Parish Profile - August 2021 - St John the Baptist Peterborough
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Parish Profile St John the Baptist Peterborough August 2021
Welcome
We have written this parish profile in a time of uncertainty that is causing many people to rethink
their lives, to reconsider what is important to them, and perhaps even to seek a fresh start. There is
not just the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, but also by the aftermath of Brexit in a city with a
very diverse population and an economy dependent on migrant labour.
Now, though the uncertainty continues, hope is returning, and perhaps many of us are rediscovering
the sureness of the foundations our Christian faith gives us. So, it is an exciting time for our parish
to be seeking a new vicar, and equally for priests whom God is prompting to look for their next
challenge. We know the future will be built on those firm foundations; we also know the future may
look different from what we are familiar with.
We hope you will enjoy reading this profile and that it will give you a truthful picture of the life of our
churches: St John’s, the parish church of Peterborough, that has stood in the heart of the city centre
for over six hundred years; St Luke’s, its daughter church, in the heart of the residential area of the
parish. We pray that the profile will help you to discern whether or not you may be the person God is
calling to become the new Vicar of Peterborough. That vicar will play a crucial role in the life of our
parish and our city, helping us to go deeper with God, to transform communities, and to make new
disciples. We hope the future will see us continuing to play an active part in the life of the city, while
strengthening our pastoral connection with the community of the parish.
Vernon, Judy and Alun
Churchwardens
Our Vision Statement
● Our aim is to be a beacon of faith, hope and love in the heart of our city
● Our mission is to proclaim God’s love in Jesus Christ so that others will be drawn to follow
him and find a place in our community
● The values that guide everything we do are being:
○ open and inclusive
○ worshipping and faithful
○ loving and serving
2 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
Contents
St John the Baptist Peterborough 1
Welcome 2
Our Vision Statement 2
Contents 3
Peterborough St John’s and Surrounding Area 4
The Parish 4
Character, Commerce & Industry 5
Schools & Education, Health Care 6
Other Churches in Peterborough St John’s Parish, Organisations with Links to St John’s 7
Vision and Mission 8
Future Direction 9
Church Buildings 10
St John’s 10
St Luke’s 12
St John’s Hall, The Vicarage 13
Sunday and Weekday Services 14
Monthly Service Structure 15
Other Services 16
Events in St John’s 17
Coffee Shop, Tuesdays Till Two 17
Piccolo 18
Cards for Good Causes, Exhibitions, Annual Events 19
Other Events 20
Support Available 21
Church Groups and Activities 22
Youth and Children’s Work 23
Finance 24
Organisation 25
St John’s CIC 25
Person Specification for Vicar of Peterborough 26
A position for you? 27
Map of the Parish with Boundaries and Adjoining Parishes 28
3 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
Peterborough St John’s and Surrounding Area
Map showing the parish boundary. A larger image can be found at the end of this profile
The Parish
Peterborough St John’s covers an area of approximately 0.9 square miles in the centre of
Peterborough, a fast growing city and unitary authority of just over 200,000 people in
Cambridgeshire. The East Coast Main Line runs through the parish, and forms the eastern
boundary for the northern part of the parish, before this crosses the railway line to follow Mayor’s
Walk and Westgate into the city centre, then turning south along the edge of the cathedral precincts.
The part of the parish lying to the east of the railway contains much of the historic centre of
Peterborough, and many of its most important buildings, including its main railway and bus stations,
two shopping centres,Queensgate and Rivergate, its town hall and museum, and many of the city’s
shops and restaurants, as well as the two largest public squares in the city, Cathedral Square and
St John’s Square, both of which are adjacent to St John’s Church, which has therefore been at the
heart of the city centre since its consecration in 1407. The River Nene, which divides Peterborough
Diocese from Ely Diocese, forms the southern border of the parish. To the west of the railway line
the parish is largely residential, though the portion north of Westfield Road is largely occupied by
industry, with the notable exception of Peterborough Prison, clearly visible on the map above. St
Luke’s, on Mayor’s Walk, is in the heart of this area, close to local shops and a bowls club.
4 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
Character
● Data on the C of E parish map ( https://arcg.is/1HTL4P0 ) shows that the population of the
parish was 7048 in 2018, up sharply from 5501 at the 2011 Census. As well as new housing
in the western portion of the parish, including some on the site of the former District Hospital
demolished in 2015, the city centre population has increased due to redevelopment and to
the conversion of former office buildings in the city centre into living accommodation.
● The parish is mainly urban and suburban in character, although the southern boundary
formed by the River Nene is more natural and important to local wildlife and as a space for
walkers, joggers, and cyclists.
● Approximately 10% of housing in the parish is social, and more is former social housing
purchased under the right to buy. Some is privately rented, often to multiple occupants.
Dwellings range from Victorian terraces and large semis, to housing association flats and
newly built low rise apartments and there are many large detached houses, old and new.
● The parish is very mixed in terms of age, social class, ethnicity and religion. According to the
current data on the arcgis map 58.4% of residents are white, 35.5% Asian, 2.4% Black and
2.4% of mixed heritage. 43.4% identify as Christian, 27.9% as Muslim and 5% as Hindu.
Around one in three people in the parish live alone. Overall, the parish ranks as relatively
deprived nationwide, but it is more prosperous than most of the surrounding parishes, whilst
Longthorpe, to the west, ranks among the wealthiest parishes in the country.
● The city centre, including the area around St John’s is used by many homeless people
including rough sleepers. Light Project Peterborough, a Christian charity based in the city,
has been very active in working with the city’s homeless and runs The Garden House, an
important resource for the city’s homeless in the cathedral precincts.
● As already mentioned, many of Peterborough’s most important buildings and facilities lie
within the parish.
● Construction of the new University of Peterborough campus on the embankment, just outside
the parish, is due to start soon, and the City Library is to be moved to the former TK Maxx
building on Bridge St as part of a new cultural hub to be known as “The Vine”. “The Vine” is
one of the projects included in Peterborough’s successful bid to the government’s “Towns
Fund”, which has secured £22.9 million of new funding for urban regeneration in the city.
Commerce & Industry
Queensgate Shopping Centre is adjacent to St John’s Church, and the streets surrounding the
church contain much of the city’s retail space. In recent years many former shops in the vicinity of St
John’s have become restaurants, coffee shops, or bars, though the area is also notable for its
estate, letting and recruitment agencies, an indicator of the high turnover in jobs and population
within the city. Nevertheless, many people visiting the centre still rarely venture outside the confines
of Queensgate and its car parks. Since its opening Queensgate has been dominated by the
Peterborough branch of John Lewis, but a new multi screen cinema is now under construction in
part of the space formerly used by the store, which has now closed permanently only a year after a
major refurbishment. Major city centre employers include the Passport Office, the Land Registry,
and Natural England. Many of the city council staff formerly employed in the Town Hall now work at
Sand Martin House, part of the flagship Fletton Quays development, across the river in Ely Diocese.
Elsewhere in the city Peter Brotherhood (steam turbines) and Perkins Engines are two world class
engineering manufacturers with a long history in the city. There is a link on the “A position for you?”
page that will help you to find out more about these and other companies operating in
Peterborough.
5 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
Schools & Education The following schools are either situated in the parish, or have a close connection with the church. School Name and Type Age Range Students (2018/19) In parish? West Town Primary Academy 4-11 385 Y The Peterborough School (Independent C of E Nursery-18 600 Y school) City Learning Centre (Primary Unit of Pupil 4-11 unknown Y Referral Service) Thomas Deacon Academy (TDA) 7-19 2323 N Marshfields School (For SEN pupils) 9-19 168 N Younger students from The Peterborough School come to St John’s around once per term and give an informal concert during the Wednesday coffee morning. The school head, Adrian Meadows, values the connection with the church and would welcome contact from our new vicar. Many students from Marshfields school have helped to staff the Wednesday morning coffee shop over the past twelve years. The school also holds its annual Christmas service/concert in St John’s, and it is often one of the best attended and liveliest events of the year in the church. TDA lies in All Saints parish, but the vicar of Peterborough is an ex officio trustee of the Thomas Deacon Academy Trust, dating back to the original foundation of Deacon’s School within the St John’s parish. Health Care The City Care Centre lies in the parish. This is a relatively new facility, but some of its services are due to transfer to the City Hospital, which lies in the adjoining parish of St Jude. There is a 34 bed intermediate care facility there. At least six different GP surgeries are based within a mile of either St John’s or St Luke’s. There are also two care homes in the parish, St Margaret’s House and The Maltings, both on Alderman’s Drive, which are regularly visited by the incumbent with Holy Communion. The Sue Ryder Hospice at Thorpe Hall also lies just outside the parish, in Longthorpe, St Botolph’s. 6 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
Other Churches in Peterborough St John’s Parish
The All Saints Mar Thoma Church, a church community of South Indian origin that is in full
communion with the Church of England, meets in St John’s Hall, immediately adjacent to St Luke’s.
The church agreed a 25 year lease on the hall with St John’s PCC, which began in July 2018.
Peterborough Quaker Meeting House is at 21 Thorpe Rd. Peterborough Quakers informally
participate in local ecumenical services and activities. Its “Quiet Garden” is part of the Small Pilgrim
Place network.
An Elim Pentecostal congregation meets at The Grace Centre on Midland Road, and a small Liberal
Jewish community, which we have links with through our involvement in the city’s Holocaust
Memorial Day commemoration, also worships within the parish.
The northeast border of the parish runs along Westgate, one of the main shopping streets in the city
centre. Westgate Church, on the northern side of Westgate, and next door to Peterborough’s
Christian Bookshop, therefore lies just outside the parish. Bought a few years ago by the Brazilian
based UCKG, it is one of a number of churches in the city centre that cater predominantly to an
immigrant community; the building will be a landmark feature of the planned North Westgate
development, which it is hoped will regenerate this area.
Organisations with Links to St John’s
It may be helpful to briefly introduce some of the organisations working in the city that have links
with St John’s.
● St John’s CIC (Community Interest Company) exists to organise and promote events taking
place in St John’s Church. It is described in more detail under 'Organisations'.
● Light Project Peterborough is a Christian charity that reaches out and walks alongside the
marginalised and those in need. It runs a winter night shelter as well as the aforementioned
Garden House. It also produces the “Across Peterborough” newsletter and website, an
important source of Christian news and information for the city. Its City Centre Chaplains
provide a visible Christian presence in city centre pubs and elsewhere; they sometimes meet
to pray in St John’s.
● Churches Together in Central Peterborough (CTICP) is part of the wider Churches Together
Network, and brings together seven city centre churches including St John’s. It organises
most local ecumenical services, and its “Connect Group”, on which the vicar sits, provides an
important link between churches and Peterborough City Council.
● Peterborough Almshouses Trust is a charity that provides modern almshouse
accommodation for older residents of the city at Stephenson Court, in the nearby parish of St
Mary’s. Stephenson Court was originally built in the 1960s to rehouse almshouse residents in
St John’s parish who would be displaced by the development of Queensgate. The vicar is an
ex officio trustee.
7 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
Vision and Mission
St John’s and St Luke’s are in the liberal catholic tradition of the Church of England. Both churches
seek to be welcoming, open and inclusive; in 2018 St John’s became the first church in
Peterborough to become part of the Inclusive Church network, which we marked by inviting Jayne
Ozanne to speak at a special “Tuesdays Till Two” talk and discussion during the first Peterborough
Pride Week.
We seek to be worshipping and faithful, not just through our regular worship, but through learning
together and nurturing faith. Our faith leads us to seek justice, and to seek to be good stewards of
God’s creation. In 2019 we signed up for the Eco Church award scheme and are working towards
achieving at least a bronze award within the next few years.
We see loving and serving others as being key to our being an active presence in the community.
Through our coffee shop on Wednesdays and Saturdays, our Tuesday lunchtime café and concerts,
and many other events, we have worked hard over the past few years to make St John’s a place
which is important to far more people than just our regular Sunday congregation. At St Luke’s we
have a church that sits in the heart of the parish.
These values guide us in our mission of proclaiming God’s love in Jesus Christ so that others will be
drawn to follow him and find a place in our community.
Our activities have of course been severely disrupted by the recent pandemic.
We are looking for a candidate who will be committed to developing the life, vision, and mission
of our church and help us to grow as a parish by:
● Teaching and encouraging us how to live more Christ-like lives
● Focusing on strengthening our pastoral ministry and links with those who live and work in
our parish
● Building on the success of St John’s as an important city centre venue for community and
cultural events by finding ways to draw those who come to them into a deeper connection
with the church and the Christian faith.
● Equipping members of the congregation to play a fuller part in the life of the church by
encouraging them and directing them towards suitable training opportunities
● Helping us to discern ways of working together more effectively both within the church
and with the wider community, including other faith communities, especially in
collaboration with other local churches and by active participation in the vision and life of
Peterborough Diocese.
● Witnessing faithfully to the Good News of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ and working
and praying diligently for His Kingdom to come
8 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
Future Direction A key challenge for the parish in the medium term will be how we “build back better” after the pandemic. Following the prolonged disruption to the programme of weekday events in the church it remains to be seen how much of what we were doing before can or should be re-established, and how we can rise to the challenge of the new opportunities that the future will undoubtedly bring. Prior to the pandemic, as a church we were trying to think seriously about our future, recognising that we would need to change if we were to reverse a gradual but steady decline in the numbers attending church. An encouraging sign was that there were plenty of ideas, and people willing to play an active part in implementing them, but much has changed in the past year, and our new vicar will have an important part to play in guiding our thinking and future direction, particularly when it comes to working out how best to reach out to the community of our parish given the high proportion of non-residents on our electoral roll, currently around two thirds. We have already identified one step we believe God is calling us to take: the past twelve months have taught us that our online presence is not an optional extra. The PCC has already decided to invest in the cameras and other equipment needed so that we will be able to record and stream services and other events taking place in St John’s, and Zoom and similar technologies will be part of the new normal of our church life. Yet, however important gathering together virtually and online may be, they will only be a part of our life together, and we hope that by the time our next vicar takes up their position, our church buildings, and St John’s in particular, will once again be resuming their place in the life of the city. Whatever changes the future may bring to the ways and times our churches are open, we want them to be places that matter to our parish and our city, and we want the weekday activities that happen there to be seen not just as things we do to support the church financially, but things which extend and enrich our mission. 9 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
Church Buildings
View of St John’s from Cathedral Square, with the Guild Hall in front.
St John’s
The parish was created in the 11th century, but construction of the present church immediately
adjacent to the Market Square (now called Cathedral Square) began in 1402 and St John the
Baptist Peterborough was consecrated on 26th June 1407. It is one of only two grade 1 listed
buildings in Peterborough City Centre (the other being Peterborough Cathedral, 300m to the east).
St John’s was designated a major parish church in 2019. The most recent quinquennial inspection
took place in May 2019.
The church was
reordered in 2010.
A kitchen, office,
crèche, toilets,
and two servery /
welcome counters
were constructed,
and some of the
pews were
removed to create
a café area, which
normally seats
eighty people. The
café tables can be
moved to create
an area suitable
for theatre or other
performances.
A Peterborough Pride event taking place in the café area
The remaining pews, which have cushions, accommodate around 280 people, but chairs can be
placed in the aisles and café area to increase capacity to around 400 or 450 people.
10 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileAs part of the 2010 reordering
railings to the south and west
of the church were removed,
glass doors were installed at
the south and west entrances,
and a tiered and grassed public
square, St John’s Square, was
created to the west of the
church, which can be used for
outdoor performances or as an
area for temporary exhibition
marquees etc. This resulted in
a significant increase in the
number of visitors to the church
and the number of events held
in it. The area around the
church is largely pedestrianised
and parking outside the church
is limited.
View from the south-west showing part of St John’s Square and the South Porch
The floor level of the church is now several feet below the streets surrounding the church, but there are two
ramps allowing step free access into the church, both created as part of the 2010 public realm improvements
that accompanied the reordering. Within the church it is easy to move around in a wheelchair, and ramps
allow wheelchair users to come to the main altar for communion. A loop system is installed for the hard of
hearing. There are two toilets, both suitable for disabled users; one can also be used for baby changing.
Another view of the café area, this time at a Heritage Weekend
11 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileSt Luke’s
St Luke’s Church on Mayor’s Walk was built as a Mission Church in 1901 to serve the parishioners
living west of the railway before the bridges were built. It was dedicated to St. Luke in 1983 because
of its proximity to the District Hospital, where the then incumbent of St John’s was chaplain.The
hospital closed in 2010 and was demolished in 2015. St Luke’s can seat around sixty people, and
the seating can be rearranged as needed. It is used as a polling place at general and local
elections. There is a car park, shared with All Saints Mar Thoma, so it is a useful venue for social
occasions and PCC meetings.
A tea party at St Luke’s
12 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileSt John’s Hall
St John’s Hall, built as the church hall
for the parish in the 1930s, stands next
to St Luke’s. The hall was subsequently
leased to Peterborough City Council and
used as a community centre for many
years, but the lease ended in 2017 and
the building has now been leased to the
All Saints Mar Thoma Church for twenty
five years.
Under the terms of the lease agreement
with All Saints Mar Thoma the PCC is
able to use the hall on three Saturdays
and nine weekdays each year without
charge, provided this does not interfere
with any Mar Thoma services, but we
have not yet taken advantage of this.
The Mar Thoma church, officially known
as the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian
Church, is based in Kerala, India. It
describes itself as "Apostolic in origin,
Universal in nature, Biblical in faith,
Evangelical in principle, Ecumenical in
outlook, Oriental in worship, Democratic
in function, and Episcopal in character"
and is in full communion with all the
churches of the Anglican Communion.
The All Saints Mar Thoma Church also
has links with the adjoining parish of St
Jude.
The Vicarage
A vicarage will be provided. The current vicarage, at 26 Minster Precincts, was purchased by the
diocese from the Chapter of Peterborough Cathedral in 2016. It is located in the cathedral precincts,
so is just outside the parish boundary, but very close to St John’s and the city centre. There is a
garden to the rear of the property. There is a large front room, which the previous incumbent used
for social occasions and meetings. There is a front step, and several steps between different parts
of the ground floor of the property, so it is not very accessible for wheelchair users. A blue plaque,
dedicated to Simon Gunton, who was vicar during the Great Plague of 1665, was recently affixed to
the adjoining property at no 27.
13 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileSunday and Weekday Services
The altar and reredos at St John’s, before our online 2020 Christmas Day Eucharist
Worship at St John’s and St Luke’s usually follows a similar pattern throughout the year with most
services being Common Worship Eucharist. At Sunday services in St John’s there is a robed choir,
which usually sits in the chancel area, and the servers are also robed. The presiding priest usually
wears Eucharistic vestments, and incense is used at major festivals. Most of the music is sung by
both choir and congregation. At St John’s music is mostly organ led, on the fine and recently rebuilt
1917 Harrison and Harrison organ, with hymns and songs taken from Hymns Ancient & Modern
Songs for Refreshing Worship. At St Luke’s services have a slightly more intimate feel due to its
smaller size and congregation, and more of the service is said rather than sung; a CD provides
music for the hymns, from Complete Anglican Hymns Old & New. On Sundays members of the
congregation are invited to stay for tea/coffee/sherry and a biscuit after the service, at St John’s in
the café area, while at St Luke’s the congregation gathers at the back of the church.
There are currently 76 adults on the electoral roll, of whom 25 live in the parish and 51 outside the
parish. Around 120 people attend a service in the parish on a fairly regular basis of whom 50 are
aged 70 or above, 58 aged 18-69, 10 aged 11-17, and 2 10 or under. Only around half this number
of people will be attending either St John’s or St Luke’s on any given Sunday.
14 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileFriday Eucharist in St John’s takes place in the Lady Chapel, seen here in a socially distanced layout
Monthly Service Structure
Day Time and Service Venue Average
attendance
adults+children
Sunday 9.15am Holy Communion (CW) St Luke’s 8
Sunday 11am Sung Eucharist (CW) St John’s 45+3
First Wednesday 7.30pm Healing Service/Night Prayer St Luke’s 6
Thursday 8am Morning Prayer (CW) St John’s 2
Friday 11am Said Eucharist (CW Traditional Language) St John’s 8
15 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileOther Services
Sunday before Christmas - 6.30pm Festival of Lessons and Carols. At this service the regular choir
is augmented by singers from a number of other churches.
Christmas Eve - 3pm Crib Service. See Youth and Children’s Work
Holocaust Memorial Day (27th January) - 12 noon. Not a service, but an important and solemn
commemoration held in St John’s. Forty minutes of readings, reflections and prayers inside the
church are followed by the laying of a wreath at the city’s holocaust memorial stone in St John’s
Square, just outside the church. In 2020 this was attended by around 450 people from a wide range
of ethnic and faith communities.
Ash Wednesday - Holy Communion with Ashing
Palm Sunday - The service begins outside the church on St John’s Square. In the afternoon there is
an annual performance of Stainer’s Crucifixion
Maundy Thursday - 7.30pm Holy Communion
Good Friday - CTICP organises a procession through the city centre and an open air service in
Cathedral Square. Following this St John’s is open for hot cross buns and tea/coffee. There is a
service of readings and hymns in St John’s at 7.30pm.
Patronal Festival - Sunday nearest 26th June. There is a shared meal following the usual Sunday
service. The congregation from St Luke’s join us for the service and the lunch that follows.
Harvest Festival - Again there is a shared meal after the service.
Battle of Britain Service - September. 200+ people attend this, including ATC cadets and personnel
from RAF Wittering, around ten miles to the northwest of the parish.
Sunday nearest 18th October - St Luke’s celebrates its patronal festival at the usual Sunday service.
Remembrance Sunday: The vicar of Peterborough leads the prayers and two minutes silence at the
War Memorial in Bridge St. The start of the usual 11am service is delayed until 11.15am.
Afternoon service of remembrance - (usually Sunday after Remembrance Sunday) This is a service
of remembrance and thanksgiving for those who have died. It is not an All Souls Eucharist, but
non-Eucharistic and everyone connected with a funeral in the past year or so is written to and
invited to attend. Refreshments are provided afterwards.
Baptisms usually take place during the Sunday morning service at St John’s
Weddings - one in each of 2019 and 2020
Funerals - four funeral services were held in St John’s in 2020.
Wreath laying ceremony at Holocaust Memorial Day
16 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileEvents in St John’s
This section describes the situation prior to the pandemic.
As already mentioned St John’s is open several days each week for much of the year. This
section describes some of the many events that take place regularly in the church. Events are
promoted through the Events at St John’s facebook and twitter accounts as well as the church’s
own social media and website.
Coffee Shop
Almost every Wednesday and
Saturday morning the church
“coffee shop” is open between
10am and 12 noon selling a range
of hot drinks, cakes, scones etc.
These cafés have many regular
customers, who come to enjoy the
home made baking and a chance
to chat. They also raise funds
towards the church’s charitable
donations. Students from
Marshfields school help to run the
Wednesday café during term time,
and volunteers from local charities
take many of the school holiday slots. The Saturday café is run by a regular rota of teams, with a
team from EACH (East Anglian Children’s Hospice) taking one Saturday in six. At the “welcome
counter” you can buy hand knitted goods, souvenirs of the church, and various books by
members of the congregation or other people with a close connection to St John’s.
The Royal Voluntary Service has recently started running a Friday lunchtime café, following the
loss of its “Senior Stop” facility adjacent to the market.
Tuesdays Till Two
“Tuesdays Till Two” lunchtime concerts take place around 30 times a
year on a seasonal basis and last around forty five minutes. The
concert is preceded by an hour long volunteer run café selling home
made quiche, cakes, scones etc. The concerts are well attended, with
around fifty to sixty people attending most weeks, or perhaps seventy
to eighty in the summer. Due to its growing reputation as a venue with
excellent acoustics and an appreciative audience it is now difficult for
us to welcome all the young musicians who would like to perform at
these concerts. Proceeds from this café are used to help fund the
activities of the St John’s CIC.
17 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfilePiccolo
The City of Peterborough Concert Band at the Christmas 2019 Piccolo
“Piccolo” concerts for preschool children and their parent(s) or
carer(s) have been running since September 2015. Concerts, usually
classical and featuring professional musicians, take place ten times a
year and last around an hour. They have proved very popular with
both children and their parents due to the intimacy and informality of
the occasion. Children and those bringing them usually sit close to
the performers on large floor cushions, and are free to move around
during the concert. Drinks and biscuits are provided. Many of the
children who come have at least one parent born outside the UK and
we hear a wide variety of languages being spoken.
You can watch a video interview recorded at Piccolo here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C32OXnVOCtw and see more
pictures and details of past concerts on the Piccolo facebook page.
The church full of buggies is a common sight at Piccolo
18 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileCards for Good Causes
Around nine weeks each year, beginning in mid-October, St John’s
is open from 10am to 4pm on Mondays to Saturdays for the
annual Cards for Good Causes Stall.
Exhibitions
St John’s hosts a number of
art and photography
exhibitions each year. During
exhibitions, which typically
run for a week or ten days,
the church is open between
10am and 4pm.
Annual Events
St John’s takes part in Armed Forces Day, hosting 1940s style music and dancing. The church is
also opened as part of the England-wide Heritage Open Days as well as Peterborough’s own
Heritage Festival weekend. The café is open throughout the day at these events.
19 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileOther Events As a prime city centre venue in a beautiful building with good acoustics, St John’s has become a host of many popular events including concerts (both classical and rock), theatre, shows, election hustings and similar civic/community events, vintage fairs, and even film screenings. 20 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
Support Available
The next vicar of Peterborough will be coming to a church where although there are no licensed
readers, lay ministers or evangelists (yet!), many of the congregation are eager to be part of a team
that will help the parish to recover from the effects of the pandemic and revitalise and grow the
church.
Other clergy in the parish: Canon Bill Croft is a recently retired parish priest. Bill and his wife
Hilary live in the parish and worship at St John's. Bill has Permission to Officiate in Peterborough
Diocese and is happy, by agreement with the Vicar, to offer assistance and cover at Sunday and
weekday services.
Staff: The PCC employs three people part time:
● The Parish Administrator, who helps manage the church’s online presence, its finances,
and with the production of service rotas, materials, newsletters, pew slips etc. The
administrator also manages church hire, which is a key role given the importance of St
John’s as a venue for concerts and other events in the city.
● The Director of Music, who trains the choir, plays the organ, and helps with the choice of
music for services.
● The church cleaner, employed for nine hours per week, is responsible for cleaning at both
St John’s and St Luke’s.
Volunteers: Many members of the congregation participate actively in the running of services: there
are rotas for the provision of sidespeople, readers, intercessors, servers, Eucharistic assistants,
Sunday morning cafe/refreshment servers, brass cleaners, flower arrangers, and ‘Sunday
Wardens’, who take charge of opening and closing the church before and after services, and who
act as stewards during the service. Church members have continued to be very active in the life of
the church during the pandemic, and have become adept at recording readings or intercessions that
are included in our online services.
A very important part of the life of St John’s prior to the pandemic was the use of the church during
the week, with many regular and well attended events. Most of these events were run by members
of the congregation, but we would welcome involvement by our new vicar in our weekday events.
Funding: At one time there was a St John’s School, and until recently there was a fund available for
educational purposes, but this has now been redesignated and can be used for the ecclesiastical
purposes of the parish.
21 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileChurch Groups and Activities
● A prayer group meets weekly after Sunday services. Prior to the pandemic this met in the
Lady Chapel at St John’s following the main Sunday service, but currently it meets on
Zoom.
● A study group, which started as a Lent group shortly before the pandemic, has been
meeting regularly on Zoom, to discuss various books and films/videos with a Christian or
more general spiritual message.
● A knitting group meets on Saturday mornings and enables people to chat together while
knitting or doing a craft activity. Prior to the pandemic this met in the choir room during the
Saturday coffee morning, but since then it has continued to meet every week on Zoom.
● The St John’s Ladies’ Group has met fortnightly on Tuesdays at St Luke’s for many years.
Membership is open to all women, not just church members and men are welcome to
special open evenings by invitation.
● Prior to the pandemic a church newsletter was produced roughly every two months.
During the pandemic a newsletter has been sent out via email weekly, and is posted to
those who don’t have email addresses. The livestreamed services are available to view
via Facebook or on Youtube, and there is a “church chat” group for St John’s and St
Luke’s on facebook.
● There are monthly communions at two care homes in the parish, St Margaret’s House
and The Maltings, both on Alderman’s Drive, led by the incumbent, and authorised
Eucharistic assistants distribute communion to parishioners who are unable to come to
services and who have requested a visit for home communion. This is done under the
direction of the incumbent, but it is left to the assistants as to when they visit and how
often. The visit usually takes the form of a short communion service, followed by a chat;
in some cases this enables a carer to take a short break from their duties. During the
pandemic the assistants have been keeping in touch with those they visit by telephone.
● Many members of the congregation give informal pastoral care: offering lifts to or from church
or social events; helping with shopping; visiting those in hospital; telephoning those who are
housebound.
● Ecumenical Links – Church members participate in the activities and running of CTICP
(Churches Together in Central Peterborough). This brings together the members of St
John’s and St Luke’s, three other city centre Anglican churches (St Mary’s, St Mark’s,
Peterborough Cathedral), St Peter and All Souls (Roman Catholic), Park Rd Baptist
Church, and Westgate New Church (Methodist/URC), which sold its former building to the
Brazil based UCKG in 2016. St John’s is also active in Peterborough Eco-Faith Network,
which is formally part of CTICP, but also welcomes participation from Christians and
members of other faith communities throughout Peterborough.
● The vicar often leads prayers at civic ceremonies in the city including at Armistice Day,
Armed Forces Day, Commonwealth Day, Fly the Flag for the Navy, the Christmas Wreath
laying ceremony, and VE Day and D-Day commemorations.
22 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileYouth and Children’s Work
There is a dedicated room at St John’s that can be used as a crèche or Sunday school, but it is over
five years since this has been used on a regular basis. Instead, children remain with their parents in
the church during church services. “Pew bags” with age appropriate learning materials are available
for primary school age children either below 6, or 6+ at Sunday services. In practice these have
been little used in recent years.
Older children and young people are welcome to join the church choir, but currently only one child is
singing in the choir on a regular basis. The number of children regularly attending services has
sharply declined in recent years.
There are opportunities to grow the work of the parish in this area:
● There is an annual “Crib Service” on Christmas Eve, which is usually well attended.
Children are encouraged to dress as a shepherd or an angel.
● Prior to the pandemic Piccolo was bringing anything up to 60+ preschool children into St
John’s, together with a similar number of adults. Although this event is on hold during the
pandemic, funding is available to run two special “Piccolo Plus” concerts once
circumstances permit. Officially, this is a St John’s CIC rather than a church event.
Piccolo has its own facebook page.
● Young people from Marshfields School, for children with special educational needs, have
been helping to run the Wednesday café at St John’s for over a decade. Marshfields
usually also hosts its Christmas service/performance at St John’s.
● St John’s is used as a concert venue by The Peterborough School, The Kings School,
and for pupil concerts by various local piano teachers.
● Several regular worshippers at St John’s or St Luke’s are employed at local schools.
A “pew bag” and its contents
23 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileFinance
● A parish administrator is employed for 14 hours per week to help the parish manage its
finances (amongst other duties). The treasurer, parish administrator, and other members
of the finance committee manage banking and counting of collections and other monies.
● For the past nine years the parish has paid 75% of its full parish share, with Peterborough
Cathedral responsible for the remaining 25%. This was in accordance with the
arrangement under which the previous incumbent was appointed to spend 75% of his
working time in the parish and 25% at the cathedral. The Diocesan Board of Finance has
confirmed that the parish is able to use the capital of an endowment fund now known as
the St John’s fund to help pay its full parish share. Accordingly the parish is in a position
to make a full time appointment.
● Clergy Expenses are paid in full. Day to day management of expense claims is handled
by the parish administrator.
● Stewardship campaigns are held every two years around harvest festival time. Regular
worshippers are encouraged to give 5% of their income to the church and a further 5% to
support other good causes. Historically the Parish Stewardship Officer has undertaken
presentations on planned giving and run stewardship renewal/revision schemes. These have
always resulted in increased income.
● Donations can be made via the church website and in 2019 a donation box that can also
accept contactless payments was installed in St John’s.
● Prior to the pandemic the church café was open almost every Wednesday and Saturday
morning. In 2019, after allowing for overheads, approximately 74% (£5690) of the
proceeds from this were donated to a range of charities, with the remaining 26% (£2000)
being used to support the church itself. £750 was donated to the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall
hospice, which lies just outside the parish. Other donations of £750 were made to the
Winter Night Shelter and to Samaritans. £500 was donated to Peterborough Women’s Aid
and to the British Red Cross, and £250 to the Peterborough Soup Kitchen. £250 each
was donated to A Rocha, Inclusive Church, Diabetes UK, and also to Deafblind UK and
The Leprosy Mission, both of which are based in Peterborough. £250 was also donated
to CROPS (Christian Options in Peterborough Schools). In addition St John’s has for
many years hosted Cards For Good Causes Occasionally the café is run directly by
volunteers from a local charity, in which case all the proceeds go to the charity apart from
a charge for heating and use of the kitchen.
● A number of successful grant applications have been made by PCC members, and we
have also used crowdfunding websites.
● It is the policy of the PCC to hold in reserve the equivalent of two months general running
costs in its general account, which constituted £19,750 in March 2019 when the policy was
established. The policy is due for review, so the reserved amount is likely to change slightly.
24 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileOrganisation
The Parochial Church Council is responsible for both St John’s and St Luke’s and is elected
annually at the APCM. For historical reasons there are three rather than the usual two
churchwardens, also elected annually. They and two deanery synod representatives are PCC
members ex officio. Currently, one of the deanery synod representatives also sits on the
Diocesan Synod. Various officers are elected at the first PCC meeting following the APCM
including: health and safety representative; parish safeguarding officer; electoral roll officer; two
directors to sit on the board of St John’s CIC (see below). Two church members, not necessarily
PCC members, are chosen to represent the parish at meetings of Churches Together in Central
Peterborough.
In recent years the PCC has generally met approximately every two months, with additional
meetings called as needed. Prior to the pandemic PCC meetings were held in St Luke’s. Since
the start of the pandemic the PCC has been meeting almost monthly with meetings held via
Zoom.
The Standing Committee, consisting of the incumbent, churchwardens, treasurer and PCC
secretary, meets before each PCC meeting to set the agenda for the PCC.
The Finance Committee, consisting of the incumbent, treasurer, the parish administrator, and
various PCC/church members, also meets before PCC meetings to review the management
accounts and assist with budgeting.
The Social Committee assists with the organisation of special events such as the Patronal
Festival and Harvest Meal.
St John’s CIC
The St John the Baptist (Peterborough) Development CIC, a
community interest company established in 2011, brings
together representatives from the church, the city council and
local arts organisations. Usually referred to as the St John’s
CIC for short, it exists to promote the use of St John’s as a
venue for cultural and community events. Prior to the
pandemic, the CIC Programme Manager, who is also a
churchwarden at St John’s, organised and ran around forty
concerts and other events each year in St John’s, including
Tuesdays Till Two and Piccolo, and also gave support to the
many other individuals and bodies promoting events in St
John’s.
Although CIC events are not officially church events, in practice most of the volunteers who help to
run them are regular worshippers at St John’s or St Luke’s. The church receives a guaranteed
income from the hire fee paid by the CIC, and the CIC bears the financial risk of the events.
The city council’s Steinway Model C grand piano, probably the best piano in the city, is kept in St
John’s, and is used for many of the concerts held in the church, as well as during services. The
church also owns a smaller Blüthner grand piano, a legacy from a former long standing worshipper
at St John’s.
25 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfilePerson Specification for Vicar of Peterborough
We hope that our new vicar will embody the values in our vision statement and will be not only
sympathetic to the vision and mission we have outlined in this profile, but enthusiastic and excited
about them.
We are seeking a vicar who will be worshipping and faithful, someone who will:
● be comfortable in and have experience of leadership in a church in the liberal catholic
tradition of Anglicanism, while also being eager to collaborate with Christians from other
traditions
● respect and value the quality that ordered liturgy and musical tradition bring to worship, but
also be open to developing new, more informal and lively services, with a view to drawing
more families and young people into our worship
● be a wise teacher who draws us further into a living and active faith by giving us a fresh and
deeper understanding of the bible and our Christian heritage, with teaching that is thoughtful
and inspiring, practical and in touch
And seeking a vicar who is open and inclusive, someone who will:
● share our vision that the church should be inclusive, should celebrate and affirm every
person, and should not discriminate
● be an enabler who can relate to people of different ages and backgrounds, recognise their
gifts and potential, and encourage the use and development of those gifts and so help them
to flourish
● be enthusiastic about the new ways in which technology allows the church to reach out to the
congregation and to the community
● be ready to see the Holy Spirit at work both within and beyond the church, and, where God is
at work in the world, help us to join in!
And seeking a vicar whose life is committed to loving and serving, and who will:
● be caring - active in visiting and pastoral care within the parish
● be a patient friend, diplomatic and with a sense of humour when it is most needed
● lead us by example in our engagement with the wider community, and in our care for creation
and the environment
● help us to make our church one that is seen as an unqualified blessing to our parish and city
26 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish ProfileA position for you? If you wish to discuss this post or request an application form, please contact: The Venerable Gordon Steele Archdeacon of Oakham Tel: 01733 887017 Email: archdeacon.oakham@peterborough-diocese.org.uk Further sources of information about our church and parish: Our church website: http://peterborough-stjohns.org.uk Our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stjohnspeterborough Our “A Church Near You” page: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/16695/ The St John’s CIC website: https://stjohnscic.wordpress.com/ St John’s on Google Streetview: https://goo.gl/maps/Bw6TwqJhGQNawqvj8 St Luke’s and St John’s Hall on Google Streetview: https://goo.gl/maps/uzRt23ztjmEtWt3R9 For a broader view of what is going on in churches in Peterborough visit Across Peterborough: https://www.acrosspeterborough.org.uk/ For an insight into industry and business in Peterborough you might like to read this brochure, produced in 2016 by Opportunity Peterborough, about some of the companies operating in the city. 27 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
28 St John the Baptist Peterborough: Parish Profile
You can also read
