ST. MARY S CHURCH ANNUAL PARISH REPORT 2013/14. The Annual Parochial Church meeting will take place in Church on Sunday 6 th April at 16.

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1 ST. MARY S CHURCH ANNUAL PARISH REPORT 2013/14 The Annual Parochial Church meeting will take place in Church on Sunday 6 th April at 16.00

2 The Annual Parochial Church meeting will take place in Church on Sunday 6 th April at Apologies for absence AGENDA 2. Minutes of the meeting held on 21 st April Matters arising 4. Discussion of items 5. Acceptance of accounts 6. Appointment of Independent Examiner 7. Election of Church Wardens 8. Election of members of the P.C.C. 9. Approval of members of Deanery Synod 10. Appointment of Sidespersons 11. Any Other Business Index to Contents Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, 21st April Page 2 Deanery Synod Report Page 6 Electoral Roll Officers Report Page 6 Fabric Report Page 6 Health & Safety Group Report..... Page 7 Rectors Report Page 8 Secretary to PCC Report Page 14 Tidings Report Page 15 Treasurers Report Page 16 Bellringing Team Page 17 Catering Team Page 18 Church Cleaning Page 18 Churches Together Page 18 Communications Group Page 19 Director of Music Page 19 Flower Arrangers Page 20 Friends of St Marys Report and Accounts.... Page 21 Fundraising Team Page 22 St. Marys Toddler Group Page 22 Sunday Club Page 23 Tuesday Evening Bible Study..... Page 23 Vision Group Page 24 Wivenhoe Fellowship Page 24 Worship Group Page 25 Young Adults Group Page 25 1

3 The Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held in Church on Sunday 21 st April 2013 The Meeting opened at with the Revd. Erwin Lammens in the chair. He welcomed the 43 people present and offered prayers for the P.C.C., the community of Wivenhoe and help and guidance during the meeting. Erwin then thanked the members of the P.C.C. who had served during Apologies for absence Jan Marks, Sylvia Usher, Peter Terry, Jane Stanway, Joy & David Wilderspin, Anne Horner and Eddie Jones, Tony Forsgate 2. Minutes of the meeting held on 29 th April 2012 Lynne Horner proposed, Sue Jones seconded and the meeting unanimously agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on Sunday 29 th April 2012 were a true record and these were signed by the Chairman. 3. Matters arising - None 4. Discussion of items Erwin took those present through the Annual Parish reports. a. Deanery Synod report was highlighted and Mary, Nick and Rick our three representatives were thanked for their work during the past year. b. Electoral role, Shirley said that this is the sixth year and a complete revision of the electoral role had been required. In 2012 there were 105 names on the role and it was thought this might drop below 100 which would affect St Marys representation on the Deanery Synod as well as the number recommended to be on the PCC. However, in spite of losing several names, through death, people leaving the area or even people not filling in and returning forms we now have 110 names on the electoral roll. 19 new names have actually been added to the list which is very gratifying. Due to privacy reasons only names, not addresses, are on the public list but details can be checked with Erwin, Sue, Eric or Shirley. The Electoral roll does not commit anyone to any office or financial commitment but allows full participation in Church life and at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. c. Fabric Report, the report had been prepared by the Churchwardens. Doreen Massey asked about the provision of an Aumbry and Erwin explained it was a cupboard for keeping wafers, wine and oils in. The provision of home communion is made much more practical if consecrated wafers and wine were available and similarly the oils for anointing the sick and for baptisms and confirmations are stored within the Aumbry. Sid Holden asked about the completion of the windows. The report stated that the contract had been completed; Sid reported that FOSM had set aside money within its accounts to pay for work to be done during It was explained that there was only a small amount of work outstanding which related to the provision of the metal security grills. Lynne would be in touch with FOSM to explain further that it was necessary for money to be made available in Eric and Sue were thanked for their work. d. Health & Safety report, Sid, Eddie & Max were thanked for their work. Lynne asked about the plan of the location and of the safety features within the church that was mentioned in the report. This will be displayed on the board in the near future. e. Rectors Report Erwin highlighted various areas within his report. Since his arrival three years ago he had seen the church growing in numbers and spiritually and reaching out into the community. Two exceptional events, the Queen s Diamond 2

4 Jubilee and the Passion Play, had brought an additional dimension to last year s Parish life. Erwin thanked the various teams and individuals who were closely involved in every aspect of the life of St Mary s all of whom had been mentioned in his comprehensive report. He especially mentioned Shirley Forsgate, who had been PCC Secretary for 17 years, whose last set of minutes had been signed earlier in the meeting. The work and contribution from the team members were invaluable. He also appreciated the contribution of Sue Jones and Eric Jakens as Churchwardens; Lynne Horner, Treasurer; Bonnie Hill, Secretary; Peter Terry, Vice Chair; and Graeme Martin, Assistant Church Warden all of whom made up the Agenda setting group. Erwin went on to mention the music within the Church which is excellent, the careful choice of pieces and the overall contribution that it gives to services. He expressed his thanks to Graham Wadley, Director of Music. Graham had been ill for a time and a number of people assisted during his absence. Two choir members had passed away and Margaret Barker and Edna Butcher would be missed. New people arriving in Church have been warmly welcomed and thanks were extended to the welcoming team. A welcome pack and leaflet for church visitors would be ready soon. The pattern of worship uses various resources and extends to experimental and diverse services which are appropriate for all. Fresh Expressions, promoting new ways to worship to attract new people, such as the passion play, the pilgrimage to Alresford and 7 past 7 service were all part of the approach. The Children s Sunday Club has been progressing and is now weekly. There is an opportunity for children to come regularly and a change of co-ordinator and appointment of a DBS officer had taken place. Lynne Horner had been working behind the scenes to improve the facilities in the Vestry. Erwin referred to various attendance figures contained within his report relating to services, weddings, funerals, baptisms, confirmations and the young adults who had been meeting together. He mentioned that newly licensed University chaplain Revd. Julia Murphy is now taking services. Bishop Stephen had launched his programme for the coming years Transforming Presence. This will be a focal point in the next years. Erwin expressed his thanks to the people involved within services which made a significant contribution. Erwin took the opportunity to thank then Dr Glyn Stanway, Revds. John and Janet Driver and Revd. Harry Boreham who had taken services while Erwin had been on holiday. Judith Forsgate had recently taken responsibility for the FOSM accounts due to the death of Reg Marks, who would be remembered for his work within FOSM, and would be missed. Erwin finished the review of his report by again thanking all those who were involved in the life of the Church and also expressed his appreciation of the support given by his wife An and children Jonas and Mieke. f. Secretary of PCC. Erwin thanked Bonnie for her contribution to the team. g. Tidings report. Erwin thanked John Williams for his valuable work with Tidings and also producing orders of service. John reported that the plan to return to black and white printing on the cover has now changed, due to the generosity of the printer who will continue to provide colour at no extra cost. h. Financial report. Erwin thanked Lynne Horner for her report and the exceptional work that she had done during the year as Treasurer and Administrator and dealing with Church bookings. i. Erwin recorded his thanks to Adrienne for her report on behalf of the Bellringers. j. Catering Team Report. Erwin expressed his gratitude to the catering team who have worked really hard on various occasions during the year 3

5 k. Church Cleaning report. Erwin thanked Jane Stanway who had taken over the organisation of the rota from Joan Barratt last year. l. Churches Together. Rosemary Murchie said that it had been a good year working together and there were lots of plans for the coming year. Erwin thanked Rosemary. m. Communications group. Erwin really appreciated their contribution in spreading the news by various means. He thanked John Williams, Lynne Horner, Marika Footring, Roy Murchie and Peter Terry for the ongoing work they are undertaking on a regular basis. n. Director of Music Report. Erwin thanked Graham for the considerable work that he undertakes in this important area. Graham added that there is always lots going on and plans are in place to start on a new piece with St Mary s Singers which will be performed in July o. Flower arrangers. Sylvia has continued to carry out this role and Erwin recorded his thanks to her. He also mentioned the need for names for the flower rota which still needed volunteers. p. FOSM. The date for the AGM was highlighted which would take place on 4 th May. It would take the form of their annual meeting and followed by lunch. Erwin thanked Enid Heslop, for the report and extended those thanks to Alan Massey, Elizabeth Baines, Judith Forsgate, Delia Schafle, Maureen Smith, Jane Stanway and Shirley Forsgate who all make such a considerable contribution. The contribution to the fabric and other areas of the Church has been significant over a period of many years. q. Fundraising Team. The work of this team is greatly appreciated and is vital. Not only providing financial support but by bringing the community together at the June and December Markets and other events. Erwin thanked Maureen Reynolds, Carolyn Martin and the other members of the team. r. St Mary s Toddler Group have temporarily moved venue and are now meeting at the Methodist Church. Clare Radcliffe now leads the group and there are a team of ladies who provide the tea and coffees regularly. s. Sunday Club. Erwin recorded his thanks to Viv Eunson for the report. There is a good group of about 12 leaders who were initially based at the Business Centre but are now using the Rectors Vestry. It is very cold in the winter and not an ideal space despite the efforts to make the vestry more suitable for these gatherings. t. Bible Study Group. This is held twice a month with the exception of Lent. Erwin thanked Glyn Stanway for his leadership. u. Vision Group. This group implements decisions and consideration of pattern of worship etc. Thanks were extended to Peter Terry and his team for the commitment given to this area of work. v. Wivenhoe Fellowship has a link with St Mary s and they hold regular meetings. w. Worship Group. The group works hard to ensure that services are meaningful and well prepared and their contribution is considerable. Erwin thanked Peter Terry and Graham Wadley and other members of the team for their work. x. Young Adults. This is a small group and they meet informally and discuss topics related to Christian faith. Erwin thanked Rick Cawley for the report and his contribution to the group. 5. Acceptance of accounts The Treasurer s report and accounts had been passed by a meeting of the PCC in April. It was therefore proposed by Roy Murchie, seconded by Eric Jakens and unanimously agreed, that these should be accepted by the meeting. 4

6 The Parish share had been paid in full and 2013 had started in a good financial position, but it does currently cost over 200 per day to run the church. Roy Murchie asked about the deficit in the budget figures which would arise at the end of this year. Lynne explained that a legacy has been received which would probably cover the majority of the shortfall. If the fundraising meets its target there should be no difficulties. Erwin thanked Lynne for her work as Treasurer. 6. Appointment of Independent Examiner Martyn Lewis, having agreed to act as Independent Examiner for a further year, was proposed by Shirley Forsgate seconded by Maureen Reynolds and it was unanimously agreed by the meeting that he should be appointed Independent Examiner for a further year. The Secretary agreed to write thanking him for his services during the past year. 7. Election of Church Wardens It was proposed by Maureen Reynolds, seconded by Sylvia Usher and unanimously agreed by the meeting, that Suzanne Jones be elected Churchwarden. It was proposed by Graham Wadley, seconded by Lynne Horner and unanimously agreed by the meeting that Eric Jakens be elected Churchwarden. 8. Election of members of the P.C.C. Erwin handed a thank you card to Joy Heasman on behalf of the PCC. Joy thanked the PCC and wished them good luck for the future. Cards had also been prepared for Diana Norris and Anne Horner and these would be delivered after the meeting. New members - Margaret Allison, proposed by Maureen Reynolds, seconded by Sue Jones and this was unanimously agreed that she be elected to the PCC Christina Volkmann, proposed by Bonnie Hill, seconded by Graham Wadley and this was unanimously agreed that she be elected to the PCC. There remains one vacancy on the PCC. 9. Approval of members of Deanery Synod Marika Footring proposed that Rick Cawley, Nick Gustard and Mary Jakens be approved as Deanery Synod members. This was seconded by Joan Barratt and unanimously agreed. Rick Cawley and Nick Gustard appointed in 2011 will continue until 2014 and Mary Jakens appointed in 2012 will continue until Appointment of Sidespersons Graeme Martin, Carolyn Martin, Mary Jakens, Anne Williams, John Williams, Lyn Smith, Barry Smith, Eddie Jones, Maureen Reynolds, Jan Marks, Maureen Smith, Doreen Massey, Alan Massey, Joan Barratt, Bonnie Hill and Austin Baines. Eric Jakens proposed the above named be approved as Sidespersons by the meeting, Lynne Horner seconded and this was unanimously agreed. 11. Any Other Business a. A Safe Church Policy this was read out by Erwin to those present and those present re-affirmed by a unanimous vote that this policy be adopted for a further twelve months. The document was then signed by Revd. Erwin Lammens and Churchwardens Sue Jones and Eric Jakens. b. Sue Jones stated that Erwin was very quick to thank others and she wanted to thank him on behalf of those present and the congregation for his continued hard work which was much appreciated. 5

7 c. Doreen Massey asked if the members of the Welcome Team had to be approved. Erwin explained that this was not a requirement. d. Frank Hodgson had complained in the past about the amount of chatter prior to the service. He was pleased to report that the introduction of the quiet period before the service started was making a difference and is much appreciated. Erwin and the Worship Group were thanked for bringing this about e. Elizabeth Baines asked about pastoral visits. Erwin explained that currently there is no formal list of those to be visited. As this had been raised Erwin will consult others and arrange a meeting for those who would be interested in developing this area further. f. Erwin thanked the building committee for their hard work over the past two and a half years and explained that Graham Wadley would be explaining the plans for the annex project when the meeting closed. There being no further business Erwin thanked all those who had attended the meeting and closed the meeting at with The Grace. Erwin then led a service of Compline. Deanery Synod Report Colchester Deanery Synod meetings were held 14th March, 1st July and 13th November The Centenary celebrations have dominated the Synod meetings throughout the year as there have been many discussions and preparations for this exciting time for the Chelmsford diocese with many events, pilgrimages and mission walks with Bishop Stephen planned to take place in The Transforming Presence initiative has also featured throughout the year as we are all urged to grow our churches into the future with this 15 year plan. This year featured interactions between neighbouring churches with an aim towards future collaboration. Finances appeared to be reasonably promising though some churches struggle more than others to meet their share. The parish shares will increase by an average of 2% in 2014, gift aiding for small donations to a maximum of 5k per annum is a helpful addition. Nick Gustard, Rick Cawley, Mary Jakens, Deanery Representatives Electoral Roll Officers Report During 2013, sadly three of our congregation died. They will be greatly missed by our community. Four names have been added to the roll, which now stands at one hundred and eleven names (111). Having your name on the Electoral Roll does not commit anyone to any office or financial obligation, but entitles members to speak or vote at the Annual General Meeting. Shirley Forsgate Fabric Report 2013/2014 St Mary s is a thriving active church set in the heart of the Wivenhoe community. It is important to keep the fabric going sometimes an interesting challenge! Looking at last year s report we are pleased to say that the Aumbry and the churchyard wall have both been completed and the Sunday Club is now meeting in the vestry. Although this is working well there is a need for more space so the building committee are working hard on pushing the Annexe project forward. Roof: This last year the stormy weather has taken its toll on the roof and as a result the ceiling plaster has come down in two places. This has had temporary repairs to make it 6

8 reasonably safe. Our newly formed Quinquennial committee have started to address the roof repairs in consultation with Simon Marks the church architect. This will take some time as we need to apply for a grant to cover the considerable costs of the work. We are looking to apply to the Heritage Lottery Fund and so realistically roof repairs will probably not be able to start for at least another year/eighteen months. While these roof repairs are essential the architect does not feel that the roof/ceiling presents any danger to our congregation. We will continue to monitor the situation and this will be reflected in the monthly fabric reports for our PCC meetings. Annexe: The building committee has met regularly throughout this last year. It has been a roller coaster ride! It is three years and a lot of hard work since we started to look at the feasibility study. However the latest news is very positive. We are about to address the recent recommendations from the DAC and the Church Building Council. As this report is written at the end of January events will develop between now and the AGM. There will be a verbal update at the meeting on 6th April. St Mary s is fortunate in that it has a prime position in Wivenhoe. It is at the centre of our town and has so much to offer that the fabric must be preserved. Sue Jones and Eric Jakens Churchwardens Health and Safety Group Report The Health and Safety Group exists to promote a culture and practice in which reasonable and practical measures are taken to safeguard those who use our church premises. This involves adjusting our arrangements from time to time in the light of experience and sometimes in accordance with changes in legal requirements. Margaret Allison and Christina Volkmann are now part of this group owing to the sad loss of Eddie Jones and Max Guy. Sid Holden decided to step down in February We thank Sid for his contribution to the Group over the years. Currently, we re looking for a new member to join the Group. The Group s aims continue to be the same: to ensure that the church premises are safe for all who use them and to alter or update requirements as and when the law changes. In November 2013, the Group assessed specific safety requirements during very busy services. Trip hazards during such services must be minimized, especially in the narrow aisle of the south choir stall area. Following successful trials during services at Christmas, the pews in these areas (north and south aisles) now carry short, polite notices requesting that the floor area be kept clear. A supply of these notices will be stored in the Health and Safety Folder, and they can be put out as and when necessary. At these services, helpers are also at hand to guide members of the congregation up/down the steps from the altar and into the nave as and when necessary. A loose cable on the steps of the lectern has now been fixed back to the wall thus eliminating a potential trip hazard in this area. The mats by the Main Door and by the North Door have been replaced for the same reason. The Health and Safety folder at the back of the church has been checked and updated. Finally, if any concerns about Health and Safety arise during the coming year, it would be helpful for the group to be informed of any such concerns as soon as possible. Christina Volkmann and Margaret Allison 7

9 The Rector s Report 2014 Looking back over 2013 Developing a vision for the future of St Mary s in our community In this Report I d like to give a glimpse into the life of the Parish church and how the church functions as a meaningful and constructive component of the religious, spiritual, social, educational and cultural life of the community of Wivenhoe. Before anything else, I d like to highlight a few new developments in our church that occurred during Families There has been a significant increase in numbers of baptisms and weddings in the last two years. Indeed, many young families see the church as a substantial element in the educational project with their children and couples appreciate the spiritual and architectural value of the church as the ideal place for their wedding. When we saw growth in 2013 it was mostly related to our ministry with families and children. We organised a successful event on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter) for families with children, a Nativity play with our Sunday Club during Advent, a teddy bear picnic for our Toddlers Group in the Rectory Garden, a wonderful visit from St Nicholas with more than 100 children attending and a family gathering in January. And as in previous years we saw very high attendance numbers at Mothering Sunday, Harvest and Christingle with involvement of the three Wivenhoe schools. The Crib Service on Christmas Eve illustrated this growth as we saw the highest attendance at that service in a decade. Meanwhile Sunday Club is flourishing with 14 volunteers running it weekly and organising special events for families with children as mentioned above. Vital for this growth is the support of the entire church family. I value the positive feedback that I receive from the congregation about our children s ministry. We are now looking to extend this ministry to youth from 12 to 17 and we hope that in the course of 2014 this youth work may take off. Newcomers Another trend in 2013 was the number of newcomers in church. The welcome that these newcomers received when they walked in for the first time has helped them to feel at home at St Mary s and join us. A welcome pack for newcomers is in preparation and a new leaflet for church visitors is now available in church. People can also subscribe to a regular mailing about activities at St Mary s. Even more pleasing is the fact that several of these newly arrived people have taken up responsibilities in the daily running of the church. They joined the existing hard working group of volunteers. Without this team of volunteers we wouldn t be able to offer all current events to our congregation and community. Thanks to these people we may reach out to our community with initiatives that attract a broader range of people. Outreach The church has been the venue of several big events and services. All these were ideal opportunities for reaching out to the community. There were the annual events which brought large crowds together: the June Market, Art on the Railings, Parish Quiz, Art Exhibition, December Market, Book Sale, Open Gardens, Barbecue, Harvest Lunch, several fairs, WivWords, Last Night of the Proms, St Nicholas arrival, concerts by St Mary s Singers and visiting music groups saw the second Church Ale (the first one of the new era being held in 2011) which brought the community together in a mediaeval atmosphere. We also hosted several services that brought people that are not so familiar with church together such as the St Valentines Service for wedding couples, a special 8

10 service to which the parents of all baptised children were invited, services for the bereaved, Remembrance Sunday Service, Civic Service, the animal Blessing Service and the Carol Services for St Mary s, the Royal British Legion A Group and Broomgrove Junior School. The young at heart but less young in age The majority of our church members are older than 50. They are the backbone of our congregation. In our ministry we care for this group of people and definitely for those who are less mobile and for whom we organise special services, gatherings and events. Once a month on the first Tuesday we meet with a group of about a dozen people for a prayerful house communion followed by a social gathering with coffee, tea and biscuits. Those who attend these meetings appreciate them highly. A word of thanks goes to our hosts Peter Terry, Delia Shaffle and Eileen King, and recently Sue Jones, and to Joan Barratt and Peter Terry for their support and lifts. Also thanks to Anne and Lynne Horner and the many volunteers for organising lifts to the church on a Sunday morning. Some of our events aim particularly at people who live alone and who love to be with others for a chat or a meal. Our Harvest Lunch on the first Saturday in October is such a special occasion that brings many together. This can happen thanks to our thriving catering team. It is disappointing that our pastoral group is not in full operation yet despite the fact that we already had two constructive meetings attended by 8 volunteers. Though church members visit housebound and ill people regularly, our pastoral visits are not coordinated and there is a risk that someone may get missed out. In 2014 we intend to keep a record of our visits to the housebound so that we may ensure that no one is forgotten. We ll also need to encourage our pastoral volunteers to join the training opportunities organised by the Diocese or other church organisations. All members of the pastoral group have obtained their DBS certificate. St Mary s dedicated team of church officers I feel supported and encouraged by a brilliant team of church officers and PCC members. I d like to greatly thank churchwardens Sue Jones and Eric Jakens, our Reader Glyn Stanway, director of music Graham Wadley, assistant churchwarden Graeme Martin, PCC vice-chair Peter Terry, PCC secretary Bonnie Hill, PCC Treasurer and Administrator Lynne Horner, all PCC members and members of the following subcommittees: Worship and Vision Group, Fundraising Committee, Agenda Setting Committee, Standing Committee, Building Committee, Catering Committee, Communications Committee, the Quinquennial Group and FOSM. The Vision Group is exploring where we would like to be in five years time and is also constructively taking part in the discussion about the formation of units with other neighbouring churches. The Group is also preparing the Vision Away Day on Saturday 21 June this year. We continue to benefit from the inspiring Away Day in the summer of 2011 as several suggestions have now been put into practice. But there is still some work that needs to be done. Music St Mary s church is proud of its musical tradition. A massive word of thanks goes to our director of music and organist Graham Wadley will see a special celebration of Graham for his commitment to this church for over 50 years. Our gratitude also goes to the other organists and members of the Church Choir. Their efforts enrich our worship. 9

11 Also thanks to St Mary s Singers, soloists, director, pianist and organist for rehearsing and performing on several occasions during the year. We sadly said farewell to Max Guy, one of our regular organists and former churchwarden. Last September we introduced a new hymn book Ancient and Modern, hymns and songs for refreshing worship after we had been using Hymns Ancient and Modern Revised at St Mary s for 63 years as our main hymn book. This new hymn book has been warmly welcomed by our congregation also saw the introduction of a new setting for the Eucharist, David Ogden s Mass of the New Wine. Diversity in Worship As a Church of England church in the Anglican Communion we include different styles of worship, from traditional to contemporary, formal to informal. Though we are a so-called middle of the road church with catholic features as described in the Parish profile, we offer worship that leans towards other traditions too. We use Book of Common Prayer (1662) three times a month for Communion and Evensong, we are very familiar and comfortable with Common Worship (2000) which we use at Family Eucharists and Matins but we also have informal services such as All Age Worship, Taizé service and the 7 past 7 reflective service. We annually invite the Wivenhoe Fellowship to hold an open prayer meeting in church. On Ascension Day a Parish Prayer Day was held at St Mary s. We celebrated our Patronal Festival on Sunday 8 September, the Festival of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fresh Expressions We included several Fresh Expressions. Fresh Expressions of Church are events that are not necessarily held in a church building or not on the traditional Sunday morning, and reaches out to people who are not regular churchgoers but still have an affinity with the church and are interested in Christian faith. Fresh expressions at St Mary s are gatherings such as the Young Adults Group meetings, the Easter Workshops for children, Carols on the Quay and 7 past 7. Children s and Youth Ministry I ve already referred to the rising number of young families attending church. The Sunday Club is aimed at children of Primary School age and for younger children we set up our toddler s corner with toys. Lynne Horner has given a lot of her time sorting out these toys and storage, and resources for Sunday Club. Viv Eunson is our Sunday Club coordinator and she also accepted the post of St Mary s Child Protection Representative. The PCC fully subscribes to the diocesan child protection policy. Lyn Smith is our DBS officer. DBS stands for Disclosure and Barring Service. St Mary s also gives support to the Tuesday morning Toddlers Club. One of the highlights of our work with this group was the Teddy Bear Picnic on 6 August in the Rectory Garden. About 50 toddlers and their parents enjoyed a beautiful morning of activities. I d like to thank the women of the coffee rota for their loyalty to this group. Three children came forward to be prepared to receive communion and celebrated their first communion on 7 July. No Confirmation took place at St Mary s in 2013 but we are delighted that Bishop Stephen will preside at the confirmation service on Sunday 8 June this year. 10

12 Young adults and students The Young Adults Group still meets monthly, though at one of the last meetings in 2013 the group decided to change its name to Sunday Night Forum as this would better reflect the slightly higher average age of the group s members. This small group of about 8 people discusses topics related to Christian faith in a relaxed and informal way. We have a small nucleus of 4 students who regularly attend church during term time. Revd Julia Murphy, the Anglican chaplain at the University, is a welcome preacher and celebrant at our services. She also led a workshop for leaders of prayers of intercession which resulted in 4 new people joining the Intercessions Rota. Attendance figures In 2013 on average 84 people attended Sunday morning service at 10.30am. 7 of them were younger than 16. This excludes the big services at Christmas, Easter, Mothering Sunday, Harvest, Christingle and the Civic Service. Last year s count showed a similar figure (86 of which 7 younger than 16). All Age Worship on first Sundays attracts more young people (10 on average). Our other, but less attended, services have on average exactly the same attendance as in 2012: 11 at 8.00am Holy Communion, 11 at 7.07pm Reflective service on Wednesdays, and 16 at Evensong. Transforming Presence Bishop Stephen launched his vision for the Diocese on 21 January Glyn and I took part in a diocesan consultation day at the Brentwood Centre. One of the items of this vision document is re-imagining ministry. The running of a church, spiritually and materially, should be carried by a team of people, lay and ordained. St Mary s meets this objective; however we are thin on the ground when it comes to ministers such as Readers, Pastoral Assistants, Evangelists, Youth ministers, priests. We are blessed with Glyn as our Reader and Julia as our associated priest but lack more people who are willing to be trained for a specific ministry. Without these people a Sunday morning service wouldn t be possible There is a rota of Lesson readers, Intercessors, Communion Assistants, Sidespersons, Welcoming Team, and Servers. After the service coffee and tea are ready thanks to the volunteers on the coffee rota. Many thanks to all these committed volunteers. Rick Cawley assists with the sound system and Marika Footring helps with the music on Wednesday evenings. Organists and choir make our services musically attractive and are a real support for the congregational singing of the hymns. Bellringers diligently turn up every Sunday morning, for weddings and funerals, and for weekly practice on a Wednesday evening. Thank you to Adrienne Wood and all bellringers. The floral arrangements in the church brighten up our building with colourful, fresh flowers. Special thanks to Sylvia Usher, all volunteers on the flower rota, to Sylvia s special team at Harvest, Christmas and Easter and to Jenny Bennett for the wedding flowers. Thank you to Jane Stanway for organising the cleaning rota and to all cleaners. Ginny Guy and Margaret Bigwood clean and polish our brass candlesticks and chalices. The services are overseen by our churchwardens. I am supremely grateful to them. Family church St Mary s is the church where Wivenhoe residents celebrate their family events in a Christian way. The link between our church and several Wivenhoe families is undeniable. In weddings took place and 2 renewals of wedding vows: 15 in total (in 2012: 19; in 2011: 12), 20 baptisms and one thanksgiving for the birth of a child (in 2012: 30; in 2011: 18) and 3 first communions (none in 2012; in 2011: 1). There were 12 funeral services and 6 thanksgiving services in church (total of 18; in 2012: 20; in 2011: 21). I 11

13 also took 18 services at the crematorium (in 2012: 14; in 2011: 20). During 2013 we lost several people who were closely involved with St Mary s. I will never forget Janet Ashton, Max Guy and Eddie Jones. I am grateful for the help I received in my preparations for weddings (by John and Anne Williams, Graham Wadley), baptisms (by baptism officer Joan Barratt, vergers Sylvia Usher and Margaret Bigwood), confirmation (by Glyn Stanway) and funerals (by Sylvia Usher, Margaret Bigwood and other helpers) and by Lynne Horner who looks after the administration of baptisms and weddings. The baptism register is kept up-to-date by Jan Marks and the wedding registers by Barry Smith who also does the calligraphy of the names of the deceased on the memorial crosses. These crosses are kindly donated by an anonymous sponsor. We welcomed the families of the deceased at special memorial services in April and November last year. I thank in particular Dr Glyn Stanway, Revds John and Janet Driver, Revd Julia Murphy for covering for me during my holidays and also Revd Harry Boreham who took a funeral during my summer holiday. At the heart of the community St Mary s stands in the centre of the community and organises several community events. Most of these events were organised by the Fundraising Committee; huge thanks to Carolyn Martin and Maureen Reynolds and the entire Fundraising Team. On several occasions the catering committee was involved; thank you to Anne Williams and her enthusiastic and generous group. One of our fundraising and reaching out efforts was St Mary s Church Ale, an event for the entire community, organised by Marika Footring and her 50-strong team of helpers from the community. We also hosted several concerts featuring music from 16 th to 20 th century and the first talk of the Wivenhoe History Group and the annual performance of the storyteller around Christmas. I thank Lynne Horner for coordinating the church bookings and welcoming performers in the church. The Last Night of the Proms in July and the Parish Barbecue in August were two other events organised by the Fundraising Committee. These took place in a sunlit rectory garden during our splendid summer. The Rectory garden was also the venue for the Open Gardens Thank You party which was held on a nice Sunday afternoon in June. Looking beyond the Parish boundaries There is a growing awareness of our mission as a church to the wider community, locally, nationally and globally. The Parochial Church Council is well represented at the Deanery Synod by Nick Gustard, Rick Cawley and Mary Jakens. Our deanery representatives report to the PCC after each synod. We also encourage people to take part in diocesan activities. During Advent we make an appeal to support charities locally, nationally and internationally and, during Lent, the Bishop s Charity Appeal. One of the charities that is close to our heart is the Children s Society. On the last Saturday in July Ann Price organised the Box Opening and the collection taken at the Christingle Service goes entirely to this charity. This year the result of the boxes and collection was very successful. We haven t made any progress in setting up a link with a church overseas. Church building Maintaining and repairing our beautiful Grade II* listed building is a permanent and expensive job. In past centuries repairing, renovating and re-building has always been a concern. The long list of repairs and renovations from the latest quinquennial report is not 12

14 any different. In order to tackle the repairs that are needed, we have set up a Quinquennial Group. In the first phase, which will take two years, the roof, buttresses and other stonework will be restored. Grants and donations will hopefully be sufficient to cover the cost. At last year s AGM, Graham Wadley gave an introduction to the plans to build an annexe to the church. Over a period of 30 months the Building Group has negotiated with architects, Diocesan Advisory Committee, Church Building Council, English Heritage, Wivenhoe Town Council and Colchester Borough Council. Last July the Building Committee delivered the statement of significance and statement of need. In this statement we explain the need for a (small) meeting venue. St Mary s as a community church has always liked to invite groups to make use of its building but the size and the lay-out of the church often discourages groups to make use of this facility. Also church gatherings and services with lesser attendance could benefit from a smaller room. Sunday Club has no suitable venue, choir rehearsals in the winter are not always comfortable, and also the 8am communion services, Taizé and 7 past 7 services could do with a space that is easier and quicker to heat. There is no proper office space (our well used copy machine lives in a resident s home), difficult wheelchair access, and a toilet for disabled people is lacking. Although progress has been made over this period of 2½ years, at the time of writing this report we are waiting for new plans to be drawn up which should meet the observations of English Heritage, DAC, Church Building Council and the Colchester Borough Council. The PCC is regularly updated about the progress of the project. Teaching Christian teaching happens not only on Sunday morning during the sermon but other opportunities have been offered at the fortnightly Bible Study led by Glyn Stanway, and the York Course that took place in May and June and was led by me. Finances, Fabric, Faculties and FOSM It is a massive achievement that for the third year in a row we were able to pay our Parish Share in full. It is humbling to see how many people contribute to the running cost of the church which currently is just over 200 a day. A word of thanks also goes to our treasurer Lynne Horner for dealing with all financial transactions and for presenting transparent accounts. We are grateful for the work of the Friends of St Mary s (FOSM) which has in the past year covered some of the bills for the upkeep of our church and to churchwardens Sue Jones and Eric Jakens for overseeing the works and repairs and for applying for faculties. Every year FOSM organises its Autumn Fair and AGM with lunch; and already several years Bill and Enid Heslop organise an Art exhibition with work of mostly local residents. Thank you to Alan Massey, Enid Heslop, Judith Forsgate and all other committee members and all FOSM members. Alan stepped down as Chair and Elizabeth Baines kindly offered to be Chair ad interim. Schools We continue to have very good links with the local schools. We gladly welcome the school children on Mothering Sunday, at Harvest and the Christingle Service, and at occasional class visits to the church. As a community governor of Millfields Primary and Broomgrove Infant School I try to serve these communities in a pastorally caring way. I also visit all schools twice a term for assemblies. 13

15 Churches Together and affiliated groups St Mary s is an active and constructive member of Churches Together in Wivenhoe and continues to host joined services. Several members from St Mary s congregation help with the distribution of the CTW Christmas cards (designed by Hilary Wadley) into all Wivenhoe letterboxes, and with the Christian Aid street collection in May. We also support two community groups which are not church based but with which we are affiliated: the Wivenhoe Toddlers Group and the Wivenhoe Fellowship. We promote their activities in Tidings, on our website and by distributing posters and leaflets. Communications I thank our communication officers: John Williams (Tidings), Malcolm Lench (webmaster), Marika Footring (web editor, tweeter and press officer), Roy Murchie (pew sheet), Peter Terry and Maureen Reynolds (flyers and poster distribution), Lynne Horner ( ing database and welcome pack). Also words of thanks to Graeme Martin for the adverts and Roy and Rosemary Murchie for the distribution of Tidings. To conclude On a personal note I d like to end with a word of thanks to An, and our children Jonas and Mieke for their support. By now they are probably used to sharing me with many others and to have people at the rectory at all times of the day for church meetings of all kinds. Therefore family moments are so precious and I thank all for allowing me to include leisure time with the family. This report of seven and a half pages is only a summary of all the work that s been done by so many and there are several other people I could have mentioned here. We are all inspired by the same and only genuine source of love, hope and joy namely God who sent his Son for us to die in order that we may live life in all its fullness, freed from the yoke of sin and death. I pray that in 2014, as in previous years, we will be able to bring this hopeful message across our families and in our neighbourhood through our generous commitment to the church. Erwin Lammens, Rector Secretary to the Parochial Church Council Report The PCC is a charity excepted from registration with the Charity Commission. The PCC (Powers Measure 1956) states that the PCC is to co-operate with the Minister in promoting in the Parish the whole Mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the church building of St Mary the Virgin, and for the movables in the church. Members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. During the past year the following have served as members of the PCC Incumbent The Revd. Erwin Lammens Chairman Reader Prof. Glyn Stanway Churchwardens Mr. Eric Jakens Mrs. Sue Jones Deanery Synod Representatives Mr. Rick Cawley Mr. Rick Gustard Mrs. Mary Jakens Ex-officio Members Miss Lynne Horner Treasurer Mrs. Bonnie Hill Secretary Mr. Graham Wadley Director of Music Mr. Graeme Martin Asst Churchwarden 14

16 Elected PCC Members Mr. Peter Terry Lay Vice-Chairman Mrs. Marika Footring Mrs. Maureen Reynolds Mrs. Sylvia Usher Mrs. Shirley Forsgate Mr. Barry Smith Ms. Christina Volkmann Mrs. Margaret Allison Mrs. Jane Hughes Co-opted Since the last Annual Meeting the PCC have met on 10 occasions. The PCC members above have worked together to ensure that St Marys Church continues to develop and grow both spiritually and within the local community. The PCC receive monthly reports from not only the Treasurer, but also the Churchwardens, Fundraising Team, Catering Team, Worship & Vision Groups, our Colchester Deanery Synod representatives, Wivenhoe Churches Together, FOSM and information on the Children s Ministry, youth work and young adults. This gives an excellent view of what is current, what needs to be addressed and promotes discussion. The Agenda setting meetings continue on a monthly basis where The Rector, Lay Vice- Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Churchwardens meet to prepare for the P.C.C. meeting. The PCC meeting minutes are available at the back of the Church, in a folder, or can be accessed from the St. Mary s Church website, if there are issues arising from the Minutes, or other matters, please do speak to a council member. PCC members represent all those involved with Church life and to aid their identification, it is planned to have photographs of all council members displayed in Church and also on our website. Bonnie Hill Tidings Report Over the past year we have continued to use a different logo on the front cover of Tidings which represents an event which is due to take place such as the June Market, the Rectory Garden BBQ and, this year, the Church Ale weekend. We hope that our readers find these are of interest. The numbers of subscribers seems to have stabilised with about 270 regularly delivered. Our printer, generously, offered to let us have colour on the front cover at no extra cost which was very welcome news. St Mary s Church events are advertised in Tidings and we also provide details of services etc. for the Wivenhoe Congregational and Methodist churches. If anyone would like to advertise an event (which will be happening in the church) the deadline will be the same as for Tidings copy and is given in Tidings. My thanks go to Graeme Martin for dealing with the advertising and to Roy Murchie for arranging the distribution. Obviously we would like be able to increase the number of subscribers so if anyone knows somebody who would like Tidings delivered regularly please let Roy know. John Williams Tidings editor 15

17 Treasurer's Report General Fund Our total receipts were 107,752, an increase of 9,300 from last year (this increase does not include the grant of 9,500 for repair of the churchyard wall). The following all increased from 2012: planned giving by envelopes and direct to the bank, collections, donations, gift day, gift aid reclaim, fundraising events and payments for use of the church. The largest increase was by way of donations and tax reclaim. However, interest on deposit account, profits from Open Gardens, receipts from sale of Tidings, catering and parochial fees were all down. Two legacies were received during A legacy of 5,000 has been set aside by the PCC to be used for a future project. The other legacy was put in the General Fund. Total payments were 96,686, an increase of 4,241 from last year (this increase does not include the cost of the repair of the churchyard wall). The Parish Share for 2013 of 56, was paid in full. Payments that increased include utilities, music (largely due to the purchase of the new hymn books), Rectory expenses (purchase of new gas fire), Rector s expenses, literature, printing and stationery. The Parish Share for 2014 is 56, less a 1% discount of leaving a balance of 56, to pay. This is a reduction on the Parish Share for 2013 of 26. Included in the Receipts and Payments is 4,042 given specifically to many different charities, equivalent to 4.1% of the General Fund income. This is a decrease from 2012 (4.6%) which was itself an increase from 2011 (4.2%). Church costs have been kept to a minimum during 2013 and the Church has benefited from many donations throughout the year. The General Fund stands at as at 31 December The budget for 2014 shows a deficit of 9,973. Restricted Funds The Fabric fund received donations of 276. There were no expenses during 2013 as the various roof repairs were paid from the General Fund as there were insufficient funds in the Fabric Fund. The Fabric fund balance has increased from 1, to 1, The Organ fund balance has decreased from to Expenses for 2013 included a small repair and tuning of the organ. The Choir fund balance has increased from to There were no expenses during 2013 The SE Corner fund. The balance of this fund is 1, The Bell fund has received 480 in donations from the bellringers and has had no expenses. The balance has therefore increased from 9, to 10, The Sunday Club fund balance is Expenses during the year were new books for the Sunday Club leaders and items for the Easter Workshop. The Maintenance fund balance is All monies in this fund have been transferred from the General Fund. The Flower fund balance is 1, This is a new fund and is restricted. The Friends of St Mary's fund is reported separately. I would like to thank all those who have contributed in any way to the finances for 2013, and Martyn Lewis for giving his time and expertise in examining the accounts. Lynne Horner 16