Aim: 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 10pm . We always have a pastoral report from one of the ministers, and a report from one of our committees or groups connected with Trinity. We have rich and varied discussions on anything and everything to do with church life.

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 15^th anniversary, Schools and Outreach Committee reports, financial resources, clergy pay and pensions, Reading Deanery Pastoral Plan, Nick’s sabbatical, approval of
annual reports.

Apr 2002

Stewardship training, beating the bounds, hymn book trolleys, vandalism, Pastoral report, Education & Nurture Committee report, Future Patterns of Ministry, Earley Crescent update, buildings update, clergy pay & pensions, celebration of the banners.

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, Earley Crescent .

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 20^th June 2002 , the Council enjoyed an away day at Burghfield Common Methodist Church . The entire day was devoted to Trinity’s visions. After a short time of bible study, our challenge for the morning session was to establish what, apart from pastoral care and worship, was the distinct calling of Trinity Church . This led to a lively debate, with some very interesting ideas.

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 4.00pm .

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 MEMBERSHIP

Trinity 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 1^st February 2003 , we lost 12 members and gained 10 new members: Emily Ash, Sam Cocks, Aaron Cook, Mandy Creed, Elizabeth Goddard, Sarah Miller, Gill Newton, Pam Norton, Les Norton and Amy Rixon.

Sue Brickell

Membership Secretary

FINANCE

Aim: For Trinity Church to generate and develop its resources to meet its responsibilities to the wider church and to meet the Aims of growing, caring, unity and community.

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 31^st August 2002 show a net surplus of £5,152, after adjusting for special collections and contras. This is a very encouraging situation. I would like to thank those who have increased their giving or looked at tax-efficient methods that increase the amount the Church receives, and all those who contribute financially to church funds.

The main increase in our expenditure is in the amounts we pay to the Anglican, Methodist and URC Churches in support of our ministers and their ministry. We have achieved a saving in our photocopying costs due to the purchase of a new machine.

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 Mission , meeting our target of 10%. Other areas to be considered are those of training costs and pastoral care.

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 COMMITTEE

The 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 COMMITTEE

Aim: For Trinity Church to grow to understand and respond to the physical and spiritual needs of the whole church (within and without the local community) by witness and action.

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 Uganda , and we support the annual Christian Aid House to House appeal held in May.

At Easter we supported a project in Zambia that needed help to purchase a knitting machine. Retiring collections were held in May and August in aid of Kagando and the Southern Africa Famine appeal respectively. The July appeal again supported the work of NCH Action for Children. At Harvest, we had another very successful Harvest Supper and auction, where again the proceeds went towards the Southern Africa Famine appeal. The proceeds from the Autumn Fayre went towards the work of Kagando Rural Development Centre. During Advent we again collected money for the United Nations Jar of Grace appeal, this year to support their Tetanus campaign. The Christingle service again supported the work of the Children’s Society, and we donated the Christmas service collections to the growing famine crisis in Ethiopia .

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

TRAIDCRAFT

We 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 COMMITTEE

Aim: For worship at Trinity Church to enable people of all Christian traditions to respond to the presence of God, giving him praise and glory.

‘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
talents to various services throughout the year. These groups exist not only to enrich worship but also provide an opportunity for fellowship at practice and other sessions during the week. In recent months the choir has been a topic of discussion and it has been decided that they should continue as a group and perform at various services. It was felt that the choir might benefit from some new members and that publication in the magazine of what and when the choir were to sing might encourage this.

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 Trinity Church . No doubt we will explore new and exciting ways in which we can enrich worship in the context of the Trinity aims covering growing, caring, unity and community with God at the centre, as well as encouraging personal time with God on a daily basis.

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 Trinity Church follows. We then seek to help each other in sorting out these and where necessary determine what actions should be followed.

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 Trinity Church . The review was extensive and included input from a wide cross-section of our membership and others in Lower Earley who work with Nick. The outcome was that Nick was invited to stay with the Circuit continuing his work at Trinity Church . Trinity Church also discussed and agreed that Nick could stay beyond his 8^th year to minimise disruption to his family. He will therefore stay with us until 2007.

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
during the year including leading Saturday morning worship, followed by being available in the church two mornings a month. This is seen as a move towards more lay involvement in Trinity which will be a continuing theme in 2003 / 2004. During Simon’s sabbatical, stewards will be in attendance at Trinity most Saturday mornings in support of Nick. Stewards have also continued to consider how they might improve on their service to Trinity and God – a recent meeting came up with a number of worthwhile suggestions that will be implemented during the coming year.

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 Trinity Church , Lower Earley and the wider world.

John R Brimicombe

Senior Steward / Churchwarden

EARLEY YOUTH NET

As 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 Trinity