St Mary's Church
Fairford

South Cotswolds Team Ministry

Sunday 15th May 2011 saw the renaming of our Team Ministry at a splendid joint service in St Mary’s. The church was filled with 250 people from across the whole Team as Bishop Michael blessed The South Cotswolds Team Ministry. Our new Team identity was introduced and we all left with a very stylish bookmark (I still have a few if you missed out) and a packet of seeds to symbolise the growth and flourishing of the Team. In addition, representatives from each church were given a Team poster to be displayed prominently on notice boards - ours is in the porch of St Mary’s. The logo to the right is of 17 grains of seed, four of them forming a cross in the centre and others radiating out.

The South Cotswold Team is made up of those seventeen parishes with 22 churches. A parish is a group of churches or a single church. For example, Fairford and Lechlade are single-church parishes, Kemps ford with Whelford, The Meyseys etc are groups of churches.

In previous days there would have been a priest in charge of each church but nowadays this is becoming increasingly rare and most priests are in charge of a group of churches - this priest is called the Incumbent and has responsibility for the group of churches.

Team Ministry takes this one stage further. As Team Rector, I am the Incumbent of all those 17 parishes and 22 churches. I am pleased to say that I share this Ministry with the Team Vicars, who are licensed to serve right across the Team. In some Teams the Team Vicars would be housed where they will be able to cover an area which is not strictly related to parish boundaries. In this Team we have chosen to retain the traditional areas, giving particular responsibility for that area to a Team Vicar. That Team Vicar continues to live in the Vicarage or Rectory as before and most people won’t know anything has changed!

So what has changed? Well, from this solid base of parochial ministry it has become clear that the strength of this team is in the things we now do together that we could not do alone in a scattered rural area.

For example:

• Confirmation preparation. This is now centralised under the direction of Chris Saunders, the Deanery Youthworker. Young candidates from all the villages now meet as a peer group of up to twenty, which encourages them to speak more freely, feel part of something meaningful and also ensures that each one hears the same message. Adult candidates continue to be prepared individually.
• Team services. These are held at least three times a year in different churches or venues (one was in the Trout Inn!). They are great opportunities not only to worship together, often with a guest speaker of some note, but are also a great encouragement to small congregations. Joining in worship with, say, 180 people when you are used to being one of a select group of perhaps eight brings a new dimension to worship.
• Team choir. A work in progress, but a great start on Sunday 15th May - it really helps the singing. However, a Team Choir is not aimed just at those big events but also as a resource for smaller congregations at regular services.
• Team calendar. This is circulated to all the parishes and details events right across the Team. It is noticeable that a crossing of parish boundaries is beginning to take place as people access worship or events which are of interest to them.
• Team policies. The Team Clergy have worked together to ensure a consistent approach to Ministry; for example the remarriage of those who have been divorced is now (subject to guidance issued by the Bishop) the policy across the Team.
• Team Youthworker and Children’s Worker. Many of you have already seen them in action and they act right across the Team. They are financed by contributions from most of the parishes; we hope that all of the parishes will be able to support this work in the future.

There are many other things that could be said and are planned, but suffice to say that these are some examples of a much greater sharing of resources and expertise by lay people and clergy across the Team.

All the above will enable us, as a Team of Christians working together, to face the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

But Bishop Michael reminded us that this joint ministry does not stop here; we are part of the Diocese of Gloucester and, beyond that, of the global church. All joining together to praise God.

With every blessing,
Rev. Brian Atkinson

Groups of parishes and Vicars

The Ampneys: (Ampney Crucis, Ampney St Mary, Ampney St Peter, Down Ampney, Driffield inc. Harnhill, Poulton) Rev'd John Swanton
Bibury and Winson, Barnsley: The Rev’d Errol Williams (Team Vicar)
CHEQS: (Coln St Aldwyns, Hatherop, Eastleach, Quenington, Southrop) The Rev’d Craig Bishop (Team Vicar)
Fairford: The Rev’d Brian Atkinson (Team Rector) & The Rev’d Denise Hyde (Curate)
Kempsford with Whelford: The Rev’d Tim Hastie-Smith (Team Vicar)
Lechlade: The Rev’d Andrew Cinnamond (Team Vicar)
The Meyseys: (Meysey Hampton and Marston Meysey, Castle Eaton): The Rev'd Jean Brown