monthly messageMonthly Message from your Priest-in Charge Revd Mark Bridgen May 2009

 

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL INFORMATION

Civic Service –
The date will be the 5 July at 4pm.  The purpose of the service is to bring to God all those who are involved in the life of the parish council and all the ways in which our lives in our villages are sustained by many. Morning services as normal on that day but no 6:30pm service.

Eucharistic Ministers –
We are welcoming Bob Winfield and Karen Bridgen as new Eucharistic Ministers from this month.

Deanery Re-organisation –
A sub-group from both Gnosall and Moreton has met on the 26 April. It will then be meeting with representatives from Pam Freeman’s benefice on the 26 May.  Proposals for re-organisation would be brought to the PCC on the 15 June.   There are two proposals – namely to extend the benefice to include High Offley, Knightley and Norbury (which would also include Woodseaves), and secondly to include the above, plus Adbaston. Following the PCC meeting there would be a congregational meeting to share how the new benefice would operate, whichever option was voted for.

Churchyard –
We are grateful to The Best Kept Village group who have repaired the two benches in the Churchyard.

Stewardship Campaign
In the period February to April 120 information packs had been sent out and there had been 47 returns.  5% had indicated no increase in giving, 18% had increased their giving.  Five people had changed from weekly to monthly giving and nine had gone over to standing orders.   It was estimated that giving would be increased by about £7,500 for the following year.  This would, however, still leave a small deficit.

APCM
For those not present at the APCM, Jim McGregor was elected to continue as churchwarden, with Norman Hailes, after his six-year period for two further years – 09/10 and 10/11 – in terms of the changes to the benefice to be experienced. Diane Woolridge becomes an ex-offico member of the PCC and, with Trevor Ashton withdrawing his name due to health difficulties; Sheila Hales, Doreen Sheldrake, Dave Woolridge and Sarah Appleford (the latter voted on for one further year) become your new PCC representatives.

Church Lighting 
Anthony J. Smith had been asked to quote for the work and a specification was currently being prepared and it was hoped to receive it this week.  It was estimated that the cost for installing the required lighting in the Chancel and Lady Chapel would be £52,000 including scaffolding.  Dates for congregational meetings would be given as soon as possible. Currently, the Friends of St. Lawrence had raised £38,000 towards the lighting which was a major achievement.  Tony Wilkinson and members of the Friends must be commended for their enormous efforts in raising this sum.

Education Sunday
A special service involving our church school was to be held on the 20 September in the school hall at 10:30am. No service was to the held in church at that time.

Mandated Support Group

A new group in support of Eddie and assisting with the ministry he would be exercising was now drawn up. It would involve three representatives from Gnosall and Moreton from June of this year and from 2010 a similar number of people from another parish to be joining the benefice. Gnosall representatives are Margaret Winfield, Doreen Sheldrake and Peter Gillard. 

British Legion
Are to be holding a special service at St Lawrence on the 5 September at 2.00 p.m., for the Laying Up and Dedication of a new Legion standard.

Bequest
The church has been notified of a bequest of £2,000 from the estate of the late Jean Elizabeth Bentley. This to come once Jean’s estate has been wound up.

Date of the next PCC meeting - 18 May at 7.30 p.m.
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Nomination of anyone?
The Church of England has teamed up with Country Life magazine to hunt for the unsung heroes of rural churches.  This initiative seeks to reward the unsung volunteers - of any denomination - which helps to keep rural churches and chapels as thriving hubs of their communities.  More information about how to nominate people from your own communities (closing date 31 May) can be made via a confidential word with Mark.

Ministry Teams Notes –
Some items of interest/ information for congregation members from some of the Ministry Teams meeting since the beginning of March Worship Ministry Team (Meeting of the 9 March)

  • 40 people attended our ecumenical Lenten house groups:
  • Daily readings from a Bible book to become a more regular feature of the church’s life:
  • Members of the Worship Ministry to visit churches which have healing services so as to reflect on introducing healing ministry in the life of this church. A presentation about this will be made to the PCC in September:
  • Worship box available at the back of church with appropriate forms:
  • The joint serving of refreshments for Anglican and Roman Catholics went well on the 8 March and we would now seek to repeat this on an occasional basis

Pastoral Care Ministry Team (Meeting on 12 March)

  • Next two meetings: 14 May at 1:30pm business meeting; 11 June at Speaker at 2pm. Speaker on having an awareness of visual impairment:
  • In May the group will be reviewing the holding of now two coffee mornings in both the Impstones & church on the same morning.

School Ministry Team (Meeting on the 23 March)

  • 22 children were now meeting weekly at our new kids@essence weekly club exploring the Christian faith at school;
  • a church page was now incorporated onto the school website with a link direct to our church website;
  • church organising an outdoor creation service for the school on the 2 July:
  • relaxation sessions all booked up and running well;

Ministry Support Team (Meeting on the 26 March)

A morning workshop to explore the Old Testament arranged for the 17 October.

Farming Outreach Meeting (Meeting on the 30 March)

  • Though small in workforce now in terms of the benefice (2% of the population), still the largest in terms of area and capital investment.
  • A need to make people more aware of life on the farm; understanding of the farming community and where food comes from.
  • Possibility of a service on one of the larger farms – recognising the difficulties associated with risk to hygiene. Four forms of farms in the local area: (i) small family farms; (ii) tenant farmers; (iii) farms employing migrant workers up to 250 and (iv) farms employing migrant workers of a 1,000.
  • A desire from the farming community to see more social housing development to sustain the local population and agriculture.
  • Farmers face a higher mortality rate than most other occupations per head of population. Farming families face a higher risk of depression/ loneliness than most other families per head of population. When even small difficulties happen for farmers it is a total close down on their farms.
  • Make connections in worship – revive three traditional worship matters and continue one current one. Plough Sunday (January) blessing of the land with the blessing of the plough – blessing of our work. Rogation Sunday (May) Asking protection on the crops – protection on ourselves. Lammas (August) first fruits/ good harvest – fruits of the Spirit. Harvest (October).