the village community, with some suggesting a desire for a more traditional style of worship and ministry. As with many churches, the real struggle is to add new members to the church family.

11The condition, tradition and needs of theParish of St Peter’s, Ugley

Condition

Ugley has a population of approximately 462 people occupying some 180 dwellings. It has no single centre, but houses are widely scattered along the main Cambridge – Bishop’s Stortford road, with a large settlement at Ugley Green and a smaller one at Patmore End.

The population includes some elderly residents who have lived here all their lives, and incomers of middle age or younger, some with families. There is a small number of former council houses on the edge of Elsenham and a small number of travelling families occasionally take up residence on a grass verge near Patmore End.

There is no separate primary school in Ugley. Children from the parish are in the catchment area of Henham and Ugley CP School, situated in Henham.

There is a pub, the Chequers, but no shops, although there is a monthly Farmers’ Market at the Village Hall. There are some small industrial units in Fieldgate Lane, Ugley Green; a livery stables at Ugley Green; a family firm dealing with groundworks and plant hire at North Hall Road; and a great deal of arable and mixed farming. There is a group of club houses by Henham Archway used mainly at weekends by cycling clubs from East London. The Home Farm Trust in Pound Lane is a residential home for adults with learning difficulties and their carers.

The M11 runs through the parish and the nearest junction is a few miles further south. Many commuters make use of Elsenham station, on the main Cambridge – Liverpool Street line, which is a few minutes away from Ugley Green.

To some extent Ugley is a community where everyone knows everyone else, and community relationships are strong. However, this is under pressure as some ‘incomers’ are choosing not to get involved. From a pastoral point of view, however, there is still an expectation and an acceptance of the church’s role in the community.

Tradition

St Peter’s has always attracted people from more distant parishes, and has informal links with the Nonconformist tradition.

The regular Sunday meeting at St Peter’s takes place at 10 am every week and is usually attended by about 20 people and 5 children. There is a BCP Holy Communion once a month and a morning service on the other Sundays.

The church is in good repair, and is in the process of ongoing Quinquennial repairs. The churchyard is well maintained, with support from a specific bequest. The churchyard is open.

There is a strong tradition of lay leadership of the services, including parts of Holy Communion. The preacher is drawn from a rota within the Benefice. The clergy robe for services, but it is not felt necessary to wear clerical dress around the village. The hymnbook Hymns Old and New (Anglican Edition) is used, with organ accompaniment. Services usually last about an hour, with coffee to follow, taking about another half an hour. There are toilet facilities by courtesy of Ugley Hall Farm.

Young children are encouraged to take part in Junior Church, which meets in a nearby room in Ugley Hall Farm house during the Sunday service (older children are encouraged to go to appropriate groups in Henham or Elsenham).

There is a full cleaning/flower arranging/reading/welcoming rota in operation. The parish magazine is edited and distributed by a team of volunteers. This provides a good source of local information and adds to the sense of community cohesion. An interdenominational Bible study group (Sunday @ Seven) meets twice a month in the parish; some members of the congregation also lead or attend other Bible study home groups.

There is also a monthly prayer meeting, with lunch, to pray for the needs and mission of Ugley. During the summer of 2015, each household in the parish was visited by church members in an effort to evangelise. From that work several contacts have been followed up and the first of a new series of men’s pub evenings has taken place.

The main festivals, Easter, Harvest, Mothering Sunday, Remembrance and Christmas, attract a larger congregation with the number pushing towards 100 for the carol service. The church has also hosted fundraising concerts. Other social events are held in the Village Hall or in the church.

Members of the congregation are represented on the Parish Council, the Village Hall Committee and the Women’s Institute within Ugley, as well as on the PCC, Deanery Synod and Benefice-wide committees.

Needs

Ugley is a community which works to serve most people. Those who might usually be thought of as the most needy in such a community, the older and the elderly, are well-catered for by organizations like the Women’s Institute and the Friendship Club in Ugley, as well as the Church Lunch Club in the benefice. The Village Hall boasts numerous clubs and societies. There is currently a good bus service and the mobile library visits regularly. The most complained-about subject seems to be the state of the roads, and the least easily-met need seems to be for transport to Harlow hospital. In common with many rural areas, life can be more complicated for the non-driver. The community along North Hall Road is more isolated than other parts of Ugley, and there are concerns about the chosen self-isolation of some newcomers, but generally Ugley is a very positive community in which to live.

Two ongoing sources of anxiety, however, are the future development of the airport and the possibility (which some people still fear) of a major housing development sited between Elsenham and Henham. Although ‘planning blight’ seems to have been avoided, this creates an ongoing uncertainty about the future of the community.

The church itself needs help in engaging effectively with the local community. There seems to be a general goodwill, which shows at times like Harvest Festival and Christmas. There are also regular, though not frequent, requests for baptisms, and the other occasional offices provide points of contact in times of need or celebration. Nevertheless, growth has been very difficult to achieve and sustain. The parish needs a good teacher and pastor with respect for our traditions. We should like to appoint a man who is in sympathy with our Conservative Evangelical tradition, but who has the wisdom to deal graciously with Christians from other traditions.

We should like to attract more families and encourage them to be regular in attending our services. We should like to build upon our outreach and evangelism and so increase the number and age range of our congregation. Above all, we long that our neighbours should hear the Good News about Jesus.

The person we are looking for will be:

someone who loves Christ and is committed to serving him as Lord and Saviour through devotion to Him in prayer and Bible study, and a commitment to loving others and seeking to make disciples for Him

humble, gentle and friendly

committed to the preaching of the Gospel in a variety of different contexts

convinced of the importance of expository preaching

someone who values the importance of good communication and team co-operation

someone who takes an active and prayerful part in the development of Gospel ministry amongst the growing numbers of new residents within all three parishes

someone who holds to the teaching of Scripture in the area of sexual morality including the position of Anglican Bishops on same-sex relationships as set out in Lambeth Resolution 1:10

His duties will be:

Specific remit:

to oversee and develop the ministry of evangelism and pastoral care amongst the new housing residents in and around Elsenham

to undertake relevant leadership and ministerial training

to attend meetings of Elsenham PCC

General:

to preach sermons and attend the monthly meetings of the preaching team

to assist the vicar in pastoral care and visiting across a wide age-range and varying social conditions

to assist the vicar in occasional offices, school assemblies and the planning, running and leading of Sunday services

to assist in the development of ministry amongst teenagers

to attend the weekly Staff Meeting

to deputize for the vicar in his absence

to play an active part in the Mission and Ministry Unit that is the Saffron Walden Deanery attending Deanery Chapter and Deanery Synod meetings

What we will offer is ...

A church family that

is struggling with the demands of modern life and the world and is far from perfect but ... is united in a desire to see Jesus glorified is willing to consider new initiatives has many gifts is active, committed and Bible-rooted

Support for a new Assistant Minister by

provision of suitable accommodation welcoming him to our church family and village communities listening to and supporting him however we can providing for the resources he needs, both at work and at home making provision for his own pastoral needs and spiritual renewal through time set aside for

continuing ministerial education, conferences, reading and so on praying for him providing him with a strong and well established conservative evangelical base from which to move out into his specific ministry amongst the new residents of Elsenham.