The Scosh Episcopal Church. The Parish Magazine of St John the Evangelist Forres. Charity Number SC The Eagle

Transcription

1 The Scosh Episcopal Church The Parish Magazine of St John the Evangelist Forres Charity Number SC The Eagle Easter to Trinity RECTORS RAMBLINGS ALLELUIA CHRIST IS RISEN - HE IS RISEN INDEED ALLELUIA

2 VESTRY SECONDS Since the last Vestry Seconds there have been two Vestry meetings, one in February and one in March with not a lot to report. The new dado rail in the hall has been fitted, tidying up the decaying plasterwork where the lathe and plaster wall meets the wood panelling at a cost of 220. A quote has been accepted to replace the rainwater down pipes on the church tower together with cleaning the gutters. It is hoped that slightly larger diameter pipes will reduce the overflow from the gutters in really heavy rain. The Fund Raising Committee have been in overdrive so far this year. The Christmas Pudding netted 390, the Coffee Morning 760, the Auction 2,400, the Burns Supper 210 and the Antiques Evening 355. (If these figures are not quite what you expected, see Money Matters below for an explanation). Planning for the interregnum continues but little can be done just yet. It will be up to our Bishop to appoint an interim Priest-in-Charge and make arrangements for our spiritual welfare - but that does not stop us from thinking already about all the other things Cliff does that we are going to have to do once he goes. We will need someone to take over opening and closing the Church, cutting the grass, putting the bins out and in, producing the weekly Pew Sheets, maintaining our web site - and, of course, for producing the Eagle!! It is no good waiting until Cliff has gone to discover that we do not know how to do these things - we need volunteers NOW to liaise with Cliff and take on these secular duties (and all the other ones that we haven t thought of yet). Of course, when Cliff retires we will also lose Sue who has worked tirelessly in the background as our Protection of Vulnerable Groups Co-ordinator. The Vestry has agreed to seek Diocesan approval to appoint Gareth Whymant and Sally Ross-Mowat to jointly replace Sue in this vital role. (See more on this below). 2

3 Money Matters Relax, I do not intend to make Money Matters a regular item in the Eagle - but there are a few things worth mentioning this time. Firstly, the figure quoted in Church immediately after a fund-raising event is usually the total the event raised (e.g. cash in hand at the end of a Coffee Morning). It does not take into account any costs (e.g. Town Hall rent or cost of raffle prizes). By the time I get around to writing Vestry Seconds, these costs are known and are reflected in the figures I quote. But that is not the full story. As I have suggested, people who buy things in support of an event (e.g. raffle prizes) and who used to treat those goods as a donation are beginning submit invoices. The costs are then refunded (and show as outgoings against the event) but then the recipient donates the money back to the Church. Gift aid is reclaimable on those cash donations, increasing the value by 25% - but that extra money will not be reflected in the figures I quote. Secondly - numbered envelopes. New boxes of numbered envelopes for use from May onwards for those in the scheme should appear on the font in church before the end of April. Please look out for them. If you are a fairly regular giver but use white envelopes, why not save yourself the trouble of filling in your details every time and ask me for a set of numbered envelopes instead? Using numbered envelopes doesn t mean you have to change your pattern of giving - just use them as you would a white envelope. The only differences are that you would have to complete a separate Gift Aid Declaration (but only once) to replace the declaration on the front of a white envelope - and wouldn t need to scratch around looking for a pen in church to write on an envelope every Sunday. Safeguarding the Vulnerable If everybody followed the simple rule Love thy neighbour as thyself then we would not need Safeguarding rules and procedures. Unfortunately, they don t - so we do. Each church must appoint one or more PVG (Protection of Vulnerable Groups) Co-ordinators. The Co-ordinator s role is primarily administrative and educational. 3

4 Co-ordinators do NOT protect vulnerable people from abuse - YOU DO. It is everyone s responsibility to protect the vulnerable and help build a safer church by developing a safe and supportive culture that protects everyone, regardless of the nature of his or her vulnerability. So, who is vulnerable to harm? Basically, everybody. Anyone who is unable to safeguard their own wellbeing, property, rights or other interests is vulnerable. Clearly this includes all children - in 2015 the NSPCC in Scotland reported that 2,800 children were identified as needing protection from abuse. It includes older people too - in 2007 the DoH found that 42,000 older people living in their own homes were abused in a number of ways. And for those in the middle - in 2010/11 there were 2 million (yes TWO MILLION) reported incidents of domestic abuse. On average, 2 women a week are killed by a male partner. 44% of women in the UK have experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner. What makes people vulnerable? Within our congregation, the likely reasons are loneliness, bereavement, illness or incapacity, depression or mental ill health, debt, dementia, being an asylum seeker, alcoholism or drug dependency. Others can take advantage of these vulnerabilities to perpetrate abuse. What exactly is abuse? There is a long list - physical, sexual, psychological, unlawful (fraud, embezzlement), inducement to self-harm, neglect, verbal, bullying - and more. One test is to ask yourself if you would like it if it were happening to you - and if the answer is No then it is probably abuse. How can I prevent it occurring? You can t. Only the perpetrator can stop it occurring, but you can help stop it re-occurring. Be sensitive to others, be prepared to listen, be prepared to ask gentle questions. You will only find out about abuse if the victim decides to tell you - and they will only tell you if you are approachable. What do I do then? Well, do NOT try and deal with the abuse yourself. Tell the victim that you need to seek advice from others and report the 4

5 issue to one of our co-ordinators. If you cannot contact one of our co-ordinators, then or telephone a Provincial Officer on or Grant Swain St JOHNS NOTICES 5 NOTICES FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE Monday 11 th April at 2.00 pm in the Parish Room. DEATH ROW - Who is Guilty? Who is Innocent? - A talk about three visits to death row in the USA and friendships with innocent prisoners and with those less innocent and the moral ques)ons that this throws up. St John s Church Hall, Saturday 16 th April at 7.00 pm. Speaker Hilary Chris)e further details BOYS BRIGADE COFFEE MORNING in St John s Church Hall from on Saturday 23 rd April. Please support this event. QUIZ Saturday 30 th April, 7.00 pm St John s Church Hall. CONFIRMATION Sunday 8 th May, Bishop Mark will be our celebrant today for the Confirma)on of Emma Moffa7. Please hold Emma in your prayers as she prepares for her Confirma)on. CHRISTIAN AID WEEK a service to begin Chris)an Aid Week will be held in St John s on Pentecost Sunday 15 th May at 6.30 pm.. Our theme; This week, we love every neighbour. As usual, lunches will be served in St Leonard s Hall each day and St John s day to provide these will be Thursday, 19 th. NOTICES CONTINUED OVERLEAF

6 ACer 30 years, new regula)ons have caused our Commi7ee reluctantly to decide to discon)nue the Door-to-Door delivery and collec)on of Chris)an Aid envelopes but we shall s)ll be making every effort to raise as many funds as possible. Your help will be most welcome in offering and serving light refreshments following the service, providing and serving lunches or assis)ng in High Street collec)ons. Full informa)on, in the pews, and sign-up lists will be available very soon. Ella Daykin is a great loss to our Commi7ee (and our congrega)on). I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who would like to join me in represen)ng St John s. Thank you for your sterling help in the past and in an)cipa)on of your goodwill for this year. June Airey VESTRY MEETING Monday 6 th June Parish Room 7.00 pm. GENERAL SYNOD Edinburgh 8 th 11 th June. VESTRY MEETING Monday 18 th July Parish Room 7.00 pm. KINLOSS MILITARY WIVES CHOIR Saturday 19 th November at St John s. CONFIRMATION Canon Cliff is planning to hold Confirmation Classes after Easter with Confirmations taking place Sunday 8 th May. Please speak to Canon Cliff if you would like to be prepared for Confirmation. Please hold Emma Moffett in your prayers as she prepares for her confirmation. 6

7 REPORT ON DIOCESAN SYNOD 2016 HELD AT KINGSMILLS HOTEL, INVERNESS 05/03/16. Attendees Canon Cliff Piper, Grant Swain, and Derek Bedford. The Synod commenced with Eucharist, celebrated by Bishop Mark. 1) Minutes, Matters arising, Membership arrivals and departures were quickly dealt with, with no controversy. 2) The first item on the Bishop s Charge was the Columba Declaration, Growth in Communion Partnership in Mission Report recently agreed between the Church of England and the Church of Scotland. This was the subject of a statement by our Primus Bishop David which was reported in the recent issue of Inspires, and can be found on the Scottish Episcopal Church Website. The Primus stated:- People expect Churches to work together, and in the SEC we are keen to work wholeheartedly with the Church of Scotland. Our histories are intertwined, and with the history of Scotland, and much of that history has been painful and difficult, so it is important that new chapters we write are positive and creative! I watched the debate in which the Columba Declaration was approved by the Church of England with a sense of unreality. The Scottish Episcopal Church was like a ghost at the party - often referred to and talked about, but not present. Concerns voiced within the Scottish Episcopal Church about the Columba Declaration focus significantly on the Church of England. The Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of England are Partner Provinces in the Anglican Communion. We are its presence in Scotland, and we expect the Church of England to respect that. The concerns are that the Columba Declaration places the Church of England in a compromised position in relation to the Scottish Episcopal Church. 7

8 The Church of England approved the Columba Declaration. It was clear that many people in General Synod were uneasy aware that something is not quite right, but not quite sure what. Ecumenical matters are usually carried through without significant debate, yet here 50 people voted against and 49 abstained. This tells us we all have work to do. The desire of the two churches to get approval for the Declaration has inhibited their ability to have a real dialogue with us about its future implications for our future relationships. Now it has been approved, the time for that has arrived. We welcome the opportunity for a real dialogue with both partners, and pray that out of that will come a healing and renewal both of our relationship and our shared mission. Bishop Mark concluded that he shares the concerns and annoyance of Primus David, and that as he is to represent the Scottish Episcopal Church at the Church of Scotland General Assembly later this year in Edinburgh, he intends to make our voice heard there. 3) The Report on the Diocese Statistics showed a very modest growth in numbers in congregations over the previous year, however numbers of communicants were well up! The feeling is one of shrinkage as burials and cremations were well up, so we need to spread the message, and involve more young people in our Church. 4) Dean s Report. Dean Alison said it had been a joy to attend events and special services across the Diocese. with a number of congregations. She mentioned the most recent was the reopening of Christ Church Huntly, after major works and to see the transformation of their church building. She had preached and taken services at the Cathedral, and visited many congregations. In January she went to the biannual meeting of the Deans from across the Province, which proved helpful and supportive. She concluded by thanking the Registrar, Architect, and Buildings Committee for their help and advice; and indicated on future visits to Charges, questions will be asked in advance of the Vestry. 8

9 5) Protection Officer s Report we were reminded that the Protection of Young and Vulnerable Persons was the ultimate responsibility of the Vestry. 6) Treasurer s Report. The Accounts were satisfactory, and showed a smaller surplus than previous years of 14,095, which is being transferred to the Curates Fund, now that the earlier deficits have been recovered. Another change is that with the reduction of pension costs, the contribution towards charges with stipendiaries, from those without, will also be paid into the Curates Fund, and it was hoped other contributions would be made to the Fund on a regular basis. 7) Elections were held for Clerical and Lay Membership of General Synod, with more candidates than vacancies, which meant I as a teller had work to do. Grant Swain was successful in winning a second term on Diocesan Standing Committee. 8) Notices. 24/04/16 Evensong at the Cathedral will be followed by a newly commissioned play about the conversion of St Paul. 9) Provincial and other business, was given by Lorna Finlay, Provincial Communications Officer, who thanked the 80% of us who have responded to the Stipend questionnaire. She is responsible for Press Relations, and asked to keep her advised of any good news. 10) Registrar took us through Canons 52.5, 57.6, 60.5, and All the changes related to the reduction of Age qualification from eighteen to sixteen for membership and voting rights, in line with arrangements for the Scottish Referendum. All were approved. We shall hope and pray for an influx of 16 year olds in due course! 11) The Admin Board Report was taken as read, as the Accounts are satisfactory and in surplus, however I gave my talk on Stewardship, offering our help to any Charge which needed it, and responding to a question on Legacies with our toolkit on the website. 12) The Diocesan Mission and Ministry Board and Director of Ordinands spoke about Stipendiary Clergy, and Bishop Mark confirmed 9

10 that the aim is now to have ten stipendiaries in the Diocese, with six allocated to the charges in the major concentrations of population around Inverness and the Moray Firth. The Bishop also clarified that the funding arrangements for the proposed additional stipendiary clergy would be a combination of Provincial Funding and contributions from charges that do not currently support a stipendiary priest. This is a fundamental change to the financial proposals contained in the previously circulated Consultation Papers. We have three candidates in training at present for the priesthood, with more testing their vocation at the discernment level. He also confirmed that the Rev Sarah Murray would be taking up post as Vice Provost at the Cathedral later this year. 13) We then had a presentation by Mhairi Wylie Chief Officer for Highland Third Sector Interface on Refugees in the Highlands, urging us to receive and make them welcome among us. 14) Synod then concluded with the Bishop s Reflection and Prayers. He said one of our major challenges as Christians is we need to learn how to engage better, and be more visible in our communities. We have so much to offer and we have to open our doors! 8 th March Derek Bedford - Lay Representative. THE EASTER GARDEN The pictures on the following page are of the wonderful Easter Garden at St John s. It magically appears year acer year some)me acer the Good Friday evening service and Easter Saturday, not really by magic but through the hard work and devo)on of our Sacristan Barbara Wes)e and Deacon Anthony who work on into the night. When the garden is finished and dismantled the heathers are planted in the front garden of the Rectory. 10

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12 DATE READERS ROTA READER OLD TESTAMENT NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL 10 April Easter 3 17 April Easter 4 24 April Easter 5 1 May Easter 6 8 May Easter 7 Michael Thompson John Guthrie Seymour Monro Alison Manson Emma Moffs7 Acts Revela)on John Acts Acts Acts Revela)on , Revela)on John Revela)on John Acts Revela)on , 16-17, John or John John May Pentecost Pat Ellison Acts Romans John , (25-27) 22 May Trinity Sunday Kirsteen Mitcalfe Proverbs 8.1-4, Romans John May 1 acer Trinity Gareth Whymant 1 Kings , Gala)ans Luke June 2 acer Trinity Anne Docherty 1 Kings Gala)ans Luke June 3 acer Trinity Derek Bedford 2 Samuel , Gala)ans Luke This edi2on of the Eagle is available in full colour on St John s Website. The Reverend Canon Clifford J Piper The Rectory, Victoria Road, Forres, IV36 3BN Phone: stjohnsforres@b)nternet.com St John s website: Diocesan website: Provincial website: 12