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Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry
Welcome to the website for our parish, which includes St Andrew's and St Catherine's in Wickford and St Mary's in Runwell, and covers all of Wickford and Runwell. To get in touch with us, contact us here. In our three churches, you will find:
Our services include:
Messages from the Team Rector
Grant funding The Essex Echo have recently covered the award of a grant from the UKFSP Feasibility Fund to our Parish for a feasibility study to explore the possibility of using St Andrew's Church as a cultural and heritage centre for Wickford, in addition to the services and other activities that currently happen there. As a Parish, we have also been successful in gaining grants for groundwork investigations at St Catherine’s Church (from Friends of Essex Churches, National Churches Trust, and Minor Repairs and Improvements Grants). Additionally, we have been awarded funds by the National Lottery Community Fund to begin work to create a Community Wellbeing Garden at St Andrew's. This work is primarily to make the garden area fully accessible. In 2023, the Echo covered our fundraising campaign for work on St Catherine's Church due to subsidence (https://www.echo-news.co.uk/.../23223658.st-catherines.../). We completed Phase 1 of this project in 2023, having raised £20,000 (including grants from Benefact Trust and The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme). Since then we have been fundraising for Phase 2 of the project, which involves groundwork investigations that will enable a means of underpinning the church to be designed. Fundraising will then begin for Phase 3 of the project which will involve underpinning the church building. The Echo have also recently covered this story too. We are very grateful for all funds raised including individual donations and monies raised through fundraising events, many of which have been supported by music groups and choirs. See below for more information and for ways to make a donation. Annual reports Earlier in the year we held our Annual Parochial Church Meeting at which reports were presented covering our accounts and activities in 2023. Copies of these reports can be found on our Policies and reports page. Click here to see the reports for 2023. Prayers of Love and Faith The Prayers of Love and Faith are a series of prayers that are intended to be used for same-sex couples by ministers. They are intended to be used to pray with and for a same-sex couple who love one another and who wish to give thanks for and mark that love in faith before God. We are offering the Prayers of Love and Faith in this parish. Please click here for more information. HeartEdge In our parish we are making use of the HeartEdge model of mission. It’s called the 4Cs – compassion, culture, commerce and congregation. It is a pattern for ministry that we share with other churches throughout the UK, and the world, through the movement to renew the church that is called HeartEdge. HeartEdge is about churches developing these 4Cs. Generating finance and impacting communities via social enterprise and commerce. Culture, in the form of art, music, performance, that re-imagines the Christian narrative for the present. Congregations that develop welcoming liturgies, worship, and day-to-day communal life while also addressing social need and community cohesion. Nurturing each of these is essential for renewal of the church. Through our use of the 4Cs we are seeking to draw all those engaged in commerce, culture, compassion and congregation locally into a conversation that explores how we should live and who it is that is our neighbour. Over the past year we have begun a conversation where the ‘good news’ of community compassion and culture, with church at the heart and on the margins, can be heard and is being valued in Wickford and Runwell. We are seeking further ways to invite others to join that conversation, to have their say, so that the margins can speak to the centre that we might encounter God in everyone. We are seeking to be churches, and a team of churches, that are at the heart of the communities of Wickford and Runwell, while also being with those on the edge. The idea of Being With also comes from HeartEdge and is an incarnational model of mission and ministry:
Work on St Catherine's Church Due to the long dry summer of 2022, the foundations of the NW corner of St Catherine’s Church subsided. This caused large cracks to appear in the walls. In 2023, we completed Phase 1 of our campaign involving urgent safety and weather protection work costing £20,000, with funds raised by donations, events and grants. Our thanks to all who supported Phase 1 including Benefact Trust and the Listed Places of Worship Scheme. Phase 2, involving groundwork investigations and design of an underpinning solution, has now also begun. This is essential to design a long-term solution, so we are very to all who have supported us including Friends of Essex Churches, National Church Trust and Minor Repairs & Improvement Grants via Diocese of Chelmsford. "Our churches are seeking to be at the heart of the community in Wickford but also need the support of the wider community in the town, particularly as we address the problems of subsidence at St Catherine's Church and the expense of maintaining this much-loved community building given the effects of significant climate change." “Our recent consultation exercise in the Parish (see below) revealed that the churches in Wickford and Runwell are seen as contributing to the sense of community and are valued both for the support they bring to others and as centres for peace and prayer which provide a sense of Christian presence. Many local people have been baptised or married at St Catherine’s or have family members commemorated in the churchyard. For all these reasons, we believe many locally will want to support this campaign to ensure that this much-loved community building is repaired and secured for the future.” Those wishing to contribute to this campaign, can use the QR code below to go to our page for St Catherine's repairs (or click here) or send cheques made out to Wickford and Runwell Parochial Church Council to The Rectory, 120 Southend Road, Wickford SS11 8EB or phone 07803 562329 / email jonathan.evens@btinternet.com for the bank details to use for a bank transfer. Alternatively, use the following links to donate to our churches: * St Andrew's * St Catherine's * St Mary's With thanks for your support, Jonathan Revd Jonathan Evens
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Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry community and church consultation: A summary of the responses
While a survey of this kind inevitably throws up a wide range of differing views and responses, the following seem to be broadly reflective of the responses received.
People live in Wickford because of the quality of community life and our closeness to nature. The core values of the community are seen as being community, kindness, and care for others. People are most concerned about a sense of over development in the area and the pressure this puts on infrastructure. The highest level of concern is about having more facilities for children and young people. The Gateway Project (Foodbank) and Wickford Wombles are seen as having the greatest positive impact on the area. People wish for improved safety and security in the area and then for more activities locally. A majority of respondents were willing to contribute towards seeing their wishes for the area realised.
The churches are seen as contributing to the sense of community and are valued for the support they bring and being centres for peace and prayer which provide a sense of Christian presence. Generally, people want more of the same from the churches with support and community seen as most important. More activities for families/children and more lively, modern churches would also be appreciated, while church in the traditions of our parish is also valued.
People’s best experiences of worship were in family-friendly services where there were plenty of other people, often at Festivals, and where they felt welcomed. A sense of closeness to God is seen as being the most important experience in worship, with music, prayers, the Eucharist and fellowship/belonging all contributing highly to this. People have different preferences regarding styles of worship, with some having definite preferences for one style – e.g. traditional or contemporary – over another, while others prefer a variety of styles.
Peace and prayer are seen as most important when being still with God. The majority of people create time and space to be still with God at the beginning of the day, although through the day and at the end of the day were also popular. Some seek to pray throughout the day. Nearly everyone sought to make some time for stillness and prayer. People were fairly equally split on whether or not there is a need for more still time in services. A majority would like to know more about Christian mindfulness, although not everyone understands the term.
While a survey of this kind inevitably throws up a wide range of differing views and responses, the following seem to be broadly reflective of the responses received.
People live in Wickford because of the quality of community life and our closeness to nature. The core values of the community are seen as being community, kindness, and care for others. People are most concerned about a sense of over development in the area and the pressure this puts on infrastructure. The highest level of concern is about having more facilities for children and young people. The Gateway Project (Foodbank) and Wickford Wombles are seen as having the greatest positive impact on the area. People wish for improved safety and security in the area and then for more activities locally. A majority of respondents were willing to contribute towards seeing their wishes for the area realised.
The churches are seen as contributing to the sense of community and are valued for the support they bring and being centres for peace and prayer which provide a sense of Christian presence. Generally, people want more of the same from the churches with support and community seen as most important. More activities for families/children and more lively, modern churches would also be appreciated, while church in the traditions of our parish is also valued.
People’s best experiences of worship were in family-friendly services where there were plenty of other people, often at Festivals, and where they felt welcomed. A sense of closeness to God is seen as being the most important experience in worship, with music, prayers, the Eucharist and fellowship/belonging all contributing highly to this. People have different preferences regarding styles of worship, with some having definite preferences for one style – e.g. traditional or contemporary – over another, while others prefer a variety of styles.
Peace and prayer are seen as most important when being still with God. The majority of people create time and space to be still with God at the beginning of the day, although through the day and at the end of the day were also popular. Some seek to pray throughout the day. Nearly everyone sought to make some time for stillness and prayer. People were fairly equally split on whether or not there is a need for more still time in services. A majority would like to know more about Christian mindfulness, although not everyone understands the term.
SAFEGUARDING
We are committed to ensuring that Wickford and Runwell Parish is a safe place for all. The Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of Chelmsford’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services. For further information, please go to our Policies page where you will find our Safeguarding statement.
We are committed to ensuring that Wickford and Runwell Parish is a safe place for all. The Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of Chelmsford’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services. For further information, please go to our Policies page where you will find our Safeguarding statement.
BLOOD TESTS
The NHS coordinate blood tests at both St Catherine’s and St Mary’s Church Halls, to organise a test please contact the NHS Blood Test Appointment line directly on 01702 746065.
The NHS coordinate blood tests at both St Catherine’s and St Mary’s Church Halls, to organise a test please contact the NHS Blood Test Appointment line directly on 01702 746065.