**2021 Annual Reports presented to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting of the Parish of Widford on 16[th] May 2022** 1 ## **WIDFORD PARISH PCC** ## **AIM AND PURPOSES** St Mary’s Church and Church of the Holy Spirit, Widford PCC has the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbent, the Reverend Stephanie Gillingham, in promoting in the parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical. The PCC is also responsible for the maintenance of the Widford Parish Centre, Forest Drive, Widford. ## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** The PCC is committed to encouraging people to worship with us at our different services and to become part of our parish church family. The PCC maintains an overview of worship throughout the parish. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer, Bible reading and teaching, music, and the sacraments. When planning our activities for the year, we have considered the Commission's guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the supplementary guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish community. Our wardens have led us in managing the fabric of our properties, for which we are very grateful. ## **OUR PARISH MISSION STATEMENT READS:** We want to grow: - To be more like Jesus - Knowing Christ together - Loving one another - Serving others - Being at the heart of our community ## OUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE ## TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS Sadly, from January to April we had to continue holding our services online, but Stephany and Andy were more confident with the technology and were able to involve more people in the church services and then we were given more freedom to record the services from our churches, inviting those who were participating to attend the services. We were delighted to be back in church at Easter with those who felt comfortable attending and others who continued to watch the services online. The churches were zoned so that people could sit where they felt most comfortable, and we have become used to wearing facemasks and fresh air. The PCC agreed that Holy Communion should be shared by intinction (Priest dips the wafer into the communion wine. Thank you to everyone for your care and attention over this difficult period. It has been good to see lots of you face to face and we are always glad to hear news from those who prefer to at home. . Prayer: From January 2012, people were able to lead prayers from their home which Stephanie added into the services. After Easter we were able to hold prayers again at Church of the Holy Spirit on a Thursday and began to encourage the regular prayers to lead in the church services. Prophesy: In preparation for writing this report I looked at the report for 2020 and found myself becoming quite excited by what God said to us that year and so I would encourage you to read that prophecy report once again. If you have any questions about Prophecy, I suggest you read 1 Corinthians Ch12 & Ch14, perhaps Father God might want to give you the gift of Prophecy? The following is a summary of what I believe God was saying to us in 2021: ## ‘The wind of God’s Spirit is stirring and will sweep through the nation causing change. We need to be alert, watching and listening for him and prepared to move with him when he calls as it will be a time of change and cleansing after the current time of shaking. We also need to be open to God and obedient to move in a new way which he will reveal to us. Stand tall in God, step out with his authority and humility, and bring love and healing to those around us and those to whom he will take us. In preparation, stay close to God, our eyes fixed on Jesus, worshipping him, and adoring him for he is all-powerful and awesome. Also spend time with him because he wants you to know how much he loves you. It will also be important to keep close to him as we walk into the unknown, not being able to clearly see the way forward.’ 2 ## KNOWING CHRIST TOGETHER We started the year using a form of spiritual communion which was a service designed to be used when we couldn’t meet together in person each month and Jess led us in a lively All Age Service. Grateful thanks to our musicians who skillfully prepare and recorded worship songs and hymns. We were advised not to sing in our worship but were able to be led by choir and music group, but we were able to sing outside the churches after the service. We began singing together in church during the Autumn. ## Within the Framework of the Services : At St. Marys: We reinstated worship at St. Mary’s on Easter Sunday and then followed our normal pattern which follows Holy Communion on 1[st] & 3[rd] Sundays each month, Morning Prayer on 2[nd] Sunday and All Age worship on 4[th] Sunday. Holy Communion was taken in Communion Wafer only until Summer when we introduced the pattern of intinction. We were delighted to get back together with our Southwest Churches group and joined together at Galleywood for a Songs of Praise and Church of the Holy Spirit for an All-Age Service. We were grateful to Dan Gullick for playing keyboard at St. Mary’s and providing us with music clips as required. We had a number of baptisms held during afternoon services in order to keep the numbers safe for families and the congregation. There have also been a number of funerals. We were delighted that so many of our Christmas services were able to take place with people either attending or watching online. We thank Jess and Pam Myall for the work they do with the children. At Church of the Holy Spirit: Our Worship pattern follows All Age Worship on the 2nd Sunday each month, Holy Communion on the 1st and 4th Sundays and Morning Worship on the 3rd Sunday each month. We are very grateful to Keith and Sheila Schofield who have maintained a leadership of worship during the year. We are also grateful to those on the sound desk who managed to multitask in order that only one person at a time was on duty. We thank Jess and Keith for the work they do with the children. |Average Attendance||Baptisms|St. Mary’s 4
Church of the Holy Spirit 1| |---|---|---|---| |St. Mary’s|29|Weddings|2| |Church of the Holy Spirit|25|Funerals|23| |Online, with some homes
having more than one
viewer|St. Mary’s 5
Church of the Holy Spirit 3|Confirmations|0| ## LOVING ONE ANOTHER We have several house groups which meet regularly including one new one, and we remember birthdays and special events. During the pandemic some of these have managed to continue to meet in gardens (when allowed) using a phone link and using Zoom online. We have a prayer chain which supports people as they need it. Thank you to Tracy for managing this. We had a team who continued to deliver to people’s homes, service resources, Churchtalk and seasonal gifts and then we made the decision in April to stop as the services were again open for people to come and collect Pastoral Group: In view of Covid restrictions, the group (Revd Stephanie Gillingham, Shirley Deering, Sheila Schofield, Hilary Selwood, Jess Wiseman, Gill and Peter Wood and Pam Myall) met as a team very little. However, telephone-based post-funeral contacts continued, and anniversary-of-death cards sent. When restrictions allowed, ’Light a Candle in Remembrance’ was held in St. Mary’s, in conjunction with Hunnaball’s. Stephani led a short service every hour during the four-hour rolling event and members were available to listen and pray with visitors. ## House Groups: St. Mary’s House Group: We did not meet for the first 9 months of the year. Peter & Gill left our group to start a new one, which is a blessing for those who were not in a group, we miss their company. We have renewed our habit to take turns to host, beginning each meeting with a meal. Early in October we had a social get-together and decided on our program for the next five months. We have chosen to look at the Living in Love & Faith course. As I write this, we intend to complete a section at each meeting. In December we will have a festive meal out and tackle section 2 with completion of the whole course in March 2022. 3 Rossendale House Group From February to June 2021 we studied the whole of the Book of Acts and followed this by watching videos called ‘The Visual Bible’ about the Book of Acts. This really helped to bring the book alive and at the same time all the dialogue (both characters and narrator) was taken directly from the Bible with no omissions. Since July we have followed studies taken from ‘Every Day with Jesus’ for new Christians. These have generated lots of discussion for new and old Christians alike and we still have about 30 more of these studies to take us into 2022. Ravensbourne Group: We are a mixture of church members from both St Mary’s and CHS and meet weekly at Gill and Peter’s House to study the Grace Course by Freedom in Christ Ministries. We are loving getting to know each other on a more personal level and sharing our experiences of daily life – the highs and the lows. Before Christmas the ladies in our group attended a Ladies Day at Mulberry House, we look forward to doing more things together in 2022! ## SERVING ONE ANOTHER Widford Waddlers toddler group meet on Thursday mornings in Widford Village Hall at 10-11.45am. Our group is made up of a mixture of mums, grandparents and even a great grandparent! We are friendly and caring and hopefully make our group a place for mums to socialise and make new friends as well as the babies and toddlers. Some of our mums and babies are only with us for a short while as they have to return to work, while others stay with us until they go to school. 2021 was another difficult year, as we were not able to restart our group until April. It was great to be able to meet up again, even though we still had some Covid restrictions to follow. We decided at this time to put our subs up to £2 per family mainly to cover the hall rent, but also to help provide flowers for Mother's Day, and Easter eggs and Christmas presents for the children. We provide a selection of toys for babies and preschool children, as well as a playdough table, slide, play kitchen and books and puzzles. Zoe's craft table is very popular with the children, where they can make something to take home based on the theme for the week. Sheila provides us with refreshments during the morning and we finish with a sing-along. At the end of the summer term, we sadly had to say goodbye to three of our girls, who were starting school, Grace, Annaliese, and Iris who had been coming to our group since they were babies! In September, we had several new mums, and it was lovely watching some of our toddlers taking their first steps. We were able to have a Christmas party this year, and we all had a wonderful time after all the troubles earlier in the year. The children made Christmas trees and decorated biscuits and we sang some Christmas songs accompanied by Sheila playing her guitar. A big thank you to Stephanie for her encouragement and support. Homework Club: Homework Club continues to meet on Tuesday and Thursdays 3:15pm-5pm. This year we have had some new faces, who previously attended SupaClub at Westlands School. Paula very kindly donated her old laptop and we have so far purchased one with a grant received. We will be purchasing a further iPad with the remaining grant funds as both primary and secondary schools have continued to issue homework on Google Classroom and Satchel One post lockdown. We enjoy a hot chocolate and sometimes a board game if all work has been completed. Homework varies from Spanish to Maths, and I am thankful for Vicky and Bob who alternate their assistance each session. Craft Club: Craft Club continues to be well supported by children and parents from Westlands Community Primary School. Our youngest crafter is 3 years old, spanning to year 7 (11 years old)! Word of mouth continues to be our best promotion method and we often have new crafters. Due to COVID-19 and families self-isolating, we have managed by providing for 15 each week, but this may need to expand when things return to normal, or we will need to cap the numbers. Our craft club families continue to attend Messy Church each month and likewise, Youth Group, so it is a valuable ministry. Craft Club meets in the Parish Centre on Fridays, 3:15pm4:15pm. A big thankyou to Zoe for giving up her time each week and getting to know the families with me, Jess. Youth group: Youth Group continues to meet on Saturday evenings during term time at CHS, 7-8:30pm. Ages range from 8 to 15, with about 15 regulars. During the summer of 2021, we had a great time Champing in Cambridge, staying overnight (on camp beds) in the church St. Cyriac and St Julietta in the village of Swaffham Prior. We went to an indoor trampoline park, pizza hut, a windmill museum and were amazed at the number of stars we could see from the churchyard at night. We concluded our weekend with a treasure hunt around the city of Cambridge. In the autumn half term, we went to Adventure Island and met up two of our members who moved to Southend earlier in the year. We were also finally able to hold our quiz night (written together in 2020), to fundraise for future youth trips. At our last meeting before Christmas, we cooked and shared a Christmas meal and played some party games. Going forward into 2022, we plan to lay a foundation of Bible stories so those who don’t have a church background, whilst also having more fun social times together. Members of our youth group also enjoy attending and assisting with Messy Church each month. Thank you to Stephanie who regularly attends, and also Pam and Bob, who have provided cover! Open the Book : Sadly, we have not yet been able to return to Westlands Community Primary School due to the unstable situation with COVID19, however Joan has been making costumes which we hope to use when we are able to return! 4 Messy Church: Since we began meeting in person again, Messy Church continues to reach more and more families. During 2021 we learnt about the Wise Men (online), Lent (online), Easter (online), the early Church (online), Pentecost (LIVE), Abraham and Sarah (LIVE), Joseph (LIVE), Jonah (LIVE), Salt and Light (LIVE), Moses and Remembrance (LIVE) and of course Christmas! The crafts and singing are particularly popular, families were also grateful to conclude with a hot lunch – which we were able to reintroduce towards the end of the year (we had been providing pre-packed snack bags). Thank you to the dedicated team: Barbara, Jen, Zoe, Pam, Sheila, Rev’d Stephanie, Lynette, Shirley, Gill, and Peter. Choir: Choir meets at St Mary’s on Thursday evenings 7pm-8pm. We practice the songs for the Sunday service and learn some new songs before introducing them to the wider congregation. It has been great having Daniel join to accompany us with the piano. Wednesday Fellowship and Knit and Natter: With all the restrictions and anxiety about mixing socially, Wednesday Fellowship did not re-start in the summer term time. However, in order to keep in touch with those who had returned to Lunch Club (a few at a time), CHS was opened for ‘Knit and Natter’ sessions on several Wednesday afternoons in August. In discussion with members, it was agreed then that an evening Knit and Natter was less popular than one held during the daytime. Consequently, it was agreed to combine the two groups, dividing Wednesday afternoon meetings between activities/speakers/services, and Knit and Natter. The programme for the Autumn term included a visit from RNLI Puppy Walkers, with their puppy (+Chris Button with Todd); the visit of a representative of a Care Agency; a lovely Harvest Festival Service – and, later, a Christmas service led by Stephanie; a talk about the Air Ambulance; Christmas Cracker making and, significantly for many of our members – and lots of others! – a very special Thanksgiving Service for the life of Pat Deal. Tithing: In June 2021 we met and suggested that the parish gives to the following charities. This was agreed at the PCC. ## We based our giving on 5% of the church’s income for 2020. Because our income was less than our outgoings in 2020, due to the ongoing effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was suggested and agreed by PCC to reduce our tithe giving to 5% rather than the 10% of the previous year. The total income relating to the work of the church was £87,400. We agreed to give a total of £4,374. We gave the following specific amounts away as a church family. 1. Edapal family (4 x £300) £1,200 2. CHESS £396.75 3. Made for More (formally SYM) £396.75 4. The House for Street Boys in Kigali - Ubaka U Rwanda £316.75 5. Open doors £396.75 6. Daylight Christian Trust £396.75 7. CPAS £80 8. Grassroots Trust £396.75 9. Emergency Pot • Christian Aid. Matching donation from parishioners £257.18 • Hugh Pilcher £150 • Haiti emergency Appeal £200 • Afghanistan Emergency Appeal £186.32 Total sent: £4,374 We have received many grateful letters of appreciation for the gifts that were sent, and the money has been put to good use. Committee members: Barbara Jones, Karen Cooney, Peter Wood, and Pam Myall. Lunch Club: At Lunch Club we provide a freshly prepared nourishing meal for the elderly, and naturally this includes an opportunity for friendship and social interaction. Meals are served in the Parish Centre and in normal times are typically served weekly, except for short breaks at Christmas and Easter, and a longer break in August each year. At the start of 2021, lockdown meant that we reluctantly had to suspend Lunch Club until late Spring. We finally re-opened towards the end of May with ten diners as we had done during the lockdowns of 2020. After the August break we resumed with three tables of six, with 16 diners and two helpers. This still allows for some social distancing and means that as the year draws to a close, attendance remains a rota basis. Early in 2021 Judith Large, one of our head cooks, decided that after many years of service it was time for her to step down from the Lunch Club. We are very grateful for her dedicated contribution over many years. This leaves the only regular main cook as Sheila Schofield, and augmenting the team remains a matter of concern. Pam Myall organises the attendance and she and Sandra Kyte lay 5 the tables serve food, clear away after and also helps with transport. Those helping with cooking and washing up are Janet Aldridge, Janet Bird, Karen Cooney, Lynette Hunwicks, Maureen McPhee, and Linda Stephens. Stephanie Gillingham attends when she can and helps with whatever is needed. We have also been assisted by Zoe Myall and Jess Wiseman. We are truly grateful for all the helpers without whom the lunches would not be possible. We are grateful to Jude Deakin who recommended us to the Council for a grant to cover the cost of the Christmas Dinner. We are also grateful to Vistry, which has provided a grant to enable us to buy four new tables to enable us to have enough tables for the Christmas dinner, which took place this year with around fifty participants spread throughout the Widford Room / Small Hall and the Church of the Holy Spirit. We were joined by the Mayor, and it was great for us all to be finally together as the year ended! ## BEING AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY We have tried to keep in mind our Mission Statement. We were unable to meet socially so we continued to deliver some craft in bags particularly related to Christian themes and topics and we put together all the ingredients to make a pancake and Andy showed everyone how to make a pancake online. We were able to have Easter egg hunts in our churches. Over the summer term we decided to open an outdoor café which we started on a Tuesday once a week and then we increased this to Monday and Tuesday. This has proven popular with local residents. We have progressed the PCC decision to have a soft play area in the Hylands room with its own café area in the Beeches room. Thanks to Peter and Roger for creating a large hatch through from one room to the other and to Roger for installing LED downlights and for decorating. We hope this will all be in place by Easter 2022. Many of our groups started back in the Autumn meeting our community needs. Friends of Essex Churches Ride and Stride. After all the restrictions, the Ride and Stride was held in 2021 in a fairly ‘low key’ way. Fewer churches were open. Paula Groves cycled (and suffered some puncture issues), Zoe and Pam Myall walked. The culmination of the day was a Cream Tea at St. Mary’s (organised by Barbara Oxlade) and a service of Compline, led by Stephanie. Financially, the Friends of Essex Churches benefitted by £81.10 and Widford Parish by the same amount. Harvests. We were fortunate to be able to meet at this time at both churches. We collected for the local food bank and received a generous number of gifts for which the food banks were very grateful. ## ELECTORAL ROLL There are currently 66 people on the Electoral Roll, of which 41 are resident in the parish and 25 are non-resident. ## DEANERY SYNOD The first meeting of the joint North and South Deaneries had been held on Zoom, in December 2020. The first two meetings of 2021 were, necessarily, on Zoom too. In March, in addition to the regular statutory duties, consultation, sharing and praying for one another’s parishes, the Synod heard a presentation on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, by Gary Flemming, a student minister who was seconded to the Cathedral. He had helped to set up a forum in central Chelmsford, bringing together all the organisations working to alleviate homelessness. These include CHESS, Sanctuary, the Police, the Local Authority, Street Pastors, the Cathedral, and other City centre churches. There had been marked success when these groups worked together. In May, Revds. Susan Iskander and Imogen Nay drew attention to the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith course, which is intended to be discussed in parishes. The Deanery plans of North and South Chelmsford had been brought together. The need was recognised to build up lay ministry within the church; to think missionally, about new-build areas, especially the city centre; and to support the most needy and deprived areas of our Deanery. In September, an in-person meeting was possible, at St Luke’s Church, Moulsham Lodge. Revd Carolyn Tibbott spoke about Vocations and there was prayer in groups for the various parishes represented. The first Birthday of the new, united, Deanery was celebrated in a meeting at Meadgate Church, on 1[st] December 2021, Ian Foster, of the organisation ‘Depaul’ spoke about ‘Nightstop Essex’ – an initiative, brought to Chelmsford for two years, in which volunteers offer accommodation (one night at a time) to young people who find themselves with no-where to sleep. The organisation oversees the arrangements and they have proved successful in other parts of the country, to avoid young folk getting caught in the rough sleeping sub-culture. During the year, elections were held for Diocesan Synod. Our Jess Wiseman was successful. So, as well as taking her place on Diocesan Synod, she also, automatically, joins Stephanie, Bob, and Pam on Deanery Synod. 6 ## CHURCHWARDENS REPORT St. Mary’s: From January through to the APCM Sylvia Skardon and Bob Wiseman were Wardens, at which point Sylvia came to the end of her tenure. I would like to express thanks to Sylvia for her past service, even now she continues to assist in the running of St. Mary’s and is of great help to me. It’s been a funny old year! but memorable, the most significant of which has been the completed purchase of approximately 700sq.m of land from Mr Martin Seager which we negotiated in 2020. From the beginning of the year a team of volunteers have worked endlessly to clear the land, turning half of it into a car park extension, which is now usable if not yet quite finished, whilst the remainder begins to take shape as a garden of remembrance. Every one of the volunteers is a hero but worthy of note are Colin Groves who did many jobs, Peter Wood who made, and climbed up ladders to set in place, a bat box to replace lost habitat and bird boxes, then there’s Ian Pegg who more or less felled 9 leylandii trees single handed, while I looked on (H & S). We brought in contactors to fell the large dead Chestnut tree (Essex Tree Brothers) and hired a digger (Dale Hire) to put down the surface supplied by TMC haulage to the car park. During all this activity some of the Friday group continued to care for the churchyard, for which we are most grateful. Many snow drops were rescued from the car park area and replanted. Lest we forget, all this despite the constant presence and threat of Covid. Gradually our church family began to feel safer and under the guidance of Revd. Stephanie and authority of the PCC numbers attending services increased to pre-covid levels. Highlights: The church was beautifully decorated for Easter and Harvest by our talented team. We held our first face to face service on Easter Sunday 4[th] April after a long wait for restrictions to be eased. Along with CHS our harvest collection supported The Chelmsford Food Bank and CHESS. On November 14[th] we marked Remembrance Sunday by installing our poppy cascade and with wreath laying at our memorial, we hope that next year the Scouts will return. During Advent we held a Christingle service, a candlelight Carol Service and culminated with Midnight Communion commencing on Christmas Eve and finishing on Christmas Day. We held an afternoon tea to coincide with Ride and Stride on 11[th] September and a fire work party on 6[th ] November. Where are we spiritually? We have a solid team who use the gifts God has given them and we, like many other churches, have continued to live stream our services, with the opportunity to watch a recording (Facebook) search: St. Mary’s, Widford. Structurally, our building stands in a good state of repair, minor jobs have been undertaken and a smart gas meter installed. That’s not to say there is nothing to be addressed, our next Quinquennial inspection is 2024 and there is work to be undertaken ahead of that date. We dearly want to modify the entrance porch to provide accessibility to all. The day-to-day running of St. Mary’s requires many helpers, and I cannot speak highly enough of the loyalty of all those who clean, serve, beautify, tidy, and do any job that comes along. THANK YOU ALL. Church of the Holy Spirit: Firstly, we would like to give a heartfelt thanks to all who have helped our worshipping community to function throughout the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic during the whole of 2020. Your work, sacrifice and commitment has helped us not only to continue, but to develop our positive spiritual impact through the Parish. Services at CHS continued throughout 2020 as live and live-streamed. We’d like to pay a personal tribute to Sheila Schofield, who while others needed to shield, kept live music live during CHS worship throughout the year. The Diocese have been excellent in providing information as to how churches should respond to Government restrictions. As we write, we recall the restrictions into which we entered 2021. Essex was in ‘tier 4’, and we had to wait until more than half-way through the year until all but the lightest of restrictions were lifted, but Church life continued throughout. In the summer we took the opportunity to carry out a ‘walk-around’ with our caretaker (and former Churchwarden) Tammy Squirrell. This resulted in a rolling programme of work to be undertaken in the Parish Centre and CHS over the following year as time, money, and opportunity permits. Towards the end of 2021 Tammy’s reporting line was changed so she now reports into Keith. Meanwhile, Barbara took on the role of Safeguarding lead for the Parish, so please do continue to involve Barbara (or Stephanie) regarding safeguarding matters related to children or vulnerable adults. Regarding our buildings, much practical work continues to help realise the vision of a soft-play facility in the Parish centre. We are grateful for all the voluntary effort that has been put in. Bovis Homes donated lightweight tables for use in the Parish centre, for which we remain very grateful. Dynarod Ltd did a fine job of unblocking the drains for the ladies’ loos in the Parish centre – a reminder that group leaders must remain responsible for ensuring that participants (especially children and young people) do not block the drains with excess loo roll (or other objects), as repairs are costly. In 2021 we hope to improve tidiness and storage in our buildings – but more about that next year! At the start of 2021 our Media PC was defunct due to the impact of a particularly nasty virus (sound familiar?!), but in the spirit of our eco-credentials to revive, repair, repurpose or if necessary to recycle, we were able to restore the PC with a new operating system and all the original data. We were also able to reinstall Mediashout 3.5, which means that for the last year all the media operators have continued to be able to use our familiar way of loading up and displaying songs etc for our Sunday services. We have also installed a free replacement for Mediashout in case it stops working as the new operating system is automatically updated in the coming years, so although we would have to learn how to use it, we will have a backup. 7 Due to the continuing pandemic and emerging new Covid-19 variants, 2021 proved to be another difficult year in which to conduct ministry, but as well as focussing on challenges we can focus on achievements. The 2021 Carol Service at CHS was attended by at least 50 people and a dozen children – what a positive transformation compared with last year! We have much for which to be thankful! As Churchwardens we remain your lay representatives supporting and serving our Clergy and congregation. Should you have any questions or concerns, you are always welcome to get in touch. ## SAFEGUARDING REPORT I took on the role of lead person for Safeguarding covering St Mary's and CHS in August 2021. Since then, I have been making sure each eligible person in the church has a valid DBS check. The Diocese informed us in December that they must now be renewed every three years rather than five. All those involved in children's work and providing physical support to vulnerable adults must be covered. Also, everyone serving on the PCC must have one done regardless even if they are not working. Karen Cooney has kindly volunteered to support and assist me in my role as safeguarding officer within the parish. Barbara Jones ## LYNCHPIN’S REPORT We met online just to catch up and share news and we planned the various united services. ## RECTOR’S REPORT This year will be a celebratory year of the Queens Jubilee. The Queen is the Head of the Church of England and so this platinum year is very special for us all. Jubilees were celebrated in the Bible too. At the start of Jubilee, a trumpet would sound. Each jubilee held different promises – including eating only produce farmed locally and finding ways to celebrate sabbath and keep holy. We start the year with a retreat to Walsingham. I pray that will be a holy and lifegiving experience and that we can begin to put the last two years behind us. So, we should dream, dreams. How shall we celebrate Jubilee? With the Queen, but also for ourselves to deepen our faith, learning to celebrate Sabbath in a new way. Jubilee is a time to return to the Lord. Let’s encourage the Alpha attendance and find ways to do church differently after this time of sickness. Over Christmas we trialled café church once again, which worked well at Church of the Holy Spirit. Please give us your ideas. Lent will be a time of less meetings; of finding ways to run our groups in the best way without over working the staff who lead the group, so that we can experience Lent in a new way. We are following our lead, Bishop Guli. We will hope to find more ways of meeting with God through the 40 days. There will be a Bible verse to read and reflect on each day, this will appear weekly in Churchtalk. This will unite us all as we read and pray wherever we happen to be. We remember friends and family who have struggled with their health, the many who have gone to heaven to join their maker, and those left behind. We press on in the knowledge that our God is with us, shaping us and preparing us as we sow seeds of love in this year of Jubilee. God bless you all and thank you, Rev’d Stephanie Leviticus 25 TREASURER’S REPORT 8 2021 was a year amid the Covid-19 pandemic. We weathered the storm by God’s grace and turned a deficit in 2020 to a surplus in 2021. This was mainly due to the generosity of both congregations, for which we should all give thanks ## **Income** The total income for the Parish in 2021 was £103,296, whereas expenditure was £101,764. This compares with a total income of £96,656 in 2020, and expenditure of £126,513. ## **Giving and Gift Aid** Our regular giving increased from £49,907 to £52,414. Our receipts from one-off donations rose from £5,874 to £13,934 (excluding a £4,000 gift to the benevolent fund). So general income was £98,296 (excluding £5,000 for the benevolent fund - including an extra £1,000 Gift aid). Our general income from giving by parishioners rose from £73,277 to £82,363 largely because of two special appeals when the income was not in line with what we needed to keep afloat. These two appeals rectified the situation and left us with a surplus. The table below shows the proportions of the total giving income made up by the various streams. They do not entirely match the figures above as some adjustments have been made and some figures were too small to include. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Parishioner Giving Income streams 2019 - 2021
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000 2021
5000
0 2020
Parish Other one off one off
Regular Standing Plate 2019
Giving planned Gift Aid gift aid gift aid
Envelopes Orders collections
Scheme giving gifts envelopes
2021 16076 15328 13740 12799 12067 8203 2254 686
2020 9502 17061 15477 10421 3266 12876 1935 1866
2019 0 5395 11751 13423 825 29727 7866 2982
**----- End of picture text -----**
Gift aid claims were lower as we still need to claim 6 months of donations via the plate and envelopes. ## **Parish Giving Scheme** As you will notice from the table above that the uptake of the parish Giving Scheme has increased with 11 regular donors using this method. (Couples are counted as one donor) It would assist us greatly if those who are giving regularly by envelope or standing order would consider again using the Parish Giving Scheme. ## **Fund Raising Activities** Our Parish income from fund raising activities (e.g., Car Park Donations and hall hires) has remained largely stable (£9,656 (2021) v £9,599 (2020). ## **Bank Interest** Bank interest plummeted, because of falling interest rates at CCLA 9 Other receipts from Church activities fell slightly compared to 2020. (£4,772 v £6,086) ## **Expenditure** **Parish Share** . This fell compared to 2020. The year ahead sees a small rise ahead of significant increases to come. **Giving** We had committed in 2021 to give 5% of our 2020 income away as a tithe (£4,755), having seen an overspend in 2020. This is reported on in the tithe committee report. **Youth Worker Salary.** Our financial commitment to having our youth worker, Jess Wiseman, has increased from £6,725 in 2020 to £8,630 in 2021. It will again increase in 2022 because of the increase to the minimum wage and pension liabilities. **Church Running Expenses.** These were slightly less in 2021. After adjusting the figures to exclude external funding in the form of grants, the figures show that we spent £18,402 in 2021 and £20,328 in 2020 on general running expenses. Part of the reduction was because of changing our Gas and electricity supplier to Total Energy Total costs £2,519 (2021) v £3,278 (2020) We are looking in 2022 to reduce our Phone and internet costs by switching provider. **Office Printer.** This in the past has been a major cost and drain on the parish resources, however the purchase of a new much more efficient printer along with some reduction of printing volumes, has meant having spent £2,076 in 2020, in 2021 we only spent £773, ## **Church Repairs and Maintenance.** Our expenditure on this was much less than 2020 largely because of not decorating St. Marys this year! Overall, the costs reduced from a total of £8,828 in 2020 to £3,240 in 2021. ## **Major Projects** We have continued with the Garden of remembrance project having spent a total of £9,887 in 2021. The Garden of Remembrance Project has received a total of £1,260 in donations along with £14 in interest to date, and the total expenditure is £32,927. We anticipate that the extra cost in 2022 will be about £10,000. Overall, the General Fund Total for 2021 was £11,633 more than in 2020. The General Fund at the end of the year was £43,721 in credit and this represents £18,721 above our reserve policy of £25,000. The total cash balance at the end of the financial year was £102,534. ## **Bank Accounts** We closed the remaining Nat West Accounts in early 2021. We now use the Co-operative Bank entirely for our general day to day banking, both for the general fund and other associated expenditure, and another account for the fees account. All payments that need to be manually processed, i.e., not direct debits or standing orders have been made by internet banking which has been a safe and effective way especially during the pandemic when getting cheques signed would have been tricky. ## **Gift Aid** We have tried very hard to ensure that we claim all the Gift Aid that we can, getting all those who can to sign up for this, and have seen good results as a result. The claiming of Gift Aid is now done in three separate ways. 1. Sheila Schofield deals with the Envelopes and plates. 2. Peter Wood deals with deposits direct into the bank account. 3. The Parish Giving Scheme automatically do a Gift Aid claim for those who give this way. 10 ## **Appreciation** I would like to thank Bob and Pam who usually count the money ready for paying into the bank, and Barbara Oxlade and Pam who both get involved in banking cash and cheques for us. We have made use of the Local Post Office as well as the Co-operative Bank in town. ## **Finance Subcommittee** Since the end of 2020, we have set up a finance subcommittee to enable us to look at the figures prior to the PCC meeting to enable reporting back to the PCC easier. The Subcommittee consists of: Peter Wood (Treasurer), Sheila Schofield, (Stewardship Officer), Barbara Jones and Bob Wiseman (Church wardens). Thank you to them all for their time and commitment and constructive comments and support. ## **Summary** 2021 saw the return to some semblance of normality though we all long for everything to be back to normal. The finances are in a much healthier position that at the end of 2020. ## **Going forwards** 2022, as any other, will be a challenge for Widford Parish, whether it is because of falling congregation numbers, or the result of the increased cost of living, with rising energy prices. We have weathered the storm of Covid-19 and I hope that 2022 will be a positive year both for the spiritual growth of the church and alongside that that we will see God’s continued faithfulness to us as a community as we give to enable God’s work within our parish to flourish. Let us all play our part in this. Peter Wood 11 Parish of St Mary Widford - 1128307 stat•m•nt of Assets as at 31 Dacember 2021 Cash Funds Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total 2021 Total 2020 Cash on DeFK)Srt 35.573.76 50.261.45 6.657.54 92.492.75 77.492.75 Cash at Bank 8,147.41 822.80 989.87 9.960.08 23,373.47 Cash in Hand 81.67 81.67 135.87 43.721.17 51.084.25 7.729.08 102.534.50 101.002.09 1.460.00 1.460.00 53.00 Approved by the Parocial Church CtyJncil and swned on rts behalf by. Date: 21 st Few 2022 £ GILLIKG Date: 21 st FebnJary 2022 Notss to the Financial Statements The financial 5tstements of the PCC have been prepared in accordance ￿ryth the Chwth Acc4xmtirwJ Regulabons 2006 uwng the Rewpts & Payments l)ass. Assets recogn￿ but not valued in the Statsrrent of Assets arKI Lithlrties include.. Computer for office administrab.on woth. Audio and vysual presentatson equipment. Church inventory assets vested in the churchwardens on special tfust. Dunng the year the PCC employed a ￿retaker and a youth w)rker. neither of wPK)m eamed in excess of £40.000. 4. The expenses paKI lo dergy may include a small IMMaten￿ FryoFb"M relates to their ￿Tr￿on as PCC members. Tammy Squirrell and Jessica Wiserrran. who are also PCC members and are emrAoyed as caretaker and yOLth W0￿er repedively wefe paid £12,077 in total (2020: £3.3931. No other payments were made lo PCC members. 21 Feb202 12 Parish of St Mary Widford - 1128307 ststement of Financial Activities For the period fr(￿ 01 January 2021 to 31 December 2021 Prior ye Rereiprs Plarmed 9N 5t4LY.71 1275.59 11414_VAI 11740.48 11320 32.414 65 2275.59 17.934.eo 14.740.46 1.4Z320 9.656.9) 7929 4.7T225 49.¥J7 55 1019.53 5.874.18 15.477.$4 r282.70 9.5¥J.25 Qthot rpc•ir45 CAfl AKI ￿c¢>￿Ed 1.lJXI. I￿).( 1322 2.4f3.13 63. 1.441 18 2.11 917 91 6.￿.￿) lo3￿16 96,655.62 Paymcnts .755.00 4#.426.80 8.660.¥7 25.172 17 10.455.tr) 50.131.68 6.768.67 21,9012fj Parish Share Ougy Str1￿ c¢Hts 49.426h) 8.860.B7 16.334aB 1.14134 Hal A￿￿tY4 ¢c&ts T.18￿89 1.771.35 193.71 1.78gA9 1.771.35 10.40728 3SO.C 25.ZAY7 174.59 11 52000 Hèl Repairs & 9.8BT28 T*)tsl •xp•ndll .45739 17Jtl.73 1.73&S3 fM.7fA35 la511S4 11A37J4 114JtyJAS) 4.1X42 1.532A1 129.85U21 Transfers 7232.26 23725J 6.7SI. 16.7513n 479.89 1479_89) 14.4G9.51 1XJ.W.67 114.469.511 1130.5f4),671 Olher recognls&(Igalns /losses 11.63145 11429SA61 4.19&42 1.532AI I29.856.￿) R￿￿11+3110n of é61.r4 64379.71 353166 Totsl furbd* catfi•d forn¥d 43,r21.17 51.OM.25 7.rn08 1015MSO 101.002.09 20 F8txuwy 2022 Pag¢ 1 13 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF WIDFORD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021. whth are set out in thts document. Respective responslbililies of the PCC and the Independent Examiner As members of the PCC you do not consider that an audrt is required for this year under section 144(2) of the Chantses Act 2011 (the Act) and that an Independent examina￿On is needed. It is rny respon￿bilty to". examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissionerfs section 145{5llb} of the Act: and stste whether particutar matters have come to my attention Basis of Independent Examinerfs Statement examination vras carried out ift accordance with the Genefal Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination indudes a review of Ihe accounting reGords kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts wtth those records. It also includes considerab.on of any unusual rtems or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanation5 from you concerning any such matters The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a fvll audit and consequenty I do not express an audst opinion on the accounts. Indepondent examinerfs statemerrt In connectK)n with my eXamIna￿n, no matter has come to nry attention: (1) which gives me reasonable L*use to belEve that in any material respect, the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with secb'on 130 of the Act and to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records. have not been rneL or (2) to whth, In my ownion, attent￿n should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. s@natu￿.. ............ Mr George Large 166 Beeches Road. Chelrrtsford Date.. 21 st Fetyuary 2022 14 ## PCC Fees Account As I write this report for the APCM, Mr George Large is yet to examine the figures. Any recommendations he makes will be acted upon, once finalised. I wish to thank him in advance for his services. We have a surplus of £30 on the year end, which can be accounted for but requires George to instruct me. Aside from this figure we have a neutral trading balance on the year end (money in equals money out) which is our aim. Turnover for the year was £7284.00. From the above figure the PCC received £1057.00 (14.5%). Down a little on 2020 (£1119.00 17%). The figure does not include £200.00 in advance wedding deposits for 2022 (£100.00 of this carried forward from 2020 the couple having postponed twice so far). Collectively, during the year Revd Stephanie performed 1 Wedding and 1 Marriage Blessing Service and aided by Revd Andy Brown and Revd. Gemma Fraser (one funeral each) conducted a total of 26 funerals. There was also an internment of Don Seager’s ashes (died 2020) and a head stone for Bewers both short ceremonies overseen by Revd. Stephanie. I will finish by saying that it is a pleasure carrying out this duty for the parish. ## Parish Office Throughout this year the staff maintained a presence in the office. The team are Shirley assisted by Val, Sylvia, Barbara O, Jess, and Bob. Jess took over Wednesday mornings from Revd Andy Brown when he was called by the Bishop to take up the role of leadership at Church of Our Saviour, Chelmer Village. Throughout this difficult year Churchtalk has been a constant presence keeping everyone connected. So, a special thanks to Barbara & Jess. Gradually we have seen an increase in hall lettings which help with our finances but more important than the money is helping to fulfil our mission prayer 'to be at the heart of our community' and the introduction of Joey N and his team from June using the Westlands Lounge has been at the heart of this. Here a special thanks is due to all the team for stepping up and starting work at 9.15 and staying until 12.30 each day. This has been a key factor in the success of this arrangement which is set to continue until the end of the academic year (summer 2022). The office is supported by Peter and Keith with technical help when needed for which we are grateful. Please pray for the work of the office particularly as, apart from Jess, we are all getting on a bit. We all take pleasure in serving our church family in this way. ## Volunteers Our churchwardens are Barbara Jones, Keith Schofield, and Bob Wiseman. Peter Wood is the church’s Treasurer. We would also like to thank Keith Schofield for his role as lay chair. ## Structure, governance, and management The Parochial Church Council is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure. The PCC is a Registered Charity. The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. At Widford St. Mary’s and CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, the membership of the PCC consists of the Incumbent, churchwardens, the licensed lay minister, and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the church. All those who attend our services / members of the congregation are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish including deciding on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. New Members receive initial training into the workings of the PCC. The full PCC met during January to March and then continued to meet online. Safeguarding continues to be a high priority. We thank Vicky Smith for the work she put in as Safeguarding Officer and are grateful to Barbara Jones for taking on this important roll. We had a PCC Away Day on Saturday, 4[th] September at Church of the Holy Spirit. We agreed to follow Bishop Guli’s suggestion to reduce church meetings during Lent, so we have done our best to remove as many meetings as possible from the calendar at this time and wanted to encourage as many groups as possible to find ways to lighten their load during the period of Lent 2022. 15 ## Administrative information St. Mary’s church is situated in London Road, and Church of the Holy Spirit in Forest Drive. It is part of the Diocese of Chelmsford within the Church of England. The correspondence address is “Widford Parish Office, Forest Drive, Chelmsford, Essex. CM1 2TS”. Registered charity number 1128307.’” PCC members who have served at any time from 1 January 2018 until the date this report was approved are: Rector : Reverend Stephanie Gillingham Church Wardens: Barbara Jones Keith Schofield Bob Wiseman Deanery Synod Rep. Robert (Bob) Wiseman Pam Myall Jess Wiseman Licenced Lay Minister: Roger Gillingham Authorised Local Preacher: Tracy Davey PCC Members: Peter Wood (Treasurer) Keith Schofield (Lay Chair) Colin Groves Jessica (Jess) Wiseman Karen Cooney Tamzin (Tammy) Squirrell Barbara Jones Sylvia Skardon Paula Groves Report approved by the PCC on ……………………………………………….. and signed on their behalf by ………………………………………………….. 16 ## The Parish of Widford ## ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING ## 16[th] May 2022 ## in Church of the Holy Spirit, Widford ## A. Meeting of Parishioners Election of Churchwardens B. Annual Meeting Agenda 1) Welcome and Prayer 1) Apologies for Absence 2) Notification of Any Other Business items (to be taken at the end.) 3) Minutes of previous APCM held on Monday 4) Matters Arising ## 5) Stephanie’s Report (Rector to Widford Benefice) 6) Electoral Roll - 7) Annual Reports - 8) Finance - 9) Wardens’ - Fabric Report 10) Deanery Synod Report 11) Election of second lay representative to Deanery Synod 12) Lynchpins Report - 13) Election of a Lynchpin Member 14) Election of PCC Members - 15) Appointment of Sides-people 16) Appointment of Independent Examiner 17) Any items for discussion: - (i) Soft Play Area and Café 19) Any Other Business - 20) Date for the next APCM - Monday 17th April 2023/15[th] May 2023 22) Close with prayer ## Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meetings ## Of the Parish of Widford ## Held on 19[th] April 2021, in St Mary’s Church and on Zoom ## A. Meeting of Parishioners - Revd Stephanie Gillingham opened the meeting at 7.30pm, with prayer. She read the nominations for the positions of Warden: - Keith Schofield was nominated by Pam Myall and seconded by Tammy Squirrell. Bob Wiseman was nominated by Ann Sharp and seconded by Colin Groves. Barbara Jones was proposed by Gill Wood and seconded by Sheila Schofield. All candidates were elected unanimously. Stephanie thanked them all for their willingness to serve in this role. 17 Special thanks were expressed, with applause and a presentation made to Sylvia Skardon, who had come to the end of her time as Warden. Appreciation was expressed for her service, as Warden at St Mary’s, and throughout the Parish. This meeting closed at 7.40pm. ## B. Annual Parochial Church Meeting opened at 7.45pm. Present: Revd Stephanie Gillingham; Keith Schofield (Chair); Shirley Deering; Barbara Jones; Sheila Schofield; Sylvia Skardon; Vicky Smith; Bob Wiseman; Jane Wiseman; Jess Wiseman; Gill Wood; Peter Wood; Pam Myall. On Zoom: Karen Cooney; Roger Gillingham; Hilary Selwood; Tammy Squirrell. 1. Welcome and Prayer After Keith welcomed church members, he opened the meeting with prayer, expressing thanks for all that had happened over a very difficult year. 2. Apologies for Absence were received from Pat Brown, Fiona Crabtree, Zoe Myall, and Colin Groves 3. Notification of Any Other Business There was none. 4. Minutes of the APCM held on 20[th] September 2020, had been accepted by the PCC as a true record. 5. Matters Arising – none were brought. 6. Rector’s Report Stephanie spoke on the theme of Colossians 1: 9 – 12, as she had written in the published reports. “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will, through all the wisdom and understanding that the spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord, and please him in every way. - What a year….. we thank God for Andy and ask God’s blessing on him and his ministry at Church of our Saviour. We thank God for technology, for science, for our government, for our archbishops and for our new Bishop of Chelmsford Diocese, Bishop Guli. There has been so much stress and worry associated with this last year – and sadness – but we are thankful that God has walked with us, most often before us on this journey in our lives. Bearing fruit in every good work. We have learnt to minister in a different way – as I look through the data of people watching services online it is very good. As I look at what has been achieved by Jess, Messy church team, Pam, Shirley, and many others it is very good. Musicians have learnt to adapt to being televised, particularly Sheila and Keith and Rob and Lydia … it has all been very good. An Alpha course has brought new fruit – a few others are exploring their faith – it is all good and we thank God for it. Growing in the knowledge of God. I have been extremely thankful to Keith and Andy for online preaching – to Jess for taking on the mantle of All Ages with Pam, and together we grow in the love of God. We managed a Lent course online using the Visual Scripture with commentary course, and the youth have continued to meet online and live whenever they could and have studied Luke’s Gospel and Acts alongside other texts too. Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience. It has been tough. Nothing about this year has been easy, and for many it has been tragic – but we clapped for the NHS, we have tried to support those at home and in hardship, and we have had to slow down – which in itself is not easy for a busy parish. And so, as we open up again – very slowly, I pray that God will lead us into all things – so that we follow his will for our lives and the lives of our community. Giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. This year has brought sadness of lives lost to us and so in a minute I will invite you to stand as we remember and pay tribute to: Beryl Clark, Andy Clifford, Michael Barker, Pat Jackson from Thetford Court, Vi Kirby. May they rest in peace, and rise in glory. “ The meeting stood in commemoration. Keith expressed sincere thanks to Stephanie – and Andy, as our Clergy. 7. Electoral Roll - Shirley confirmed her written report, that 4 names had been removed from the Electoral Roll since the APCM in September 2020. Two members had died and two had moved away. There were now 67 names, (39 resident and 28 non-resident). Shirley hoped for some new additions to the Roll before our next meeting. 8. Annual Reports (These had been available online and on paper). There were no comments, but Keith expressed thanks to all who had contributed, and assembled the ‘life of the Parish’ in the reports. 9. Finance Peter presented very full accounts in his report, which had been passed by George Large, our Independent Examiner. Peter noted that, despite a difficult year, we were starting 2021 in a good position. Thanks were due to God for His provision. Keith expressed the sincere thanks of the whole Parish for the huge amount of work undertaken by Peter, as Treasurer. 10. Wardens’ Fabric Report Bob noted that consideration might need to be given to the heaters in both churches. (One at St Mary’s had needed attention after the regular service, and one at CHS had been condemned). At CHS, Tammy had redecorated the Ladies toilets and installed a cycle rack. 11. Deanery Synod Thanks were expressed to our representatives, Bob, and Pam, (who were elected for three years in 2020). 18 ## 12. Lynchpins There was no addition to their report. 13. Election of Lynchpin Members . There were three nominations for our three lay places on this group. Shirley was nominated by Pam, seconded by Jess. Tammy was nominated by Pam, seconded by Keith. Jess was nominated by Shirley, seconded by Pam. Keith declared Shirley, Tammy and Jess duly elected. ## 14. Election of PCC Members. There were three nominations. Paula Groves was proposed by Pam Myall, seconded by Bob Wiseman. Sylvia Skardon was proposed by Jackie Dickens, seconded by Rosalynd Griffiths. Peter Wood was proposed by Bob Wiseman, seconded by Pam Myall. All three were unanimously elected, with a vote of thanks to them for being willing to serve. Vicky Smith, after six years on PCC and as Safeguarding Officer, had decided not to stand for re-election. The whole meeting thanked her for all she has done. 15. Appointment of Sides-people This was no longer a matter for the APCM, responsibility lay with the PCC. However, the list on page 29 of the Annual Reports, for St Mary’s, was confirmed – i.e., Daphne and Reg Blowers, Rosalynd and Tony Griffiths, Colin Groves, Barbara Oxlade, Sylvia Skardon and Linda Stephens. Barbara was compiling a list for CHS. So far, Owen Francis, Alan Jones, and Vicky Smith had agreed to take on this role. 16. Appointment of Independent Examiner The meeting welcomed Peter’s report that George Large was prepared to continue in this role. Thanks were expressed to him. 17. Items for Discussion ## i) Living in Love and Faith Course Having studied the literature, Stephanie would be running the 5-week (CofE E) course. This one was full, but she would consider repeating it, if enough people wished to take part. The idea is that, after deep, thoughtful study around identity, relationships and sexuality, there will be an opportunity to feed-back and discover more clearly God’s direction. (Resources on Living in Love & Faith website.) ii) Vision for Soft Play Community Hub and Cafe For a month, from 21[st] April, (until restrictions on meeting indoors are lifted) it was planned to serve cups of coffee outside CHS, each Wednesday, from 8.30am until about 11am. This would be free, but any donations given to Christian Aid. Gill expressed for us, the wonderful love that God has for all His people and the hope that many may come to accept His Gift, for which we are so thankful. Meanwhile, work would start on the adaptation needed to the Hylands/Beeches rooms to establish a Soft Play area. Equipment would be purchased from grants, for which Jess made the bids. The lowering of the wall – to allow supervision of young children – would not cost a lot, as Tammy pointed out – because much of the work would be done by volunteers. It was not yet decided on which days the area would be open. ## 18. There was no other business. ## 19. Date for the next APCM – 25[th] April 2022. ## 20. Gill led us in a Prayer of Praise and Commitment. The meeting closed with waved greetings between participants in church and online, at 8.30pm. Leadership in Widford Parish: We are developing teams – do let us know if you would like to join one. Wardens: Barbara Jones, Keith Schofield, and Robert (Bob) Wiseman Treasurer: Dr Peter Wood Deanery Synod: Pam Myall & Bob Wiseman. Jess Wiseman South West Chelmsford Lynchpins: Tammy Squirrell, Shirley Deering, and Jessica (Jess) Wiseman Licensed Lay Minister: Roger Gillingham Licensed Lay Preacher: Tracy Davey Preachers: Pam Myall, Peter Wood, Gill Wood, Keith Schofield, Jen Gaskin, Zoe Myall, Jessica Wiseman All Age Service Leaders: Pam Myall and Jess Wiseman at St. Mary’s and Keith Schofield, Roger Gillingham, Keith Schofield, Tammy Squirrel, and Jess Wiseman at CHS Caretaker: Tammy Squirrel Office Volunteers: Barbara Oxlade, Bob Wiseman Shirley Deering, Valerie Hayward, Sylvia Skardon, Jess Wiseman Baptism /Thanksgiving home visiting team: Pam Myall and Jane Wiseman and Gill Wood Children’s work: Tammy Squirrel and Jess Wiseman, Pam Myall, and Gill Wood Churchtalk: Barbara Oxlade, Rosalynd Griffiths, and Jessica Wiseman 19 Flower Arranging: Reg & Daphne Blowers, Sylvia Skardon, Shirley Deering, Janet Bird at St. Marys, Joan Barker, Sandra Kyte, Barbara Jones at Church of the Holy Spirit Friday Afternoon St. Marys Open Church Working Group Coordinator: Bob Wiseman Gift Aid: Sheila Schofield Home Communion Assistants: Pam Myall, Shirley Dearing, Gill Wood, and Peter Wood Home Groups Co-ordinator: Tammy Squirrell Men’s Club coordinators: Alan Davey and Colin White Messy Church Team: Jessica Wiseman, Gill Wood, Pam Myall, Roger Gillingham, Shirley Deering, Sheila Schofield, Jen Gaskin, Barbara Jones, and Stephanie Gillingham Mission and Evangelism Team: Stephanie Gillingham Music and Hymn Choice: Jess Wiseman at St. Mary’s. Keith Schofield, Sheila Schofield, Barbara Jones, Jen Gaskin, and Stephanie Gillingham Pastoral Team Coordinator/Pastoral Care Team: Pam Myall & Stephanie, Shirley Deering, Lisa Quilter, Peter Wood, Gill Wood, Tracy Davey, Jess Wiseman, and Sheila Schofield. Prayer Chain: Tracy Davey Prayer Ministry Coordinator: Stephanie Gillingham Prophecy: Pat Brown Quiz Masters: Bob Wiseman, Alan Davey, and Alan Jones Safeguarding: Barbara Jones and Karen Cooney Sound and Visuals: Alan Davey, Tammy Squirrell, Colin White & Elizabeth Olatunji at CHS and Daniel Gullick and Jess Wiseman at St. Mary’s. Sunday Children’s: Tammy Squirrell, at CHS and Pam Myall at St. Mary’s. Website and Other Media: Jess Wiseman and Peter Wood Wednesday Lunch Club: Sheila Schofield & Pam Myall Wid-Wads Team: Jane Wiseman, Sheila Schofield, Zoe Myall, and Stephanie Gillingham. Wednesday Fellowship/Knit and Natter Leadership Team: Pam Myall, Vicky Smith, Shirley Deering, Valerie Hayward, and Stephanie Gillingham. Youthwork: Jess Wiseman Refreshments Teams: Valerie Hayward, Jen Gaskin, Janet Aldridge, Vicky Smith, Lynette Hunwicks and Barbara Jones at CHS. Sylvia Skardon, Jackie Dickens, Linda Stephens, Shirley Deering, Janet Bird, at St. Mary’s. Church Cleaning Teams: Barbara Jones, Elizabeth Olatunji & Lynette Hunwicks at Church of the Holy Spirit and Shirley Deering, Janet Bird, Jackie Dickens, Jane Wiseman, Sylvia Skardon, & Sheila Schofield at St. Marys. ## Widford Parish Office Forest Drive Chelmsford, Essex CM1 2TS Tel:01245 355989 www.widfordparish.com widfordchurchtalk@gmail.com 20