The Lord Chancellor and Bishop of Peterborough seek to appoint a new Rector of the benefice of Astwick Vale in the Deanery of Brackley. The Benefice consists of 5 parishes in a 5 mile triangle located on the edge of the Cotswolds. The parishes are midway between Oxford, Northampton and Stratford upon Avon on the M40 with good direct rail links for London and Birmingham.

We are a rural benefice encompassing vibrant villages with strong communities, who need spiritual and practical leadership. Our younger children and families are our priority; they need enthusiastic involvement. We continue to serve an older generation both in our churches and in homes with visits and pastoral support. We would like to welcome new members of our congregations as well as be more involved in our communities.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact The Revd Matthew Robinson, Rural Dean of Brackley at fathermatthew.r@icloud.com

Applications preferred from our website Diocese of Peterborough | Vacancies (peterborough-diocese.org.uk) or by emailing the PA to the Archdeacons: pa.archdeacons@peterborough-diocese.org.uk

We are seeking a Rector who

• Likes a challenge and seeks out opportunities (with the help of the PCCs and the benefice Ministry Team) to reinforce strengths and reinvigorate the benefice
• Has a significant role within our primary schools while encouraging others to share in this ministry
• Strives to bring the church back to the centre of our lives and communities
• Participates in village life across the benefice
• Will enjoy living in this beautiful and wonderfully convenient part of the UK

We pray that our new Incumbent will:

• Give us strong spiritual and practical leadership
• Have new ideas and want to develop them with us as the Ministry here develops
• Enjoy focusing on our young families and children whom we see as a priority
• Continue to serve an older generation in our churches and in their homes
• Be involved in our communities
• See us as a benefice who can support your own career and development

And enable us to:

• grow together both as God’s family and as a Benefice
• share the love of Jesus within our respective parishes
• open to the support and encouragement of the Holy Spirit
• use our skills and talents in God’s service throughout our Benefice
• veer left and right as success is achieved