The Christ Church Finance Group is chaired by Brian Harris and its members include Andrew Yeoward our Treasurer, Daniel Pitt PCC former Church warden and PCC member, Rev Canon Simon Stevenette, Vicar.
The group co-ordinates the day to day and strategic direction of our parish finances. They met on the 12th April 2018
Thank you for your support and prayers at the APCM last Sunday. Phil Mansfield’s excellent strategic review update is available on our church website, by email or in hard copy, please contact the parish Office. Pam Bridgeman and Jim D’Avila were elected as church Wardens. Please pray for them this Wednesday as they make their Declaration at the Archdeacon’s Visitation in Hullavington to officially become Church Wardens.
Sandie Rule and Nitin Shinde have been elected as Deputy Church Wardens. David Ratnam, Daniel Pitt, Sandie Rule and Ruth Awinyo have been voted on to PCC for a three-year term. At a meeting after the APCM our new PCC elected Pam Bridgeman as Lay Chair, co-opted Andrew Yeoward onto PCC as our new Treasurer, co-opted Brian Harris on to PCC for a one-year term as Chair of the Governance and Finance Committee, to provide some continuity for our new treasurer and elected Ruth Awinyo as our new PCC Secretary.
Please pray for our PCC as they prepare for their first meeting on Monday 21st May with an informal Holy Communion service beforehand.
Every blessing Simon
During our Annual Parochial Church Meeting last weekend we received an update from Phil Mansfield, a member of our St Mary’s congregation who has been helping us to review our thinking about our future. You can read his report on progress here APCM Strategic Review Summary
You can also read Phil’s intitial findings here: https://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/CC-Strategy-Review-2017.pdf
We also recently published our 2017 Annual Report – read it here: https://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Final-Signed-Annual-Report-2017.pdf
Over the years, I personally have been, and still am, involved with vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young adults having to deal with difficulties and traumas way beyond their years which an adult would find hard to cope with. I am passionate about trying to help improve the lives of such children, albeit it in my limited capacity, and I know that if I can raise funds for The Children’s Society, the money will be well used.
I appreciate that I am not giving you much time to donate, but thankfully this page will be open for a month after the Marathon has taken place, should you wish to donate after The Big Day!! There have been a few setbacks along the way which have made me wonder whether I would be able to run again, the last being a fall a few weeks ago where I broke bones in my hand! I hasten to add, I was not running and it was not in the snow or ice!! Just a local pothole in the dark!! But having seen and read about so many inspirational running friends of mine, training in all weathers and circumstances, I told myself to “Man UP! and give it my best shot, even if a tad undertrained, for an incredible charity.Last year, some of you may know I lost a very dear running buddy who made me promise not to give up running when she was gone, not least the London Marathon which I pulled out of last year when she was going through aggressive treatment. So this VLM 2018 I will be running the 26.2 miles for Jo in her memory. Amongst other things, Jo inspired me in my work with children and young adults and encouraged me to take up the baton so to speak in so many great causes.
Additionally, I will, as I have done in the past, dedicate each individual mile of the marathon to a very special person or persons, past or present, including my dear husband’s late brother Richard Maples who died unexpectedly last Christmas. (Richard always encouraged me in my marathon persuits and is greatly missed by us all). Each mile will be in their honour as they inspire me to get through the tough course. I will write their names down on a list and tick them off as I complete each mile (I jokingly said it was my Sainsbury’s list to a fellow runner in the 2016 VLM at the Start Line… he thought I was serious!). Some of the children and adults I have run with in their wheelchairs/racing buggies, some have passed on from this life to the next, some are still battling through many hardships…each and every one of them has made an impact on my life and when the going gets tough I know they will spur me on. (I hope to get photos of some of these dear folk in my gallery on this page). I could not do the marathon without them or without the support and encouragement of so many of you…I am blessed with an amazing family and incredible friends…something the children The Children’s Society are trying to help do not have.
If you are able to donate to this awesome charity I know they will be really grateful…as will I!!
Thank you all SO much for reading this!! You are all part of my marathon team!
Verity x
You can read our Annual Report here. Final Signed Annual Report 2017
We invite you all to contribute ideas for us together to build two new engaging Vision and Mission Statements that will take us into the future.
Whilst all contributions will be reviewed, we do not promise to use your contribution but rather to get a collective set of ideas that we can draw on from across our various congregations, our friends and visitors.
You can do this by writing any ideas you have below and handing to any member of the Staff Team, or by emailing them to Helen at the Parish Office, parishoffice@christchurchswindon.co.uk before the end of April 2018, please.
VisionMissionRequest (PDF)
We have provided some examples on the back of the sheet If you like any of them, please say so, or write your own.
Thank you,
Simon, the PCC and Staff Team
In the light of the report of the Independent Inquiry on Child Sexual Abuse. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have written to all members of the Church of England
You can read the letter here, Letter from the Archbishops
We recently recieved a letter of thanks from Bishop Lee for our contribution to the Diocese.
You can read the letter here Thank you for your Parish Share in 2017
See how the Diocese spends it’s income.
As part of our continuing renewal work this year, we intend to make extensive repairs to the church roof and organ as well as repair the South Transept window,improve exterior lighting and make repairs to St Mary’s church.
The major works to the organ require us to obtain a faculty – effectively permission from the Diocese to carry out the work.
As part of this, we are required to advertise the scope and nature of the works for a period of not less than 28 days to allow public objections to be heard by the Dicoese.
You can download the notice on the link below or view it on the church noticeboards. Full details of who to apply to are provided on the notice, The expiry date for objections is 17th April 2018
Are you looking for help to find a job. The Swindon Job Club can help.
Monday 9.30 – 3.00pm at the Community Centre
Messy Church continues to do well. Recently we have had numbers of 77 and 80 attendees, although our numbers where low for January (it was a particularly wet and windy day), we had 37 on that occasion.
Our recent themes include creation, the greatest party ever, and Christmas.
We have around 30 dedicated volunteers many of whom come each month. This is less than half the volunteers we had when we started and would always welcome new volunteers.
One great achievement is that since September two of our older attendees have actually become volunteers. This really is something to be pleased about.
The Messy Church core team meets regularly to coordinate themes and discuss any problems or concerns. As always we would ask you to pray for the work we are doing.
Messy Church Services.
Over the past couple of weeks we have taken Messy Church to our regular church services. This came out of the report that Matthew Vatcher presented to this council last year, when you asked us to present something on Messy to each of the churches.
So far we have been to Immanuel and Christ Church, we will be visiting Bath Road in a couple of weeks time. Both services have gone really well with the congregations happy to get involved with activities and songs, and I hope, learning a little bit more about Messy Church.
I would like to thank the churches for their welcome and their enthusiasm.
David Howell.
We would ask this council to accept a proposal that we have for David Howell to be a chaplain to Messy Church.
The background to this is that when Messy Church started we had ministerial support and involvement from Trudy Wigley. Since Trudy left we have had little or no ministerial input. Norma McKemey was meant to take on this role but she soon had to give it up to concentrate on the Four O’Clock service.
Last year David came along to see what happened at Messy Church and was very impressed with what we where doing. Since then he has attended every Messy Church and our core team meetings. The core team believe that Messy Church needs regular ministerial input, someone who knows what is happening in Messy Church and can relate that back to partnership clergy. We also think it is good to have someone recognisable at Messy Church acting as chaplain to both the congregation and the volunteers. It is important to us that we are seen as being part of the partnership and have your support.
You can find out more about Messy Church on our Website http://messychurcholdtown.co.uk/ or Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/messychurcholdtown/
Sunday the 11th February is our first Mission Giving Sunday for 2018 and we collect for the work of the Willows Counselling Service and Swindon Youth for Christ.
Our sermon was given by Tanya Orr – the Executive director of the Willows Counselling service in Swindon
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