Parish Profile

1. STATISTICS (2006)

Population: c. 12, 500

Electoral Roll: c. 400

Average Sunday services numbers: 186 at St. Mary's; 35 at Holy Saviour

Average weekday service communicants: 33 at St Mary's

Baptisms per annum: 53

Confirmations per annum: 2

Weddings per annum: 18

Funerals per annum: 31 in church; 26 at crematorium

 

Easter Day communicants: 373

Easter Day worship numbers: 417

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day communicants: 509

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day worship numbers: 1908

 

There is a commitment each quarter to lead the monthly communions at one of the local nursing homes, and lay members from St Mary's take communion to the other home every month.

 

2. THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

 Ponteland is a village in Northumberland. It has the benefit of being close to the Northumberland National Park, and only 12 miles from the coast giving easy access to the beautiful countryside, and yet only 10 miles from the centre of Newcastle.

 The parish extends from Bullock Steads (N.W. of Kenton Bank Foot) to the Waggon Inn on the A696 and from Twizell on the North (Morpeth) Road to, and including, Ponteland and Darras Hall. The villages of Kirkley and Milbourne and the district of Woolsington all fall within the parish. 

Though usually described as a village, Ponteland can more accurately be classified as a commuter town. Within its boundaries lie the headquarters of the Northumbria Police, Newcastle International Airport, the Kirkley Hall Agricultural College and a small industrial estate. There is a CARE village, a 9-unit Cheshire Residential Home, a 12-bed Abbeyfield Home, and two other residential homes for the elderly. There are also several housing developments, some of which provide sheltered accommodation. 

Both Ponteland village and the Darras Hall estate have small shopping centres and there is also a branch of the County Library, a modern Sports Centre with Swimming Pool, together with a full range of medical and dental practices. The community has an unusually high proportion of business and professional people, particularly on the Darras Hall estate; the village area of Ponteland is more socially mixed. In recent years both the age profile and housing mix of the parish have changed radically: there are an increasing number of elderly people living on their own and rising house prices have resulted in a decline in the number of young families and people in their 20s and 30s. Most of the Thornhill estate in Ponteland village, once council owned, is now owner-occupied whilst, on Darras Hall, demolition and redevelopment is changing the character of the estate, with a large-scale influx of entrepreneurs into luxury housing. There is a need to re-vitalise the village centre for which controversial plans have been tabled; a newly formed Civic Trust is now working with the Community Partnership on these schemes. 

Compared with more urban areas of the diocese there are few ethnic families living in the parish: Indian, Pakistani and Chinese families (many of them medical staff) are, however, represented. Unemployment does not have the same impact here as in other parts of the diocese but there is a regular turnover of individuals and families into and from the community, particularly among those in executive occupations. 

There are two First Schools, two Middle Schools and one High School; these draw upon children from both Newcastle and the surrounding rural area as well as the more immediate locality. The Coates Endowed Middle School in Ponteland is one of the few Church of England Middle Schools in the Diocese and now shares its grounds with a newly-built First School. The P.C.C. elects one of the School's governors and, until recently, the vicar has normally chaired the governors. The vicar and curate regularly take part in assemblies at most of these schools. 

There are a large number (70+) of clubs and societies in the village, including a very active branch of the U3A, Ponteland Repertory Society, choirs, together with uniformed scout and guide groups.

 Crime rates are low and alcohol/drug problems among the young are not as visible as in other areas - with high disposable income, use tends to be at home or in private. Both the Methodist Church and the High School have paid Youth Leaders and a new youth building is due to open in October as part of a range of projects to engage with the village's young people. St Mary's organises a morning Holiday Club during a week towards the end of the summer holidays with a similar aim.

3. THE CHURCH COMMUNITY AND PATTERNS OF WORSHIP

 The current pattern of services is as follows: 

SUNDAYS 

8 a.m. Communion with address at St Mary's

10 a.m. at St Mary's:

1st Sunday: Family service (often with St Mary's Rainbow and Brownie Guides)

2nd Sunday: Holy Communion with hymns

3rd Sunday: Morning service with (usually 2 or 3) baptisms

4th/5th Sunday: Holy Communion with hymns

These services are followed by coffee in the church or church hall

11.15 a.m. at Holy Saviour, Milbourne: Eucharist with address (except for the 2nd

Sunday - Morning prayer)

6.30 p.m. at St Mary's: Evening worship (BCP communion, Taizé worship, BCP sung evensong, Service of the Word) 

WEDNESDAYS

10 a.m. at St Mary's : Holy Communion with address (followed by coffee in church)

A monthly afternoon Communion Service has recently been introduced. 

WEEKDAYS 

7. p.m. at St Mary's: Evening Prayer, conducted by clergy and laity on alternate evenings 

In response to changing patterns of Sunday activity and calls for a variety of kinds of worship, a range of formal and informal services have been successfully developed for 10 a.m. worship. As elsewhere in the country, there is a 'hard core' who attend every week but other members tend to come only for specific types of service within the month. There is also, inevitably, a split in age groups attending these different services. Thus St Mary's congregations at 8 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. on Sundays, and at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays, tend to be elderly; so also do those who worship at Milbourne.  

The congregation at the well-attended Holy Communion with Hymns tends not to include a number of families with young children who usually come to the popular Family service on the first Sunday of the month. Increasingly the Morning Service with baptisms is failing to attract large numbers of the regular congregation, though they are well attended, and much appreciated, by families of the children involved. 

 4. JUNIOR CHURCH (St Mary's)

 (a) 2nd Sunday: 4 p.m. 'Our service' (for the very young and their parents) in church - followed by refreshments

(b) 3rd Sunday: 10 a.m.-12 noon: Sunday Club in the Church Hall 

5. ASSISTANT STAFF 

Assistant Curate: The Revd. Tim Ferguson

NSM: The Revd. Christine Brown

NSM (deacon): The Revd. Dr Barbara Chandler

Readers: Ken Peet and David York

There is also one retired clergyman living in the parish who each month regularly takes a service at Holy Saviour, a mid-week service at St Mary's, and may occasionally take an 8am service at St Mary's. There are monthly staff meetings involving all clergy and Readers, and six-weekly meetings of deanery staff.

6. CHURCH BUILDINGS 

(a) St Mary's, Ponteland (Parish Church)

The patron of the church is Merton College Oxford. The church is situated in the middle of Ponteland. The oldest part of the church was built in Norman times with significant modifications made during the 13th to 15th centuries. Further work was carried out in the 19th century.

(b) Holy Saviour, Milbourne (Chapel of Ease)

The church was built in the 19th century and is situated just outside the village of Milbourne

Further information is available on both churches on the Parish website.

(c) Vicarage

The vicarage is a detached building, dating to 1956, set in its own garden across the road from St Mary's church; its maintenance is the responsibility of the Houses Committee. Upstairs accommodation includes 4 bedrooms and a bathroom; downstairs there is a study, living room, dining room, kitchen and cloakroom with separate w.c. Space heating is provided by a gas-fired boiler and conventional radiators. There is a single garage attached to the house and a wide drive to take additional cars.

(d) Parish Hall, with parish office (erected 1996)

(e) Three-bedroomed semi-detached house owned by the PCC, usually occupied by the curate

7. CHURCHYARDS and GROUNDS

 (a) St Mary's churchyard is now closed; maintenance is the responsibility of Castle Morpeth District Council, though the congregation deals with litter and overgrown trees etc.

(b) Holy Saviour churchyard is still open and maintenance is the responsibility of the P.C.C.

(c) The Church Hall grounds are the responsibility of the P.C.C.

 8. ASSOCIATED CHURCH-BASED ACTIVITIES

 (a) One or two home groups meet weekly for Bible Study

(b) A Rainbow and Brownie pack are attached to the church

(c) Four teams from the parish take patients to Eucharist at the chapel in the Royal Victoria Infirmary on alternate Sunday mornings

(d) Two visiting teams from the parish lead afternoon worship for patients in the chapel at St Oswald's Hospice (2/3 times a year as part of an ecumenical diocese-wide initiative)

(e) Monthly services are conducted by members of the congregation at two of the local care homes. One Reader has taken particular responsibility for the elderly and acts as chaplain to one of the homes

(f) There is an active group of bellringers who ring for the 10 a.m. service, and on other occasions

(f) St Mary's Coffee (Ladies) Club meets fortnightly

(g) A (Ladies) sewing group meets regularly

(h) The congregation financially helps support a Mission partner and his family in the Congo.

(i) There are active church groups which raise money for, and awareness of: the Church Army; the Childrens Society; Traidcraft; West End Refugee Service. Members of the congregation are also heavily involved with the ecumenical Ponteland Bible Society. The congregation takes a leading part in Christian Aid Week collections.

(j) A weeks Summer Festival of pictures, flowers and art is held every 2 years. This year's event raised nearly £10,000 for local charities.

(k) The social events of the church include a ceilidh at harvest festival, and every 2 years a social weekend is held at Rydal Hall in the Lake District. Over 50 people attended this years trip and enjoyed walking during the day and social events in the evening.

(l) The Parish has a website at www.pontelandstmary.org.uk which contains more information on activities in the parish.

9. P.C.C. ORGANISATION 

St Mary's and Holy Saviour have a joint P.C.C. with the following sub-committees:

i. Pastoral

Ensuring the wellbeing of the parish.

ii. External Affairs

Responsible for contact with external bodies and people, and for the social activities.

iii. Management

Responsible for finance, administration and property.

iv. Milbourne

Responsible for matters concerned with Holy Saviour.

v. There is also a Ministry Group that reflects upon what is happening within the parish and the wider church, acts as a support group for the clergy, and brings matters that it thinks of importance to the attention of the P.C.C.

10. LAY PARTICIPATION

Administrants at Communion: 12

Intercessors: 5

Lesson Readers: 46 (all services and churches)

Organists: 2

Servers: 6

Choir: up to 12 at St Mary's

Music group (1st Sunday in month at St Mary's ): 7

Lay Communion to sick and housebound: 5 

A member of the congregation acts as part-time paid Church secretary (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings). Members of the congregation take responsibility for: counting congregational giving; editing and distributing the Church Magazine ('The Grapevine' with circulation of c. 750); visiting families before baptisms; welcoming, on behalf of the church, those attending weddings and funerals; weekly cleaning of the church; locking up the heavily-used Church Hall; providing tea and coffee after services; organising flowers etc.  

Members of the congregation serve on various deanery and diocesan committees and boards; they include the deanery treasurer and the lay canon chairman of the cathedral's fabric committee. 

11. RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEIGHBOURING PARISHES AND THE DIOCESE  

The parish is part of the West Newcastle deanery, whose other parishes are mainly urban. It has an active synod and there are regular and supportive meetings of its chapter. As part of a diocese-wide initiative, the deanery has drawn up plans to meet the decline in numbers in the full-time ministry; these have been discussed in congregational meetings and received the full support of the Ponteland P.C.C; a Deanery Commission has recently been established to carry these ideas forward. 

Diocesan initiatives to support continued learning include the opportunity for all clergy to participate in a modular programme 'Leading for the Future'; there is a diocesan clergy conference in Edinburgh in April 2008.  

12. ECUMENICAL RELATIONSHIPS 

There are several jointly-organised activities, and all Ponteland churches have subscribed to the covenant for unity and have set a target of achieving organic unity by 2015. The clergy have also attempted to rationalise their over-lapping activities in such areas as school and care home visits. But major steps towards more active partnerships have still to be taken and much still depends upon the personality and commitment of the clergy involved. 

Current joint activities include: Ponteland Forum for Churches Together; the Christmas ecumenical carol service; the 'raising the cross' service on Good Friday; an annual 'Party in the Park' for the whole community; carol singing for Christian Aid; Lenten discussion groups; Alpha course; delivering ecumenical information leaflets before major festivals at Easter and Christmas; Remembrance Sunday service. Holy Saviour, Milbourne and Milbourne Methodist church run a combined choir and there is a joint service and pulpit swap during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  

13. FINANCE

 The parish practices stewardship. In the year ending December 2006, Gift aid donations totalled £91, 000 to which was added tax recovered of £25,000. Collections are taken at services for those who do not contribute in another way; these totalled £15, 500 in 2006. Total income in 2006 was £159, 000. 

The Diocesan quota (£101, 000 in 2006) is paid regularly and in full

 There are no significant debts and the P.C.C. has budgeted for any work arising from the next quinquennial inspection at St Mary's. Funds for necessary work at Holy Saviour have been secured. 

In 2006 the only expenses of office paid direct to the Incumbent was a car allowance; this is updated annually in line with the recommended Diocesan rate All other expenses were paid direct by the PCC to the suppliers of goods and services; expenses of office are thus covered in full.

 14. VISION FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

 The P.C.C. is acutely aware of the need to:

· continue to promote varieties of style and diversity of forms of worship in order to attract as wide a congregation as possible;

· ensure the best use of the skills of NSMs and Readers;

· ensure that newly-arrived families are contacted and that newcomers are welcomed [this is particularly important in an area with rapid turn-over of population and when previous links to a church are easily broken];

· encourage greater involvement of younger families in the life of the church; there is also a vital need to encourage younger members of the congregation to take on lead roles in the church's activities;

· strengthen youth activities;

· push forward practical ecumenical co-operation;

· think about the provision of music and choral leadership in services 

15. THE NEW INCUMBENT 

The scale and nature of the perceived challenges to be faced by the parish lead us to believe that it will be essential for the new incumbent to devote considerable energy in leading the parish, deepening the spiritual life of its congregations, and spreading the news of the Gospel to the wider community beyond the regular congregation. An ability to help develop, and then clearly articulate, that vision is essential.

We would expect to see evidence that the new incumbent has been able to engage the attention and commitment of people from a broad diversity of backgrounds, outlooks and ages to follow an agreed common agenda for the development of a parish. We would also expect that he or she would wish to pursue a ministry that draws fully upon the skills and expertise of assistant clergy, readers and laity.  

The new incumbent should be comfortable in leading, and encouraging, both formal and informal types of worship.

He, or she, will hold an important position in a parish that is active across a wide range of community life. Many in the congregation and in the wider community have a strong executive background and it would be advantageous if the new incumbent had had leadership experience, either within, or outside the church. 

The Parish is regularly used to provide placements for ordinands and for years 4 to 7 ministerial formation. It is expected that the vicar will have sufficient depth of experience, and the necessary personal qualities, to act as a mentor and training incumbent.

 

24 October 2007

 

  What does Merton College have to do with Ponteland?

Merton College was founded by Walter de Merton in 1264. It is one of three colleges (along with University and Balliol) which claim to be the oldest in the University of Oxford. Walter de Merton was Lord Chancellor to Henry III and, after the College’s foundation, became Bishop of Rochester. He died in 1277 and is buried in Rochester Cathedral.

In 1261 Walter de Merton set aside two manors in Surrey to support ‘scholars residing in the schools’. This was the beginning of the endowment which, for nearly 750 years, has supported teaching and research at Merton College. During his lifetime Walter de Merton continued to acquire land to build up this endowment. Ponteland was given to the College in 1267-8 by Peter de Montfort, probably as a means of re-establishing himself in favour with the king. This gift amounted to the land surrounding the Church as well as patronage rights to the Church itself.

Although ecclesiastical patronage used to be a source of income for an individual or institution, this is no longer the case. Merton currently has patronage interests in 19 Benefices (known as “Livings”) spread across the country, from Northumberland to Kent. In a number of these, such as Ponteland, the College is responsible for the upkeep of the chancel. In all of them, we are involved in appointing the incumbent.

Put simply, it is the right of the Patron to nominate someone as incumbent of one of its Livings. This is always done in consultation with the Bishop and the Parish and an appointment cannot be made without the agreement of all three parties. Some may ask why a church can’t simply appoint its own priest. Although it is certainly true that no-one knows a Parish better than those who worship and live there, an outside perspective can often be useful. And there is the added advantage that the Patron bears all the costs of the appointment!

I very much look forward to working with the Bishop and the Parish Representatives at Ponteland as we move towards the appointment of your new Parish Priest.

The Revd. Dr. Simon Jones,

Chaplain, Merton College, Oxford.