## St Austell Parish
## Annual Report
for the year ending 31st December 2020
1
## **St Austell Parish**
## **Holy Trinity | St Levan’s | All Saints**
## **Annual Report and Accounts of the Parochial Church Council**
for the Year ending 31 December 2020
## **Incumbent:**
Rev Howard Flint Holy Trinity Church Church Street St Austell Cornwall PL25 4FZ
## **Principal Bankers:**
CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ
Barclays Bank 10 Church Street St Austell PL25 4AS
## **Independent Examiner:**
Tina Kelly Cuckoo House Nanstallon PL30 5LD
## **Registered Charity No. 1135008**
2
## **Table of Contents**
## **St Austell Parochial Church Council 2020**
## **Accounts**
**Finance Report for the year ended 31st Dec. 2020**
**Achievements and Performance**
**Transforming Mission**
**Safeguarding**
**Church Warden’s Report**
**Home Communion**
**Mission**
**Children’s Youth & Families**
**Community**
**Small Groups**
**Bellringers**
**Pastoral Care**
**Walking For Health**
**Pioneer Report**
**Precept Inductive Bible Study Group**
**PCC Report**
**All Saints Pentewan**
**St Levan’s Church Report - Warden’s Report**
**Vicars Report**
**Electoral Roll**
**Curate’s Report**
**Deanery Synod**
**Transforming Mission**
3
## St Austell Parochial Church Council 2020
**Ex Officio** Howard Flint **Church Wardens** Sara Moult Keith Palmer **– Diocesan Synod Representatives 3 years from September 2018 ( Ends 2021)** Michael Rowe **St Austell Deanery Synod Representatives – 3 years from APCM 2020 (Ends 2023)** Alan Gilbert Richard Rashleigh Heather Batho Chris Edleston **Elected members – to serve until 2021** Chris Edleston Pam Abraham Rosemary Adkins **Elected Members - to serve until 2022 Elected Members to serve until 2023** Carol Edleson Heather Batho Ralph Curr **Deputy Churchwardens – to serve for 1 year** Robin Evans Alex Palmer Rupert Adkins **All Saints Representative*** Ralph Curr **St Levan’s Representative*** Sara Moult **Non voting members** Katrina Hurst**
_* Selected by relevant church congregation_
- _** PCC Secretary_
4
## **Parochial Church Council Of St Austell**
|**Statement Of Financial Activities**
_for the Year ended 31st December 2020_
**Note**
Incoming Resources
Donations and Legacies
2(a)
Charitable Activities
2(b)
Other Trading Activities
Investment Income
2(c)
Total Incoming Resources
Resources Used
Church Activities
3(a)
Trinity Centre Refurbishment **
3(b)
Transforming Mission - Provisioning Exp - Equip. etc.**
3(b)
Total Resources Expended
Net Outgoing/Incoming Resources
(Before Other Recognised Gains and Losses)
(Loss)/Gains on Investments ref. mkt value @ 31-12-2020
5(b)
Net Income/(Expenditure)
Capitalised Expenditure **
3(b)
Gains and Losses on Revaluation of Property
Net Movement In Funds
Reserves - Balances B/Fwd At 1st January 2020
Reserves - Balances C/Fwd At 31st December 2020
_Memo - Of Which The Revaluation Reserve is -_
Balance Sheet as at 31st December 2020
_Note_
Fixed Assets
Tangible Fixed Assets
5(a)
Investment Assets
5(b)
Current Assets
Debtors
6
Cash At Bank & In-Hand
Liabilities; Creditors; Amounts Falling Due Within 1 Year
7
Net Current Assets
Net Assets
Funds
Endowment
9
Restricted
8
Unrestricted
9
Revaluation Reserve
9||**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
162,650
16,344
2,770||**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
234,358
24,282
1,466
260,106
260,106
35,577
**_26,751_**
**_1,607_**
63,935
196,171|**Endowment**
**Funds**
**£**
6,060||**Total Funds**
**2020**
**£**
397,008
40,626
4,236|**Total Funds**
**2019**
£
195,546
26,488
4,145|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||181,764
181,263|||||441,870
216,840
26,751
1,607|226,179
226,960
52,554|
|||181,263|||||245,198|279,514|
|||501|||||196,672
6,060|(53,335)
13,865|
|||501
**_28,358_**||196,171|6,060||202,732
28,358|(39,470)|
|||28,859
387,240||196,171
182,250|6,060
98,318||231,090
667,808|(39,470)
707,278|
|||416,099||378,421|104,378||898,898|667,808|
|||_187,231_|||||_187,231_|_187,231_|
|||||**2020**
**£**
553,853
104,378
658,231
65,072
206,641
271,713
(31,046)
240,667
898,898
104,378
378,421
228,868
187,231
898,898|||**2019**
**£**
530,549
98,318
628,867
17,520
51,265
68,785
(29,844)
38,941
667,808
98,318
182,250
200,009
187,231
667,808||
||||||||||
||||||||||
||||||||||
|||||898,898|||667,808||
||||||||||
||||||||||
**Parochial Church Council Of St Austell**
## **Statement Of Financial Activities**
## **for the Year ended 31st December 2020**
## **Notes Con't**
2. Incoming Resources
|2(a) Voluntary Income
Planned Giving - Covenant
Tax Recoverable
Collections
TM Funding - Parish Contr'n
Other Grants Received
Donations, Appeals Etc
Legacies
2(b) Charitable Activities
Missional Grants (Incl. TM Funding)
Fund Raising
Revenue from Sales of Books, Cards and Magazines etc.
Add:-
Income From Other Qualifying Church Activities
Rental incl Wayleaves
Income from Church Hall Site
Fees
Total Income From Charitable Activities
2(c) Income From Investments
Dividends
Interest
**Total Incoming Resources**
**3(a) Church Activities- Ordinary Expenditure**
Missionary and Charitable Giving
Ministry : Diocesan Quota
Clergy Costs
Parish Training & Mission
Other Ministry Costs
Church :- Running & Maintenance
Upkeep Of Services
Depreciation Of Buildings
Depreciation of Equipment
Organist
Trinity Car Park
Children & Youth Expenditure
Church Fabric
Trinity Centre - Consultancy
Trinity Square
Transforming Mission Parish Contribution
Staff Costs & Honorarium
Telephone & Broadband
Property Costs - Church Office
Property Costs - Trinity Centre
General Office Expenses
Miscellaneous
Loan Interest
Bank Charges
Other Property Costs
**Total Ordinary (Operating) Expenditure**
**Net Surplus/Deficit on Ordinary Activities**
**3(b) Other Expenditure/Fund Movements**
Trinity Centre - Refurbishment Expenditure**
Trans. Mission - Provisioning Assets (e.g. I.T & Media Eq.)**
Capital Additions** (Trf to B'sheet)
**Net Movement in Funds**||**_Unrestricted_**
**_Funds_**
**2019**
**_Comparitive_**
_130,013_
_30,114_
_15,594_
_19,349_|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**Restricted**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Tr'form'g. Miss.**
**( Tr. Centre)**
**(Fabric & Other)**
**2020**
**£**
**£**
**£**
129,842
25,667
22,734
3,129
3,045
1,975
3,512
161,634
_500_
44,970|**Total Funds**
**2020**
**£**
129,842
48,401
3,129
3,045
1,975
165,146
45,470|**Total Funds**
**2019**
**£**
130,013
30,114
15,594
(25)
19,849|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||_195,071_|162,650
3,045
229,338
1,975
24,282
24|397,008
24,282
24|195,546|
|||_7,199_
_8,083_
_2,519_|24
24,282
7,832
7,458
1,030|24,306
7,832
7,458
1,030|7,199
8,083
2,519|
|||_17,801_|16,320|16,320|17,801|
|||_17,801_
_2,768_
_225_|16,344
24,282
2,695
75
1,466|40,626
2,695
1,541|17,801
2,768
1,378|
|||_2,992_|2,770
1,466|4,236|4,145|
|||_215,864_
_9,000_
_98,357_
_1,976_
_1,451_
_1,170_
_22,439_
_2,197_
_5,080_
_599_
_2,543_
_1,950_
_41,601_
_788_
_15,232_
_2,482_
_350_
_1,153_
_135_
_303_|181,764
27,327
229,338
3,441
4,465
98,357
898
1,153
464
553
18,158
3,039
1,245
5,053
745
1,111
471
200
574
4,269
3,045
19,546
25,256
1,975
1,338
14,487
3,585
3,743
1,224
1,466
120
300|441,870
4,465
98,357
898
1,617
553
21,197
1,245
5,053
745
1,111
471
774
4,269
3,045
46,777
1,338
14,487
3,585
3,743
1,224
1,466
120
300|217,492
9,000
98,357
1,976
1,451
1,170
22,439
2,197
5,080
599
2,543
27,433
9,787
4,261
16,118
788
15,232
2,482
350
1,153
135
303|
|||_208,807_|181,263
25,720
4,269
5,588|216,840|222,856|
|||**_7,057_**|**501**
**1,607**
**225,069**
**(2,147)**
(26,751)
(1,607)
28,358|**225,030**
(26,751)
(1,607)
28,358|**(5,363)**|
|||**7,057**|**28,859**
**-**
**198,318**
**(2,147)**|**225,030**|**(5,363)**|
**Parochial Church Council Of St Austell**
## **Notes Con't**
**4. Staff Costs Amount £** (a) Wages & Salaries 42,522 Employers National Insurance 2,094 Pension Contributions 569 Estimate Of Average No. Of Full Time Equivalent Employees 3.5
## (b) Payments to PCC members
The Operations Manager is a member of the PCC and her election has neen approved by the PCC on the basis that the best interests of the PCC are being so served. The Operations Manager renumeration was £11,689 in the financial year.
## **5. Fixed Assets**
|5(a) Tangible
**Actual Deemed/Cost at 1st January**
Additions During The Year
Demolition/Disposals During The Year
Revaluations During The Year
**Balance At 1st December 2020**
**Depreciation At 1st January**
Charge For Year
Adjustments Demolition/Disposals/Reval'n During The Year
**Balance At 1st December 2020**
**Net Book Value At 31st December 2020**
_Memo - Of Which Revaluation of Assets Accounts for -_||**Freehold**
**Property**
**£**
520,458
26,751
**2020**|**Equipment**
**£**
20,316
1,607
(1,238)
20,685
10,226
5,052
(1,238)
14,040
**£6,645**
||**Freehold**
**Property**
**£**
310,000
210,458
**2019**|**Equipment**
**£**
11,290
9,026|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||547,209
-|||520,458
-|20,316
5,146
5,080|
||||||-|10,226|
|||**£547,209**|||**£520,458**|**£10,090**|
|||_£187,231_|||_£187,231_||
The tangible assets consist of the freehold land, buildings and equipment. The freehold land and buildings comprise Trinity Lodge and the former church hall site and car park, the Trinity Centre (formerly Hop & Vine) located in St Austell together with the Church Hall, Porthpean. Valuation is based Open Market and these have been carried out within the last 3 years. The Revaluation Reserve gives the uplift in value from the Historic Cost. Equipment is depreciated at 25% straight line. Buildings are not depreciated based on assumptions of long life expectancy and high residual value.
## **5(b) Investments - Deposit and Investment Funds**
|Market Value 1st January
Unrealised investment (loss)/gain in year
Market value at 31st December 2020
Cost At 31st December 2020
**6 Debtors**
Income Tax recoverable
Transforming Mission Grants Receivable
Prepayments and Accrued Income
**7. Liabilities**
**Creditors ; Amounts falling due within one year**
Creditors, Accruals and Deferred income
Accrual For Outside Giving|**2020**
**£**
98,318
6,060
104,378
13,341
33,544
25,747
5,781
65,072
15,172
15,874
31,046|**2019**
**£**
84,453
13,865|
|---|---|---|
|||98,318|
|||13,341|
|||6,223
2,306|
|||8,529|
|||11,752
17,733|
|||29,485|
**Parochial Church Council Of St Austell**
## **Notes Con't**
## 8. Funds
The Restricted Funds is currently comprised only of the Church Fabric Fund as the Church Hall Facity Fund has been disolved and monies transferred towards meeting the acquisition and development costs of the Trinity Centre (with the former approval of the donees).
## **Restricted Funds Movement**
|Balance at 1st January 2020
Incoming Resources
Resources Expended
Transfers To/From General Fund
Balance at 31st December 2020|**Total**
182,250
260,105|**Church**
**Fabric**
182,250
1,466|**Transforming**
**Trinity**
**Mission**
**Centre**
27,327
229,337|**Transforming**
**Trinity**
**Mission**
**Centre**
27,327
229,337|**Other**
**Restricted**
1,975|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||
||442,355
(63,934)|183,716
(3,612)||27,327
229,337
(27,327)
(31,020)|1,975
(1,975)|
||£378,421
£180,104|||-
£198,317|-|
The Fabric Fund comprises a restricted fund designated for the re-covering of the roof, and for internal re-ordering of Holy Trinity Church. The Endowment Funds comprise St. Levan's (Porthpean) Church Fund of £11,805 and the Treleaven Fund £88,371 and various smaller funds. The Endowment Funds are represented by fixed investments.
|9 Analysis of net assets by Fund
Fixed Assets - Tangible
Investments
Current Assets
Current Liabilities
Net Current Assets
Adj. Re Fixed Asset Revaluations (Trf to Separate Reserve)
Fund Balance|**Unrestricted**
**General**
**Fund**
**£**
553,853
(150,000)
403,853
22,268
(10,022)
12,246
(187,231)|**Unrestricted**
**General**
**Fund**
**£**
553,853
(150,000)
403,853
22,268
(10,022)
12,246
(187,231)|**R**|**evaluation**
**Reserve**
187,231||**Fabric**
**Endowment**
**Trinity**
**Total Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Centre Redev.**
**Agency**
**2020**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
553,853
150,000
104,378
104,378
**<-------------------------------------------Restricted------------------------------------------->**|**Fabric**
**Endowment**
**Trinity**
**Total Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Centre Redev.**
**Agency**
**2020**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
553,853
150,000
104,378
104,378
**<-------------------------------------------Restricted------------------------------------------->**|**Fabric**
**Endowment**
**Trinity**
**Total Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Centre Redev.**
**Agency**
**2020**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
553,853
150,000
104,378
104,378
**<-------------------------------------------Restricted------------------------------------------->**|**Fabric**
**Endowment**
**Trinity**
**Total Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Centre Redev.**
**Agency**
**2020**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
553,853
150,000
104,378
104,378
**<-------------------------------------------Restricted------------------------------------------->**|**Fabric**
**Endowment**
**Trinity**
**Total Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Centre Redev.**
**Agency**
**2020**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
553,853
150,000
104,378
104,378
**<-------------------------------------------Restricted------------------------------------------->**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||**Fabric**
**Funds**
**£**
150,000|**Endowment**
**Funds**
**£**
104,378|**Trinity**
**Centre Redev.**
**£**|**Agency**
**£**||
||||||||||||
|||||||150,000
30,104|104,378|198,317|21,024
(21,024)|658,231
271,713
(31,046)|
|||||||30,104||198,317||240,667|
|||228,868||187,231||180,104|104,378|198,317||898,898|
10 Audit and Accountancy Fees
**2020 2019 £ £** 350 350
Independent Examiners Fee
## **Finance Report for the year ended 31[st] Dec. 2020**
The accounts of the PCC are best viewed in two separate parts, namely those activities associated with what are termed Unrestricted Funds (funds that can be spent on any expense, routine or otherwise, that the church incurs in the course of carrying out its work) and those associated with Restricted funds (where money is specifically given and handled according to defined criteria e.g. for the maintenance of the Church’s buildings and fabric).
## **Overview to the 2020 Accounts**
Before proceeding with the detailed section of the report, it is worth briefly commenting on the main events and activities of the past year. It will come as no surprise that the effect of Covid19 and the subsequent lockdown has negatively affected income, nevertheless because a good proportion of the church family support the church through planned giving the impact has been less severe than it might otherwise have been - enabling the church to fulfil its obligation to MMF as well as ensuring continued maintenance and care of the church building and the running of the church office. Turning to progress on the Trinity Centre, I’m pleased to say there was a very encouraging and generous response to the Trinity Centre Funding Opportunity with money raised from the church family (including pledges) of over £392,316. The refurbishment plans have also progressed with the stripping out having been completed and the commencement of phase 1 of the refurbishment program imminent.
Finally – the Transforming Mission initiative has also progressed with the recruitment of members the pioneer team (Jonny Dant and Lesley Lawther and Heather Batho). The church is therefore now in a good position to actively engage with the mission as Covid restrictions are lifted. On a general note, although the early years of this initiative will be mainly funded by the Diocese in partnership with the Central Board of Finance of the Church of England, our contribution will increase each year on the basis of church growth will provide funding to support the mission in the longer term
## **Commentary on Unrestricted Funds**
The headline result for our principal church activities was a surplus of £501,.
**Income.** (Please also refer to the expanded income statement in the notes and commentary section of the accounts)
Total income for Unrestricted Funds was £181,764. Commenting on particular items, I am pleased to report that Planned Giving £129,842 stayed almost
at the same level as 2019 despite the pandemic. The biggest drop was in collections (by £12,465) which with a closed church is no surprise. General donations also dropped (from £19,349 to £3,512) but with the focus of donations being the Trinity Centre appeal, this again was to be expected. Total Voluntary giving by church members including tax recovered through Gift Aid came to £162,650 (down on 2019 by £32,421 for the reasons stated above). Other income (including dividends, the car park and fees) came to £19,114 against £20,793 in the previous year.
**Expenditure** . Total expenditure on Unrestricted funds was £181,263 – a reduction of £27,544 on 2019. Staff cost savings (no immediate replacement of Dave Smith) and savings on utility bills as a result of church closure being the principal reasons. Remarking on a few other specific items: - We paid our MMF (£98,357) to the Diocese in full. Outside Giving provision has been reduced to £4,465 in view of the reduction in available income.
. **Property Costs** The freehold land and buildings comprise Trinity Centre (formerly the Hop & Vine) Trinity Lodge together with the Church Car Park located in St Austell and the Church Hall, Porthpean. Valuation is based Open Market valuations, as reviewed within the last 3 years. The Revaluation Reserve gives the uplift in value from the Historic Cost .
## **Restricted Funds**
For Restricted Funds, income normally comes from specifically designated grants, appeals and legacies. The total income came to £260,106 in 2020 of which £229,338 was money received towards the Trinity Centre and £27,327 was funding received towards Transforming Mission.
Total expenditure on Restricted Funds was £63,935. The major items of expenditure were £31,020 on the Trinity Centre (progressing plans, stripping out and rates and insurance) and £27,327 on Transforming Mission (staffing and initial resourcing costs). **Reserves Policy**
Your PCC has agreed a Reserves policy (on the Free Reserves) of holding up to £50,000 as a Critical Reserve, and up to a further £50,000 as Discretionary Reserves (to maintain Children’s & Youth work, seed fund initiatives, provide money for new or replacement office equipment and as general contingency).
At the year end the net current assets (Free Reserves) stood at £12,246 as against £6,690 at the end of 2019. Restricted Reserves which relate to the Church Fabric Fund and the Trinity Centre Fund) stood at £378,421. However, of this £150,000 is held as an internal investment loan to the General Fund
which supported the initial purchase of the Trinity Centre.
## **Investments Policy**
Your PCC has approved an investment policy that enables program related investments where the risk has been assessed as acceptable and provided a prudent level of cash reserves are retained to cover anticipated expenditure as well as possible contingencies that may arise. A more detailed policy statement is available for inspection. This policy has allowed for the loan arrangement set in place as described in the Reserves section above. **2021 Action**
As a general objective - your PCC will continue to aim to achieve equilibrium between its income and expenditure, and maintain adequate free reserves to ensure the smooth running of the church’s financial affairs.
A primary focus in the coming months and years will be fund raising towards implementing the work required to turn the Trinity Centre into a Café and Community Hub and also a base from which the Pioneer Mission team will be able to successfully operate.
On other matters, we as a church are committed to paying in full the Diocese’s MMF allocation (which in 2020 will be £98,357). We will also continue to operate the parish office from No.9 Trevarthian Road.
It remains only to be said that the continuing and generous support and commitment of the PCC and congregation will be essential in meeting the challenges and making the most of the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REpoKf TO THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL
OF ST AUSTELL
Thi5 report on the financtal ststements of the PCC for the year ended 31 December 2020. which are
set out on Pages I to 4. is in respect of an examination carries out in accordan with the Church
Accounting Regulations 2(KJ6 ('the Re8ulationgl and Section 43 of the Chartties Act 1993 ('the ACYI.
Respettive Re5ponslbllt*s ofthe PCC and the Examlner
As member5 of the PCC you aTe responsible for the preparation of the financial ststements. You
consider that the audit requirements of the Regulations and section 43(21 of the Act do not apply. It
is my responsibilty to issue this report on those finarfial ststements in accordance wtth the terms of
the Regulations.
Basls otthi5 reyt
My examination was carried in accordan with the General Directions gIn by the Charity
commission under section 43 {7llbl of the Act and to be found in the Church Guidance 2CQ6 edition,
issued by the Finance Dtvision of the Archbishops, Council. The wmination includes a review of
accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts wtth those records. It also
includes considering any unusual items or disdosures in the financial stotements and seeking
explanations from you as trustes concerning any such matter5. The procedures undertaken do not
provide all the evidence that would be required in and audit aTrJ consequenty I do not express an
audtt opinion on the view given by the Accounts.
Independent examinerfs statemenL
In connection WEth my examination. no matter has come to my attention:
i. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respett the requirements
To keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the Art: and
to prepare financial statements, whith accord with the accounting record5 and
comply with the requirements of the Att and Regulations have not been met: or
2. To vthich, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in orderto enable a proper understanding
of the accounts to be reached.
Tlna Kelly
9- April 2021
Cuckoo House, Marshall Road, Nanstsllon, 8odmin. Cornwall. PL30 5LD
## **Achievements and Performance 2020/21**
The main focus of the PCC in 2020 has been around the development of Trinity Centre from the old Hop and Vine Pub. Fundraising was delayed by the pandemic, but sufficient funds were raised to start the refurbishment work in March 2021, following the strip out which was completed mainly by volunteers.
We are awaiting the imminent granting of a faculty to remove most of the pine pews in Holy Trinity and to mount the older, historic ones on castors. This will make the nave into a completely flexible space for worship in the round, as well as providing a good venue for our youth groups, toddler group, exhibitions, concerts etc.
## **Faculty application/HT internal reorganisation**
Our faculty application was accepted by the DAC, and we were able to display the 28 day notice on 22nd March. We can remove it and send it off to the Registrar on 20[th] April. Assuming that there are no further delays caused by any major objections, work will begin very quickly with a view to it being completed by the end of June.
The whole idea of making the seating flexible is so that we can make best use of the building for a wide variety of events. Sunshine, and all youth groups will benefit greatly from having a large, open space without having to navigate round fixed pews. Keith has been working with Rich Baldwin-Lee on relocating the sound desk, and also with Lesley about new storage for the Sunshine equipment. We are purchasing some large moveable storage trolleys for the equipment and this will enable it to be easily moved from the outer vestry into the church when needed. The aim is to clear the church itself of all extraneous items and to keep it as tidy as possible.
Whilst the wooden floorboards are up, we will be taking the opportunity to upgrade the electrics to the kitchen and along the south wall. Once the work on pews etc. has been completed, we will arrange a massive spring clean of the building using volunteers, prior to a joyful re- -opening for worship.
## **Transforming Mission**
It has been a challenging year for TM. Each of the five TM projects in the diocese has been asked to report on the ways COVID 19 has impacted their vision, finances, deployment of staff etc. We have been fortunate in that we have not needed to furlough any staff, and in fact we have used the time since their recruitment to build up the team, develop the vision and lay good foundations for the future.
Jonny has been invaluable with his input to recording and filming for our online gatherings, and he has now been able to launch the Grain community for 20s and 30s. Lesley has overseen all our work with children and young people, and built up valuable contacts with their families. She has also been working on new strategies for small groups. My own work covers a wide variety of areas, but is broadly about connections within the parish, deanery and diocese, and overall strategy, and there is a lot going on!
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We are delighted to have appointed a Worship Pioneer who will begin in May, and also a one day a week Media Co- -ordinator, who will help develop our online presence. Dan, who has been on a placement with us this year, will be leaving, and we are hoping to have four new SWYM interns to start in September. Two will work alongside Lesley specialising in Youth and Children’s ministry, one will be particularly focussed on 20s and 30s with Jonny, and one will be alongside our new worship leader. TM will cover most of the funding for these interns, but we will be responsible for their food and accommodation, so we will be looking for host families to help in this respect.
The main financial impact of COVID for us is that the whole project will now be extended by a year until 2026. There will be no extra money available overall, but because we have not spent all of our projected budget so far, we are able to extend the time frame within which it will be available, and this is very encouraging.
Heather Batho
## **Safeguarding**
I am very grateful to Hilary Dipper for keeping the DBS records up to date. Once all the lockdown restrictions are lifted and we return to a new kind of normal, there will be the need for new teams to be formed in most areas, and it is essential that all those joining have their checks done before starting. Safeguarding training has continued online, but hopefully this will change later this year.
I am stepping down from the safeguarding role and Lesley Lawther is taking over as Lead Safeguarding Officer, with Hilary Dipper remaining as Lead Recruiter.
Heather Batho
## **Church Warden's report**
Normally this would be an annual report, but in these strange times I have been in post for just 6 months. In that time I have never attended a service in church or been able to engage with congregation, staff or members of the public other than in fleeting socially distanced ways or over Zoom. My thanks to Iain Walker for what was probably the shortest hand-over ever, with a quick walk round the buildings trying various keys - I have endeavoured to release him fully for his new roles. And thanks to Howard and the team for your support.
There is a lot going on at Holy Trinity despite the apparent shutdown. I have been drawn deep into the design aspects of The Trinity Centre, with regular meetings, documents to review and contractors to negotiate with. Inevitably with such a complicated building there are aspects which have been very challenging, and there have been compromises to reluctantly accept to stay within a realistic budget. Working with William Trinick and Heather Batho has been very enjoyable when I consider past experiences, so thank you both. I have been hands-on a little, mainly in terms of addressing a series of break-ins which also resulted in some flooding from a broken water inlet. Breaking into a locked store room provided some light relief. My experience has always been that it is only when the congregation 'catches the bug' (if that isn't too painful an analogy) that such visionary projects switch from being building works into a real expression of our love for God, for each other and for our community. It's not just bricks and mortar, but a whole culture, and can produce amazing results. I am sure this project will be covered in more detail, but am more than happy to talk about it.
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Back across the road I have picked up a few activities from the last quinquennial inspection. The main concerns seemed to be related to the roof, and whilst we have had some small corrective works done we are working towards an inspection of the roof timbers and replacing light bulbs.
The faculty to revitalise the interior of the body of the church building is close to approval. I have been working with the PA consultants to take the new PA system the next step on its digital pathway, enabling the mixing desk to be separated from the audio cabling. This will free up the nave when the pews are rolled back, making it a much more open area.
Lesley Lawther and I have also addressed the needs of the Sunshine group, whose play equipment has long lain under sheets in the north aisle. This will move into mobile storage replacing the vestry wardrobes, and when in use in the church will offer a more open space in the vestry itself.
In a small way I have been supporting Sara Moult with the intricacies of doing the right thing, and being seen to do the right thing, as viewed by the Charity Commissioners, the Diocese and the community over the sale of the Porthpean Schoolroom. It is no small thing to navigate the paper trail correctly, and of course very unforgiving if the slightest error should be made, so we have much for which to thank Sara, and God. And all of you who have been praying.
Pentewan church has issues that remain to be resolved, and without face-to-face opportunities has yet to move forward.
I have worked on the church roof, the church tower roof, and now the soon-to-be Trinity Centre roof. So for a newby, I think I could be said to be getting on top of things.
_Keith Palmer (April 2021)_
## **Home Communion**
No activity took place over the year since the last APCM. It is hoped that the team of ten members (from those given permission to assist Howard in the administration of Holy Communion) will soon be able to bring services of Home Communion to those who are either in residential homes or are unable to come to church to enjoy Holy Communion.
Permission to the Parish of St. Austell to visit Penrice, Caprera and Woodland again will be renewed.
We plan to hold services of lessons and carols at residential homes at Christmas, which have been well received in the past, with members of St. Levan congregation and the music ministry of Holy Trinity.
One member of the team contracted Covid and continues to nurture her health.
Alan Coode, Co-ordinator
## **Mission Report**
A Mission Support Group has recently been formed for the first time for many years; it has met once and plans to meet every 2 or 3 months. Its purposes include:
- Determining priorities for mission and which mission partners or mission organisations to support as a Church
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- Allocating money given to missions
- Raising the profile of mission in this country and abroad
Since Grace and Festo returned to the UK, we have no overseas link mission partner. The Group is exploring who the next such partner or partners should be.
We hope to make specific proposals to the PCC on all these issues, and then to re-launch mission support through the Parish later this year.
William Hazelton
## **Children’s, Youth and Families report**
## **Konnect Minis and Konnect Maxis**
Usually these are two separate groups split into Key Stage 1 and 2 as per school groupings. After the church was closed due to the pandemic in March 2020, the children’s team stayed in touch via a regular newsletter and emails/messages. In June 2020 we began to meet via Zoom. We decided that one group would be easier to run than two and since then we have been running a combined group of 4-11 year olds. We have been learning as we have gone along. As you will all relate to, Zoom takes a bit of getting used to and we have had some technical hiccups along the way of course, but as the months have gone on, we’ve all become more confident and the children have engaged more and more over the months and are probably more expert at it than us!
We’ve explored the fruits of the spirit, looked at Advent, delved into our bibles to see how it’s made up then more recently we’ve done a series entitled ‘A closer look…’ and looked at the events leading up to Easter. We have made all sorts of crafts live online together, sung songs and danced, watched bible stories and even made pancake batter ready to cook once the Zoom finished!
A highlight was filming the nativity. This involved a lot of hard work and commitment from both our families and our video editing team! We loved the end result and are so grateful to everyone for their part in it!
Zoom, even with its’ limitations, has been a gift to us and enabled us to connect and continue to learn about Jesus. At a time when social contact has been limited, it’s been great to meet up regularly and spend time together.
I am so grateful to our children’s team who have been committed, creative and completely wonderful over the last year! So a massive shout out to Mary S, Hannah C, Kate P, Debs S, Angela A and Lynne K. All have shared the planning and leading and Lynne has also planned an entire series for us on more than one occasion which has been a real gift! We do look forward to the time that we can gather once more in person but we are very thankful for all we have managed to do in this last year, apart but together.
## **Impact – Sunday morning Youth.**
I began volunteering with Impact, in January 2020, and once the lockdown started and we had gotten our heads around using Zoom, this became our way of connecting. We have done a variety of things over the last year; we have used the Energize resources to look at a series called Act Justly, looking at environmental issues from a Christian perspective, we have looked at Prayer and sometimes we have just caught up with how everyone is doing and prayed for each other. We baked cookies over Zoom (that was messy and required far more parental involvement than we imagined!)
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and then had a competition for how well they were decorated (well done, Joshua Smith!) We have also found a wide ranging selection of games that can be played over Zoom, from scavenger hunts to games using the whiteboard feature. For our young people, the most important thing has been connection. It’s been very difficult for many of them, not being able to be in school for much of the last year and having to stay at home when they are at a stage of life that craves the opportunity to be out and about, spending time with their friends and being independent. Connecting over Zoom this way has provided a means of seeing friends, having a bit of fun together and hopefully encouraging each other in faith. It’s been great to have Dan Lawther join Impact as part of his SWYM placement over the last year.
## **Soul Life Youth Club**
When I began my role, Soul Life had been meeting online with Richard Palmer hosting quizzes and taskmaster evenings. He provided the much needed continuity during those first few months of lockdown and since then! From September to December 2020, due to a change in government guidelines, Soul Life was able to gather in person, albeit in a bubble of 15, with strict Covid measures in place. A highlight for me was having a ‘summer party’ in freezing November, with summer shorts, a Hawaiian photo booth, giant beach balls and our version of beach volleyball. And Ice cream!! I’m very thankful for Richard and his leading of Soul Life over the months and for the input and help of our team James P and Dan L.
**Richard** writes: For the last 12 months Soul Life Youth Group has largely existed in the digital space. From March to September and then again from January until Easter 2021 we met via Zoom, mainly for Family Quizzes and Soul Life Does Taskmaster. The quizzes have featured a wide range of subjects, been great fun, featured friendly and good-natured competition, and included the occasional controversial decision by the Quiz Master!
September to December was a high point of the year, as COVID rules allowed us to bring 15 of the Soul Life Family together to meet on a few occasions. Even with the smaller number – pre-COVID Soul Life meetings were frequently attended by between 25 and 30 – it was wonderful to see Soul Life back in the church and enjoying one another’s company. We’re looking forward to being able to meet again soon, hopefully after Easter subject to the Governments Lockdown Roadmap.
Part of Soul Life’s strength and vitality has been the mix of churched and non-church members. A challenge for the future is how we reconnect with the young people who we’ve not seen or heard from since March / April last year, who have mostly been from the unchurched families.
## **Sunshine Toddler Group**
Sunshine stopped as soon as lockdown began in March 2020 and has been unable to meet since. I am so aware of the impact of the lockdown and the effects of a year of not being able to socialise with friends and family on new parents. There have been high levels of isolation and many situations where new babies have hardly seen another face since they arrived in this world! This leaves us with an incredible opportunity to serve new parents and families.
I’m very excited about relaunching Sunshine when we are able to. It will be, after this amount of time, a brand new group. With the changes about to be made in the church building, this will afford us a fantastic new space to enjoy. We are in the process of having a good sort out of equipment and toys in order to provide a Covid safe environment and look forward to starting again when we can. It’s a great opportunity for us to build new relationships into the community and provide a warm and welcoming space for parents and little ones to come and play. Please pray for a new Sunshine team
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of volunteers; people who are passionate and excited about connecting with new parents and would love to serve this very important ministry.
Lesley Lawther Associate Minister for Communities and Discipleship
## **Community**
Prayer – In August 2020 I was asked by Howard to organise a prayer walk across the town with CTSA (Churches Together St Austell). This event was attended by over 80 people from several churches, praying in pairs in and around the town. It was a great show of unity and of a shared heart to pray for our town and for Jesus’ light to shine in what felt like a dark time.
In spite of the various restrictions across the last year, we took every opportunity to engage with families in the town. At Halloween, we partnered with St Austell Baptist church as part of Churches Together St Austell and handed out 200 Light bags full of crafts and activities, demonstrating that Jesus is the Light of the world. I’m thankful for the team that came together to put all 200 bags together which was no mean feat! It was great to use the church building, with Covid safety measures in place and make the bags which were then handed out by volunteers over half term week at the end of October. We had some lovely conversations and families were delighted to take bags for their children.
At Christmas, on a slightly smaller scale, Heather and I put together 100 Christingle bags with all the ‘bits’ needed to make your own Christingle – just add an orange! These were also given out to families in the town centre in the run up to Christmas with a note inside to watch our accompanying video on our YouTube channel, showing how to put the Christingle together and sharing the gospel message. We know how much families love coming to our Christingle service, so this was a small attempt to offer something in its place while the church was closed.
Unfortunately, due to the most recent lockdown and closure of non-essential shops, we haven’t been able to continue with our Easter plans which would have included an Easter trail around the town with a chocolatey prize!
Lesley Lawther Associate Minister for Communities and Discipleship
## **Small Groups**
Our small groups have continued to meet as best they can during these trying times. Some have embraced Zoom and continued to meet regularly and others haven’t been able to access Zoom for a variety of reasons. We know that our small groups are the lifeblood of our church and that it’s been a challenging year when not all groups have been able to meet. Groups, where they have been able, have followed the teaching series and we were able to run an additional two groups for our most recent series ‘Fruitfulness on the Frontline’. We know that as things begin to open up and we can begin to gather more normally that our small groups can start to regroup, reconnect and rebuild. Our vision is that our small groups will be places of life, of building up one another in the faith but also being effective on our frontlines, in our local communities and in all our relationships and interactions. Fruitfulness on the frontline demonstrated how effective we can be in the simplest of ways and we know that the world needs to hear a story of hope and about a life that can be had in all its fullness. Finally a big thanks to Richard and Ruth Higman! I’m very grateful to them both and the bit of time I’ve had to spend with them. They have faithfully held and supported our small groups over the last few years.
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As you can see from the above, there is much to give thanks for and much to pray for! It’s going to be an interesting journey out of lockdown and requires much thought and prayer as to how we proceed. Please do pray for our children and young people, and also the families we have come into contact with over this year. We know there will be many opportunities to engage and build new relationships but we know we need to do this safely and carefully.
One of my favourite verses is Matthew 28:18-20 which is the great commission. This is our task; to go and make disciples. And God promises to be with us in this task. It gives me confidence and assurance as we look to all that’s ahead for us as a church.
Lesley Lawther Associate Minister for Communities and Discipleship
## **Bellringer’s Report 2020**
The last year has been a frustrating time, as it has for most people. We stopped all ringing just before the first lockdown as the steadily increasing toll of the Covid 19 virus was becoming apparent. As ringers are necessarily close together and we cannot manage the 2m separation needed to keep everybody safe, I felt it was appropriate to cease ringing. This was closely followed by the National Lockdown! What is even more frustrating is that we have had 3 people enquire about learning to ring but have had no chance of starting to teach them!
During the interval between the first two lockdowns, we would have been only allowed to ring for 15 minutes before a service with no practice or teaching. As the decision had been taken not to open the church for services, we were therefore denied any ringing. Likewise, the Christmas break never really materialised.
We are now looking forward to starting again around mid-May but that will probably not materialise due to a planned closure of the church for fabric work to be done. I have had no definite instructions about this from the clergy. In any case, quite how we will manage if there is to be a one-way system has not yet been discussed. We continue to hope for a new ringing floor that will solve many of these problems. However, after talking to representatives of Truro Diocesan Guild of Ringers, it appears we will need to ensure adequate forced ventilation, and at least the rope guides will need to be relocated upwards with new lighting etc. It will not be as simple as it seems!
Despite all that, the bells and ropes have been refurbished and when we are allowed, we hope to resume with enthusiasm.
Rupert Adkins Tower Captain
## **Pastoral Care at Holy Trinity**
The pastoral team has continued to meet monthly, and we are all in close contact with each other in between meetings as we liaise over requests for help and prayer. The team consists of Rosemary Adkins, Ruth Higman, Pam Abraham, Lesley Lawther, Jan Varney, Heather Batho, Alan Gilbert, Rachel Manicom- -Smith, Howard Flint, and Katrina Hurst, who has just recently joined us. I am very grateful to all those who have regularly kept in touch with those who
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have been isolated, or who have needed shopping done, prescriptions collected, transport for hospital appointments etc. etc.
## **Walking for Health**
I am very pleased to say that our Walking for Health walks will resume on April 13[th] . We have had a regular band of walkers, many of whom have been referred to us, and I know that they are all really looking forward to meeting up again. This is one of our frontlines, and it is such an easy and natural way of making connections. Do think about coming along and bringing a friend or neighbour: I would like to stress that it is not a walking group for Christians, but a frontline opportunity!
Heather Batho
## **Pioneer Report**
## **Young Adults**
Over the last few months we’ve been really encouraged to start Grain Community; a new initiative aiming to empower churches and individuals to start indigenous, geographically-based gatherings of young adults. Although the pandemic has been challenging, it’s been a great opportunity to discover how we begin to form a group in St Austell. So far we have run an online young adults games night and several small group gatherings. We’ve started meeting fortnightly to explore teaching around what it means to authentically follow the ways of Jesus in community and we are regularly seeing around 8 young adults attending this group. It’s been a real privilege to see young adults from different villages, denominations, and some who are only just beginning to explore what faith means to them, gather together for Christ.
We have recently started to go through Alpha with one young adult over Zoom, and are in conversation with another young person who is interested in Baptism and finding out more about faith. God has already been paving the way for a young adult community to form even whilst in another lockdown.
As the lockdown ends we are excited to be able to run local young adults games nights in person, along with book clubs and other ideas that the community begins to dream up. In time, we will also begin to produce regular online content, such as devotionals, teaching and various other forms of creative media in order to resource our small groups.
Jonny Dant
## **Precept Inductive Bible Study Group**
These courses were introduced to St. Austell Parish in September 2019 following prayer, God’s leading and the support of Howard and the Staff Team.
The purpose of these courses is to introduce people to the Precept Method of Inductive Bible Study which empowers them to discover God’s truth for themselves. The courses encourage people to
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search for God’s heart through His Word, to apply this to their lives and to share what they find with others.
In 2019/20, using materials from Precept Ministries UK, we ran 10 Taster Sessions both for groups and individuals with a total attendance of 39 people both from Holy Trinity and from other churches in St. Austell.
Following on from these sessions we provided an 8 week study on 2 Timothy and a 6 week study on Ruth. These groups were held on Monday afternoons in the Parish Office. These groups had an attendance of 5 people and 9 people respectively.
From March 2020 following lockdown and restrictions on group meetings we took our studies online using the Zoom platform.
Our Monday group of 8 continued and so far has studied the books of Judges, Acts, 1John and are currently studying Malachi.
We have run an evening 6 week, no-homework study, entitled “How Do You Know God is Your Father?” for which we had an attendance of 13 people.
We have also run a couple of Mini Bible Studies in an evening and “The Easter Story” for which we had an attendance of 9.
All our courses have been attended by people from various denominations in the St. Austell area and beyond and will always remain open to all who want to know God deeply and live in the light of what they find.
At the beginning of 2021 Steve Adams joined the team as another leader and we are delighted to have him working alongside.
During the lockdown period Val and Diana have completed their course of Precept Bible Schools plus some further leader training and are now acknowledged by Precept UK as Precept leaders. Steve has attended his first Precept Bible School and is hoping to complete more in the future.
Our plans for the coming year include:
- Continuing our Monday study group with plans to study Nehemiah and Hebrews
- Further 6 week, no homework studies
- A monthly Mini Bible Study
- Steve is considering running a Men’s Bible Study
As we move out of lockdown we still plan to use Zoom as our platform in the short term but will need to look for suitable venues where we can meet in person once it is safe to do so.
We would like to thank Howard, Carol Edelston, the staff team and the PCC for their continuing support and financial assistance with our training.
We hope and pray that God will continue to use us for His glory in the weeks and months ahead.
Diana, Val and Steve March 2021
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## **PCC Report**
The PCC have met for the requisite number of times.
Katrina
## **All Saints Church Pentewan**
It has been a difficult year for the village of Pentewan. Like everywhere else, Covid has dominated life. There have been 6 confirmed cases but fortunately no deaths. Most of the working population are self employed or casual, so family incomes are reduced. However, as the population is predominantly over 50, the majority have now received at least one immunisation!
The church has been open during the summer for private prayer and reflection until closing again in November. It was, however, decorated for Christmas and now has facilities for making tea and coffee. There has been a lot of interest in its future use from both villagers and visitors.
The future remains very uncertain. We are hopeful that we will be permitted to open for private prayer once lockdown eases. The Church will celebrate its 200[th] anniversary this year and commemorations are already being planned.
Ralph Curr is an elected member of the PCC, and has the following comments to make. _Parochial Church Councils are a statutory body of the Anglican Church. They formed out of the original vestry committee and were created in 1921 to enable laity representation in the running of Parishes. They are required to meet a minimum of 4 times a year. Only those on the electoral role can stand and the electoral role officer must be a member._
_My view is that the PCC are the trustees of the Parish under the chairmanship of the priest in charge. They are, therefore, responsible for financial issues including recruiting and employment of paid staff as well as disposal and purchase of Church property._
_They should help the incumbent with pastoral, evangelical and social issues by taking joint responsibility._
Ralph Curr - Secretary March 2021
## **St Levan’s Church Warden’s Report**
Until the third lockdown, St Levan’s was open daily with Covid precautions in place. On Remembrance Sunday, Alan and Sara recorded a wreath laying service which was later uploaded and a simple reading, prayer and wreath laying ceremony was held outside with some of the congregation and villagers participating at a Covid-safe distance. Jim Bushrod rang our single bell at 11am and bravely continued even when the rope gave way. He has since arranged for and installed a replacement rope courtesy of his daughter who is a bellringer in Bristol and sourced a spare length of the right sort of rope. Plans to install a memorial plaque on the gatepost bearing the names and dates of the village’s war dead are going ahead in the village and have been approved by the diocese.
On Low Sunday, Dec 27[th] , a hybrid Eucharist was held over Zoom with six in the congregation and many more joining remotely. Recorded music accompanied the service, which was led by Alan Gilbert, Andrew Wade presiding. A similar arrangement took place for a Good Friday contemplative service and the Zoom programme recorded the event but sadly the sound quality was not good enough for uploading.
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Plans to refurbish and update the facilities at St Levans to make it a community resource for congregation and community are in place and awaiting funding from the sale of the schoolroom.
The Schoolroom at Higher Porthpean went on the market with Lewis & Co on Feb 23[rd] and an offer has been accepted. Our surveyor looked at our marketing of the property and has given the opinion, required by the Charity Commission, that this has been carried out effectively.
Meanwhile, an application for Asset of Community Value status for the Schoolroom was made to Cornwall Council by a Porthpean resident. This, if granted, would mean a six-month moratorium on any sale to allow the community to raise funds for a bid. The application was received on March 3[rd] and there is an eight-week deadline, meaning the decision is due by April 28[th] .
The ACV status, if granted, would attach to the property and, if the sale has completed, come into play if the new owner decided to sell within five years. If the ACV status is granted before completion, we are potentially set back by the six-month moratorium, though we are ready to appeal the status with the council if the PCC wishes this.
We needed to ask the Charity Commission to give us permission to sell to a connected buyer. While we could not proceed with this request until an offer was made and accepted, our solicitors were primed and ready with all the necessary information. All the evidence had been assembled to support our case and our expert is confident permission will be granted, but the response time is an inflexible 30 day minimum which will carry us beyond the ACV decision deadline. If ACV status is not granted, of course the time pressure disappears.
Triggered by our acceptance of the offer, the Land Registry has registered the Schoolroom plot and the church plot too, both having been previously unregistered.
The Porthpean home group continues to flourish and is almost large enough now to consider dividing. We grew skilled at Zoom but are looking forward to meeting in person. On Good Friday, eight of us, including two couples, were able to gather in a socially distanced way in church for a simple series of readings from Matthew 27 and some recorded music. We Zoomed live and a few people joined us, and the event was also recorded but sadly it seems the quality of the recording is not good enough to be uploaded for sharing as we had hoped. We clearly have more to learn, but all the feedback was very positive.
In late January, we lost our brother and fellow-worshipper Howard Rosevear who had been ill for some time and unable to join us in person even before lockdown the previous year. The congregation and village turned out to show their respects as the cortege left the house and travelled to Holy Trinity for a Covid-compliant funeral, officiated by Howard Flint and supported by Alan Gilbert. Under other circumstances, the church would have been packed and Howard is much missed. At his passing and for the late Duke of Edinburgh, flowers were displayed on the grassy mound in front of the gatepost, a lockdown innovation that is rapidly becoming a St Levan’s tradition.
Sara Moult April 2021
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## **Vicar’s Report**
Dear friends,
I wonder if you have a “life verse” from the Bible? My life first is from John 10.10; “the thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy. I have come that they may have life, in all its fullness”.
What a year of life the last year has been! In fact we have learned how to “do” life in a completely different way. There will be many new aspects to life that we have discovered (or rediscovered). But we have also had many losses in the last year, and it feels to me that our APCM this year is like a marker along the road which signals new life, new hope, and new opportunities, but which also owns tinges of sadness about the barrenness in some areas of our life that we have experienced.
I’m immensely grateful to so many people who have through the pandemic sustained the life of our church. To all of you who have continued to give financially I offer my sincere thanks, as this has enabled us to not only fulfil our MMF quota, but also sustain much of our mission all giving, as well as supporting important initiatives in the parish.
Work to transform the old Hop and Vine pub into the ‘Trinity Centre’ has gone on unabated and I’m so grateful to William Trinick our project manager, and to Keith Palmer and Heather Batho who have led the project brilliantly from the church side of the fence.
Lesley Lawther and Jonny Dant have worked through the pandemic so that our children and young people have been engaged in their faith, and so that we will be ready to launch revised and new initiatives once lockdown is released. Both are wonderful additions to our team. In addition I am delighted to confirm that Jamie Moore has been appointed to the role of Worship Pioneer under the TM initiative. He will join us with his family, in mid May.
We have seen the Reverend Ian Gulland launched into his first incumbency in Padstow, and I am tremendously grateful for the love that our church has shown to Ian, Vicki and their wonderful boys. I think they will have a really impactful future in God’s hands..
It has been great to welcome Carol Edleston onto the team as SSM curate, for Carol brings a wide range of experience and there are many opportunities in the deanery that she can contribute to. We also look forward with anticipation to the arrival of Michael Molano as Assistant Curate in June.
A great deal of work has also been going on behind the scenes in Holy Trinity Church which Heather has led. And in St. Levan’s Porthpean, I am deeply indebted to the work of Sara Moult as both churchwarden and lead person in the long running challenge of preparing and then disposing of the old Porthpean school room. The Porthpean committee along with Alan Gilbert have great plans for adding a kitchen to the church and creating an outdoor facility for retreats, and youth space which can be used by young people and other groups.
Richard Rashleigh has again given unceasingly as Treasurer, and his work has included ensuring our accounts are now in the cloud (as he told me In case he ends up under a bus!!), and overseeing a rapid and broad expansion of our accounts now taking in a major building project and with a growing number of staff on the payroll.
I would especially like to mention the tireless work of Richard Palmer, Jonny Dant and Carol Edleston who, with no notice whatsoever, were thrown into the immense challenge of rendering, preparing and uploading our weekly gatherings – not to mention the editing of our online offerings! These
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folks have made it possible for us to keep in contact with you online for the 16 months since the pandemic first hit. On your behalf, an immense vote of thanks goes to them.
Looking ahead to all the life that God wishes to pour out upon us - I am excited by what lies ahead of us. A shortlist sometimes helps as an aide memoire;
– we still need to raise a significant amount of finance for The Trinity Project
– we are excited to redesign our worship gatherings to allow more freedom in the Holy Spirit
– we are really excited by the possibilities offered at Porthpean for a community hub for the village
– Jonny and Jenn Dant along with Daniel Lawther and Emily Hill have launched the new Grain Community, which is aimed at befriending and bringing to faith young adults not currently involved in church
– we are hoping to recruit several interns in the coming year
– we see really encouraging signs of closer working together between churches of all denominations in the town, as well as the council and other charitable bodies.
– Transforming Mission is continuing to take shape as we complete our recruitment, allied to the release from lockdown which we truly believe will allow an immense amount of energy to be directed towards building connections with our community and opening up the church in every way, so that there are many entry points for those currently not walking with Jesus.
– the ‘On The Way’ project has begun; and although this will entail difficult conversations in many parishes, I am really hopeful that it will result in a fruitful and sustainable deanery and ultimately diocese.
We have welcomed new faces, and said farewell to others, but as we regather post lockdown, I am convinced that we shall see a new vibrancy and life in our fellowship.
I am personally immensely grateful to the PCC for their courageousness in deciding the step into the unknown over the Trinity Project. They are a privilege to work alongside.
Rachel Manicom Smith, our administrator and my PA is a joy to have serving in our team, alongside Hilary Dipper who is faithfulness personified. Thank you both.
It is impossible to mention everything that I have the privilege to see happening in our fellowship - so please forgive me if I have not mentioned you or your area of service.
It has been immensely humbling and a privilege indeed to walk alongside you all this past year, and I am enormously grateful to everyone who has chosen to throw themselves into caring for their small group and close neighbours. The pastoral team (Heather Batho, Ruth Higman, Jan Varney, Rosemary Adkins, Pam Abraham, Alan Gilbert & Lesley Lawther), have been unstinting in their calling, phoning, and caring, especially for the single and isolated folks in our fellowship. It has been a wonderful reflection of the love and care of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ….
My final note of gratitude is to Kay - who is, and continues to be, my greatest love and most faithful companion on this adventure here in Cornwall.
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Howard
May God bless you all and St Austell with fullness of life in 2021/22!
## **Electoral Roll update for the APCM**
We do not have an Electoral Roll officer.
## **Associate Curate’s (deacon) Report**
It is now six months since my ordination to the diaconate, which for those who are not ‘au fait’ with the Church of England offices, means I am currently a deacon. This office remains with me, as it does every priest in the C of E (including the Archbishop of Canterbury), throughout their lives. If Bishop Philip gives his permission, I will be ordained to the priesthood on 26th June 2021. The roles are different as the deacon role is very much one of service, whilst the priest officiates at weddings and presides over Holy Communion, for example.
So as you can imagine, the last six months has had its issues as serving in person has been really difficult; given the fact that I wasn’t allowed to meet others! But nevertheless under the supervision of Howard, to whom I am very grateful, I have been kept busy and I feel I have learned a great deal. It has been a rich time spiritually as I have every opportunity to ‘retreat’ and to give time to study and contemplation. After the pressures of essays and deadlines during training, this development has been both welcome and incredibly necessary.
The online opportunities through YouTube (both in Contemporary and Traditional gatherings) and the audio recordings for Advent, Lent and Holy Week have also been invaluable. In ‘normal’ parish life it is quite difficult to reflect objectively on leading worship, preaching etc. And we are highly reliant on the feedback from others. The opportunity to critically reflect on our work on video, and the ability to re-record has been enormously helpful. Although, I can’t wait for this pandemic to be over, and to be with real people instead of an iPad!!
I’ve committed to a great deal of online learning both at Truro Diocese level and on a national leadership course. I’ve tried to train in a wide spectrum of areas; I’m hoping that with this large bank of training behind me, I can actually get on with ministry when we can finally see each other again.
Howard has been an enormous help and a fount of wisdom, especially as I enter new areas of ministry. The range of funerals has been particularly wide. From cremations and burials to scattering ashes at sea. I am now considered to have a level of competence that means I can preside at funerals, and support families etc. without supervision. When such life events are seen as an opportunity to journey with families through very ‘choppy waters’, funerals become a precious time supporting and ministering; it is incredibly worthwhile. I’ve also been involved in weddings, again learning a great deal, and it has been heartening to see couples determined to go ahead even though the COVID restrictions have impacted the arrangements.
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I would like to thank you all for your support. The number of emails, kind comments and encouragements at a time when we are usually ‘socially distanced’ has been an absolute ‘Godsend’, in every sense of the word. Encouraging and building each other up, combined with our faith in the ‘all sufficient one’ means that even the darkest times have a unique beauty; I think when we come out the other side we will be all the richer for what we have experienced. Thank you for your love and support.
Carol Associate curate (Deacon) April 2021
## **Deanery Synod**
The pandemic does not appear to have dampened the attendance at synod meetings. We have recently met on Zoom which in some ways has been more accessible as members do not need to venture out on dark winter evenings. It has been a pleasure to be involved in Zoom ‘breakout rooms’ and to meet people I have never met before.
We are very fortunate as we have some very dedicated members, particularly in the Standing Committee; they bring a wealth of experience and expertise and we are especially grateful for the way they unselfishly give of their time to this important work.
The synod is facing a time of considerable change. As the Diocese faces an unprecedented shortfall between funds received and expenditure, the sum now stands at a £2 million annual working deficit. Whilst there are reserves that fill the immediate requirements the bishops have made it very clear that each deanery must be both ‘fruitful and sustainable’ and that they wish to see plans of how St Austell Deanery intends to meet this challenge, in a few months time.
To meet this planning requirement the deanery is now heavily involved in the bishops’ ‘On the way’ initiative. We have two advisors who both have considerable expertise in areas like ‘change management’. Ian Alford and Rev’d Elizabeth Wild have been universally welcomed by the ‘On the way’ team, their contribution to the process has been incredibly helpful. We meet with them as a clergy team and include the rest of the standing committee at least on a fortnightly basis. The advisors have met with us individually on two occasions and also with a wide spectrum of people across the deanery. We also have the findings of the questionnaire Howard sent out a few weeks ago.
As the team now looks over all the information and thoughts harvested throughout the process so far, we are now coming towards producing a plan which will be agreed by the team and sent out to all parishes, hopefully W/B 21st June 2021. There will then be a time of consultation before the finalised plan is sent to Bishops Philip and Hugh.
Carol Associate Curate
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## **Transforming Mission Update Feb.2021**
## **What is TM? (Taken from the application to Church Commissioners 2019)**
‘Transforming Mission (TM) is our most significant initiative to stimulate church growth in the diocese. Our prayer and our planning is based upon the multiplication of the model for growth already being pioneered across Falmouth.
TM is a model for the renewal of Anglican church life across Cornwall, focusing particularly on the “missing generations”, young people and families. In May 2017, the diocese successfully bid for the first phase of TM, to develop a Cornish model of resourcing church based in All Saints, Falmouth, which could act as a model for further locations across Cornwall. The full rationale for TM can be found in the initial bid document, including the background of numerical decline and anticipated shortfalls in ordained stipendiary leadership.
## Model
This bid is for further funds to enable us to apply and extend the model, now bearing fruit in Falmouth, in our next largest population and opportunity areas:
■ St Austell ■ Camborne ■ Liskeard ■ Truro
This covers the major urban centres, forming a dynamic and mutually supportive network of TM leaders and churches across Cornwall.’
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## **Transforming Mission in Cornwall – Phase 2 -includes St. Austell**
The proposal involves the establishment of **four** further TM resourcing churches, after Falmouth (Phase 1). These four locations, together with Falmouth, will form the nucleus of a TM Network across Cornwall.
We have chosen these locations because:
■ they have substantial populations, not just in the central parish but in the surrounding parishes and wider deanery;
■ they are all home to substantial new housing developments in the next
- 5 years;
■ there are significant opportunities for growth and we discern the churches represent a broad spectrum in a variety of areas such as, churchmanship, urban/rural and current mission capacity (supported by information and statistics provided by the Strategy and Development Unit);
■ they all have significant levels of deprivation;
■ they all have substantial populations of children, young families, young people and (in all but one case) students;
■ 3 of the locations (St Austell, Truro and Liskeard) are led by recently recruited incumbents who have experience in growing churches. They have the qualities of leadership, vision and strategy which are necessary to achieve the ambitious outcomes outlined in this bid;
■ in one location (Camborne area) we have the unique opportunity to
recruit 2 new incumbent status leaders to lead the exciting developments in that area;
■ the incumbents and PCCs and other key people in the respective locations are excited by the proposals and express a sense of calling to be part of TM and possess vision and missional energy to work across parishes and deaneries;
■ the relevant deaneries are supportive of the proposals and committed to the collaborative working which a TM resourcing church will require;
■ They present good opportunities for planting further congregations which is a key element of the TM vision and strategy.
## **Objectives of TM**
■ To reach the ‘missing generations’[1] and start them on a journey of discipleship;
■ To plant new worshipping communities;
■ To encourage ordained vocations;
> 1 By missing generations we are broadly referring to children, young families and young adults, in reality it includes 40 and 50yr olds.
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- To train ministry lay leaders who can be deployed across
- boundaries and deaneries;
- To initiate social transformation projects;
- To ensure TM resourcing churches are sustainable by 2026
## **Where are we in St Austell Deanery?**
Appointments: So far we have made 3 out of the 5 planned appointments. These are:
- ❏ **Operations Manager** : (Appointed June 2020) to oversee the development and compliance of the project, and to be the main link between the Diocesan TM Board and the parish.
- ❏ **Pioneer Minister:** (Appointed August 2020) to initiate and grow work with young adults (20’s/30’s) and help establish new worshipping communities which worship in new expressions and in new venues.
- ❏ **Associate Minister** for Community & Discipleship (Appointed August 2020): (half funded by TM): to develop outreach initiatives among families and young people and to oversee the small group discipleship within the parish.
- ❏ We have yet to appoint a **Worship Pioneer** : who will lead the development of the parish worship team, with the aim of establishing new worshipping communities and growing a richer culture of whole life worship across the Deanery.
## **Trinity cafe:**
In 2019 the PCC of St. Austell Parish were led by the Holy Spirit to purchase the defunct pub ‘The Hop and Vine’ opposite the church in the centre of town, in order to create a Church Centre. The intention is to bless and encourage our town, by offering a welcoming cafe and flexible meeting rooms for hire to social agencies, voluntary organisations and church groups.
Funding for a **Cafe Manager** is included in the TM plan. The ‘Hop And Vine’ pub has been renamed “Trinity Centre”, and full stripping out has been completed by volunteers. After much work, a Cost Plan has been approved by the PCC, and the first phase of work will be starting in March 2021.
- Phase 1: £583k + VAT = £700k, which achieves
- ❏ all remedial/structural work,
- ❏ an open café and reception
- ❏ floors 1 & 2 as a bare shell with first fix of plumbing
- ❏ wiring etc but no more.
- ❏ These figures include all professional costs.
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● Phase 2 onwards - first & second floors, basements: £1,040,000
During autumn of 2020 the Parish held a Funding Opportunity and raised over £300,000. In addition, funding of £92,000 has been granted by the Townscape Heritage fund. Other sources are being approached, including local businesses.
Trinity Centre is separate from TMM, being a St Austell Parish initiative, but the team see it as an essential part of delivering the longer term objectives of TM.
## **What local TM Projects have started or are being planned so far?**
Clearly, COVID19 has made advancing the TM Project very difficult, but after a period of furlough, all staff are now working.
- ❏ **The Grain Community** is about to be launched. (Target March 2021) Our vision is to draw young adults together to live out an authentic expression of what it means to love God in community.
Right at the heart of Grain Community is the tagline:
## Whole
## Living
## some
This is because being an authentic follower of Christ requires our 'whole-being', not just part of our lives. We believe that God desires us to seek him wholeheartedly, not simply to be 'serviced' on a Sunday.
Grain offers an opportunity for those in their 20's and 30's to form indigenous communities that passionately reach others to share their faith in Christ. Our desire is to establish new expressions of worship that reflect the flavour of the individuals involved.
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- ❏ **Launch of a sports related detached youth work. (Target Easter 2021)** Entitled ‘Kingdom Sports’ and led by a placement intern,this project aims to engage young people with the Gospel through participation in sports.
- ❏ **Creation of A School of Ministry** is being envisaged. **(Target late 2021)** Available to all in our Deanery,and in time wider afield, and based in Trinity, our School of Ministry will have 5 ‘streams’:
1. APEST - (Apostle/Prophet/ Evangelist/Shepherd/Teacher from Ephesians Chp.4) Aimed at the recovery of a 5 fold ministry in the church, with each major gifting (APEST) being taught.
2. Focal Ministry - based on the work of Bob Jackson. et al.
3. Pastoral & Evangelism - developing beyond the current local minister courses.
4. Clergy Leadership Programme.
5. Links to existing IME/CME courses being run in the Diocese.
- ❏ **Christians Against Poverty (CAP) began in late 2020** , and is currently funded by Churches Together in St. Austell (CTSA). St Austell Parish is the lead church, providing accommodation and a ‘Champion’ to support the work. It is a first example of how initiatives can bless the local community and change the culture of our town. In time, it will move into Trinity centre.
- ❏ **Exploration of Recruiting Interns for 2021/22.** We hope to establish a regular stream of Interns, who will work across the Deanery. As well as helping begin new initiatives, it is hoped these young people will support existing projects, making them sustainable and fruitful. They will in return receive training via the School of Ministry and through parish engagement.
**Some background in our Deanery: As** TM unfolds things of some significance and importance may be noted:
- ❏ **“On the Way”** is a journey upon which the Diocese has set out with the aim of ensuring our Christian witness is fruitful and sustainable. St. Austell deanery has been selected to travel in the company of facilitators in the first cohort of deaneries. This will be a consultation around many conversations - but we cannot continue as we currently are.
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- ❏ **Vacancies:** we currently have two benfices in transition without an Incumbent. Fowey Parish with St. Sampson Golant, and Charlestown with Tywardreath & Par enter “On The Way” with our prayers and wholehearted desire to ensure they are resourced and included fully in our discussions.
- ❏ **MMF:** as a Deanery, our MMF contributions are significantly below the cost of our ministry:
|❏**MMF:**as a Deanery, our MMF contributions are significantly below the
cost of our ministry:|❏**MMF:**as a Deanery, our MMF contributions are significantly below the
cost of our ministry:|❏**MMF:**as a Deanery, our MMF contributions are significantly below the
cost of our ministry:|❏**MMF:**as a Deanery, our MMF contributions are significantly below the
cost of our ministry:|❏**MMF:**as a Deanery, our MMF contributions are significantly below the
cost of our ministry:|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**MMF paid MMF Call**
**“Gap” as**
**%**|||||
|**St Austell**|**£333,755**|**£394,060**|**£(60,305)**|**-15%**|
These figures as at Dec. 2020 are somewhat distorted, due to cost savings due to the transitions mentioned above. To offer some context, our MMF contribution was £35,609 less than at the same stage in 2019.
{We can fairly conclude that currently our contribution deficit would be running close to £90,000 in real terms if all current posts are filled}.
- ❏ **Hope!** The pandemic may well have brought much tragedy and difficulty for us all - but what is being sensed in many church fellowships is that we have also been presented with opportunities:
-to rethink how and why we do church as we have been doing
- to make good our promise to God to be light and salt to our communities
- to use the many new opportunities which have emerged from lockdown, such as online gatherings, Youtube channels, and other media
- to ‘reintroduce’ ourselves to our communities as people of hope, prayer and service
- to listen carefully to what the Holy Spirit is saying,and let Him lead us.
We would be grateful for your prayers, and very much look forward to seeing what God shares with us from his heart -so that we can joyfully share it with others.
Thank you, and God Bless you.
Howard
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