Rector Brayton Benefice

We, in Brayton and Thorpe Willoughby, are committed to enabling as many people as possible to discover and learn about the love of God by reaching into the community through evangelism and Christian service and by ensuring our church community is a welcoming place for all. Will you be the person that God is calling to join us in this mission; as Rector of Brayton benefice and Area Dean Designate of Selby Deanery in the beautiful Diocese and Archdeaconry of York?

We believe the time is right to spread the word and teachings of Christ in new ways, enabling our church to grow and flourish in God’s name. We want to:

- Inspire fresh thinking and new ideas to attract the local community by offering a balance of traditional and contemporary approaches to worship, with a range of musical provision and styles.
- Grow the presence of young families by exploring ways to reach these children and young families through ‘Fresh Expressions’, and developing missional opportunities within the community, including our work in the local schools.
- Reaffirm our mission to the parish by supporting our community through the pastoral care of our Lay Ministry Team, our Community Lunches, craft groups, Mother’s Union, and the distribution of our Parish Magazine, ‘Connected’. Sharing the mission as a joint venture through our Local Ecumenical Partnership with our Methodist friends.
- Create flexibility in the church interior in St Wilfrid’s; particularly in making the interior warmer, more welcoming and flexible, and by developing the use of newly-installed audio-visual system to improve our sound and hearing loop and to facilitate projection and live streaming.
- Continue to explore ways to develop the joint Anglican-Methodist church building in Thorpe Willoughby.

To do this we have:

- A Churchwarden, Stewards, Sacristan, PCC, a wonderful team of retired clergy, one Lay Reader and several lay worship leaders. The Reverend Christine Gillespie is our Methodist minister, and we also benefit from Methodist Lay Preachers from the circuit.
- Services across both churches each Sunday, with a choice of genre, from traditional Communion, to Celtic Communion, Lay led morning prayer and café style ‘Fresh Expressions, though some are sadly suspended since our previous incumbent left.
- Strong links with 2 C of E Primary Schools in Brayton and Barlow, with Longman’s Hill Community Primary, Thorpe Willoughby Primary and Brayton Academy.
- A church hall at St Wilfrid’s and a more flexible building and halls at St Francis’, used by the community as well as the church.
- A strong tradition of music in our churches, enjoying both traditional and contemporary hymns and worship songs. St Wilfrid’s has a small but loyal choir who sing at Sunday services and festivals.

We are seeking someone who will:

- Inspire young families with the gospel and encourage us to find innovative ways to make the Gospel relevant to our community
- Rejuvenate and create new fresh expressions of church to help us reach area of our community we are not in contact with.
- Encourage and support lay ministry.
- Find an appropriate balance of traditional and informal worship, whilst bringing the generations together in church as a worshipping community
- Help us to reconsider the church interior of St Wilfrid’s to best use the building as a centre of mission and ministry in our community and continue the work to develop the church building in Thorpe Willoughby.

Brayton, and Thorpe Willoughby are both large semi-rural villages to the south of Selby. The area has good local amenities and transport links, plus the beautiful ancient woodland of Brayton Barff. Standing 150 feet above sea level, it is popular with both bird watchers and walkers and known for its fabulous views of the surrounding area and springtime blanket of bluebells. Traditionally farming communities, the working population commute to employment in Selby, York and Leeds. Housing being more affordable than in many areas, the villages are popular with young families and there have been significant building developments over the past 10 years, with a population now of almost 10,000.

Selby Deanery is in the south-west corner of the Diocese of York, falling for the most part within the County of North Yorkshire. The Deanery is made up of two larger population centres - the town of Selby/village of Brayton in the east and the villages of Sherburn/South Milford in the west, and has a growing population that is approaching 60,000. In recent years, significant housing development has taken place not only in and around these two larger population centres, but in a number of the other villages and looks likely to continue. The Deanery is at a significant juncture in its life with a viable 10 year Deanery Plan, which the current Area and Lay Deans and Deanery Leadership Team have worked on; with the Diocesan Vision of Living Christ’s Story embedded within it.

In the deanery we are seeking s