The Dover Town Team Ministry (also known as the Dover Town Benefice) is a collection of parishes/churches working together to serve the town of Dover. Member churches are:
- Parish of St Mary, Dover
- Parish of St Peter and St Paul, Charlton
- Parish of St Andrew Buckland-in-Dover with St Nicholas Buckland Valley
- Parish of St Martin, Dover
- Parish of St Martin, Guston
- Cross-Links (partner in mission)
Working together; being unique
Together, we can combine resources to give us energy and time to do more things, and to do things no single parish could manage. And each church community has a unique character and calling to its locality.
Inspiring worship
Each of our congregations has its own minister responsible for worship and pastoral care. The Staff Leadership team consists of:
Revd Catherine Tucker Interim Team Rector with pastoral responsibility for St Mary’s Dover
Revd Melissa Carter Team Vicar and Vicar of St Martin’s Dover
Revd Angie Stupple Curate
Nigel Collins Licensed Lay Minister, Buckland & Deanery Lay Chair
Deepening faith
Opportunities open to existing, new and future disciples include:
The Alpha course
Alpha is an opportunity to explore life, faith and meaning; courses run a couple of times during the year.
Advent and Lent courses
During Advent and Lent we run courses and activities to enable participants to draw closer to the heart of God in hi9s birth and death for us.
Dover College of Ministry
The Dover College of Ministry meets regularly through the year and is open to anyone in a leadership role in our churches.
Connect Groups
These are small groups which meet weekly in people’s homes designed to help connect us to God, each other and our wider community.
Provision for children
This is an area we hope to develop further; currently there is some provision for children in each of our parishes.
Mutual Care
Pastoral care teams were established in each parish under the oversight of Angie Stupple as team leader.
Reaching out
Our Mission Priest plays a key role in encouraging us to reach out to show God’s love to people in our communities, especially to people who do not yet know Jesus. Here are some ways in which our churches reach out…
Pastoral services of baptism, marriage and funeral
A co-ordinated approach ensures the best, seamless care in both administration and pastoral need at these crucial times of life, and by keeping in touch afterwards.
Ignite-D
This is a new kind of service for those for whom life is especially tough or who can’t cope with usual Sunday worship. Ignite-D takes place on Mondays at St Mary’s Church from 7pm.
Links with local children and schools
Members of the team regularly spend time helping local schools with collective worship, RE, governance and other dimensions of their life.
Community Café
This takes place at St Mary’s Parish centre, not only is it popular, it provides a safe space for people in need on a Saturday morning.
Dover Soup kitchen
This ecumenical venture runs every evening at 6pm from the St Mary’s Church porch.
Dover Winter night shelter
This ecumenical venture runs through the winter months with a different church hosting guests each evening.
Other Partners
