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Methodist, United Reformed, Church of EnglandChalfont Close, 0118 931 3124 www.trinityearley.co.uk ANNUAL
REPORTS 2002 / 2003
CONTENTS HEALING
FORUM AND PRAYER MINISTRY TEAM THE
BOYS’ BRIGADE – THE 1st EARLEY COMPANY URC
READING AND OXFORD DISTRICT COUNCIL and URC WESSEX PROVINCIAL SYNOD READING
AND SILCHESTER METHODIST CIRCUIT CHURCHES
TOGETHER IN BERKSHIRE (CTB) CHURCHES
TOGETHER IN EARLEY AND EAST READING (CTEER) LOWER
EARLEY FAMILY CONTACT CENTRE CRESCENT
COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE
CHURCH COUNCILAim:
To communicate the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the community and to
nurture the people of God within the local congregation and the wider church. The
Council is required, as stated in the Parochial Church Councils (Powers)
Measure 1956, to co-operate with the minister in promoting in the parish the
whole missions of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The
Church Council is currently made up of the following people: Ministers:
Simon Howard and Nick Thompson Stewards:
Tony Bonnett, John Brimicombe, Charlie Croal, Andrew Curnow, Jill
Duncan, John Goddard, John Louth, Joyce Louth, Richard Munday, David Ramsden
and David Wise. Church
representatives: 3 vacancies Treasurer:
Catherine Edwards Senior
Steward / Churchwarden: John Brimicombe Church
Secretary / Churchwarden: Elaine Munday Property
Administrator & Deanery Synod Representative:
Stephen Edwards Chair:
Phil Hooper Minutes
Secretary: Ann Memmott The
following people have served on Church Council as representatives, but have
left during the course of the year: Karen
Bartlett, Ian Brickell, Mike Bushnell and Nick Silburn.
Also, Helen Dyson as Minutes Secretary. Church
Council meets during the months when there is no Church Meeting except August.
Each meeting opens with 10 minutes’ worship, which is led by two of our
members, and closes in prayer at The
main subjects discussed over the last year were as follows: Feb
2002 Safe
from Harm, Stewardship training, photo board, Earley Crescent, safeguarding of
children, data protection, domestic violence, beating the bounds, Braille
bibles, Trinity’s Aims, hymn books, vandalism, fund raising, CTB
recommendations, Trinity’s 15th anniversary, Schools and Outreach
Committee reports, financial resources, clergy pay and pensions, Reading
Deanery Pastoral Plan, Nick’s sabbatical, approval of Apr
2002 Stewardship
training, beating the bounds, hymn book trolleys, vandalism, Pastoral report,
Education & Nurture Committee report, Future Patterns of Ministry, May
2002 Stewards’
training, vandalism, Property Group report, Pastoral matters, Deanery Plan,
Future Pattern of Ministry, Trinitys’ charges,
Worship Committee proposals. July
2002 Beating
of the bounds, hymn book trolleys, vandalism, safeguarding of children,
Trinity’s Aims, clergy pay & pensions, Lower Earley Family Contact
Centre report, Shinfield Rise estate, coffee after evening worship, away day
feedback, training of stewards. Oct
2002 Hymn
book trolleys, vandalism, Shinfield Rise estate, Missions Committee report,
Trinity’s vision, buildings plans, Three Mile Cross, approval of annual
accounts, Nov
2002 Shinfield
Rise estate, Trinity’s vision, Social Committee report, Trinity website,
Anglican/Methodist Covenant, Senior Steward extension, Simon’s works
schedule post sabbatical, Trinity’s Aims, building update, meeting with
Bishop Dominic, approval of Schedules A & B. Jan
2003 Pastoral
Committee report, Anglican/Methodist Covenant, welcome board, review of coffee
after evening worship, Future Pattern of Ministry, Aims, buildings update. Away
Day On
After
a break for lunch, and an opportunity for us to enjoy the sunshine, we
discussed ways in which we could make our ideas and visions a reality,
including how to make best use of our lay leadership, and what we could and
should expect from our ordained ministers. The
day, which was very productive, ended with communion at I
am very grateful to all the members of Church Council for their hard work
again this year. If anyone would like further information about serving on
Church Council, please contact me.
Elaine Munday
Church Secretary / Churchwarden CHURCH MEMBERSHIPTrinity
currently has 254 members on its roll, of which some 67% are female. In
addition there are 254 people, including children listed as adherents (non
members). During
the year to
Sue Brickell
Membership
Secretary FINANCEAim:
For At
the present time there are 6 members of the Finance Committee: Catherine
Edwards
(Treasurer) Richard
Munday
(Assistant Treasurer) Alison
Travers
(Assistant Treasurer) John
Medcraft
(Gift Aid and Envelope Secretary) Nigel
Holloway Tony
Bonnett In
addition we welcome Nick Thompson to the committee meetings.
During the year David Dongray stood down as Envelope Secretary, and I
thank David for all his hard work over the years.
We meet on a quarterly basis and have considered topics such as payroll
giving and gift aid, and regularly review the financial situation of the
Church. The
accounts for the year to The
main increase in our expenditure is in the amounts we pay to the Anglican,
Methodist and During
the year we considered how as a Committee we could help achieve Trinity’s
Aims. Growing
The
church currently has a surplus and this needs to be used to help the church to
grow. Over the next year we will work with the various church groups to
ascertain their financial needs, so that the lack of financial resources is
not a constraint to their work. Caring
In
the last year we gave 10.8% of our income to Unity
Our
major achievement has been to achieve a more unified process of setting
denominational assessments. We made progress by bringing the 3 denominations
together in one room! Community
The
Committee considered funding for the Crescent Community Centre, and for
possible changes to Trinity’s buildings to promote our church to the
community. Over
the next year the Finance Committee will be working to try to ensure that
money is not a constraint to the achievement of Trinity’s aims.
Catherine
Edwards
Treasurer PROPERTY COMMITTEEThe
property committee has responsibility for the church buildings, equipment and
the manse. The committee
comprises: Stephen
Edwards
Property Administrator John
Louth
Buildings Supervisor David
Rains
Equipment Supervisor Alan
Langdon
Manse Steward Ruth
Bainton
Church Users’ Representative Jane
Thompson
Cleaning Coordinator Simon
Howard and Tony Bonnett are also on the committee in their Church Council
roles. The
Committee is responsible for the maintenance of the church building, its
equipment and the Manse. A
separate Buildings Working Group has been established, by Church Council, to
consider development of the building, and this has reported regularly to
Church Meetings. Normal
minor maintenance has been carried out to the church and manse.
Notable developments include:
·
The photocopier room has been redecorated by some of
the young members of the church, to create a lounge. This has created another
useable room in the church for all members.
·
Cathy MacLennon has
painted another mural in the crèche room: the intention is that this room
could also be used as a chapel.
·
No incidences of vandalism to windows have occurred
since Asda extended their CCTV system to cover the courtyard, and the front of
the church. The
committee seeks to enable the fulfilment of Trinity’s aims: Growing
Minor
improvements to the building, such as the new mural in the crèche/chapel, and
the new lounge. Caring
Overseeing
the provisions and maintenance of disability access (e.g. entrance marking
tape by north door to help Blind Society), loop system etc, so that the
building and worship is accessible to all. Unity
Interaction
with all of the three parent denominations, and could be a catalyst for unity,
by encouraging them to merge some of their property activities. Community
Members
of the committee, and others, reach out to the community in maintaining a
facility for the community to use, including the external appearance around
the church such as the steps, lighting and the flowerbeds.
Stephen
Edwards
Property
Administrator MISSIONS COMMITTEEAim:
For The
Missions Committee has 8 members and meets approximately 5 times a year. The
committee tries to support some of the many charities/causes that contact
Trinity, bringing to the notice of the church some of the many pressing needs
at home and overseas. Every
month there is a Traidcraft stall, which enables church members to support
fair trade with poorer countries around the world.
The church continues to support the work of the Kagando Rural
Development Centre in At
Easter we supported a project in A
big “thank you” to everyone who has supported us.
If anyone would like to join us or has any ideas, please contact me or a
member of the committee.
Oliver
Dyson
Chair, Missions Committee TRAIDCRAFTWe
hold a stall on the fourth Sunday of every month - except December when we
courted the seasonal shoppers and did the first three as well! Our monthly
stall, plus sales at the Autumn Fayre and a few individual orders, totalled
about £1,530, about 10% down on last year. We stopped trying to sell crafts
because it is hard when we are only selling to a limited ‘audience’, and
coffee sales have been down too, probably because Café direct is now readily
available (and cheaper!) elsewhere. Pam
Thompson’s craft and card stall sold nearly £900 of goods at Trinity,
making a total of about £2,400 spending by Trinity’s congregation. Pam’s
stall at many other events during the year sold another £8,600 worth of
fairly traded goods! We
were very pleased when the Finance Committee decided this year to simplify
drinks provision by allowing the church to supply the tea and coffee for
after-service refreshments and other meetings – and to buy it from us! This
makes it easier for Trinity to meet its ‘fair-trade zone’ commitment,
which is important for our integrity as a community that thinks of others and
believes in justice.
Margaret
and Richard Cocks
Traidcraft
Representatives WORSHIP COMMITTEEAim:
For worship at ‘The
hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship. God
is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ John
4:23-24 NRSV. Worship
at Trinity is a fundamental part of what we as a church are able to offer to
both our members and those who might be drawn to us from time to time. Worship
provides not only an expression of faith but is one way in which we can grow
in terms of spirituality and faith and meet with others who will encourage us
in our Christian journey. We must remember that whilst worship with others is
important we must seek to set aside time for prayer every day of our lives –
this might be at home or as we go about our every day business. The
committee is made up of a number of members each having a different
perspective on our worship, in terms of the content of the various services,
musical variety, provision of readings and other material. Our ministers who
feed and nourish us through the various forms of worship that Trinity provides
are also on the committee. Meetings are held about 4 times per year. The
committee has discussed the various services that Trinity provides with
particular focus on Christmas and Easter when we experience an opportunity to
welcome those who are infrequent attendees at church. We have been greatly
encouraged by the growth in numbers especially at the children’s services
before Christmas. This year we provided refreshments between the Christingle
and carol service, after the Christmas Eve Family service and after the
Christmas Day service, and were joined by many who only come into contact with
Christ as a result of attending such services with young people. We are also
pleased to see real interest from the uniformed organisations at the parade
services and this is seen as a way of showing God’s love to young people
(and their families), some of who only attend at these services. The
continued use of the third Sunday in the evening for ‘something different’
is an important strand to worship, as is the leading of services by members of
the congregation, as well as the use of stewards to lead Saturday morning
worship twice a month. Refreshments are now provided after worship every
Sunday evening and this provides a time of fellowship and discussion after
this service. The
summer saw the continuation of a set of activities for all children under 7 at
the 10:00 service and this was very successful as it allowed those with
younger children to have more time to ‘do their business with God’ without
the distraction of their small people! We
also welcomed a number of visitors during the year to lead us in worship –
and benefited from each in terms of their different worship style and in many
cases challenging addresses! During
the year the Church has been better used by groups who often need to move
chairs in the sanctuary. This has resulted in the books under the chairs
becoming battered and it was decided that one solution would be to have book
trolleys to hold some of the books. We are extremely grateful to Ray Little
who, having built a prototype trolley so that we could evaluate it in use,
went on to build two beautiful trolleys for the Church. Currently the trolleys
hold the hymnbooks but have adequate space for other books in the future. Discussions
about a new ‘resource book’ have continued. It is recognised that Trinity
still uses hymns and other material that do not exist in a single book. A
small task force has been formed to look at provision of a ‘resource book’
covering hymns and songs, as well as worship material and will endeavour to
provide it during the coming year. Music
and song play an important part in worship at Trinity and we are blessed by a
number of groups, including the Trinity band, the choir, the praise and
worship group and the singing group, all bringing their A
big thank you to all those who serve on the Worship Committee – we look
forward to another year in which worship will remain an important part of life
for
John R Brimicombe
Senior
Steward / Churchwarden LEADERSHIP TEAM
‘Now
we ask you, brothers to respect those who work hard among you, who are over
you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love
because of their work.’ 1
Thessalonians 5:12-13 NIV The
leadership team comprises the two ministers, church secretary, senior steward
and treasurer. This small team meets on a monthly basis to discuss key issues
that affect Trinity and the team also offers support and guidance to each
other and their families. During 2002 there have been many new challenges
facing Trinity and as well as the regular meetings there has been much
exchange at additional informal meetings, by telephone and by e-mail which is
becoming more widely used. We live in a fast moving environment where change
affects all aspects of our lives with church being no exception! A
standard meeting, which is normally held at one of the team’s homes, will
start with some prayer asking for guidance as we discuss and resolve issues
affecting us all. An informal chat allowing each member to share their
concerns and issues that affect them and the life of The
year has been busy with much focus on the future of stipendiary minister
resources at Trinity, given the pressures on each of our parent denominations.
As the year unfolded, it became clear that Trinity would need to seek new ways
to provide ministry, given the decision by our sponsoring body Churches
Together in Berkshire for provision of a single stipendiary Minister from
2004, with rotation of Methodist, Anglican, United Reformed Church, Anglican
and so on. The change in the level of stipendiary ministry provision is
balanced by provision of non-stipendiary cover, and the leadership team,
together with Staffing Committee and Church Council, has been exploring ways
in which this might be achieved with support from CTB and our parent
denominations. During
the year, Nick’s work was reviewed by the Methodist Circuit, with
significant input from The
new Trinity aims covering growing, caring, unity and community with God at the
centre have continued to permeate much of what we do and the leadership team
will continue to look at how Trinity embraces these aims and focuses on
activities to further them. During the coming year the team will need to
consider how they help in achieving the aims, given the continuing changes
within the Church. The
team has been very pleased with the way in which the stewards have taken on
more responsibilities Trinity
is in a period of significant change – due in part to the change in the
level of stipendiary ministry as well as major discussions concerning use of
our resources including possible expansion of the church building. We pray for
guidance when seeking non-stipendiary ministry at Trinity, when making
important decisions about use of our resources as well as helping us find the
right solutions to seemingly impossible situations, which we will surely face,
in the next year. We also recognise that as Simon is away on his 3-month
sabbatical starting in May 2003, there will be an increased need to support
Nick during this time – but that this will be the opportunity to try out new
things in preparation for 2004 when Nick becomes the sole stipendiary minister
at Trinity. Simon on his return will dedicate half his time to schools work to
make sure that this can continue beyond 2004, when his time with us comes to
an end. Under
normal circumstances, I should have stood down in February 2004 as senior
steward. After discussion within the leadership team and a most interesting
discussion at Church Council followed by a discussion at Church Meeting, it
was agreed that I would stay in the post of senior steward until February
2005. The reasons for this were to ensure a smooth transition during 2004 as
Simon leaves us and provide a level of continuity and support within the
Church. I am grateful to Trinity for allowing me to continue in this role for
a further year – and to Sally and Chloe who agreed to it! I
would like to thank those on the leadership team for their dedication and
service to Christ through their work in Trinity and the wider community.
Thanks are due to their families for helping the team during the year. I would
encourage all of the church to pray for their leadership team and ask that
they will be guided for the good of Jesus and all his people in
John
R Brimicombe
Senior
Steward / Churchwarden
EARLEY YOUTH NETAs
this report is written it is still less than a year since Earley Youth Net
began. It is therefore a great time to look at its vision, its reason for
existence and how far it has come since its beginning in Feb 2002. Earley
Youth Net was started in response to, what a number of us believed, was a
clear vision from God. We felt that there was a need for a group for the young
people of the area, not just |