## **Tavistock Methodist Church** ## Minutes of the Annual Church Meeting held on Wednesday 17[th] July 2024 |Ref|Minutes|Actions| |---|---|---| ||Rev Paul Smith opened the meeting at 7.30 p.m. Paul was chairing as Rev Chris Brown was
on Sabbatical|| |1.|**Welcome**
Rev Paul Smith welcomed everyone to the meeting and explained the format of the
evening. Business matters to be done first and then have time to reflect on how churches
grow. Paul to lead: principles which emerge when thinking about growing churches.|| |2.|**Opening Devotions**
Paul stressed that when thinking of the future of the church we need think about the
beginning of the church. He read from Acts 2. This showed what the first Christians did,
immediately after Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, Peter’s talk to the crowd and
how 3,000 people responded. “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer”. This is a blueprint for us.
Paul then opened the meeting proper with prayer.|| |3.|**Approval of members of the meeting**
A list of members of the meetingwas distributed aspart of the calling papers.|| |4.|**Apologies**
Apologies were received from:
Trudi Massey, Tracy Harding, Rene Chambers, David and Valerie Norman, Iris Wright,
Jackie Palmer, Anna Dodd, Joan Gosling, Peter Rowe, Ruth Newman, Nick and Mary Clarke,
Jackie Shillabeer,Robert Oxborough,Marion Playle|| |5.|**Minutes of the previous meeting**
Minutes were approved and signed byPaul.|| |6.|**Matters Arising**
None|| |7.|**Notification of Any Other Business incl. conflict of interest**
None|| |8.|**Correspondence**
None received|| |9.|**Appointments which won’t come up in reports**
**To be voted on by Church Council members only:**
Paul brought names to the meeting of those who will be brought into membership at the
10:45 service on Sunday 28thJuly.
These are:
Marion Playle, Jennifer Hawkins, Ian Rogers, Robert Oxborough and Tracey Oxborough
**This was agreed by those Church Council members present and eligible to vote**
Pauline Sawyer was presented to the meeting as next year’s Senior Steward.
**This appointment was agreed by all those present and eligible to vote**
**The existing stewards were also re-elected** **by those present and eligible to vote**.|| ## **Tavistock Methodist Church** Minutes of the Annual Church Meeting held on Wednesday 17[th] July 2024 They are: Jennifer Youé John Wright Iris Wright Rene Chambers Andy Marsh Kathy Watts Liz Rowe Two new congregational reps to the Church Council are needed. John Wright agreed to stand again **and this appointment was agreed by all those present and eligible to vote** No-one else came forward, but please let Paul know if you or anyone else is interested. Presently, the Senior Steward and Treasurer are ex-officio representatives from TMC to the Circuit meeting, along with two Church Council reps. There is a vacancy for two additional reps, plus two substitutes if the main reps are unable to attend. No-one came forward to fill these vacancies. 10. **Connexional, District and Circuit matters** Rev Paul Smith reported that Conference met recently. The annual summary of Conference business is due soon. District - from 1[st] Sept Tavistock Circuit will now be part of the new South West Peninsula District. Rev Dan Haylett will still be the Chair. This new District will stretch from Bridgwater to the Isles of Scilly. District committees are in the process of being rehashed. District gatherings likely to be local, eg, Plymouth, Tavistock, Lifton. Paul mentioned he used to lead a support group for young ministers. At first he just covered those in the Plymouth and Exeter District, before taking on responsibility for Cornwall too: they met at Lifton Down. Circuit – nothing to report ## 11. **Reports from the life of the Church (as distributed prior to the meeting)** Reports were distributed prior to the meeting. Pauline thanked Jennifer for her 2 years as Senior Steward. Jennifer will continue as a steward. Jennifer was thanked for her diligence and dedication to the job. Paul also thanked Jennifer for her time. The Treasurer brought two names to the meeting for approval: Peter Johnston – new Chair of Finance Committee and Marion Playle – new Secretary of Finance Committee ## **Tavistock Methodist Church** Minutes of the Annual Church Meeting held on Wednesday 17[th] July 2024 ||**These appointments were approved by those present at the meeting and eligible to**
**vote.**
Nothing from Safeguarding needed to be reported.|| |---|---|---| |12.|**“How do Churches Grow”**
The meeting then got into groups. Paul did a presentation on why some churches grow. It
was a bit of a mystery in the past – as people were not sure why some churches grew and
others didn’t. Lots of research has been done in recent years.
Paul shared some of the principles. There is no magic bullet as to why churches grow.
When serious about growth it is really important to start by saying ‘how do we assess
where we are at the moment’?
SWOT analysis a good place to start. Each group discussed one each – looking at this
church.
S (strengths)– Premises, location, reputation in other communities, churches and town.
Good service to community , i.e. Street Pastors, DATA etc. Very welcoming, Toddlers, Care
Café. Diverse age profile. Reasonable engagement with tech. TMC comes high up on
internet searches. Lots of opportunity to help. Prayer. Family work.
Welcoming, lots of time given, good facilities, open approach, youth work, good preaching
and teaching
W (weaknesses) - don’t like to talk about this. Need to improve. Are we aware of wider
community needs?
O (opportunities) – buildings, market town, reasonably affluent and growing, schools
work, family groups who meet here, Toddlers etc. Youth work, Catalyst. Partnership with
other churches, e.g., partnership for specific needs. Arts e.g., Tavistock Passion, street
theatre
T (threats) – top heavy with older people, lack of money. Costs of running the building.
Sunday distractions. Family commitments. Media, including social media. Technology, far
more choice of churches or people decide not to go at all.
Paul then went on to discuss how do we maximize the O and S and how address the W &
T?
Need to recognize numerical and spiritual growth.
Numerical – new people born to Christ and then come to Church – various paths –
‘conversion growth’.
Some come because they are attracted to a particular church – ‘transfer growth’ . On a
show of hands, this is the largest number at TMC.|| ## **Tavistock Methodist Church** ## Minutes of the Annual Church Meeting held on Wednesday 17[th] July 2024 We attract from other churches. Lots of those who moved here didn’t come from same denomination. Reasons include there being a junior church. This is a real challenge for some churches so young people move away. Youth work is a “selling point” for TMC. One story was shared. The initial welcome good. Heard about TMC by word of mouth so TMC stood out - had been to Methodist church before. ## Invited by others (personally) Families who have always been in the life of the church so their children inherit – ‘biological growth’. Some churches recognize biological growth is significant as the Methodist church loses members when they move location. Change of situation makes it easy to drop through the cracks. Some churches monitor this. They set up an area programme to keep an eye on house sales – welcome new people when they move in. This puts the importance of growth on the church’s map. Conversion growth – one story shared. Research has been carried out on conversion growth. This is difficult in most churches. What leads to most conversions is another person – the importance of relationships. ‘Anatomy of local church’. Paul explained ‘circles’. Small circle = those at the core of the church. Next circle out = those who worship reasonably often. Would say they belong here, but are not core people. Next circle out again = those who would not say this is ‘their church’, but come here for something, specific e.g. lunch clubs, etc. Last and largest circle = fringe – don’t see here as their church, but they are open to things: maybe they are friends with a Christian? To grow do we need to move from outside in and vice versa? Is this the right route? Success is all circles to be bigger. Often people don’t move to the core. The danger is we want more people to attend, but we don’t want to give up power! A feature of growing church is that more and more people do less and less each. They are thus free to do what they do really well. Church would recognize that as their ministry, so they are not needed to do anything else. Declining churches see fewer people doing more and more. Integration is how a person takes the journey through the circles. Paul told a story of new vicar in Sheffield and his experience of going into a betting shop and being stared at. People can feel like this when they come to church the first time. There is no second chance to make a first impression. ## **Tavistock Methodist Church** Minutes of the Annual Church Meeting held on Wednesday 17[th] July 2024 Does the church have a strategy to enable people to make that journey? We have an up to date Welcome Pack, but does it have information that new people really need to have? E.g., bus timetable, details of doctors’ surgeries etc.? It was pointed out that lots of information is available already. Transition Tavistock produced an initial pack which was distributed around town. No-one has come back for more stock – lack of connection? Think not just about churchy things. What stood out from the above discussion? Importance of: - Welcome pack - Relationships - Relationships - Relationships - Do what you do really well Bread and butter issues can be talked about. No church will grow if worship is boring. Vibrant worship, where people feel they are sharing in something, is really important and where it touches their life which makes a difference. Pastoral care is very important. People need to feel they matter as they feel they matter less and less in the current world Need to get out of idea that exuberant worship is the way we grow. There is lots of growth in cathedrals at the moment. Need to decide where we sit on the spirituality spectrum. Decide what it is and do it well People need to know what they’re going to get. Paul handed out copies of the Engel scale: “Steps to Christ”. This is one way to think about the journey to Christian commitment. Paul mentioned the Plymouth Central Hall evangelism group which was set up at the end of his ministry there. Very few came to church as a result of this group. All we’ve talked about with regards to TMC is important, but people come because the Lord brought them. God guides people to churches where He knows they will challenged, nurtured and fed. If we get our bit right God will get His bit right. What’s important for us to know is that, normally, people don’t jump steps. We need to discern where are they now and what is the next step for them? Revival might happen but usually people come in steps. A steward was appointed to each group and they made notes from that group’s discussion. The Stewards will take these discussion to their forthcoming away day, talk it over and come back to us afterwards. ## **Tavistock Methodist Church** Minutes of the Annual Church Meeting held on Wednesday 17[th] July 2024 ||It was felt the above was a good exercise and a good start
Thanks to Paul for this discussion.
Paul prayed.
In all the above discussion we have not talked about spirituality – the church needs
renewal on a spiritual level too.|| |---|---|---| |13.|**Future dates**
Not mentioned|| |14.|**Date of next Church Council meeting:**
Not mentioned|| |15.|**Closing prayer:**
Rev Paul Smith thanked those who served refreshments, Neil for doing the sound and Mel
for taking the minutes.
The meetingclosed at 9:02p.m.|| CHURCH RECE IPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS TrE METFK)tX ST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Tav19t￿k Nkth(¥Ji¥t chU￿h FOR THE YEMI ENDED 31 Augjst 2024 Tavi¥t(rk C1￿ul1 C•￿it no 37 Registered Charity . Charity Regislrnlion nurtler 1130587 If not a registered tharity Her Re4enue a￿1 Cu8lc¥n8 Gift Aid he HldRC number ts equNakntto a regi*￿Ed dbairtynumLw wi t￿$ of ehidence ofchartabk statu5 and m ay be used to give to donors o r grant ffijnde￿ wshng to see emdence ofthe organisetion's ctharrtable status. M ethodk* thant￿$ n England and Wa ks that are n ot regBtered chanb.es arE ex￿pIed trom regi*rnkn'on under Statutory InstNment 2014 No.242) M n Bter. Rev ChrisBrov Churth Stev4erds'. Rene Chambers JenniÈrYoue John Wryht dymarsh Irs Wnght Paufine SaY4er Kathy Watts Treasurer. Nel Tambl C￿￿hR arnl p a11&J CCIJNTS F(R THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2abl Tavistc¢k Methodist Chwth Titsls kst SECTICMI A Furn RECBPTS oirwnEs Tax reTrKera Eartt CFB n*rest&TrJ lrwe5t￿ert wrorr 1￿.754 131,7 13Z 2.784 21 17 1.5TI LetD" 18.C•)1 Otr• Tc￿AL REC8FTS .443 184P61 28,943 181?6T 2W lan 176,766 SECTICII 8 b1 PAYWENrs Cwcui(Asse55ryErt u STrwe 1¢L.3 1(Q 100.C( D￿St￿$r$ 10.OCI) 10.00) 22,1&5 Rwrs UL11rL￿s I knsLran￿s. v¥8t h*ti 22.185 11.934 11 b7 34.083 1￿,527 .0 1W),$27 TofAL PAYPENTS Ib* 163,7Ce SECTIIYI C NET REcEPTYPAY￿NTs 11057 Tc*81 fcxY4td frc*m 51 btot e1 +c2 Tr8rsfas th1￿￿trr*rts len T(￿AL FUNDSAT ENDOF YEAR ic3+c41 7D* 2W TJ CTIC*I D FOR INFORIAATI¢J4 ONLY." I•C*I EY RECEVED PASSEDON TO EXTERNALORGAMIS4TI¢JIS d1 r￿e from se offerT￿,,GIfts . reLE•/ed fu extond 1.5 io of¥r￿JGIr6 . to extffn41 c￿sE1￿r5 1.535 BALANCE STIL TO BE PAIO 101+d3d• 2cfS Tw5to* Mthd5t ÉcrK)M È Afw¢S fi23 420L4 41243 117.1•7 110*27 IO&Q5 (N) 11&53 lyl TOT￿ crK)N Y457 W8rorK.c•wth 71SIO c¢ ￿- ￿￿<,,'*I2,, I￿￿5 11&Y3 & &J&Q5 :.. 5,9)8.%8 aii.156 2)7.191 Jds Declarations and Scrutlny .-Clxw¢h dep￿d￿t Exaninefs Report to the T￿￿tee5 of the -church Chanty Nuthr..~.......-. Respongbilrt*s and basis of report I rer(¢rttothe trLStees on rry exaTina￿n a￿Ol￿t5 ofthe........................................ [￿￿ch forlhe year enthd 31 Augjst 21r24 set pa4ES . . to . As the (￿rch'S trustees y are resp(￿￿ble forthe prep￿at￿n cl the a￿OL￿tS in bmth the rewrerwts cl the C*￿tiesA￿ 3)11 Ime Ad). I report in resped cl nry ￿anina1.[￿ ofthe xcotnts caried fxrt sedi)n 145 ofthe Ad aTrJ, in carryiro ¢XJt rry exatTrtra￿rL I h&e fol(vied ai the aFpI'cable D￿ett￿ns given ty the c*￿ty Corrmssicn Lmtrr sedicn 145(5Mb) of the Ad. . (*￿te cf arth as ¥wcpnae s115th￿thR mdPAIs 4d5 CHURCH RECE IPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS TrE METFK)tX ST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Tav19t￿k Nkth(¥Ji¥t chU￿h FOR THE YEMI ENDED 31 Augjst 2024 Tavi¥t(rk C1￿ul1 C•￿it no 37 Registered Charity . Charity Regislrnlion nurtler 1130587 If not a registered tharity Her Re4enue a￿1 Cu8lc¥n8 Gift Aid he HldRC number ts equNakntto a regi*￿Ed dbairtynumLw wi t￿$ of ehidence ofchartabk statu5 and m ay be used to give to donors o r grant ffijnde￿ wshng to see emdence ofthe organisetion's ctharrtable status. M ethodk* thant￿$ n England and Wa ks that are n ot regBtered chanb.es arE ex￿pIed trom regi*rnkn'on under Statutory InstNment 2014 No.242) M n Bter. Rev ChrisBrov Churth Stev4erds'. Rene Chambers JenniÈrYoue John Wryht dymarsh Irs Wnght Paufine SaY4er Kathy Watts Treasurer. Nel Tambl C￿￿hR arnl p a11&J CCIJNTS F(R THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2abl Tavistc¢k Methodist Chwth Titsls kst SECTICMI A Furn RECBPTS oirwnEs Tax reTrKera Eartt CFB n*rest&TrJ lrwe5t￿ert wrorr 1￿.754 131,7 13Z 2.784 21 17 1.5TI LetD" 18.C•)1 Otr• Tc￿AL REC8FTS .443 184P61 28,943 181?6T 2W lan 176,766 SECTICII 8 b1 PAYWENrs Cwcui(Asse55ryErt u STrwe 1¢L.3 1(Q 100.C( D￿St￿$r$ 10.OCI) 10.00) 22,1&5 Rwrs UL11rL￿s I knsLran￿s. v¥8t h*ti 22.185 11.934 11 b7 34.083 1￿,527 .0 1W),$27 TofAL PAYPENTS Ib* 163,7Ce SECTIIYI C NET REcEPTYPAY￿NTs 11057 Tc*81 fcxY4td frc*m 51 btot e1 +c2 Tr8rsfas th1￿￿trr*rts len T(￿AL FUNDSAT ENDOF YEAR ic3+c41 7D* 2W TJ CTIC*I D FOR INFORIAATI¢J4 ONLY." I•C*I EY RECEVED PASSEDON TO EXTERNALORGAMIS4TI¢JIS d1 r￿e from se offerT￿,,GIfts . reLE•/ed fu extond 1.5 io of¥r￿JGIr6 . to extffn41 c￿sE1￿r5 1.535 BALANCE STIL TO BE PAIO 101+d3d• 2cfS Tw5to* Mthd5t ÉcrK)M È Afw¢S fi23 420L4 41243 117.1•7 110*27 IO&Q5 (N) 11&53 lyl TOT￿ crK)N Y457 W8rorK.c•wth 71SIO c¢ ￿- ￿￿<,,'*I2,, I￿￿5 11&Y3 & &J&Q5 :.. 5,9)8.%8 aii.156 2)7.191 Jds Declarations and Scrutlny .-Clxw¢h dep￿d￿t Exaninefs Report to the T￿￿tee5 of the -church Chanty Nuthr..~.......-. Respongbilrt*s and basis of report I rer(¢rttothe trLStees on rry exaTina￿n a￿Ol￿t5 ofthe........................................ [￿￿ch forlhe year enthd 31 Augjst 21r24 set pa4ES . . to . As the (￿rch'S trustees y are resp(￿￿ble forthe prep￿at￿n cl the a￿OL￿tS in bmth the rewrerwts cl the C*￿tiesA￿ 3)11 Ime Ad). I report in resped cl nry ￿anina1.[￿ ofthe xcotnts caried fxrt sedi)n 145 ofthe Ad aTrJ, in carryiro ¢XJt rry exatTrtra￿rL I h&e fol(vied ai the aFpI'cable D￿ett￿ns given ty the c*￿ty Corrmssicn Lmtrr sedicn 145(5Mb) of the Ad. . (*￿te cf arth as ¥wcpnae s115th￿thR mdPAIs 4d5