hope hamilton church parish profile , page 1 of 10€¦ · st.mary’s and st.barnabas,...

Hope Hamilton Church Parish Profile , of 10

PARISH PROFILE 2020


INTRODUCTION“Thank you for your interest in the post of Minister of Hamilton in the deanery of Leicester City. I’m delighted that you are exploring the possibility of applying for this role and I want you to know that there are many of us here in the Diocese of Leicester who are praying for you as you seek to discern God’s calling.

You can read more details of our Diocesan vision and strategy at www.leicester.anglican.org, but I want to highlight a couple of areas as you begin this exploration.

Firstly, as a key part of our diocesan strategy for growing the number of disciples, the depth of discipleship and growing our capacity to serve our communities, this role will incorporate a local response with a diocesan wide commitment. As part of this strategy we have discerned God’s calling to establish 300 fresh expressions of church by 2030 (this equates to the number of existing ‘inherited’ model churches). This is an ambitious calling, and will only be achieved through prayer, intentional investment of time and resources and a focus on equipping all baptised Christians to be sent out in mission. You will need to show us that you share this vision and commitment, and want to be part of a movement of people in mission.

CONTENTSIntroduction

Our Location

Our Networks

Our Church

Our Worship

Intercultural Worshipping Communities

Finances

Our Mission Involvement

Our Hopes & Vision For The Future

Where We Need Help To Realise The Vision

Our History

Who We Are Looking For

What We Can Offer You

Where You Will Live

Our Church Council

For More Information

Secondly, as we move forward in this endeavour, we don’t know how God will raise up the Pioneers and other ministers needed for the fresh expressions of church. We don’t know how God will grow the culture of generous giving within the diocese to make this work sustainable for the long term. We don’t know exactly how we will train, equip and resource the people for this new work. There is much that we don’t know and hence much that we will need to learn. You will need to show us that you are open to learning, committed to working humbly with other colleagues and above all, a person of deep faith and trust in God.

If you find yourselve both excited and daunted by the prospect of what we are doing in the diocese, then it could be that God is calling you. Please read on, and talk with the Archdeacon (Richard Worsfold) on 0116 261 5319.

I hope that I may have the opportunity of meeting you in the near future, but in the meantime be assured of my prayers.

Yours in Christ,

The Rt Revd Martyn Snow Bishop of Leicester


OUR LOCATIONHope Hamilton Church is situated in the district of Hamilton, a pleasant housing estate of around 10,000 people on the north east edge of the city of Leicester. Part of the Humberstone and Hamilton ward, phase 1 was built in the 1980s whilst phase 2 has been built within the last 20 years. Construction continues at the eastern end of the estate.

The housing stock is varied from studio flats, apartments, small starter homes to large family houses. These include many rented as well as owner-occupied properties. There is a high turnover of housing – ‘for sale’ and ‘to let’ signs are frequent.

There are plenty of green areas and wooded paths throughout the estate, several children’s play areas and an extensive park with fishing lake. It is served by a large Tesco’s and a range of smaller shops and take-aways as well as a GP surgery, a library and two primary schools. There is a regular bus service to the city centre, which is only 4 miles away. Hamilton also has direct access to the countryside

The children in Hope Hamilton CofE Primary School, in whose school hall Hope Hamilton Church meets, illustrate the diversity of the community, with 43% of South Asian origin, 14% African and Afro-Caribbean, 14% White British and 3% White European. A third of children have English as a second language. In the community at large, Hindus are the largest faith community, with considerable numbers of Christians and Moslems, as well as people of the Sikh, Buddhist and Jewish faiths.

OUR NETWORKSHamilton is a Conventional District located in the Parish of Humberstone, in the City of Leicester Deanery. We are one of 10 Anglican churches within an approximate 2 mile radius.

As we meet in the local church school and have no buildings of our own, weddings, funerals and confirmations are conducted at the Parish church of St. Mary’s in Humberstone, about a mile away from us. Baptisms, however, are happily conducted at the school.

Within the network of our 4 nearby churches known as the North East Leicester Mission Partnership, we currently enjoy particularly

close links with the Ascension Team Ministry (Christchurch in Thurnby Lodge, and St.Mary’s and St.Barnabas, Humberstone) at leadership level, with the ministers together covering the occasional offices, Sunday services and schools-work. We also shared a children’s worker for 3 years. The Diocese’s BAME Mission and Ministry Enabler (and lead in the Diocese’s Intercultural Worshipping Communities programme) and his family are a part of our church family and live just outside the parish.

In the wider context, our previous minister was a key part of the Deanery leadership team, and over the years we have had a number of ministry trainees spend time on placement with us.

Hamilton is in the parishof Humberstone St. Mary


OUR WORSHIPHope Hamilton began as a Fresh Expression of church and its patterns of worship reflect this in its free structure and relatively infrequent use of the liturgy.

We have one Sunday morning worship gathering at 10.30am with everyone together for sung worship and then separate for adult teaching and children’s groups. We aim to have 3 childrens’ age groups. A typical congregation would be around 15-30 adults and 10-25 children.

Once a month our morning service is an All-Age

Worship café style around tables and breakfast, and the service is made up of interspersed song / story / activity aimed more for children and families. To balance, we have been trialling a quieter service / open space on the same Sunday evening.

We have 2-3 small groups that meet in members’ homes during the week for prayer and Bible study.

When there is a fifth Sunday in the month, it has been our practice to have a shorter service, to then go out and litter-pick and to return for a bring-and-share meal.

OUR CHURCHEstablished as a new plant / Fresh Expression 15 years ago, our church family is as diverse as the larger community. We include people of African, Afro-Caribbean, Indian, Chinese, Polish and White British ethnicity. We come from a range of denominational backgrounds and hold to a diversity of theological positions. We are also multi-generational with a large number of children from babies upwards, many young families and relatively fewer in the retired age group. While there are a few members who have been with the church since its beginnings in around 2004, we are quite a fluid community as people move into and out of the estate. We are a caring community with a good network of pastoral care and support. We had 45 people on our Electoral Roll 2019 though this would now be less due to people moving out of Hamilton or Leicester during the year.

The church meets in the hall of Hope Hamilton Primary School with which it has a very close relationship. The minister and other church members are governors of the school and we are involved in taking school assemblies and have run an after-school club. The school has a community room with small kitchen that is used for many of our groups and meetings.

We were recently chosen to be 1 of 6 churches taking part in the diocesan Intercultural Worshiping Community initiative.

INTERCULTURAL WORSHIPPING COMMUNITIESThe Intercultural Worshipping Communities (IWCs) are a model for the renewal of Anglican Church life across the Diocese of Leicester. They are missional church communities where people from different cultural and ethnic heritage deliberately interact with one another in order to deepen their understanding and experience of God and of each other.

They learn and grow together to build communities which are transformed, shaped, and moulded from each other’s experiences. HHC is working with people from several other churches across the diocese and with experts from the IWC project office to develop a network of intercultural and intergenerational worshipping communities whose mission and

ministry will enable greater integration of those from the global diaspora, leading to their increased presence, representation and participation in all aspects of church life and mission. The overall aim it to see an increase in the number of disciples, a greater depth of discipleship and an increase in loving service of the world community.

FINANCESVirtually all of our income comes from church members’ monthly planned giving and the Gift Aid we claim back. We have little to no reserves but yet God has always provided for our needs.

We have always tried to be generous with our Parish Gift, adding 5% each year and giving approx. £13,500 in 2019. Unfortunately, our 2020 gift will be less due to the loss of income from members who have now moved away.


OUR MISSION INVOLVEMENT

Children and families have been at the heart of the mission and ministry of Hope. This is

evident in the high proportion of children and their parents regularly worshipping at Hope. Interactions with Hope Hamilton School also mean that missional opportunities are many.

Close working relationship with Hope school - Experience Easter / Christmas, School assemblies and RE lessons

Good Friday Fish n Chip supper and service and Easter breakfast and service open invitation in community

Community Carol service

“Hope Café” weekly morning

for young mothers and

tots, has particularly helped

supporting asylum-seeker and

refugee families.

Attending, supporting local library and Local Residents’ Association eventsLight Party that has attracted circa 500

Hosting BBC ‘Sing

Christmas’ event at

local Tesco Café

Week of Prayer at the

school, and directly

outside with resources

Community Litter pick

after Sunday service

(once a quarter)


OUR HOPES & VISION FOR THE FUTURE

WHERE WE NEED HELP TO REALISE THE VISIONWe are praying for someone to:

• Maximise the opportunities afforded to us by our involvement in the Diocese’s Intercultural Worshipping Communities programme.

• Hold together in balance a variety of worship and teaching styles, facilitating a richness, depth and diversity of the Christian faith that is accessible to all.

• Nurture and encourage believers to become disciples; enable and equip disciples to serve and disciple others; empower parents to disciple their families; and re-energise and refresh the serving core.

• Develop and explore new ways or Fresh Expressions of children’s ministry that meet the needs of our congregation and make the most of the missional opportunities on our doorstep both on Sundays and during the week.

• Be present in the community and wider vicinity to discern what God might be doing and how we can get involved.

WORSHIP & DISCIPLESHIP

• To be a flourishing Intercultural Worshipping Community that delights in, and whose worship reflects, its diverse and varied congregation.

• To be truly intergenerational, meeting the needs of both children and adults alike, allowing them to encounter Jesus corporately and individually.

• To be a mature Fresh Expression that is flexible and creative, at ease with both the louder and quieter aspects of the Christian life, whilst balancing the accessibility of church to all people with depth of teaching and spiritual truth.

• To be a place where everyone can be released to use their different gifts, abilities and experiences in the service of Christ both within the church community and in mission beyond our walls.

• To be a people that loves to share life and faith with each other, celebrating our joys and supporting through our sorrows together.

COMMUNITY

• To be an integral part of the life of the

school, not only in governorship but

also partnering together to shine ever

more brightly for Christ in Hamilton.

• To be an established part of the community fabric that witnesses for

Christ by making a real difference to

those in need.

• To continue to find new and relevant

ways of reaching into the community

that bears fruit for the Kingdom of God.

WIDER MISSION

• To continue to share our gifts and skills with other churches in our local Mission Partnership.

• To be involved in schools work and outreach at other local schools and those within the school’s Academy Trust.

• To be involved in, and contribute to, Diocesan and city-wide outreach work such as children’s meetings or Christmas / Easter events.


2010-2019 Numbers slowly increasing, church becomes much more established, now meeting every Sunday to establish regular weekly pattern of worship. Still tries to be outward looking, but most notably through stronger links with school. More parents and young children come,

so there is increased focus on children’s work, leading to a grant from Diocese for employing children’s worker for 3 yrs (ended Sept 2018). Increase in ethnic diversity in our congregation. Average number of regular attendees (young and old) up to 60, with sometimes 30-40% young children under 10.

Annual church tithe - to e.g. Christian Aid, Tearfund,

Samaritan’s Purse, but also local organisations such as One Roof,

City of Sanctuary.

“Thy Kingdom Come” Week of Prayer followed and now

established as a regular event in May in the school.

Supported Home for Good as a church

couple went through the adoption process.

Light Party (alternative to trick or treating) has grown every year. Total number of people young and old was

circa 500-600.2-3 childrens’ groups established and run

on a Sunday morning during the main /

adult teaching section.

Christmas Carol service and Easter periods developed with e.g. Maundy Thursday meals or Good Friday reflections, sunrise service & community breakfast on Easter morning, or exploring Christingle and linking up with Tesco to be a venue for BBC Radio Leicester’s

Sing Christmas broadcast.

All-Age Worship introduced and now regular fixture

every first Sunday of month.

Mercy Sunday now every quarter when there is a 5th

Sunday in the month, followed by bring & share meal.

Continued to be a place for full-time ministry trainees

young and old to come serve and learn with us.

PAIS - a Christian international

voluntary service agency. HHC

benefitted from the work and

input of a Leicester based team,

and both hosted volunteers and

sent a few of our young people to

spend a gap year with PAIS.

Family Zone - met after school aiming to provide a friendly, creative, fun-filled and supportive group for parents and children.

“re.turn” once a month café style multimedia informal time including worship, reflection time, space for prayer, DVD presentation / talk and a wide ranging open discussion time.

Christmas curry meal - on

three occasions the church

arranged these evenings

to touch base with and

engage with the Gujarati

Hindu community.

Adrenaline / Lifestyle /

Away trips / Fun-day/week

- mostly social / outdoor

activities for all to enjoy

and build relationshipsLittle Angels / Strawberries - group

supporting mums and toddlers

Tea @ Tesco / Women’s Lunch / Men’s Breakfast - groups providing midweek support and relationship

building over food.

OUR HISTORYA fairly young church of 15 years that started as a Fresh Expression, we have had 2 previous ministers and 2 fairly distinct eras and periods in our church history and mission involvement.

2004-2009 Starting up, very pioneering, outward and mission-

minded. Small numbers. Fresh expression - pattern

of traditional Sunday worship not yet established.

Average number of regular attendees (young and old)

up to 25, mainly adults and older / teenage children.

‘The Unit’. Tesco offered the church a multipurpose venue for youthwork. The church’s

vision for The Unit was to be a place where people could feel comfortable and relationships

could be built.

Local grafitti removal / litter

picking / gardening club / car

washing.

Samaritan’s Purse Operation

Christmas Child - working with

the school to send shoeboxes.

Quieter, more reflective / prayerful

service / time ‘Encounter’ trialled

and being developed.

Involvement in Near Neighbours

scheme to help bring more

engagement and dialogue with

people in the community.

Greater involvement in schools /

assemblies / Festival events, as well as

Foundation Governor involvement.

Holiday Club - summer club of games,

activities, sports, Bible stories and

song for 60-80 school children during

the summer holidays. Started Hope Café to

primarily allow a space

especially for mums

and those from other

countries to meet,

practise English, etc.

Involvement in Welcome

Boxes scheme to support

those in the Asylum seeking

process in Hamilton.

2 church members licensed as

lay Pioneer workers for 3 yrs to

expand FamilyZone and increase

contact / engagement with Asian

community.

Hosting JiF (Journey

in Faith) course by

the Diocese with

sizeable group taking

part. HHC taking part

in more Diocesan functions and

activities partly due to

minister’s increased

involvement across the Diocese.

Alpha Course


WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Someone with experience and

gifting in finding new ways to

reach out to the community

with the Good News of Jesus;

an enthusiastic risk taker who

believes the Good News has

to BE Good News.

An enabler and encourager

that delights in nurturing the

gifts of others and growing

them to serve Christ.

An energetic and creative person who delights in discovering Jesus and showing him to people in new and different ways; happy to be flexible and adapt.

Someone at ease with

leading within a multi-voiced

congregation, being respectful

of the diverse peoples and

theologies in our church and

community, but passionate about

seeing them integrated and

working together for Christ.

Someone to discern how Christ may be encountered through working together to create an Intercultural Worshipping Community.

Someone skilled and excited about working with children and young

people, helping us build on our strong relationship with the school and the

missional opportunities it brings.

An approachable person with a pastoral heart for people and relationships.

Someone open to the Spirit’s

leading and prayerful, rooted

in a strong personal faith and

prayer life.

A people who will

respect your time off

and support you to

achieve a good work /

life balance

Deanery / Mission Partnership support to provide holiday cover for you / support for cover & ministry within mission partnership

Our friendship, prayers and practical

support as a relational church family

Committed people

of resilient faith who

want to live out their

faith day to day, who

want to pray and be

rooted in Christ

A people who will

pray with you and for you

A people seeking God’s will and open to ‘having a go’ and trying

out new ideas


WHERE YOU WILL LIVEThe Parsonage House 2 Cransley Close, Hamilton is a three storey spec built estate house at the end of a Cul-de-sac of mixed house types. It was constructed around 2004/5.

The property has a hipped roof, with trussed rafters and concrete interlocking tiles, cavity walls with brick and render elevations, double glazed windows and pvc rainwater goods.

The accommodation is arranged on three floors; ground floor comprises of the kitchen, dining room (used as a meeting room), Study and WC. The first floor comprises of lounge, master bedroom and bathroom. On the second floor, there is a further 3 bedrooms and an additional bathroom.


FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this post, or an informal discussion, please contact

Richard Worsfold (Archdeacon of Leicester) on 0116 261 5319.

Completed application forms should be returned, preferably as e-mail attachments,

to [email protected] or by post to:

Mrs Wendy Dunnington St Martins House 7 Peacock Lane

Leicester LE1 5PZ

THANK YOU!

OUR CHURCH COUNCIL

Jude Donald Churchwarden

Wai-Wing Wan Secretary / Treasurer

Stephen Wadsworth Safeguarding Team

Richard Pickering Churchwarden

Debbie Chaloner

Caz McMillan Deanery Synod Rep

Mayo Jolaoso Safeguarding Team www.hopehamiltonchurch.org.uk

www.facebook.com/Hope-Hamilton-Church-201972046543961/

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hope hamilton church parish profile , page 1 of 10€¦ · st.mary’s and st.barnabas,...

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