ST JAMES' CHURCH, BIRSTWITH to Annual General Meeting
REPORTS FROM GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS
THE CHURCH OF ST JAMES THE APOSTLE, BIRSTWITH
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2003 To Part 2
The parish mission statement is:
ST JAMES'S CHURCH IS A WELCOMING FAMILY, WORSHIPPING GOD AND EXTENDING CHRIST'S WORK IN THE WORLD, JOYFULLY SERVING AND CARING FOR ALL IN THE VILLAGE COMMUNITY
BACKGROUND
St James's Parochial Church Council has the responsibility of co-operating with the house-for-duty priest and deacon, the Revd George Mackey and the Revd Judy Mackey respectively, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also assists the Church Wardens in maintaining all church property. The PCC is a charity excepted from registration with the Charity Commission and is accountable for the administration of the finances of the church.
MEMBERSHIP
Members of the PCC either serve ex officio or are elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. It was agreed at the last APCM that up to 9 members of the laity would be elected to serve (without re-election) for up to three years, ensuring as far as is possible that a third of elected members are elected each year.
During the year the following served as members of the PCC:
HOUSE-FOR-DUTY PRIEST: The Revd George Mackey
DEACON: The Revd Judy Mackey
READERS: Mr Ian Paxton
Mrs Barbara Blinston (Deputy Chair to May 2003)
WARDENS: Mrs Brenda Dawson (to May 2003)
Mrs Ann Taylor (from May 2003)
Mr Guy Wilson (Chair)
REPRESENTATIVES ON THE DEANERY SYNOD:
Mrs Ann Taylor (June 2002-May 2004)
Mrs Elspeth Wright (June 2002-May 2005)
Mr Guy Wilson (June 2002-May 2004)
REPRESENTATIVES ON THE DIOCESAN SYNOD:
Mrs Elspeth Wright (until Sept 2006)
Mrs Ann Taylor (until Sept 2003)
ELECTED MEMBERS: Mrs Connie Chintall (Secretary to May 2003 on return to US)
Mrs Janet Mitchell (from APCM 2003, Secretary from June 2003)
Mrs Fiona Aagaard (from APCM 2002)
Mrs Sue Baugh (until APCM 2004)
Mr Norman Castle (from APCM 2002, Dep.Chair May 2003)
Mrs Louise Garnett (from APCM 2003)
Mrs Ruth Raspin (to APCM 2003)
Mr Maurice Worsnop (to APCM 2003)
TREASURER: Mrs Pamela Wilson (appointed and in attendance)
COMMITTEES:
The PCC operates through a number of committees, which meet between full meetings of the PCC. Details of their activities appear later in this report. During 2003 the following committees operated.
Standing Committee (Chair: Guy Wilson) - This is the only committee required by law. It sets the agendas for PCC meetings and has power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the council.
Finance Committee - This committee oversees the general financial dimension of the work of St James's by advising the Treasurer, monitoring income and expenditure, budgeting and co-ordinating the annual review of the Christian Stewardship of money through planned giving. Currently it operates without a chair.
Fabric Committee (Chair: Harry Eastland) - This committee attends to matters relating to the stewardship of plant, such as the church buildings and the churchyard.
Church Hall Committee (Chair: The Church Wardens) - This committee attends to the needs of the church hall and its bookings.
Stewardship - the formal committee lapsed in 2002. A working group was formed in the autumn of 2003 to make recommendations for a new stewardship campaign to the PCC.
Fundraising (Chair: Fiona Aagaard)- This committee co-ordinates an annual fundraising campaign to meet income targets set by the PCC.
Music Committee (Chair: John Mitchell) - This committee exists to ensure that music plays a vital part in worship and the life of the church liaising with the Worship Committee and Sunday Club as well as co-ordinating the activities of orchestra and choir.
Worship - This committee works with the incumbent and advises the PCC as necessary on matters relating to worship and liturgy.
The PCC wishes to place on record its thanks to the chairs and members of all these committees. It is their hard work that sustains our church. In 2002 the PCC had agreed that because of the deteriorating financial situation fund-raising needed to be re-energised by a new committee. The PCC wishes to express its especial thanks to Fiona Aagaard and her committee. They so re-energised fund-raising that they exceeded their target by over 50% and helped keep our deficit for the year a small one.
During the second half of the year a working party was tasked with investigating the operation of the current committees and making recommendations for improving and enlarging the work committees do and can do on behalf of the PCC. Final decisions based on these recommendations have been taken by the PCC early in 2004.
CHURCH ATTENDANCE
At the end of the year there were 137 people on the Church Electoral Roll, 36 of whom were not resident within the parish. During the year 6 names were added and 3 were removed. The average Sunday attendance including children, counted during October 2003, was 90. Easter Day communicants 108 (136 attended) - Christmas Eve Midnight Mass 65 (82 attended). There have been 13 Baptisms, 6 Funerals incl. Burial of Ashes and 7 Weddings.
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
THE PCC
The PCC met formally 10 times during the year with an average attendance of 10. In addition there was one special meeting held in May to discuss how we would continue to implement the strategy agreed in 2001. As a result of the ideas generated by this meeting priorities for the year were set. It was agreed that:
· the organisation of the work of the PCC should be improved,
· a financial review and plan be produced preparatory to beginning work on another and continuing stewardship campaign
· communications both within the PCC and between the PCC and the rest of the church membership should be improved
· the PCC should adopt a more prayerful approach to its work
· efforts should be made to involve the whole community in the life of the church
In addition to work on these priorities during the year the PCC has:
· agreed and implemented a parish Child Protection Policy
· introduced communion before confirmation for baptised children after suitable instruction
· supported Fiona Aagaard's application for training as a Lay Reader
· established a music committee under the chairmanship of John Mitchell to run the musical side of church life following the departure of our organist, Roy Bradshaw, in June
· Instigated a disability audit to ensure compliance with new disability legislation
Approved the diocesan proposals for uniting the benefices of Birstwith and Hampsthwaite (a necessary part of house-for-duty arrangements) to allow it to be sent for full consultation by the Church Commissioners.
MAINTENANCE OF THE FABRIC
Minor works following the Quinquennial review continued this year. While the overall condition of the Church and its grounds remain good the condition of some grave stones gave concern during the year. Some were repaired (at a cost of £1,200 that had not been anticipated in our budgets), some were made safe by being laid flat, regular inspections were begun by the Church Wardens and warning notices were erected. Early in the year part of one of the trees in the churchyard fell. A working party of parishioners with some outside help tidied the mess and subsequently the tree was made safe and thinned by a tree surgeon. The condition of the floor of the Church Hall gave rise to concern during the year. Applications for grant funding were made and grants were received from Awards for All (funded by the National Lottery) and the Sir John Priestman Charity Trust. Subsequently orders were placed for re-finishing the floor, general re-decoration and the purchase of new tables with the intention of making additional improvements should any grant funds remain unspent thereafter.
GIFTS TO THE CHURCH
This year we have received two new oil-filled candles for the altar from Connie Chintall and Mark Lindsay as a leaving present on their return to the US. The candles have been entered in the inventory.
GUY WILSON ANN TAYLOR Church Wardens 19th February 2004