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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Christopher's Springfield

2023-12-31-accounts

Annual Report for 2023 as presented at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting 29[th] April 2024

St Christopher’s Parish Office Springfield Road, Birmingham, B13 9NY Tel: 0121 325 5342 Email: stchristopherschurch@hotmail.co.uk www.stchristopherspringfield.org.uk

Welcome to the St Christopher’s Annual Report for the year ending December 2023

The Reports

INTRODUCTION
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Links with Other Organisation .......................................................................... 4
FROM THE VICARAGE ................................................................................................... 5
WORSHIP ....................................................................................................................... 7
PASTORAL CARE ............................................................................................................ 8
Anna Chaplaincy ................................................................................................. 9
CHILDREN & YOUTH ................................................................................................... 11
MISSION ...................................................................................................................... 13
Parish Missioner ............................................................................................... 14
Seedlings ............................................................................................................ 15
The Environment ............................................................................................... 17
THE SPRINGFIELD PROJECT ......................................................................................... 20
CHURCH GOVERNMENT & ADMINISTRATION ............................................................ 21
Church Wardens ................................................................................................ 21
PCC Secretary .................................................................................................... 22
Safeguarding ...................................................................................................... 23
Electoral Roll ...................................................................................................... 24
Treasurer ........................................................................................................... 25
Financial Statements ......................................................................................... 26
KEY INFORMATION ON THE ST CHRISTOPHER’S, SPRINGFIELD PCC CHARITY ........... 32
Membership of the PCC .................................................................................... 32
Governing Documents for the PCC ................................................................... 33

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INTRODUCTION

St Christopher’s Church, Springfield is located at the junction of Woodlands Road and Springfield Road in South East Birmingham about 3 miles from the city centre. It is part of the Diocese of Birmingham within the Church of England.

Aim and Purposes

The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the vicar in promoting within the parish the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is a registered charity (Charity no. 1151491). Further information about the charity and its trustees can be found in the section of this report headed Key Information on the St Christopher’s PCC Charity.

The PCC is also responsible for the maintenance of the church building and fabric. It also owns and uses the Springfield Centre which adjoins the church building; however the maintenance of this building is the responsibility of the Springfield Project.

Objectives and Activities

The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of our community at St Christopher’s. In order to do so it has developed the following vision statement for St Christopher’s which it uses to guide its decisions.

Our Vision Statement – We want to be…

The PCC has adopted the strapline ‘ Growing together in Christ’ to summarise this vision in a more memorable form. At a recent away-day, the PCC decided to focus on the first three of these points over the coming year and have come up with an action plan to implement this.

When planning their activities, the PCC has considered the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. The PCC therefore seeks to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of the parish community through:

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More information on all these activities can be found in the other sections of this report.

Links with other local churches:

St Christopher’s has good relationships with several local churches, both Anglican and nonAnglican. However, we are now in a recognised ‘Oversight Area’ with St Edmund’s Tyseley and therefore seek to work together with St Edmund’s, sharing resources for mission and ministry as much as possible. St Christopher’s is also a member of the Yardley and Solihull deanery within Birmingham Diocese, which represents around 30 churches in South East Birmingham and Solihull.

Links with Other Charities:

The Springfield Project (www.springfieldproject.org.uk) is a charity that is closely connected to St Christopher’s. Although it is a separate charity (Charity no. 1134977) with its own trustees, it was founded by St Christopher’s, is located in the church buildings, and its activities are closely co-ordinated with those of the Church. Therefore, a short report on its activities is included in this report, although a Trustees Report for the Springfield Project is also available by contacting info@springfieldproject.org.uk

St Christopher’s also has close links with the Feast (www.thefeast.org.uk), a charity that brings together teenagers from different faiths and cultures to build friendships, explore faith and change lives.

St Christopher’s is delighted to host an ‘Anna Chaplain’ and to support this ministry as part of the wider network of Anna Chaplaincy facilitated by the Bible Reading Fellowship (www.annachaplaincy.org.uk). A report outlining the work of our Anna Chaplain, Debbie Gurling, is included in this report.

St Christopher’s is a supporter of Open Doors an organisation which helps persecuted Christians across the world (www.opendoorsuk.org). We do this through prayer, giving and keeping informed about the situation of Christians in areas of the world where their faith makes them vulnerable to attack and persecution.

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From the vicarage…

Clearly every year is important, but 2023 has certainly been a significant year for us at St Christopher’s. The year started with a highlight as Fiona was licensed as reader at the cathedral on February 3[rd] . This was a wonderful occasion as Fiona was both licensed and affirmed in her ministry of preaching, teaching and leading our shared worship. We thank God for her work as a reader, alongside Philippa and now David, who continues his reader training. It is so good to see people responding to God’s call to minister and being affirmed in this by the wider church.

A little later in the year and we were back in the

cathedral to celebrate the ordination of Alison Ridge and to rejoice with her as the Lord led her to take up this role to which she has felt called since she was very young. We wish her, Isaac and Toby and her fiancé Mark every blessing. At that service Sue Round, a friend of St Christopher’s and a former manager at the Springfield Project, was also ordained and we praise God for her ministry too.

In the summer weeks, it was a joy to mark two milestones as we hosted a confirmation and baptisms at St Christopher’s. Louisa Alcock, Jacob Lenton and Aisha Thomas were all confirmed by Bishop Anne at a wonderful service and then a couple of weeks later Parmidner Gill and Kim Kaur were baptised. The baptism happened in our garden and in our very own baptistery, which we were able to buy thanks to a kind donation for this purpose. It is always a joy to mark these moments and for us as a family there was a double joy in seeing Aisha confirmed, as it was also the last time my father was able to visit us here in Birmingham. Having him here and a part of the day made it special then and very special in our memories.

Other milestone moments in the year came as we were honoured to host the dedications of Chloe Nance and Georgia Garvey and the baptism of Theo Jernal Parker. Many of us were also able to be present as Francis Quarton was baptised at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Yardley Wood, which was a wonderful occasion. It is such an honour to see these and other children in our congregation grow and bless us with their energy and life. May the Lord keep us faithful in praying for them and their parents, and may He also remind us that small people notice what we do and how we do it!

There has of course also been sadness this year, particularly as several individuals within our church have encountered grief and loss. It has been my privilege to officiate at funeral services for Mr Paul Venn and Mr Charles Curtis Small, and we have also said farewell to long-standing members of our congregation. In May we were honoured to host the funeral for Beryl Stumpf and thanked God for her life of faith and service, remembering all that she and Wolfgang did for our church and for the wider mission of God (and thank you to Julia for this lovely photo of them).

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Then in June we celebrated the life of John Dyer and came together to remember John and Anne and their utterly remarkable service to the Lord at St Christopher’s. It is difficult to think that anyone will ever again give the kind of dedicated and unwavering service to one church in the way they did. We miss them, we miss Beryl and we miss the many other saints of God we have commended to His care over recent years. The old prayer, “May they rest in peace and rise in glory” seems particularly apt for these servants of God.

Of course, probably the most significant part of our shared life over the last year came with the building work which began in September and finished (on time) in March. I am so grateful to Jericho Construction and to BHB Architects for their work in overseeing and delivering the project with such sensitivity, professionalism and dedication. I am especially grateful to the individuals concerned: Chloe Chambers our architect, Andy Jones the manager of Jericho Construction and our very own Ernst Merk, without whom so much of the project simply would not have been possible. May I also thank Phil Grimes for his patient wisdom particularly in the planning stages of the works, and to Mike Lenton whose technical expertise and attention to detail has kept us functioning in more ways than most of us will ever understand.

As well as these individual thank yous, can I also say a huge thank you to everyone who has been a part of the journey which has now reached its conclusion with the reopening of our building. So many people helped with giving, fundraising, decorating church during the work, coping with the inconveniences (and the cold!), cleaning, finding new homes for our things, and a hundred other ways of supporting this venture. Really from the moment Jericho arrived, it has felt like the Lord has been in this and one of the ways that has been proved is through the number of people who have rolled up their sleeves and taken part. THANK YOU! and may the Lord now use this space powerfully to bring His love to our congregation and our community. We have had one celebration as we have re-opened, but I hope there will also be an opportunity to have a more formal community-orientated celebration in the not too distant future – watch this space!

In concluding may I take this opportunity to thank those with whom I’ve been privileged to work particularly closely over the last year. It is a joy to be part of our staff team with Lucy, Kam, Rebecca and Debbie, all of whom bring amazing skills, dedication and good humour to their roles. We are also extremely blessed to have Tim as our Springfield Project Chair overseeing this key part of our shared life, and Curt as our tireless and ever-cheerful site manager. Finally it has also been a joy to have two churchwardens again. Phil held the fort for these roles over recent years, and I’m very grateful that he did, but it’s been great having two fully-fledged churchwardens again and we praise God for Mr Smith and Mr Smith.

Tom Thomas Vicar

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St Christopher’s Church, Springfield

Worship Report

We have much to Give Thanks and be Grateful for

During quite a turbulent year the Lord has continued to bless us in worship.

We said goodbye to Pete and Sam Sweeney and thank them for the many years of leading worship and pray that they will continue to bless others. Mayah also decided to step back from worship and my thanks go out to her also.

My gratitude goes out to all the worship teams/groups including new singers who have been called to worship.

During 2023 saw the start of the re-ordering of the church and my thanks to all the P.A operators who have worked tirelessly to ensure the operation of sound and the continuation of Zoom being streamed for those who can’t make it to church.

With so many of our worship leaders leaving over the last couple of years we have had to start using iSing a recorded music application to provide the music for us to worship. This is no substitute to live music but has been a necessity which has worked quite well.

My prayer would be that we can get back to having sufficient worship leaders/musicians to deliver worship on a regular basis.

The Christmas Carol service once again was a great success, and my thanks go out to all those who volunteered to take part.

Please pray for all our musicians that they would seek the Lord and continue to lead us to Christ through him who we serve. Amen.

Margaret Gordon, April 2024

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Pastoral Care during 2023

This year has seen all the usual pastoral activities continue, despite the challenges of the reordering project. As last year, these have included:

At the 2023 AGM, we had an excellent discussion on the outcomes of the questions asked at the weekend away in March 2023 on how to experience the joy of the Lord and what he is calling us to rebuild post-covid. One major theme to emerge from this was a desire for more opportunities to meet in small groups, for Bible study and discussion and also for a feeling of belonging and for the chance to build one another up.

As a result, Alex Nance has become small group co-ordinator, and two groups started meeting in June 2023, on a Tuesday and a Wednesday. One group studies and discusses a Bible passage, often the one preached on the previous Sunday. The other is named Daily Bread, and is a time for people to share what they have recently heard from God through their own Bible reading, and/or to be inspired to pick up their Bible the next day to find out what God has to say to them. Both groups pray for one another. Many thanks go to David and Ally Hartley, and Alison Roper-Hall, for leading and hosting these groups.

We would love to offer more groups - in other locations, on other evenings, during the day, on a Saturday morning, and online. If you are keen to join, host, or lead, please do chat to Tom or Alex and we can explore this further with you and discuss how we can support you.

Regular prayer ministry has continued to be available after the 10:45 service, and we are grateful for all those who bless us in this way, and also for all those who take the step of asking to be prayed for.

One of the wonderful things about St Christopher’s is that we thrive on the informal pastoral care we provide for each other - choosing to meet up in the week, or chatting after the service with a hot drink. You don’t need to join something organised to be an important part of the way we look after each other here! Our Vision Statement says that we want St Christopher’s to be “a loving community where genuine acceptance and deep relationships enable everyone’s well-being and continual growth”, and we all have a part in building this together.

Alex Nance, April 2024

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“God does not call us to do great things, but calls us to do small things with great love” Mother Teresa

The most part of last year, the heart of this ministry continued as usual, with visiting and being alongside seniors. Each Sunday, I have continued to see seniors at St Christophers, St Edmunds, or St Johns churches, and during the week, I will either see individuals where they are living, or as part of a wider group (although that includes visiting them in hospital too). This has been with the help of Jean Gethen from St Christophers, and Dot Pooler from St Edmunds. As well as help from my Anna Friends, I have had support from Tom who continues to manage the funding given to me from Henry Smith, which he was diligent in applying for. I have also had continuous line management from Debbie Ducille, who has given guidance, but also enabled the ministry to stay structured and focused, and who has also given ideas for growth and sustainability. I have had continued mentoring from David Harrison, who was a previous chaplain in the Queen Elizabeth, but is currently Warden of Commissioned Pastoral Care Teams.

Currently, there are over 50 people who are over 70 and have some form of connection with one of the 3 churches, and over half of those are seen either individually or as part of a group. However as well as the relational work, this was also a year when more obvious green shoots of growth started to appear!

In March, Debbie Ducille and myself, did our first presentation of the year, by talking to the Deanery Synod about Anna Chaplaincy being an example of the third mark of mission (TEND – responding to human need by loving service). In the same month, it was a joy to witness Barry dancing at the weekend away, and he brought truth to the verse from Psalm 92 - “they will still bear fruit in old age, and they will stay fresh and green”!

Sadly, the following month, three people died – Janet Parker (St Johns), but also Beryl Stumpf and John Dyer (St Christopher’s). John reintroduced me to Psalm 121, but he also gave me much love and encouragement and is still very much missed.

In May, we had the first coronation for a generation, and although it was the first for most people, it clearly wasn’t for most seniors attached to Anna Chaplaincy – for some it was the 3[rd] !! The Cloister café at St Edmunds had a Coronation Party to mark the occasion. There was food, and live entertainment, which added to the fun of the day.

In June at St Johns, the 75[th] Anniversary of the Empire Windrush coming over, was marked by interviewing two seniors from the Caribbean, who shared their early memories of coming to England.

In July, Christine Miles, from Weoley Hill United Reformed Church, became the 2[nd] Anna chaplain to be commissioned in Birmingham. Debbie Ducille and I had the privilege of attending this commissioning to support Christine, alongside another person from BRF who lived locally.

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During the summer, Barry joined the Blast youth group to assist as a volunteer. Also an informal men’s group of mainly retired men, continued to meet together socially, but also started to explore spiritual themes.

Debbie D and myself, went to both of the Archdeaconry Explore Days, and had many conversations with people who attended, about older people’s ministry. Most of whom had not previously heard of Anna Chaplaincy and understood the ageing nature of their own parishes. Soon after, we gave another presentation to Shirley Churches Together, for the same reasons.

I was asked to assist Rev Professor John Swinton who was doing a study on dementia caregiving within African Caribbean communities. John is a theologian and Professor at Aberdeen University, as well as being a Presbyterian minister in Scotland, one of the King’s chaplains, and a writer of several books. He came over before and after Christmas, where he interviewed caregivers that I was working with, alongside others to assist his research.

There were celebrations for Christmas and Valentine’s Day, both of which would have let people know of their value and worth at these times.

However just before Christmas, Jean Ordish (St Edmunds) died. Another gentle person who would be missed by her peers at Cloister café.

I continue to express my thanks to the P.C.C of St Christophers, who gave me the opportunity to start this ministry, and have enabled it to keep going, even when funding was uncertain. During these years of chaplaincy, I have seen older people become more visible in church life, which demonstrates their value, but also normalises ageing for us all.

Debbie Gurling , Anna Chaplain

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This year we have reorganised the groups, moved rooms, welcomed new families and had a lot of fun! Here are the groups which have started or continued this year:

Super Stars

(under-5s) We only had one new baby to welcome this year, but 10 children are registered, sometimes 6 attending the group without parents. A WhatsApp group helps us to share news and blessings. Meike Merk has continued to share the planning based around a short Bible story, with a linked craft and prayer if children are calm enough. 12 volunteers deliver this group. Our favourite song is Big Family of God:

= = https://m.youtube.com/watch?v Rawq3usrzsE&pp ygURYmlnIGZhbWlseSBvZiBnb2Q%3D

Morning Stars

The Mums of the youngest children continued meeting on Monday mornings for mutual support, chat, coffee and cake as well as the chance for a Biblical reflection and prayer. Up to 6 attended until we decided to pause at the end of summer until the group is needed again.

Jesus a Friend for All

(5-9s) This group has grown this year, with 8 registered and attendance rising from 2 to occasionally 9! They used one end of the Nursery room and sing, play a game, learn from the Bible and have good discussion, while making something to take home, then prayer. 4 volunteers run this group. Their favourite song is I

want to say Thank you :

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4zs4A9UfT0Q&pp=ygUcaSBqdXN0IHdhbnQgdG8gc2F5IHRoYW5rIHlvdQ%3D%3D

(9-14s) There are 17 registered in this age group, with 2-10 attending. Leaders have been using Energize materials as a starting point for fun games, thought-provoking Bible study and prayerful response activities to help everyone explore God’s love for us expressed in the Bible. 8 volunteers lead and support in FROG

= They think Waymaker is fairly ok: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v 29IxnsqOkmQ

Hot Choc Café

(15+) have left the main Sunday Service early once a month to enjoy sweet treats, discuss what they had done and heard in the service and pray together. There are 11 registered over15s, and up to 8 attend, with Sam Quarton leading most of the time. During the other Sundays

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they are encouraged to get involved in services by volunteering in the younger groups, with PA, worship and hospitality, to build relationships with the wider church family and grow skills. 3 volunteers regularly facilitate this group.

(mid-week, school years 6-9) After the summer we moved to allow the builders space to work, reinventing our big games for a smaller space: Balloon Volleyball was a hit! We have 14 registered and 11 regular young people coming to have a BLAST. We always offer table games and craft as well as free snacks, then have our Focus Time to allow Jesus to challenge us about the choices we make at school and home. 1 volunteer helps run this group.

(mid-week, school years 10-13) There are up to 8 young people coming to join in with BLAST’s snack and games time, followed by in-depth Bible study and discussion. Tom leads most weeks, with guests visiting from The Feast, Birmingham City Mission, Open Doors and St Christopher’s Church. There are 3 volunteers supporting.

As ever, a rollercoaster ride for 2023! As well as these groups, 3 young people had their Confirmations. We had a summer barbecue, Fireworks Evening and Christmas Parties and BLAST and REAL even tried archery. None of this would be possible without the dedication, enthusiasm, time and talent offered so generously by about 28 volunteers: Thanks so much, Team!

I want to thank the church for praying and supporting me in my hidden work as I plough through DBS checks, rotas, social media wormholes, curriculum planning, home visits, Safeguarding Training, fundraising applications, Risk Assessments, activity research, resource creation and duplication, vacuuming and shopping for endless snacks…

‘We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the

wonders he has done…

Then they would put their trust in God’ Psalm 78:4,7 Rebecca Slater, Under-18s Ministry Facilitator

MISSION

It almost goes without saying that the key expression of our mission as a church fellowship is the witness of individual Christians in our daily lives. The way believers speak, act and interact with others and with the created world is fundamental to what it means to proclaim Christ.

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Due to this, there is a powerful and wonderful sense in which we are all experts at mission and can point people to Jesus every day (and often without saying a word).

During 2023, there was a change in the way our long-standing mission partners Liz & Sameh Khalil were supported and the PCC took the decision to suspend our financial support until that issue was resolved. We are delighted that Liz & Sameh are now supported by a new organisation, Gates of Hope International, and we have been able to renew our financial support. We have also continued to support the Watson family working in the Middle East and Rachel Smith in Pakistan. It is good to hear from and pray for these people as they express and embody the Gospel in difficult and demanding places.

As well as these individuals we also support two key groups, as an expression of our mission and outreach: Seedlings and Open Doors. Although these groups are very different, nonetheless we hope our support for them in their respective work shows our understanding of mission as both local and global and that we take seriously service, compassion and evangelism as an expression of mission. It has been particularly good to learn a little more about the plight of our brothers and sisters in different countries around the world, and to realise that their faith and perseverance has much to teach us.

We hope this part of our shared church life is fulfilling at least three parts of our vision statement:

Tom Thomas

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Parish Missioner

Over the last year I have been working with a variety of people. I have been working with one lady from a Muslim background, whose husband sadly died from cancer. This lady has been struggling with the grief of losing her husband. I have been praying with her and meeting with her on many occasions. This was a challenge for me, as my sister-in-law died also with cancer, but also was encouraging to me as I had the opportunity to share my experience as to how I am still standing, only because of my trust in Jesus.

My calling has often been ministering to single women previously, but God has been using me more in families this year. Vim and I had begun ministry with a young man, who attended church with his mum. This young man has several deep-seated problems. However, he knows that Christ can set him free. He gave his life to Christ, but still is struggling with his habits. I did try and do a Bible study with him, but unfortunately due to his sleeping patterns he couldn’t keep up with the meetings. His mum has been going through depression due to his habits, and has been struggling with keeping up to date with her utility bills. I have been working alongside her and helped her to budget well and keep her cards away and so she can oversee her finances. This lady was overwhelmed with the on-going support and prayer towards her and her son.

It’s been over a year since I have been ministering to one family with complex needs, it’s been challenging. Praise God for he sustains us and gives us wisdom, I then visited them every fortnight. The lady said she missed the prayers; however, I told her I had been still praying for at home when I can’t be here, Christ is still with her. She was touched.

Looking back to last year I’ve grown spiritually, as to be more understanding and loving towards broken people. God has come for the broken hearted as he heals and restores our soul, so will God work in the lives of the people I minister to.

My role in Seedlings has been different for much of this year as at Court Rd we could only have 20 families. The space was small, but it was encouraging as we were able to have more conversations with parents and also see if children needed more support and how we can help them and also how we can support parents to engage with their children better. It was lovely to have families from Sparkbrook and I also had the opportunity to pray with a few families.

Julia and I are still doing deeper prayer ministry on a Friday morning, with a lady who is struggling in life. We have seen God move powerfully in her life, she is beginning to feel more and more free from spiritual attacks. Praise God for her freedom. She is committed to the ministry that we offer.

These are a few things and people that I have working with, but I am seeing God move in many people’s lives every day. I’m delighted that I’m able to share my faith and the love of Christ wherever I go. My prayer is that all may come to know Christ and live in the fullness of life in Christ Jesus. Thank you to everyone who prays for me and encourages me in this ministry.

Kam Kaur

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Due to the building works in the church, this year has been an eventful and sometimes challenging one for Seedlings! In the spring and summer terms of 2023, we welcomed nearly 300 different children to sessions, regularly seeing around 60-70 families per week.

During the summer term of 2023, after much searching, we were able to secure a temporary venue for Seedlings at St John’s School House for use from September 23. Moving our resources and setting up here took a lot of hard work and was a big learning curve for us all. The leaders all worked incredibly hard to get the venue ready and we opened for parents the middle of September 23.

Although numbers were lower at the temporary venue, we still welcomed 191 children between September and February, around 35-40 families per week. There were also advantages to being at St John’s School House, as we were able to leave everything set-up throughout the week!

Both at St Christopher’s and at our temporary venue, Seedlings continued to provide a high quality stay and play for children and their parents and carers and is helping to improve outcomes for children who attend, particularly those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. Serving our community is an important part of St Christopher’s outward focus and Seedlings plays an important role in serving our youngest and often most vulnerable community members.

We have received lots of positive feedback from parents about the difference Seedlings has made to them and their children. Here are a few examples:

‘My son absolutely loves coming! As we approach the door he runs in excitedly!’ ‘I wanted to get my children used to different settings, activities, and people. Also to make the transition to nursery easier. It has been FAB for this!’

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‘My daughter loves the variety of sensory activities e.g. sand, water, shaving foam etc.’

‘Seedlings is the only social opportunity for my child outside family.’

We have had a great team of volunteers from different faiths and backgrounds over the year, all who have worked hard to provide a great service and show God’s love at Seedlings. We are grateful for their commitment to Seedlings and for bearing with us during the move!

We are excited to now be back at St Christopher’s and look forward to another great (but hopefully less challenging…) year!

Helen Cremins Seedlings coordinator

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The environment – Caring for God’s creation

Caring for Gods creation is one of the five marks of mission set out by the Anglian Church and recognised by many other denominations.

We continue to work on the actions for improvement identified in our eco-church action plan as we move from ‘Silver’ to ‘Gold’ status. Simon Slater the designated eco-church coordinator by the PCC, has continued to provide updates to the church council and worked with other members of the congregation.

Eco church Working Group

Simon has set up a group to help support his role in progressing the Eco church action plan. The group consists of Tom as vicar to help with the church building actions, and Hannah Greenwood, using her environmental expertise and her role on the Springfield Project Board as the environmental champion. The group has met four times in the year and met their aims of switching to green electricity and having an energy plan in place for the main church building by December 2023.

Energy Audits – Vicarage, Church Building, and Springfield Centre

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Pictures: Thermal images of the Church and Springfield Centre (after 2 hours of heating). The mystery of the Springfield Centre Plant room (Curt’s cave). Destratification Fan from study visit to Selly Oak Quakers.

We accessed an energy audit support scheme run by the Council of Faiths Footsteps Programme and ecobirmingham. This involved site visits, thermal imaging, and three reports requiring different actions for the three different buildings. These reports went to the Church Council and Springfield Board to provide them a clear set of next steps, including year 1 actions and actions for the next 5 years to meet the Church of England 2030 ‘net zero’ targets.

Switching our energy tariffs – we are now net zero!

With our 3-year electricity contract coming up for renewal, we did a review of different energy contracts. We recommended a series of options for our future gas and electricity contracts, based on the Church of England research into approved providers. After a robust Church Council meeting which considered the cost, impact, and the contribution to our action plan. The switch was agreed. This means our church is now ‘net zero’ based on the energy supply. Some members of the congregation increased their giving to cover the extra cost.

It is worth noting that the switch has been difficult due to the poor customer service of the supplier we are leaving, and that the bigger impact is that of the individual energy use of the households of members of our church – collectively about 5 times the energy use of the church building.

Our Corporate Worship and Teaching

We held a church service that focused on different aspects of creation care, teaching, prayers, lent activities and craft.

Our church weekend had a future priorities session, where creativity and creation were one of the issues identified as important to our church life.

Our mid-week youth groups looked at our role in God’s creation as part of a series on social justice.

Our world was a continuous feature of our corporate prayers as we witnessed climate refugees, extreme weather, and international meetings to agree new action.

Our community engagement

We presented to other local churches and groups on their eco church journey, such as Highters Heath. We updated the Diocese on our progress, including our first ever annual

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energy report. The Diocese informed us we were in the top 20% of energy users. This is because our buildings are full of activities throughout the week!

Supporting the Springfield Project, through evidence from previous eco-church events, we helped to provide evidence of local need for individuals and households sustainability support. As a result, Springfield Project working with ecobirmingham, has been successful in securing a 3-year National Lottery funded programme to support environmental action in our local community.

Plans for 2024

The Eco Church Working Group will continue to meet to oversee:

Simon Slater, eco-church coordinator On behalf of the Eco Church Working Group April 2024

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In 2023 – 4 there have been lots of reasons to worry about the project. The two biggest have both been to do with funding:

1 How can we keep going if income doesn’t increase and yet all our costs, especially salaries, have had to go up quite a lot?

2 Given the fact that we are at the end of our contract period with the city council and they are facing such hard times will there even be a contract that pays us to do the work we do?

Amazingly, or not so amazingly if you factor in a loving provider God, the past year has been a good one financially. While our main contract money does not increased with inflation various things have really gone well for us. Perhaps the most unexpected and helpful was a much bigger than expected rise in some of our nursery funding.

The second bit of unexpected news is that our BCC contract has been extended for another couple of years, which is great.

But there is loads more to thank God for:

So, please join us in thanking God for His provision and faithfulness…and pray that we might make the most of the opportunities the project gives us to appropriately tell our story of knowing the source of hope and love in a hurting world. Please also pray for the Board to grow well with new trustees from outside of St Christophers.

Tim Boyes Chair

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CHURCH GOVERNMENT & ADMINISTRATION

Wardens Report

Mike and I have been wardens for one year now and it has been a real privilege to serve the church in this way, especially during a year that has seen such changes. Obviously the main focus of the year has been the re-ordering and we want to thank the Jericho team for their excellent work and Ernst’s significant role in that. It's been challenging, but it has been so encouraging to see how the congregation has adapted and been creative in finding solutions for how to function with the reduced space that we had. We also need to recognise the real hard work by Tom in overseeing it as well as his hard work in fundraising and the significant success he had in bringing in the funds to enable it to happen. We also want to thank the many other people who have worked so hard to help during this time, especially Philip Grimes with building support, Mike Lenton with IT, Rebecca Slater with decoration and everyone who helped with cleaning, moving, setting up, clearing away and so much more.

As part of the re-ordering, we were able to clear out lots of items that had been sitting gathering dust for many years and also sell some items to create a cleaner more uncluttered look for the church. We also managed a substantial piece of repair work to the box guttering running the length of the church on the nursery garden side of the building, which happened despite the cold and rain in December. Because of the careful funding and budgeting and with some increased giving we were able to get the work finished properly including increased electricity capacity for the kitchen, new fire alarms, the floor being fully stripped and lovely new chairs.

We give thanks to God for this and now look forward to the next phase in the life of St Christopher’s as we adapt to our new surroundings. It’s already been good to see how the ramp makes access better, using the communion table and lectern after many years and having space to sit and chat at the end of the services. There will be more to learn about how best to use this space for worship and activities but all for the glory of God.

We have raised the profile of giving and the need for our income to equal, or exceed, our outgoings. People have responded generously and the situation has improved but there is still a need to look at how we can increase our income so that we can sustain and grow our mission and ministry.

The PCC spent a day in January prayerfully reflecting on our visions for the next couple of years and have produced a document that gives us a clear sense of purpose and guidance and we are already seeing the implications of that in the development of our sung worship and the training of preachers and service leaders. We will continue to use this to guide us in our priorities throughout the year.

Andrew Smith and Mike Smith April 2024

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Church Council (PCC) Report

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) has an important role to play in the leadership of St Christopher’s. It has the ultimate responsibility for managing the church finances and deciding the strategic direction of the church. It also supports and oversees the activities of the church and encourages those leading the activities. PCC members are also the trustees of the charity that manages the church assets and income.

The PCC has met seven times as a council since the last APCM. This included an away day in January at The Wheel, Blackwell Church. This was an opportunity for us to meet with church staff and some Springfield Project Trustees to look at and consider our vision statement. The day included a time of worship and reflection, having lunch together followed by a discussion of the vision statement facilitated by Sarah Smith. It was a helpful and productive day and was followed by a brief meeting online in February where we agreed on an action plan to take forward the vision for St Christopher’s of ‘Growing Together in Christ’.

Our usual PCC meetings have followed a format of discussing matters of church governance and management, including safeguarding, finances, updates from the deanery synod, building and fabric issues and the now completed re-ordering project!

We also discuss matters of church life, which cover:

We also have a list of rolling actions, which help frame discussions and keep track of important actions. Once PCC minutes have been agreed, church members can request a copy from Tom. The approved minutes are also displayed in church.

Thank you to all PCC members for attending and contributing to meetings. Having different ages and backgrounds represented has brought a range of knowledge and experience to the discussions and decisions over the year. I hope that over this coming year and years to come, we will continue to move towards an ever more diverse group of people that fully represent our church community.

Helen Cremins PCC Secretary

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding has become much more centralised (and rigorous) across Church of England Birmingham with a set of requirements for those holding most posts (paid and voluntary) in a parish church. We are delighted that the safeguarding team at diocesan level is very strong and you can speak with them on the phone at most times: 0121 4260407 or 07342993844. These rigorous guidelines help us with the process of “safer recruitment” and now mean that most people in a volunteer role at St Christopher’s will need to complete a DBS application, and complete two courses (which can be done in person or online) – Basic Safeguarding Awareness and Safeguarding Foundations. In addition, PCC members and Churchwardens are requested to complete a third unit called Raising Awareness Of Domestic Abuse. Once completed, these courses are renewable after three years.

I am delighted that Rebecca Slater and Lucy Emo are in charge of the process of DBS applications for our church. We can also draw on the expertise of Claudia Gordon, our Parish Safeguarding Coordinator. So altogether we have an impressive team seeking to do all we can to keep children and vulnerable adults safe in our church.

Further details of policies and procedures can be found on our website (stchristopherspringfield.org.uk) or on the CofE Birmingham’s website (cofebirmingham.com). However, as I’m sure you are aware, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility so if you ever see or hear anything that gives you cause for concern, please remember these simple steps:

  1. Receive what the person is saying

  2. Reassure the person that it’s good they are telling you

  3. Record (write down) what you have seen or heard as soon as possible without adding or leaving anything out, sign and date it

  4. Report it to either Claudia or Tom (and give them your record)

  5. Breathe easy – your job is done!

Claudia’s experience is invaluable in discerning what should then be passed on to the diocese or the police and what is simply behaviour we should be aware of and monitor. We want to be calmly vigilant and tread a healthy line between naivety on one hand and paranoia on the other with the goal of keeping everyone safe.

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Electoral Roll

Within the Church of England the Electoral Roll is a list of all the members of the church. All baptised Christians over 16, who regularly worship at St Christopher’s, or who live in the parish are entitled to be on the Electoral Roll. These church members are then those entitled to attend and vote at the APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) and stand for election to the Church Council (PCC).

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The roll in 2023 had 111 members on it. Over the year two members who had passed away sadly had to be removed from the roll. 12 people left the church and were removed from the roll. One new member was added. This means that the number on the roll has decreased by 13 members to 98.

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The change in membership has increased slightly the proportion of members who live in the parish from 40% to 44%. However, the parish covers a relatively small area of just 24 streets, with a population of only 7,000, so it is possible to live 500 metres from the Church, but not live in the parish. Church members generally live close to the church with over 55% living within 1 mile and 74% living within 2 miles travel distance of the church building.

Mike Lenton Church Electoral Roll Officer

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Tre(xsurer's Re ort The financial statements as presented herewith for the Year Ended 2023113t Jan to 313l Dec 20231, shows a cash balance caieulated at £83,615.95, reducing frorn £122,071. 15 for the previou5 ycar as of 3 Isl Dec 2022. This equates to a reduction of ￿8,455.20 lappiox. 31¥01, which can be seen on the year 2023 profit and loss statement for the Chureh. This was expected. as the long-waited Church re-ordering along with some renovation work including new kitchen area was finally put into action and commenced on 4th September 2023. with a cornpletion handover date scheduled for 8th March 2024. Plans for such work had been under review and discussion by the PCC for some tiTne before COVID, and during the global pandemic. these plans had to be put on hold. In light of this and despite the nurnber of grant applications that were made to undertake and meet the cost lor this work, the PCC were already in the view and understanding that not au submitted grant applications may turn out to be successful or as desired, and should th2S Situation arise, the PCC agreed to use sorne of the Church financial reserve funds to meet the defieit between the received grantldonation money and the re-ordering building work cost. Approximately six ￿antS froEn diffeTent sources along with some kind generous donations from individuals were received to supFx)rt this re-ordering work. This was further strengthened with the increase seen on the Church, planned giving and gift aid noted as °Receipts" against most increased expenses noted as "Payments., this helped with keeping the financial cashflow afioat without depending too much on the rinaneiai Teserves. As a brief overview, some of the financial gains and losses that were noted are indicated below.. Receipts Areas that saw an inerease are.. Totat Planned Giving £6. 143.27190AI Gift Aid £20,487.881120Wol Church Re-ordering Work Grants & Donations £87,047.48135Trhl Grant for Anna Cbaplaincy £15,557.601395°AI Areas that saw a decrease are.. Non-recurring Grants £6,762.93138%1 Income from use of Church £983.341110kn1 Paymertts Areas that saw a decrease are.. Church Utilities £735.23180/01 Overseas Missionary Societies £1,309.50126¥01 Other Setvice Costs £3, 186. 101729/01 Areas that saw an increase aTe: Church Maintenance £344.61 12Tr/.1 Chuich Repairs & Re-ordering Work £162,228.89 Total Outreach Activity £1.463.7215°/01 Total Youth Work Cost £1.6 10.32180kn1 I take this opportunity to thank Lucy Emo the Church Fin8ncial Administrator for her administrative and record keeping duties. along with Brian Wilkins and Torn Thomas for their support and help. Steven Taggar IPCC Treasurer) 25

St Chrlstopher'8 Church Woodlands Road Moseley Annual Report Flnanelal Statements ofthe Parochlal Church Councll for the year ended 31 December 2023 Incumbent Rev Tom Thomas The Vicarage Woodlands Road Moseley Independent Examlner Mr Brian Wilkins, ACIB 3 Springdale Gardens Selly 081( B29 6DG 26

Independent Examiner'8 Report to the PCC of St Chrlstopher's Church, Moseley• Blrmingham. This report is on the accounts of the PCC for the year ended 3 1 December 2023 which are set out in the subsequent pages. Respective responslbllitles of trustees and examzner The eharity'8 trustees consider that an audit És not required for thks year under section 144121 of the Charities Act 20 1 I (the 201 l Actl and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to examine the aceounts under section 145 of the 2011 Aet" follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissions section 14515lb of the 2011 Act. and state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of tndependent examinerfs report My examination was carried out in accordance with the General directions given by the Ch￿lty Commission. An examitkation includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts with thosc records. It also includes considering any unu8ual items or di8ciosuTCS in the accounts and seeking explanation8 from you as tmstees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertalcen do not pro￿de all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. Independent examlrtei's statement In connection with tny examination. no matter has come to my attention". 111 which gÉves me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requireJnents to keep accounting records in aecordance with s. 130 of the 2011 Act. or to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records have not been met. or 121 to which. in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Brian Wilkins Date.. f JYJ, 27

St Chrfstoph•Vs P¥othlal ch￿￿h ￿ne1[ Flnan¢l•l Stthm•rtJ fryth• ymf •nd•d 31d D•C•M￿2023 and Pa Account Totsl 2W23 T+Jtsl 2tr22 FWNI 2013 FuThJ W23 107,08523 164.16& 271.251.83 137.005,01 8.764.39 8.784.39 9.175 I￿)& 19W94 1,283.45 otsl Re¢oipts 11&758.56 1H1K60 282,92&16 147,46U6 tiits8s aTrJ SJpwcoJts 6a. 254.825.35 254.825.35 89.766.47 11fA8. SI.(￿32 66.655.01 64,950.Pa 267,47&04 ¥00&32 321,48Q36 1x717.35 cK• af R•¢•lpts pa￿nts (148,715.48 110,16028 55520) (7253.891 ransfw B•lwMn Fund• 110.10028 {110,16021) Chy In P•rfod 555 (7251891 28

St cfvtatryh•ffs Parochw chU￿h C￿￿¢4 Flnwlal St•t•m•th f(Yth• y••r l￿dId 31& D•cnb•r 2J)23 stst8m•nt ofAs80ts and Uablth at 3111 Dec4mber 2023 31M2rJ 3V1zr2022 CwrnntAsMts: Cash •tB•Jk th￿in I1￿￿.. 91 lo.￿.14 T2,958.88 117.&1 12.¢XK117 iog.%1.15 Bank Cl%rertA￿¥U &95 121071.15 TOT￿ ASSETS 8161&95 121071.15 UNBIUIIES W1&95 122,071.15 IlfA•stoth•A¢¢4unls 1. BA￿ OF PREPARATKrtI OF THE ACCOUltr8 I AIiALYSIS OFTrE INThE FIA￿$ DURHIG THEYEAR Lknresthded bJr¥Js ￿l￿there￿re0s01 PCCwlth ￿a￿al￿￿O k) Ihef•Jrths wl k¥Mpxe& aFprtrdlc. oAat8'8 a¥J WfF¥J5e may thy te$rit￿ •XMts6s*ilh 29

I INCOME FROM W¥ESTMEHYS 4. ASSETS Otrw rr<thl¥y assets frrsw•YAS by wlsh durlw forth¢h F•Thnl h8$ 5. FURTHER ANALYSLS OF RECEIPTS Ta41 Fuwl 1£) 610 110 7.7YI Vlul•rFw 7, 11,010 17.m.93 17.7r2.93 111.4)7. I41￿91 24,￿ 14h6&91 b CHAATABiE ACTI¥TfiES rJ IMA6 1175 30

F(￿THERA￿lIyslS OF PAYIIENT8 FLY•JffjI Fw&l 1fyM.a) 1,74D 125 41Jl 55 Ctrr 1217.11 1A47.71 7.$5 1.411.7T 2Q25 )1.49 215.co )IA9 rxé 71&41 &n& 7.1 1.415 5,115 5,115 ISV23 .rA. ij.rn 11.797h7 11.79T.67 1X.89 I7.6￿18 1x09 1.W35 17JlX 17.7 U4 IA17JJI 1,417m 1.IlJl 1WJJ 172nA6 t2 1721&16 .12 Totsiywth W•*C¢ 31

K INFORMA ION ON H S CHRIS OPH R’S SPRINGFI PCC CHARI

The St Christopher’s Springfield PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 195 , Church Representation Rules 2011) and a registered charity. The Charity Registration number is: 1151491. The registered name of the charity is: The Parochial Church Council of The Ecclesiastical Parish of St Christopher’s Springfield although it is commonly called St Christopher’s Springfield PCC.

Membership of the PCC

The Members of the PCC are the Trustees of the St Christopher’s Springfield PCC. PCC Members are generally elected at the Annual Parochial Church Council Meeting (APCM) usually for a period of three years.

PCC Membership

During 2023 the following people served as members of the PCC:

Clergy:

Tom Thomas (Vicar)

Churchwarden(s):

Andrew Smith Mike Smith

Deanery Synod Representatives:

None

Elected members:

David Hartley (elected 2020) Helen Cremins (elected 2021) Margaret Gordon (elected 2021) Alex Nance (elected 2021) Alison Roper-Hall (elected 2021) Esther Slater (elected 2021) Philippa Grimes (elected 2022) Catriona Heatherington (re-elected 2022) Steven Taggar (re-elected 2022) Jen Tustain (elected 2023) Phil Grimes (elected 2023)

PCC Officers:

Chair Tom Thomas Vice–Chair Alison Roper-Hall Secretary Helen Cremins Treasurer Steven Taggar Electoral Roll Officer Mike Lenton Stewardship Secretary Margaret Gordon

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Although the Vicar is the Chair of the PCC as defined by the Church Representation Rules, it is the practice at St Christopher’s for meetings to be chaired by a lay member of the PCC i.e. the Vice-Chair.

Governing Documents for the PCC:

As part of the Church of England the PCC follows the agreement between The Church of England and the Charity Commission that for all PCCs the “Governing Documents” for the charity will be:

  1. The Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended

  2. The Church Representation Rules (contained in Schedule to the Synodical Government Measure 1969 as amended).

The PCC Powers Measure defines the powers of a PCC It states that the principal function, or purpose, of the PCC as “promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church”. The full text of the PCC Powers Measure in its currently amended form can be found on the legislation.gov.uk database at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/Eliz2/4-5/3/contents The Church Representation Rules define how members are elected to the PCC, the rules for the Electoral Roll and how PCC Officers are appointed. The full text of the Church Representation Rules in its currently amended form can be found on the legislation.gov.uk database at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/1969/2/schedule/3

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St. Christopher's Church Growing together in Christ 34