welcome to st mary the virgin, garforth marys... · dumouchel [s patisserie, which is very popular...
TRANSCRIPT
WELCOME TO
ST MARY THE VIRGIN, GARFORTH
Our mission statement:
To know God, to show God, to share God ...
… and spread the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 1 of 19
SStt MMaarryy’’ss,, GGaarrffoorrtthh??
WWhheerree oonn eeaarrtthh iiss tthhaatt??
IItt’’ss iinn WWeesstt YYoorrkksshhiirree..
OOhh,, tthhaatt’’ss tthhee ppllaaccee wwhheerree
tthheeyy aallll ddrriinnkk tteeaa,, eeaatt ppuuddss,,
wweeaarr ffllaatt ccaappss aanndd ssppeeaakk
ffuunnnnyy??
WWeellll iitt mmaayy bbee,, bbuutt jjuusstt wwaaiitt uunnttiill
yyoouu sseeee eevveerryytthhiinngg oouurr wwoonnddeerrffuull
ppaarriisshh hhaass ttoo ooffffeerr.. BBeessiiddeess,, wwhheenn iitt
ccoommeess ttoo GGoodd,, wwee aallll ssppeeaakk tthhee
ssaammee llaanngguuaaggee aannyywwaayy..
HHooww vveerryy ttrruuee.. II’’mm
iinnttrriigguueedd.. TTeellll mmee mmoorree......
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 2 of 19
Garforth is a small town on the
edge of Leeds, with a bustling Main
Street and excellent transport links.
There's lots happening here for all
ages, from the very young to the
young at heart!
We have outstanding schools,
lovely parks, independent coffee
shops ... and even a micro brewery.
Our experienced and friendly team
includes three Readers, two
Churchwardens, a Verger, a
Director of Music and full
complement of PCC officers.
We are all ages from 0 up to 90+,
with everyone being valued and
playing an important role in our
church.
We are a warm, welcoming
congregation who get involved at St
Mary's in a variety of ways.
WWhhyy......?? St Mary's is well attended, with 70
- 80 worshippers at 10am services,
but we've got plenty of space to
welcome newcomers into the fold.
We’d love you to help us grow.
We have strong traditions and
plenty of new ideas for the future
... and we're very open to your
vision too.
St Mary's is a beautiful, lovingly
cared for building. You won't need
to worry too much about leaking
roofs or broken boilers here!
WWhhoo......??
WWhheerree......??
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 3 of 19
We are looking for a new priest who will help and encourage us to grow as disciples of Jesus,
reach out to all the people within our community, and lead our church into growth by:
Working collaboratively within the church and with Churches Together in Garforth,
and being a visible presence in the community life of Garforth.
Continuing the excellent work and traditions of St Mary’s, whilst being willing to
develop and encourage new initiatives and styles of worship.
Committing to pastoral care both within the church and our local community.
Building on all the good work already taking place at St Mary’s as well as moving
forward to meet the future challenges.
Effective preaching, teaching and leading that encourages, challenges and inspires
us.
Supporting the use of our website and social media to spread the good news of Jesus
Christ within our community.
Yes! St Mary’s offers:
A well-maintained and re-ordered church, with an excellent, well-used Parish Centre.
A strong team of three Readers and skilled lay support staff committed to the
church’s mission and aims for the future.
A dedicated team of volunteers working in all areas of church life.
A warm and welcoming church community who are looking forward to greeting their
new priest.
A friendly and popular place to live and work that has very good schools, shopping
facilities and excellent road and rail links.
A large 1960s four bedroomed detached Rectory that provides excellent
accommodation set within large gardens, mainly laid to lawn.
Undisturbed days off and holidays!
Payment of reasonable monthly expenses in full.
CCoouulldd II bbee tthhee rriigghhtt
pprriieesstt ffoorr yyoouu??
...... aanndd wwoouulldd II bbee aabbllee ttoo
sseerrvvee GGoodd eeffffeeccttiivveellyy hheerree??
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 4 of 19
Parish boundaries map.
Garforth is a small town on the outskirts of Leeds, with a population of 16,000 and rising.
It’s a relatively affluent area with 80% of residents owning their own home.
COMMUNITY
Garforth has a real sense of community, with lots of popular events (such as the annual
Lions Gala in the summer and the Christmas lights switch-on) – and a warm and friendly
welcome for newcomers.
Residents are of all ages: there are plenty of families with children, working couples, and
also quite a number of older people, with several nursing homes, sheltered accommodation,
and a retirement park on Garforth Cliff.
We have a wide variety of clubs, groups and organisations. There is Garforth Town AFC, two
cricket clubs, a bowling club, and a Badminton centre. In addition, there are numerous
amateur sports teams for children and adults.
TTeellll mmee mmoorree aabboouutt
yyoouurr PPaarriisshh..
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 5 of 19
TRANSPORT
Garforth is very well connected by both road and rail. We have two train stations (Garforth
and East Garforth), with half-hourly trains to Leeds and York, as well as direct rail links to
Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool and Blackpool.
It’s just a few minutes’ drive to the A1(M) and M1, and the M62 is only a little further.
Buses run frequently into Leeds, and to nearby villages.
CHURCHES
Garforth has six churches: St Mary’s and Garforth Methodist are on Church Lane; Garforth
Evangelical is at the top of Main Street and St Benedict’s Roman Catholic Church is by
Garforth Train Station. Dayspring Baptist Church meet in the library and Shekinah Glory
Ministries meet at the Holiday Inn Hotel.
SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN
Garforth is a great place for families. All five primary schools in Garforth are Ofsted-rated
Good or Outstanding; the secondary school, Garforth Academy, is also rated Outstanding.
There is also SLP College of Dance, a further education college.
There are three parks/playgrounds in Garforth – Glebelands, Firthfields and Barley Hill.
Glebelands has a skateboard park and outdoor public exercise equipment, and Barley Hill
has tennis courts and bowling greens. All three have excellent, modern playgrounds suitable
for children aged 0 -12.
Garforth also has two soft play centres: Megaplay and Monkey Maze.
INDUSTRY AND SHOPS
Ginetta Cars is based in Garforth, at the industrial park on Isabella Road, along with a range
of other light industry.
Our thriving Main Street has a wide range of shops – including bakeries, two greengrocers, a
butchers, a DIY store (Pease of Garforth), and a cobbler’s – plus some lovely independent
cafes. Like most towns and villages, we also have a number of chain shops, including a large
Tesco near Garforth’s main Train Station. Further out from the centre of Garforth, we have
Dumouchel’s patisserie, which is very popular … and within easy walking distance of the
Rectory!
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 6 of 19
THE CHURCH AND ITS PEOPLE
We have a friendly and welcoming congregation at both our 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services. St
Mary’s three Readers and two Church Wardens are assisted by Deputy Wardens and a
committed team of dedicated volunteers in all areas of church life. As you might well
imagine, there are lots of rotas! Our Verger manages all the bookings for our Parish Centre
which is very well used by the church and by the community.
St Mary’s PCC is quite large with a membership of 21 people who meet six times a year.
There are smaller “Task Groups” who meet to consider issues of Fabric & Maintenance,
Finance, and to organise Social and Fundraising events, reporting back to the main PCC. We
have a full complement of PCC officers.
We also have a talented team of Flower Arrangers who work hard to ensure that there are
lovely displays of flowers in church each week. They excel themselves at Easter, Harvest and
Christmas, and of course at weddings.
We have a strong Mothers’ Union branch which holds both afternoon and evening meetings
so that people who are working during the daytime can still be active members and enjoy
the friendship and fellowship MU offers.
The Electoral Roll, as of April 2017, numbers 94 people, 12 of whom live outside the parish
(but still like to worship at St Mary’s and who can blame them)!
WWhhaatt ddoo II nneeeedd ttoo kknnooww
aabboouutt SStt MMaarryy’’ss??
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 7 of 19
WORSHIP PATTERNS
Weekly Services
Sundays:
8.00am: Communion Service (said) with a sermon. Average attendance about 12 people.
10.00am: Communion Service with hymns, choir anthem, and parts of the Eucharist sung:
Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei. Average attendance is 70 to 80 people. There is a four bell peal
beforehand.
Wednesdays:
9.30am: Communion Service (said)
Other Regular Services
Sundays:
3.00pm (every 2 months): Stepping Stones, with Café style worship lead by Readers and
supported by Music Group
3.00pm (every 4 months): Memorial Service
3.00pm (every 3 months): Messy Church (with Churches Together in Garforth, hosting
rotating monthly); held at St Mary’s 4 times a year.
Thursdays:
1.30pm (fortnightly): Play and Pray, for pre-school children and parents/carers
The churchmanship at St Mary’s is central. We have a robed choir and full Eucharistic
Vestments worn.
Annual Services
Easter: Stations of the Cross
Harvest: Family Communion
Remembrance Sunday (the war memorial is currently situated inside the church)
Advent/Christmas: Christingle; Carols by Candlelight; Crib Service 4pm Christmas Eve;
Christmas Day services at 8am and 10am.
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 9 of 19
MUSIC
At St Mary’s, we are proud of our strong musical tradition and realise the fundamental
importance of music in worship.
Our Director of Music/Organist is a highly qualified professional musician and leads our
excellent robed 21 strong SATB choir. We have a large, enthusiastic Junior Choir (age 6+)
who rehearse weekly and sing at significant services, promoting strong links with our
Primary schools from where the children are recruited. One young Junior Choir member
wrote that, “You inspire me to sing clearly and loudly ... best choir teacher ever.”
We use the Patrick Appleford Communion setting and hymns from Common Praise. In
addition we have a Song Book, with songs/hymns from various sources: this is used at
Stepping Stones services and occasional Eucharist services.
We also have an enthusiastic music group (above) who play and sing during our “Stepping
Stones” café style services and other events.
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 10 of 19
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
As well as Junior Choir, we have “Sunday Club” for age 3+ and a crèche area in church for 0 –
3s, both during the 10am service. There are regularly about 8 children in Sunday Club and 2
or 3 children in the crèche. Sunday Club normally have a craft activity and a Bible story, and
sometimes do other activities such as baking.
Play & Pray, for under 5s and their parents/carers, meets fortnightly on Thursday afternoons
at 1.30pm. It includes a short child-focused service followed by colouring, playing and
refreshments, and brings in several families who do not otherwise attend St Mary’s.
Our pamphlet Children at St Mary’s gives details about the activities on offer and what we
do to safeguard children at church.
SAFEGUARDING
We have embraced the Church of England ideal that ‘safeguarding is everyone’s business’,
and ensure that all people from St Mary’s who work with children, or adults who may be
vulnerable, have a current DBS check.
We have also completed risk assessments for our work with both children and adults and
introduced “Safe Recruitment”.
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 11 of 19
DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AT ST MARY’S
We have a variety of social groups, including:
Mothers Union (twice a month)
Craft Group (fortnightly)
Drop in for a cuppa (weekly)
Our other social activities include quiz nights, murder mystery evenings, music concerts, and
the Autumn and Spring Fayres.
Kippax Brass Band
Other groups that use the Parish Centre include Yoga, Line Dancing, NET Extend classes,
Children’s Drama Groups, Baby Ballet, Lace making.
We have weekly evening Bible Study groups led by Readers; in Advent and Lent, we hold
additional Bible Studies, including both afternoon and evening sessions.
THE SPIRE MAGAZINE
We produce a free quarterly magazine, The Spire. (We welcome
donations to cover the cost of printing.) Copies are available all
around Garforth – in the library, some schools, care homes,
estate agents, coffee shops, and indoor play facilities. Some
local businesses advertise in the magazine. Charlie the Church
Mouse normally makes an appearance too!
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 12 of 19
THE CHURCH AND ITS FINANCES
We have been able to pay our parish share in full for the period 2009 – 2016 and still
managed to re-order the church and maintain the fabric of the buildings; quite an
achievement! Of course, each year is a challenge but income from fees for occasional
offices, parish centre lettings and fund-raising all help.
2017 proved to be especially challenging with an increase in share of £10,000 over 2016 to
£78,570. We made great efforts to pay as much of the 2017 share as we could and
committed to paying £70,000 of the £78,570 requested; and we have managed to pay the
£70,000. Our parish share for 2018 has decreased slightly to £76,563.
We have an annual review of stewardship giving every July, involving a sermon on reviewing
our giving and a leaflet that uses the financial information for the first six months of the
year.
The church is a registered charity and all members of the PCC are trustees. Our charity
number is 1130765.
THE CHURCH AND ITS BUILDINGS
Our church is a beautiful and striking building, and the Early Gothic architecture is unusual in
this district – our church was built in the cruciform style with a 120ft spire that is visible for
miles around, and which can be floodlit for special occasions and anniversaries.
A substantial re-ordering of the church took place in the early part of 2014. Improvements
were made to the heating and sound systems, and the introduction of a dais and ramp
greatly increased the sight lines and disabled access. A new central heating boiler was
installed in 2017. Both the church and the Parish Centre are very well cared for and are a
valuable resource for the parish.
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 13 of 19
The present parish church is possibly the fourth to be built here, and evidence exists of a
church on the present site from the 12th century. Most of the cost for building was paid by
the Gascoigne family of Parlington Hall, who were Lords of the Manor, and there are
references to the Gascoigne’s within the stained glass windows. The church was
consecrated on November 14th 1845 by the first Bishop of Ripon, Dr. Charles Thomas
Longley, and has several examples of “Mouseman” furniture.
The Church is currently open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 3pm and Fridays 9am to
12noon for anyone wishing to pray or light a candle.
OUR HISTORIC ORGAN
We were delighted when our Isaac Abbott two manual Pipe organ, built in 1873, was
recently identified as an important example of our organ heritage and was awarded an
Historic Organ Certificate Grade 2*. The organ has been well maintained over the years –
and if funds are needed for future work, its new status means it could be eligible for special
grants.
OUR SPECIAL BELLS
Our four bells are housed at the top of the spire
with a ringing chamber positioned underneath.
Rather than the ropes being attached to the
actual bells, they are attached to the clapper,
with the ropes feeding down into the ringing
chamber and being held in a frame mechanism.
This enables all the bells to be rung by a single
bell ringer!
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 14 of 19
OUR PARISH CENTRE
The Parish Centre is connected to the church through a link into the crèche area, and is an
excellent resource for the whole parish. It
was consecrated by the Bishop of Ripon at a
special service on the 23rd November 1997.
The Parish Centre is well used by various
groups – Sunday Club, Lace Makers, Yoga,
Line Dancing, Drama and Ballet – and is an
excellent resource for St Mary’s.
THE RECTORY
The Rectory is situated to the rear of the Parish Centre and is accessed via Croft Foulds
Court which runs to the west of the Church. It is a large four bedroomed house with an
enclosed private rear garden, mainly laid to lawn, and patio area. The house is well-
maintained with good carpets throughout and provides excellent accommodation.
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 15 of 19
SCHOOLS
We have established good relationships with all the primary schools in Garforth by
attending assemblies and holding Harvest and Nativity services in church for the schools to
bring their pupils to during the week. We are also in contact with the local high school and,
until recently, helped support a Faith in Schools worker.
CARING FOR THE SICK AND ELDERLY
We hold services each month at the six Residential Care/Nursing homes in the parish and
also at local sheltered housing complexes. We also have a Pastoral team whose members
visit people who are long-term sick and particularly those who are housebound and no
longer able to come to church. The team will also visit anyone who is newly bereaved and
has been referred to them by the clergy.
WEEKDAY CHURCH GROUPS
Children:
We have a fortnightly Play and Pray group for pre-school children and their carers. This has
been running for many years and has brought several families into church during that time.
Junior Choir currently has over 40 members who meet weekly to practice after school on
Wednesday afternoons during term time. They are also an important part of our outreach,
singing at schools and care homes. For some of the children it is their first experience of
church, and when they sing at services their parents come to hear them, and it is often the
only contact they too have had with church.
Adults:
We have an active Mothers Union and there are two groups – they both meet monthly, one
in an afternoon and one in an evening.
There is a fortnightly Craft Group – who craft and chat!
“Drop in for Cuppa” on Friday mornings started as a fundraising event but has become part
of our outreach as it is attended by adults with learning disabilities from a local day centre.
We hold fundraising and social events in our Parish Centre and it is also very well used by
lots of other local groups.
HHooww ddoo yyoouu ggeett iinnvvoollvveedd iinn tthhee
llooccaall ccoommmmuunniittyy??
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 16 of 19
OCCASIONAL OFFICES AT ST MARY’S
Occasional offices are an important part of mission within our community. Many local
people still think of St. Mary’s as their church even though they don’t attend Sunday
services.
Baptisms: are held on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 12.15, and
occasionally within the 10am service. There are regularly two infants at each service. It can
be quieter around Christmas and the New Year. We have a rota for the organist/keyboard
player and there are always at least two members of the congregation on hand to welcome
parents and visitors into church. We have a team of people who visit the family on behalf of
the church prior to the Baptism.
Funerals: St Mary’s is a busy church as far as funerals are concerned. We pride ourselves on
doing the very best we can as a last act for the departed. Last year, we had 57 services in
church and 39 at Crematoria. In Church, the organ is always available and we have a Verger
who will get the church ready and see to the music if CDs are to be played.
Weddings: These can vary in number from year to year. In a really good year we have had as
many as twenty two, but generally it is about five or six. Couples are provided with the
option of having the choir, bells and flowers arranged by our Flower Arranging team. We
always go out of our way to make the Church warm and welcoming on what is a very special
day in every couple’s life.
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 17 of 19
The Diocese of Leeds is very large and has five episcopal
areas. St Mary’s Church, Garforth is in the Whitkirk
Deanery which is part of the Leeds episcopal area.
The diocesan vision and mission is “to equip confident
clergy to enable confident Christians to tell the good news
of Jesus Christ throughout the diocese – Loving, Living and
Learning”. We at St Mary’s communicate this mission as:
to know God, to show God, to share God … and to spread
the good news about our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have been signatories to the Anglican / Methodist
Covenant since 2012.
CHURCHES TOGETHER IN GARFORTH (CTIG)
We are active participants and supporters of Churches Together in Garforth (CTIG) which
also includes St Benedict’s RC Church, Dayspring Baptist Church, Garforth Evangelical Church
and Garforth Methodist Church.
The ministers/leaders at St. Mary’s, St Benedict’s, Dayspring and the Methodist Church
regularly meet to pray, discuss issues affecting our community and plan future ecumenical
events such as Lent Study Groups, Lent Lunches and Good Friday Walk of Witness. We also
hold some joint services – e.g. One World Week and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Messy Church is an ecumenical “fresh expression” of church which is part of CTIG and is
actively supported by all the Garforth churches except St Benedict’s. We have a monthly
Messy Church event with between 40 and 60 people attending – children and their careers.
It is held at a different church each month and working together as a team has helped us to
get to know each other better and enabled us to form new friendships.
CTIG hold monthly faith lunches at St Benedict’s with prayers and perhaps a short talk or
Bible reading. We also send a joint Christmas card to every home in Garforth detailing the
Christmas services and events being held at each church. We have a CTIG Messy Church
stand at the Garforth Gala and Christmas Lights switch-on event.
CTIG is a very important part of Christian ministry in our community and holds a party in
January each year for elderly people within our community. CTIG also actively support the
Methodist Church, which provides a night shelter for one week for destitute asylum seekers
within the Leeds area.
WWhhaatt aabboouutt tthhee wwiiddeerr ccoonntteexxtt –– tthhee
DDiioocceessee aanndd ootthheerr llooccaall cchhuurrcchheess??
St Mary’s, Garforth: Parish Brochure Page 18 of 19
AAppppeennddiixx
St Mary’s Garforth Statistical information for 2016
Attendance at worship in each church
Service Time No of Communicants
Adult Attendance Under 16
Sunday Said Communion
08.00hrs 12 12 0
Sunday Sung Communion
10.00hrs 90 95 13
Wednesday Said Communion
09.30hrs 11 11 0
Occasional Offices (2016 figures)
Baptisms Confirmees Weddings Funerals held in church
Funerals taken by clergy not in
church
31
0 * 8 57 39
* Confirmations typically take place every two years. Nine members of St Mary’s were
confirmed in 2017.
Worshipping Community
Adults (Age 70+) 46
Adults (Age 18-69) 49
Young People (Age 11-17) 3
Children (Age 0-10) 10
Total 108