GRACE CHURCH

HIGHLANDS
CHURCH
PROFILE
2018
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK
CONTENTS
Doctrinal statement 03
Our new Minister 04
About our church 05
Strengths and opportunities 07
Sunday service 08
Children and young people 09
Church family events 11
Branch groups 11
Reaching out 12
Working with other churches
and Christian groups 15
Buildings 16
Website 16
Our finances 17
Staffing 18
Governance 18
The local area 19
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK
Grace Church Highlands (“GCH”) is a growing conservative
evangelical church focussed on knowing and sharing the good
news of Jesus Christ in the Highlands Village area and beyond.
The Council is seeking to appoint a faithful Minister who will
continue the good work of the previous incumbent in helping
us as a church to both know Christ and to share Christ. We are
seeking a leader with substantial ministry experience but, given
the pioneering nature of Grace Church, we are open to applicants
not yet ordained or yet to complete IME 4-7.
While more than 50% of people who live within the Southgate
Ward identified themselves as Christians in the latest census
data, very few people from Highlands Village attend GCH.
Notwithstanding the length of time GCH has been in the local
Highlands Village area and the number of community focussed
outreach events held, there remain significant opportunities to
share the gospel within the local community. The vacancy at
GCH provides an ideal opportunity for an energetic Minister
who has a passion for sharing the good news to lead GCH
forward following its initial church planting stage under the
previous incumbent.
PARISH PROFILE 2018 2
DOCTRINAL We are a conservative evangelical, gospel-driven
church motivated to love and serve God by the
him through his Word and by talking to him in
prayer. Our new Minister will want to continue
STATEMENT love he has first shown us, most supremely in
the sacrificial death of his Son Jesus in our place.
the tradition of expository preaching that has
been a foundation of GCH since its inception.
We believe and affirm that Jesus’ death on the cross
was a substitutionary atoning sacrifice for the sins The Council has signed up to the Jerusalem
of those who trust in him as Lord and Saviour. Declaration (Global Anglican Futures Conference
We believe that there is no other way to be safe GAFCON1 2008).
from the wrath of God.

We believe that the Bible, as originally given,

is the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of
God. It is the supreme authority in all matters of
belief and behaviour. We believe strongly that our
relationship with God is sustained by listening to

GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 3

OUR NEW We are seeking to appoint a new Minister who
shares our values and vision and, in particular,
• is compassionate, gentle, humble and a good
listener who is pastorally sensitive to the needs
MINISTER who would continue the tradition of expository
teaching while firmly believing that the Bible is the
of those in his care;
• is an effective evangelist; and
inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God.
• is committed to training placement students
While we do not expect any applicant to have all and any potential future members of staff.
the qualities listed below, we are seeking a new
Minister who: The Council has recently passed the following
resolution: ‘This Council requests on grounds
• is an enthusiastic preacher who understands of theological conviction, as well as the need to
the challenges of people’s lives and teaches God’s maintain congregational unity, that arrangements
word in an accessible and relevant way; be made for it in accordance with the House of
Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops
• has strong and engaging interpersonal skills,
and Priests.’
easily forming supportive relationships with
people of all backgrounds and ages, both within
While there are diverse views within the Council
the church and the wider community;
in this area, we recognise the need to maintain our
• encourages and works effectively with children congregational unity and so we are seeking a male
of all ages; incumbent who would encourage the ministries of
both men and women in the church to teach, lead
• is an inspiring and energetic figurehead who
and preach.
empowers others to develop their talents in
gospel service;
• shows creativity, courage and passion in
reaching out to the local community of
Highlands Village;

GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 4

 ABOUT
OUR
CHURCH
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 5
ABOUT OUR HISTORY GCH has a reputation for being friendly and
welcoming, currently has 112 members on the
CHURCH GCH began as a church plant from Christ Church
Cockfosters in January 2007. The initial plant team
consisted of 30 adults and children, commissioned
electoral roll (as at April 2018) and in 2017 had an
average attendance of 105 adults, teenagers and
children at church. The congregation has grown
‘To know Christ and to share Christ’ as part of the more than threefold since the original church
Diocese of London’s commitment to create 100 plant and currently comprises a diverse group of
new worshipping communities by 2020. people across the age span. We have been greatly
blessed as a church by having students and staff
from Oak Hill Theological College as part of the
THE CHURCH TODAY congregation, who also regularly lead and preach at
Grace Church Highlands lies within the parish of our services under the supervision of the Minister.
St Peter’s Grange Park and initially operated under
a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ between St
Peter’s Grange Park, Christ Church Cockfosters,
Grace Church Highlands and the Diocese of
London. This was formalised in 2013 when the
church was granted a Bishop’s Mission Order
(“BMO”). The BMO was last reviewed in March
2017 by the Archdeacon of Hampstead and was
renewed in June 2018 by the Bishop of London.

‘TO KNOW
CHRIST AND
TO SHARE
CHRIST’
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 6
STRENGTHS AND
OPPORTUNITIES A strong
Branch Group
network that meets
regularly with a high
participation rate
Council believes that the key strengths of
GCH are as shown opposite.
A welcoming
community constituted
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES A high standard
of a mixed age range
of biblical expository
In addition to reaching out to those living in and that holds fast to the
teaching
Highlands Village, the proposed building of centrality of God’s Word
a new secondary school and further housing
development in the Chase Farm area provides
further opportunities to share the Word in
our local community.
Strong and committed
leaders within Council,
Branch Groups and Children’s
groups who are looking forward
to working collaboratively
with the new Minister
Strong finances

Good working
relationships within
the local community
including Oak Hill College,
Highlands School and
Sainsbury’s

GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 7

SUNDAY Our Sunday service starts at 10:30am and the
children leave to join their groups after the first
We have approximately twelve musicians (many
of whom are students who are away during term
SERVICE 15 to 20 minutes. A service of Holy Communion
is held once a month. At the heart of each service
time) and those who are available will play at our
services. The piano is generally the lead instru
is the reading and exposition of God’s Word, ment and two vocalists help to lead our singing.
usually in the form of a 20 to 25 minute expository A guitarist or recorded tracks will lead when
sermon. Members of the congregation are regularly our pianists are not available.
involved in leading the services, praying and
reading God’s Word. The service is followed by refreshments organised
by members of the congregation.
Our sermon series this year have included sermons
from Proverbs (‘Who has Spotted the King?’)
from John’s gospel (‘A Church Worth Imitating’),
from 1 Thessalonians, the book of Ruth and from
Matthew’s gospel (Just looking at Jesus). Sermon
series are generally based on a book (or section
of a book) of the Bible.

GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 8

CHILDREN Children are an important part of the church
family. We currently have approximately
AND YOUNG 30 children who attend our Sunday service.
We provide groups during the service to welcome
PEOPLE all ages and teach them the good news of Jesus
Christ. They meet in various rooms in Highlands
School - each group has a leadership team who
run the groups on a rota.
The following groups meet every Sunday:
CRECHE
CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO 2 YEARS
Our creche provides a calm, happy and familiar
environment for the youngest members of our
church family. We sing some children’s worship
songs, read a Bible story and supervise free play
for the babies with some more structured activity
for those old enough to take part.
SEEDLINGS
RISING 3S TO END OF PRESCHOOL
Seedlings are taught in a creative way using
storytelling, games, puppets, activities and crafts.
We know young children learn by seeing, hearing
and doing so we plan interactive lessons to
maximise their learning.
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018
SAPLINGS
RECEPTION TO SCHOOL YEAR 2
Saplings sit in a group to have a Bible story with
visual aids and open Bibles. They also enjoy games
and crafts to reinforce the teaching. They enjoy
learning memory verses in an interactive way.
CLIMBERS
SCHOOL YEARS 3 TO 5
Climbers is similar to Saplings but the children
can now read the Bible for themselves. They have
worksheets, games and learn memory verses in a
fun way.
ROOTED
SCHOOL YEARS 6 TO 9
Our aim is for each person to be “rooted and built
up in Christ”. We have a variety of talks, Bible
studies, games and activities. We also meet for
social activities and look forward to the annual
“Sorted Nano” event. We encourage members to
attend Pathfinder/CYFA Venture Holidays.
9
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
B@SE (BIBLE @ SUNDAY EVENING)
SCHOOL YEARS 10 – 13
We meet on Sunday evenings at 7.30 – 9pm in
Highlands Village Hall and members are also
encouraged to attend the morning service. Our
meetings include social time and games but are
centred on teaching the Bible – our programme
will include talks, bible studies, guest speakers
and outreach events. We also have regular social
activities as well as going to the annual “Sorted”
event. We organise a weekend away, B@secamp,
and a number of our members and leaders go on
the Sparkford 2 summer CYFA Venture.
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018
SAFEGUARDING
We are committed to ensuring that all children,
young people and vulnerable adults within our
various groups are able to grow in their knowledge
of Christ within a safe and secure environment.
The Church Council has appointed a Church
Safeguarding Officer (Kate Douglas, a Council
member), a Children’s Champion (Caroline
Porter), and Lead Recruiter (Nick Bass). The
church obtained Children’s Charter status in 2015.
Safeguarding is a standing item on the agenda
at our Council meetings and the Safeguarding
self-audit tool is completed on an annual basis by
the Church Safeguarding Officer, Minister and
wardens together with an action plan for the next
year. The Safeguarding self-audit tool, action plan
and Parish Policy Statement are signed and sent
to the diocese as required following our Annual
General Meeting.
10
 CHURCH
FAMILY
EVENTS
Church Family Lunches: Two or three times each
year the church family remains in the school hall
after the service for a bring-and-share lunch,
giving us more time to spend together.
Church Weekend Away: Every three years the
entire church family goes away to a residential
conference centre for the weekend. Every
member is encouraged to join in, with financial
support provided where necessary. The weekend
programme includes worship and teaching
sessions, with a guest speaker, leisure activities
and a family party night. Typical attendance at
these weekends has been 120 people.
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018
BRANCH
GROUPS
Branch Groups are our network of small groups
for adults that meet during the week in people’s
homes. They form the heart of church life and are
one of the primary ways we build friendship, care
and pray for one another. There are two daytime
groups, one of which is for women and has a
crèche, and four evening groups.
Branch Groups provide a chance to discuss and
learn from God’s Word in more depth. Over two-
thirds of adult members of the church family are
connected with a group.
11
 REACHING
OUT
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REACHING ELIZABETH LODGE
OUT A fortnightly service with Holy Communion is
held at Elizabeth Lodge, a residential care home
in Highlands Village. Up to eight elderly residents
join us, enjoying the familiar words of the service
and hymns.
YOUTH FOOTBALL
Youth Football takes place every Tuesday evening
during term time from 7 to 8pm at Highlands
School Sports Hall. There is a weekly turnout of
between 8 and 20 participants across school years
10 to 13. One of the leaders gives a short gospel
talk at half time. The aim of Youth Football is to
provide a service to the community, to reach out
to the local area by sharing Christ with those who
attend and to encourage involvement with our B@
SE youth group.
ASSEMBLIES AT GRANGE PARK
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Grange Park is a four-form entry primary school.
Since 2015 we have been partnering with the
Christian education group Pathway and jointly
presenting four Christian assemblies per term.
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018
ENGLISH FOR YOU
English For You is a free weekly English
conversation group which until recently was held
directly after the Sunday service in term time.
A small number of students from a number of
countries including Brazil, Turkey, Iran and China
attend the group. At the invitation of Grange
Park Primary School, we have an exciting new
opportunity from January 2019 to run the English
For You group within the school premises during
the school day.
COMMUNITY CAFÉ
Community Café takes place around once every
six weeks in Highlands Village Hall,. This is a free
event for everyone in the local community and an
opportunity for us to get to know our neighbours
and invite them to Church. Cafés take place from
2-4pm on Sundays and are drop-in events. We
provide tea, coffee, cake and craft activities for
adults and children and chat with visitors who join
us. Numbers of visitors vary (from less than 10
to over 40) and, as well as young families, we are
often joined by teenagers and by elderly residents
of Highlands Village.
13
REACHING OUT
CHRISTMAS RELATED EVENTS
Our Christmas celebrations include events at
GCH and also in the local community. As well
as our Christmas Day service we have a family
Christingle service and a Candlelit Café Carols
with mulled wine and live Christmas jazz music
with 175-200 people attending. Carol services are
also held at the two local care homes, Blake Court
and Elizabeth Lodge (also involving the Grange
Park Primary School choir). On the two Saturdays
before Christmas we also enjoy carol singing
outside the Highlands Village Sainsbury’s using
this opportunity to hand out invitations to our
Christmas events.
SUMMER FUN DAY
Our annual Fun Day is an opportunity to welcome,
serve and build connections with as many people
in the local area as possible. This event is held
in the Sainsbury’s car park in Highlands Village
to maximise visibility and attendance and is an
afternoon of family fun. Previous events have
attracted over 200 visitors who enjoy the bucking
bronco, bouncy castles, competitions, craft
activities, sing-a-longs and BBQ.
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK
FOOD BANK
Every year we collect non-perishable food at our
Harvest Festival Service. The food items are passed
to the Enfield Food Bank which is run by Jubilee
Church in Enfield.
SPORTS QUIZ
We are holding our second Christians In
Sport - Sports Quiz this year. Members of the
congregation invite their non-Christian friends to
a quiz followed by pizza and a gospel message. The
event is also publicised within Highlands Village.
Last year’s event was attended by over 70 people
the majority of whom were non-Christians.
JAZZ BBQ
Another popular outreach events is our Summer
Jazz BBQ. Hosted in the beautiful garden of one of
our church families, guests are invited to a Sunday
event featuring a BBQ, live jazz music performed
by a professional quartet (led by a church member)
and a short gospel presentation.
PARISH PROFILE 2018 14
WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH
ST PETER’S GRANGE PARK
WITH OTHER GCH does not have its own geographical parish
CHURCHES AND but operates within, and co-operates with, the
parish of St Peter’s Grange Park. We have a positive
CHRISTIAN relationship with St Peter’s, which sits within the
more Catholic tradition of the Church of England
GROUPS and thus our worship styles are sufficiently
different to be complementary.
Both churches have been blessed with growth since
our church was planted in 2007. Collaboration
between the two churches has grown since the
Revd Stephen Coleman was appointed as the
incumbent of St Peter’s in December 2017. The
Council looks forward to exploring further
opportunities for collaboration under the
leadership of our new Minister.
RELATIONSHIP WITH
CHRIST CHURCH COCKFOSTERS
The church continues to remain grateful to Christ
Church Cockfosters, as our ‘sending’ church,
for their generosity with the initial finances and
resources to assist with the planting. We are now
fully independent from Christ Church Cockfosters
from a governance and financial perspective,
but good relations continue to exist between the
two churches particularly in terms of advice and
mutual prayer support.
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHURCHES
We continue to have a close relationship with the
Bishop of Edmonton and the Deanery. We expect
our new Minister to be able to work closely with
the Deanery fostering collaborative relationships
with other churches.
OAK HILL THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE
Since 2007, more than 40 families from Oak Hill
have been committed members of the church.
Each year at least one Oak Hill student has had
a placement at the church. It is expected that
our new Minister will continue to have a role in
training placement students from Oak Hill.
MISSION PARTNERS
GCH supports mission partners in India and
North Africa who were formerly members of the
GCH congregation. We regularly pray for our
mission partners’ work and also provide financial
support in the form of an annual contribution.
We are unfortunately unable to provide further
details in relation to our mission partners’ activities
due to restrictions that apply in the countries in
which they serve.
15
BUILDINGS WEBSITE

OUR MINISTER’S ACCOMMODATION Based on a rota, the Branch Groups take on the There is a church website
task of setting-up the hall for the service. (www.gracechurchhighlands.co.uk),
After lengthy consideration, the Council has
developed by one of our church members,
resolved to sell the current property owned by
The church has maintained a strong and positive which details services and activities.
GCH and to acquire a detached family-sized
relationship with the administration team at the Sermons are also available to download.
property in the Highlands Village area which will
school. The school hall and classrooms are booked
include a study and space to offer hospitality and
electronically in advance. Whilst the church does
hold smaller meetings. This will allow greater
not have any “security of tenure”, it has not faced
visibility and proximity both to the mission area
any issues in booking relevant areas of the school
and to Highlands School where the regular services
for its activities.
and activities of GCH take place.

The Council recognises that the purchase of a new

property might not have been possible by the time
a suitable candidate has been appointed. In this
instance, the Council is prepared to work with the
selected candidate in choosing appropriate rented
accommodation in Highlands Village.
OTHER BUILDINGS
There is also space available to rent in Highland
Village Hall, which is used for some of GCH’s
other outreach activities such as Community
Cafés, B@SE on Sunday evenings and the annual
Summer Fun Day.

HIGHLANDS SCHOOL
The church uses the main hall at Highlands School
and a number of classrooms every Sunday. Storage
facilities are provided by the school and most items
used during the service are stored at the school for
use the following week.

GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 16

OUR FINANCES

GCH CIO CCC

The table opposite provides a summary of the Budget Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual
accounts of GCH in the last 5 years from 2013 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
to 2017, together with the budget for 2018. Incoming Resources
Gift Aid (inc, tax credit)
The Council has recently been advised that it is due
to receive a legacy which is expected to provide Regular giving 60,000 61,489 68,725 55,720 57,703 43,504
further funding to support the work of GCH and One-off gifts 38,000 52,857 37,951 25,181 15,149 14,543
its mission in Highlands Village and beyond. Other giving
Regular giving 13,250 15,452 14,154 13,182 4,713 7,514
One-off gifts 2,000 750 10,130 13,810 5,270 10,107
Interest & other income 1,500 1,248 367 195 98 10
114,750 131,796 131,327 108,088 82,933 75,678

Resources Expended
Clergy stipend & expenses 59,250 79,343 76,173 59,858 38,192 37,283
Clergy accommodation costs 22,000 31,670 37,476 29,805 22,094 22,299
Highlands School rent 11,000 10,180 10,366 11,658 11,390 11,117
Evangelism 10,000 7,089 8,635 4,210 6,148 7,032
Church running costs 3,500 3,340 2,716 3,246 3,058 2,118
105,750 131,622 135,366 108,777 80,882 79,849

Net movement in funds 9,000 174 (4,039) (689) 2,051 (4,172)

GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 17

 STAFFING GOVERNANCE

Grace Church is led by a Minister who is funded The church was constituted as a Charitable
entirely from church funds. GCH also makes an Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2013.
annual modest contribution to the Common Fund. The current trustees of the CIO are:

The first curacy at GCH was for a fixed term of • Jeff Hammer
three years and ended in July 2018. The Council
• Elaine Kelman
is keen to explore opportunities for recruiting
additional paid members of staff. • Andy Kelman
• Kate Douglas
• Paul Mason
• Paul Stockton
• Sarah Arnold
• Sheamal Samarasekera

Jeff Hammer and Elaine Kelman are also

the current Wardens of the church.
Paul Stockton is the Treasurer.

GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 18

 THE
LOCAL
AREA
GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 19
 THE LOCAL AREA Adjacent to Highlands School is Highlands
Village which we aim to serve. Highlands Village
the population identify themselves as being black,
Asian and minority ethnic. https://new.enfield.gov.
was originally a Victorian hospital which has uk/services/your-council/about-enfield/borough-
been converted and developed over the last and-wards-profiles/about-enfield-information-
twenty five years into a residential area, and now southgate.pdf#page=1
provides a mixture of homes. Our own flyering in
connection with GCH events indicate that there
are approximately 900 homes in Highlands Village. TRANSPORT
In addition, there are two retirement blocks for By Rail: Mainline trains from Grange Park,
the elderly (including Elizabeth Lodge Residential Winchmore Hill and Enfield Chase to the City -
Care Home). The Village also offers a communal Moorgate (30 – 35 minutes).
village hall, doctors’ surgery, pharmacy, nursery,
and a Sainsbury’s supermarket. By London Underground: Piccadilly line from
Cockfosters, Oakwood and Southgate to Central
The area is considered to be relatively affluent with London, West End and Heathrow Airport.
a rising, ethnically-diverse population. There is a
higher than average proportion of elderly people By Car: Situated approximately halfway between
in the area, although new developments such as the M25 to the North and the North Circular Road
Highlands Village have attracted younger residents to the South. It takes about 10 minutes to drive
to the area. to Junction 24 of the M25. The M11, A1, and M1
junctions are all within 10 minutes from there.
Highlands Village lies within the Southgate
Ward in Enfield. Demographic data in relation
to the Southgate Ward indicate that, a total of
approximately 15,600 people live within the Ward.
There are approximately 10,200 working-age
people (16-64), 3,200 children (0-15) and 2,250
older people (65+). 33.2% of the total population
of the Ward were not born in the UK and 30.6% of

GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018 20

THE LOCAL AREA

SCHOOLS
The area is well served with local schooling

• Secondary schools: Highlands School,

Southagate School and Winchmore School. A
new Church of England secondary school is
under construction nearby in Enfield.
• Primary Schools: Grange Park School, Eversley
School, Merryhills School, St Paul’s Church of
England School.
• Independent schools: Grange Park Preparatory
School for Girls 4-11, Keble School for Boys
4-13, Palmers Green High School for Girls 4-16.

PARKS
There are a number of local parks including
Oakwood, Grovelands, Enfield Town and Trent
Country Park which extends to over 400 acres.

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GRACECHURCHHIGHLANDS.CO.UK PARISH PROFILE 2018