Parish Profile – St Mary Redcliffe - Diocese of Bristol

St Mary Redcliffe
Bristol
Parish Profile

CONTENTS
1. General Introduction ............................................................................................... 3
2. The context / parish setting ........................................................................................ 4
3. The Church Building .................................................................................................... 6
4. Services ........................................................................................................................... 7
5. Ministry ........................................................................................................................... 9
6. The Church Wardens ................................................................................................ 11
7. The Church Staff ......................................................................................................... 11
8. The PCC .................................................................................................................... 13
9. The St Mary Redcliffe Church Lands Charity (the ‘Vestry’) ............................. 15
10. The Bells and Bell Ringers ..................................................................................... 17
11. Other Parish Organisations .................................................................................. 18
12. Mission and Ministry ............................................................................................... 19
13. Outreach: .................................................................................................................. 20
14. Other Charities and Groups................................................................................. 24
15. Special Annual Services .......................................................................................... 25
16. Vision and Priorities ................................................................................................ 26
Appendices
1 Guidebook (hard copy)
2 PCC Accounts for 2011
3 Fabric Report – 9 th July 2012
4 Fabric Projects Completed - between April 2011 and March 2012
5 An Agenda for Growth – 2008
6 Organograms – Staff, Ministry, Volunteers, PCC, Vestry
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1. General Introduction
Parish: St Mary Redcliffe and Temple, Bristol
with St John the Baptist, Bedminster
Deanery: South Bristol
Diocese : Bristol
We have tried to show in this profile something about our church and its people,
including all the groups and organisations linked with us. We like to think of our
church as a welcoming place and community, both for new members of our
congregation and for the many visitors we have each year. The building itself
inspires us to “Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness” and we love to share
it with others. For more information about particular aspects, programmes and
contact details, please refer to our website www.stmaryredcliffe.co.uk or call the
parish office - Tel: +44 (0)117 9291487
Since the beginning of the vacancy, in accordance with diocesan policy, one of the
Diocesan Leadership Development Advisers, Canon Douglas Holt, has been
working with us to reflect on the life and future direction of the parish. His Phase
1 report at the end of June raised a number of issues, some of which are of deep
concern to us all. Other points seem to indicate that we are not communicating
well enough about what we have done and are currently doing. We plan to review
this report at a parish meeting on a Sunday morning in October to which the
Church Wardens and PCC will bring proposals to help us to address these issues.
However, the report also suggested that we should move to the appointment of a
new parish priest as soon as possible. We have been encouraged in this by the
Bishop and by the Diocesan Advisers.
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2. The context / parish setting
The parish is located to the south of the city centre of Bristol. There are about 3000 residents of the
parish, but this is expanding rapidly as former industrial and commercial buildings are converted into
multiple occupancy residential use. It is a very mixed parish that runs along the riverside and
incorporates a whole variety of housing stock. The church itself sits on a dividing line within the parish.
To the north there is a growing business community, including especially financial and legal services.
There are also residential flats, some of which are quite recent developments, that attract young
professional people into the area. To the south of the church there is a small local authority estate of
about eight blocks of flats. It is predominantly a white working class area, but there is also a significant
Somali community. The Redcliffe Way corridor which forms the dividing line is currently the subject of
much planning for future development and we at St Mary Redcliffe are getting involved in this to ensure
that such development is sensitive to the needs of the church and parish, bringing people together around
the church.
Map of the Parish
This shows how most of the parish boundaries are defined by water ways and railways – making
it quite difficult to ‘Beat the Bounds’, though we have tried to do it occasionally.
We have a different tradition at Redcliffe of walking the pipe line. The ‘Pipe Walk’ takes place
every autumn – we go to the spring in Knowle, given to Redcliffe by Roger de Berkeley in 1207,
and we then trace the route of the pipe down through Bedminster to St Mary Redcliffe.
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Within the parish boundary there is a large Church of England secondary school, with a separate sixth
form centre, and there is also a local authority children’s centre. The building currently occupied by our
associated Church of England primary school lies just outside the parish. There are several large hotels
as well as a number of retirement homes and sheltered accommodation. Two of these (Fry’s House of
Mercy and Dr White’s Close) have strong links with the church. There are numerous business buildings
including some prestigious new developments and a number of local pubs, restaurants and casinos,
catering for a wide range of tastes. The dockside of the Bristol ‘floating harbour’ forms part of the parish
boundary. Bristol Temple Meads station is also within the parish.
Aerial Views of the Parish
Bristol has a long links with aviation, in particular with the Aerospace Industry at Filton north of
the city; Bristol is also a thriving centre for hot air ballooning so we are often able to obtain
photos of our church and parish from above. Balloon manufacture actually takes place in our
parish. The view above shows most of the parish with St Mary Redcliffe at the centre.
While the spire is the
most striking landmark
from ground level it is the
shape of the high roof,
forming a clear white
cross, which is the most
striking feature from
above, as shown in this
photograph taken from a
balloon.
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St Mary Redcliffe Cemetery
This Cemetery is about 2 miles away on the Bath Road. It is now closed and under the care of
Bristol City Council, but is used occasionally for burials, in existing family graves. It has a chapel
which is also closed and is in the hands of Bristol Diocese and the Church Commissioners.
3. The Church Building
St Mary Redcliffe church is a significant landmark within the city of Bristol and is a Grade I listed building
of international architectural significance. It was mostly built over a 300 year period from the early 13 th
century to the 15 th century. The oldest surviving parts date from 1115 although the majority of the
current building is 15 th century. There have, of course, been many alterations and restoration activities
since then, particularly in the Victorian era when, for example, the spire was rebuilt. Appendix 1, our
Visitors’ Guide Book, gives more details. The church attracts thousands of visitors and tourists each
year, and also has an historic role within the city of Bristol; it hosts an annual civic service at Pentecost –
Rush Sunday – to which the Lord Mayor, Councillors and Aldermen of the city come.
St Mary Redcliffe is the only operating Church of England church in the parish. The other churches in
the parish are Temple church, which is a ruin with a well-known leaning tower, and St Thomas’s, which is
currently being used by the Romanian Orthodox Church. St John’s church has been demolished, as have
St Luke’s and St Raphael’s (and all absorbed into our parish).
St Mary Redcliffe Vicarage
The vicarage is a Grade II listed Georgian
fronted building 150 yards west of the
church at 10 Redcliffe Parade West,
overlooking the Floating Harbour.
It has 3 reception rooms, a large kitchen, a
utility room, 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms
(1 ensuite) on 4 floors, as well as a
substantial basement. It also has a small
garden and a large garage reached by the
back lane.
It is in a good state of repair following
considerable renovation work.
The Church Centre
This comprises a hall and an ex Methodist chapel building, adjacent to the church on
Prewett Street, owned jointly by St Mary Redcliffe and the Methodist Church. It is used
for many purposes, both by ourselves as a church hall and by other churches and local
organisations as a venue. Although St Mary Redcliffe PCC has ultimate responsibility for the
Church Centre under the Sharing Agreement, the PCC has delegated its management to a
separate management committee, which includes representatives from our church.
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4. Services
Ecclesiastical Tradition:
St Mary Redcliffe is a broad church with a well-established
choral tradition. Some aspects of catholic liturgical practice are
used (e.g. vestments, processing the Gospel), but the forms of
worship preferred by most of the congregation are liberal
catholic, neither high church nor evangelical. Incense is hardly
ever used and liturgically we bow rather than genuflect; the
choirs lead the hymns and canticles, accompanied by our
wonderful organ. We use the New English Hymnal,
occasionally supplemented.
Sunday Worship:
Over recent years a pattern of Sunday Services has been
developed which has very wide support from our congregation
and reflects our long and distinguished musical tradition. Our
9.30am Eucharist welcomes all, including families and children,
with a Sunday School in the Undercroft during the service and
refreshments are served in the West nave after the service.
There is a sermon or homily at each service.
8am Holy Communion (Common Worship Order 1, traditional language - a quiet said service)
9.30am Sung Eucharist (Common Worship Order 1, traditional language except
1st Sunday of month when we use contemporary language)
11.15am Choral Mattins (Shortened form of the Book of Common Prayer)
6.30pm Choral Evensong (Book of Common Prayer)
Sunday Attendance
Includes All :-
Congregation,
Ministers,
Choir,
Servers
(but not Sunday School)
Weekday services:
Daily Offices 8.30am Morning Prayer, 4.30pm Evening Prayer
Monday 7.30pm Taizé service (2 nd Monday in month)
Tuesday 12.30pm Holy Communion (CW, Order 1, contemporary language)
Thursday 12.30pm Holy Communion (CW, Order 1, contemporary language,
this includes prayers for healing every 2 nd and 4 th Thursday)
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Occasional Offices:
During 2011 20 baptisms, 16 weddings and 13 funerals were conducted. In addition to this a number of
wedding blessings and burials of ashes were also conducted. Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals are, of
course, continuing during the vacancy.
Sunday School:
Sunday School takes place in the undercroft during the 9:30 Eucharist, with the children leaving the
church, with a prayer, after the Gloria and returning at the Communion. About 20 children attend each
week in 4 groups:- Sparks (18mths to 4), Candles (4 to 7), Lamps (7 to 10), Fireworks (10 to 14).
Some of their parents choose to stay in the undercroft during Sunday School, especially those of the
younger children.
We have a dedicated team of 12 leaders (all of whom have been through our Child Protection Procedure
and CRB checks). We use the Scripture Union Light syllabus for all of the groups but the very young are
also welcome to come down and play with the toys. Once a month we have the “First Sunday Service”
when a priest comes down and takes a service, similar in some ways to the service in Church.
We also organize Good Friday activities, a September picnic and a pre-Christmas celebration.
Congregation:
There are currently 355 on our electoral roll and our Usual Sunday Attendance is about 220 adults and
50 children (including choirs), boosted to over 400 on special occasions and sometimes up to 800.
The congregation is drawn from all across Bristol and beyond with only about 10% living within the
parish. The age distribution of those attending all services, taken during a typical week in May 2012, is
shown below. They are shown below as percentages of those who responded to the request.
0 5 10 15 20 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
CHILDREN ADULTS
This shows quite an even spread across the age ranges – the notable exception being those between the
ages of 15 and 30
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4. Ministry
Licensed Assistant Ministers:
The Revd Wendy Hough Parish Missioner & School Chaplain (half time each)
Wendy’s role as Missioner is to build and strengthen links with the people and organisations in Redcliffe
parish, to enable the outreach of St Mary Redcliffe church community to its parish. This involves
supporting and developing the work of Redcliffe Care, focussing mission, engendering faith and leading
worship. Her linked role as chaplain requires teaching and pastoral work in SMRT school, leading
services for the pupils, both in the school and in St Mary Redcliffe church, and thereby strengthening the
links between school and church. She leads and preaches at Sunday services all through the year except
for six weeks holiday. Wendy lives in a church property, adjacent to the south churchyard, with her
teenage daughter.
The Revd Dr Hester Jones Associate Priest (part time, Self Supporting)
Hester’s ministry includes presiding, preaching and assisting at Sunday services and weekday services, as
well as taking baptisms, weddings and funerals. As a self-supporting priest, she coordinates the monthly
Taizé worship and the weekly Silent Prayer Meeting, has led Parish Retreats and Pilgrimages, and enjoys
time spent among the Choirs and the opportunity to be alongside Boys, Girls and Men on their Annual
Tours. Her part-time work in the University of Bristol has led to some fruitful links with both students
and staff, and her current writing on Twentieth-Century Poetry and Christianity can creatively inform
ministry, and vice versa! In outreach to the wider world she has been involved in developing a link
between St Mary Redcliffe and the Church of the Saviour of the World, Xai-Xai, coordinating our food
collection for the Sisters of the Church, as well as helping to gather Shoebox gifts and donations for
UkraineAid. Hester is also a member of the Deanery Leadership Team. She is married to Ralph, who
also works in Bristol University, and is mother to Barney (13) and Constance (11); they all enjoy
taking part in church life, particularly in the choirs. Hester has one Sunday per month and four weeks per
year off-duty.
Licensed Retired Ministers:
The Revd Peter Dill Retired priest who ministers regularly
The Revd Canon Michael Vooght Retired priest who ministers regularly
The Revd Canon John Rogan Retired priest who ministers regularly
The Revd Canon Neville Boundy Retired priest who ministers occasionally
No resolutions under the Priest (Ordination of Women) Measure have been passed
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Lay involvement:
Lay people sometimes lead Mattins and Evensong on Sundays and take many roles at the Eucharists. Lay
people are involved in pastoral visiting. A Ministry Team, comprising clergy and lay service officiants,
meets weekly to review and prepare for worship, and to address any pastoral needs that have arisen and
respond appropriately. Pastoral contact groups have also been put together to respond to needs both of
established members of the congregation and of newer worshippers, but the full working through of
these groups has been put on hold during the vacancy.
Lay Officiants
Sundays, Matins/Evensong Bryan Anderson, Denise Reynolds, Alison Ranken
Weekday Offices Matthew Buckmaster, Carys Underdown, Bryan Anderson
Angela Hogg, Cecile Gillard and others
Administrants
There are nineteen lay administrants who assist at the Sunday communion services, a small group at the 8
am said Communion service and a larger group at the 9.30 Sung Eucharist. Nine of them serve as
Deacon or Sub Deacon at the 9.30 service. Regular training opportunities are available and we always
seek to offer worship that is dignified and reverent.
Servers
Servers cover a wide age range with the youngest being aged 11 and the oldest over 80. Over the four
services each Sunday there are eleven servers, six of them serving at the Sung Eucharist. The serving is of
a high standard and regular training sessions are held. The St Mary Redcliffe Guild of Servers was
established in 1996 and provides fellowship between servers. Current membership is 26. Servers and
administrants past and present come together from time to time for social occasions.
Readers, Intercessors and Offertory Procession
Every Sunday lay people read the lessons at the 9.30 am Eucharist service and a smaller number prepare
the intercessions. Over the year this means that between 55 and 60 people read lessons, 12 prepare
intercessions and 10 families, 5 church groups and 40 individuals form the offertory procession. Practice
sessions are offered to readers; training sessions and ongoing support are also available for those who
would like to prepare intercessions. Anyone asking to take part in the offertory will be put on the rota.
Sidesmen
There are currently 36 sidesmen, aged between 30 and 85, who help to welcome people to services.
They are assisted by about 15 Vestrymen and the Church Wardens. They cover all Sunday services and
many others, including baptisms, funerals and weddings, as well as concerts. They hand out the books
and service sheets, see people to their seats and take the collections. After services they collect the
books and assist the Church Warden or a Vestryman to count the collections. They also attend courses
on fire safety and first aid so as to be competent to deal with anyone who is unwell and to facilitate any
emergency evacuation.
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5. The Church Wardens
At St Mary Redcliffe there are 2 Wardens voted in each year at the Annual Meeting of Parishioners. They
normally hold office for a total of 4 years, the first 2 years as Junior Warden and a further 2 years as
Church Warden. Currently these are:
Church Warden Alan Roberts
Alan is a retired Aerodynamicist from the Bristol Aerospace Industry. He has worshipped at St Mary
Redcliffe since 1963, has served on the PCC, Vestry and the Fabric Committee and is currently in his
fourth year as a Church Warden. His wife Wendy is also active in the SMR community. He has 2 children
and 1 grandchild, all living near Bristol.
Junior Warden Simon Goodman
Simon is barrister whose first degree was in Music. He practises from Queen Square, very near the
church though just outside the parish. Having worshipped for many years at another Bristol church, he
started attending SMR regularly when his son was in the choir, and stayed! He too has served on the
PCC and the Vestry and was a server and administrant before becoming Junior Warden in 2011. He is
married to a local GP and has two teenage children.
One or both Church Wardens attend each Sunday service apart from the 8am Eucharist. They are
accompanied by a member of Vestry. They read both the Lessons at the 11.15am Mattins and usually one
of the Lessons at Evensong.
6. The Church Staff
The Church has 9 Employees organised in 3 departments as follows:
Administration
Mrs Pat Terry Parish Administrator
Mrs Ros Houseago Administrative Assistant
Music
Mr Andrew Kirk Director of Music and Organist
Mr Graham and Mrs Claire Alsop Assistant Organists (job share)
Vergers
Mr Matthew Buckmaster Head Verger
Dr Carys Underdown Verger
Miss Joy Stevens Verger (part time)
Ms Sally Trivett Cleaner (part time)
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Organograms
Appendix 6 shows the organisational structure of the Staff, the PCC and other Committees
and groups.
The Parish Office – Administration Department
There is a well-equipped parish office (owned by the St Mary Redcliffe Church Lands Charity) just outside
the south west gate of the churchyard at 12 Colston Parade, Redcliffe. This is a 3 storey building with a
basement; the parish office uses the ground and first floors to house 3 offices, a lounge and two meeting
rooms and is well equipped with computers, a network with a remote access server and a
photocopier/printer. It is staffed on weekdays by the Parish Administrator and the Admin Assistant.
There is also space for the Director of Music and a separate office for the incumbent. The Church
Wardens, PCC Secretary, PCC Treasurer and the Magazine Editor also regularly use the office.
The Vergers Department
The three vergers cover the opening hours of the church from 8am to 5pm, 7days a week, every week as
well as opening the church for evening functions and services several times per month. The Verging team
performs a variety of roles including ceremonial, sacristan and organisational duties at baptisms, weddings
and funerals as well as at Sunday services. They also take care of the silver, vestments and linen and are
responsible for the church records and registers. They also keep the church clean, the grounds tidy and
carry out minor maintenance. In conjunction with the parish office they also facilitate major maintenance
by contractors and events such as concerts, lectures and meetings. Finally the Vergers are an important
initial point of contact for those seeking pastoral help and they support our volunteers in providing a
welcome to visitors and to members of the SMR community.
The Music Department
12
The music staff (Director of Music and
Assistant Organists) are ably assisted by
several choirs and a University Organ
Scholar. The main choir has 18 men,
including some University Choral Scholars,
and up to 20 boys aged 8 – 14. The
number of boy choristers is currently
lower so we are actively recruiting and
introducing a scheme of instrumental
scholarships. Choir practices are held on
Tuesdays (boys) and Fridays (full). Vocal
coaching is provided for choristers. The
choir sings at most of the Sunday services
(except during school holidays), and
undertakes regular tours to UK cathedrals
with occasional overseas visits.

A Girls’ Choir (ages 8 upwards) was
formed a few years ago and
rehearses on Thursday afternoons,
singing two Sunday services per
month with the choir men and taking
part in combined choir services with
the boys and men at the Eucharist on
Mothering Sunday, the Patronal
Festival, Harvest and Christmas Day.
There is also a mixed voice adult Redcliffe Chamber Choir, which sings one or two services per term,
and the Redcliffe Occasional Choir (non-auditioned) which sings during school holidays. Visiting choirs
also enjoy singing at the church during the summer. A wide range of musical events, concerts and recitals
occurs throughout the year; outside musical groups perform here regularly including Bristol Bach Choir,
Phoenix Choir, “Exultate” Singers and various school ensembles. There are organ concerts on Thursday
lunchtimes in term time. CD Recordings of the choir or organ are regularly made.
The Organ
The church has in its care one of the finest pipe organs
in the country with its 4 manuals and pedals, 71 stops
and 4327 pipes. In 2009-10 it was fully restored by its
original builders Harrison and Harrison of Durham at a
cost of £800,000. Two church-based charities
provided half of the funds, with Trusts and individuals
contributing the remainder.
Our Organ Consultant, Dr William McVicker
describes the organ: “It is no exaggeration to describe the
Redcliffe organ as the finest high-romantic organ ever
constructed”.
8. The PCC - The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of
St Mary Redcliffe, Registered Charity No. 1134120
The PCC consults with the minister on matters of general concern and importance to the parish
and cooperates with the minister in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the church –
pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also considers and discusses matters concerning
the Church of England or the deanery and diocesan synods. The PCC sets an annual budget,
raises and collects money for the church’s work in the parish and decides jointly with the
minister the purposes for which such money is to be applied.
The PCC is composed of 21 elected members (15 PCC and 6 Deanery Synod) plus the Priests
and Church Wardens: it is currently chaired by Alan Roberts, the Church Warden; Simon
Goodman the Junior Warden is Vice Chairman, the PCC Secretary is Mrs Greca Warr and the
PCC Treasurer is Jeremy Knight.
There are currently 8 ordinary PCC meetings per year at which major items are discussed,
committee reports are received, resolutions are made and decisions are recorded. Between
PCC meetings some of the PCC powers are delegated to the Standing Committee.
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The detailed work of the PCC is undertaken by the following committees:
PCC Committees
Resources (includes Stewardship & Fundraising), Education (includes Sunday School),
Outreach & Evangelism, Safeguarding, Social, Health & Safety
PCC Representation on other Committees (see Section 9, page 15)
Fabric , Insurance, Personnel, Publicity & Outreach
PCC Working Groups
St John’s Chapel Group, Welcome Group, Undercroft / ARA Group
Resources Committee
PCC Committees
This committee aims to monitor, maintain and grow the resources, both human and financial, of St Mary
Redcliffe PCC and church community. It consists of the PCC Treasurer the Church Warden, the Junior
Warden, the Incumbent and other members the PCC may appoint or the committee may co-opt. They
oversee the sub-committees dealing with Stewardship, Planned Giving and Fund Raising. The Planned
Giving Recorder and the Electoral Roll Officer both report to the PCC through this committee. As well
as setting the budget and monitoring the finances as reported below, an initiative last year produced a list
of Talents of the congregation, which should be useful for planning voluntary activities, but this has not
yet been used to advantage.
PCC Finances: Appendix 2 presents the PCC Statement of Financial Activities for 2011; this gives
details of the accounts with brief explanatory notes. The Pie Chart below shows how the annual
expenditure of the PCC is currently allocated.
Health & Safety Committee
This committee meets at least twice a year to ensure that we meet our Health & Safety responsibilities to
our employees, volunteers, visitors and the general public.
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Safeguarding Committee
The PCC has set up a Safeguarding Committee to ensure the protection of children and vulnerable adults.
St Mary Redcliffe has a large number of children and young people in its boys’ choir, girls’ choir and
Sunday School. Their care and protection is taken very seriously and we strive to make the church a
safe and welcoming place. All people working with our children and young people go through the
church’s child protection vetting procedure and CRB Enhanced Disclosure.
The members, appointed annually by the PCC include PCC officers, the Safeguarding officer, four
Children’s Champions (two women and two men) and a Lunch Club representative. The Children’s
Champions are readily available to any child or young person who feels they need to talk to someone.
Outreach and Evangelism Committee
This PCC Committee promotes the outreach of St. Mary Redcliffe within the parish, the city and beyond.
The committee recommends the PCC to support a variety of relevant initiatives. These include support
to various charities throughout the year as well as the Lent Project and special collections at Christmas.
They also procure or produce the annual Christmas Card which goes out to every home in the parish.
Recently supported charities include The Children's Society, the Salvation Army Candle Project, the
Sisters of the Church, the St. James Priory Project, the Julian Trust. Other special collections are also
made in cases of disaster, usually via the Disasters Emergency Committee (SMR raised over £4000 for the
East Africa appeal in 2011).
The annual Lent Project recently has alternated between overseas and home projects. Last year we
raised just over £3,000 for EMMAUS (working for the homeless in Bristol) while this year we collected
just under £3000 for MANNA, the Mozambique and Angola Anglican Association, in support of the
parish of The Saviour of the World, Xai-Xai in the Diocese of Lebombo, with which we have an
established link. Their bishop, Dinis Sengulane, has a long-standing association with St. Mary Redcliffe
dating from his days as a student in Bristol. We also give £1,000 each, annually, to U.S.P.G. and C.M.S.
and have another £1,000 in the PCC budget to be given at the recommendation of the committee
9. The St Mary Redcliffe Church Lands Charity, Registered No. 211109
(the ‘Vestry’)
St Mary Redcliffe benefits significantly from the income from endowments given to the church over the
centuries. These endowments are managed by the Trustees of the St Mary Redcliffe Church Lands
Charity (usually known as the Vestry). The income from the charity is used for the maintenance of the
ministry of the church and towards the upkeep of the building. Therefore, while the PCC, of course, has
overall responsibility for the fabric, it does not need to fund the maintenance; hence the PCC finances
can all be used elsewhere (e.g. on administration, running costs, the Parish Share and outreach).
There are currently 17 Vestry trustees who come from two directions; firstly from within the
congregation of the church and secondly from the business world, in order to give specialist advice on
matters such as investment and insurance. All are fully committed to ensuring the continuity of all that is
good at St Mary Redcliffe.
The Vestry and the PCC
Several Vestry trustees are also members of the PCC. Representatives of both Vestry and PCC currently
sit on the Fabric Committee and the PCC has representatives on the Vestry Insurance and Personnel
Committees as well as on the newly formed Vestry Publicity and Outreach Committee.
15

Under the last incumbent much work was done on good governance, and members of the PCC and
Vestry have worked together to produce a document entitled ‘Working in harmony’ in order to clarify
the relationship between the two organisations and their respective and often overlapping responsibilities.
The Vestry and the PCC are both happy to answer any questions that members of the congregation may
have regarding this working relationship.
PCC and Vestry Collaboration
Fabric Committee (a Joint PCC and Vestry Committee)
The Fabric Committee currently consists of the Church Warden, 2 members of PCC, 2 members of the
St Mary Redcliffe Church Lands Charity (the Vestry) with, in attendance, the Church Architect (Marcus
Chantrey), a member of Canynges Society and the Parish Administrator, who acts as committee clerk.
The remit from the PCC and the Vestry is to oversee the care of the Church buildings and churchyard,
according to needs identified by the Church Architect and the PCC, to recommend to the PCC and the
Vestry the prioritisation of the work and to ask the PCC to request Faculties or seek any other necessary
permissions. The Fabric Committee also obtains estimates of the costs involved to pass on to the Vestry
and PCC to approve and to seek or allocate funding.
When budgets have been allocated the Fabric Committee Chairman and Church Architect obtain quotes
and then select and instruct contractors. Regular reports on the progress of works are made to the
Committee members, the PCC and the Vestry in the Fabric Report, which is issued at least 4 times a
year, together with summary reports of progress to the PCC, the Vestry and to the congregation via the
Parish Magazine. Appendix 3 to this Parish Profile is a current Fabric Report and Appendix 4 is a
Report of Work carried out in the last financial year 2011-2012.
At present our Church Architect, Marcus Chantrey, is carrying out a Quinquennial Inspection and will be
presenting his report at the next Fabric Committee in October.
Insurance Committee (Vestry Committee with PCC representation)
The PCC has delegated all the Church Building, Contents, Personal and Liability Insurance matters to the
Vestry. The Vestry Insurance Committee attends to these responsibilities and interfaces with our
insurers EIG. Its members include the Church Wardens and representatives from the PCC
Personnel Committee (Vestry Committee with PCC representation)
The PCC has delegated to the Vestry the employment of our 9 paid employees. The Vestry has set up
the Personnel Committee to carry out their responsibilities as an employer; these include the terms of
reference, the remuneration, welfare, training and discipline of the employees. The committee normally
consists of the Incumbent and Church Wardens together with representatives appointed by the Vestry
and the PCC. It is chaired by a Vestry Trustee with experience as an employer.
Publicity & Outreach Committee (Vestry Committee with PCC representation)
Working in liaison with the PCC, this recently formed committee supports the Vestry’s commitment to
maintaining the fabric and supporting divine worship in several ways. It helps to publicise special services,
events and initiatives at the church, it is involved in the development of a vision for the improvement of
our visitor facilities and currently it is also engaging with the City Council, the local Enterprise Zone and
the local community in the formulation of plans for redevelopment of the Redcliffe Way area immediately
to the north of the church..
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Other Groups set up by the PCC
St John’s Chapel Group
This group was set up in 2011 to look at the requirements for renovating the St John’s Chapel – in the
North West corner under the tower of the church. This is an area of the church which has been
neglected in the last half century. The group is developing a plan in conjunction with the new Church
Architect.
The Welcome Group
This group is tasked with looking at all aspects of our Welcome, and suggesting improvements both in the
near term (e.g. better signage and information about the fabric and about services) and further ahead (in
anticipation of future developments in the Redcliffe Way area, which are currently being discussed with
Bristol City Council and other organisations). This group is producing a report to present to the PCC in
October.
10. The Bells and Bell Ringers
There has been a ring of bells in the tower since at least 1662. Most of
the present bells are renowned as one of the finest rings of 12 in the
country. These were mostly cast in 1903 by Taylors of Loughborough to
replace an older 1897 peal of bells. However, three of the older bells
were kept; two of these were cast by Thomas Bilbie of Chew Stoke in
1768 and the third was cast by Purdue in 1662. It is interesting to note
that this bell was being rung at the time of the Great Plague and the
Great Fire of London. Since the ring of 12 was installed, two more bells
have been added so that a true diatonic scale can be rung without using
the heaviest bells. The lightest of the bells weighs 6 cwt (300kg) and the
heaviest, the Tenor, weighs 2.5 tons (2500kg).
A new bell, to replace the inferior Bilbie 1768 8 th bell, was cast at Taylors in June this year and is being
installed in October.
The Ringers Guild, founded in 1950, has approximately 45 members from all walks of life, aged between
15 and 81. The incumbent normally chairs the Guild’s AGM.
In a normal week, the bells are rung
on Sunday mornings and evenings and
Ringing Practice is on Thursday
evening. Visitors are always welcome
on both Sundays and Thursdays.
Standards of ringing at Redcliffe are
high and this has been reflected in the
Guild winning competitions in
Gloucester and Bristol as well as the
Tewkesbury Shield.
This year we rang handbells during
the patronal festival and last year we
also took part in a special ringers
evensong service.
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11. Other Parish Organisations
Stewards at St Mary Redcliffe
Our friendly volunteer stewards give a personal welcome to thousands of visitors each year. They are on
hand to answer questions and provide practical information. Stewarding is a special and important part of
our ministry and mission. It is also sociable, great fun and offers stewards the chance to meet people from
many different backgrounds as well as learning more about the history and heritage of the church,
Redcliffe and Bristol. We aim to have stewards on duty every day, all day, from 1 March to 31 October.
We currently have about 25 stewards but we need more people to join the team.
The Parish Magazine
This is a monthly publication giving details of activities, services, contacts and messages from the bishop,
incumbent, churchwardens, fabric committee as well as recent sermons and articles of general interest. It
is greatly appreciated by the congregation and has been very ably edited for the last 8 years. Very sadly,
however, the editor died unexpectedly in August so we are currently looking for a new volunteer to take
it on.
Mothers Union
This group meets every month, usually at the Church Centre, to enjoy fellowship together and listen to a
variety of speakers. They support the Hartcliffe and Withywood Teenage Parents Project, Friends for
Parents at the Children’s Hospital and the Mothers Union Overseas and Emergency Funds as well as
“Away from it All” holidays for disadvantaged families. Donations are made annually towards the
Mothering Sunday flowers and cards are given to every child baptised at St Mary Redcliffe.
The Social Committee
This is a subcommittee of the PCC - a group of 5 or 6 people who have Food Hygiene and Safety
Certificates. They organise, prepare and serve refreshments for a variety of events including lunches for
the congregation about 6 or 7 times a year. These alternate between “Bring & Share” and sit-down meals
prepared by the committee. Younger families seem to prefer the former and the parents of those
families are organising the next lunch after the Harvest Festival Eucharist in October. The committee will
also provide the food at the “Bids and Bites” fundraising Auction.
The Brownies
The 118th Bristol St Mary Redcliffe Brownie Pack was first formed in 1952 and flourished until 1969
when local housing was cleared to make way for flats. It was reopened in 1976 by the same leader and
in 1995 her daughter took over and is still running the pack with a varied programme of fun, activities and
friendship. They meet on Mondays at 6.30pm to 8pm at the Church Centre. This year we have done
Badge work with our Community policeman, visited the Zoo on Discovery Day and also went to the
Bitton Railway for a Steam Train Ride. We welcome all girls aged between 7 and 10 years – of all
nationalities and religions. There are currently 12 girls with 2 Brownie Guide leaders and 2 helpers.
Pot Luck Lunches
This is a no-pressure group for making and meeting friends over a shared meal – everyone brings either
sandwiches for 2 or fruit for 2. Coffee or tea, china and comfortable seats are provided, usually in the
home of one of the organisers. Since 2000 it has met on the Monday after the first Sunday of each month.
Anybody who goes to SMR is welcomed and we like to make new friends; at the moment about 8 or 10
mainly elderly ladies attend each month. They talk about everything under the sun and enjoy each other's
company. As parking can be a bit awkward regulars often share transport.
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The Friends of Music at St Mary Redcliffe Limited (Registered Charity No. 1077720)
Founded in 1996, this charity supports our musical life and ministry. It currently has about 80 members.
The Friends underwrite the weekly Thursday organ concerts, CD recordings and other choir or celebrity
concerts, as well as provision of vocal coaching for choristers. Grants are made towards courses
attended by choristers or young organists. An annual Christmas Carol Concert generates funds for other
Bristol Charities to help the elderly and vulnerable.
Flowers at St Mary Redcliffe
St Mary Redcliffe needs little to enhance its beauty but
flowers are always a welcome sight in church. The flower
team of three volunteers make sure there are fresh flowers
every week, well arranged and appropriate for the season;
these are often paid for in memory of loved ones. We also
occasionally arrange flowers for weddings. The busiest
times are, of course, Christmas, Easter, Rush Sunday and
Harvest when we call upon a willing band of helpers.
At Rush Sunday (Whitsunday), as well as producing 5 or 6
arrangements around the church we make about 50 posies
for the Lord Mayor and Bristol City Aldermen and
Councillors. The team love their work and consider it as
part of their faith and worship.
12. Mission and Ministry
Many opportunities for nurturing growth in discipleship are available and teaching is something we value
highly. These opportunities have recently included Lent discussion groups, 'Bible in an Hour' sessions and
times of reflection and discussion within the Parish Retreat and Parish Pilgrimage. In recent years we have
offered a series of sermons through the summer months which have focused on teaching that relates to
our spiritual and prayer lives, and we have also invited lay people to speak to the place of 'God in my Life'
within summer Evensong Sermons. We regularly also offer teaching in preparation for baptism, marriage
or confirmation, or by individual request.
Christian Meditation Group
The Christian Meditation Group meets weekly on Tuesday evenings. The Group uses the mantra
‘Maranatha’ (‘Come Lord Jesus’), following the teaching of John Main, to direct our thoughts towards God
during the period of silence, which lasts thirty minutes.
We open and close our time of silence with spoken prayers, and are happy to bring into the silence any
concerns or petitions that may be offered by members of the group before the silence begins. This period
of meditation and prayer is often followed by chat and fellowship.
Bible Reading Fellowship
A small group continues regular study of the bible, both devotionally and critically. The group numbers
around 15 although sadly 2 of our long-standing members passed away this year.
House Group
The House Group meets at Pembroke Rd about once a month to study the readings for the following
Sunday. It is advertised in the pew leaflet at least a week before; all are welcome.
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Retreats and Pilgrimages
A parish pilgrimage was recently undertaken to the Abbey in Iona, and retreats have been held in various
places including Ivy House, Warminster and St Mary's Wantage.
Agenda for Growth:
St Mary Redcliffe adopted an Agenda for Growth (enclosed) at the APCM in 2008. In following this
agenda, we are looking at how we reach out to residents of the parish, tourists, visitors and the local
business community.
Schools: There are three schools in, or associated with, the parish:-
Redcliffe Children’s Centre:
Local authority centre in the parish, incumbent is a governor
Redcliffe Children’s Centre offers high quality, fully integrated education and care for children under 5
years and their families within Redcliffe and local communities.
St Mary Redcliffe VC Primary School: (not now in the parish)
PCC appoints three Foundation Governors
St Mary Redcliffe Primary School is a Church of England Voluntary Controlled School. It draws pupils
partly from within our parish but is sited just outside in Victoria Park. A recent inspection found it to be
“a purposeful, welcoming and inclusive community, in which pupils thrive in their learning and in their
spiritual, moral, social and cultural development”.
St Mary Redcliffe and Temple VA School:
Incumbent is a governor, PCC appoints 3 Foundation Governors.
St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School is the only Church of England Voluntary Aided Secondary School in
Bristol. It is a high achieving school with a distinctive Christian ethos and it provides good relationships,
safe boundaries and opportunities for empowered learning.
13. Outreach:
Work with the three schools is well established so the PCC decided to focus on outreach to local
residents and to tourists and visitors. We support a particular piece of social outreach to local residents,
Redcliffe Care, which runs a weekly lunch club for the elderly, and quarterly services in church. It also
runs a Christmas lunch for those who would otherwise be alone.
The Parish Missioner and School Chaplain to St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School also has a specific brief
to develop roots in the local community, working with a range of local organisations, including the Police
and the Colston Society (a local charity) and we are supporting the development of a community facility
in Redcliffe using the Anglican-Methodist church centre.
Particular future plans already established:
Welcome
Welcome has also been adopted by the Canynges Society (see below) as a theme for this year’s
president’s appeal. It is intended that this will support the realisation of the PCC Welcome Group’s
more immediate suggested improvements as well as planning future, more ambitious, developments,
appropriate to our church’s particularly fine architecture and status as a city centre attraction.
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Redcliffe Care
Redcliffe Care was established to promote the church’s outreach programme in the parish, and
over the last five years it has supported the Parish Missioner’s work in the community. It is run
by a group of volunteers, which sometimes includes students from St Mary Redcliffe & Temple
School. Its work is mostly aimed at the elderly and its most important programme is the
Redcliffe Lunch and Social Club. This provides a two course hot lunch and entertainment for up
to 30 members every Wednesday at the Church Centre in Prewett Street. This provides an
outing, companionship and
friendship for those who live
lonely lives. Other activities
include four special services for
the elderly every year followed
by tea and cakes. A Christmas
Day Lunch is organized every
year at the Church Centre for
anyone who is by themselves
or lonely, and small gifts are
also distributed to the elderly
in the parish at Christmas time.
SMR Journey into Science
This is a programme of talks and debates, run by lay members of the St Mary Redcliffe
community, to enable members of the public to appreciate, ponder and debate developments in
current science and technology. Occasionally these focus overtly on issues of science and
religion. Speakers include members of our congregation as well as distinguished visitors and we
attract audiences of between 30 and 100+. Some of our regulars would never otherwise enter
a church. These events are often
held in partnership with outside
organisations such as the British
Science Association. Journey
into Science also sponsored the
very beautiful Chaotic Pendulum
and which has been in the north
transept since 1997. This
intriguing device, depending on
the movement of water through
a tubular pendulum, was created
by the late Sir Brian Pippard, FRS,
and this is the only example on
display anywhere.
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Open Doors Day
Every year at the beginning of
September Bristol has an Open
Doors Day.
St Mary Redcliffe is a favourite
venue and here are some of the
visitors enjoying a wonderful
view over the rooftops of Bristol.
We also organise roof tours as a
fund raiser at other times
between April and October.
The Arc Café in the Undercroft
The new café known as the Arc Café in the Undercroft is an innovative new partnership
between St Mary Redcliffe church and ARA (The Addiction Recovery Agency) with support from
Bristol City Council. This Café will be a great facility for all our visitors and volunteers, as well
as being an important aspect of our Christian outreach to the community. The Arc Café
opened informally on 6 th July and they plan to have a formal Gala Opening later this year.
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The café has four main purposes:
Providing a high quality public café;
Providing volunteering and work experience
opportunities for people in recovery from
substance misuse;
Providing a safe space for people in
recovery to meet;
Combatting the stigma experienced by
many people in recovery from
substance misuse.
The café is open five days a week (Tuesday – Saturday) providing a wide range of refreshments
and meals. It is staffed by two professional catering staff assisted by six volunteers in recovery.
assisting. All volunteers have been drug and alcohol free for over a year and everyone has
successfully completed training in customer service and food safety provided by the City of
Bristol College. The café is seen as providing an important stepping-stone for people in recovery
to acquire skills and experience and to build confidence prior to re-entering paid employment.

The Jazz Club in the Undercroft
Every Wednesday evening from September to June
there is a very lively Jazz Club in the undercroft
featuring a very long standing local jazz band – the
Bluenotes – with Hannah Wedlock, their jazz singer.
This stained glass screen in the undercroft
commemorates Roger Bennett, a very well known local
radio presenter who was also a well-loved member of
the Bluenotes Jazz Band.
Co-operation with other local churches (Anglican or Ecumenical):
SMR is part of South Bristol Deanery, which runs as a partnership.
SMR is involved in the City Centre Churches group (ecumenical). We took part in an English
Litany Procession from Christchurch City to St Mary Redcliffe at the end of June as part of our
celebration of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Continuing that theme we will also be having
a Sunday of exclusively BCP services on 14 th October. We support the use of St Thomas’s
Church (in our parish) by the Romanian Orthodox Church and a group from SMR recently
attended a service there and took our greetings on their 1 st anniversary.
We work closely with the local Methodist community. Although the Methodist Church in
Redcliffe closed recently, we continue to work together to develop the effective use of the
Anglican – Methodist church centre.
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14. Other Charities and Groups
The Canynges Society (Reg. No. 242231)
The objects of the Society are to raise funds with which to give support to the Parish Church of
St Mary Redcliffe, and to do this by making grants from time to time towards the restoration,
upkeep and improvement of the building fabric and the churchyard.
The income of the Society comes primarily from an annual Appeal by the President, augmented
by receipts from the Society’s investment portfolio and annual donations by members. The
Society attends the Fabric Committee so as to understand current fabric needs. A specific
project for the appeal is then identified and agreed with the Churchwardens, PCC and Vestry.
The Society produces an annual Gazette, partly to stay in touch with its members and partly to
publicise the appeal.
The Temple Ecclesiastical Charity (Reg. No. 229907)
The incumbent is an ex-officio trustee
This charity uses its funds to further religious and charitable work in the former parish of
Temple and Holy Cross (now part of St Mary Redcliffe parish) and across the whole Bristol
Archdeaconry. It gives St Mary Redcliffe a regular annual grant towards staff costs as well as
occasional grants for particular needs.
The Bedminster Church Lands Charity (Reg. No. 264328)
The incumbent is an ex-officio trustee
This is a small grant-making charity deriving from St.John’s Bedminster and now supporting
St.Mary Redcliffe and St.Michael and All Angels, Bedminster.
Redcliffe Parish Charity (Reg. No. 203916)
The incumbent is normally invited to be a trustee
This is a small charity with a disposable income of around £700 per month. It gives small grants
to people in need, in the parish and the City of Bristol, on the recommendation of social services
and charitable organisations.
The Greater Churches Group
This group was founded in 1991 as an informal association of non-cathedral churches which, by
virtue of their great age, size, historical, architectural, or ecclesiastical importance, display many
of the characteristics of a cathedral (see greaterchurches.org). St Mary Redcliffe is a member of
this group, which meets every 2 years, to allow networking and cross fertilisation of ideas
between the guardians of these buildings. These conferences are usually attended by the
Incumbent, a Church Warden and the Parish Administrator.
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15. Special Annual Services
Rush Sunday
The origin of the Rush Service at St Mary Redcliffe
Following severe damage to the spire and church during a violent storm in 1446, it was restored
by William Canynges, a wealthy merchant living in Redcliffe Street, who was five times Mayor of
Bristol. In 1468, he was ordained priest and first celebrated the Holy Eucharist in St Mary
Redcliffe on Whitsunday that year. To commemorate this, William Spenser, a later Mayor of
Bristol, made provision in 1493 for three sermons to be preached before the Mayor and
commonalty on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after Whitsun. In accordance with
the mediaeval use of Sarum for Whitsunday, the church was strewn with rushes; those attending
the service carried nosegays of herbs as a protection against infection. The change to one
sermon on Whitsunday was made at the time of the Reformation.
The Annual Rush Service
Held annually since then, the Rush Sunday service is now a spectacular Civic Service attended by
the Lord Mayor, Sword Bearer, Aldermen and Councillors of the City of Bristol wearing their
traditional robes and regalia. The church is strewn with rushes brought in from Somerset and is
decked out with flowers. Recently we have also had a marquee on the South churchyard from
where sherry and cake are served to the congregation and City Council after the service.
Patronal Festival (The Visitation)
St Mary Redcliffe has always used this particular festival day of the Virgin Mary as the Patronal
Festival. On that day, in what should normally be high summer, we recognise all the varied
groups of our church community in a special Eucharist Service with a procession of all the
groups followed by the congregation all round the church and churchyard (or just round the
inside of the church in wet weather). We then have a parish picnic lunch in the south
churchyard.
Carol Services
As well as the Advent Sunday Carol Service and the Nine Lessons and Carols on Advent 4 we
have an Ecumenical ‘United Carol Service’ with representatives of other denominations including
the Silver Band and Songsters of the Salvation Army from Easton. We also have carol services at
Epiphany and Easter and, additionally, many carol services are held each year throughout
December for a wide range of different organisations and charities.
Other Annual Services
Several organisations also hold their annual services at St Mary Redcliffe at other times of year.
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16. Vision and Priorities
Because we are very conscious of our privilege in having such a wonderful building we not only
want to ensure its conservation for future generations but we want to use it to the greater
glory of God, to attract people to our church, welcome them to our community, and so to
draw as many as possible more closely into His love.
Although we believe we are already a welcoming church we want to deepen and improve our
welcome. There are opportunities to do this both in terms of fabric improvements to the
facilities for visitors and in improving our communication with the city and the wider world.
The facilities improvements are subject to many constraints and may depend considerably on
wider city developments in the Redcliffe Way area. On the communications we have made a
start with a greatly improved website as well as widening our invitations to people to attend
our major annual services.
The Agenda for Growth (Appendix 5) produced in 2008 is out of date and due for revision.
Some of its content has already been accomplished; other areas have yet to receive our
attention. It had two aspects, broadly speaking looking inwards to deepen the spiritual life of
the church community and looking outwards to share that spiritual life with others. We
recognise that there have, for a number of reasons, been conflicts within our church and that
we have fallen short of our calling and our potential. We need to continue to address these as
together we seek to deepen our faith and prayer life. We value the opportunities so far given
to grow in love and service of one another and of God's world, and seek to grow as a
community of understanding and receptiveness to God's healing love and forgiveness.
We hope for a strong leader to continue to take us forward together into being "a community
of wholeness with Christ at the centre” and so that we can realise the very great potential we
have at St Mary Redcliffe, a church both “traditional and progressive”.
Version No. 2012k
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