The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ilkeston - the Diocese of ...

A Parish Profile
Information for applicants for the vacancy of
Vicar of St Mary’s Church, Ilkeston
The Parish Church of
St Mary the Virgin, Ilkeston
in the Diocese of Derby
“The church in the marketplace”
Making and sustaining committed followers of Jesus of all ages

Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Ilkeston
Parish Profile
Our Ideal Candidate
This ministry offers a wonderful opportunity for an experienced Parish Priest who has
already demonstrated the ability to grow a Church both physically and spiritually and now
seeks further personal development. We are looking for a vicar with the energy and drive
to respond to the challenge of transforming our church into the vibrant, expanding
religious heart of Ilkeston.
The candidate should:
• Be a caring pastor and leader; a person of prayer
• Be approachable, supportive; a person of vision
• Have the ability to work and empathise with people of all ages
• Have a commitment to pastoral work and involvement in the community
Our vision is that the successful candidate will help us
• To become a vibrant and expanding Christian centre
• To experience real growth of our congregation with more families joining the
Church
• To develop pastoral work for the benefit of the congregation and all parishioners
• To re-introduce wholeness and healing ministry
• To encourage and fully develop the talents of our church family
• To increase the use of music in our worship
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Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Ilkeston
Parish Profile
Church Life
St. Mary’s is a broad church open to where the Spirit of God wants to lead us. We are
accustomed to a traditional style of worship with the associated use of robes and
vestments, but would like to explore more contemporary forms of worship. Two
accomplished and knowledgeable organists ensure we enjoy a variety of music and we are
keen to enhance this further.
The population of the parish is around 10,000 and
the church Electoral Roll currently stands at 102.
In common with many English churches, our
congregation is weighted towards the over-60s.
Worship is the responsibility of the incumbent
and services are led by the Clergy and two
Licensed Readers. Members also participate in
leading intercessions, giving Bible readings and
administering the chalice.
The worship pattern at St Mary’s is as follows:
The Common Worship format is used at both the 10am Sunday sung Eucharist (50) and
9.30am Wednesday said Eucharist (25) services. The Sunday 8am said Eucharist (15) service
uses the BCP format. (typical communicant figures in brackets). There is an active Sunday
school and crèche during the 10am service and we are fortunate that these are run by a
group of dedicated leaders who follow the Child Protection guidelines of the Derby
Diocese. We very much enjoy having the children join us in church for the final part of our
Sunday worship.
Strategically built right in the centre of Ilkeston, St. Mary’s Church holds certain civic
responsibilities. We have held close links with St. John’s Theological College in Nottingham
and have offered placements for theology students in training. Curates and Readers in
training have also been under our aegis. There is a strong Mothers’ Union branch of 35
members undertaking pastoral care of our congregation.
We have three thriving Home Groups, which meet regularly each week for bible study and
fellowship and organise social outings to places of interest.
We have a weekly newsletter (What’s On) and a monthly Church magazine (Contact).
Coffee is served in the Cantelupe Centre, alongside the Church, after the Parish Eucharist
and Wednesday services and this provides the ideal opportunity for fellowship among our
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Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Ilkeston
Parish Profile
congregation. Outreach to the public is supported by a Saturday morning coffee bar in the
Centre, which provides a useful income for the church.
The church building is also used as a venue for concerts and plays organised by local
groups.
There are various occasional services held in or near the church, including the
Remembrance Day Civic Service, the Christmas Carol Service in the market place and the St.
George’s Day Service.
Remembrance Day Civic Service
Christmas Carol Service in the market
place
St. George’s Day Service
Other important services and events include: Annual Memorial Service for the Bereaved,
Christingle service and a Carol service which includes a JC Club and crèche nativity play. We
also conduct Hospital and Nursing Home services.
We enjoy shared meals in the Cantelupe Centre, which adjoins the church, to celebrate
major calendar events such as Harvest time. These are held after the Sunday Eucharist and
often raise funds for charitable organisations, for example Christian Aid.
St Mary’s Church belongs to Ilkeston Area Churches Together (IACT); this means that all of
the Ilkeston community can share and enjoy joint worship. These events include the annual
Shared Meal in the Cantelupe Centre
Good Friday Procession of Witness (Way
Of The Cross)
Dale Abbey Ruin (St. Mary’s Abbey)
Good Friday Procession of Witness (Way Of The Cross) and the Dawn Celebration of Easter
Morning at the nearby historic Dale Abbey ruin.
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Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Ilkeston
Parish Profile
Our Strengths and Weaknesses
We believe that our strengths lie in the following areas:
• Church Members work for and with each other for the benefit of the Church, both
spiritually and socially
• We have an opportunity to share joys and sorrows for prayer during the Parish
Eucharist
• We have a beautiful and well-maintained church
• We have a proven history of training and learning
• We benefit from having two dedicated Readers and three thriving Home Groups
• The Cantelupe Centre facility, which adjoins the Church
• We have two highly accomplished and reliable organists
We believe that our most significant weaknesses are:
• Despite attracting new members, the congregation has failed to grow
• We have few young families
• Our income does not cover our expenditure
• Our Christian witness in the Parish has declined
The Church Building
The Church building is located centrally and has an
imposing position at the heart of the town, beside
the market place and opposite the Town Hall. It
originated in the 12th Century and has been
extended several times, the latest addition being in
1910.
The church now has seating for about 400 people
and is a beautiful building in a good state of repair,
with glorious stained glass windows and a rare stone
screen. The bell-tower houses a peal of eight
working bells, which are frequently rung.
A separate chapel dedicated to St. Peter is used for
mid-week services and for private prayer and has a
seating capacity for 50 people.
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Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Ilkeston
Parish Profile
St. Peter’s Chapel in St. Mary’s Church
The meeting area at the west end of the church
A space has been made at the west end of the church for meeting and greeting people; this
was achieved by removing two rows of pews and creating a polished wooden floor.
The church organ was completely redesigned and rebuilt in 1991 by Bishop & Son of
Ipswich. The church is equipped with a PowerPoint projection system and a sound and
loop public address system; both are operated from the West end of the nave.
The churchyard is maintained by Erewash Borough Council and both the church building
and churchyard are floodlit and monitored by CCTV cameras.
Church finance
Most of our congregation are on fixed incomes and
the majority of our giving is enhanced by Gift-Aid.
The Parish Share is paid in full and 10% of our
annual disposable income is given equally to six
charities, Christian Aid, the Children’s Society, the
Barnabas Fund, CMS, CPAS and Emmanuel House in
Nottingham.
Our income falls short of expenditure and the
balance comes from reserves.
The Parish
The parish of St Mary lies at the heart of the town,
with an historic additional area on the south side. It
is in the Erewash Deanery in the Diocese of Derby.
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Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Ilkeston
Parish Profile
Within the parish there are Baptist, URC,
Salvation Army and Methodist churches,
connected by the Ilkeston Area Churches
Together (IACT). The Town Hall, Carnegie
Library, Co-op department store and
listed-building cinema are in the Market
Place. The twice-weekly market, in front of
the church, serves the whole area and is a
vibrant meeting point for the town.
The Erewash Museum, Community Fire
station, local Air Squadron Cadet and Army
Cadet HQ are also within the parish
boundary, as are Ilkeston School, Specialist
Arts College, with the associated SE
Derbyshire Music Centre, Hallam Fields
Junior school, Chaucer Nursery / Infant and
Junior schools.
There is a fitness centre, outdoor athletics arena and tennis centre at Rutland Sports Park in
the parish, with a municipal golf course and a bowling alley nearby. Each October, Ilkeston
Fair, one of the oldest and largest street fairs in Europe, granted a Royal Charter in 1242, is
held for four days on the Market Place and surrounding streets.
The parish boundary is depicted in the map above. The boundary surrounds the rectangular
shape of St John’s parish, which effectively splits us into two areas. St Mary’s church lies at
the centre of the upper portion. The vicarage is also shown.
The Vicarage (Postcode: DE7 5HB)
The present Vicarage is a modern 4 bedroom
house with double garage in a very pleasant
location within easy walking distance of the
church. It was built in the 1990s as a private
dwelling and was acquired by the Parsonages
Board when the old vicarage adjacent to the
church building was deemed no longer suitable.
The Vicarage has a very pleasant aspect as it
directly faces Victoria Park. This is a traditional
ornamental town park with a bandstand, which is
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Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Ilkeston
Parish Profile
used for open-air concerts during the summer months and has a bowling green and a
recently upgraded safe play area for children. The parish office is located in the Cantelupe
Centre and part-time clerical assistance for the Vicar is provided by the Centre
administrator.
The Cantelupe Centre (Postcode: DE7 5HY)
The Cantelupe Centre is the community building adjoining the church. It can be entered
directly from the south door of the church and from its own separate front and side
entrances. Built in 1971, as a joint venture between Derby Diocese and Derbyshire
Education Committee, it is now run by St. Mary’s Church. The Centre is self-supporting and
revenue comes from letting it to a wide range of groups and organisations which include
youth clubs, a playgroup, ‘before & after school’ clubs and coffee bars. There are two
kitchen areas, toilet facilities and two offices; disabled facilities are provided. The centre is
a registered charity (no. 512294) and is administered by the Trustees and a Management
Committee, the chairman of which is the incumbent.
The Community of Ilkeston
Ilkeston, recorded as Tilchestune in the
Domesday Book, is one of the largest towns in
Derbyshire and is in the Borough of Erewash
towards the SE corner of the county. The
population is around 38,000.
Industry was traditionally coal mining, iron
making and textiles, mainly hosiery and lace.
Today local employment is more diverse with a
wide range of small businesses and new
industries, which provide a good choice of job
opportunities. The town is also a dormitory to
Derby and Nottingham (map) and has good
shopping facilities in the peripheral retail parks
and a central shopping arcade.
The town benefits from excellent educational
establishments and cultural and sporting
activities. There are well established art and
photographic clubs, an Historical Society, a
town football team and a successful rugby
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Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Ilkeston
Parish Profile
club. Ilkeston has an excellent community hospital and is also centrally located for access to
the university hospitals in Derby and Nottingham.
The town is particularly well situated for travel, close to the M1, East Midlands Airport and
with mainline train services from Derby and Nottingham, being easily accessed by bus. The
town’s location close to these cities enables locals to experience not only city life, with
cinemas, concert halls and theatres, visited by orchestras and players of international
repute, but also the countryside, with Shipley Country Park located nearby and the Peak
District National Park within an hour’s drive.
Finally………
Do you feel called by God to accept the exciting challenge offered by this important
ministry?
Contact Details:
Diocese of Derby
Derby Church House
Full Street
DERBY
DE1 3DR
Telephone: 01332 388650
Web: www.derby.anglican.org
St Mary’s PCC would like to acknowledge and thank Garth Newton, editor of www.ilkcam.com for the images used in this document.
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