The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin Wendover,stmaryswendover.org.uk/pdfs/AnnualReport2013.pdfThe Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin ... The church of St Mary the Virgin is situated

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The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin Wendover,

Buckinghamshire

Annual Report April 2012 to March 2013

Vicar: Revd Mark Dearnley Bank: NatWest 34a Dobbins Lane 22 Market Square Wendover Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP2 01T HP22 6DH LLM’s: Ruth Dearnley Joe Groat Glenys Newman Beryl Pearn Independent Examiner: Mr Alex Noall ACMA 4 Walnut Drive Wendover HP22 6RT

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The church of St Mary the Virgin is situated on the outskirts of Wendover. It is part of the Diocese of Oxford within the Church of England. The correspondence address is Parish Office, 11 High Street, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, HP22 6DU. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) became a registered charity in August 2009. Its registration number is 1131299. PCC members who have served from 22nd April 2012 to the date of approval of this report are: Incumbent: Rev Mark Dearnley (Chairman) Churchwardens: Bridget Avery Tony Farmer Deanery Synod Representatives: Rosanne Adam David Prescott Carol Crockett Vic Fletcher (deceased Dec 2012) Elected Members: Xenia Murray Ian Sansbury John Bussien Candy Lamond Mike Greaves Peter Lockett Keith Sculz Joe Groat (LLM rep) Neville Morton (Treasurer) Julia Fish (Secretary)

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G: Deanery Synod Report

Please see separate document.

Annual Report accepted and adopted by the PCC at their meeting held on 20th March 2013 and signed by the chairperson of that meeting.

Reverend Mark Dearnley

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St Mary’s, whilst being a sacred place, is now both a beautiful building and a flexible venue which is becoming increasingly used by differing groups and organisations.

We started the year in grand style with St Mary’s Celebrates, held over the May bank holiday. Who will forget the superb flower and art exhibitions and the great Dance Band concert on the Saturday evening? The success of this event could be gauged by the fact that it raised some £7,000 for the refurbishment fund. Our sincere thanks go to everyone involved.

This event was followed by numerous other activities; classical, choral and jazz concerts, barn dance and film shows for children and adults - as a result of the new audio visual equipment, a lovely innovation.

We then had the amazing John Hull lunch which celebrated John's 50 years as a priest. To think we catered for some 150 people to a sit down lunch in our church and it all went like clockwork (well nearly!) On the same day we had the pleasure of welcoming Bishop Alan who dedicated the new altar and lectern, which we were able to purchase as the result of a generous legacy left to the church by Ken Walker.

Hopefully you will have seen that the Christian Centre has been completely refurbished, with an enlarged kitchen and dishwasher and new washable flooring. Our thanks go to Neville Morton and Wendover Parish Council for organising the necessary funding for this work.

Externally we have had to install a new cold water main from London Road to the church (some 200 metres) as the old supply was constantly springing leaks! The old metal container has been removed from the car park and a new timber storage shed erected. AVDC are in the process of renovating the old kitchen garden wall between our church yard and the school (the wall is a listed structure) and when completed should make an attractive feature.

The smooth running of the church relies entirely on our willing helpers and so to the cleaners, flower arrangers ,bell ringers, tea and coffeemakers, sacristy, welcomers, stewards, assistant wardens and all other helpers we thank you so much. New recruits are always welcome.

Report by Bridget Avery and Tony Farmer 3

A: Structure, governance and management

The method of appointing PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. New appointees are given an information pack. The PCC has passed a resolution by which a proportion of the PCC members will stand for re-election every three years, limited to a total of six years served. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. This is achieved by notices given out during church services, articles in the St Mary’s newsletter and notices placed around the church.

Revd Mark Dearnley is the incumbent. Mrs Ruth Dearnley, Mrs Glenys Newman, Joe Groat and Mrs Beryl Pearn are licensed to serve in the parish as Licensed Lay Ministers.

The PCC operates by meeting every other month with various sub-committees meeting and conducting delegated activities and taking delegated responsibility in between. Methods of reporting back to the PCC range from the formal pre-distributed reports for discussion at PCC meetings, to informal verbal reports. The PCC became a registered charity in 2009 and is mindful of its responsibilities as Trustees. The major risks to which the church is exposed, as identified by the trustees, have been reviewed annually and systems or procedures have been established to manage those risks.

B: Objectives and Activities

St Mary’s PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, Rev Mark Dearnley, in promoting the whole mission of the Church – pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the church building, St Mary’s Centre and the churchyard at Church Lane. Since 1992, the PCC has been a party to the Sharing Agreement of 1986 relating to St Anne’s Church, Aylesbury Road, Wendover. The PCC also holds a lease over the premises at 11 High Street (@st marys shop and Parish Office) which expires in 2014. All of which contribute to our aim to be a church at the heart of the community. Details of our work is described more fully in the following reports from committees and other groups who contribute to our church community. The PCC depends on many volunteers who give freely of their time

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and talents. A major part of its activity is the training and involvement of an increasing number of volunteers, doing practical projects or duties alongside others who are further involved as a trustee or a committee member. The benefits from volunteers work, and our thanks to them, cannot be overstated, without them the viability of our church would be seriously affected.

Our grant-making policy is twofold; special appeals which may arise, and giving at a budgeted annual level, where finances are available, as managed by the Mission Committee.

Electoral Roll

Every six years we are required to collapse the electoral roll and put together a new one from scratch. This process has been managed by Rosanne Adam, our Electoral Roll officer. As required, the draft new register has been displayed in church for two weeks prior to the APCM. The number of people on the new roll will be reported at the APCM on 14th April.

The PCC

The full PCC met six times during the year. Committees met between meetings and a number reported formally to the PCC.

Church Attendance

We are required by the Diocese to report on the average weekly attendance for the first four weeks of October. This figure is one of the inputs to our Parish Share allocation. For this period in 2012 the average weekly attendance was 138 as compared with 147 in 2011 and 129 in 2010. This period includes the October half term holidays so cannot be taken as a true reflection of ‘average’ church attendance. It was lovely to see St Mary’s packed to full capacity at a number of the main church festivals during the year.

Committees

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

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The General Fund expenditure for 2012 was £157,497 and income in that fund was worryingly low, at £141,837, resulting in a deficit of £15,660. The fund balance has now reduced to £19,286 at the year-end, taking the form of money due to the PCC, but the bank balance has been spent. The low level of General Fund Income is becoming an acute problem and can be solved by fundraising or increased giving.

We should congratulate ourselves on the past successful fundraising, but the General Fund has suffered and we must immediately concentrate on turning our deficit round to a surplus. This is an enormous task and I calculate that if we are to achieve our vision for the future, we need to raise a further £30,000. In the following schedule, the right hand column shows where it has to come from.

Report by Neville Morton, PCC Treasurer

F: Churchwardens’ Report, including the Fabric, Goods and Ornaments

This time last year the finishing touches where made to the refurbishment with the arrival of the new altar and lectern and audio visual equipment, the result is that we have been able to use and enjoy our beautiful church to the fullest extent.

Possible sources of extra income:

2012 Deficit £15,660 Fundraising efforts

£7,000

Increase in costs, less extra income

£3,000 Top up gift aid relief which starts 4th April 2013

£1,100

Mission donations, shelved for the last 2 years

£6,000 Further giving and gift aid

£21,560

Youth worker, further cost £5,000

Total £29,660 Total £29,660

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Sian Chattle, our newly appointed Safeguarding Protection Officer, talked through the updated policy and practice for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

The PCC would like to thank Carol Crockett, Jean Western and all the team who worked so hard to put on a fantastic festival of flowers and fun during the first May bank holiday. The three days were an enormous success despite the rather chilly weather.

During the first half of 2012 the PCC finalised its work on the Vision for St Mary’s for the next five to ten years. One important initiative to come out of this work has been the creation of a Pastoral Care Team led by Margaret Bryant. In January 2013 Margaret attended the PCC to update the group on the progress made so far and with the plans for further training and development this year.

The PCC agreed to the purchase of a licence to show films at St Mary’s. The five film showings so far have proved very successful with over 280 people attending, many of which are new to St Mary’s.

Written on behalf of the PCC by Julia Fish, PCC Secretary

E: Financial Statement of the PCC

Treasurer’s Report on accounts for year to 31 December 2012

This is the first financial year after the church refurbishment which includes a whole year of worship at St Mary’s since 2009.

Dealing first with the major works done and their funding, we began the financial year with £2,290 money in the Refurbishment Fund and £109,000 owed to parishioners and the Lionel Abel Smith Trust. Also Ken Walker’s legacy unspent at that time was £62,550. During the year, with further giving, fundraising and grants to the Refurbishment Fund, of £45,536, we incurred further capital costs and major repairs of £43,620. At the end of the year the PCC had £18,788 money in the refurbishment fund, £90,600 owed to parishioners and Ken Walker’s unspent legacy has gone down to £39,599. Although regular giving to the refurbishment fund continues, the PCC has decided to concentrate its fundraising efforts from 2013 on the General Fund, which continues to incur a deficit and cannot afford any more.

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Standing Committee (Chair: Revd Mark Dearnley Tel: 623123) It is responsible for transacting the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the PCC.

The committee met six times between the Annual Meetings of 2012 and 2013 and has reported formally to each PCC meeting.

Churchyard Care Committee (Chair: Revd Mark Dearnley Tel: 623123) It operates under an agreement with the Parish Council and oversees the care and maintenance of the Churchyard, which is the burial ground for Wendover.

There are three not-so-good things:-

1) Ron Smith has been obliged to hand in his shears after many years of devoted service, and

2) We have suffered the wettest weather since records began, and

3) We have been under continuous badger attack this winter.

The good things are that:

1) Tricia, Elizabeth and Delia have joined the gang, and are doing great things.

2) Heavy duty undergrowth clearing by Nick Taylor and other volunteers from the White Swan have improved the sightlines and

3) The Parish Council has renewed our grant so that we can build a crossing path in the burial section.

This year we will continue weeding, sowing, strimming, mowing, bonfiring and removing rubbish. If you would like to help this willing band of volunteers please get in touch with Bryan.

Report by Bryan Reading

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Christian Aid Committee (Chair: Mark Thomas Tel: 622512) With a committee of five from the other churches in Wendover.

Committee membership remains the same as last year with an increasing number of the congregations helping with one-off events and tasks. So, although we would still welcome new members to the committee, everyone can play their part as we all have different skills to offer (Matthew 25, v.40).

Last year’s main fundraising events:

House to House Collecting £3541

Ploughman’s Lunch £658

Cream Tea at David Prescott’s home £600

November Tea: speaker from Wyevale Garden Centre £180

Future Events: Ploughman’s Lunch: Tuesday 7 May

Christian Aid Week: 12-18 May

Summer Feasts: June/August

Speaker from Christian Aid: Harvest Sunday 22 Sep

‘Posh’ Tea: November

Thank you for your continued support.

Report by Mark Thomas.

Churches Together in Wendover Committee (Joint Chair: Heather McIntyre and Revd Mark Dearnley) With representatives from the other Churches in Wendover, it coordinates and promotes ecumenical relationships, joint work and worship.

We started 2012 by welcoming the new County Ecumenical Development Officer, the Rev. Dr. Mary Cotes to our joint service at Wendover Free Church to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The question she asked us was “WHAT GIVES YOU JOY?” and she challenged us, in all we do, to focus on this

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quite a tradition spanning hundreds of years, and is unique to this country. Our oldest bells are about 400 years old. However, it's not as difficult as you might think... Interested? Then contact us through the Parish Office. Let's see how busy this year will be. Report by Jennie Crummack, St Mary's Ringing Master

Newcomers’ Teas

During 2012 two Sunday afternoon tea parties were held to welcome newcomers at St Mary’s and were attended by thirteen families. We are very grateful to the St Mary's members who have opened their homes as hosts to Newcomers' Teas over a number of years and to Patricia Thomas who has organised them. Twenty nine teas have now been held since they started in 2002 and three more are planned for 2013 in April, June and October. If you would like to attend a Newcomer’s Tea, please let Patricia Thomas or the Church Wardens know.

Report by Julia Fish

D: PCC Review of the Year

After five years of service on the PCC we say goodbye to John Bussien. John has ably led the Refurbishment Committee through the planning and implementation of the new interior at St Mary’s so a huge thanks to him for his commitment to this. Xenia Murray also resigned at the end of this electoral year. We thank her for the valuable contribution she has made to the PCC.

Sadly in December 2012 Vic Fletcher passed away after a long period of ill health. Vic represented Wendover on the Deanery Synod for many years and was also therefore on the PCC. He always took a keen interest in the varying topics discussed at the PCC and until his health deteriorated last year attended all the meetings. He will be sadly missed.

During the year the PCC heard reports from several committees. Candy Lamond reported on the issues facing the @st marys shop and in November

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Bell Ringing

Since the St Mary's bells were augmented to 8, we've had a busy time. Last year being no exception! Our band of 10 ringers hope you got to hear the bells not only for Sunday service, but at many special events throughout 2012.

We rang to welcome everyone in to the Wendover Celebrates event and the bells could be heard as the parade left the High Street all the way round Church Lane and into the event.

Following on from that, we rang as part of the national "All The Bells" project. The band was joined by various members of the congregation from young and old. The 8 church bells, Sanctus bell and the churches' 8 hand bells were all rung continuously for 3 minutes at 8.12 in the morning and along with a few toy bells too! Then of course there was the Olympics, London 2012. A new ringing method had been composed for the event and we had great fun trying to learn the method in time for the opening ceremony. Aside from these national events, we also had some significant achievements at a local level too. We rang non-stop for 45 minutes as a special ring to acknowledge 50 years of The Oxford Diocese. This was the first time most of the 6 ringers that took part had rung for that length of time! Another first for our band was hosting and taking part in a striking competition, The Orchard Cup. There were a lot of nerves on the day and we were up against a lot of experienced ringing bands from the surrounding area. We were extremely pleased with our result. Not only was everyone very happy with our tea and cakes! But we also ended in 6th place out of 9 teams. Not bad for a first attempt! So with Christmas concerts and services rounding off the year, we did have a busy time! Not forgetting all the summer weddings too! Anyone from 12-90 years old ring and we currently have an age range of 17-86 in our St Mary's band. We are always keen to hear from anyone that is interested in learning more about the bells and wanting to learn to ring - it's 7

rather than the occasional difficulties of working together.

With this in mind, here are some of the headlines of joint activities and events which the three churches in Wendover have enjoyed together during 2012.

During Lent, a small group offered a home grown series exploring “Ways into Prayer” which arose spontaneously from a short course on meditation inspired by Rev. Peter Louis of St Mary’s Church. The Lent series combined teaching about forms and styles of prayer from the past led by Mary Sketch of St Anne’s and with varied input from Gill Osmond, Peter Louis and Margaret Heald. Subject areas included the Desert Fathers, the Mystics , Celtic Prayer and Charismatic prayer. There were opportunities to experience led meditation, Lectio Divina, poetry and monastic offices with the celebration of Compline. As always, proceedings started in celebratory mood with pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and meetings attracted thirty or more to each session.

A lively Children's Workshop for Mothering Sunday was held on March 9th in the newly refurbished St Anne's Hall. Parents with children were able to choose from a range of gift making opportunities and took home suitable Mothers Day surprises.

The events of Easter began in Holy Week with Compline which this year for the first time was led by a mixed choir from St Mary's. The Maundy Thursday Agape meals were not so well attended this year and may need refreshing. Also, the Good Friday children’s activities in the Christian Centre need to finish earlier in order for those joining the St Anne's midday service and Walk of Witness to attend. Trees were the theme of this service which was poorly attended as was the Walk of Witness. The Walk of Witness and service at St Mary’s followed the usual format. The Vigil on Easter Saturday at St Anne's began with candles lit from the brazier outside to bring the light into the worship service and symbolised powerfully the Easter message of death overcome by the light of Christ. Greater publicity and perhaps explanation might raise the profile of these events.

Joy permeated Wendover’s Jubilee celebrations. Everyone caught the mood and entered into the spirit of community celebration. Wendover Celebrates drew everyone onto the streets for a grand procession and on to Wendover House School for further spectacle and fun. Churches Together joined the

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action, drawing people together to walk behind our banner in the procession, and helping to run the Tea Tent with the WI at the main event.

In September, a Harvest Barn Dance and Ploughman’s Supper attracted families and people of all ages to celebrate together in lively fashion to the music of the Hayloft Band at St Mary’s Church.

As ever, the annual Memorial Service, held on the Sunday of All Souls, provided a much valued opportunity for many to remember those who have died.

The Act of Remembrance held at the Manor Waste on Remembrance Sunday was preceded by the parade with the British Legion. This short service was led by Rev Heather McIntyre and St Mary's curate, Rev Michael Hunt, who we have been very pleased to welcome into Wendover Churches Together.

In early December, volunteers from the three churches continued the initiative to distribute Christmas cards, including details of Christmas services, to the growing population of Princess Mary’s Gate. More leaflets and volunteers will be needed in the coming year.

This year has seen the exploration and development of a Food Bank for Wendover based on the Chiltern Food Bank in Chesham. The progress of this project is detailed elsewhere in this report.

Books for Schools has been an initiative of Churches Together in Wendover for a number of years. This began with the Scripture Union book, "Its Your Move" being given to Wendover Junior School leavers to accompany them through their transition into Secondary School. Happily, this was expanded to include new children starting school at The John Hampden Infant School with the book "Get Ready Go". Later, these books were also offered to children at Halton Combined School. This Churches Together initiative will continue to grow as the school expands to include new residents from the Princess Mary site. The books for leavers are distributed by Heather McIntyre and Mark Dearnley at special assemblies.

There are regular opportunities for people to meet as Churches Together such as the Morning Prayers held in St Anne's church on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 9 a.m. The clergy meet regularly to share

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of a DVD based resource called Living on the Frontline. Prepared by the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity the material explored the call we have to be Christian witnesses on our frontlines, the places where we meet people on a daily basis: our neighbours, our work colleagues, our friends.

I would like to say a very big thank you to the leaders of the house groups, for their gentle, encouraging, yet determined leadership of their groups. House groups play a vital part in building the community of the St Mary's and the leaders’ contribution to this is vital. So thank you Martyn, Glenys, Wilfred, Louise, Miles, Andrea, Matthew, Roz, Julia, Hilary, Pat, Stan and Peter!

Report by Michael Hunt

Church Flowers

Arranging flowers and keeping them looking nice for all the different functions that take place in St Mary's, make it a busy time for those ladies "on duty"! There are different meetings, concerts, funerals and even though there were 17 weddings in our Church last year, only 5 were arranged by us, but we still need to keep all arrangements watered and tidy, etc. A few are done privately and the rest are still arranged by our team as the bride is often happy to have whatever we will use for our usual Church decoration.

At the beginning of May, another Festival was held in aid of the Refurbishment Fund, incorporating a Flower Festival and it was called "Wendover Celebrates 2012". We and the whole country, were celebrating our Queen's Diamond Jubilee and also London 2012, so all the arrangements either had a sports theme to it, depicting the Olympics, or had a Royal theme, some even in red, white and blue!

The Flower Team do three Festivals during the Church year - Easter, Harvest and Christmas and each arrangement is always of a high standard!

So we have had another good year, but we would love more people to join our team!

Report by Jean Western

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SAGES

SAGES is a monthly morning meeting for the Senior Ages, run by Avril Horton, Veronica Lockett and Eileen Knight. It provides a great opportunity for getting to know those of a similar age over a cup of coffee or tea, and a cake or two.

Refreshment is followed by a talk or presentation of real interest to the age-group and the meeting usually concludes with a brief thought and prayer. Attended regularly by 35/45 men and women we have enjoyed many interesting meetings this last year including:

The Spring Sky (a talk on astronomy), Stop the Traffik (with Ruth Dearnley), a quiz (Wilfred Newman), BBOWT (a talk about College Lake), a visit with meal to The Cocoa Pod School of Chocolate, Stone (Rumseys), The Horst Trust, Speen, A Country Doctor (Colin Campbell), The Royal Family (Queen Victoria), Christmas Special with the Charles Pope Ladies Choir, Helen & Douglas House and Poetry & Prose (Ron Adams).

Report by Veronica Lockett

House Group Review

St Mary's continues to support an extensive network of house groups and small groups. At present there are 10 house groups that meet on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Most of the groups meet on a fortnightly basis and with over 100 people involved they provide great opportunities for fun, fellowship and learning. Prayer, bible study and chat are the staple parts of most house group meetings.

Since 2011 the house groups have studied the same material, with a new topic introduced for each term - the house groups tend to follow the school terms. In the spring term of 2012 house groups used material prepared by the Diocese of Oxford to support its Living Faith initiative. This concentrated on the Gospel of John, and provided an opportunity to consider the breadth of the Christian tradition in supporting a 'sacred centre' - a useful preparation for the run up to Easter. In the summer house groups delved into the opening book of the Bible - Genesis - looking in particular at the opening chapters and exploring their relevance to Christian living today. The autumn saw a new initiative and the use

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together over lunch and build their links as Churches Together.

It is good to celebrate people's loyal service to Churches Together. Noel Shepherd has worked tirelessly for Churches Together over a number of years giving invaluable support and providing detailed information from past events and plans. He has recently retired from this work having celebrated his 80th birthday! We thank him for all his service to Churches Together here in Wendover and wish him well in his retirement! Our thanks also go to Veronica Lockett whose attendance and minuting of our meetings is greatly appreciated. We are delighted to learn that despite retiring from her role as St Mary’s Parish Administrator, she intends to continue to offer this support.

Report by Margaret Heald and Gill Osmond

Junior Church Committee (Chairs: Nick and Jo Morley Tel: 623289) Oversees Junior Church activities and considers arrangements for Family Communion and special services.

This has been a more settled year for Junior Church now that the move back to St Mary’s has been completed. However we continue to have some issues in working with Wendover House School to find appropriate rooms for us to use each week.

We experimented with a different format of session for the children aged 5 to 11 during September and October, but have now reverted to the previous setup. We are therefore still organised into five groups on a Sunday morning, which means that we need at least ten leaders to be involved each week. We currently have 35 people who lead and help run sessions, which means that no-one has to be in Junior Church so frequently that it feels like a burden. In January we ran two training sessions on Child Protection on Sunday mornings, which a good number of leaders managed to attend. We are joining with the teams from Amazing Donkey and the Youth Group to organise further sessions to try to ensure that all the leaders are up to date with this training.

Over the last few years we have been encouraging children and adults to become involved with the residential holidays run by Scripture Union and other organisations. This year over thirty adults and young people attended four different holidays – The Maze for 12-15 year olds, Bitesize for 8-10 year

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olds, and Saddle Up and It’s Your Move (which run together) for 10-12 year olds. The children and young people who went all had a great time, and we are especially grateful to the adults and junior leaders who filled a whole range of roles and in the process made a real difference to young people’s lives.

Report by Nick and Jo Morley.

Youth Activities Our youth activities outside of Junior Church are overseen by Matt Ryan and a small group of volunteers.

St Mary’s has two youth groups which try to engage different areas of development for the young people and help them move from childhood to adulthood.

Surge meets fortnightly on Sunday mornings looking to grow their faith and build their relationship with God further. We encourage the young people to participate in St Mary’s as much as possible on the weeks where we do not meet in the morning.

Sunday evenings take a more relaxed approach and encourage the young people to build relationships and share experiences with one another. We’ve enjoyed a “Ready, Steady, Cook” evening and have started meeting at the Wendover Youth Centre, where we have benefited from the excellent resources available.

2012 saw a lot of important changes for the youth group with Rupe, our youth worker completing his three year training with us in July, before moving on to full time work. September also saw nearly half of the group leave to go to university. The young people who left had formed a strong relationship as they journeyed together through Junior Church and the youth group, and have been greatly missed by their peers. 2013 will be an opportunity for the new members who have moved up and those moving up to form a similar bond.

A big “thank you” to Mark, Paul, Jane and Alex for all their help this last year!

Report by Matt Ryan

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Glenys Newman - Ministry Team link & lead contact for Home Communion

Sylvia Oram - lead contact for Visiting

Mark Thomas- Prayer Ministry Team lead contact

Patricia Thomas- Church Links and Welcome lead contact

Wendy Trower- Bereavement Team lead contact

Margaret Bryant- convenor of the Pastoral Coordinating Group

NOTE: The current membership reflects current activity, but is kept under review, mindful of (i) how the Group reflects pastoral needs, and also (ii) promotes development of, and succession within, a Pastoral Team.

Pastoral Support events

Three events are planned for 2013, to promote mutual support, sharing and development of pastoral activities:

28 February: A basic awareness session on Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults.

11 May: a Saturday morning workshop to reflect on pastoral care within our groups and networks

Sept- Dec: A six session Foundation Course in Pastoral Care that has a practical focus, and is parish-based within Wendover Deanery.

Opportunities

The creation of a new framework presents opportunities for increased participation in pastoral activities across a range of areas- new volunteers are welcome!

Improved access to pastoral support events creates space for reflection and mutual support around pastoral practice – everyone is encouraged to do this.

Report by Margaret Bryant

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St Mary’s @ Work

The St Mary's @ Work group meets on an ad hoc basis (in “terms” of 4-5 weeks at a time) at 32 High Street for discussion, usually over a glass or two of wine. The meetings are led by guest presenters and focus on the challenges of living out our Christian faith within the workplace. During 2012, the group has particularly focused on identifying opportunities for St Mary’s to engage in social enterprise in the Wendover area and has specifically examined an opportunity to participate in the government’s recently launched Green Deal initiative. The team is also engaging with the John Colet School and plans to run a Dragon’s Den competition for year 12 and 13 pupils in which they will pitch their business ideas for an immediate cash prize and (more importantly) the potential of financial and practical help in setting up their business. The programme is led by Peter Greening, Matt Ryan and Ian Sansbury.

Report by Ian Sansbury

Pastoral Care

In January 2013 the PCC agreed a new framework for supporting pastoral care, with several aims:

Coordination- to ensure needs are identified and pastoral activities focussed on those needs;

Publicity –practical information: who to approach for what.

Diocesan requirements that advocate training for pastoral carers, and a wish for more locally accessible opportunities for training and support.

Review and forward planning that takes account of changing parish context, represents the diversity of groups within St Mary’s, and is linked to the wider community.

A Pastoral Coordinating Group (PCG) is now formally established, with commissioning prayers said at Sunday services on 3rd February, and distribution of a new leaflet. Membership of the PCG comprises:

Tony Farmer - PCC representative

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5 Alive! is now into its third year, and provides an opportunity for families who are busy with sport and other activities on a Sunday morning to be involved with church. It is aimed at children aged between seven and thirteen and their families, although children of other ages are also welcome. We meet every Sunday during term time between 5.00pm and 6.15pm at the Wendover Christian Centre. If you would like to see us in action do feel free to pay us a visit – you will be welcomed in Wendover style with tea and cake.

The format is different both from Junior Church and from other church services. We start by having tea together before moving into the main session. We aim to keep things moving fast and we use a variety of ways to keep everyone engaged. A typical session might include a game, a clip from a DVD, a time of discussion and teaching, worship and an opportunity to reflect. Over the last year we have had an Olympic themed series over the summer, looked at the life of Jesus using the Miracle Maker film, and we are currently exploring the early stories of Genesis with the help of promotional films from our local travel agency – Camel Travel.

We are really grateful to everyone who continues to help us with 5 Alive, especially all the people who are so generously providing us with a regular supply of delicious cakes. We could not do 5 Alive without our regular catering team of six – thanks to you all, and we are very grateful to Jane Robertson who spent two years making sure we were never short of food. We would also like to thank Tim and Nikki De Borde, Tony Playle, and Heather MacIntyre for their hard work in leading sessions with us over the past year. However we could definitely use more volunteers, both in leading sessions and in helping with the catering, so if you feel that this might be for you, please get in touch.

Report by Jo & Nick Morley

Amazing Donkey is a youth club for young people aged 10-14 years. The club meets on a Friday evening during term time at Wendover Youth Centre.

The youth club provides a warm and safe place for young people to meet with their friends and freely participate in a wide range of different activities.

We run approximately 40 sessions a year, with around 30 young people attending each week. We currently have 50+ members. As well as Paul

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Hammett, our Youth Worker, we have a team of 12 adult volunteers (including four 18+ youth leaders) plus a number of former members who now assist as young leaders. During the past year membership and attendance have increased and the range of activities has been extended.

During 2012 the lease for the Youth Centre formally passed from Bucks County Council to a company set up to run the Centre for the benefit of the young people of Wendover. Amazing Donkey and St Mary’s have been very active in supporting this development. In the future we envisage much closer working with the Youth Centre and the other activities, including other youth clubs, being hosted in the building. Both Amazing Donkey and the Youth Centre have an exciting vision for future growth as we seek to develop our roles to most effectively support the young people of Wendover.

The involvement of St Mary’s with Amazing Donkey gives confidence to our members’ parents and underpins our approach to the way the club is run and how we work with the young people.

Whilst we are very grateful for our dedicated group of adult and young leaders we always welcome new volunteers.

Please talk to Paul or Chris if you would like to become involved or learn more about the workings of the club and/or what is happening at the Youth Centre.

Report by Chris Heald and Paul Hammett

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults (Chair: Sian Chattle Tel: 623899) The committee exists, as part of the Church’s vision ‘working with children and young people’, to consider all aspects of the ‘Protecting Children and Vulnerable Adults in the Diocese of Oxford’ policy to ensure a safe environment for children and young people in all aspects of St Mary’s work. Within this, it considers all aspects of disclosure procedures under the Criminal Records Bureau to ensure safe recruitment of volunteers.

Sian Chattle took over the role of Safeguarding Officer in September 2012. At St Mary’s we follow the guidance on Safeguarding issued by Oxford Diocese. Our Safeguarding Policy, for Children & Vulnerable Adults, was re-approved by the PCC in November 2012. This policy can be found in the church porch and centre.

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The Quinquennial Inspection was undertaken by an independent architect and no major problems were reported. Whilst this report covers primarily the fabric of the building it also comments on health and safety issues.

Report by Bridget Avery.

C: Other Church Activities

Ministry Team

The Ministry Team is Mark Dearnley, Peter Louis, Glenys Newman, Michael Hunt, and Joe Groat. Rupe Johnston (Youth Worker) was also part of this team before he left in summer 2012 for his new job.

We meet about once a month in order to review matters to do with the development of ministry and outreach of St Mary’s and St Michael’s and to support one another and those involved in ministry. Part of our reflections over this last year include Digging Deeper; a successful series of talks covering significant topics such as Science and Faith, and Salvation and Suffering. Digging Deeper continues through this year.

Contemplative Fire is a great addition to our worship at St Mary’s. This second Sunday of the month evening service offers a rich menu of reflective themes that invite us to dwell deeply in God’s presence. Margaret Heald has information about up and coming gatherings.

The START course is up and running, and will be run again later in the year. This entry into the Christian Faith course is a great way to discover key elements of our faith and to underline some of its important features.

Finally, it was a real delight to attend Michael’s ordination as deacon at Christ Church Oxford last summer. And even more of a delight to properly welcome him to St Mary’s and St Michael’s as our curate. Michael is a real asset to our church ministry, and along with Margaret and the family brings much to the life of the church. In terms of him being here to learn, I think I’m learning just as much from him! His ordination as priest takes place in Buckingham on Saturday 22nd June.

Report by Revd Mark Dearnley

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Once again our thanks go out to all who have supported us during this lengthy programme.

Report by John Bussien.

2. Refurbishment Fund Raising Sub-Committee (Chair: David Prescott MBE Tel: 624537)

It is now two years since the refurbishment of St Mary’s was successfully completed. The Committee recognised and reported to the PCC that it was increasingly difficult to raise new money for a completed project; in effect, to pay back loans generously given to pay the builders - there being no appeal in paying off debt!

At its meeting in September 2012 the Committee concluded that, given the general funds were in deficit, the solution would be to join in a concerted effort to build up the general funds of the church to benefit all its financial needs – including mission, parish share, general running and paying off the refurbishment debt. The Committee will continue to assist in the organisation of events planned for 2013/14.

During the year significant sums were raised from our event programme, including the Jubilee / Olympics themed Flower festival which raised c£9k. A grant from AVDC (s.106) covered the cost of improvements to the St Mary’s Centre. The Amount of new funds required to complete the funding reduced from c£90k to c£50k.

Report by David Prescott MBE, Chairman

3. Health and Safety (Chair: Tony Farmer Tel: 625453) Considers all aspects of Health and Safety relating to the church, the Centre, the churchyard and the High Street premises.

The church is inspected annually by Bridget Avery, Tony Farmer, Brian Freshney and Peter Lockett; a check list covering items of safety and maintenance is reviewed and appropriate action taken. All fire extinguishers and the lightening conductor are inspected on a regular basis.

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Training of volunteers has been a priority. We currently have 57 volunteers helping lead the various activities for children and young people, comprising Junior Church and the Youth Groups. On-line training, both individually and in discussion groups, is underway and should be completed by Easter 2013.

Training for vulnerable adults has also been addressed. Margaret Bryant has organised training for clergy and volunteers involved in church activities that could include vulnerable adults. This is taking place in February 2013 and involves 30 people.

All volunteers are CRB checked and the appointment process has been re-examined and updated.

Report by Sian Chattle

@stmarys Management Committee (Chair: Mark Dearnley Tel: 623123) It oversees the functions and working practices of the Parish Office and the shop.

2012 was another tough year for Wendover High Street. @stmarys performance (sales of £29,755, 3.9% down on 2011) was better than expected against this backdrop. Christmas sales were up on the previous year bolstered by the sale of 301 packs of John Hull’s Christmas cards helping to attract new customers to the shop. @stmarys plays an important part in church fund raising contributing £3,000 in ticket sales during the year (this is not included in the sales figures above). The shop also supported Mimi’s Mission and Christian Aid through the sale of goods and event tickets. @stmarys currently owes the PCC £6,000 for 2011 costs and £6,500 for 2012 costs, the 2011 costs will be repaid this year. The window displays continued to generate comment and compliments and ensured that Wendover celebrated in style over the summer. The management committee is focussed on marketing opportunities to increase the shop’s turnover in 2013; an in-store questionnaire carried out in 2012 will be repeated, and 2013 sees the launch of @stmarys facebook page. Thanks as ever, to the dedicated team of volunteers who juggle their busy lives around their shifts at the shop.

Report by Kyla Sansbury

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Mission Committee: The committee aims to raise the profile of mission at St Mary’s by expanding the Church’s support of mission, increasing its awareness of the needs of the world, developing links with a number of initiatives and committing to support these regularly.

Due to ongoing deficit in the General Fund the Mission budget could not be reinstated during 2012. However, St Mary’s has supported a number of causes both financially and with time given by members of the congregation. It is hoped in 2013 a new chairperson will be found to work with the committee to promote this important aspect of St Mary’s work.

One new initiative in 2012 has been our support for the Chiltern Foodbank in Chesham organised through the Trussell Trust. This work, led by a Churches Together team of Glenys Newman, Jane Larkham, Muriel Reip, John Shaw, Heather McIntyre and Jean Western, has organised a collection of non perishable food on the first Sunday of the month at all churches. At Harvest food gifts were donated by the congregation and children at Wendover Junior School.

Due to demand for this service in our immediate area, our Wendover Distribution Centre for the Chiltern Foodbank opened on 12th March. We expect clients to come from Wendover and the surrounding villages. It will be open every Tuesday at the Christian Centre from 10.00 to 12.00 and will supply three days emergency food supplies to individuals and families in short term need. A food box can only be given on receipt of a voucher which clients must obtain from one of our Referral Partners who have agreed to work with us. It is only possible to have 3 food boxes over a period of 3 months.

During 2012 St Mary’s supported a number of other good causes including:

Padstones - A charity based in Buckinghamshire, providing support in an accommodation setting for young people aged 16-20 who are homeless.

The Children’s Society – A leading charity working towards safeguarding children in the UK.

Aylesbury Women’s Refuge – A safe place to stay for women to escape from abusive relationships.

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Mimi’s Mission – A charity set up to provide long term financial support for ten year old Mimi Simpson, a much loved member of our congregation who has cerebral palsy.

Personnel Committee: (Chair: Bridget Avery Tel: 625358) Ensures the PCC properly executes its responsibilities under Employment Law.

This year we sadly say goodbye and a huge thank you to Veronica Lockett, who has been the mainstay of parish administration over the last eight years. Veronica has been a very competent organiser, has managed the Vicar and ensured that tasks are completed in a timely way! She will continue on a voluntary basis to help with organising the weddings.

Amanda Ryan will be increasing her hours and taking responsibility for all the day-to-day tasks.

The Personnel Committee meet with staff on an annual basis and ensure that the policies relevant to employment law are updated.

Report by Bridget Avery.

Building Committees 1. New Building Committee (Chair: John Bussien Tel: 625982)

The refurbishment of the Church was completed almost two years ago, whilst refurbishment of St Marys Centre was finished just six months ago.

The only significant outstanding issue in the church is the moisture problem in the floor boxes. The cause stems from the considerable amount of moisture still held in the concrete base of the stone floor. Given time and warmth this would eventually evaporate away, however options are currently being considered to speed up the process. The new Altar and Lectern are in place and the upgraded Audio/Visual equipment performing as well as expected and has opened up new channels in the world of cinema!

The Centre refurbishment has produced a bright, fresh and tidy environment to work and play. The technicalities of the new dishwasher have been overcome, now saving much time in the clearing up process...