parish profile · the big top. we enjoy links with farlington school locally, which holds...

WARNHAM, WEST SUSSEXwww.warnhamchurch.co.uk

March 2016

to know • love • follow Jesus

PARISH PROFILE

Contents

page

Introduction 3

Who are we looking for 3

The Parish and its setting 4

The Church 5

What goes on in and out of Church 5

The Vicarage 7

The School 8

Administration and Finance 8

The Village 8

The Warnham Warbler 9

Our Vision 9

Appendices

A. Parish Boundary

B. Map of Warnham village

C. Mission Action Plan (see link on website)

D. The Warnham Warbler (see link on website)


IntroductionWarnham is a special place, a Sussex village set in beautiful countryside with a rich history and great community spirit, lying within the Diocese of Chichester. The Church is in the centre of the village and plays a full part in village life. We aim to cover all aspects of village and parish life in this Profile to give a good flavour of life in Warnham, although to visit the village and the Church will confirm why we are so fond of the community and our surroundings.

Who are we looking for?

Although the setting of the Church itself is tranquil and rather idyllic, St Margaret’s is a vibrant, active church that has grown and developed spiritually a great deal over the past fifteen years. It is committed to continuing that growth throughout the village and wider Parish so that over coming years, we can broaden and deepen its appeal and relevance to a wider mix of people from the very young to our older parishioners. We are looking for someone who will

• Be committed to the village way of life, making himself/herself a visible part of the local community

• Be an effective communicator within all age groups

• Be eager to engage with all members of the community

• Have a dual mission of pastoral care and development of the spiritual life of the Church, and seek to take the Church into the wider community

• Have good leadership skills and be able to inspire the congregation to take an active part in church life

• Be energetic and an enthusiast by nature, open-minded and imaginative, flexible and receptive to new ideas

• Be supportive and sensitive towards the older members in our Church community

As a PCC, we are in particular committed to encouraging and developing the work the Church does with children and youth groups. In summary therefore, he or she will be the visible presence throughout our Parish of God’s inclusive love and concern for all.

CHURCH STREET, WARNHAM SUNDAY MORNING IN CHURCH

Chichester Diocese has a strategy of numerical and spiritual growth, re-imagining ministry and working for the common good. It welcomes and embraces clergy who can share the vision and will work to fulfil it in their parishes.

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The Parish and its settingThe Parish within the Horsham Deanery is spread across quite a wide area. It includes Kingsfold to the north, it nearly extends to Broadbridge Heath to the south, to the east it goes beyond the A24 and to the west it extends to the other side of the A29. There are a number of farms within the Parish including the 200 acre Deer Park where a herd of red deer was established in about 1850 and is cared for by the Lucas family, Jonathan Lucas being St Margaret’s Patron.

The population within the Parish is around 2,500 and we have 220 on the electoral roll. We are close to Horsham, about 2 miles away where the town’s population is much larger at some 45,000. Historically a market town, Horsham has retained much of its old character and charm whilst continuing to expand with new developments to the south and possibly to the north in the next few years. There are major supermarkets and shops of all sizes including many independent local retailers. Horsham is well served with many good schools, a wide choice of doctors’ surgeries, a busy mainline station, a good bus network, a local community hospital and a well-supported hospice based in nearby Crawley.

We play an active part in Horsham Churches Together which seeks to unite some 30 local churches in worship, prayer and good works which bless and benefit the local community. Two essential initiatives include the local food bank (warehoused in Warnham) and the Horsham Night Shelter both of which are actively supported by our Church members. Other charities that operate under HCT include a debt advisory service, Pregnancy Crisis centre and a Child Contact centre.

Within our Parish there is a wide social mix and although a generally prosperous community, there are some needy residents. The age range is wide, with accommodation to suit all ages. The population within the village is fairly static as there has been little new housing development for some years. The Council rent out a number of properties in Warnham. There is a Church of England Primary School in the village with which St Margaret’s has strong links.

Although we are located in the north-west part of West Sussex, the coast is only about 20 miles due south, with Brighton being some 25 miles distant. Any of the scenic routes south from Horsham will take you through charming Sussex villages and down to the South Downs National Park where there are fantastic views far and wide, with great walking and biking.

Those who are not retired work in the area, some running their own businesses, or they commute in to London. Gatwick airport is a major employer for those living in and around Horsham and Crawley.


THE CAUSEWAY, HORSHAM ST MARGARET’S

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The population within the Parish is around 2,500 and we have 220 on the electoral roll.

The ChurchWe are part of the Diocese of Chichester and are guided and well supported by the Bishop of Horsham, the Right Reverend Mark Sowerby, the Venerable Archdeacon Fiona Windsor and by the Rural Dean of Horsham, Canon Guy Bridgewater.

St Margaret’s Church is the only place of worship within the Parish. It is a focal point for the community and contributes much to village life as it has done for some 800 years. We have had our own priest living in the village and continue to be a single Parish. We have the services of a female curate, and are lucky to have a retired Anglican priest living in the village. We have established a broad range of services to appeal to a spectrum of tastes. The pattern of Church services and all the activities associated with the Church are covered on our website which is regularly updated. This can be found at: www.warnhamchurch.co.uk.

What goes on in and out of ChurchThe congregation has a mix of ages and although a number are elderly, we also have young families and teenagers that attend regularly particularly at the 10.00 service on Sunday morning. We can have between 50 and 100 at that service. At Christmas and Easter the Church can be full with some 250 people attending; the two Christingles services on Christmas Eve between them regularly draw in a combined congregation of over 600 people.

HARVEST FESTIVAL 2015 IN THE VILLAGE HALL

CHRISTINGLE 2015


It is a focal point for the community and contributes much to village life as it has done for some 800 years.

We are very keen to encourage children to attend and get involved with Church life and this is a targeted area of development over the next few years. Every year in the school holidays, we run a week of Holiday Club for children up to Year 6 which is a themed week of fun activities, well supported by the village and families outside of the usual congregation. During the summer months also, our young people get involved in wider Christian activities such as making the pilgrimage to Walsingham for a few days where they have a great time camping and taking part in all the events, including worship in the Big Top.

We enjoy links with Farlington School locally, which holds fundraising concerts at St Margaret’s. Another local connection is that of Orchard Lodge, a care home for adults with learning disabilities where we visit monthly. Over the past couple of years we have developed Messy Church in the village. Consistent with the ethos of Messy Church, we see this not as a ‘feeder church’ for the main congregation, but rather a congregation in its own right. Messy Church has a new voluntary leader who took over last autumn and who also has a wider brief overseeing all our youth work. Her title is Children & Families

Worker and she is a huge asset to the Parish.

The Church and Churchyard is in a lovely setting that families enjoy when they come to us for their special services – during 2014, there were 5 weddings and 7 baptisms and during 2015, 9 weddings and 15 baptisms.

Although the original Church building dates back to the 12th century, we have been fortunate in being able to maintain the condition of the Church both inside and outside, a seemingly never ending task. Indeed, repairs to the Tower and the North Aisle were ongoing during 2015. The main roof was re-laid in stone only 23 years ago. The Churchyard is well maintained by regular work parties and is a delightfully peaceful place to remember those who are no longer with us.

The Parish Room is within the Churchyard. It was built in 1979 and is used not only for Church activities but

WALSINGHAM PILGRIMAGE SUMMER 2015 WITH BISHOP LINDSAY

CHURCHYARD, ST MARGARET’S WARNHAM

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During the summer months also, our young people get involved in wider Christian activities such as making the pilgrimage to Walsingham for a few days where they have a great time camping and taking part in all the events, including worship in the Big Top.

is also available for hire. Church groups which are all on the website, include Sunday School (JaM Club), junior and teenage youth groups, a mother and toddlers group and activities for older people. St Margaret’s tower boasts an unusual 10 bell peal and not surprisingly we have a strong and committed group of bell ringers, a number of whom have been ringing for many years, building on a considerable historic heritage. We have a great choir with plenty of young choristers who are ably trained by our very musical Parish Administrator. She also takes them on regular visits to cathedrals, on chorister courses and most recently to Emmanuel College, Cambridge for evensong played by our last organist who is now Organ Scholar there.

The VicarageThe Vicarage is no more than 200 yards across the road from the Church; this is a detached, modern four bedroom house with a large lounge, separate dining room, study and large family kitchen. The good sized garden surrounds the house. There is a double garage and space for several cars on the drive.


THE VICARAGE, WARNHAM

Another local connection is that of Orchard Lodge, a care home for adults with learning disabilities where we visit monthly.

OUR CHOIR

The SchoolAs mentioned above, Warnham has a thriving Church of England Primary School run by an excellent head teacher. With current pupil numbers at 209, the school is very proud of its reputation for having a caring, supportive ethos based on Christian values and providing opportunity for pupils to develop spiritually. As a Church school, it values its strong links with St.Margaret’s. The pupils have always enjoyed visits from the Vicar who has usually led an assembly weekly, and there are regular school services in the Church, including a termly School Communion. The school building hosts Messy Church which meets half-termly on a Friday afternoon. While proud of its Anglican identity, it values the faith traditions of every family in the school, and believes that the religious education offered can serve children of all faiths or none in their quest for meaning and value in life.

The link with the Primary School is strong and should continue to be so.

Administration and Finance

We have a full PCC with a good mix of people who bring all sorts of strengths to the management of the Church, an efficient Safeguarding Officer and an excellent Parish Administrator.

Financially, in 2014 we had income of £115,199 and expenditure of £124,376. The PCC recognised the need to address this imbalance between income and expenditure and in Spring 2015 the Stewardship Committee relaunched the Parish Giving Scheme, which having been actively promoted within our Church community, has gone a long way to closing the imbalance between income and expenditure in 2015. This will be reflected in the 2015 accounts when they are finalised. We are also keen to capture legacy income to help support regular giving which is not enough in isolation, and again this income stream increased over 2015. Our current Parish Contribution to the Diocese stands at 101.5% and we donate approximately 10% of our annual income to charities. Audited Accounts are available on request.

The VillageWarnham village is well served by its excellent village shop, hairdresser and local butcher who is used by people from the wider Horsham district, as are Warnham Dance Studios and Health & Fitness Club. There are two great pubs within the village and a further two within the Parish. The Comrades Club is another very popular meeting point in the centre of the village. We are lucky to have a village hall that has recently been enlarged and modernised and it’s a well-used resource for the usual variety of village activities – fitness classes, karate, pre-school group, badminton, short mat bowls, WI and the Seniors Group, to name but a few. Several ladies from the Flower Club that meets in the hall are integral members of the Church flower arranging team. There is

WARNHAM C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL


FUND RAISING AT THE CHRISTMAS BAZAAR 2015

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a stage for productions that have included pantomimes and opera. The village hall is set adjacent to the cricket field, and naturally there is a thriving cricket club. There is even a railway station.

There are butterfly conservation fields on the west side of the village and the village centre is a conservation area.

In 1939 a trust was set up to provide assistance to those with particular needs. Modest and varied awards are made. The Mary Wharrie Trust, a Charity, is essentially for people who live within the Parish. The Trustees are resident within the village.

The Warnham WarblerThis is our Parish magazine that has a circulation of approximately 300. It is as much for the village generally as the Church and covers all activities that have been or will be going on within the Parish. The vicar normally writes an article for each month’s publication, as does the Editor. There is a link to the Warbler on the website.

Our VisionSt Margaret’s sits very comfortably at the heart of its community and gets involved in many areas of local life, as well as engaging within the wider area. The Church has a full and very active approach to mission and outreach and is seen by the village as an integral part of the life of the community. We have a current Mission Action Plan in place and our principal desire is to continue to deliver our aims and objectives in this Plan, the main tenets of which are:

• Worship at the heart of everything we do as a Church

• The development of our spiritual life

• Reaching out not only within the Church but throughout the wider community

• Delivering pastoral care

• Improving our communication and publicity material

Our Vicar will be the key person to harness the enthusiasm and goodwill of our Parish, ably supported by a strong PCC team. We have also been blessed with a very able and supportive Curate.


VILLAGE GREEN, WARNHAM

COMPLETION OF PATH OF PENNIES FOR CHRISTIAN AID

BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

This Pro�le was designed and completed by the Churchwardens and the PCC Secretary. It has been approved by the Parochial Church Council of St Margaret’s Church, Warnham the Archdeacon and the Bishop.

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