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Drawing up your Parish/Benefice Profile
Your Benefice / Parish Profile will be your “shop window” and if well drawn up, it will greatly help potential candidates discern whether or not to apply for the post. The headings below give general guidance towards writing a document which will help church members to be clear about the needs of the Parish/Benefice/Team and of the specific things they are looking for in a new incumbent.
You are free to place this information in any order that you feel best reflects the life, mission and ministry of your benefice or parish.
Where parishes are linked within a multi-parish benefice, it is advisable that the distinctiveness of each parish briefly appears, and that this is balanced by a significant section which lays out the profile and needs of the benefice.
It is important that the interests of the separate parishes, together with the life of the whole benefice, all come together in an agreed person specification having had substantial consultation across the whole church and wider community where possible.
The layout of your Profile is very important. Experience shows that there are 2 distinct roles in the production of a Profile – the collation of information and the formatting and layout. These gifts are not usually contained within the same person! Usually a small group taking overall responsibility for the production of the profile works well.
TheMission
This section is the “heart and soul” of your profile. It is in this section that the vision, hopes and sense of direction for the mission and ministry of your church will be spelt out. It is essential that this section is both an accurate and realistic reflection of where you are as a church and where you might hope to be in 5 years time. It is from this sense of direction for the mission and ministry that the “job description” and person specification will emerge. Potential candidates should be able to see what the challenges and opportunities of your benefice / parish are and, therefore, how their particular gifts and skills might “fit”. This process will require consultation and discussion to ensure agreement and “ownership” across the benefice / parish
Your vision /your priorities -as a congregation/s something about your hopes, your plans for the future.
Strengths, weakness, opportunities and challenges of the Parish/Benefice/Team -list these as honestly as possible.
Unfulfilled potential – what are those initiatives, issues or concerns which have been present for some time, but you have not been able to respond to as you would want, but, if you did, could make a substantial difference to the mission of the church?
Community links - what are the outward expressions of the church’s care and service in the wider community? What you do together for the community- how you relate to and learn from the community – your outreach, schools, shops, farmers, industry etc
Nurture and evangelism – how is your church hoping to grow? What nurture groups (eg Alpha, Emmaus etc) do you have to enable people to explore the Christian faith. What small groups do you have to help people to grow and develop in their faith?
Church or other Schools -what relationship do you have with Church, State or private schools in the benefice/parish? What opportunities are there for closer working or developing mission opportunities? How will the school be involved in the profile or interview process?
A person specification - that matches your vision with people skills (see separate sheet)
The Geography of the Parish/Benefice
Map of the wider area and of the benefice/parish -emphasise potential transport links with large centres, anything remarkable about general communications
Social Geography -area, location, housing, industry/economy, culture, local councils, natural centres, schools, hospitals, key networks, shops, leisure facilities.
Schools -details of nearby schools lying beyond the benefice (to help a potential incumbent with children of school age). Is selection part of the local authority process?
Demography - population and patterns of age-range within the population/s (relate to the facilities above as appropriate)
Issues and concerns -closure of facilities, young people, house prices, rural issues, unemployment, projected by-pass, expansion etc
Parish/Benefice/Team Parish boundaries, presence of other Christian churches or other faith communities -explanation of how the parish/benefice/team works. Numbers on electoral roll. Any other staff or voluntary help. Parish Office/secretarial help.
The Worshipping Community
Worship -pattern and style of services, Sunday and mid-week, special occasions, Ecumenical links, books used, music, Mums and Toddlers, homes for elderly, prisons, home communions. Who leads/takes part in leading worship?
Ministers - Licenced Lay Ministers, NSMs, House-for-Duty, OLM, Authorised ministers for Preaching or Communion by Extension, anyone in training.
Ministry Team / Organisation - who does what? Responsibilities of clergy, work with wardens, PCC, standing committee. Extent of collaborative / shared ministry and shape of the ministry team/teams.
Life of the church - Sunday School, Youth Group, After schools clubs, Choir, M.U., uniformed organisations, regular social events, house/study groups, prayer groups/partners, links with organisations. This could include something that gives the reader a “flavour” of your parish/benefice.team unless you have put it elsewhere.
Occasional Offices - numbers of baptisms, weddings and Funerals in the last calendar year.
Events - Regular “specials” that you know will happen - fete, carnival, special links with village organisations, flower festival and so on.
PCC/DCC/JPCC -how many, how they relate to each other, other bodies, how often meetings are held, sub-committees etc.
Giving and money -some information about money, covenants, envelope scheme, about the congregation’s philosophy about money, stewardship of time and talents, You should include a brief summary of your accounts and a note of whether you are “paying your way.”
Links with the wider world and the wider church -what do you do to express your partnership with the world church? Giving of money, prayer, learning about and solidarity with those in need.
Local Trusts List the Trusts of which the applicant if successful would become a trustee. Include anything remarkable.
Buildings
The Church -short history of church buildings, points of main interest – architecture, main features(visitors, tourists), is the church left open? General state of repair. Any plans to re-order church buildings?
Attached buildings - kitchen/ cloakroom, halls, foyer, side chapels etc
Other church buildings – halls, other houses.
The Vicarage/Rectory:
General description, site in the benefice/parish relative to the church/es, age, garden, rooms – rather as an estate agent would describe – significant features, if any.
Other Information
Deanery perspectives -this statement is usually prepared by the Area Dean / Lay Chair and reflections the nature of the deanery and key strategic issues which affect this appointment, eg the Deanery Plan.
Diocesan Perspective - the Parish Development Adviser may be able to advise you on this section.