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Contents page

The Parish……………………………… 3

The Church Buildings…………….….. 5

Church Services……………………… 7

Team Members………………………. 8

Parish Organisations…………………. 9

Work with Other Churches…………..11

Financial Statement………………..…12

Vision/Mission Statements…………...13

Parish Needs……………………………14

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The Parish

General Erith is an historic riverside town on the south bank of the Thames, on the borders of NW Kent and SE London, founded where rising ground came closest to the river. To the North and Northwest lie riverside marshes with old industrial land nearest the town but with pleasant walks further afield. Level ground to the Southeast leads to the neighbouring community of Slade Green, while the rising ground to the Southwest and West lead to the small town of Northumberland Heath and Belvedere Village with its wooded hills for walkers.

Population The parish population of just over 10,000 is a wide mix, with professional workers commuting to London by rail, and skilled and semi-skilled workers employed in local industry, commercial and social work. The ethnic mix is also wide, with over 25% of the parish population being from a non- white ethnic background. There are long established communities as well as new immigration, as Erith lies between the Kent coast ports and London. All ages are well represented, from young families with

children, through longer term residents, to long established families living in the town for generations. The parish is within an Urban Priority Area, as it is ranked just within the top 10% of deprivation measurements countrywide.

Town With the exception of the ancient parish church of St John the Baptist at the far end of West Street, all the oldest buildings in the town were swept away by Victorian development and the heavy industry supported by the river and the coming of the railway. Much of this has in turn been replaced by modern development, with a new shopping centre, much light industry, and new housing on some of the old industrial sites. The housing stock is very varied, from large Victorian villas, smaller terraces, mid 1900s houses and later tower blocks, to modern housing estates still being built. The town has a large range of amenities, including a theatre, restaurants, library, sports centre, care homes and hospital. Education is covered by a full range of primary schools, secondary schools and higher education colleges, both within the town and in easy travelling distance by the excellent public transport links.

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Located in the heart of the town is Erith Riverside Shopping Centre which is also within walking distance to the towns’ Supermarket. Local shops can also be found in various streets around Erith including Bexley Road and Colyers Lane amongst others.

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The Church Buildings

Church Christchurch Erith (grade 2*listed) is a large mid-Victorian high gothic structure built in 1873-1874 to serve the growing industrial workforce, and is surrounded by lawns, flower beds and mature trees.

The church follows a traditional plan, with a large west porch, a long nave with high pointed arcades and a clerestory, side aisles and transepts to North (organ) and South (chapel and vestries), a chancel (choir), and an apsidal sanctuary. The nave, chancel and sanctuary are covered by an impressive steep hammer beam roof. The church is mainly built of local yellow bricks with red bricks added for decoration in bands, panels and within arches. Stone was used for the columns, hood mouldings over arches, and corbels, with fine carving to the capitals and corbels. In the early 1900s the inside of the church was extensively decorated with wall paintings and much stained glass. The tower and spire, with clock and bells, were added in 1914-1915 to the Northwest corner of the church in a similar style, completing the church as originally planned.

The building is in a generally good state of repair, with quinquennial inspection work and other repairs promptly carried out.

Hall The church hall is a large late-Victorian building built in 1892 as a Sunday school for boys and girls of the parish and occupies a site immediately to the Southeast of the church grounds with a wide courtyard (car park) to the West side. As built it comprised a large two bay hall covered by pitched roofs with a valley between, a lean-to kitchen and stores at the North end and four classrooms against the South end with their own pitched roofs.

In the 1930s it was converted to general church/community use and a flat roofed extension was added around the classrooms at the South end housing a lobby and toilets. The older building is in generally fair repair, though the kitchen is dated, however the flat roofed extension gives trouble from time to time with leaks and water ingress.

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Vicarage Christchurch vicarage is immediately to the Southwest of the church grounds and is a purpose built 1970s house built to replace the old, damp, Victorian vicarage. It has a small lawned garden to the front and a large garden to the rear, the remainder of the original vicarage rounds and glebe lands having been sold for new housing at about the same time. The building comprises an entrance lobby with office to one side, and the good sized family home on the other. Downstairs there is a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, and WC, and upstairs there are 4 bedrooms, a family bathroom and a separate WC. A single garage is integral with the house, and there is parking for two or three cars in the drive.

Vicarage

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Church Services

Sunday services start at 8.30am with Common Worship said Eucharist, attended by a small number (5 plus or minus), followed by the main service at 10.00am with an attendance of 100 plus or minus. On the first Sunday of the month the main service is an All Age service of the Word, other Sundays being Common Worship sung Eucharist. Weekday services comprise 9.00am Morning Prayer Monday to Friday for 5 people plus or minus and Common Worship said Eucharist on Thursdays at 9.30am for 5 people plus or minus

The church style and tradition fits most comfortably under the modern catholic umbrella, with cassock and surplice worn for non-Eucharist services, and Alb and vestments for communion. Incense has been introduced in the last few years and is used in the Sanctuary at the main 10.00 Eucharist services, with robed servers, robed choir, organ music, and the bells are rung for half an hour beforehand. The church has recently

admitted children to communion, and confirmation classes are run independently, with a joint service with other local churches. Additional services are provided as needed, with Baptism included in the main service on the third Sunday of the month. Organist, choir, and bells are available for weddings and funerals as required.

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Team Members

Clergy: Curate in training – Rev. Simon

Archer Ordained priest on 30th September - will remain at Christchurch until the end of his training

Non-stipendiary Deacon - Ann

Norman - Associate Minister at Christ Church and Community Deacon for the Erith Deanery. She works two days a week plus Sundays and her special areas of work are Social and Racial Justice, Inter-Faith and Inter-Church Relations, and Refugee Projects.

Reader in training - Funmi Makanju

due to be licensed May 2018

Employees: Organist – Ed Sage

Laity: Wardens, Pastoral Assistant (Maggie Compton)

Servers, Verger, Lay administrants, and Hall chairman

Parish Support: PCC secretary, PCC treasurer, Baptism co-ordinator (Curate), Wedding co-ordinator (PA)

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Parish Organisations

Clubs The Power House Youth Club takes place fortnightly in Queen Street Baptist Church Hall and is a joint effort between St John’s, Queen Street, and Christchurch, with leaders and children coming from all three. The young people come from school years 7-10 but are not limited to any particular school, but mainly to children connected to one of the three churches. There is a roster of leaders and the “God Slot” is both lay and ordained led. Kids club is the established youth club within Christchurch catering for children aged 6-11. There are currently three leaders, vetted to the appropriate level for working with children, and various helpers. The leaders ensure that a lesson in line with the lectionary is given in the hall during the 10.00 am service on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Sundays, with the children returning to church in time for communion, and giving a presentation of their work at the end of the service.

Study Groups There are a number of Pilgrim groups running, which vary in size and membership. Some are almost at the end of the Pilgrim Course, others are just starting, and we are looking to trial the Youth Pilgrim materials soon.

Choir Christchurch has a long tradition of choral music, the organ installed in 1874 when the church was built still being in use. In recent years the traditional choir have been augmented by merging with an enthusiastic group of singers from the congregation, resulting in a need for new robes for the whole choir, for which funds have now been raised. Music ranges from traditional hymns and anthems with organ, through modern hymns and choruses with piano to African songs sung Acapella with drums and percussion.

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Parish Organisations

cont.

Bellringers Christchurch possesses a peal of 8 bells, tenor 17 cwt, hung for full circle change ringing, rung and maintained by a regular team of about 12 ringers. The bells are rung for the 10.00am Sunday service and for additional services as required. Practice night is Monday at 8.00pm where we have regular visitors from other local towers, and we support other tower’s practices in return. The band is active in the local district of the County association, occasionally hosting district practices, district meetings and visiting bands.

Uniformed Organisations The current Curate sits on the Scouts committee which covers the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Future Leaders, who meet in a Scout hut within the church hall grounds. There is a Rainbows unit, and a Brownies unit, who meet in the church hall itself. Our All age service usually involves one of these groups each month, including Kids Club, and is usually a parade service.

Friends of Christchurch Erith

This fund raising group of church members, other parishioners, and other interested local people, concentrate on the physical needs of the church building as a local landmark, aiming to ensure that it is kept in good repair and enhanced where possible. They have assisted with open days, special events, also promoting the church, its grounds and its architectural and internal beauty.

Erith Christmas Tree Festival Christ Church Erith hosts the Erith Christmas Tree Festival each December, now in its 12th year. The beautiful interior of the church is adorned with 80 real Christmas trees all individually decorated by local groups, organisations, businesses and families. The festival is organised by members of the church community. Admission is free and draws a large number of visitors over the open weekend. Donations are welcomed and all proceeds are shared between the church and Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice which provides specialist palliative care services to the residents of the boroughs of Greenwich & Bexley free of charge.

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Work with Other

Churches Working with…

We work most closely with St John the Baptist’s church (the original parish church), sharing a joint 10.00 am service on the 5th Sunday of the month, with regular cooperation between the respective choirs and bellringers to cover for weddings etc. Joint ventures with St John’s and Queen Street Baptist church include the Food Bank, Youth Club and various services and special events. Queen Street Baptist church is currently in interregnum, but previously ministers from all three churches have met for Morning Prayer and weekly meetings, something we would like to continue. We work well with other churches in the Deanery with good relationships for cover of services, especially funerals with St Paulinus’ church Crayford; and a new growing relationship with St Augustine’s church Slade Green, where our past Reader is now Assistant Curate at Slade Green. Deanery and Chapter meetings are usually well attended. The Redeemed Christian Church of God “Christ Life Parish” meets in our hall every Sunday at 12.00 noon, and on the third Friday of the month at 9.30pm. The current pastors have been in post for the last 10 years.

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Financial Statement

The parish finances are currently neutral, with income just meeting expenditure and just sufficient reserves in the bank and at the diocese to cover all restricted funds. We do, however, rely on the hall to generate a surplus (currently about £1000 per month) to meet a shortfall in church income. As hall bookings are not guaranteed, and other halls in the area are able to offer later hours, we are concerned that hall incomes may fall. Our hall is, however, large by comparison with others and we have now identified new sources of funding and labour to allow a thorough cleaning and interior redecoration to commence. Robes are being ordered following a remarkably quick fundraising effort. Recent appeals for Organ repairs, and a disabled access ramp, have been completed. We have fully paid our agreed parish share offer to the diocese, though we are aware that this does not fully meet their costs and would like to increase our income so we can offer more. Our planned giving income, donations and thanksgiving income is monitored, with stewardship campaigns from time to time slowly improving our position.

Gift aid is claimed where possible on giving (including small donations). Specific financial needs have traditionally been met by targeted appeals. Currently the Friends of Christ Church Erith are concentrating on the possibility of toilet provision in church.

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Vision/Mission Statements

In 2013, the PCC identified a vision for the parish of Holiness, Openness, and Community focus, with three priorities: Community engagement; Youth mission and ministry (11-19); and Children (0-11) and young families. This generated 35 proposals for action, with great progress being made on 30 of these over the next three years, along with 10 other actions identified subsequently. Community engagement has improved with: increased accessibility to the church; visiting of newcomers; involvement with the local Foodbank, Hospice, Christian bookshop / café, and a care trust; setting up of a memorial garden; and hosting Age Concern’s “Men in Sheds”. This generated a further 20 ideas, with progress already made on about half of these including: pilgrim groups; bible study events; prayer meetings; an expanded choir; use of testimony in some services; and increased social activities.

Youth mission and ministry has benefited from: confirmation classes; a new youth club; greater youth involvement in church services; and improved contact with the local secondary school and college. Children and young families are better catered for with: admission of children to communion; children’s communion books; increased involvement with Christ church school; presentation of bibles to primary school leavers; baptism preparation; and increased involvement with the uniformed groups. In 2016 we reviewed our progress, and resolved to maintain the same priorities “Rooted in Prayer, Worship, Scripture, and Fellowship”.

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Parish Needs

We have a growing ethnically diverse congregation and would like to see this continuing, with help in encouraging fellowship, understanding differences, being open and inclusive in our welcoming. Our traditional style of liturgy is valued by a large proportion of our congregation, however, we would seek to increasingly include more diverse cultural music and worship. Over the last few years we have increased our contact with the local community, our church school and other churches as well as other faiths in the area. We wish to build on this, expanding on our outreach activities, promoting the church locally and with the Friends of Christ church Erith raising funds for the church and its ministry. We have our own Sunday School Kids Club and we work with local churches in the Powerhouse Youth Club, so we now wish to extend our Youth work to cater for young people over the age of 14. We might address this with targeted ministry and activities, within the main service for those young people attending church and also those we are trying to reach outside of church

Our finances are marginal so increasing the church income is a priority, both by improving our giving, but, by promoting the services we can provide, such as weddings and the use of our church hall. Our existing Curate, Deacon, Reader and PA are a strong Team who are committed to the growth of Christchurch, along with The Friends of Christchurch Erith, our Church Magazine Editor and Children’s Leaders. Additionally, more church members should be encouraged to use their gifts to assist the fellowship and mission of the church

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Parish Needs Cont.

Qualities of New Vicar We would seek someone approachable and warm with a good intellect, a strong leader, a good listener, compassionate, inclusive (especially the elderly and young), a good public speaker, and someone aware of current world affairs and how the church can get engaged. They would have a good understanding of the scriptures and ability to talk in an interesting and thought-provoking way, to make everyone feel welcome and important, also respecting the church’s traditions whilst being open to consider news ideas in consultation with the congregation. Someone willing to bring the community together, continuing to reach out to the community through the Christmas Tree Festival and similar projects.