St Laurence Church, Frodsham
The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish Church of St Laurence, Frodsham. Charity No: 1130013
ANNUAL REPORT 2020
Aim and Purposes
St. Laurence’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, the Reverend Elaine Atack and others in the Ministry Team in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The Reverend Elaine Atack was inducted into the Parish on 11th May 2020 via Zoom by the Bishop of Birkenhead.
The PCC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church of St. Laurence, Church Road, Frodsham and of the Church Hall located in Church Street, Frodsham.
The Church also is linked to a Voluntary Controlled Church of England school, and sees this connection in the light of the Dearing report, which stated “ Church schools are not an add on, but integral to the life of the parishes. ”
Objectives and Activities
The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of our parish community at St. Laurence. The PCC maintains an overview of worship throughout the parish and makes suggestions on how our services can involve the many groups that live within our parish. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament.
When planning our activities for the year, the incumbent and the PCC have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific 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 through:
Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel; developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus.
Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish. Missionary and outreach work.
Other organisations and initiatives wholly or partly supported by the PCC, including: - Mothers Union (2 meetings in 2020)
Association of Church Fellowships (2 meetings in 2020)
Page 1 of 5
Church Choir Church Bell Ringers Shake Rattle and Pray (Suspended due to Covid March 2020) Christian Aid Collections Church Discussion Groups (Faith and Modernity) Regular quizzes (in 2020 via Zoom) Reading Group (Via Zoom in 2020) Food Bank Contributors
Walking Group (restricted because of Covid but some walks completed)
To facilitate this work, it is important that we maintain the fabric of the Church of St. Laurence and the Church Hall.
Achievements and Performance
Worship and Prayer
In an open year, the PCC are keen to offer a range of services during the week and over the course of the year that our community find both beneficial and spiritually fulfilling.
For example, morning and evening prayer provides a quiet, intimate and reflective environment for worship whilst regular celebrations of the sacrament of Communion offer a more structured and participative experience to the community.
Junior Church was held every Sunday during the 10am service and we use the Godly Play and Messy Church schemes of worship with the children. Membership is an average of 6 children each Sunday morning. Shake Rattle and Pray is a service for pre-school age children and their carers held each Wednesday morning during term time.
However, in March 2020 the government announced a lockdown linked to the outbreak of Coronavirus. All in person services were suspended as of Mothering Sunday. As a Parish we did manage to distribute posies for Mothering Sunday and Palm Crosses for Palm Sunday.
All are welcome to attend our regular services. We are an inclusive church. At present there are 152 parishioners on the Church Electoral Roll.
As we were not open for most of the year a system of recording services and putting the services online was used. For those unable to access these service a CD was recorded and distributed along with the weekly newsletter. At its peak over 150 people were accessing services in this manner during the lockdown.
As well as our regular services, we enable our community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of the journey through life. Through
Page 2 of 5
baptism we thank God for the gift of life, in marriage public vows are exchanged with God's blessing and through funeral services friends and family express their grief and give thanks for the life which is now complete in this world and to commend the person into God's keeping.
Due to the Corona Virus and the lockdown we were unable to have baptisms in 2020 and all marriage services were cancelled. Three funerals took place in Church prior to lockdown but the ministry team did carry out graveside services and services at the Crematorium.
We have suffered our share of vandalism and break-ins in the past, but we are determined to allow the Church building to remain open throughout the day to allow passers-by and others to enjoy its peaceful ambience and have time for private prayer. By installing a set of CCTV cameras we are able to open the building even when services are not being taken. When allowed the church building was open for Private prayer between 10.00 and 16:00, a risk assessment was applied and enhanced cleaning took place. The church was open in this way for a period of time in July August and September. A few services with no singing took place in September and October with greatly reduced numbers and everyone wearing masks. By the Autumn of 2020 we were again in lockdown.
The remembrance service as prepared by Rev Elaine Atack was recorded as a video in a joint enterprise with the other churches in Frodsham and published online. The Christmas Christingle service was also a video service recorded in church and published for others to watch online. The Christmas services were online recorded services.
Deanery Synod
Three members of the PCC can sit on the Deanery synod. This provides the PCC with an important link between the parish and the wider structures of the Diocese of Chester. No deanery Synod meetings took place during 2020 although there were some exchanges of email.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral care was very altered during 2020. The CDs were supplied to the “accompanied” church. The pandemic helped us to recognise a group of people who needed extra support. A system of Phone Buddies was set up an extension of the idea already used by the Mother’s Union. People were assigned groups that they rang round to keep every one in touch. The weekly newsletter was expanded to include general updates from members of the congregation.
Page 3 of 5
Mission and Evangelism
Helping those in need is a demonstration of our faith and a decision was made in 2014 that we would, in future, select a Charity which we would support for that year and hope to establish links with that charity. Stick n Step was selected for our 2018/2019 charity as a local one. No fundraising was possible for the charity in 2020.
A prayer diary was sent out once a month with the newsletter which is also available online to develop our knowledge and trust in Jesus and a regular framework for daily Private Prayer.
Ecumenical Relationships
The church is a member of Churches Together in Frodsham. The regular newsletter was not able to be produced. The churches did work together for ecumenical service at Remembrance. We also worked in the setting up of Frodsham Helping Hands which was set up to enable DBS checked volunteers help vulnerable people within the town of Frodsham.
Financial Review
St. Laurence's established a restricted fund in 2012 to raise money for major building work required on the church which was completed in August 2015; the details of this account are shown after the main church accounts.
St Laurence Frodsham Parochial Church Council – main unrestricted accounts
Income
Total receipts on unrestricted funds in 2020 were £134,100.33
.
£68,017.15 came from regular and occasional giving, including Gift Aid; this being a decrease of £5,648.58 when compared to the 2019 total reflecting the effect of the pandemic.
£45,784.77 was received from other voluntary receipts see 3a on page 2 of the Receipts and Payments Account.
Page 4 of 5
£640.38 was received from other activities; see 3b on page 2 of the Receipts and Payments Accounts and the breakdown of Fund Raising under 3g.
£19,288.48 was received from church activities inclusive of other income and is detailed under 3c and 3d on page 2 of the Receipts and Payments Account.
The Charitable donations total received is £369.55.
Expenses
Our total expenditure from our unrestricted fund for 2020 was £126,849.91.
£67,624.32 was spent to support the Diocese in providing Christian ministry through the parish share.
Due to the impact of the pandemic no money was spent on fundraising.
£59,225.59 was spent from unrestricted funds to maintain and repair the Church Buildings and manage and resource the work of St. Laurence's within the town. The breakdown of this total is shown on page 2 of Receipts and Payments under 3e and includes a breakdown of other income under 3f.
The net result for the year for our unrestricted fund was an increase of receipts over payments of £7,250.42 compared to an increase of £90,691.22 in 2019(due to the legacy). The balance carried forward into our unrestricted fund at 31st December 2020 totalled £117,630.56.
- Restricted Fund (St. Laurence Repair Fund Main Account)
Income
Total receipts for 2020 was nil.
Expenditure
Total expenditure for 2020 was nil.
The net result for the year for our restricted fund Main Account was no change so the balance carried forward into our restricted fund at 31[st ] December 2020 totalled £29531.97.
Structure, Governance and Management
The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. At St. Laurence’s the membership of the PCC consists of the incumbent (our vicar), churchwardens, the readers and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the Church plus the members of Deanery Synod. All those who
Page 5 of 5
attend our services 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. The full PCC met twice during 2020 with an average level of attendance of 80%. With the interregnum and the lockdown the PCC standing committee consisting of the main officers met a number of times to keep things running. Given its wide responsibilities the PCC has a number of committees each dealing with a particular aspect of parish life.
Administrative Information
St. Laurence’s Church is situated in Frodsham, Cheshire. It is part of the Diocese of Chester within the Church of England. The correspondence address is The Vicarage, Vicarage Lane, Frodsham WA6 7DU.
The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2006) and a charity excepted from registration with the Charity Commission. Names of current members of the PCC are:
Vicar Reverend Elaine Atack Churchwarden Joanna Ayliffe Deanery Synod and vice chairman Elaine Graham Lay Reader Gail Fullbrook Lay Reader Gill Newcombe Lay Reader Andrew Rudd PCC Officer Bill Owens PCC Officer Mavis Thompson PCC Officer Tom Cameron PCC Officer Veronica York PCC Officer Pauline Reece PCC Officer Wendy Rudd Treasurer John Wharne Secretary Elsie Perkins Safeguarding Officer Mary Lamb.
Page 6 of 5
St Laurence's Church Frodsham, Building Fund 2020
INCOME EXPENSES
Opening Balance £ 29,531.97
----- Start of picture text -----
Fundraising £ - Publicity £ -
Grant £ - Professional Fees £ -
Donations £ - Repairs £ -
Pledges £ - Expenses £ -
Interest £ - Other £ -
Gift Aid £ - HLF Payments £ -
Other £ -
HLF Award £ -
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
Opening Balance £ 29,531.97 Bank Balance at Dec-20 £ 29,531.97
Total Income £ - Total Expenditure £ -
Total Expenditure and Closing
Total Income + Starting Balance £ 29,531.97 £ 29,531.97
Bank Balance
----- End of picture text -----
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem {s6e CC32. Independent examination of charity accounts.. directrons and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any Items that the examiner wishes to dlsclose. IER October 2018