Magazine for May 2011
87 of us (out of 264 of us on the Electoral Roll) gathered for a lively APCM on 10th April interspersed with one of Nikki Hill’s yummy lunches. After the election of the Church Wardens, members of the PCC and the Deanery Synod, we got on to business. In Paul’s words “an opportunity to celebrate God’s work amongst us as we look back over the past year.”
Now what would you say were the high spots of the year? Hint: there are several, and two have been talked about since the early 1990’s.
Top marks if you said the Vision Statement, and the relocation of the chancel screen, but you may not have realised that we have finally got the very substantial sum of money owed us by The Church Society thanks to Paul Manuel’s determination and persistence in his negotiations with them.
The Vision Statement looks forward three years, focussed on worship, children and families. Already we have Stay’n’Play and Tots Praise on the scene. The next stage is to go forward with a Vision implementation team, and looking at the possibility of a Children’s Worker. Big thanks are due to Phillipa Munday who has effectively become an ex-officio part of the team as the Children’s Coordinator. We can celebrate our work with Milverton and Brookhurst schools, with both using the church for their Christmas celebrations.
Looking at our buildings some of the spaces we have don’t work too well. How might they be used more effectively and in line with the vision statement? We’ve had a Quinquennial review, which is a detailed survey of the church, carried out every 5 years. The good news is that we are OK at the moment but the stonework will need attention anon.
Building-wise it’s been a busy year. The relocation of the screen was a tour de force and thanks must go to the two Davids, Calvert and Wigman, for superb project management, and work on the new screens and camera, respectively. Hopefully you can see and hear better in church these days, with the new low energy light bulbs. New projectors and screens have been provided in the Hall and Centenary Lounge, and new sound equipment in church. OK, there is still a way to go on improving the sound and we will be engaging experts for advice. Improving the heating has affected the organ, so we now need to look at making the atmosphere damper and cooler to keep it happy.
That was not of course the only project completed – don’t forget the refurbishment of the Upper Room thanks to Claire Farley and Steve Hood. Add to that the fact we now have a complete set of frontals – plus storage box – thanks to a new purple one made by Diana Griffiths; a red one in memory of Mike Tyrrell; and the white and green ones lovingly restored by Felicity Howatson with funds provided by The Gilbert Scott Trust. Thanks too to the Trust for organising the Celebration in the Community Art Exhibition in July which involved so many in the community.
Work has been carried out on the boundary wall, church notice boards, the church toilets and central heating in the lounge. This year money will have to be spent on the leaking roof in the office and the hall, and especially the toilets which had been on the agenda for too long. There has also been talk about refurbishment of the hall.
That’s things, but what of people? We paused to remember Joan Chedham, Mona Colegate and Eileen Holt who have died since the last APCM. We also remembered the very sad loss of Glen Hales, our church builder, this year. He suffered a heart attack and died while working on the church boundary wall.
We thanked David Wigman for his years as Churchwarden, delighted that he remains on the PCC. This year we were sad to lose Claire and Jay but delighted to welcome Gemma Willis in her stead, together with husband Steve. Farewell too to Masaai, our Careforce volunteer, but welcome to Gideon. We thanked Paul, who is now the Area Dean, and Ellie, who will be moving on this year, but Paul asked us not to ask her about the next steps until it is possible to make an announcement.
And of money? Tony, our ever prudent and realistic Treasurer, gave us pie charts before our fruit crumble. He told us we have enough money to live on for a while if the going gets tough, but he was not too optimistic about the future. 170 of us donate by bank payments and envelopes, but just four people accounted for over one quarter of donations. It makes you think! As it was we had generous legacies this year, which saved the day, as without these we would have had to dip into the reserves. Next year he forecast a shortfall of around £5,000, though he added that one never knows what may be lying around the corner. Thank-you to him and to our Independent Examiner, Anthony Norton.
After pudding and coffee Paul asked us to give thanks for all that’s continuing, he gave thanks to everyone, and reminded us of lots to look forward to.
If you want to read about the Deanery or Diocese goings on you’ll have to look at the full minutes at the back of church!