Vicar’s Report on 2021
Introduction:
The whole of 2021 was affected by Coronavirus , the vaccination programme and lockdowns. We had to wear face coverings; use hand sanitiser; wipe the pews with disinfection wipes; not share the peace; not sing for the first six months of the year; not share the wine at the communion and for most of the year, not gather for refreshments after worship. Funerals in church were reinstated by the government but Christenings were not; numbers were heavily restricted for those allowed to attend church weddings when they were allowed. When we met at zoom gatherings after Sunday worship, the conversation focussed on what date people had for their first vaccination! At the beginning of the year, numbers attending worship in the building were every low - about 22 people. By the end of the year, regular numbers attending Sunday worship were about 60 people. In common with all churches across the country, not everybody returned to worship inperson. Some have stopped worshipping with us altogether and some now join us via live streaming; this is also a pattern replicated in most UK churches.
Winter 2020/ 2021 (January and February)
The live streaming was now fully working meaning that people can watch and join in our worship even if they are unable to attend worship in the building. We continued to hold our PCC meetings via zoom and school governor meetings also continued to be held over zoom for the whole of 2021.
A Families Service at 11.30 am was launch in January to connect with children. We were losing in-person engagement with children and Coronavirus guidelines banned us from mixing households so re-instating a regular Sunday School was impossible. Numbers were low - about seven children and 10 adults but built up during the year and we enjoyed the worship and craft and being together in the church even though we kept our distance from one another.
Spring 2021 (March, April and May)
We gave every child from our church school a Fairtrade Easter Egg when they came into church for their Easter service. Because of the generosity of the congregation, this was carried out with no cost to the parish.
Three choir members started singing at our Sunday services in March. The congregation was still not allowed to sing.
We also re-started 8 am BCP Holy Communion . This is now conducted on the first
Sunday of the month.
We delivered Easter cards to everybody in our church contact list (and Christmas cards) this year to keep that link and also invite them to our services in these important seasons.
In April, we held our annual meeting (APCM) and thanked Kerrie Hickman who stood down after serving as church warden for six and a half years. We are very grateful for her years of dedication to St Anne’s. Andrew Egarr was duly elected as our new church
warden to serve alongside Pauline Stacey. Sadly, we also said goodbye to our organist Max Puller who was moving to Edinburgh for work and therefore could no longer be our organist and choir leader. And Chris Davey stood down as PCC secretary but her grandson Joe kindly continues to serve as our funeral verger. We also recruited a new safeguarding officer, Elizabeth Mills.
By May, government guidelines had relaxed our social interaction with one another and numbers attending church in-person were picking up. We were still not having refreshments after Sunday worship.
Summer 2021 (June, July and August)
In July, we were allowed to sing in church ! People still wore face coverings (as per the government guidelines) but everybody in church was now allowed to sing the hymns. We use the services of two freelance organists now - both called David! David Rickett and David Bradford have sustained our worship faithfully and joyfully and we are very grateful for their skill and service to St Anne’s.
David Murray , our curate was ordained priest at Chester Cathedral at a social distanced ordination service. Olwyn and I were pleased to be able to support him at the cathedral but of course, we could not invite the parish along as we normally would due to Covid restrictions.
We all got the chance to meet the new Bishop of Chester when the Rt Revd Mark Tanner came to St Anne’s to officially launch our Future Foundations Project . We commissioned a video and produced a glossy brochure to promote the Project to the wider community telling everybody about our plans not just the church congregation. Full details of the project are on our church website. In order to fund the re-ordering of both Victorian buildings (church and hall), we need to raise a minimum of £1.5 million. Following consultation, the PCC voted to sell the entire site at St Francis to secure the future of both church and hall. All funds from the sale of St Francis will be re-invested into our ministry and mission at St Anne’s.
Autumn 2021 (September, October and November)
We re-launched the Parent & Toddler Group held in our hall on Friday mornings. After much planning, we agreed to include a brief bible story and song into the morning programme; and to have invited a rota of women from our Mothers’ Union branch to look after the refreshments and get to know the parents.
We held a Harvest Service with lunch in the hall! At last, we were able to sit down with one another in a social setting and eat together. Refreshments after Sunday worship in the hall was also re-instated.
Prayers for Healing on the first Sunday of the month was re-introduced; thanks to those who continue this important ministry. And the school now held its act of Collective Worship each week in church with the aid of the screen, laptop and projector.
We hosted a iSingPOP concert in church in November for the school (part-funded by the church) which was postponed from pre-Covid days. In was extremely moving to witness 200 children singing these upbeat songs with such enthusiasm and joy. The parents loved it almost as much as the children did! It helped boost numbers attending our Families Service which on average attracts 40 children and adults each week.
Choir practice resumed after we recruited a new choir leader , the highly talented Matthew Roughley. Matthew runs his own choir who also practices in St Anne’s Church.
Winter 2021 (December)
We held a Christmas lunch in the hall following worship which was very well attended (my thanks to Olwyn and helpers who put this together). The usual Christmas acts of worship were able to take place this year - the Carol Service, the nativity play and, of course, our popular Christingle services (although we had sustained this even during Covid). My thanks to Carol, Jackie and the team for ensuring that nothing stops the Christingle services from happening!
Deaths this year
Sadly, in 2021 we said goodbye to the following people who died this year: Ann Quinn; Katie Okonkwo and Enid Cowsill.
Thank you
I am indebted to many people for their unstinting support during 2021; running a church is a team effort and I am very grateful to have a committed team of people here at St Anne’s. Thank you to:
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our church wardens, Andrew Egarr and Pauline Stacey, for always being available and giving so generously of your time and energy;
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to my colleagues Olwyn and David for your commitment and kindness - thank you for always listening and giving of your best to further God’s kingdom here at St Anne’s;
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for Lynda Ronan and Vicky Gilbert who together look after our halls - thank you for shouldering this responsibility with me during extraordinary times; it has not been easy adapting guidelines through the pandemic. I am very grateful that I have been able to rely on your support through out this year.
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For those assisting in using the laptop and live streaming camera that enables many housebound members of our church to still follow and join in our worship on Sundays and Wednesdays. It is very much appreciated by many people - thank you.
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For those who have picked up roles again that support our worship - Sue Heath (sacristan), Pauline Sellars (church flowers); Sidespeople and assistant wardens.
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For Kerrie who faithfully delivers our weekly notice sheet every Saturday to those unable to attend church; thank you for carrying out this ministry to older, housebound members of our community.
Blessings,
The Revd Canon Alison Cox Vicar of St Anne’s, Sale
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