GENERAL INFORMATION
The Pewsey and Swanborough Team covers an area eight miles wide by five miles deep in the Vale of Pewsey, designated an "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty". Pewsey is 20 miles from Swindon and Salisbury; Devizes. Marlborough and Hungerford are within easy reach. Bath, Bristol and Southampton are all within one hour.
We have fourteen churches in our team, grouped, for administrative purposes, into five "clusters". Three of the clusters contain three churches; one cluster contains four churches. Pewsey, by far the largest village at the geographical centre of the team, is designated as a single-church cluster.
The Team's mission is :
"To build a united and growing Christian Community."
Geography
The Vale of Pewsey is bounded on the south by the Salisbury Plain and the north by the Marlborough Downs. The area is essentially rural, with sheep farming on the high ground and arable in the Vale. The largest village, Pewsey, has a total and growing population of some 4,300; the smaller villages total some 4,000.
The Clergy Team
The full Team comprises three stipendiary priests, one ordained local minister (OLM) and one active lay reader.
The Team Rector has special responsibility for the Parish of Pewsey and for the overall leadership of the Team. The Rectory is in Pewsey.
Lay Ministry
We encourage and value the ministry of lay people who provide assistance in a variety of ways including worship, pastoral care, education and mission. We have a large group of lay pastoral assistants (LPAs) who are active throughout the Team.
Team Council
The Team Council, which meets four times each year, consists of representatives from each parish together with a Lay Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and the clergy. Churchwardens are encouraged to act as their Parish Representatives. We have lay led committees for finance, social activities, fete, education and youth.
Team Vision
Our aim for the next five years is to implement the cluster concept of pastoral care and to achieve spiritual growth throughout the community.
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Move from maintenance to a focus on mission and a wider involvement with the local community.
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Increase the regular training for lay members with the intention to enlarge this into the Deanery.
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Encourage the spiritual growth of the church membership of all ages.
Our longer term vision is currently under consideration and will be published here shortly.
Our worship
Within the clusters worship is fairly equally divided between Common Worship and The Book of Common Prayer. It is predominantly Eucharistic with a combination of sung and said worship. Across the whole team the balance is weighted towards Common Worship. We try to ensure that the pattern of worship meets the current needs of the parishes within the cluster. There are some lay led services as well as healing and youth services. We have evenings of meditation from time to time and a Team retreat annually in the
spring
Prayer Groups, Study Groups and Adult Nurture
Within the Team we have well supported Lent courses, regular prayer and bible study groups and other short study groups from time to time and of course confirmation classes together with preparation for marriage and for baptism. Our aim is to provide a greater range of training and course material.
Mothers' Union
This group currently has over thirty members and a full programme. It meets in Pewsey once a month on Wednesday afternoons and, very occasionally, in the evening. Members come from across the Team.
Ecumenical Links
Sound ecumenical links are in place with the Roman Catholic and Methodist Churches in Pewsey and with members of the Society of Friends.
The Deanery
The Pewsey Deanery comprises two teams and one small benefice. The Deanery Synod meets three times a year. There is every possibility that the Upavon benefice, comprising one large and two small parishes, located on the south west boundary of the team, will become part of the Pewsey and Swanborough Team at some stage in the future. The Rural Dean is the Team Rector of the adjacent Savernake Team and lives in Burbage.
Overseas Links
These exist between some parishes and overseas missionaries. The Team has a support group for the Reverend Peter Rivett and his wife in Zambia (Peter is the former Rector of the Swanborough Team of Parishes). Christian Aid Week and work in the Sudan are well supported throughout the Team with special services, collections and fund raising activities.
The Church in the Community
The Church Community actively supports a wide range of local activities as well as national and global charities.
Youth
There are three preschool toddler groups and a number of nursery schools throughout the Team as well as four primary schools. One primary school has a regular Christian club meeting during the lunch time. There is one comprehensive school and one private pre-preparatory cum preparatory school. The clergy have an active part in all these schools and clergy led assemblies are held in each. Church youth activities are co-ordinated by the, "Information for Swanborough and Pewsey Youth", committee, known as I-SPY.
There is a well supported Youth Group, "The Shak", which meets in Pewsey Leisure Centre. There are Brownies, Scouts, St. John Ambulance Brigade and a Pony Club within the Team. Holiday activities are organised regularly in Pewsey and the villages.
The Messenger
Our Team Magazine, "The Messenger", is published ten times each year and is distributed free of charge to every household, regardless of church membership.
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