St. Helen’s Church Cliffe,

Parish Profile

Introduction We are delighted that you are interested in our Parish; we hope that when you read this profile you will get a

sense of the welcoming community worshipping here in the Parish of Cliffe. We believe that Christianity

should be a place where faith and fun go hand in hand and if after you have read the following information

you agree that Cliffe is a special place to minister and live, we look forward to meeting you.

Vision and Mission Our mission as a community is to be as one in our knowledge and service of God.

To be a vibrant church led by the Holy Spirit that involves itself in the activities of the parish community and

includes the parish community in the activities of the church.

To be a community for the wider world by being there for people of much faith or little faith, in times of sorrow

or joy.

Person Specification We are looking for a minister:

Who is mission minded and has a vision for growth and is prepared to equip and lead us into new and vibrant

ways of reaching and participating in the activities of the local community.

Who is committed to pastoral care, the spiritual growth of the church and is willing to seek out fresh

expressions of church which will reach out to the community.

Who is committed to unity within the church with each member of the body appreciating one another.

Who will challenge our thinking and attitudes by biblically based preaching which is applicable to the world

around us.

Who will be an energetic and enthusiastic person who knows how to smile and give a warm welcome to all;

both committed Christians, seekers and those with an open mind.

Who will encourage all in the congregation to fulfil their spiritual gifts and so reach their potential in serving

Him.

Who is willing and able to encourage young families to become actively involved in the life of the church.

Who is committed to being involved in social justice projects.

Who will encourage and develop the weekly fellowship groups which meet during the church week and who

will take an active part in village life;

Who will encourage us as a rural church and community to value our natural heritage and care for our

environment.

It is also important that the new incumbent has a desire to work closely and collegially with the group ministry

on the Peninsula.

Description of the Parish and Local Area The parish encompasses the villages of Cliffe,

Cliffe Woods and Cooling which are situated on

the edge of the beautiful North Kent Marshes at

the western end of the Hoo Peninsula. The

Parish landscape is varied, the southern part

characterised by orchards and arable farmland

and the lower northern area leading down to the

Thames being given over to cattle grazing

marshland.

During its history, Cliffe was a very important port in the medieval period which is still reflected in the names

of the roads in the original part of the village. However, with the rise of Gravesend as a port, Cliffe became

mainly reliant on its agricultural industry. The remoteness of the marshes made a good location for the

munitions industry during the wars and gave considerable employment. Further employment for local people

and incomers was provided in the 20th century when the plentiful high quality local chalk resulted in a cement

factory to be built. This factory has been closed for several years but Brett’s Group and a few small industrial

units now use the old site. The village is now mainly a residential area surrounded by arable and fruit farms.

The housing is a mixture of old and new with individual design houses together with several small housing

developments.

Cliffe Woods was originally a wooded area with a few residential houses and some temporary weekend huts.

In the 1970’s extensive house building was carried out and some infrastructure was provided for the new

residents. This is now a thriving community with some residents travelling to Cliffe as part of the

congregation.

The parish also includes the small village of Cooling where the redundant St James’ Church is located. The

Churches Conservation Trust and the Friends of Cooling Church maintain the building which is still used for

Carol services and other very occasional services. The churchyard is renowned for the group of children’s

gravestones considered to be mentioned in Dickens’ novel ‘Great Expectations’. Cooling history goes back

much further, as can be seen by the ruins of Cooling Castle. Adjacent to them is Cooling Castle Barn a

popular venue for weddings. The Horseshoe and Castle pub in the middle of the village boasts a popular

restaurant with accommodation.

Community Two thirds of the 5800 parish population is aged 16 to 64 with the majority being home owners who commute

to the Medway Towns or the London area for work. Only a small number of residents are of ethnic minority

or speak little English. During the summer months migrant workers are employed at the local farms mainly

for fruit and vegetable picking. The church and the community are mutually supportive. There are two

independent evangelical churches in the parish; Cliffe Community Church in Cliffe and the Emmanuel Centre

at Cliffe Woods.

Transport The busy B2000 road is the main access route to and from the Medway Towns and other major routes,

passing northward through Cliffe Woods and ending at Cliffe. The nearest train station at Higham has a

good service to access London Charing Cross, Medway Towns and the Kent Coast. Strood train station is a

few minutes further from the village but is served by the new High Speed line to St. Pancras making the

journey to London in twenty five minutes. Cliffe and Cliffe Woods are also serviced by Commuter Coach

services to London.

Ebbsfleet Station is fifteen minutes from the village and gives access to the High Speed Train for London and

the Continent. There is an hourly bus service to the Medway Towns and a limited bus service to Gravesend.

Education St Helen’s C of E Primary School is based in Cliffe with another primary school in Cliffe Woods. Adjacent to

the primary school in Cliffe Woods is the Medway Autistic Group and Information Centre. The majority of

secondary school children are bussed to The Hundred of Hoo Academy with other students travelling to the

five grammar schools or the independent schools in the Medway Towns. For further education the parish is

well served with the Universities at Medway campus (Kent, Greenwich and Canterbury Christ Church

universities) as well as a wide range of courses at the Mid-Kent College.

Shops and Leisure In the village there are two general newspaper and convenience stores. The village also has a Chinese take

away, two pubs and two social clubs. Cliffe bowling club boasts a long and proud record as do the football

teams which use the pitches on Cliffe’s large playing fields. On the edge of these fields are well used tennis

courts. The Parish Council owns a large recreation ground with well furnished children’s play area, youth

shelter and BMX Skate Park. Nearby there are allotments and the Memorial Hall which is a popular venue

for community activities including wedding receptions, preschool, guide and brownie groups. At the end of

Reed Street is the Scout Hut which is home to our very active Scouts and Cubs groups. The dedicated

team at Cliffe Medical Practice is situated in the centre of the village.

On the north west of the village at the end of Salt Lane is the RSPB Cliffe Pools

nature reserve which extends to the Thames and is world famous for its wintering

ducks and wading birds. At the entrance to Salt Lane is a fishing lake with café and

a diving instruction school.

Cliffe Woods has a community hall with a social club located opposite a parade of shops that includes a

medical centre, as part of the Wainscott practice, a pharmacy, two general convenience shops, a fish and

chip shop, an Indian restaurant and Emmanuel Christian Centre. Nearby there is an extensive playing field

for football, incorporating a children’s play area, youth shelter and fitness trail.

Just over the Parish Boundary towards Strood on the B2000 is Mockbeggar Farm Shop and Café specializing

in local products and crafts.

There are various organisations in the parish for all age groups which includes Ladies Club and an Active

Retirement Group. Strood, Chatham and historic Rochester high streets are easily accessible plus the major

retail and entertainment complex at Bluewater is an approximate 15 minutes’ drive. Cinemas and sports

facilities are all close by.

What we can offer: A warm and welcoming community eager to move forward together in Christ’s mission.

A supportive PCC and a licensed and lay leadership team.

A real sense of Joy! (The Joy of The Lord is our strength).

We offer a warm, friendly, loving and outgoing fellowship. Through formal and informal activities we strive to

reflect the glory of God in the community and our longing to see the Church continue to thrive and grow.

The new incumbent can expect whole hearted support from licensed and lay members in activities of outreach

and community; building on the firm foundations, which are in place.

A number of congregation led/supported activities throughout the week including social and spiritual content.

Various groups of committed Christians who meet weekly to support the work of the church in prayer.

An interesting village in which to live and work.

Supportive ministers in the Peninsula Group Ministry, the Deanery and other local churches.

The team Consists of two churchwardens and two deputies of long standing commitment to St. Helen’s, an Associate

Minister (SSM) and a Lay Reader as well as a full complement of 17 PCC members. Two of our congregation

members began training this September; one for Licensed Lay Ministry and one as an Evangelist. Two

PCC members sit as members on the Deanery Synod

There are three working committees for standing and finance, buildings and churchyard and outreach.

Choir

This normally consists of 8/10 choristers but can rise to 11/12. They sing

for all the 9.30am services, weddings, funerals and other major services

and practise each Tuesday evening. In general our music is a mixture of

traditional and modern, with a bias toward traditional for 9.30am service

and more modern at the 10.45am. Two people play regularly on St.

Helens Victorian pipe organ which is kept in good condition by being

serviced twice a year. A keyboard and guitarist play for the 10.45am but

are available for other services as well.

Worship The following table shows our pattern of worship, the 9.30am service ends with a time of coffee/tea to which

those who attend the Informal 10.45am ‘meeting’ join in helping us to be one fellowship. The informal

‘meeting’ gathers at the back of the church around tables and gives an opportunity not only for worship,

sharing the scripture and prayer but discussion of our faith.

Times 1st Sunday 2nd Sunday 3rd Sunday 4th Sunday 5th Sunday

8.00am BCP

Holy

Communion

9.30am Alternating

btw CW Holy

Communion

and a

Service of

the Word

CW Holy

Communion

Service of

the Word

CW Holy

Communion

10.00

Songs of

Praise

10.45am Informal

Family

Service

Informal

‘meeting’

with

children’s

ministry

Informal

‘meeting’

with

children’s

ministry

Informal

‘meeting’

with

children’s

ministry

6.30pm Informal

worship with

prayer for

healing

St. Helen’s enjoys celebrating the Church’s main festivals at Harvest, Christmas, Easter and Pentecost often

with prayer spaces and decoration of the building to provide visual explanation of the gospel story. Services

at these times are generally held on a ‘joint’ basis at 10am.

We join with the wider community for a Remembrance Day Service and offer, in the evening, a Thanksgiving

and Memorial service (which has become increasingly beneficial) for those who have lost loved ones.

We offer Messy Church bi-monthly for younger children and parents, the most recent of which saw an

attendance of 44 children, plus parents.

During the week we have an informal ‘Café Style’ service, which includes worship, sharing the Word, prayer

and a light lunch.

Statistics from Advent 2014-2015 Electoral Roll 77

Funerals 22

Weddings 8

Baptism / blessings 3 / 7

Confirmations 0

Easter attendance 86

Christmas eve/morning attendance 84/ 192

Average Sunday attendance 55

.

Discipleship and Outreach

Two home groups meet weekly for fellowship, bible study and prayer. Several other prayer groups meet

weekly in the early morning or early evening.

Preparation for Baptisms or Blessings for young children takes place during home visits.

Our beautiful church building makes St.Helen’s a popular place

to marry and we welcome couples from the Parish and further

afield. We take marriage preparation seriously, holding two half

day sessions with all couples marrying in that current year and

a session for the individual couples nearer their special day.

For those seeking understanding of the Christian faith we offer either the Alpha course or a shorter

Discovering Christianity using Mark’s gospel and we are exploring the Diocese initiative in a pre-Alpha six

week course.

We have made good links with our local Church Primary School. Two members of the PCC are foundation

governors and especially involved with advising on matters of faith being taught in the school. The school

visits the church at least twice a term for a service which includes seasonal celebrations such as Harvest

Thanksgiving, Christingle, Education Sunday and Easter. The Rector and the Associate Minister are invited

to take weekly assemblies. Church members join with some from Cliffe Christian Community Church to run

a lunch time Christian Club once a week.

As stated earlier, we are trying to reach out to young families with Messy Church services through a regular

bi-monthly session.

Our Tuesday ‘Café style service has proved popular with retired members of the village and some young

families, as well as some unemployed people. It provides a place to find friendship and a light lunch often

discussing our Christian faith in a safe, lively and humorous fashion.

In recent years we have celebrated Sea Sunday with members from

other fellowships at the seaside with a picnic and service which

sometimes includes baptisms.

The church has recently been exploring holding events in the church to welcome all people to enjoy the

building and be able to find out more about its history and our faith, such as concerts, history evenings and

even a Great Cake Bake Competition.

In the early spring the church holds an annual porch market where villagers enjoy buying plants and

homemade produce. Our Summer Fair on the nearby Buttway is a very popular village event and has recently

been run in association with the Friends of the North Kent Marshes. In recent years it has been themed to

join in the country wide celebrations and commemorations of the First World War, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee

and the Magna Carta.

Our buildings:

Cliffe Church has a rich historic and architectural heritage. The large Grade I building stands in a

prominent position on the edge of the Hoo peninsula overlooking the extensive marshes which stretch

approximately two miles to the Thames. The present

church building has been preceded by two earlier

structures and a Saxon Church stood here in AD 747.

Today’s building was probably completed by

approximately 1380. The church is mentioned in Simon

Jenkins’s book on English Churches where he points

out the particularly fine Sedilla. In the church yard is a

Grade II Charnel House which has recently been

restored. The church tower houses a peal of eight bells

which are rung regularly with a keen band practising on

Friday evenings. The bells were fully restored in 2006.

Since the last Quinquennial inspection in 2009/2010: “The Parish have undertaken significant work to the

building, including the replacement of the heating system, internal plastering and other works and they are

to be congratulated on their efforts. St Helen’s is a substantial medieval church and is generally in good

condition.”

In the immediate vicinity of the church is St Helen’s House previously part of the old school. This has two

rooms for meetings with a well equipped kitchen and an adjoining rented property which brings in a small

income for the church. Initially the house was used by Age Concern but when this did not become viable for

the charity the church provided a monthly lunch for the elderly which has now become a much enjoyed

afternoon tea. The house is used by many and varied groups of the community including baby health care

checks, craft, scrabble and a monthly bridge drive. It is also used for baptism, blessing, funeral and birthday

gatherings. The church uses it for its formal and informal meetings as well as offering it to other fellowships

for away days. Donations for its use by outside organisations make it self-financing.

The Rectory

This is a four bedroom family house, occupying a position in

the centre of the village and just a two minute walk from the

church. A canopied porch opens into the entrance hallway,

with parquet flooring that continues throughout the

downstairs of this contemporary home. The study and

downstairs washroom are to the left. There is a large

lounge with wood burner. Immediately ahead views over

the garden and countryside beyond are attained though the

modern French doors. The separate dining room and large

kitchen make up the rest of the downstairs of this property.

The detached garage, which can also be used as a utility

room, can be accessed through the kitchen. Stairs lead to the first floor, which includes four generous sized

bedrooms which would be suitable for a growing or mature family and a family bathroom with bath and

shower.

Outside, the driveway has ample space for three or four cars with access to both the garage and front

entrance. There is side access to the rear garden which is set on two levels. Both the front and back gardens

are mainly laid down to lawn with mature shrubs and trees.

The Diocese of Rochester, Hoo Peninsula Group Ministry and Strood Deanery.

The Diocese of Rochester is served by two Bishops, the Rt. Rev. James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester and

the Suffragan Bishop of Tonbridge, (to be appointed after the retirement of Rt. Rev Brian Castle). Rochester

is split into three Archdeaconries. Bromley & Bexley, Rochester and Tonbridge; the parish is within

Rochester archdeaconry. The Diocesan office is situated in Rochester Cathedral Precinct (approx. 5miles)

and provides support and training to clergy and laity.

The Archdeaconry of Rochester stretches from Dartford to Medway, encompassing the area north of the A2

and some of the area to the south of it. A large part of the long planned Thames Gateway development will

happen in this region and there are important challenges in shaping the Church of England’s historic

commitment to the people of this area as the new communities emerge.

The Strood Deanery is geographically the largest deanery within the Diocese and includes parishes from

Cuxton and Halling in the south to the Hoo Peninsula and Isle of Grain in the north. The deanery clergy have

regular contact with their ecumenical colleagues and receive good mutual support.

Hoo Peninsula Group Ministry services the parishes of Hoo, High Halstow and Allhallows, Cliffe, Cliffe Woods

and Cooling and Grain and Stoke. There are three stipendiary minsters who are incumbents of Hoo, High

Halstow and All Hallows and Cliffe. They are supported by two Associate self-supporting ministers who have

responsibility for Stoke and Grain as well as the lay licensed members of the various churches. This group

was only launched last year and is still finding its feet as it faces the opportunities and challenges of mission

and ministry on the peninsula. There are long standing and good relationships between the ecumenical

leaders on the peninsula.

Finances There has always been an enthusiastic and supportive PCC who are very committed to ensuring a welcome

and inclusive atmosphere in St. Helens. To this end they have, over the years, been very keen to keep the

fabric of the church in as good condition as possible. Since the millennium we have been able to carry out

some extensive works to the building. A friends group of the church called SHINE (St. Helen’s in Never

Ending) was set up to oversee fund raising and the actual works at the time.

Our annual income over the last five years has averaged £79,000 while our expenditure has averaged

£85,000. This has meant we have had to draw on our reserves but the PCC has felt it necessary to be able

to complete various projects. These included a completely new heating system, a new sound system and

more recently an overhead projector and screen.

During this period we have always been able to pay in full our Parish share and stipend. St. Helen’s supports

a number of Christian charities in the local area and abroad by tithing our voluntary income.

Useful Links Parish Website: www.cliffechurch.org

Parish Council Website: www.cliffeandcliffewoods.pc.uk

Rochester Diocese: www.rochester.anglican.org

Medway Local Authority: www.medway.gov.uk

Schools in the Parish:

St Helens’s School - www.sthelenscofeprimary.co.uk Cliffe Woods Primary School - www.cliffewoods.org.uk The Hundred of Hoo Academy - www.hundredofhooacademy.co.uk RSPB: www.rspb.org.uk

Cliffe History Society: www.cliffehistory.co.uk