Annual Report 2010
|
The Parish of St. Mary's, Newton in Mottram, Hyde
Annual Report 2010 1. Introduction & Welcome Read on for…an overview of 2009
In a sentence, St Mary’s Church is continuing to build on the strong foundations which have been laid in the past, and over the last few years, and if anything we’re accelerating, growing in faith and confidence and self-assurance into the church God is making us to be.
Best of all, we seem to be enjoying ourselves as we do it. There is a real buzz about Sunday mornings and about the Tuesday Club and about JAM and SMYLE which is the mark of a flourishing church. We are not the finished article and there are things we need to keep getting better at – but I am enjoying myself very much and I think that that’s something we share. Personal highlights of the last 12 months would include: * challenging and thoughtful conversations with the Confirmation course, and during the Lent and Advent Courses on a Wednesday morning. * delivering leaflets around the parish urging people to vote in the local elections, and to vote for parties which do not preach hatred and division. * Bishop Robert coming to preach and preside at the Patronal Festival in September. He has been heard to bemoan the number of churches who have no-one under the age of 70 in the congregation – that does not include us, and it was great to have such a supportive and inspiring preacher with us. * Steve Wilcockson, the Parish Mission Development Officer, preached on All Saints’ Day and showed me exactly how far I have to go as a preacher! * walking to the Christmas Midnight service through deep snow, which started off as a wonderful novelty and turned into a frustrating feature of life after a month or so. But, in a sense, it is not the highlights, the festivals, which are the mark of what we’re like as a church – it is what we do week by week on a Sunday, and in between, which shows who we are. We are growing in confidence through things like delivering invitation leaflets around the parish and through seeing our numbers, both of those under 16 and of adults, steadily increase. We are still (rightly) worried about our finances and about the need to do work on the West Towers but these (significant) problems must be read against the background of a church which is doing ok. And the year ahead promises to be interesting and exciting as well. St Stephen’s Flowery Field has recently voted to be made redundant after over 125 years of faithful and committed worship and service. At the moment it’s not clear what the future will hold for that parish, but since it was originally carved out of ours, and since we are their near neighbours, and since there are so many strong ties between the two, it seems possible that it will involve us. Add to that the arrival of Annie Woodcock as Assistant Curate at the start of July 2010 and it’s clear that this will be a key year in the history of St Mary’s and of our mission in Newton. It would be exciting enough to have a second full-time ordained minister coming to work here – but to have someone as energetic and thoughtful and charismatic as Annie is doubly exciting. She came on placement here in 2008 and 2009 so we all know each other a little bit – but it’s going to be great getting to know each other better, and beginning to be shaped by each other. New challenges lie ahead, and new landscapes. So does the normal cycle of the Christian year. So does the weekly pattern of common worship and individual service. But I’m confident in the foundations we have laid and are laying together. And we have every reason to be confident in God – for the one who calls is faithful. Introducing GAP (Growth Action Planning) The Diocese has introduced an annual process of planning and targeted ministry. The idea is that each PCC sets itself three targets for the year ahead with clear goals along the way, targets which are specific and realistic and stretching. The Church then commits itself to achieving them, and works on them. And then, after 12 months, the church reflects on where it has got to, on what went well and what went awry, and takes lessons from the experience and then sets new targets for the year ahead, and then the whole cycle begins again. The whole congregation was canvassed on this in Advent 2009, and in January the PCC agreed three targets which were accepted by Bishop Robert in March 2010. We now have the job of working on them As a church it’s important that we know where our attention is currently fixed, and that we all commit to praying for these things. This was our answer to the question of what we’d like St Mary’s to look like in 2015: “A thriving church which encourages and welcomes newcomers, and where there are many more of them. A church which is on its way to meeting its financial commitments. A church which is known in the local area, and in the Diocese, as a caring Christian community which is faithful in worship and actively at work in the world. A growing and lively Church which is living up to its purpose statement: St Mary’s is here to serve God in worship and prayer, and to serve all the people of Newton. We live to learn more of God and to speak His name through our actions and example. Our agreed targets are these, and the full text of our GAP form is at the back of church:
Richard Lamey: March 2010
2. Ministry Matters Read on for…news of what the Reader has been doing, and of two people who are saying Yes to God a. The Parish Reader: Linda Marshall It’s been a really busy and exciting year at St Mary’s. JAM has flourished and I really enjoyed going on a course about Baptism and how to make Baptism families feel at home. I really enjoy the challenge of preaching each month and helping to lead worship. It’s a real privilege to be able to take Holy Communion to people who can’t get to Church. b. The Ordinand on Placement: Neil Traynor I started my placement from the College of The Resurrection in early January, and will finish at the end of April 2010. Although I’m only able to be in the Parish on Sundays, I’ve found a warm and welcoming congregation, ready to accept me and my family with humour, grace and kindness. It has been brilliant to be placed in a Church so rooted in its community, bringing the values of faith, hope and love together in such a vibrant way. I am particularly grateful to the Rev’d Richard Lamey for the space he has made for me, not just within the Sunday service, but in his availability during the week. Similarly to the Reader Linda Marshall and the Church Wardens for enabling me to take such a full part in the services. It is a truism that one always learns much more about oneself from these sorts of experiences than one is ever able to give back – and this is undoubtedly true in this case. I know that when your new Curate Annie Woodcock arrives in June, she’ll be in a warm and welcoming church. c. The Curate-elect: Annie Woodcock Hello! For anyone who hasn’t met me just a little introduction. On the 5th July I start as Assistant Curate at St Mary’s. Hopefully Tom and I, and my son Josh, and our two cats and our newly acquired stick insect will be moving over to Newton to live in the parish at about the same time. We live in Gee Cross at the moment and, although sad to leave, I am really excited about our new adventure, about making new friends and starting a new post in Newton. I will also be leaving the NHS after thirty years as a nurse. I have worked in the NHS since I was 17 so that might give you a clue to my age! Although I will miss being a nurse, I expect the excitement of working with Richard will closely replicate the excitement of working in Accident and Emergency. My husband Tom works for the police as a P.C.S.O. in Stockport and Joshua has just started a new job for a well known insurance company. I have waited years in anticipation for this. I believe that God started to call me to become a priest in the Church of England about five years ago. I moved from Wythenshawe (where I’d been living, and where I worked as part of the Message Youth Team for over ten years) and started to attend Holy Trinity, Gee Cross and also began to study for a Masters Degree at the Nazarene College (part of Manchester University). To follow my call I tried many doors, shed many tears, and asked many questions. Tom said it was like getting in to MI5. However eventually the process was complete and I began my training in Manchester 18 months ago with the Southern North Western Training Partnership. With twelve weeks to go the pressure is on to finish essays, complete the training programme and get ready for Ordination as a Deacon on July 4th at Chester Cathedral. After all these years of preparation the dream I dared not dream is in sight, and a whole new adventure will begin! As I come to St Mary’s (warts and all) I come as a servant to the church and parish. People are always ordained deacon first and then ordained priest after about 12 months. Deacon is derived from the Greek word meaning "servant", "waiting-man," "minister" or "messenger." One thought as to its origin is that it means 'through the dust', referring to the dust raised by the busy servant or messenger. So if you see a cloud of dust whirling through Newton call me in for a cuppa because it will be evident that I need one! 3. Church Officers Read on for…updates on the church building, & money, &...
a. The Churchwardens: Barry Carey & Margaret Lomas Following identification of the defects in the West End Towers and Turrets and also major problems with the North Face of the Chancel Roof we met with the Architect from English Heritage. Our application in 2008 to English Heritage for a grant to help with these repairs had been unsuccessful and we discussed the problems and the urgency in carrying out the remedial work. We submitted a further application in September 2009 and a decision on this is expected in March 2010. Other maintenance work has been carried out to the Church building and Graveyard, including the re-surfacing of the access and perimeter pathways. Work has been undertaken in the Graveyard, including the filling of subsidence holes. Several items of repairs and renewals have been carried out by a team of volunteers. The PCC has approved the formation of a new Remembrance Garden outside the South East corner of the Church for the burial of ashes as the existing area at the North West is now full. Problems have arisen with the formation of surface water on the external pathway adjacent to the South West corner of the graveyard. The cause is being investigated in conjunction with the Local Authority. During the year the required inspections, surveys, risk assessments and reports have been carried out in line with our policies and procedures in respect of fabric, heating, drainage, health & safety, child protection, building and public insurances, security and fire precautions. The Wardens wish to record their thanks for the assistance and dedication of our Deputy Warden Richard Worsell and also the support of Sidesmen and all who help to keep everything running so smoothly on both Sundays and during the week. b. The PCC Treasurer: Mavis Evans Once again I present you with details of the Audited Church Accounts for 2009 for your approval. As in previous times we continue struggling to cope with the problem of ever increasing costs of maintenance and running of the Church, our Expenditure far exceeding our Church Givings. The annual Insurance alone was £1,434 and in order to meet our “Ministry Support Share” of £36,585 it was necessary for £11,279 to be withdrawn from our “Chester Investment Account” to make up the shortfall. For 2010 the “MSE” will increase to £40,903 and again it will be necessary for us to withdraw a substantial sum from the Chester Account to meet our commitment. It is apparent, that in approximately 2 years time our Investment Account will become non-existent. This will leave us with a major problem, one we need to keep addressing. We at St Mary’s have always prided ourselves on supporting our Church and each other. It is essential that each and every one of us gives serious thought and prayer as to what can be done to help us balance the books, to help ensure the flourishing of our Church not only for ourselves but also for our community – we need to act now to make this possible. This is to be my final report as Church Treasurer after 16 years. At the tender age of 79 years I have decided to take “Early Retirement” and to lead a “Lady’s Life”. I will of course be on hand to help out. I take this opportunity to thank Richard our Vicar, the Church Wardens, and Members of the PCC for all their hard work and support to me over the years. My thanks also to everyone at St Mary’s for your love and friendship over the years and for entrusting me with the position as your Treasurer, which , with God’s help I have done to the best of my ability. I am delighted to learn that Angela Chorlton is to take on the responsibility of being Treasurer. With the help of David Mayall and everyone’s support our Church is in safe hands. Thanks once again. c. The PCC Secretary: Lynn Keeley Once again we have had a busy year meeting every couple of months to discuss things like the Church Building, our finances and the GAP initiative. We have enjoyable and effective meetings and discuss a wide range of issues and ideas relating to everything which happens at St Mary’s. If you ever have a good idea then the PCC is the place to raise it. Our Leaflet distribution has also continued during the year helping to encourage more people to join our Services here at St. Mary’s. Thank you to all those who have helped with the distribution and to John Leigh for leading it. The majority of our time is spent in discussing the way forward for our Church with regard to leadership, governance and direction and all of this is done in a joyful and prayerful manner. Our main purpose is to ensure that St Mary’s Church continues to serve both the existing congregation and the local community in the years to come. d. The Deanery Synod Linda Marshall and Ian Marshall are our Deanery Representatives. We meet regularly with representatives from all the parishes in the Deanery. The Deanery includes Dukinfield, Stalybridge, Mossley, Mottram, Longdendale, Hyde and Hattersley. In February 2009 we met at St. Mary’s, Newton. A short service of Night Prayer was led by the Rural Dean, Richard Lamey. Reverend Richard Burton (Diocesan Parish Development Officer) talked about Back to Church Sunday and the GAP process. An open meeting at Stalyhill Junior School, Stalybridge in March 2009 welcomed Bishop Robert to the Deanery. He addressed a very large gathering and we learned much about the man and his ministry. The Annual General Meeting was at St. Luke’s, Dukinfield in June. We enjoyed a Eucharist Service for Corpus Christi led byFather David Schofield. An informative presentation by Gail Robinson, the Lay Chaplain for Deaf and Disabled people for the Diocese, gave us valuable insight into disability matters facing congregations. In October, we met at St James’, Millbrook. After a short service of evening prayer led by Reverend Alessandra Di Chiara we were actively engaged by Steve Wilcockson (Diocesan Parish Development Officer) in moving forward with the GAP initiative. Later in the year, and following parish visits, Bishop Robert met with us to share his thoughts and prayers for our Deanery. To further support individual parishes, Reverend Richard Law organised a well attended and thoughtful Prayer Evening at Holy Trinity, Stalybridge. Due to a generous anonymous donation we have again been able to distribute small grants from the Deanery Church Growth Fund to help parishes move plans forward. As we work together in the Deanery we keep the following bible passage in our minds: “You, O Lord, are in the midst of us and we are called by your name: leave us not, O Lord our God” (Jeremiah 14.9) e. The Electoral Roll Officer: Lynn Keeley The 2009 Electoral Roll stood at 95. In 2010 the ER stands at 97. Six people were removed from the Roll through death or moving from the areas and 8 people have been added. The figure has been increasing steadily each year since 2006.
4. Parish Life Read on for ...news of what we have enjoyed doing together
a. The Parish Hall: Barry Carey The Hall continues to be extensively used by several groups. We arealso nowadvertising availabilityofthe Hall for children’s parties during Sunday afternoons. The rental continues to generate a small profit at the moment which is used to supplement Church income. All rental payments for the year were up to date. During the year, the main room, toilets, entrance and doors were repainted by a team of Church volunteers to maintain the quality of the hall and save money. The Hall Management are aware that the hot air heating system is approaching the end of its useful life and funds must be retained for the cost of a replacement system – approximately £4000. Cleaning of the Hall, including kitchen and toilets is carried out on a twice weekly basis. The Church Health and Safety Officer continues on a regular basis to monitor and carry out riskassessments as to the safety aspects of the Hall users. Insurance, intruder alarm, pest control, fire fighting equipment, gas heating and electrical appliances belonging to the Hall are all certified and recorded in compliance with current legislation. b. Social Committee: Mavis Evans The following events took place during 2009: 12th February: Epiphany Meal at Ashton College 24th February: Shrove Tuesday where pancakes were served by the Brownies 20th June: Strawberry Tea, Cake Stall, Bring & Buy, Raffle 5th September: BBQ at Woodside Farm for the Patronal Festival. Thanks to Barry and Kath Carey who generously gave us the use of their home. Activities included Tombola, Children’s Games, Music, Swimming Pool, Bric-a-Brac Stall, Bar and Raffle. 4thOctober: Harvest Festival Auction raised money for Wellspring Stockport 18th November: Christmas Child Gift Shoe Boxes for Overseas 21st November: Parish Shared Meals with other people 13th December: Prepared afternoon tea for people from Care Homes served after Carol Service – Organised by Hyde Rotary Club. Many thanks to all the volunteers for help at the above eventswhich is much appreciated . c. St Mary’s Meanderers: Lynn Keeley Once again the St. Mary’s Meanderers have had a great year. We meet at the Church Car Park on a Monday morning at 10am to walk and talk and come up with difficult questions to ask Richard when we get home. Walks have included trips to Coombes Rock and a Canal Walk from Hyde to Stalybridge and back. We also had a repeat visit to Lytham St Annes where we had a great day walking on the beach and having a look round the shops on the High Street. We would welcome any of you who would like to join us. Just turn up! d. Tuesday Friendship Club: Mavis Evans & Pat Leigh Membership has doubled this year, so we are setting up a committee. We have several volunteers who would like to help to plan and organise our afternoons. As the year started we sadly lost Frank Duxbury who died after a short illness. Frank has been greatly missed by all members at the club. We started 2009 with a healthy balance of £364.72. Our programme has been as packed as ever. We spent a lovely afternoon doing flower arrangements at Easter and Christmas and some were used to decorate the Church at Christmas. We held a Craft afternoon where Hilda gave us lots of new ideas to make woollen dolls to wear as brooches. Val Hallsworth, a local artist, came to demonstrate drawing and painting. Dorothy was top of the class with her drawing of a teddy bear! The local Police gave us advice on how to be aware of pick pockets when shopping, followed by a question and answer section. The cheese and wine days always prove to be a hit, where we can chat and get to know each other. The Quiz days about Newton and Hyde and local schools and buildings brought back happy memories. Musical Bingo and Beetle Drives are hilarious. In June, 14 of us went to Llandudno for a three day holiday and this proved to be a must for the future. In October Lynn went to Australia where she climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, being sponsored by family and friends to help raise funds for St Mary’s. Well done Lynn. Sandra did us proud with the hot pot lunch for 31 in November which we all enjoyed in the Parish Hall. There was more socialising around Christmas. Our Christmas Lunch was a very enjoyable day out at Oswaldtwistle Mills. Bradley Green School invited the group to watch their Nativity and join them in Church for their Carol Service. Both were a real treat. Mavis and I would like to thank everyone who has helped to make the Club very enjoyable and look forward to 2010. e. Church Choir: Sara Burgess The choir continue to help us worship God on a Sunday morning and prepare songs for special occasions. We enjoy the laughter as much as the singing at our regular rehearsals and always welcome new members. Speak to Sara for more information – no auditions required! f. Church Cleaners: Christine Barr The Church cleaning team try to clean every 6 weeks if possible and there are usually about 6 or 7 people working. Dorothy has decided to retire and there is a possibility that another of the team may be retiring also, after many years of faithful service. A thank you has been sent from St. Mary’s to Dorothy. Fortunately there is the possibility of 2 new ladies joining the team which will be great. People are always welcome to come along and muck in, to help get the Church building ready for worship. g. PACT (Pastoral and Care Team): Richard Lamey St Mary’s is a church where people genuinely and instinctivelylook out for eachother. One of the nicest things about being Priest in Charge here is that whenever I visit someone in hospital someone else from church has already been. We are a visiting church family and not simply a church with a visiting vicar. But as well as these visits, we are fortunate to have an informal team of people who have offered to visit other people whenever they are needed. They visit when someone is ill, and to check that people are ok, and to pray with people, and to make sure that they know that they are still part of St Mary’s even if they can’t come on a Sunday morning any more. They also take people to hospital for appointments and many of them agreed to be flu friends to people when swine flu was haunting Britain over the summer. The team are committed and generous and selfless and kind. They do a huge amount to make St Mary’s the caring and thoughtful place it is. We don’t say thanks often enough: so thanks....
5. Youth & Children’s Work Read on for ...everything from Palm Processions to snowball fights a. The Crèche: Richard Lamey The Crèche has been in something of a transition this year because most of the children who were coming have moved on to JAM, which has meant that the need for the crèche has been somewhat irregular. However, after some good conversations, we are now planning a relaunch! Material will be left in the Ashton Room every week and a team of leaders will be poised to rush in and lead the crèche whenever it’s needed. Thank you to those who have helped to keep things going, especially to Fliss and Dawn. b. JAM: Dawn Alston It’s always good to see that the number of children attending JAM is increasing on a weekly basis. JAM leaders continue to plan the sessions working on a rota. Some leaders have recently attended a course “Safeguarding Children” run by Chester Diocese which made us think about putting the safety of our children first. We continue to deliver a varied programme on Sunday mornings and have had a busy Easter… Palm Sunday: The children made crosses to remind them that Jesus died for us. They rejoiced as they walked into Church waving their palm leaves. Good Friday: We enjoyed making lots of crafty things and eating hot-cross buns. Easter Day: On arrival at Church the children had a goodie bag given to them to keep them entertained during the Easter Service and then to follow there was an Easter Egg Hunt. On the 20th September we had our fun day out to Manor Park Glossop. The weather was kind to us. All the children enjoyed the journey by train. The swings were cool, and so was the ice-cream. A fantastic day was had by all, even the adults. The 4th October saw another fruitful Harvest. The children took their fruit to the front of Church and then we went to the Church Hall to prepare for the production of the “Two Farmers”. All the childrenhad a part to play and got dressed up as different vegetables. The two farmers were played by actors deserving of an Oscar. The 20th December was our exciting Christmas Party. Eighteen children arrived and all seemed to have fun dancing with Geisel and they had lots of games and plenty to eat. The party ended with a very special visitor; Father Christmas and his very special Elf who did a good job giving out presents to the children. And then on the 21st December, snow, snow and more snow, but that didn’t stop the children coming to Church and taking part in the Nativity. We had enough children for Joseph, Mary and Gabriel, Two Angels and Three Wise Men. Thank you to the SMYLE helpers who did the narrating on the day and also to the Choir for the beautiful singing. Also a great big thank you to Sara for providing the costumes. c. SMYLE: John & Karen Leigh, Charlotte Alston The Youth Group, (aimed at school years 5 and above) is called SMYLE (St. Mary’s Young, Lively & Energetic). The Group, now well into its fifth year, meets every Sunday between 6.30 and 8.00pm, and every fortnight during Morning Service. During last summer, despite some bad weather we managed to go for walks, play Non-Stop Cricket on the field and Frisbee Golf – and no one who ever took part in “The Great Chair Race” will ever forget it, let alone understand what it was all about! During the autumn and winter months we have gained several younger members, and now use the Parish Hall every Sunday night. A variety of games are played for the sporty ones among us – Table Tennis, Non-Stop Cricket and Dodgeball, and old favourites like Beetle Drive, Battleships and Pass the Bomb which give the leaders chance to get their breath back. Our Winter Walk to Cheethams Park unexpectedly included Mud Sliding and a treasure hunt to find a toilet that was actually open on a Sunday afternoon! The winter programme finished with our regular trip to the Ten Pin Bowling Alley – and then came the snow.... By mid-January SMYLE had become experts at every winter sport you could imagine and we hope to send a member to the nextWinter Olympics, but we need “snowballing” to be included for that to happen! Taking us through to Easter we had another Talent Night, played Family Fortunes, put bulbs in pots for the Mother’s Day Service, and at night used our craft skills to make presents for our lucky mothers! A very important part of our group involves a spiritual side where we talk about God, prayer and the way we act because we are Christians. During the year in our regular fortnightly Sunday morning meeting we have discussed Holidays and Rest, Friendship, Courage, Honesty and Trust amongst many other topics that are touched on. Please have a look at the Notice Board in the Parish Hall – we are very proud of it and it always displays what we have done and the programme for Sunday nights. We hope to take a group to the “Quinta Weekend” again in May and have more special outings in the next twelve months – and the group leaders are looking forward to another successful and exciting year. One quote from Proverbs 18:24 about Friendship –“Some friendships do not last but some friends are more loyal than brothers” – sticks in my mind and underlines what SMYLE is all about. d. Child Protection: Sara Burgess During the year I have taken over as Child Protection Officer from Bill Hall. They are big shoes to fill because he has done an excellent job over many years. It is my responsibility to make sure that the policies are in place, and followed, and that we’re doing everything possible to keep our children safe. If you ever have any questions or comments or concerns or ideas then please speak to me. e. Local Schools: Richard Lamey Our links with Oakfield and Bradley Green continue to grow and deepen. In terms of going into schools, I take about eight assemblies a year at each and serve as a School Governor at both. I also go in when invited to talk about aspects of faith and about what’s it like to be a Vicar. Children from the schools also come to have a tour of the church as part of the RE syllabus, and I’ve also shown classes round with a focus on the Easter Story, and on weddings and baptism. Which saw me dealing with the best-behaved baby ever, it being a plastic doll which the class called Jemima. Members of the congregation have also recently helped out with craft week at Oakfield and been to see the Nativity Play at Bradley Green, and it’s wonderful that the links are not just between me and the schools but between our church and the schools.
|
