Minutes of the Forum held on 29 th September 2016 at Sudbury United Reformed Church. The Forum was attended by 43 people from 20 churches.

Transcription

1 Minutes f the Frum held n 29 th September 2016 at Sudbury United Refrmed Church. The Frum was attended by 43 peple frm 20 churches. 1 Welcme, Opening Wrship and Intrductin Rev Bryn Rickards welcmed the Frum t Sudbury United Refrmed Church. He intrduced himself and then led wrship based n Psalm 67 with a theme f harvest and thanksgiving. He then gave the backgrund t the establishment f the URC. He said the URC was passinate abut justice and with ther churches was very cncerned abut hw t respnd t the refugee crisis. He said that the Sudbury church raised funds fr lcal charities by hlding cffee mrnings and in Nvember a craft fair. They had intrduced a café church n ne Sunday afternn every ther mnth interactive wrship in an infrmal atmsphere. This had brught sme peple int the church wh wuld nt nrmally cme 2 Aplgies Aplgies were received frm Malclm and Judith Offrd, Rev Ruth Ridge, Irene Lally, Gerry Higginsn, Sue Kistruk, Jlann Prigg, Peter and Lynda Sebbage. 3 Welcmes Peter Halden chaired the meeting and welcmed Rev Cann Cheryl Cllins wh had been appinted priest-in-charge at St Gregry s. Cann Cllins intrduced herself t the Frum saying that she culd trace her ecumenical rts back t her university days. She was excited t be in Sudbury. It had been a challenging time fr St Gregry s but they are enthusiastic and in gd heart. They were trying t listen t Gd t see where He is leading St Gregry s next. The mderatr f Churches Tgether in Sufflk, Simn Gddard, was welcmed t the meeting. He said that he was pleased t be in Sudbury and that he hped sme peple frm Sudbury wuld be able t attend the AGM f CTiS which was t be held n Thursday 13 th Octber at 7.30 pm at Christ Church, Mretn Hall in Bury St Edmunds. The speaker wuld be Rev Rb Tervet frm Wh Cares. He is a Baptist reginal minister but has an ecumenical backgrund. He feels that Gd is calling us t walk tgether. Rev James Ridge was welcmed t the Frum and wuld be speaking t the Frum later Majr Gergina Pinches was welcmed t the meeting. She had agreed t be the EnGp rep frm the Salvatin Army. She said she had retired 4 years ag but is still wrking in a number areas including as a chaplain at Bury St Edmunds Cathedral 4 Jane Hattn Beat the Street Jane Hattn intrduced herself as a representing Intelligent Health wh had recgnised that peple needed bth t be mre part f the cmmunity and als t have mre exercise. She explained hw the Beat the Street wrked and that bth individuals and teams culd take part. She said that in the first week 3,500 had enrlled and 14,500 miles had already been clcked up. Jane cnfirmed that if CTiS&D wished t enter a team f 12 peple it was nt t late. Ruth Ridge had agreed t deal with administratin if there was an interest. Ken Steel expressed his thanks that the prfile f Kettle and Fish had been cnsiderably raised thrugh Beat the Street. 1

2 5 Minutes f the Frum held n 22 nd June 2016 The minutes were apprved by the Frum and signed by the Chairman Matters arising frm thse minutes The Chairman reprted that Eden s had nt as yet made an internship appintment. They were still seeking a suitable candidate. Nicki Dixn, wh had a backgrund in jurnalism and was currently head f PR and visitrs at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, had agreed t help CTiS&D, and individual churches, with publicity and scial media issues. 6 Treasurer s Reprt The Treasurer said that due t circumstances he had been unable t prduce the annual financial reprt. The Frum had received cpies f the financial psitin as at 31 st August The Chairman reminded reps that affiliatin dnatins frm churches were nw due fr the year September 2016 t August 2017 and t remind their treasurers The Frum agreed that the cllectins frm the united services shuld be distributed as fllws: Octber Eden s Prject January Future Visin May Christian Aid July Summer events csts [if held] The Frum apprved the Year End Allcatins and new balances as shwn belw: Ken Steel asked whether it wuld be pssible t increase the dnatin t Future Visin t Arthur Dalgleish secnded this prpsal and the Frum agreed. 2

3 There were n questins arising frm the reprt. The Frum frmally adpted the reprt. Mr Heard was thanked fr all the wrk he did as Treasurer fr CTiS&D 7 Annual Reprts The Annual Reprts had been circulated thrugh Church News. The Chairman made the fllwing cmments: A huge vte f thanks needed t g t Ken and Christine Steel fr their tireless management f Kettle and Fish. The Chairman said that this has fr many years been Churches Tgether in Sudbury & District s flagship and thrugh it CTiS&D have been able t d many ther things which they wuld nt therwise have been able t achieve. He cmmended all the reprts t the Frum but drew attentin t the fact that several areas f CTiS&D s wrk needed mre help in particular Eden s were lking fr new trustees Agape Café needed caterers Christian Aid needed mre cllectrs A c-rdinatr fr the wrk with the s was needed. 8 CTiS&D s Chairman s Remarks Malclm Offrd s reprt is attached t these minutes. 9 Electins The Chairman said that all f the nminatin frms were in. The nminatins were as fllws and n psts had been cntested. Chair: Gerry Higginsn Vice-Chairs: Peter Halden and Malclm Offrd Treasurer: Peter Heard Minutes Secretary: Gill Phillips Executive Secretary: Ruth Ridge The Frum agreed unanimusly that thse nminated shuld be elected r re-elected en blc. The Chairman expressed the thanks f the whle f CTiS&D fr the tireless wrk the fficers f CTiS&D put in and particularly thanked Malclm, backed s ably by Judith, fr everything he had dne and achieved as Chairman ver the past 4 years. A message frm the new Chairman, Gerry, is appended t these minutes 10 Ratificatin f appintments The fllwing appintments were ratified by the Frum Chairman & Manager f Kettle & Fish; Ken & Christine Steel CTiS&D representatives n: WATCH; Richard Titfrd Sudbury Twn Partnership and Friends f St Peter s; Chris Prffitt 3

4 11 Future Events Arthur Dalgleish gave a presentatin n the Advent Art Trail. Frum were tld: A subcmmittee had been frmed t plan this event They wanted t prtray the stry f Jesus Schls, clubs and art clubs had been asked t prduce A3 pictures based n varius parts f the Christmas stry. Scenes they wanted depicted had been specified 24 adult and 24 yung peple pictures wuld be chsen fr display rund shp windws in Sudbury Number 72 was actively supprting the event by being a cllecting pint fr pictures There wuld be an art exhibitin in St Peters n January 7 th Visitrs t the exhibitin wuld be asked t vte fr their favurite picture The tw mst ppular pictures ne adult and ne yung persn wuld be prduced as Christmas cards fr Christmas Any prfits wuld g t Future Visin The Mayr f Sudbury wuld launch the Art Trail n Nvember 25 th. The Chairman said he had hped t be able t annunce the details f Pentecst Praise. Hly Trinity in Lng Melfrd had been bked as had the wrship grup, but the prpsed speaker was unable t cme. The Chairman wuld be lking fr anther speaker The Chairman suggested reps shuld ensure that dates f future CTiS&D events are displayed n church ntice bards.. 12 Speaker Rev James Ridge, the managing chaplain at Wayland Prisn was welcmed t the Frum. He spke, and shwed slides, abut his wrk bth at Chelmsfrd Prisn and mre recently at Wayland Prisn and gave the Frum the fllwing infrmatin: Oscar Wilde had been imprisned in Reading gal. Rev Ridge quted part f Oscar Wilde s Ballad f Reading Gal Chelmsfrd, at which he had wrked fr a number f years, had an peratinal capacity f 745. It tk male prisners, bth remand and cnvicted, frm age 18 upwards There was an increasing number f prisners aged, 70, 80 and 90. This was as a result f Operatin Yewtree. Prisns are having t be adapted t take accunt f the needs f a mre elderly prisn ppulatin Chelmsfrd is said t be haunted by the wife and children f the first gvernr Prridge was filmed at Chelmsfrd Wire netting was used t stp cntraband being thrwn ver the walls A huge number f prisners were invlved with drugs The bell was riginally used as the death knell, but when taken indrs it became the 4

5 alarm bell until an electrnic alarm system was installed A chair labelled BOSS was the Bdy Orifice Security Scanner Family ties were imprtant s prisners did nt wish t mve frm their lcal prisn as families fund it easier t visit He had recently transferred t Wayland Prisn near Thetfrd, which was categry C tk male prisners f 21 r abve. This prisn was difficult fr family members t access Wayland is a Categry C adult male training prisn. It pened in 1985 with the site buildings being added t, n fur ccasins. It nw cmprises thirteen residential units. Chaplaincy in prisns is a multifaith service. Every prisner is seen in their first 24 hurs by a chaplain. Chaplains rganise apprpriate faith services; prvide pastral care generally and in particular pastral care t staff They are there t be alngside peple in the highs and lws f their lives Rev Ridge tk questins frm the audience abut his wrk and was then thanked by the Chairman fr his interesting presentatin 13 News frm churches and Any Other Business Graham Gilbert annunced the Quiz Night t be held at St Gregry s n 8 th Octber at 7.30 pm. Mney raised wuld be fr St Nichlas Hspice and St Gregry s church. Tickets wuld be 10. Margaret Tracey drew attentin t a set f cards called Grave Talk which culd be used as discussin starters. Subjects cvered death, life, sciety, grief and funerals. It was suggested that the cards culd prmte a useful discussin in CTiS&D. A date fllwing Christmas wuld be fixed. The Chairman expressed thanks t Lynda Sebbage fr all her wrk with CTiS&D. She had nw been accepted fr rdinatin s was withdrawing frm CTiS&D fr the time being; t Andy Beard fr his wrk with Explre at Thmas Gainsbrugh Schl; and t Ruth and Gill fr their administrative help 14 Clsing Prayer The Frum clsed with the Grace. Cntinues ver... 5

6 Reprt frm Malclm Offrd, Chairman f Churches Tgether in Sudbury & District In 2012 I had the hnur f being elected Chairman f CTiS&D, in the wake f such ntable predecessrs as Peter Halden and befre him Rger Pullan. In 2016 I shall have served fur years in this rle and will be laying dwn the batn fr my successr. Impssible t review in detail fur years f an rganisatin which is as active and varied as CTiS&D. The number f churches embraced by CTiS&D has grwn in that time, in particular adding the Bures benefice t ur ranks. The number f churches belnging t CTiS&D nw stands at 12 in Sudbury and 18 in the lcal area, making a grand ttal f 30! Ministers have cme and gne in that time, the mst tragic lss being that f ur belved Greg Webb just ver a year ag. It has been a jy t welcme new ministers t the twn, three in the last twelve mnths r s (Cheryl Cllins St Greg s, Bryn Rickard URC and Mark Ulanwski Sudbury Baptist Church). We have partied in the Park, been live n Market Hill, perfrmed in the streets with The Easter Stry and I Spy Easter, played ftball and snker with the Fellwships, cntinued with the amazing ministry f Kettle & Fish, Thursday by Thursday, cntinued supprting the Twn Pastrs, Future Visin and Open the Bk and Strehuse. Attending Prayer Breakfasts has been a particular inspiratin fr me what a way t begin the weekend! It s been gd t witness develpments at Eden s, as Stuart and his team have mved ut int Great Crnard and Glemsfrd and are lking t appint an intern t help Stuart in his wrk and t learn abut Christian leadership. S much t reprt and rejice in. S much t have had the privilege f being part f. All f this activity is an attempt t mbilise the Christian flk f Sudbury and district t be practive abut their faith. One f the mst pwerful ways f achieving that is t get t knw each ther, t wrk and wrship tgether, t share urselves, ur stries, ur Christian insights and experiences acrss the churches. And that s what we d. Sudbury and district needs t hear and see the gspel message, that Jesus came t ur wrld t make pssible recnciliatin between Gd and us. The kingdm f Gd is at hand, and it is up t us Christian flk t make sure its bundaries extend mre and mre firmly int ur area. Gd bless yu all and please supprt the new chairman in his new rle. Malclm Offrd PS I cannt end this reprt withut saying a big thank-yu t the members f the Enabling Grup wh have cntributed s much time, thught, energy and prayer t the endeavurs f CTiS&D. It s invidius t pick ut individuals, but I wuld just like t give a special thanks t Peter Heard ur Treasurer, Gill Philips ur Minutes Secretary (and much mre), Ruth Ridge ur incredible new Secretary, wh has s many talents it makes my tes curl, and t Malclm Snw and Tny Callender wh keeps the Church News and website up-t-date. 6

7 Message frm the new Chairman 7