2023-12-31-accounts

Parish of Great Clacton (Registered Charity Number 1130241)

St John’s with St Mark’s (Diocese of Chelmsford) Annual Reports 2023 APCM - Sunday 28th April 2024

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INDEX

Statutory Reports Pages 3 - 10 Activities Report Pages 11 - 20 Accounts Report Pages 21 - 35

Statutory Reports Index

• Minutes of 2023 Annual Parochial Church Meeting 3-5

• • Minutes of 2023 Meeting of Parishioners 4 • PCC Proceedings 2023 5-7 • Statistics for Mission 2023 8 • Electoral Roll Report 2023 8 • Churchwardens’ Reports 2023 9 • St John’s Building Report 2023 10 • Deanery Synod Report 2023 10 • Trees Report 2023 10

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Note Unrestricted Designated New Hall Schools & Training Building Total Funds Total Funds	Funds Funds Fund Families Fund Fund Fund 2022 2021	£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £	Income and endowments from:	donations and legacies 2a 84,566 5,533 21,788 419 374 112,680 107,650	income from charitable activities 2b 15,596 564 2,171 18,331 19,813	other trading activities 2c 0 0	investments 2d 0 34	other income 2e 116 11 8 135 167	Total Income and endowments 100,278 6,097 11 21,788 419 2,553 131,146 127,664	Expenditure on	raising funds 3a 297 124 9 430 16	expenditure on charitable activities 3b 79,904 1,776 35,472 170 117,322 121,791	other expenditure 3c 1,515 1,515 1,329	Total Resources Used 81,716 1,900 0 35,481 170 0 119,267 123,136	Net Incoming/(outgoing) 18,562 4,197 11 (13,693) 249 2,553 11,879 4,528	Gross Transfers IN 6,031 6,931 3,000 5,030 20,992 6,525	Gross Transfers OUT (14,961) (6,001) (30) (20,992) (6,525)	Net Movement of Funds 9,632 5,127 11 (10,693) 249 7,553 11,879 4,528	Balances Brought Forward 14,723 151,139 20,808 35,274 968 7,274 230,186 225,658	Balances Carried Forward 24,355 156,266 20,819 24,581 1,217 14,827 242,065 230,186

Annual Church Meeting and Meeting of Parishioners

Minutes

Sunday 23rd April 2023

Annual Church Meeting

Welcome

Rev’d Mark Mulryne (Chair) welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Opening Prayer led by Rev’d Mark Mulryne

Appointment of Clerk

PCC Secretary, Helen Brown was nominated to be clerk for the meeting. All agreed.

Apologies for absence

were received from Pam Dench, Hannah Ward, Mark and Pauline Solosy, Andy Brown, Mike Cooper, Sheila Neale and Rob Harper.

Introduction

The meeting followed a joint service held in St. John’s Church and was well attended. The minutes of the last meeting were agreed and signed. There were no matters arising or items for AOB.

Vicars remarks

The past year has been difficult and yet through it we have known God’s help. This often comes through a wonderful team of people that He has put together. We have lost church family members through them moving away or change of situations and our team of helpers has gone down over the last few years. This has meant people are working even harder than before. Phil and Phill have moved away from the church and we are grateful for all the things they have provided and we pray for them.

There is much to encourage us including the fact that 25 invites were issued for the new members coffee morning. The challenges facing us:-

Maintaining ministries as teams change.

Financial – renewing funding for Hannah as our Children’s and Family worker.

Challenges within the Church of England particularly around marriage and sexuality. (Meetings will be held to think and discuss these things further and we use materials from Living Out and the CEEC as we approach this topic.

Daily challenge of living for God through our own personal challenges. We should live as those ‘clothed with power from on high.’ (Luke 24 v.40) . And continue to support one another as a family. (Mark had preached on Luke 24 vs.45-49 in the service that preceded the APCM.)

Because of the challenges we face Stephanie has agreed to stay on as Churchwarden for one more year. Gary Fellowes has agreed to serve alongside her in preparation for nomination to the role in 2024.

Electoral Roll Report

There are currently 144 entrants on the Roll, 38 of whom live outside of the parish and worship regularly with us.

Annual Reports

These were circulated ahead of the meeting via email and printed copies were available. The preceding service was used as an opportunity to highlight aspects of these reports and give thanks for the goings on in the church and parish. There were no further questions.

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Finance Report

A brief summary of the report was given by Gary Newbery, with the full report having been circulated ahead of the meeting with printed copies available. Gary highlighted that in the last two years the church financial reserves have grown, owing to an increase in church giving with lots of people using the PGS and reviewing and increasing their giving annually as well as the number of people who are able to Gift Aid their offering.

Expenditure has been well managed and decreased over the past year and came in under budget and under the previous year expenditure. The biggest expenditure has been on property repair and maintenance, much of which has been catching up on work that couldn’t be done during the years of covid. The PCC has released the funds for repairs to the stonework on St. John’s to commence. The church also received a grant of £4,500 from the Church of England towards the increasing energy bills.

Parish Share contributions have increased but the figure is back in line with what we were paying around 5 years ago before different discounts were applied, e.g. for not having an associate minister and not using the vicarage.

The PCC will be making important decisions regarding the future of 112 Woodland Close. There were no further questions.

The meeting gave thanks to God for his provision and the church family for their support and sacrificial giving. And also to Joan, Anita and the Treasury Team for all their work.

APCM Adjourned

Meeting of Parishioners opened

Meeting of Parishioners

Clerk: Helen Brown was agreed as clerk

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed and signed.

Resolution:

This APCM revokes the six year term rule for Churchwardens permitting Stephanie Cuthbert to stand as Churchwarden for another year.

Vote: All agreed.

Election of Church Wardens

Mark Solosy and Stephanie Cuthbert agreed to stand for another year. All agreed. There were no other nominations.

The meeting thanked them for all they do and for agreeing to stand again.

Meeting of Parishioners closed

APCM reopened

Annual Church Meeting (continued)

Election of PCC members

We can have 12 elected members, each serving for a 3 year term. Each year there are 4 vacancies. Rosie Fellowes was co-opted by the PCC after the APCM last year and filled a casual vacancy, she has now been elected to remain on the PCC and serve for 2 years.

Andy Brown and Gary Newbery have come to the end of their 3 year term and had nominations to stand again for another three years. All agreed.

Nomination forms were received for Ann-Marie Chappell and Hannah Ward. No other nominations were received - they were elected unopposed. All agreed.

Ti Chase is an ex-officio member of the PCC as Curate.

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PCC members 2022	PCC members 2023
Mark Mulryne (Vicar) - ex officio	Mark Mulryne (Vicar) - ex officio
Stephanie Cuthbert – ex officio	Stephanie Cuthbert – ex officio
Mark Solosy – ex officio	Mark Solosy – ex officio
Ti Chase – ex officio	Ti Chase – ex officio
Andy Brown (until APCM 2023)	Andy Brown (until APCM 2026)
Gary Newbery (until APCM 2023)	Gary Newbery (until APCM 2026)
	Hannah Ward (until APCM 2026)
	Ann-Marie Chappell (until APCM 2026)
Helen Brown (until APCM 2025)	Helen Brown (until APCM 2025) [Helen resigned during theyear]
Gary Fellowes (until APCM 2025)	Gary Fellowes (until APCM 2025)
Adrian Goody (until APCM 2025)	Adrian Goody (until APCM 2025)
Rob Harper (until APCM 2025) [Rob resigned during the year for health reasons]
Rosie Fellowes_(co-opted at June 2022_ PCC meeting until next APCM)	Rosie Fellowes (until APCM 2025)
Shelia Neale (until APCM 2024)	Shelia Neale (until APCM 2024)
Christine Sanders – Deanery Synod Rep	Christine Sanders – Deanery Synod Rep

Deanery Synod Rep

The church can have 3 representatives to Deanery Synod. Christine Sanders was willing to remain as Rep for a further 3 years. Helen Brown was appointed by the PCC in June 2022 to be a Deanery Synod Rep - this was formally brought to the APCM. All agreed. There were no other nominations. [Helen resigned during the year from this role.]

Appointing of Independent Examiner

Dave Wiggins was appointed as Independent Examiner for 2023. All agreed. Mark asked for our thanks to David to be noted - for all the help he had given over the years.

Prayer for those elected led by Rev’d Mark Mulryne

Thanks were given for all the work that takes place in the Parish. The meeting thanked Mark for all his work.

The meeting closed with The Grace.

PCC Proceedings 2023

BACKGROUND

The PCC of Great Clacton Parish Church has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for both church buildings, 112 Woodlands Close and the church hall situated opposite the tower end of St John’s Church.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Mission Statement of Great Clacton Parish Church is:-

“To help people know Christ, grow in Christ and go for Christ.”

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MEMBERSHIP

Members of the PCC are either ex officio, co-opted, or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.

REPORT OF PCC MEETINGS IN 2023

The PCC met 8 times over the course of the year with the average attendance at meetings being 70%. All of the meetings took place in St John's Hall.

The PCC regularly reviewed church policies including Safeguarding.

An important item on the agenda was deciding the best course of action regarding 112 Woodlands Close and the decision was made to sell the property and invest the funds. Another important area regularly discussed was the Church of England Living In Love and Faith and authorised prayers for same-sex couples. The PCC remained united on maintaining a biblical teaching on sexual relationships whilst also being inclusive and welcoming to all who attend.

CHARITY STATUS

The Parochial Church Council were registered with the Charity Commission as an independent charity on 19th June 2009 (Charity Number: 1130241). Previously they were a charity excepted from registration with the Charity Commission. This means that all PCC members are also Trustees of the ‘Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Great Clacton’.

COMMITTEES

The PCC operates through committees, which meet between the full meetings of the PCC.

Standing Committee

This is the only committee required by law. It has power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council.

Pastoral Care Team

To carry out effective pastoral care for all in need in our Church Family. To arrange the annual Memorial Service.

Mission Committee

To envision and develop a mission-minded attitude in our church family. To direct and co-ordinate support for our missionaries and the overseas missionary organizations, which we support. To develop our links with the Banyole people.

Finance Committee

This committee is authorised:-

• to oversee the finances of the church and to suggest improvements in procedures

• to arrange for the setting up of the annual accounts and the budget

• to submit up to date reports to the PCC

• to authorize Stewardship campaigns when necessary.

Fabric Committee

To oversee the upkeep and maintenance of the buildings, the upkeep of which the PCC is responsible - St John’s, St Mark’s, the Church Hall, & 112 Woodlands Close.

BANKERS

The PCC retained Barclays Bank plc as their bankers for 2023. Due to a change in our banking terms and conditions, under which we would incur substantial bank charges we changed to online banking in March 2019. As part of the set-up process we reviewed and made changes to our list of bank signatories. The following are now authorised signatories for Barclays Bank Accounts: Joan Bruce, Ann-Marie Chappell, Stephanie Cuthbert, Anita Newbery and Rev. T Mark Mulryne.

There is also a New Hall Fund, for which we use Lloyds Bank. This has a separate list of authorised signatories.

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SAFEGUARDING

We are committed to safeguarding children, young people, victims/survivors of domestic abuse and vulnerable adults. Safeguarding is an item on every PCC Agenda.

The PCC has adopted the Church of England’s policies and best practice on safeguarding which may be found on the Church of England’s website: https://www.churchofengland.org/ more/safeguarding

Our safeguarding officers are Kathryn Hall (Children and Young People) and Christine Sanders (Adults) who may be contacted at church or via the church office.

REVIEW OF ANNUAL CHARITABLE GIVING

At the PCC November 2023 meeting it was agreed that annual charitable giving for 2024 would remain unchanged with a provision to review in six months if required. Giving as follows:-

CPAS Historic Churches Friends of Essex Churches Christian Institute The Church Society UCB Essex Clergy Charity CAP (local Debt Centre) Discretionary Giving transfer Honorarium Payments	£250 per annum £150 per annum £250 per annum £250 per annum £250 per annum £150 per annum £200 per annum £500 per annum £400 per annum £200 per person

WAGE REVIEW

The PCC held a wage review in November and agreed to increase the salaries with effect from 1[st] January 2024 to:-

Church administrator £14.47 per hour Weddings/Banns Secretary £12.77 per hour

HALL RENT REVIEW

The PCC agreed not to increase the rent for St John’s Church Hall and keep it to £10/hr but to increase St Mark’s from £15/hr to £16/hr from 1st April 2024.

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Statistics for Mission

	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Baptisms	4	2	2	0	9
Thanksgivings	6	1	1	0	9
Confirmations	0	0	0	0	0
Weddings	6	6	1	1	3
Funerals	19	21	21	24	29
Average Sunday attendance
Adults	104	87	76	--	113
Children	7	11	9	--	9

CHURCH ATTENDANCE

The average Sunday morning attendance, counted during the 2023 October count in our buildings, was 60 adults at St John’s, and 40 adults and 7 children at St Mark’s. However, there were others joining in on YouTube, and some others coming to the afternoon services as well.

2024 Electoral Roll Report

The revised Electoral Roll, in preparation for the APCM in April 2024, displayed for the statutory period, has 139 entrants, 36 who live outside the parish but worship regularly with us.

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St John’s Churchwarden’s Report 2023

St John’s saw another busy year with much activity. The church is regularly transformed to accommodate our Little Fishes group, Half Term Holiday Club and reunions as well as the major transformation for the summer Holiday Club in July. It was wonderful to see so many happy children coming through the doors. This year St. John’s saw the revival of our Summer Fayre which was a great success and many from the community came and enjoyed the activities and entertainment in the church and churchyard.

We have hosted weddings and funerals as well as the weekly worship services. In November the church held our Christmas Coffee Morning as we had outgrown the hall, which was well attended and enjoyed!

Christmas was again, a very active time at St. John’s, hosting many services and it was great to see so many from the community joining us.

My thanks go to Mark who works tirelessly to lead our congregation and outreach into the parish ably assisted by Ti, Sheila and the whole staff team. Thanks also go to Gary Fellowes and Christine Sanders for their work as our two deputy wardens, those who help move chairs each week, those who arrange the flowers each week, those who help keep the churchyard looking litter free and tidy, and everyone who serves by filling the many rotas needed to keep the church running smoothly – we couldn’t function without you! Stephanie Cuthbert

St Mark’s Churchwarden’s Report 2023

2023 saw more usage at St Mark’s, not just from hiring out, but also from church usage such as “The Gathering” on Sunday afternoons. So there has been a bit more wear and tear on the building and facilities, but nothing serious. Thanks to Peter Mann for keeping the garden areas in check and to Brenda Berry who keeps check on many other things.

St Mark’s Fabric Report

There have been no major problems at St Mark’s over the last year. Again we have had minor problems with plumbing and various pieces of equipment which are wearing out, but we are repairing or replacing these things as necessary. Mark Solosy

Church Family (Wardens’ Report)

During 2023 we sadly lost 6 much loved members of our Church Family. We said goodbye to Mary Lawrence, Denise Millman, Iris Bright, Paul & Barbara Joyce, and Kathy Ellis. We drew comfort that they all loved the Lord and are now safe in His presence.

We also said goodbye to Judy Bullock who moved away to Frinton.

On a happier note, Mark & Caroline finally moved in to the Vicarage on the 1[st] February, they may have even finished emptying boxes by now! Mark Solosy/ Stephanie Cuthbert

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St John’s Building Report 2023

Church

No major works during 2023

Ongoing maintenance and tiding-up continued throughout the year.

Churchyard

One of the bollards had to be re-seated. Latch on gate was replaced.

Elder tree was blown down and diseased lime tree taken down. North path was re-gravelled using hot tar.

Hall

A section of the hall roof was repaired and re-felted.

Several side panels were removed and replaced with marine ply, painted with masonry paint. Some taps in the toilets were replaced along with new ballcocks in the cisterns. John Disney

Deanery Synod Report 2023

We have had several guests during the past year including Bishop Guli.

A lot of focus has been centred on the ‘Living in Love and Faith’ and appointing a new CAP debt coordinator for our local Christians Against Poverty centre. Christine Sanders

Trees Report

In June an elder tree was blown down and split in half. The council came to remove the remaining half as it was unstable, and all debris was removed.

In August a large branch of lilac was blown down over the pathway. It was sawn up by church members and the wood removed.

In October we received an inspection report from Tom Opperman (TDC) .

Avenue of lime trees – Due to extensive fungal decay 3 have been felled and stump ground out. A fungus (Ganoderma) decayed all the heart wood until they had to be removed for health and safety concerns.

Horse Chestnut - A large bough felled at 2.5m. The crown of the tree that was left was too unstable to retain so was felled and removed for health and safety concerns.

Cherry Tree – The cherry tree had to be felled as it was dead, posing a health & safety issue, due to a combination of old age and fungal decay. There are numerous other trees on the site that belong to the Prunus (cherry) family that are in decline, again due to old age and fungus. These will have to be removed in due course when the risk to site users becomes too high. We were promised 3 x Rowan trees to be planted in November 2023 by the council, but as I write this report, they have not been planted yet! Stephanie Cuthbert

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Annual Activities Reports

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Annual Activities Reports Groups House Groups Pastoral Care Team Prayer Music Group - St Mark’s Schools Report Administration The Church Office Weddings and Banns Mission Links Mission Committee Report Worship Services Sunday Morning Services The Gathering ‘Together’ Together Again ‘Wednesday Worshippers at St Mark’s Havenvale Communion Service Youth and Children’s Activities Family Events Little Fishes Searchlights Tea Time Church Holiday Clubs Sunday Funtime Ignite Youth Group Community Activities Stewsdays Craft Group Frydays Coffee Mornings Bethany Bereavement Support Food Bags Miscellaneous Activities Used Stamps for Mission

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Great Clacton	Statement of Financial Activities	for year ending 31st December 2023	Note Unrestricted Designated New Hall Schools & Training Building Total Funds Total Funds	Funds Funds Fund Families Fund Fund Fund 2023 2022	£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £	Income and endowments from:	donations and legacies 2a 93,301 3,317 21,163 396 2,381 120,558 112,680	income from charitable activities 2b 16,608 714 3,763 21,085 18,331	other trading activities 2c 0 0	investments 2d 756 182 146 1,084 135	other income 2e 260 260 0	Total Income and endowments 110,925 4,031 182 21,163 396 6,290 142,987 131,146	Expenditure on	raising funds 3a 315 26 341 430	expenditure on charitable activities 3b 96,696 3,979 37,389 38 3,400 141,502 117,322	other expenditure 3c 1,343 1,343 1,515	Total Resources Used 98,354 4,005 0 37,389 38 3,400 143,186 119,267	Net Incoming/(outgoing) 12,571 26 182 (16,226) 358 2,890 (199) 11,879	Gross Transfers IN 2,002 3,000 5,002 20,992	Gross Transfers OUT (5,002) (5,002) (20,992)	Revaluation 112 Woodlands Close 93,084 93,084	Net Movement of Funds 7,569 95,112 182 (13,226) 358 2,890 92,885 11,879	Balances Brought Forward 24,355 156,266 20,819 24,581 1,217 14,827 242,065 230,186	Balances Carried Forward 31,924 251,378 21,001 11,355 1,575 17,717 334,950 242,065	Comparative figures for 2022 are shown on Page 13

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Groups

Homegroups & Lent Meetings

Throughout the last few years many of our Homegroups have gone through times of change - and this continued through 2023. Some people have had to leave groups while others have been keen to join. We have tried to accommodate as many requests as possible, though sometimes it is difficult to find a group meeting at the right time, with enough space. However, we were able to get the two new groups establishes during the year - and now there are, once more, 8 groups meeting regularly. We hope to accommodate more new people in the coming months.

At our Leaders’ Meetings it becomes clear that each group is adapting things so that the time, frequency and size of the group suits those involved. This is just one sign that Homegroups are somewhere where members of our church family can find encouraging teaching, fellowship, care and love - they are appreciated by many – and this is great news! We are very grateful to the leaders who do so much to make this possible.

Our Homegroup members, once again, helped to lead our 2023 Lent Meetings, which were encouraging times. It is always lovely to see some different people “up front” and these meetings provide a good opportunity for this. The theme was the “Lost Parables” (sheep, coin and son) in Luke ch.15, which we learned a lot from. We concluded the series by watching Tim Keller’s video presentation on the parable of the Lost Son (his loving father and angry brother) - many found this especially thought provoking and helpful. A big thank you to all who were willing to take part in these meetings. Mark Mulryne

Pastoral Care Team

Throughout another year, the ten members of our pastoral care team have faithfully and lovingly cared for those in the church family needing help during illness or in old age. In some instances this may be doing the weekly shopping or taking someone for a doctor’s appointment in an emergency. But it also includes visiting people in their home or hospital or care home and listening to their concerns and praying for them. Our visits are not just for the frail or elderly but to anyone in need in the church family. And we try to be mindful of people’s spiritual needs as well as practical ones, usually reading the Bible with them. We are encouraged as we see individuals being helped and sustained in times of trial. And we are also encouraged by the fact that lots of caring goes on informally by other church family members who are not in the team. The prayer chain is also part of our ministry as we feel that prayer is a vital part of caring for one another. If you would like a visit, or have an urgent prayer request or know of someone in need, please do not hesitate to contact us.

During the year, Jackie Rowe stepped down from her role of coordinating our pastoral work and being on the team - though she is still very involved in caring for others. Mark, Christine and Jan are now the people to speak to if you have a concern. Mark Mulryne

Prayer Meetings

As a church We try to give people lots of opportunities to pray together. This includes the prayers in our services, chances to ask for personal prayer at the end of services, praying together in Homegroups and in small groups, as well as our Morning (and Friday Evening) Prayer Meetings. These happen on Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings at St John’s, and on Wednesdays on WhatsApp, which lets people join in from their own homes. Thursdays are dedicated to praying for the persecuted church across the world. Then on Friday evenings we meet to pray for our mission links. A small but very committed number gather on each of these occasions – and any others who can make it would be very welcome. We have also constantly promoted the use of our Prayer Diaries, so that we can pray for similar things from our own homes daily, and these seem to be used regularly by many. It’s been important to keep praying together though all that’s happened over the last few years.

Over the last year we have also organised a few occasional prayer meetings, encouraging as many as possible to attend, for all that is going on in the Church of England, especially following on from the LLF process. Many people have been very concerned about this, and it has been good to see these concerns being turned into prayers. Mark Mulryne

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Music Group - St Mark’s

It is a privilege and joy for each of us to serve in the music ministry in both churches. We miss Daniel being with us, as he went off to University in the Autumn, but enjoy his company when he is home during the holidays, when we welcome Joshua back too! In this past year, we have tried to provide a “voice” to lead the singing at St John’s most weeks, we hope this has been helpful and a blessing to the congregation. It also gives an opportunity to try a new song occasionally. Please continue to pray for us as we meet week by week to prepare for Sundays and as we choose the songs for each sermon series. If you feel called to be part of this ministry, please have a word with Mark or myself. Pam Dench

Local Schools’ Report

Great Clacton

Mark and I continue to do at least one whole school worship (assembly) each half term. Prayer Space has continued to be quite popular each week, with a settled core of children coming regularly and others who drop in occasionally. We have a little practical activity that helps focus our thoughts and then those that want to, share what they’ve been thinking/ praying about. Then we have a chance for those who want to pray, to do that aloud, or quietly. I also helped at Crochet Club and Choir until the end of the summer term. The whole school came round to church for their Easter service in the spring term. Mark and I went in to school to present the Year 6’s with their Bibles at the end of the summer term. And in the Autumn Term, Mark and I went to school for the Harvest service (due to bad weather), Year 3 came to church to receive their Bibles, and then returned a few weeks later to think about the Nativity. Year 4 came and packed 30 Shoeboxes (that then were sent off as part of Operation Christmas Child), and then the whole school came twice in December for Christingle and then their Carol Service at the end of term.

It was also great to welcome some of the Community Ambassadors to take part in our Remembrance Sunday Service and the Children’s Candlelit Carol Service on Christmas Eve.

Cann Hall

I went to school for the Easter and Harvest services this year, and was able to help out at the summer fete – making slime!

My weekly teaching sessions continue, I spend half term with each year group. In September the school started using a new curriculum for RE so the topics I’m teaching have changed.

At Christmas Key Stage 2 visited St John’s for their Carol Service with around 50 parents.

Other schools

Students from Clacton Coastal Academy came to lay a wreath at the war memorial on Remembrance Day.

Burrsville came for their Harvest Festival with Mark in the Autumn.

Hannah Ward (Schools and Families Worker)

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Administration

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The Church Office

So, I have been working in the Church Office for over seven years now. I continue to love my job and the very many varied tasks and jobs that I encounter, from the changing of the toilet rolls in the hall to booking Funerals.

It is so great to be able to serve the Lord and all the Church Family with the skills the Lord has blessed me with.

Life in the office is very varied from day to day, week to week.

As most of you are aware, we prepare a Newsletter and a Prayer Diary fortnightly, on alternate weeks, except when we prepare special one-off prayer cards for Easter, Summer Holidays, Christmas and New Year.

On an annual basis, we prepare service sheets for any special services, APCM reports, things for Holiday Club, the Church Directory and the church family birthday list. I also have to liaise with the Church Wardens to prepare an inventory on an annual basis - a bit like a stock take for both churches and the hall. I also deal with the church insurance and PAT testing. I deal with any telephone calls coming into the office regarding the hiring of both churches and the hall and invoicing them accordingly.

I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Joan, Hannah, Catherine and Anita for making the Church office such a wonderful place to work. Thanks also to Stephanie, Gary Fellowes and Mark Solosy who are always available and willing to help.

My thanks goes to Catherine who comes in every week to fold, chop, stick and whatever else is thrown at her (metaphorically speaking), and without whom I would be lost!

Thanks also goes to Mark, Hannah and Joan without whom life would be a lot harder.

Ann-Marie Chappell (Church Administrator)

Weddings and Wedding Banns 2023

• 6 weddings took place in St John’s church during 2023, and no wedding blessings.

There were no Renewal of Wedding Vows.

• 6 wedding banns were read out for weddings happening elsewhere.

There are three definite weddings for 2024 and four Renewal of Vows. Please continue to pray for all couples who have been married in our church and those planning to be married this year especially.

Anita Newbery (Weddings and Banns Secretary)

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Mission Links

Mission Committee Report

Thankfully we have been able to meet in person this year both for our committee meetings and for services, although we have continued to use films from our mission partners to enable them to share their news with us when it is difficult for them to visit in person. In March our Mission Sunday service featured a film by Catherine Porter from Sendai in Japan where she spoke and played the harp for us. However, in October we were blessed by a visit from Mark, Ruth, Harvey and Sophia Cuthbert as well as Jacob and Ainoa, two other members of the Betel community. Jacob was able to share the amazing work God has done in his life, freeing him from drug addiction. We also supported the Tearfund Harvest Appeal in September as we do every year.

Throughout the year we continued to pray for our mission partners and to channel the church’s support to them. Our mission partners are: Gift and Kathryn Asiku (Wycliffe, Uganda), the Lunyole Old Testament Translation Project (Wycliffe, Uganda) and Mark and Ruth Cuthbert (Betel, Birmingham). This year we were also able to make additional Christmas gifts to our mission partners and increase the amount of money in our bursary fund for those travelling on mission projects as the mission committee budget was larger than in 2022. We offer prayer support for Catherine Porter (WEC, Japan). We also offer prayer support for Hannah Ward (our schools and families worker). The members of the committee are Jackie Rowe (chair), Caroline Mulryne (treasurer), Stephanie Cuthbert, Helen Wadhwa, Ti Chase and Mark Mulryne (ex officio).

Caroline Mulryne

Romania Trip

In August, a team of 8 adults and 3 children represented our parish on a short term mission trip to Romania. This group assisted proDEO Church (Craiova) in running a 1-week evangelistic residential camp for about 40 children. The camp took place in the Carpathian Mountains. In addition to hearing about the Gospel, children participated in crafts, sports, games, hikes, music and other activities.

Accounts Report

It was wonderful to be able to assist the Romania team that put the camp together. More than that, being a part of this trip was a great opportunity for our team members to grow in their own faith, trusting in God to help them in an unfamiliar environment. Ti Chase

Worship Services

Sunday Morning Services

We encourage as many of our church family as possible to attend either of our morning services, running each week at St John’s and St Mark’s, as these are our main gatherings for the week.

We had a number of preaching series, including ones learning from Ezra, 2 Peter, and a series about “Giving” (in the widest possible sense) led by Ti. However, much of the year was spent working through the Gospel of Luke, which many people found helpful - though there are still quite a few chapters to finish off.

The services in our buildings are complimented by our 11am YouTube service, which has become a regular feature, both for those who can not attend a “live” service for any reason, and for those who enjoy it in addition to coming to one of these.

We have continued to have special services marking the major Christian festivals (Christmas, Easter, Harvest, etc) - we try to make these especially accessible to visitors - and at St Mark's we usually try to include the children and teenagers in these, making them all-age services, which most adults also enjoy! In 2023, we also had a couple of Mission Sundays and had a week dedicated to learning from and praying for the Persecuted Church, as well as a special service to mark the Coronation of King Charles.

Through the year we were delighted to see more visitors popping in to see what goes on in our churches - we always try to make sure that they are welcomed and catered for. And it was even more exciting to see a number of people returning and becoming regular attenders. This means that our numbers slowly increased through the year, especially at St John’s.

We hope that our services are an encouragement to all who attend, and hope to welcome many more people over the coming months. Mark Mulryne

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Food Bags

This much needed outreach has been operating for many years. During 2023, Ti Chase has been in charge. He has done a wonderful job for all those in need but, sadly, soon will be moving on and Paul Saunders who has been working alongside Ti for some time has very kindly agreed to take over. Thank you, Ti and thank you Paul.

Paul’s duties at the Church Hall include: collection, sorting, despatch, delivery, stock control and staff management. Gary Fellowes assists in a clerical role and with some deliveries. Also a big thank you must go out to the many helpers (Ritchie, Tyler, Gerald and Barbara), who are involved and without whose help this outreach would not function.

Since last year we have altered collection days to meet our needs. We now collect from: M&S, Tesco Brook Retail Park, Tesco Holland on Sea, both Lidl supermarkets, Asda and Bookers. We also receive food donations from our churches’ Harvest Festival and also weekly donations from the congregation. Because of a kind donation from a church member, we now have an additional large freezer enabling us to receive more frozen food. In turn we have been able to pass a freezer on to St. Mark’s Church. Any excess food we have is passed on to The Hope Centre at Trinity Methodist Church. We also continue to work with Peter Mann to provide sandwiches and pastries, which he takes to the Hope Centre, for the homeless. If there is anything left over it is placed on the wall outside the hall for any passers by to help themselves.

The families and individuals that need our help have grown throughout the year, and these include, those who receive a bag delivered through the schools - Whitehall, Great Clacton and Cann Hall.

A big thank you to the whole church family for all your support. Paul Saunders

Thursday Night Group - Revelation

At the request of a couple of church members, in May 2023 Ti started teaching through the book of Revelation in a small group setting. This group met at St. Mark's church each Thursday (during term time) from 7.30-8.30. The number of attendees fluctuated over the months with the average attendance being about 6 people.

The principle behind the teaching is that the only way to properly understand the book of Revelation is to view it through the lens of the rest of scripture. So, the course has focussed on using Revelation as a starting point to look back at the truths revealed in all of the Bible - especially those parts that might be less familiar to most people. TI Chase

Community Games Evenings

Carrying on from a ministry that was started in 2022, St. Mark's was open for people in the community to come together and play board games on the first Friday evening of each month. Games evenings were attended monthly by a small, but committed group of people. This was a good mix of our church members, their friends and people from other local churches.

This ministry ran until June 2023, when it was brought to a close due to the absence of a long-term coordinator . Ti Chase

Miscellaneous Activities

The Gathering including Alpha (Jan ‘23 - March ‘23)

In January 2023, the existing meal-sharing, family-friendly Gathering service was paused in order to allow its members to lead the Alpha course at the same time and in the same place. Alpha ran from January to March. People gathered from 5.00 pm at St. Mark's for a freshly cooked meal, then watched a video together and finally separated into two smaller groups to share their thoughts on what they have seen and heard.

More than 40 different adults in total attended at least one Alpha session, with half of them being either people who had recently started attending our services or people from outside of our church community. There was an average weekly adult attendance of 27 across all 11 weeks.

Provision was made for children during the video and discussion time, so that parents could attend Alpha, however the only families who made use of this provision were Alpha's leaders. There were on average 4 children in attendance each week.

In addition to the weekly Sunday evening meetings, there was an additional 'Holy Spirit' Saturday held in early March. This was attended by 20 adults.

By the time Alpha ended in March, most of its regular attenders requested that they be able to continue to meet. And so - with the blessing of those who had previously attended the Gathering, but who had not been involved with Alpha - it was decided that the format of the Gathering would change to be more like Alpha. From April - December the Gathering ran following the Alpha pattern of Meal/Video/Discussion. Some of the video series which we used during the year were 'Christianity Explored', 'Life Explored' and 'The Jesus I Never Knew'. During this time, regular attendance grew to the point where it was necessary to introduce a third discussion group.

Towards the end of 2023 it was decided that the Gathering would once again take a break for a term in order to run Alpha again in January 2024. Ti Chase

Together (alternate Thursdays at St John’s)

In the last year we have been looking in depth at the psalms. This has been rewarding and a spiritual blessing for us.

We have welcomed several new members last year and with God’s grace and blessing we hope to reach out to more people in our community.

Together Again (the other Thursdays, Jan to Jul 2023) & Community Cuppa (started Sept ‘23)

In the autumn we decided to change our name in the hope that it would feel more inclusive for people from outside of our church. We have had a few new members who continue to come and join us for a cuppa. We always finish with a prayer and something to take away.

We pray God will continue to support us in this and we are thankful for his blessings.

Christine Sanders

Wednesday Worshippers at St. Mark’s

Wednesday Worshippers has been popular throughout the last year, often with 15-18 attending, many of whom are regulars, and with some who are new to the service. We continued the same pattern of services: Holy Communion most weeks, except the First Wednesdays, which have a special theme, and tend to draw in some visitors. Our services are based round the Bible passages, including a lot of psalms last year. Mark or Ti have led the Communion services, with Stephanie and the team looking after the First Wednesdays. The service is friendly and welcoming, and people stay around at the end to catch up over refreshments. Mark Mulryne

Stamps for Leprosy Mission

Until recently, we have been saving all used stamps for The Leprosy Mission. Due to storage difficulties, and decreasing prices paid for used stamps, The Leprosy Mission, along with many other missions, no longer collect used postage stamps. After some research online, I have made enquiries of the RNIB with regard to sending stamps to them in order to raise funds for their charity. I have yet to hear back from them. Please continue to save your stamps as before and I will keep you updated. The boxes are still available in both churches. Thank you. Pam Dench

Havenvale Communion Service

During 2023 I continued to take a monthly Communion Service for a small number of residents from the sheltered-housing flats in Havenvale, on a Monday afternoon. We have sadly lost a couple of those who attended regularly, but those who are able to come along are very appreciative. Christine Sanders joins me and helps with the services. She has been a great help, especially in encouraging people to stay at the end and chat over tea and coffee. Again we organised carol singing one afternoon in the run-up to Christmas, singing both outside, then in the lounge. All who came along were very grateful. Mark Mulryne

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Youth and Children’s Activities

Sunday Funtime

Family Events

We held the Pancake Party again in February, which was the usual chaotic fun with around 50 guests.

We did the Wednesday Family Fun afternoon at Holiday Club in the summer, with a lovely day for a picnic in the Vicarage garden followed by lots of games and activities, and finishing with a few short films in the church.

We also had a good turn out for the Sunday service followed by our usual outdoor lunch. Our Christingle service was back in St John’s this year. 75 of us enjoyed the usual carols, Christingle building and lighting, followed by a festive buffet.

We currently have four Sunday Funtime Teachers: myself, Caroline, Hannah and Pauline. We only had two helpers on the rota Katrina and Katherine but we have been trying to recruit some new helpers.

We currently have 7/8 children per week in Funtime.

Looking forward, it would be good and exciting to welcome new children (with their families) into Sunday Funtime.

We are now happily using the end room at St Mark’s for our Funtime sessions. Ann-Marie Chappell

Community Activities

Stewsdays

Little Fishes

Little Fishes continues to meet weekly during term-time, with our end of ‘term specials’ hunting for Easter eggs, enjoying a Teddy Bears’ Picnic in the Vicarage garden and our Nativity service. We ran this a bit differently this year, and used clips of the Lego Nativity, with a song and activity in between each, to help the children focus and remember. At the end, the children were able to dress up and get in the stable for photos – always a joy! After the period of lower numbers we saw either side of Covid, numbers really picked up again last year and we are quite busy on a regular basis again now.

Searchlights

Our small group of primary school-aged children continues to meet weekly for Searchlights. We started the year by looking at some parables, before learning more about what happened the first Easter.

In the summer we looked at some of the heroes of the Old Testament, like Abraham, Joseph, Gideon, Rahab and Joshua. Autumn Term saw us looking at some of Jesus’ miracles before returning to Christmas and what Isaiah had to say about it, and how what he said was fulfilled through the events around Jesus’ birth. Each week there are a variety of crafts and games related to the main theme.

Tea Time Church

We looked at a series on the Beatitudes at Tea Time Church last year, with around 20 guests joining us each month for half an hour of crafts related to the theme, then some songs and a time to think about the Bible passage, before sharing a buffet tea together.

We took a break from our usual program for Easter, Summer and Harvest specials, and finished the year with the Christingle Service at the beginning of December.

Holiday Club & Half Term Holiday Club & Holiday Club Reunion

Half Term Holiday Club in February was based on Ezra - the rebuilding the temple and the reading of the law.

Our summer club was ‘Beside the Sea’ and was based on Jesus’ miracles and teachings on and around the Sea of Galilee, taken from Mark’s Gospel. We had just the right number of children and lots of teenage helpers again.

A smaller number of those from the summer club joined the Reunion at the beginning of half term in October. Hannah Ward

Ignite

Ignite Youth Group had an average attendance of 20 young people a week in 2023. We have covered a range of different Bible books and topics over the year, including Identity, Ruth, Psalms, Jonah and Philippians. In June we invited year 6’s to come and try out the group, and we have gained 5 new regulars from this. We had some exciting Ignite special events in 2023 including a weekend away at Birch Hall and a trip to the youth event ‘Sorted Nano’ at a church in London. Rachel Harding

We give thanks and praise to God that this ministry is continuing to grow. We now regularly serve around 45 guests each month who enjoy a warm welcome and good food and friendship around the tables along with a brief “thought” from Scripture and invitations to various services and special events. Please pray for us as a team that we would continue to work well together and be strengthened for the task. We are always looking for more to join the team to help in many different ways. Please speak to me if you feel this is something you might be able to help with. Thank you.

Craft Group

Our group has grown over this past year and we welcome in a good number of folk from the community, there is often around 20 of us. The things we make are varied and quite simple, but we have fun together and enjoy being creative and chatting together over a cuppa. If you enjoy being creative, this could be a group for you - and it gives a good opportunity to invite friends along. If you have a particular craft that you would be willing to teach, please have a word with me. Thank you.

Pam Dench

Frydays

After successfully restarting Frydays Community Cafe in March 2022, we carried on running it monthly through June 2023. Frydays was open from 9 am - 1 pm on the second Friday of each month. The menu was for an all-day English breakfast, offered at a very reasonable price. Attendance was steady, usually bringing in 40-50 people from both the church family and the local community. This ministry was self-funding.

Frydays Cafe has been on hiatus since June 2023 as it currently lacks long-term oversight and leadership from someone in the church family. Ti Chase

Coffee Mornings

Our monthly coffee mornings this year have gone from strength to strength, causing our Christmas one to move over from the hall to the church due to lack of space! We get a good mixture of church family and people from the community, who are warmly welcomed and enjoy coffee, cake and fellowship together, as well as browsing the stalls for items to buy. I am thankful to all those who bake cakes, make craft items, donate things and spend time helping on the day each month - we couldn’t run it without you. All the money we raise is put into the Building Fund to help maintain and repair St. John’s. Stephanie Cuthbert

Bethany Bereavement Support

Since the Bethany Bereavement Cafe began in April 2011 in St. John’s Hall we have continued to welcome good numbers usually 12–16 every time. We continue to offer coffee, tea and cake, and of course Jesus’ love as we build relationships with our visitors. Most of our new visitors seem to come through the Look Magazine, although some find us by word of mouth. Some come regularly for a few meetings and others come when they feel the need. We welcome all who have been bereaved, regardless of how far they are on their journey through their grieving process. Bereavement takes time, longer for some, shorter for others. For us it is heart breaking when new visitors come to us the first time in tears, but generally, after a few visits talking to the team and other visitors, we see them more able to cope with their loss. We are a team of 6 and we thank God that He is with us as we continue this support ministry to the bereaved. It is both a privilege and joy for all the team members to see our new friends, both male and female coming to terms with their loss, and coping with life again. Jan Chittock

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