St Peter's Church Coton - Parish Profile
Description of Parish
Coton is a village of 304 households, lying three miles west of Cambridge. From time immemorial it has consisted of a string of eponymous cottages along the Wimpole Way, an ancient pathway joining Cambridge to Wimpole. The pathway is now a metalled cycle path from Cambridge to Coton and a footpath from there on. The only through road runs from Grantchester and Barton to the south to Madingley and Dry Drayton to the north. The University has plans to expand out to the M11 motorway, which divides Coton from Cambridge. The village has doubled in size in the last thirty years with a variety of new private and council houses but has happily retained its friendly village atmosphere. Ten private homes and twelve council houses have recently been built.
There are 592 electors in the civil Parish. Most people live in reasonable comfort and security. Almost all employment is outside the Parish, mostly in Cambridge. Some work for the University while a few commute further afield.
Within the village there is the Parish Church, a Women's Institute Hall, a public house, a shop, and a Garden Centre with its own shop and Post Office. There is also a social car scheme to provide transport for those in difficulty. There is a doctor's surgery and secondary school in Comberton and there are many more in Cambridge itself. There is a veterinary surgery in the nearby village of Hardwick. There are a few buses a day and a mobile library calls.
Buildings
The Church of St Peter, which is situated in the centre of the village, dates from the 12th century and has been lovingly maintained by succeeding generations. It is kept open during the daytime throughout the year.
A £58,000 restoration programme has recently been completed to repair the tower, the south aisle roof and guttering, the boiler chimney and the north wall. Half the expense has been met by English Heritage and there have been grants of £1000 each from Enventure Southern, The Historic churches Preservation Trust and The Manifold Trust. Many fund-raising events have been held in the parish, and to cover the outstanding balance interest-free loans have been received from:
The Commandments Table has also benefited by conservation work, for which a grant of £1000 was received from The Council of Care of churches.
The patronage belongs to St. Catharine's College and dates back to a fifteenth century Rector, Robert Woodlarke, who founded the college in 1473. They are generously supporting the present repair programme with an interest-free loan and have done the same for previous programmes.
The Primary School is a Church of England controlled school, linked to the Parishes of Coton and Madingley. Many pupils from further afield swell the enrolment to 137. The present school was built in 1966 to replace a nineteenth century building, which was much too small.
The Rectory is an early 19th century building, presently occupied by the Rev. Daniel Cozens, Leader of `Through Faith Missions'and his family. The last incumbent of the joint benefice of Coton and Barton lived in the Vicarage, Barton.
Worship
The regular Sunday services are as follows: -
Evening Prayer is said on Thursdays at 5.30 p.m.
Public Worship is the heart of the Church's witness in the Parish and is well established around the provisions of the Book of Common Prayer and the Alternative Service Book, whilst making good use of authorised liturgical material. Children participate in services, usually on the second Sunday in the month. There is a small but enthusiastic choir and organist. There is choral evensong on the first Sunday in each month, and at all festivals. There are no regular prayer groups or house communion, other than for the sick or housebound. There is evidence for considerable support in the village for the Church from among those who rarely attend worship or follow other denominations. All Christian members of other churches have been welcome to share in the Eucharist.
Ministry
The life and mission of the Church are based on active involvement in serving and building up the Kingdom of God within the community. A Sunday Club for children meets every Sunday in term time. Confirmation classes are held from time to time. A Lent Study Course is offered every year. The Rector is a School Governor, arranges school services in the church, and occasionally leads collective worship in the school. Duties within the church are widely shared. The altar flowers, church cleaning, making coffee and reading lessons each have their own rota and co-ordinator. The Parishes of Coton and Barton share an incumbent (held in plurality) and both have St. Peter for their Patron Saint. Joint Services are regularly held on the fifth Sunday in the month and some Festivals. A buffet lunch is shared with Barton Parish as part of the St Peter's festival celebrations. Paid secretarial assistance is available to the Rector, the cost being shared with Barton. The PCC meets approximately every two months to discuss Church affairs and PCC sub-committees are formed when and if required. There is presently an energetic fund-raising committee. A joint ministry liaison group seeks to strength a shared approach to ministry, and to co-ordinate services, in the two parishes. Students from theological colleges in Cambridge have helped from time to time as part of their training or the Ministry. In worship, lay members read a lesson and two lay people are authorised to assist with the administration of the chalice. Within the Bourn Deanery, there are meetings of the Parish Treasurers; two members of the PCC are on the Deanery synod.
Community and Parish life
Within the village, there is a range of active groups \endash an Afternoon Club, Bowls Club, Brownies, Cricket Club, Football Club, Friendship Club, Garden Club, Youth Club, Mother and Toddler Group, Playgroup, Royal British Legion and Women's Institute. There are 69 people on the Electoral Roll. In 1997 a complete house to house visitation of the Parish was carried out to promote the work of the church. 40 forms, some unsigned, were completed and returned. 32 thought it important that the present church building remains open as a place of worship and focus for village life. The majority of replies conveyed a willingness to help in various ways, both in the Church and in the community. The Community News, which includes church news and a letter from the Rector advertising, is delivered free to each house in the Parish. A volunteer team produces it with funds contributed by the Parish Council, and from advertising. A flower festival is held in alternate years and a Christmas Bazaar every year.
Finance
The PCC has always made a full re-imbursement of parochial expenses to the Rector. The first PCC meeting of each year is used to make the expenses allocation for the forthcoming year, which is paid in bi-monthly instalments to alternate with Barton. Any outstanding shortfall from the previous year is made up in the current allocation. The recent sharp increase in our Parish Share is a cause for concern (see below). There are currently 21 people who support the covenant scheme. Trends of finance for the last three years :-
| General fund Year | Receipts | Payments | Parish share |
| 1997 | £11,846 | £12,652 | £7,016 |
| 1998 | £11.053 | £12,032 | *£8,692 |
| 1999 | £10,652 | £12,191 | *£8,692 |
*(£7,150 only paid - a shortfall of £1,542)
Outlining Future Needs
The P.C.C. feel that the promotion of stewardship and covenanting is essential for the church's work and witness and that closer co-operation between the parishes in the benefice and the Deanery is important. The aim for pastoral care and church services should be to maintain their present level at least. Any change should reflect the wishes of the new priest. Minor changes in service schedule might be entertained. Evening service could be varied when there is an appropriate occasion. However times of services should always be kept the same unless there are compelling circumstances. Any necessary changes should be widely advertised in advance.
Qualities to be looked for in any new Incumbent
A person able to provide strong spiritual leadership, embracing the qualities of enthusiasm, humility, encouragement and positive thinking. The P.C.C. would like a person with a talent for teaching with concise delivery, both in church and in the village, hopefully as good as the outgoing incumbent. The ideal person is an able and stimulating preacher who appeals to both adults and children and has an outgoing and enthusiastic personality able to promote church and community life in a small parish. The new priest should be able to increase the regular congregation and to tap into the wider population and talents of the Parish and the church; and to exploit them for effective use in all good works. The P.C.C. stress the importance of visiting the sick or housebound or those with spiritual needs, in their homes or in hospital. The new incumbent may well have to cover three parishes rather than the present two and will need to be a good manager. On top of the over-riding spiritual duties there are church buildings, churchyards, finance and a myriad of smaller but still important duties to perform. Two minor but necessary skills are the ability to chair meetings effectively and the ability to manage one's own limited time. The best-qualified candidate, whether man or woman should be appointed.
Site last updated 08May2000