Saint Augustine of Canterbury Local Ecumenical Partnership

Transcription

1 Saint Augustine of Canterbury Local Ecumenical Partnership Anglican, Methodist, United Reformed and Roman Catholic Churches in Fellowship in North Springfield Annual Report 2016/2017

2 Agenda Opening Prayer Apologies for absence The Annual Parochial Church Meeting Minutes of the last meeting Appointment of Church Wardens Delegation of responsibilities of the P.C.C. to Church Council The Annual Church Meeting Minutes of last meeting and Matters Arising. Appointment of Church Officers Election of members to the Church Council and congregational reps. to other bodies. Election of Welcome Team. Financial report and reception of Independently Examined Accounts. Appointment of Independent Examiner. Annual Report on life and work of the church. Ministers Report (please read printed report before the meeting) Beaulieu Church Report A.O.B. Date of next meeting Church Council 9 th May 2017 Closing Prayer

3 St Augustine of Canterbury, North Springfield Minutes of the Annual General Meeting Sunday 24 th April 2016 Present Rev. Jane Anderson; Pauline Hepworth; Doug Hayton; Carolyn Smith; Simon Carpenter; Charlotte Tew; Pat Hayton; Linda Raymond; Pam Scammell; Deborah Wilkes; Daphne Moyes; John Anderson. Apologies Rev. Mike Lewis; Sheila Coughtrey; Catherine DeBie; Helen Leverett; Linda Carpenter; Jenny Murphy; Hannah Raymond; Jordan Hall. Opening Prayer Rev. Jane 12:15 Matters Arising Pauline is stepping down after ten years as Church Warden as of 22 nd May. Jane thanked her for all the work she has done. Appointment of Church Wardens Helen Leverett will continue as a Church Warden, was Proposed by Linda Raymond, seconded by Carolyn Smith and voted for unanimously by all present. Catherine DeBie Proposed by Charlotte Tew, seconded by David Dixon and voted for unanimously by all present. 3. Delegation of responsibility of PCC to Church Council All in favour The PCC meeting closed and the Annual Church Meeting opened B) The Annual Church Meeting 1. Minutes of the last meeting Agreed and accepted as a true record Matters Arising - none 2. Appointment of Church Officers Doug Hayton was willing to continue to serve as our Methodist Church Officer. Nominated by Pauline Hepworth and seconded by Helen Leverett All were in favour Doug Hayton pointed out that a replacement for Carolyn Smith is required as Methodist Church Officer; Carolyn had to step down when taking the role of Treasurer. Appointments Church Council Helen Leverett, Proposed by Doug Hayton and Seconded by Carolyn Smith, John Anderson, Proposed by Pauline Hepworth and Seconded by Charlotte Tew, were both re-elected to the Church Council.

4 There are two vacancies to be filled. Two representatives are required for synod, one vacancy for Ecumenical Council and one for the Joint Management Committee. Election of Welcome Team Jane read the list of persons willing to be part of the Welcome Team. She thanked everyone for their past efforts in this role and those who will continue to provide cover. All persons present were in favour of the nominations. Financial Report - Carolyn The accounts have been sent to the Independent Examiner and Treasurer awaits his response. The church is in a better position than last year having received the back dated Gift Aid for regular giving and was able to pay just over 50% of the Parish Purse. The monthly payment remains unchanged; the extra was made up of lump sum payments. The Parish Purse has been reduced from 21,000 to 19,800 for this year. TRIO resulted in a slight increase in planned giving, but it is still not enough to cover outgoings. Lump sum donations totalling 2,000 were received with the restriction imposed that the money only be used for the work of the church. It is now possible to claim Gift Aid for loose collections. The Vintage Fair raised less money than the previous year, but the Christmas Craft Fair was well received and there will be an additional Summer Craft Fair this year. Additional methods of raising capital are still required. The contract for the photo-copier is slightly more expensive and it is not yet known if there will be a need to increase the monthly payment to the Joint Management fund. Jane thanked Carolyn for her efforts and hard work. Appointment of Independent Examiner Brian Bassett was re-appointed by unanimous decision after being proposed by Linda Raymond and seconded by Pauline Hepworth. Brian accepted a gift for his services last year so it was proposed that he be offered a fee of 100 as per the arrangement with the previous Examiner. Annual Report of life and work of the church Charlotte advised on the need for additional support with the preparation and running of Sunday School, as her increased family commitments will stretch her ability to continue to find the amount of time she currently gives. Jane thanked her for her efforts and hard work. Ministers Reports Those gathered read the reports. Simon thanked Jane for all that she does, particularly as she now has the additional responsibility for Pleshey. AOB There were no items for discussion Closing Prayer Simon 12:50

5 Annual Report Background St. Augustine s Church Council has had the responsibility of co-operating with the Revd Jane Anderson (Anglican) Revd Mike Lewis (Methodist) in promoting the pastoral, ecumenical, evangelistic and social mission of the church within the parish and LEP. In conjunction with the Roman Catholic Community through the Local Management Committee they are responsible for the maintenance and insurance of the church building, gardens and car park. Membership of Church Council Members of Church Council are either ex officio or elected by the Annual Church Meeting in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. During the year the following served as members of Church Council Name Role Date Elected Date Term Expires Rev Jane Anderson Chairman From Oct Rev. Mike Lewis Minister From Sept Simon Carpenter Reader (((secondment) 2011 (ex officio) Helen Leverett Church Warden Catherine DeBie Church Warden 2014 (ex officio) 2017 Doug Hayton Church Officer 2014 (ex officio) 2017 Methodist Carolyn Smith Treasurer 2014 (ex officio) 2017 John Anderson Secretary Charlotte Tew There will be 2 vacancies on Church Council. We would like to thank all members for their hard work and the commitment they have shown. The following posts are vacant; 2 posts for Deanery Synod. 1 post for Ecumenical Council 1 post for Joint Management 0 post for School Governor 2 posts for Methodist Circuit The following are representatives for denominational bodies (and Governors) Deanery Synod Rev. Jane Anderson Methodist Circuit Rev. Mike Lewis, Dough Hayton. Ecumenical Council Rev. Jane Anderson, Rev Mike Lewis, Deborah Wilkes Joint Management Committee Rev. Jane Anderson, John Anderson School Governors Hazel Miller, Rev. Jane Anderson

6 Aspects of Church Life The Church Council operates through a number of committees, which meet between full meetings of Council and also include other church members. Baptisms. Our numbers of infant baptisms have diminished over the past couple of years, however we are being asked to baptise older children in their final year at Primary school - 2 last year and 1 this year - all boys. In response to this we have a short liturgy which 2 of the boys have chosen to have on a week day straight after school with just their parents and grand parents at the service, this is an interesting development. Hopes for the coming year. As the baptisms on a Sunday afternoon are mainly for non church families it would be good to have one or two members of our congregation in attendance and maybe helping with the bible reading - just to make a small link with the church and the family. We only have about 3 or 4 baptisms a year at 1 pm on a Sunday so if you feel you could help in this way - the service lasts for 20 minutes, then please let me know. Sunday School Sunday School continues to meet on most Sundays during term time and our sessions generally seam to be enjoyed by those who come including our two new members, Ava and Amalie - and they bring new dynamics to the group too. Griffin has joined us on occasion which has also been nice. We have invested in some new material from the Progressive Christianity Network (PCN) entitled A Joyful Path and the children seem to be embracing this. Some of our more memorable sessions have included God in Nature and David and Goliath (which included making sling shots! It was also nice to be involved in the Christmas service. I would like to express my thanks to Catherine for all her help and Pat for her continued support. Hopes, for this coming year. It would be nice to raise the profile of Sunday School among local primary schools and it would also be nice to get higher and more consistent numbers of children. I would still be grateful for more regular volunteers to help ease pressure on Catherine and myself, even if someone could just commit to one session a term it would be helpful. The PCN material is structured in such a way that anyone can pick up and teach it without too much preparation. If anyone would like to look through the material to get a flavour for what is coming up please feel free to just catch Catherine or I after church. Charlotte Tew Messy Church We have had fewer sessions this past year. Numbers fluctuate from 2 families to 20+ people which is difficult to cater for with food and craft resources. Those who do come along enjoy the afternoon and it is good to see dad s there being able to join in with the crafts with their children - something many of them miss out on during the week. Hopes for the coming year Our next MC will be on the theme of Pets and Peace where we will be looking at animals and St Francis. Individual letters have been sent out this time along with an invitation in the school news letter - I hope this double invitation will result in more attending the session - we shall see. Many thanks to all those who help with the crafts and in the kitchen and give up your Sunday afternoon to do so Evergreens (lunch club) Evergreens meets on the second Monday of the month at Cotman Lodge and we have around 16 residents and 4 helpers each time. We have a two course meal e.g. pie, chips and veg & syrup sponge and custard for 3. We have a full Christmas Lunch and the children from Bishops school come along to lead the carol singing. In the summer we have a cream tea as our final lunch before we break for the holidays. My thanks to Pauline, Linda and Andrew who help each month, without them we could not offer this to the community.

7 We also have a coffee morning at Cotman on the fourth Monday of the month offering home made cake and we just sit and chat - thanks to Andrew and Pauline for their help and support. Numbers fluctuate from 6-10 residents. Social & Fund Raising Committee. We had several table top sales after church, thanks to Pauline for these. Also a Spring Craft Fair and a Christmas Craft Fair both organised by Pauline - many thanks to those who also helped to provide cake and help in the kitchen. Andrew and The Chelmsford Model Railway Club once again organised a lovely day for all enthusiasts - many visitors were captivated by the little mice in the cheese mine! The clubs generosity to our church is very much appreciated. The London Night attracted people from Constable View and Cotman Lodge last year and was a fun social event for our congregation and lovely choir and choir master who spends a great deal of time finding songs for us to sing and trying to control his chattering singers - much like trying to herd cats! Hopes for the coming year This years events: September Saturday 23 rd 1960 s Vintage Fair (to be confirmed). Saturday 14 th October 7.30 pm 1960 s Concert, Saturday 25 th November Christmas Fair, Saturday 9 th December 7 pm Christmas Concert. For the Vintage Fair to go ahead we need to make sure we have enough help, much of the preparation was done last year but we had to cancel as there were not enough people available to help run the stalls, help in the kitchen etc. Choir Our proposed 1960 s concert had to be postponed last September. However a London Evening with songs from musicals like My Fair Lady and Ralph McTell s Streets of London together with a sing song of Cockney songs was enjoyed by all in May. In Early September the choir were honoured to sing Robbie Williams She s the one at Andrew and Liz s wedding much to the bride and grooms surprise and delight. Hopes for this coming year We hope to start practicing in May for the postponed 1960 s concert to be held in October and to hold the popular Christmas Concert in December. New recruits are always welcome especially a few more males. Doug Hayton Choirmaster Involvement in our Schools Our connection with Bishops School is strong and thriving and is a very large and important part of our church ministry. Mr Waters and I were invited by the Diocese, once again, to speak to a large group of new curates about the relationship between the church and our church school as we are seen as an example of how this works well. In the past year we have celebrated St Augustine s Day with an open air Holy Communion service (quite tricky to keep the host in one place!) Remembrance Day in the play ground. The children are so respectful and write beautiful prayers and poems, and we are always honoured to welcome Cyril to the service, he served in the Arctic Convoys and is always willing to answer the many questions the children have for him. Last year we also updated the weekly church service and changed the Leavers Eucharist order of service to better reflect the children s experience of their time at Bishops school - it was a much longer service but the children were all able to make their own contribution and really enjoyed it - as did the staff. The school were invited to take a group of 30 children to the Cathedral for a day of activities around the theme of Holy Week - it was a fun day which the children enjoyed - we were shown how to make Holy Week in a match box - which was a really good idea we might use at Messy Church! During Lent we have been exploring the Stations of the Cross with each class pondering a few of the stations - re-enacting the trial, smelling the spices used for Jesus body etc. This year the school purchased a new set of Stations just for year 6 - they are much more open to interpretation and reflection and it was good for me to help the children look at them in a different way. After these sessions the children return to their class rooms and reflect on their experiences by writing, drawing or

8 painting. In the final week of term the school journey through Holy Week together each morning beginning with Palm Monday. On Tuesday we remembered the Last Supper as we all shared Pita bread together to help us think about Jesus last meal with his friends. On Wednesday morning the children re-enacted the events of Good Friday this was very moving as Jesus was nailed to the tree - the children have a real sense of the moment. And on Thursday we celebrated the Resurrection with joyful songs. This year KS2 had a week of interpretive dance led by 2 professional dancers who even managed to engage reluctant year 6 boys in this new way of understanding Holy Week. It is a real privilege to share and serve in our school. Hopes for this coming year To continue with our Worshipers course. Continue to build on our strong relationship with the school. And also to try to address the question of what it means to be an Inter Church school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood and the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford - when we are having inspections it can feel like they do not really understand what we are about. So we are visiting an Inter Church School in May to see how it works for them so we can hopefully come back with many positive and helpful ideas to share with both diocese. Young Worshippers Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19: 14 Young Worshippers after school club is relatively new this year with us only having had 3 sessions so far. Its an 8 week course with 2 extra sessions for those children preparing for their First Holy Communion. We meet on Mondays in a year 6 classroom at The Bishops School 3.30pm-4.45 pm Our sessions include a time of reflection, prayers, interactive bible stories, games, quizzes and challenges that help the children to reinforce their learning and to explore their own faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The sessions also aim to build the children s understanding of the broader role of the church in our society today. Unfortunately due to other out of school commitments our group has decreased in number and now we only have 5/6 members. Hopes for the coming year To build on important links between our church and school. To enable the children to prepare for their first holy communion classes To reinforce a model of Christianity that embraces all the needs of humanity. To encourage the children to question their faith and seek creative ways in learning about the message Encouraging individual passions. To give an overview knowledge of other world religions. Sandie Hulbert Weekly Worship Over the last 12 months we have continued to focus worship on our desire to be an inclusive church with a more progressive message. During the year Jane, Pauline and Simon have provided the sermons on Sunday mornings, but of course Pauline has had to take a back seat in the last couple of months. With new material being used in the Sunday School which reflects the style and approach that we have in the church, we hope to develop a more consistent programme of worship for all ages. The second Sunday of each month continues to be the Methodist Sunday. In past years we saw Rev Viv Gasteen on most of the second Sundays, but now we see different Methodist local preachers. This provides variety on that Sunday but, of course, it means that there is less consistency and the theology and style of that Sunday is sometimes very different from most Sundays. We might want to think about how to ensure that this is a positive aspect of our worship programme.

9 Hopes for the coming year Helping the church family to grow and develop spiritually and reflectively will be a theme for the next year. Jane and I have looked at using themes that we can develop over a period of weeks, and while that has been limited so far, this is something that we can do more of in the future. We also hope that we can extend our musical repertoire a little too, with the help of Doug, Pam and the choir. It would also be good to make more of the children s Sunday School activities so that the church family a a whole is sharing and affirming the range of things we are each doing. Simon Carpenter Progressive Christianity Network The Progressive Christianity Network group meets in the small hall on the second Sunday of each month at 6.15pm until 8.00pm. The group attracts a wide range of people from many parts of Essex, not just Chelmsford, and attendance is now approximately ten per meeting. To begin, there is always time to chat over tea/coffee (and often cake!). Then we usually watch a DVD and discuss its contents, talking about personal interpretations which often lead to questioning our traditionally held beliefs. All views are respected, as we challenge any religious certainty, listen to alternative opinions and help each other understand more about our faith. The programme we have been following this year is Faith and Reason The Challenge of Jesus by John Dominic Crossan, with contributions from various other theologians. Our discussions have included: the life and times of Jesus, and the growth of Christianity, what was special about this religious leader and the different ways of interpreting His teaching. Rev Jane informs us of any PCN events which we may wish to attend, provides the latest literature and recommends reading materials. Hopes for this coming year It is hoped that our group will continue to grow and that we can enjoy viewing more PCN DVDs, which always provide a good starting point. It is a privilege to have this discussion group based at our church, making it so convenient for church members to attend. (Some people have to travel miles.) We are fortunate that our vicar encourages us to openly discuss our faith and voice any problems we have with acceptance of aspects of church teaching. It would be lovely to have more of our congregation from St. Augustine s joining the group, so, come along and swell the numbers. It s a stimulating way to spend a couple of hours once a month. It is always interesting to hear the views of others - you can be as controversial as you want, but you might like to merely sit and listen. Just come with an open mind and a sympathetic ear. Do you find more grace in the search for meaning than in absolute certainty, in the questions rather than in the answers? Do you have religious interests and longings but cannot accept the beliefs and dogmas you associate with Christianity? Are you repelled by claims that Christianity is the only way? Do you find solace, meaning, or connection to the teachings and the path of Jesus of Nazareth? Organized religion does not have to be irrelevant, ineffectual, or repressive Jenny Murphy Church Attendance There are 43 members on the electoral roll (New Roll 2014) The usual weekly Sunday attendance counted during October 2016 was 19 adults & 4 children ( adults & 9 children) Average attendance at Messy Church is helpers ( helpers)

10 Ministers Report As we continue our journey together we look back over the past 12 months. Last September saw our wedding of the year as Andrew and Liz took their marriage vows before their three families - the Raymond s, Soltysiak s and Church. It was a truly lovely family occasion and one we will all hold dear. We had a fun, memorable London Night with a fish and chip supper. There was also sadness as dear Dave passed away. Our Lent Courses this year were different to the norm. We used the Inclusive Church study books on Gender which Catherine led, and Mental Health which Carolyn led. They were well attended and very interesting, we finished off with an After Thought session - looking at questions of life and death and preparing for our own funerals. It was also good to welcome a couple of the congregation from Pleshey to this. For a small congregation we do very well - supporting the Evergreens Lunch Club and Coffee morning, the ministry we have in the Bishops School, social events, fund raising, charitable giving etc. The recent vote by the House of Clergy in General Synod not to take note of the Bishops Report following the 3 year long Shared Conversations was a momentous one for the Church of England but also for our church community. It is the clergy who have to say no to requests from couples to be married in church just because of who they love. Prejudice and discrimination, even when it is described as a theological conviction, need to be challenged, and the house of clergy did just that. Our Changing Attitude group will be meeting with Bishop Stephen in a few weeks time so we can discuss how we, as a diocese can move towards greater inclusion for our LGBTG brothers and sisters within the life of the church. On the 1 st of April our Mission and Ministry Partnership was commissioned at Broomfield Church. The point of the MMP is that the churches within our partnership work more closely together. As clergy we have got to know each other through our weekly mid day prayers and lunch time meetings - we offer one another mutual support an encouragement. Different groups are also being set up across the MMP these include Finance - for all the church treasurers, Youth - for Messy Church and Sunday school leaders, music and choir - which led to a joint choir singing at the Commissioning service - it is hoped that this might be repeated in the future. As the shape of ministry changes across the Church of England - with less full time, paid clergy, due to a drop in ordinations a few years ago and also many retirements due over the next few years, a change in our understanding of ministry is inevitable. It is projected that by 2025 our MMP, which now has 5 full time priests will have 2 (maybe 3 because of the rapid expansion of Beaulieu Park) The need for more lay involvement in every aspect of our daily and Sunday church life is something we have to work towards. As we already know, when I leave, St Augustine s will not receive another full time priest of your own and we need to be prepared for this. The diocese can give us assistance in this transition process - it will be a challenge for all of us. It is very important that we look at our core values - what makes St Augustine s the church you choose to attend, support and call home? What needs to remain? What do we need to let go? What do we have to let go? You are all in my heart and prayers, no matter where the next part of our journey may lead. With my love, as always. Jane Lord of life, you walk this journey with us and through us; Lead us Lord, lead on. Journeying within, and wrestling with the world, Lead us Lord, lead on. Lead us to risk, to grow, and to tread the path you have opened for us; Lead us Lord, lead on. And let us rejoice that every place is your place; Amen