Youth
We have an enthusiastic and experienced team of leaders for our God’s Gang (the name our children chose for Sunday School). We currently have 30+ children on our register for God’s Gang – ages range from 2 -17.
Our leaders follow a new programme jam packed with hands on activities which help our children learn the values that will serve as a Christian foundation for their lives. They learn this through crafts, dramas, songs, games, puzzles and stories.
They meet for the first half of the 10am service and join the rest of the congregation in time to share the Peace. They often have something to tell and show us. They also display their work on a dedicated display board in the church hall.
During the Toy Service at Christmas, God’s Gang perform a nativity. During January we have a God’s Gang party. In July we have God’s Gang Prize Giving when each child receives a certificate and a small gift.
In addition to these in-house activities, the children in our church attend Praise Parties held at a neighbouring church.
We have taken small groups of teenagers to Angel Space in Rochester Cathedral.
Worship
We maintain a middle level of churchmanship;
vestments are worn at the main Eucharist service.
Weekly Services
Sunday
8.00 am Holy Communion (1662)
10.00 am Eucharist (including healing – 4th Sunday)
1st SundayAll-Age Worship - usually non-Eucharistic
(Uniformed groups are invited to Parade service 4 times a year.)
6.30 pm
1st SundayParish Eucharist
2nd SundayEvensong
3rd Sunday Evensong/Film
4th SundayIona Service
Wednesday
9.30 amHoly Communion
Other Services and Major Festivals
High Mass with incense for Ascension Day and St Andrew’s day at 8.00pm
On the 5th Sunday of the month Songs of Praise or another similar service replaces Evensong.
Once a year – we have a special service for those whose funerals we have conducted during the year. This takes place at 6.30pm Sunday evening.
We also have a special service for Bereaved Parents in the evening of a weekday in December.
Holy Week
Maundy Thursday - Passover Meal and Holy Communion – stripping of the altar, with vigil until 12 midnight
Good Friday
12 noon -1pm Walk of Witness with neighbouring Catholic church
1pm-2pm Stations of the Cross 2pm-3pmHoly Communion
Easter Eve
11.30pmMidnight service of light with Communion.
Easter Day
8.00am Communion (1662)
10.00am Parish Eucharist
6.30pm Evensong
Advent/Christmas (apart from Christmas day we offer)
Sunday before Christmas
10amGod’s Gang Nativity
6.30pm9 Lessons and Carols
Christmas Eve
3pm & 4pm Christingle Services
11.30pm Midnight Mass
Baptisms, Marriages & Funerals
Baptisms take place during the 10.-00 am service on the 3rd Sunday of the month. There were 10 Baptisms in 2008 including 1 adult and 4 in 2009 (all children). There were 2 weddings in 2008. There were 19 funerals in 2008 and 10 in 2009 (up to 4th March)
Confirmations
Confirmation services take place in St Andrews and All Saint’s Church Belvedere on alternate years. The number confirmed in 2008 was 10 - five children and five adults.
Music
We have a broad choral tradition – a choir that is affiliated to the Royal College of Church Music. Junior choristers can undergo both internal and external RSCM examinations. We have a tradition of choral Evensong, sung Eucharist and special choral events.
We also have a Music Group with various musicians who play and sing at the monthly All-age worship, Cafe style worship and informal evening services.
We use A&M revised, Hymns for Today, a Hymn Supplement, and Iona music. We also hold a copyright licence to enable us to sing music that is newer and more varied and this is the music used at our All-Age services.
Ministry Team
1 Licensed Reader. Also licensed to officiate at funerals.
1 Reader with the Bishop’s permission to officiate
1 Reader Emeritus
1 Pastoral Assistant
2 Parish Evangelists.
Ministry Team meet regularly for prayer and study
Study Groups
There are four Bible Study groups that meet regularly once a month.
Ecumenical
We have a good relationship with St Thomas More (Roman Catholic) Church and with Pantiles Methodist Church. We attend the Methodist Annual Covenant service and we attend the Unity services at St. Thomas More. In turn, we invite both churches to our special services during the year. Members of St Thomas More always join us for our Walk of Witness on Good Friday and remain for the Stations of the Cross and about 10 of them including Father John are currently attending our Lent Course.
We are looking for in an incumbent who will:
We have an enthusiastic and experienced team of leaders for our God’s Gang (the name our children chose for Sunday School). We currently have 30+ children on our register for God’s Gang – ages range from 2 -17.
Our leaders follow a new programme jam packed with hands on activities which help our children learn the values that will serve as a Christian foundation for their lives. They learn this through crafts, dramas, songs, games, puzzles and stories.
They meet for the first half of the 10am service and join the rest of the congregation in time to share the Peace. They often have something to tell and show us. They also display their work on a dedicated display board in the church hall.
During the Toy Service at Christmas, God’s Gang perform a nativity. During January we have a God’s Gang party. In July we have God’s Gang Prize Giving when each child receives a certificate and a small gift.
In addition to these in-house activities, the children in our church attend Praise Parties held at a neighbouring church.
We have taken small groups of teenagers to Angel Space in Rochester Cathedral.
Worship
We maintain a middle level of churchmanship;
vestments are worn at the main Eucharist service.
Weekly Services
Sunday
8.00 am Holy Communion (1662)
10.00 am Eucharist (including healing – 4th Sunday)
1st SundayAll-Age Worship - usually non-Eucharistic
(Uniformed groups are invited to Parade service 4 times a year.)
6.30 pm
1st SundayParish Eucharist
2nd SundayEvensong
3rd Sunday Evensong/Film
4th SundayIona Service
Wednesday
9.30 amHoly Communion
Other Services and Major Festivals
High Mass with incense for Ascension Day and St Andrew’s day at 8.00pm
On the 5th Sunday of the month Songs of Praise or another similar service replaces Evensong.
Once a year – we have a special service for those whose funerals we have conducted during the year. This takes place at 6.30pm Sunday evening.
We also have a special service for Bereaved Parents in the evening of a weekday in December.
Holy Week
Maundy Thursday - Passover Meal and Holy Communion – stripping of the altar, with vigil until 12 midnight
Good Friday
12 noon -1pm Walk of Witness with neighbouring Catholic church
1pm-2pm Stations of the Cross 2pm-3pmHoly Communion
Easter Eve
11.30pmMidnight service of light with Communion.
Easter Day
8.00am Communion (1662)
10.00am Parish Eucharist
6.30pm Evensong
Advent/Christmas (apart from Christmas day we offer)
Sunday before Christmas
10amGod’s Gang Nativity
6.30pm9 Lessons and Carols
Christmas Eve
3pm & 4pm Christingle Services
11.30pm Midnight Mass
Baptisms, Marriages & Funerals
Baptisms take place during the 10.-00 am service on the 3rd Sunday of the month. There were 10 Baptisms in 2008 including 1 adult and 4 in 2009 (all children). There were 2 weddings in 2008. There were 19 funerals in 2008 and 10 in 2009 (up to 4th March)
Confirmations
Confirmation services take place in St Andrews and All Saint’s Church Belvedere on alternate years. The number confirmed in 2008 was 10 - five children and five adults.
Music
We have a broad choral tradition – a choir that is affiliated to the Royal College of Church Music. Junior choristers can undergo both internal and external RSCM examinations. We have a tradition of choral Evensong, sung Eucharist and special choral events.
We also have a Music Group with various musicians who play and sing at the monthly All-age worship, Cafe style worship and informal evening services.
We use A&M revised, Hymns for Today, a Hymn Supplement, and Iona music. We also hold a copyright licence to enable us to sing music that is newer and more varied and this is the music used at our All-Age services.
Ministry Team
1 Licensed Reader. Also licensed to officiate at funerals.
1 Reader with the Bishop’s permission to officiate
1 Reader Emeritus
1 Pastoral Assistant
2 Parish Evangelists.
Ministry Team meet regularly for prayer and study
Study Groups
There are four Bible Study groups that meet regularly once a month.
Ecumenical
We have a good relationship with St Thomas More (Roman Catholic) Church and with Pantiles Methodist Church. We attend the Methodist Annual Covenant service and we attend the Unity services at St. Thomas More. In turn, we invite both churches to our special services during the year. Members of St Thomas More always join us for our Walk of Witness on Good Friday and remain for the Stations of the Cross and about 10 of them including Father John are currently attending our Lent Course.
We are looking for in an incumbent who will:
-
build on our traditional and non-traditional worship and liturgy, preaching and teaching - and introduce new people to this rich heritage;
-
extend work with schools, children and families, with a particular focus on youth work and the monthly All Age Service;
-
continue the emphasis on the pastoral care of church members and parishioners;
-
build on our reputation for being welcoming, friendly and hospitable;
-
develop the spiritual lives, gifts and talents of individuals
-
be a person with excellent interpersonal skills and have a good sense of humour;
-
have an appreciation of music and the ability to lead the music group at the more informal services;
-
be able and willing to delegate, use the skills and abilities of church members, and encourage them to grow;
-
be conversant with and embrace the use of I. T. and the modern audio and visual technology in the church;
-
engage and develop a close relationship with the parish, local and church groups and organisations;
-
be fully committed to a collaborative ministry and encourage lay participation; and
-
encourage and develop our tradition of charity work and financial support for both local and national charities.
Other schools in the area, but outside the parish, are a Church of England Primary School (St. Michaels East Wickham - not Rochester Diocese) and Holy Trinity Senior School in Belvedere. Both schools are within five minutes drive from the church.
Service to the community
Our role within the community is an important one which we take very seriously.
Both the church and the hall are used to help fulfil the needs of the community. The Amazing Grace Church have a contract to use the church each Sunday between 1 - 4 pm. It is also used for community meetings such as ‘Neighbourhood Watch, Residents Association and the Police Authority’.
The hall is let out on a regular basis and we have a thriving Ofsted registered playgroup. Uniformed organizations, ladies and senior citizens groups are among the many groups which use the hall.
One service that is very important to St. Andrews is offering our facilities to a local bereaved parents group, the Terry Brooker Foundation. An annual Christmas service is included.
Of course through the year we have many ‘in house’ social functions in the hall which are widely advertised and well attended. For more details of clubs, events and services please refer to this website.
St.
Andrew's Church Profile
St Andrew’s Church – Bostall Heath
Parish
St. Andrews is a residential parish with a population of approximately 6,000. The parish has a good cross section of mixed ages and this is reflected in our congregation. We have a very supportive congregation who are willing to put their talents into the running of the parish.
Bedonwell Primary Schools (the largest in the borough) are within our parish and we are pastorally committed to minister to them. The vicar or a lay person frequently visit the school and both the infants and the juniors come (at different times) to the church to learn more about how the church works They also often participate in the entertainment at our church fairs.
Buildings
The buildings on the site include the Church, Church Hall and the Vicarage. These were all built in the 1950/60’s and are in good repair. The Vicarage has four bedrooms and its own garden. There is a Garden of Remembrance located between the Church and the Vicarage.
The buildings on the site include the Church, Church Hall and the Vicarage. These were all built in the 1950/60’s and are in good repair. The Vicarage has four bedrooms and its own garden. There is a Garden of Remembrance located between the Church and the Vicarage.
A Parish Office is located between the Church and Hall. We employ a part-time Parish Administrator.
Recent
changes to the Church have included removing the pews and replacing with
chairs, modern lighting and new central heating.
We have just started to raise money for further improvements i.e. new choir responds and an updated Audio/Visual system.
We have just started to raise money for further improvements i.e. new choir responds and an updated Audio/Visual system.
