PARISH PROFILE `
Parish of Gainsborough and Morton Diocese of Lincoln in Archdeaconry of Stow and Lindsey
INCUMBENT The Reverend Canon Michael Cooney 32 Morton Terrace Gainsborough Lincolnshire DN21 2RQ Tel : 01427 679407 Email : michael.cooney@btinternet.com
Date of Ordination: Length of time in parish:
Deacon: 29th June 1980 Licensed: 4th July 2012
Priest:
28th June 1981
Previous Experience: 1980-1983 Assistant Curate, Coventry East Team Ministry 1983-1985 Assistant Curate, Old Brumby Team Ministry, Scunthorpe 1985-1990 Vicar, St. John’s Church, Ermine, Lincoln 1990-2005 Vicar, St. Lawrence, Frodingham, Scunthorpe 1995-2012 Area Warden of Readers 1999-2010 Rural Dean, Manlake, North Lincolnshire 2005-2010 Rural Dean, Isle of Axholme, North Lincolnshire 2005-2013 Chaplain to the Economy, North Lincolnshire 2004Honorary Canon of Lincoln Cathedral In the 33 years since ordination, I have been privileged to exercise my priestly ministry in a variety of settings - urban, rural, chaplaincy, ecumenical and interfaith – and have considerable experience of providing leadership both in the church and in the wider community. I have a firm commitment to ‘Kingdom values’ – compassion, justice and hospitality – that enable people to flourish and fulfill their God given potential. I believe that the church should be an open, inclusive and welcoming community that engages with society and brings Christian insight to bear on current issues. To this end I aim to present the Christian faith in a way that speaks to ordinary men and women and enriches their experience of living in contemporary society. The Parish of Gainsborough and Morton is to become a training hub for lay and ordained ministry in the Diocese of Lincoln. I look forward to exploring with colleagues what it means to exercise ministry amid the complexities of life in the 21st Century.
TRAINING POST FOR: Deacon who expects to be ordained Priest Married couple in ministry 1
THE PARISH SETTING Gainsborough is a friendly market town, situated on the Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire border, with a proud heritage dating back to Viking times. It is located on the river Trent. To the North lies the village of Morton. The total population of the parish is around 20,000. Historically the prosperity of the area was founded on the river, and it was a centre for grain milling and malting.
West Lindsey District
The arrival of Tesco’s, in competition with Morrison’s, already in the town, gave a boost to the town in 1999. That was followed by the renovation of Marshall’s Yard as a new shopping facility adjacent to the town centre which attracts people from outside the town.
The River Trent. Marshalls Yard
Gradually this gave way to engineering, and manufacturing. Today the main employers in the town are smaller manufacturing & engineering firms on the industrial estates, including Ping, and West Lindsey District Council. In the last fifteen years Single Regeneration Budget money has funded a five million pound project to upgrade council housing stock in the 'Uphill' area of the town, and a similar funded project of twelve million pounds has renewed the flood defences. The latter investment has done much to improve the appearance of the riverside, and has attracted investment for conversion of the former warehousing and mill facilities into housing and commercial ventures.
The town centre has been re-modelled. West Lindsey Council has recently published a document called Growth Point. This outlines plans for further development of the town up till 2026. Plans are in place to expand the town to a population of 40,000. The master plan has identified a need to attract younger people to live in the town. The first phase of this development is currently underway with the building of 2,000 houses on the south eastern area of the town. Local Amenities • Gainsborough is located approximately 19 miles from Lincoln and Doncaster and 16 miles from Scunthorpe. With close road links to the A1 and motorway network. There are also good bus services and a local railway station. 2
Parish Church. Within the town there are also links to the Pilgrim Fathers.
• The compact town centre has a variety of local shops and facilities. There are also major supermarket chains located in the town. There is a busy twice-weekly market. • Locally there is good nursery provision, primary and secondary schools and a college. There is also the recently built Trent Valley Academy and the Queen Elizabeth’s High School - a selective grammar school drawing from a large catchment area. • Good health care provision in the town with 3 doctor’s surgeries and several local dentists. John Coupland Hospital is a small community style hospital with a minor injuries unit. • Excellent local Gainsborough Golf course and other leisure facilities including swimming pools and gym complexes.
The Old Hall
THE CHURCHES
All Saints’
• Trinity Arts centre stages theatrical, musical productions and is also the local cinema.
All Saints is an urban, town-centre church in the middle of Gainsborough. It has a distinct civic function and relates to many organizations within the town.
Trinity Arts Centre
• Many local community groups who run a variety of activities ranging from music, sports, arts and horticulture amongst others. • Close by are local wooded areas and riverside walks suitable for walkers. Among the many surprises in the town is a magnificent medieval old hall opposite the Gainsborough Market
St. Paul’s
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St. Paul’s, Morton is a more traditional village church with links to the village school as well as uniformed organisations.
All Saints Church runs a Café which is open every morning and is well-used by members of the congregation and others. It provides a very welcome friendly atmosphere and enables the church to be kept open for visitors throughout the week. While, St Paul’s, Morton is not kept permanently open, the people there try to ensure that it is available to anyone who wishes to use it. Both buildings are wheelchair friendly, have a toilet, and children’s area.
‘The tradition of both churches is probably best described as ‘central’ with reservation and vestments.’
A regular pattern of Sunday and weekday worship is maintained across the parish. As would be expected, the church includes in its prayers those who are sick or housebound and the recently departed as well as matters of local, national and international concern. Individual church members are involved in many charities and voluntary groups.
St George’s Community Centre St. George’s was closed as a worship centre in 2008 and is now being redeveloped as a centre for social outreach in one of the more deprived areas of town.
There has been a long tradition in the Parish of Study Groups being held during Advent and Lent and at other times. The Parish has, for many years, had a strong commitment to lay ministry. There is a dedicated team of lay ministers who are involved in many areas of church life including leading worship, leading study groups, running children’s activities, providing links with schools and offering Home Communion across the parish. The ministry team includes two Readers and two lay funeral takers as well as other lay ministers trained under various different diocesan schemes. The ground-breaking lay funeral scheme was started here in Gainsborough and is highly successful. In addition, an assistant curate will be joining the team in July this year.
The churches in the parish seek to be inclusive, offering a warm welcome to all who are looking in some way to journey with God. They are churches which value faith, love, integrity, forgiveness and joy. The church communities seek to offer friendship and support to members, have a willingness to respond to good causes and seek to reach out in service to the wider community. The tradition at both churches is probably best described as ‘central’ with reservation and vestments.
Worship on Sunday and during the Week All Saints 8.00 4
Eucharist (BCP)
10.30 18.00
(2nd and 4th Sunday) Parish Eucharist (CW) Evensong (2nd and 4th Sunday)
Mon-Fri 9.00 17.00
Morning Prayer (CW) Evening Prayer (CW)
Thurs 11.30
Eucharist (BCP)
St. Paul’s 10.30 9.00 9.00
Parish Communion with Junior Church choir
Team Parish Eucharist at All Saints (1st Sunday) Eucharist (CW) (2nd and 4th Sunday) Service of the Word (3rd Sunday)
During Holy Week and Easter the Parish celebrates the traditional round of services, particularly during the Triduum, and use the liturgical material in CW Times and Seasons. The worship of God lies at the heart of the life of the Parish and there is a strong sense of the importance of offering the very best liturgy possible which has been prepared with thought and care.
Throughout the year a number of special services are held and these are well supported. These include Mothering Sunday, the Harvest Festival, the Memorial Service for bereaved families at All Souls and Remembrance Sunday. At Christmas, the Midnight Mass, the Parish Community Carol Service and the Christingle Service are extremely popular. At many special services at All Saints, we are joined by the Junior Choir based at the local church school.
St. Paul’s In 2012 there were 120 baptisms and 25 weddings celebrated in the churches. In addition, the clergy conducted 110 funerals, 75% of which are held in church. The clergy say the Daily Office together and are sometimes joined by others from the parish in the evening. There is a range of activities associated with the Parish, including an active Mothers 5
Union, a Men’s Fellowship (called the Shed). Simple Lunches served monthly at St. George’s are also popular. All Saints Church offers regular Saturday workshops for children as well as Messy Church.
The parish is fully supportive of the ordination of women, is committed to inclusive ministry in its corporate life and would welcome interest from women or men looking to share this vision at the start of their ordained ministry.
Our aims as a Team •
• There is a small group called Saints Alive which meets in the Vestry during Sunday morning worship.
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There are a number of retirement and nursing homes in the Parish and this is an area of ministry that could be further developed. The John Coupland Hospital and the St. Barnabas Hospice Daycare Centre are also situated in the Parish. Although there is a hospital chaplain, parish clergy are occasionally called upon to assist in an emergency.
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There are two church primary schools within the parish which welcome their relationship with the church and clergy. All Saints has a particularly close relationship with the Parish School next door. A Junior Choir of Key Stage 2 pupils practices weekly with members of the congregation and takes part in a number of special Sunday services during the year, including Harvest, Remembrance Sunday, Palm Sunday and Pentecost.
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To provide Christian Worship that is dignified, welcoming to all and is relevant to the people God has placed us among. To continue to grow our vibrant and flourishing church congregations in size and maturity. To mobilise, develop and encourage Lay and ordained local ministry. In recent years we have grown two OLM’s who have gone on to stipendiary ministry elsewhere. To network with all those who work for the improvement of life in our town, and reflect on the connections between our faith and the life of the community and to celebrate when possible that which is good within the community. To baptize, after due preparation, those who come to us seeking baptism. We have an open baptism policy. To marry those who seek Christian Marriage. To enhance and strengthen links with local schools.
Possible Areas of Responsibility
Clergy and Readers take assemblies and lead special services for other schools in Gainsborough as requested. There is also a good relationship with the County Primary school in Morton.
Development of work with children Development of work with youth Communications 6
Faith Development Community Development Mission and Outreach Ministry to Residential and Nursing Homes
practice ministry.
and
understanding
of
Bishop’s Notes for Training Incumbents and Curates
Whoever is appointed as Assistant Curate ACCOMODATION here will be joining a committed group of Christians who take their faith and ministry seriously. This person will come with his or her own gifts and particular experience. Housing will be provided for whoever is Our priority as a parish will be to try and appointed. The Diocese of Lincoln is aware utilise and help develop these gifts within that this is an issue of major importance to our overall vision but also to give the newly prospective candidate and is committed to appointed curate the opportunity to providing a high standard of housing for all experiment and try new things. While it is clergy. expected that the diaconal year will be based in Gainsborough and Morton, neighbouring areas will provide an extended variety of contexts and We aim to celebrate all that is good experiences, in the ensuing years, upon and of God within our Community. which the curate can draw. The Purpose of a Curacy To share in the mission and ministry of the People of God in a particular place and
All Saints’
to establish patterns of prayer which will shape and sustain ministry, in order to acquire the knowledge, skills and expertise in ministerial, representative and sacramental leadership in the local church and the Church of England; to reflect, in supervision, upon a wide range of experiences, in order to develop ministry in the curacy and for the future. Participating fully in IME will also be part of this;
‘Whoever is appointed as Assistant Curate here will be joining a committed group of Christians who take their faith and ministry seriously. This person will come with his or her
to encourage personal development through integrating past experience, spirituality, and theology with the 7
own gifts and particular experience. Our priority as a parish will be to try and utilise and help develop these gifts within our overall vision‌’
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