Annual Report for 2007

Background

St Peter’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelical, social and ecumenical. It has maintenance responsibilities for St Peter’s Church, Church Field Road, Stutton.

PCC Membership

Members of the PCC are either ex officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. The following served as members of the PCC as at 31st December 2006:

Rector:           Revd Geoffrey Clement

Wardens:        Mr John Pereira                        (Lay Vice Chairman)

                        Mr Eric Bull

Representatives on the Deanery Synod

                        Mrs Penny Fairrie                    

                        Mrs Susannah Chapman

Elected members

Treasurer:         Mrs Sandra Pereira                  

Secretary:         Mr Jan Brown                           (Deputy Churchwarden)

                        Mrs Hilda Bull

                        Mrs Jean Mordey

                        Mrs Violet Richer                      (Verger)

                        Mrs Margaret Scott

                        Mr Penny Watts

                        Mr Cavan Browne

                       

Committees

The PCC operates through a number of committees, which meet between full meetings of the PCC:

Standing Committee

Chairman:         Revd Geoffrey Clement

This is the only committee required by law. It has power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council. Its decisions are submitted for confirmation at the next PCC meeting.

Pastoral & Ministry

Convenor:         Revd Geoffrey Clement   (previously Canon Jim Pendorf)

It discusses regular services and proposes the format for special services. It has the oversight of the pastoral care of the parish.

Fabric and Finance

Chairman:         Mr John Pereira

This committee has responsibility for the church building, its fittings and the churchyard. It oversees the general financial dimension of the work of St Peter's by monitoring income and expenditure.  

Friends of St Peter’s Church

Chairman:         Mr John Pereira

Formed in 1994, this PCC sub-committee co-ordinates and encourages villagers' and other well-wishers' efforts towards maintenance of the church fabric, by means of membership subscriptions and fund-raising events.

The Hon Peter Strutt MC DL was Patron of the Friends from its start until his death in December. His support has been invaluable over the years and as yet he has not been replaced.  

Church attendance

Following a complete revision, there are now 54 people on the electoral roll, of whom six are not resident in the parish. The usual Sunday attendance was between 25 and 30, but this number increased on the first Sunday of the month, with about 18 attending the 8 o'clock communion and a further 15 to 20 at Worship for All.

Review of the year

Meetings

The full PCC held four meetings as well as the annual meeting in April, chaired by the Lay Vice Chairman prior to the installation of the Rector. The attendance at all meetings was high. Sub-committees met between meetings and reports of their deliberations were received by the full PCC and discussed where necessary.

Ministry

The interregnum finally ended with the Induction to the benefice of the Revd Geoffrey Clement in July.

The Revd Canon Jim Pendorf has been a great help with Sunday services and, in particular, was a great asset during the interregnum.

The retired Local Minister, the Revd Ida Fryer, died in April. Her assistance with services and with pastoral work was of great value, and the Church was full for her funeral.

Paul Simmons continues as Lay Elder. Jean Mordey, Jan Brown, Debbie Brown, Penny Watts and Desmond Morris have continued to help administer the chalice. Kay Rose, an elder, has taken the monthly Worship for All service.

Regular Services

The monthly pattern of Sunday services is:-

1st Sunday:
8:00 am Holy Communion (Prayer Book)	Followed by bacon rolls and coffee.
10:30 Worship for All in Stutton School
2nd, 3rd and 4th Sundays:
9:30 am Holy Communion (Common Worship)	Followed by coffee and biscuits.
5th Sunday:
8:00 am Holy Communion (Prayer Book) alternating with Holbrook 11:00 am Benefice service at one of the three smaller churches.

Special services

As well as the normal pattern of Sunday Services we have hosted or taken part in several special services this year. We started by joining the local service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, with the local Methodists and Roman Catholics at the Methodist Chapel in Brantham.

As usual the church was filled for Easter, Remembrance, Christingle, Carol and Christmas services. This year we had no weddings, six funeral services, one memorial service and three baptisms.

Benefice Links

We continue to have close links with the other Parishes in the benefice, and Sandra Pereira continues as Benefice Administrator, a vital link during the interregnum and for the first few months of Geoffrey's ministry.

Combined services continue to be held on the fifth Sunday of the month, an 8 o'clock has also been held on these Sundays, alternating between Stutton and Holbrook. This revolves around the parishes. A combined All Souls day service was held at Stutton on 2nd November.

The Benefice Council has continued to meet, but in a new format and renamed Two Rivers Forum. As one of five Benefices in the Deanery we have been asked to undertake the leadership of one of the Church's five marks of mission. We have selected Treasuring (our environment). It has been decided that with that in mind we will concentrate on well attended and relevant services for Rogation and Harvest in 2008.

Deanery Synod

Stutton PCC has been well represented at Synod meetings by one or both of the two Synod representatives. Sandra Pereira continues on the Synod as Secretary.

Finance has figured largely at meeting as much work has gone on to resolve the difficulties of apportioning the ever increasing Deanery Share.

It is hoped that a workable formula has been arrived at. It was agreed that benefices should decide how their benefice share would be divided between the parishes.

Reports were received from General and Diocesan Synod. Youth & Children's work has become part of the Fresh Expressions initiative. There is no longer a Deanery Training Officer appointed.

For the first time the Deanery Pentecost service had to take place in St. Peter's, Stutton, at short notice, due to very wet weather, but went very well.

Worship For All

Worship for All is an informal service held on the first Sunday of the month at Stutton School. It is aimed at families with children but several older people also find it helpful.

Children in Church

Children attending the 9:30 am Communion Service are invited to withdraw into the Church Room for activities based on the Lectionary readings.

The young people have taken part in services, acting as Sidesmen, reading lessons and presenting the bread and wine for communion.

Oak House

Links with Oak House, the very sheltered housing complex, have continued through the monthly Holy Communion service held on a Wednesday morning. The congregation varies between 18 and 25, with about eight residents now regular worshippers. We are joined by local Methodists and members of Holbrook Church for this service, which is always followed by a time for a cup of coffee and a chat.

Services this year have been taken by The Rector, Revd Peter Thorn before he left Shotley, Revd Ian Gardner and Revd Peggy Heim from the Methodists, as well as Canon Jim Pendorf.

Afternoon Prayers

This interdenominational group founded by the Revd Ida Fryer, continues to meet monthly. During the year they have been pleased to be joined by two friends from Holbrook, also Canon Jim Pendorf. Although based in Stutton, any Christians from further afield are welcomed at Afternoon Prayers. The Structure varies but most people contribute prayers or a reading to augment the short service sheets at our disposal.

Penny Watts has helped to organise a prayer chain which is put into action for special urgent needs.

Prayer Fellowship

The series of helpful thoughts and prayers for every week of the year, previously drawn up at regular intervals in a booklet by the Revd Ida Fryer, will be started again in 2008.

Flowers in Church

Hilda Bull and eleven helpers regularly decorate the two pedestals with fresh flowers. The church is fully decorated on all special occasions. There is still provision for those who wish to donate flowers in memory of a loved one to place them in the Church where they are seen by many, rather than out in the graveyard.

Health & Safety

Health and Safety notices are clearly displayed for all to read. A First Aid kit is available in the kitchen, and all fire extinguishers are annually inspected. Jan Brown acts as our nominated Health and Safety Officer for Special Events. We continue to implement a special safety protocol for the Christingle service.

Our church is equipped with a fixed telephone line for use in emergency. Our Child Protection policy has been formally updated in accordance with diocesan guidelines and we have adopted the diocesan Policy on the Safeguarding of Adults in the Church.

The Fabric and Finance Committee continues to monitor possible problem areas in the Church following the guidelines produced by the diocese, and carries out various aspects of risk management.

Friends of St Peter’s Church

It is generally recognised that the village without a church would be incomplete and that all have a responsibility for the upkeep of the building, even those who may not wish to attend regular worship. The Friends are vital to the continuing task of maintaining our building in a good state of repair.

We aim to make Friends' fund-raising events pleasurable and excellent value for money. There was a very successful Pancake Supper in February and another successful Art Show and Sale.

As usual we supported the Historic Churches Bike Ride, raising over £300 each for the Trust and St Peter's. This year, we returned to the Shotley Peninsula churches and finished with a barbecue at Stutton.

A newsletter is sent several times a year to all Friends, in which we publicise not only Friends' events but also other Church activities.

Resulting from their activities, the Friends were able to hand over £10,000 to the Fabric Fund.

Charity Giving

We have maintained our principle of aiming to give 10% of regular income to Charity. This year we have given £3305.79 to a variety of charities, at home and overseas. Some of this money has come from collections at funerals and weddings, when we give half of all collections to charity. We have continued to support Stutton School, and have used the income from the mission hall trust to help with donations there.

In 2007, the donations are listed in the table.

 

Bell Ringers

Stutton Ringers continue to flourish, with an average of 10 ringers at Wednesday practices. John Pereira continues as Tower Captain, a PCC appointment. The Band re-elected Eric Bull as Ringing Master.

The band has rung before every main Sunday service during the year and, when requested, for weddings and funerals. Ringing was half-muffled on Remembrance Sunday. At Christmas ringing preceded the Carol Service and the service on Christmas morning.

A peal of Plain Bob Minor was rung by a visiting band, which included the Rector, to celebrate his induction to the benefice.

Members of the band pay a weekly or annual subscription to the Bell Fund and receive membership of the Suffolk Guild of Ringers.

Church Repairs and Improvements

Lightweight ramps to span the steps into the church have been provided. They hang next to the South door ready to be placed in position when needed by wheelchair users. The velvet curtains screening the South door have been replaced.

Churchyard

The mowing policy is to mow most of the churchyard but to retain some wild areas by limited cutting, to encourage wildlife there. Much of the mowing work is now undertaken by a paid contractor.

We are grateful for a grant from Stutton Parish Council towards the care of the Churchyard. Nevertheless, the churchyard could not be kept in its present tidy state without a large amount of volunteer labour for which we are most thankful.

The snowdrops and daffodils in the churchyard are a wonderful display and well worth a special visit.

Stutton School

Our links with Stutton CEVC Primary School continue to thrive.

Sandra Pereira continues as Foundation Governor, and during the year it was agreed to have a third Foundation Governor. Jean Mordey agreed to fill this position, and with the arrival of a new Rector, our complement of Church Foundation Governors is now complete.

A highlight of the year was the appointment of Michael Lynch as Headteacher following the resignation of Anne Clarke. He has busied himself improving the environment in the school and building on the success that Anna had begun. He has proved a popular choice and we wish him well in his time at Stutton.

Changes in the building took place early in the year, which provided a much improved learning area for the foundation stage and key stage one children.

Jean Mordey continues to take assembly once a fortnight.

Once again we presented all year six leavers with a Bible.

The church provided a coach to take all the children to the Church for their Easter, Harvest and Christmas Services.

Church Album

The Church Album is kept up to date by Mrs Janet Lock and proves to be an interesting record of activities and events. It can be viewed whenever the Church Room is open. As well as photographs, it includes orders of service, newspaper cuttings and the like. Any relevant contributions are gratefully received. The book can be viewed any time when the Church Room is open.

Welcome Packs

The aim is to give all newcomers to Stutton information on amenities in the locality, including, of course, the churches, with a map, in the form of a welcome pack. The idea is dependent on parishioners noting when homes are vacated and new people move in.

Special Events

In August Violet Richer held a coffee morning at her unusual house, and once again the Harvest Supper proved as popular as ever with a delicious hot meal followed by an entertainment. A thoroughly enjoyable evening involving a much wider participation than just the regular congregation.

Talents

One of the strengths of St Peter's is the range of talents, which can be called on when needed both from within the normal congregation and also from others in the village who attend infrequently but who have a high regard for the Church in Stutton. These range from cake and jam making through gardening and DIY to desktop publishing and needlework.

We are most grateful for all those many people who volunteered their talents throughout the year. These activities have strengthened the finances and the links to the community.

Finance

Once again we have a very healthy position financially. Although the General Fund shows a deficit, the Parish Council grant for the Churchyard was not paid until 2008.

The Austin Farrar legacy is being held as a separate fund, with interest being credited to it. The PCC agreed to give a proportion of the legacy to assist other causes. We therefore gave £5000 to buy a toilet block at Ngara Primary School in Kagera diocese, £5000 towards the Deanery deficit in Parish Share for 2007, and £1000 to the village shop project. £4000 for local projects remains to be allocated.

Tax recovery on Gift Aided donations has dropped this year. This does vary according to when the claims are made, but, with the lowering of the standard rate of tax in April, we stand to lose nearly £300 of income this year from this source unless we can persuade people to increase their gift aided donations, or increase the number of people using the scheme.

This report including accounts for 2007, was accepted by the PCC on 5th March 2008. Copies of the accounts are available from the Treasurer.