Listen to Choral Evensong recorded on the 28th October at Christ Church Swindon. Service led by Rev’d Simon Stevenette and the Choir of Christ Church.
Music
Over the past 2 years, the D&R group met regularly to create momentum and focus for an overall strategy for Christ Church. They, with the agreement of the PCC, created an overall vision for the next hundred years at Christ Churchand began to formulate plans to create a sustainable and forward looking church community in Swindon. 
Buy the new 2013 Friends of Christ Church Calendar now. It contains 13 new and original photographs taken locally by members of the Partnership and sold in aid of the Friends of Christ
Church. Spiral bound on heavy-weight silk paper and printed by Kite Press, A4 size, one month to a page, with envelope, price £5. Ideal Christmas Gifts which aid the work of the church. Available to callers at the Parish Office, from Christ Church after 10.00 am service on Sundays, or by post £5 + £1 p&p. Please ring 01793 522832 for enquiries.
MISSION & EVANGELISM
Meeting 12th July 2012 – Norma McKemey, Martin Lee, Angela Wirdnam, Julia Sewell.
Apologies – Margaret Williams, Roger and Maria Morcumb
Commitment to:
1. The call to be Christ within this world and the ways in which Christ Church can respond
2. Developing a programme for enquirers of the Christian faith
3. Developing a programme for those wanting to grow in discipleship
4. Developing a programme for new Christians
5. Promoting support of worldwide mission
6. Exploring ways in which to reach others with the gospel
|
|
Commitment |
Time scale |
Who liaise with |
Priority |
Lead |
|
Developing a programme for enquirers of the Christian faith:
|
1/2 |
Autumn 2012 |
Simon Congregations Children & Young People |
Immediate |
Norma |
|
Developing a programme for those wanting to grow in discipleship: · Venue? · Timing? · Advertising? · Content – to be in depth study of biblical books |
1/3 |
Jan/Feb 2013 |
Church Family Lynda Fisher Home groups |
|
Norma |
|
Promoting support of worldwide mission:
|
1/5 |
|
Partnership |
|
Margaret |
|
Exploring ways in which to reach others with the gospel
|
1/6 |
|
|
|
Martin |
Next meeting: 3rd October 2012 – Parish Office 7.30 p.m.
Review activities, plan for 2013 & think about budget request
The committee has agreed a programme of activities both short and medium term.
|
Focus |
Achieved by… |
What will happen in 2012/13 |
|
Children and Young People (CYP)
Definitions: Children: primary age
Young people: secondary age
|
Y1. Welcome CYP to Christ Church.
Y2. Recognise their value.
Y3. Involving CYP in life of church
Y4. Disciple and care for CYP
Y5. Support and pray for local schools.
Y6. Explore outreach to CYP
Y7. Maintain active Child Protection policy
Other: Incorporating Y1-Y7 above |
Y1&Y3 Parents, children and youth to be included in welcoming team rota to look out for and nurture contact with CYP who come to services. By end Oct 2012
Dependents:availability of earlier start for families Liaise with:David & Ann Sharpe
Y1 Quick win: hot chocolate, squash and suitable biscuits to be served by CYP on low table in leisure centre. With immediate effect.
Y1 Quick win: Ensure that consistently at beginning of services, as part of welcome, an announcement is made of child provision & exit door(!) in South Transept (but not to be called that) and toilets & baby changing in the leisure centre. With immediate effect Liaise with:Service leaders & church wardens giving notices
Y2 Raise profile of CYP with regular highlight of some aspect of CYP in services/on website/in newssheet etc. With immediate effect.
Y3&Y1 Parents, children and youth to be integrated into welcoming team rota, read lessons, bring up collection etc. Ongoing.
Y3 CYP or representatives to take an active part in the planning and delivery of All Age services. By end Sept 2012. Dependents:Representation on All Age planning groups
Y3 Consideration of admission to communion before confirmation for CYP. Paper to be submitted to PCC for intial consideration to start Diocesan process. Nov 2012 Liaise with:families with children, Incumbent
Y3 Review of all CYP offering (including review against Swindon Youth Charter) via survey to children, parents and young people. Specific actions points to be raised from responses. Survey by end Nov 2012. Dependents: willingness to engage in survey Liaise with:children, parents and young people
Y4 Consider feasibility of monthly youth service, in collaboration with nascent initiative at Immanuel. Ongoing. Dependents:OTP involvement Liaise with:OTP partners
Y5 Continue putting boxes of chocolate in school staff rooms at Easter and Christmas on behalf of OTP churches. Ongoing.
Y5 Continue to support assembly visits to schools undertaken by OTP church representatives and others, and strengthen contacts with other schools across Swindon. Ongoing. Dependents:Availability of clergy and other visiting teams Liaise with: SYFC, Janet Roe, in school, Abi Corry
Y6 Launch Messy church for Primary age children as OTP project. April 2013 latest start. Dependents:OTP and CC practical support Liaise with:Mission and Evangelism/FIS/Community groups & OTP Focus and Council
Y6 Continue to run, in conjunction with OTP:
Dependents:OTP
Y7. Full review of Child Protection Policy, paperwork and awareness by end November 2012 Liaise with:Nominated Persons
Other: Work towards Diocesan “Child Friendly Church Award” 2012 (ultimate goal of Gold level longer term). Submit award to recognise achievements to date by end March 2012
Other: Submit budget for CYP activities. End Oct2012 |
The church family group met to discuss their priorities for the coming year.
Hospitality
Homegroups
Welcomers
Present : Reg Hardwick, Stephen Grosvenor, Mike Palmer, , John Plaister, Mark Antell, Daniel Pitt.
Apologies: Kevin Penfold
SG said a short prayer.
Item 3. Minutes of last meeting – reviewed and accepted. All outstanding items have been included in the agenda.
We have currently spent c£4,917 Year to date. We have outstanding bills for the Asbestos surveys for the churches & halls and Dave Hobbs bill for heating installation at 31. Our estimated current spend is £10,137 as at end Sept 2012.
Item 5 – Christ Church
We have put our recommendations for Phase1 Works to the PCC and they have been accepted. These are:
We need to make a DAC application for the access works to the hall within the next couple of weeks – PCC must agree to the monument moving for the application so must include an agenda item at the next meeting.
SG to follow up the progress of the plans with Bernard. He is also investigating some historic monument moving specialists to give us professional advice on moving them.
SG is also contacting the Water, Gas and Electricity suppliers about the hall demolition.
Item 6 Church Centre update
We have received the first payment of £30,166 from the council. At the steering group meeting yesterday, there was discussion about the current timeline and it was felt it might be a bit optimistic. We have already begun to notify the users that the hall will be closing at the end of the year so we will probably continue to plan to close it to users in January 2013.
We will need to co-ordinate the clearing of the hall in early Jan – decisions will need to be reached on Traidcraft’s stock and activities, coffee in church etc.
We are proposing to site 2 temporary disabled toilets to the side of the SW door. These will only be in use for services.
Mike & Stephen have visited Upper Seagry hall and seen a modular build first hand.
It is very well equipped and has given us some ideas on facilities which we will need to consider – audio/visual, screens, heat pumps.
Item 6 Property Checks – as part of our responsibility as a landlord, we need to periodically assess our properties for potential damage or hazards. Now that Upham Road has been sold, this leaves only 31 and 32 Cricklade Street.
Action: SG to discuss with Ailsa and the tenants appropriate times for the inspections. Also we should devise a checklist of items to check which would give more structure to the process as well as act as a record of each check. SG to investigate. We will need to do some more inspections – Mark and Daniel will join up to assess 32. Mike & Reg 31.
Item 7 31 Cricklade Street – Dave Hobbs was awarded the contract and has nearly finished the work.
The old shed is in danger of falling down – SG to get a quote for a new one.
Item 8. 58 Upham Road – has been sold.
Any other business
We have commissioned an asbestos surveys for St Mary’s, the church and the hall prior to commencing works.
Billiard Table in Hall. We have so far failed to find a home for the billiard table so will advertise it for sale.
We will have to have the fire extinguishers checked
Query on PAT testing – how often does it really need to be done?
Next meeting date 14th November 2012 – 7.30 St Mary’s Hall
Deferred Jobs list
|
Job |
Quote |
Date |
Rated A/B/C/D |
|
SW door repair and draft exclusion |
Defer to D&R |
20/01/2010 |
C |
|
Pressure washing the vestry steps |
|
|
C |
|
Flooding under the clergy vestry |
|
25/03/2010 |
C |
|
Cycle Racks |
Defer to new hall |
27/07/2010 |
C |
|
Wall mounted Notice board at West door |
£95+VAT |
31/03/2011 |
C/D |
|
Free standing Noticeboard at West door |
£375+VAT S&I |
31/03/2011 |
C/D |
|
Sign for Church Centre (maybe directional signage rather than the name) |
Defer |
31/03/2011 |
D |
|
New fireproof ceiling in the undercroft |
|
20/02/2012 |
B/C |
|
New central heating boiler & rads 31 CS |
Est. 6k Oct 2011 DH |
17/10/2011 |
C |
A- Assessed as high risk
B- Legal requirement
C- Best Practice.
D – Nice to do.
COMMUNITY CENTRE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Full Grant funding has been made available for 3 years to appoint someone into this key role to help us manage both the Community Centre & the community use of St Mary’s and build links out into our community.
CHURCH CENTRE
Project Planning Progress
Planning Permission & Grant Funding from the Borough is in place for the new Community Centre (which, as now, will be run by Christ Church). We are now considering build methods, engaging suppliers to provide outline costs with a view to securing detailed specifications and costs by October, with a Contractor being appointed by the end of this year.
Antony Feltham-King will remain our Architect, also acting as an advisor and consultant throughout this important phase. Antony will help us develop the specifications, introduce potential companies and make our applications for the required consents from the Diocesan Advisory Committee.
Funding
We have received the first part of the £230,000 Section 106 Grant from the Borough, which coupled with the £245,000 remaining from the sale of the Devizes Road Hall, the existing £26,000 in the Development & Renewal Accounts and a £5,000 Grant received from the Weston Foundation, leaves a not inconsiderable available ‘pot’ totalling £506,000.
We have also recently completed the sale of Upham Road making another £208,000 available, and continue to pursue other Grant sources to secure additional monies between now and April 2013.
The estimated current project cost is in the region of £670,000. Obviously, we will make every effort to minimise these costs, seeking to leave monies available to maintain momentum for the next stages of the Programme. In the worst case i.e. with no additional grant funding, we would still have enough to complete the Centre and some smaller projects within the Church building itself.
The Community centre should be completed by July 2013.
CHURCH
Phase 1
We are planning to complete three smaller projects in 2013-2014 :-
Phase 2
It is unlikely that any of this work could be started before 2014/15 due to wedding commitments, and lack of funds.
If anyone wishes to contribute to, or discuss any aspect of the above in more detail or get involved with the programme, then our project managers, Mike Palmer or Stephen Grosvenor will be happy to talk to you.
On the first day we conducted a sports day which the children thoroughly enjoyed, also playing lots of group games. These children were incredibly inspiring in how much responsibility they had in the school and how they appreciated everything they had. On one day there was severe flooding causing the classroom I was in to be a foot deep in water, yet all the children took the responsibility of clearing it up and the school was back to normal by the next day. I had great fun teaching the children who were all eager to learn new things. However, this does not cover up the reason why we were there. All the normal teachers were local volunteers many of who were too tired to teach in the afternoon meaning many children were left to revise under their own steam. Even though the children were fed 2 meals a day at the school, the portions were small and due to the shortage of water, everything was “washed” in the same water which after the first few classes was more a case of moving the dirt around the dishes. 
Alistair Senior
