St Mary the Virgin Hartfield, East Sussex. Diocese of Chichester, Archdeaconry of Hastings, Rotherfield Deanery PARISH PROFILE

Transcription

1 St Mary the Virgin Hartfield, East Sussex Diocese of Chichester, Archdeaconry of Hastings, Rotherfield Deanery PARISH PROFILE

2 CONTENTS SECTION Introduction 1 The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Hartfield 2 St. Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School 3 Description of the Hartfield Parish 4

3 1. Introduction Our Vision is to build a dynamic, vibrant church sharing Christ's love with people of all ages in our 21st Century rural community. St. Mary s is celebrating an increasingly diverse membership, particularly among young families. The PCC is planning for the next stage in bringing the building s facilities up to those required in the 21st Century, so supporting the future growth of the Christian Community in Hartfield. Hartfield is part of a United Benefice which offers a worship pattern with a traditional form of worship as the main service in at least one of the churches every Sunday, with a regular pattern of more informal worship available at Hartfield. A Eucharist is celebrated each Sunday at either 8.00 am or 9.30 am at Hartfield. Both churches draw their congregations from both the local community and further afield. The combined electoral roll is just over 200. We are located in the north-eastern corner of East Sussex, in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a large part of Ashdown Forest is within the parish boundaries. It covers a large rural area with a small village and a number of outlying settlements as well as a scattering of houses and farms. To the North East is Tunbridge Wells, to the South Crowborough and to the North West East Grinstead, each about 20 minutes from Hartfield. Train services to London is available from a number of local stations with a journey time of about 50 minutes.

4 2. The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Hartfield Our Vision is to build a dynamic, vibrant church sharing Christ's love with people of all ages in our 21st Century rural community. Hartfield is increasingly family focused, but also has many people that welcome more traditional forms of worship. We are building a lively, outward looking Christian community reflecting all age groups and are prepared to face the challenges of Christian mission in the 21 st century. We are building from the bottom through outreach to young families having recognized the need to create a much more balanced Christian family, if there is to be a vibrant Christian community at the heart of village life in Hartfield. We are therefore evolving our worship to be family centred and easily accessible to those new to Christ. Overall attendance has increased in the last three years, especially at the monthly Kidz Praise service We welcome all to worship with us. Services The main service on a Sunday is at 9.30 am. 1st Sunday - All-age Communion 9.30 am. All-age Communion is designed to be child friendly and to help introduce the younger members of our church family to Holy Communion, which is at the heart of Christian worship. All ages are welcome. Christenings often take place during this service. The music is a mixture of modern and traditional.

5 2nd Sunday Kidz Praise 9.30 am Kidz Praise, a service with readings, prayers and music, aimed at young children and their families. There is a lot of movement and activities for the children. It introduces children to the teachings of the bible and to prayer, and allows them to fully participate in all aspects of the service. It is very informal and lively, but also with thought provoking issues for older members of the congregation. In the past year prayer stations have been introduced which have been a great success. It is great fun! In the past year this has been our fastest growing service and attendance is now 70 plus with scope for further growth. It has significant lay involvement in leadership of the service. We are also beginning to develop wider congregational involvement in the music used in the service. 3 rd & 5 th Sundays Family Communion with Children s Activities 9.30 am

6 Family Communion with Children s Activities is a more traditional Sung Holy Communion. All are welcome to come to the front to receive Communion, if that is your tradition, or to receive a prayer of blessing. There is an adult choir to lead the congregation in all the music. Intercessions are led by members of the congregation. There are activities for children during the sermon. 4th Sunday Café Church 9.30 am Café Church, a different sort of service with discussions in small groups about three questions based on the bible readings set for the Sunday. These discussions are then shared with the whole congregations. Music and prayers plays an important part in the service. There are activities specifically for children during the service. The church is set out with chairs and tables, with coffee and croissants served. Congregational involvement is central to this service and it is a great opportunity to talk, ask questions and make friends. If you prefer you can just listen while others explore the Christian faith. You will be sure to meet people and will receive a warm welcome. Said Prayer Book Communion at 8.00 am on 2nd and 4th Sunday A said prayer book Communion service (that is without music) takes place in the chancel and is of a more contemplative nature than our other services. It is popular among those looking for a more traditional, medative service format. School Services - Tuesdays at 2.45 pm A school service takes place most weeks during term and is attended by all pupils and staff. Parents, grandparents, friends and members of the congregation are also welcome to join in. Children are collected from the church rather than from school when there is a service. On the first Tuesday of the month, coffee and cakes are served after the service. In addition, there are special school services in church such as Harvest, end of term and Shrove Tuesday.

7 Mums & Tots There is a small, friendly toddler group who meet twice a month for tea, chat and play for the little ones. All those caring for pre-school children are most welcome. The group meets between 9:30 and 11:30 am, on the first Wednesday of every month at The Pavilion, Hartfield Croft, and the third Wednesday of every month in church. Other Church activities In we have started two groups that are studying the Emmaus Course. A small group meets in the church every Friday focusing on issues of peace and justice leading to a period of prayer. A combined Mothers Union branch with Coleman s Hatch & Forest Row, with 14 members. A team of 10 bell ringers, who ring on Sundays and for weddings. We have a live Nativity in the village.

8 The church has a record of initiating community projects such as: HATCH (Hartfield Action Together with Coleman s Hatch), our voluntary neighbourhood support scheme; the Merry Month of May (a series of church and community events in May) Village Fete In 2012, a Community Play was staged in the church which has created a number of new outreach opportunities. Church building & recent major projects St. Mary the Virgin is a beautiful church, dating from the 13 th Century, in an attractive and well maintained churchyard, in the centre of the village. It adjoins the church school and the Rectory. A Quinquennial Inspection has just been carried out and no urgent or major issues were highlighted. All necessary minor works have been carried out. In 2011, all the Victorian pine pews were removed and the floor leveled. This created a large open space which is regularly used for worship rather than the nave altar. The space is also used for concerts, social activities and other events. In autumn 2012, a new bell ringing chamber in the tower was created. This freed up the tower ground floor to be used as the main entrance to the church. In spring 2013, the shingles of the spire were refurbished and other repair works to the tower and weather vane where carried out. We are currently in the final stages of planning a major re-ordering of the church, which include provision of a dedicated children s area, a refreshment area and a toilet.

9 3. St. Mary the Virgin School, Hartfield There is a Church of England Voluntary Aided primary school with about 100 pupils, adjacent to Hartfield Church. The children come mainly from the two parishes but also from further afield. The relationship between the school and St. Mary's continues to develop and to bear fruit. The children go on to a wide range of local schools, including the Beacon Community College in Crowborough, schools in East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells, including Bennett Memorial, a Church of England secondary school.

10 4. Description of Hartfield Hartfield is a beautiful but lively, small rural village, in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is on the edge of Ashdown Forest, a large part of which is in the benefice. It is great for walkers and nature lovers. Also Winnie-the-Pooh is a local resident. The nearest large town is Tunbridge Wells, which is about 8 miles to the north east, about 6 miles to the south is Crowborough and about 8 miles to the west East Grinstead. Tunbridge Wells is a good shopping centre and has many other amenities such as cinema, the Assembly Rooms and a ten pin bowling alley. There is a bus service to Tunbridge Wells which passes through Hartfield. There is also easy access to London by train from a number of local stations, with travel times of about 50 minutes to Victoria and London Bridge via East Croydon. Brighton and the South Coast are 28 miles away, about 45 minutes by car. Hartfield located in the north-eastern corner of East Sussex, on the county boundaries with Kent, West Sussex and Surrey and on the diocesan boundaries with Rochester and Southwark. The population of between 2,000 and 2,500 is typical of a country parish within 30 miles of London and is a mix of families that have lived in the community for generations and newcomers. There is limited local employment, with many residents commuting to local towns and to London. The housing, mostly owner occupied, varies from the very large through to very small cottages.

11 Within Hartfield village there are: o two small local authority built housing estates, many of these homes now being privately owned. There has been only limited new housing built in the area, although some Housing Association accommodation has been built in the last few years. o two sets of almshouses within the parishes. o a recently built medical centre, much prized by all who use it. o a general store, a butcher / green grocer, a tourist shop dedicated to our most famous resident, Winnie-the-Pooh, two pubs and an undertaker. o a village hall. o a sports pavilion. Village activities include: o Cubs, Brownies, Scouts and Guides o Various sports clubs, in particular the village cricket team o Women s Institute, a History Group, horticultural societies o Hartfield Singers.