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2022-12-31-accounts

Annual Church Meetings Sunday 14 May 2023 Meeting for the Election of Churchwardens Sunday 14 May 2023 Annual Parochial Church Meeting reporting on the Year 2022

After the 10.00am Parish Eucharist at All Saints Church, Ealing Agenda

1. Apologies for absence

Meeting for the election of Churchwardens

2. Election of Churchwardens

(To be entitled to vote one must be on the revised Electoral Roll or live in the parish and appear on the register of local government electors). A nomination for election form is to be received before the meeting. There are two Churchwarden positions.

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

3. Minutes of the Annual Church Meetings 2022

(To accept these minutes as a true record of the last Annual Church meetings)

4. Matters Arising (Notify before the meeting)

5. Electoral Roll (To receive the updated electoral roll, which has been displayed before this meeting)

6. Financial Review (To receive a report on the Financial Affairs of the Parish and receive the accounts in an appendix to this report). Appoint the independent Examiner.

7. Church building, grounds and contents Report (To receive a report from the Churchwarden written in conjunction with the Officer elected to oversee the ‘Reimagine the Nave’ Project)

8. Families and Children Report (To receive a report from the Lay Minister leading Families in Worship and other events)

9. Safeguarding Report (To receive a report from the SGO)

10. Deanery Synod Report (To receive a report on the Ealing Deanery Synod)

11. Creation Care Report (To receive a report from the Creation Care Champion)

12 . Election of Lay Representatives to the PCC & Deanery Synod representative

Vicar’s reflection and prayers

Appendix

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Background reading PCC Purpose

Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956

(1) It shall be the duty of the minister and the parochial church council to consult together on matters of general concern and importance to the parish.

(2) The functions of parochial church councils shall include:

(a) co-operation with the minister in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical;

(b) the consideration and discussions of matters concerning the Church of England or any other matters of religious or public interest, but not the declaration of the doctrine of the Church on any question;

(c) making known and putting into effect any provision made by the diocesan synod or the deanery synod, but without prejudice to the powers of the council on any particular matter;

(d) giving advice to the diocesan synod and the deanery synod on any matter referred to the council;

(e) raising such matters as the council consider appropriate with the diocesan synod or deanery synod.

In the exercise of its functions the parochial church council shall take into consideration any expression of opinion by any parochial church meeting.

PCC Membership

The members of the PCC who held office for the period 2022-2023 are detailed below

The PCC at its first meeting on May 23[rd] 2022 elected (for the period 2022-2023):- Secretary - Wale Omiyale

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Treasurer - James Beveridge

Electoral roll officer (need not be PCC member/ may also be the secretary)- Lou Murgatroyd

Children's Champion - Catarina Siqueira- Armond

Creation Care Champion - Mo Perkins

Social Media Representative - Jez Inson

Safeguarding Officer (need not be PCC member) - Alan Boulton

Standing Committee

Revd Rachel Marszalek; Mo Perkins, Stuart Perkins, Wale Omiyale; James Beveridge

Independent examiner or auditor

The annual meeting appoints an independent examiner or auditor, who is not a member of the PCC. The PCC elected Isabel Kuhl ( Dart new surname) for the period 2022-2023

During 2022 there were PCC meetings by zoom on Feb 7[th] ; March 28[th] ; April 23[rd] ; 11[th] July; Oct 17[th] and Nov 28[th] . The PCC meets bi-monthly. The Standing Committee sets the agenda inbetween meetings. There are Finance meetings when the need arises which involve the Standing Committee with the addition of Nick Harvey. PCC minutes are available on request from the PCC Secretary once they have been agreed at the next PCC meeting.

The church and charity rules under which we operate allow for the appointment of working groups (or, in our terms, ‘teams’) to discuss certain subjects thoroughly in detail and they may co-opt members from beyond the PCC.

The Vicar is Ex-Officio and co-ordinator of the current teams in place:

It is proposed to establish new teams to lead our work in in other areas in due course.

Volunteers

The PCC would like to record their thanks to all who have given of their time to serve the church at All Saints. We are blessed with many who freely volunteer in ‘unseen’ but essential activities. We could not operate without the whole body working

together! In particular, we are grateful to Jane Mazouz who has served us by cleaning the church on Wednesdays. For all your contributions to the life of the church we are grateful.

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1. Note apologies of those absent at this meeting 14[th] May 2023 (send apologies to allsaintsealing@gmail.com)

2. Elect Churchwarden(s) after nominations received before the meeting.

3. Proposer, seconder and agree minutes from 2022 meetings as accurate records.

ALL SAINTS CHURCH, EALING, MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETINGS 23 APRIL 2022

Apologies for absence: Jane Masouz Jo Edwards, Jez Inson, Nikki Inson, Eleanor Kerr, Lou Murgatroyd, Steve Murgatroyd, Guy Eagling, James Beveridge

12.00 NOON: ANNUAL VESTRY MEETING

1. Opening prayers

2. Minutes of last Vestry Meeting (25 APRIL 2021, by Zoom)

The minutes had been previously circulated, and were accepted as an accurate record.

3. Election of churchwardens

Stuart Perkins had been proposed as Churchwarden. He was duly elected.

4. Closing prayer The meeting ended at c.12.10

12.30 PM: ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

[All reports referred to had been circulated electronically prior to the meeting and made available on the Church website – at https://www.allsaintsealing.org.uk/#/apcm/]

1. Opening prayers

2. Minutes of last APCM (23 April 2021, by Zoom) A ccepted as accurate record (prop, Alan; sec, Angela).

3. Changes to the electoral roll since last APCM

Lou presented her report. No questions raised about changes to the electoral roll. There are now 62 people on our roll, down 10 from the previous year. The acceptance of the roll was proposed by Richard; sec Mo; Accepted.

4. Financial Report year ending 31 December 2020

Written report had been circulated; James is Covid positive and unable to attend. Rachel talk us though, income ahead due to new hall letting and mobile mast increase. The London Diocesan Fund contribution has been lower due to Covid, our level is now £50k and this is acceptable to the diocese. Loan from the Diocese is being repaid at a slightly higher rate, which will allow us to pay it off sooner. Gift Aid report also reviewed. We have moved to promote electronic giving as the preferred method. this has taken some time to settle. Regular givers have fallen from 26 to 21. Also looked at the report and account prepared by our independent examiner. There were questions about the level of cash giving which has fallen but it was highlighted that the expectation is regular giving is now being done electronically. Stuart also mentioned the plans to move to the Parish Giving Scheme as a new, more efficient way to give. Gift Aid: The meeting thanks expressed to Chris Timms for his efforts in recovering the tax on Gift Aid donations. Acceptance of Finance Reports proposed, Belinda; seconded, Ros; accepted.

5. Appointment of independent examiner I Kuhl (the existing examiner) agreed (prop, Alan; sec, Angela).

6. Report (by churchwardens) on buildings and grounds

Fabric report had been circulated. Stuart spoke to highlight key points. Appointing a New Church Architect: In August 2021 we appointed our new QI: her name is Heather Cerowski, part of the David Insell partnership. We appointed her for her experience and understanding of churches, aware that she would shortly take time out for parental leave. In her absence, her colleague Francis Maude has ably taken care of us although we look forward to her being back on board from August.

Security: The security gates/railings to the side entrances to the rear of church are now installed and look very smart. Thanks to Charles who patiently worked to secure planning permission.

The Tech Upgrade: Despite the ongoing Covid situation, we are very pleased to report that the upgrade to our sound system and installation of projection equipment has been completed. We hope to be introducing cameras to stream our services later in the year as funds allow. Report accepted. (Proposed from the Chair)

7. Report on activities Reports had previously been circulated on the following: Children and young people (Mo); Safeguarding (Alan); Music (Janet); EFIG (Belinda); Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter (Belinda); Archives and history (Richard); Churches Together in Central Ealing (Glynis); Deanery Synod (Janet & Stuart); Creation Care (Mo); Vicars Report (Rachel)

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8. Verbal Reports to the Meeting Children and young people

Mo went through the report and highlighted some key points; It is important to have the families involved and active. We are blessed to have them with us, as there are too many families out there who have no connection with church. Mini Saints is on pause and will be relaunched in the church building which is an important aspect to enable children and parents to come into space and be able to feel at ease. Thanks to Mo for spearheading all the aspects of children’s work, we are blessed to have someone with training and call leading. Thanks were also given to Lou and Catarina for supporting the work with children.

Safeguarding

Alan highlighted the report and that there have been no incidents reported in the past year.

Music

It was noted that the pandemic had made music challenging and it was noted that if possible we wanted to keep the musicians and choir active and participating in the service. Alan mentioned how successful the Christmas service was and offered many thanks to Angela for her support and leadership in making it happen.

EFIG

EFIG continues to make good progress supporting girls in Nigeria and Ghana, but due to the pandemic there have been no fundraisers.

Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter

ECWNS is in a state of flux due to Covid and yet to determine what will happen this year.

Archives and history

Richard reported on the fact that we have finally been able to make progress with organising the archives. Specialist boxes to store the records have been ordered but delayed as they come for eastern Europe. A vote of thanks to Richard for his work was unanimously supported.

Churches Together in Central Ealing

Glynis reported on CTICE, the walk of witness is one of the main activities organised by the group. A vote of thanks was unanimously agreed thank Glynis for having represented us over a number of years. Glynis is now standing down and we need to find a new person to take this on.

Deanery Synod

Stuart and Janet have represented us at the Synod. Janet is now standing down, thanks were passed on to Janet for representing us.

Creation Care

Mo highlighted the importance of Creation Care as our part of our approach to all issues around the climate crisis. She was grateful for the chance to preach on Creation Care last autumn. Mo mentioned Eco Church award scheme run by Arocha we have now achieved the Bronze level, and are actually at Gold for preaching! Plea from Mo for others to join with her to support the movement and create the change. It was noted that we need to add the creation care and safeguarding to the PCC standing agenda.

Vicar’s Report

Rachel talked through the report and emphasised the way we are a spiritual family and that we need to make sure that we are generous. She reflected on the gains and losses from having online services and how that has changed the shape of our community and her hope that we might be a renewed church as an evangelising church, growing one person at a time. Rachel offered thanks to all who those makes things work, Guy as sacristan, the readers and prayers and all those in the online services.

9. Questions

Richard asked about PCC minutes, how do we make minutes more available. We will look at how we do that on the website. Mo agreed and mentioned the desirability of having a newsletter to keep everyone updated. We hope to be able to get the internal noticeboards up and make sure the minutes are available.

10. Elections

Eight candidates had been duly proposed and seconded for election as members of the PCC, and were duly elected to serve for a term of one year (until spring 2022): James Beveridge, Angela Bryant, Nick Harvey, Jez Inson, Belinda McLaughlin, Wale Omiyale, Ros Spittle, Catarina Siqueira-Armond. Also on the PCC (ex officio) would be Revd Rachel Marszalek (vicar Mo Perkins (Licensed Lay Minister), Stuart Perkins (Churchwarden and Deanery Synod representative). Prayers were offered for the newly elected members.

11. Closing Prayers The meeting ended with The Grace. The meeting ended at c.13.40.

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4. Have any Matters Arising items been submitted before the meeting?

5. Electoral roll report

The Electoral Roll shall be revised every year (except in the year when a new roll is produced). The revision of the roll of a parish must be completed at least 15 days, but no more than 28 days, before the annual parochial church meeting.

Anyone is entitled to be on the electoral roll if he or she is a baptised member of the Church of England (or of another church in communion with the C of E), and either: a resident of the parish, or a habitual worshipper at this church.

In May 2022 the electoral roll contained the names of 62 persons who asked to be on the roll, and who were eligible. Of these, 30 were resident in the parish; and the other 32 habitually worshipped at All Saints. The updated roll provided a good snapshot of the community of those who wished to be identified with this church.

This year 2023 four people have been removed from the electoral roll, three people are deceased, and two have been added. There are 57 people on the electoral roll.

Lou Murgatroyd Electoral Roll Officer

6. Financial report for the year to 31 December 2022

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective from 1 January 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, Church Accounting Regulations 2006 and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective from 1 January 2019.

The full accounts are published as an Appendix to this report. Below is a brief summary.

We again have much for which to be thankful financially in 2022. Despite soaring energy costs, we were blessed with receipt of grant funding which has enabled us to rebuild our financial reserves and carry out essential maintenance to our church building. We closed the year with a technical surplus of £13,204 just below the predicted surplus of £14,600. However, as of December 2022 £9,111 were owed to Total Energies in electricity charges we had not yet been billed for. Our actual surplus was therefore around £4,093.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

Headline figures: Total Income: £ 147,500 Total Expenditure: £ 134,296

Income: The total budgeted income for 2022 was £113,387. The actual income was £147,500 – £34,113 above budget (due to the Grant award from the Cultural Recovery Fund).

Giving: £20,611 was received in total from giving by members of the church family during the year. This figure was significantly below the anticipated giving of £30,500. The drop is due to the falling size of the congregation and number of regular givers.

Hall Income: The total income for the year from letting the hall was £44,573 (An increase of £4,520 from the 2021 total of £40,053). Hall rentals remain broadly consistent with 2021 with some uplifts received for inflation.

Mobile mast income increased to £26,145 from a budgeted £16,496, due to higher electricity reimbursements resulting from the significant increase in energy costs during 2022.

Grant income: We received a total of £41,041 in grants from successful bids to the National Lottery Heritage Lottery Fund (£38,400) and London Diocesan Fund Energy Grant (£2,641)

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Expenditure: Total expenditure during 2022 was £134,296 (£35,526 more than the budgeted figure of £98,770). Extra costs incurred were due largely to additional capital works undertaken to meet the terms of Heritage Lottery Grant funding and higher than expected energy costs.

London Diocesan Fund: This payment represents our contribution to the expenses of the Diocese – which include the payment of clergy stipends, housing costs, pensions and diocesan support and training to parishes (eg. buildings and safeguarding etc). Our offer for 2022 remained at £50,000 to allow us to continue to return to financial stability post-Covid.

Repayment of Diocesan loan: The Diocese gave us a loan of £12,000 in 2019, to help with the cost of the gutter replacement. We repaid a total of £3,600 in 2022 and are continuing to repay the outstanding amount at the agreed rate.

CAPITAL FUNDS

Funds in Deposit Account

Restricted funds – which can only be spent on specified items – and unrestricted reserves were as follows, as at 31 December 2022:

lows, as at 31 December 2022:
£
Altar frontal (legacy from Dorothy John) 1,000
Children and youth (2017 Gift Day) 3,665
Interest accrued and other unrestricted reserves 28,398
33,063

In addition, we also received a further £1,660 in restricted funds for Gift Day 2022 which remained in the current account at year end.

The PCC has a policy to maintain Financial Reserves at a level of £8,100. This was a condition set by the Cultural Recovery Fund when they gave us an award to offset the costs of Covid. We were eligible for an award for being a recognised Cultural Heritage site. Reserves and Funds held for the short term are invested in CBF Church of England deposits.

The PCC is committed to monitoring expenditure and identifying further cost reductions wherever possible in the forthcoming years as well as continuing to develop our income sources. Having assessed the Charities' financial circumstances the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue its operations for the foreseeable future.

The PCC thanks Chris Timms - our committed and efficient Gift Aid officer.

James Beveridge Treasurer

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7. Church building, grounds and contents report

Church Representation Rules para II 9d - The churchwardens are responsible for ensuring that the buildings and grounds are safe and well-maintained. They also hold the contents in trust for the church. They are required to keep careful and detailed records in The Log Book of all work carried out on the buildings, for reference by the architect and future wardens, and to maintain accurate records of church contents and legal documents in The Terrier. The Church of England requires all parish churches to appoint an approved architect to be consulted on most work to the church. The architect is required to carry out a detailed survey of the buildings every five years, known as The Quinquennial Inspection or QI – hence the architect themselves is also frequently referred to as “the QI”! In 2021, we appointed a new QI, Heather Cerowski. She was away on parental leave from autumn 2021 until August 2022. The last Quinquennial Inspection took place in 2020. An action plan has been drawn up for most items on the Report. This has been circulated to the PCC and is available on the back table for consultation by the congregation.

We are blessed with a beautiful and historically significant church - which is also a Grade 2 listed buildingto care for on behalf of the future. The Church of England requires all work - whether repairs or modifications - to be approved first by the PCC (Parochial Church Council) then by its in-house planning team: The Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC). For most work, given our listed status, we must also obtain a Faculty from the Diocesan Chancellor, which takes the place of Listed Building Consent. We are therefore fully accountable. This Report is in 3 parts:

I am very grateful to all those who offer practical help, advice or encouragement, and to the whole church family for supporting our ongoing building improvements – both with finances and with goodwill and prayer. I want to place on record my thanks to Mo Perkins for doing all the detailed and often unseen work that ensures that we have all the required permissions in place and that the works are undertaken by a skilled set of contractors and craftspeople. I also want to thank all those who serve in church for worship or in any other capacity: Thanks to Guy Eagling who as Sacristan, ensures that all things are orderly for worship Sunday by Sunday, to Jane Mazouz who cleans the church each week, to all who read and bring prayers, and those who help maintain the grounds – especially Guy and Sheila.

Introduction: 2022-3 we pulled fully out of Covid restrictions and back to “normal” operations and it has been a year largely of preparatory work for significant projects yet to take place.

Cultural Recovery Grant: We have been immensely fortunate to receive a very generous grant award of £39k from The Cultural Recovery Grant Fund. This was a National Lottery Fund established specifically to help heritage sights recover from damage caused by the Covid Lockdowns. Grateful thanks to Vicar Rachel for working through the application, encouraged by the Diocese. This money recouped some of the outlay on the AV Project, restored the cash flow in the current account and has enabled us to carry out more work on the building than may otherwise have been possible. Most of it (£28k) is on hold in the Deposit account.

Utility costs: The national headlines have been dominated by concerns regarding rising utility costs and the church is not immune.

Gas - Church Heating: Naturally, the threefold increase in our gas charges and concern over our carbon footprint, has necessitated a cautious approach to heating. Some draught proofing took place but there is more to do. The bills have so far been manageable but of course very cold weather uses more gas. The boilers struggle to deliver the necessary uplift in severe weather and some radiators (eg in the clergy vestry) are persistently seeping. The heating system is time-expired and the PCC have authorised research for a carbon-free alternative- a 3 year project but essential for our intended mission/ministry activities in the church. Parish Buying offered heated cushions as a trial and All Saints was fortunate to receive one – ask Richard for a user report!

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Electricity Bills: The latter half of 2022 revealed an issue with our electricity billing. The smart meters had unknowingly failed and the church had accumulated a payment backlog through under-pitched estimate billing. To compound matters, the electricity consumed by the telecoms masts feeds from the hall meter but Total (our electricity supplier) was unaware due to the nonfunctioning smart meters. After considerable analysis, I was able to establish the extent of our debt and also the proportion that belonged to the telecoms companies. A system is now in place and the backlog is paid, aided by an LDF energy grant of £2600. However, on our financial statements, there is a sum showing as income that is the sum paid to us by the mast companies for their electricity which we are then paying out to our electricity supplier. The smart meter has still not been fixed and we are considering lodging a formal complaint.

ACTIONS TO THE BUILDINGS AND CONTENTS UNDERTAKEN OR PENDING:

Safety Checks:

The following safety checks are carried out annually (£1000). The lightning protection system; the electrical appliances (PAT testing); boiler service; fire protection. All checked and passed. Note that the lightning system provides minimal cover, surge protection will upgrade it somewhat – a quote is received and should be carried out. The Five-Year Electrical Safety Check fell due in November, and the church and hall both passed after certain remedial works were carried out. (£1460). The Gas Safety Test revealed a potential problem with the flue, which needs to be investigated.

Repairs - Vestry Window Repair.

The circular window in the clergy vestry was an urgent item on the QI Report. Due to the Cultural Recovery Fund Grant, and after obtaining the Faculty, the repair was carried out in June. The window was removed so that some panels could be remade, the iron bars (ferramenta) that the panels are tied to were repainted. The work was carried out by a specialist who had remade a panel in the west end window and one of the clerestory windows in 2019 (Leeming Glass, cost £3,480).

Pending Repairs:

Midnight Mass Vandalism: Porch Door Glazing:

An unfortunate act of vandalism occurred as congregation were arriving for Midnight Mass, when a large stone was thrown forcefully through the porch doors which were closed to retain heat. The stone broke 3 of the window “quarries” and broke the leading. The police attended: it seems that a homeless guest sheltering in the hall porch, and struggling with mental health, was startled by people arriving at such an unusual time. He was moved on by the police because he had already become a threat to the public as well as to congregation prior to this event. The Faculty should be received shortly when the repair will be carried out. Quoted cost: £380.00, most of which is covered by the insurance company.

The Flagpole: This is in a poor state of repair and an item on the QI Report. In November it was noticed that one of the anchoring stays has snapped. A full refurbishment will need to be planned in but in the meantime the stay will be replaced by a DIY team as soon as possible.

Resolving the leak in the Nave

Thank you to all who were able to contribute to the November Gift Day Appeal, which was dedicated towards covering the costs of remedial roof/drainage works by the main entrance. A total of £1562.00 was raised. The projected cost of the works is £3164, and so this is a very useful contribution towards this work. After various revisions of the spec and revised drawings, the work is currently with the DAC for approval and with Ealing Council awaiting planning permission (required because we are making – a very small – change to the exterior). It is hoped that the enhancements will more effectively channel water away from the building and stop the damp penetrating into the nave. Once the work is carried out and if proven to be successful, the interior render/painting can be repaired. Plans are available on the back table for review.

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There are a range of QI repair items that will be addressed this year if time and finance is available – see the QI Action Plan at the back of church. Of particular concern is the south turret at the east end where the hatchway has come off leaving the turret open to birds and the elements.

Upgrade Projects:

Not only do we have responsibility to keep the buildings in good and safe repair but also to keep them fit for today’s ministry.

Consequently, we continue to carry out modernisations and improvements:

The Audio-Visual Project:

In January 2022, the screen, projector, electrical cabling including (finally!) plug sockets in the nave were installed (cost £23,354). In July 2022, two streaming cameras were installed in the baptistry– sooner than we had anticipated due to The Cultural Recovery Fund grant (cost £6112). Broadband was installed in the hall in April and the cables were pulled through into the church in November. Live-streaming of services commenced from July 2022, accessible via a link on the church web-site. We now have 4 subscribers, a few people join the livestream for Sunday morning services and perhaps a further 10 views through the week on catch-up. The carol service had 26 views, of average duration 8 minutes. The live-streaming capacity was particularly appreciated by the friends and family of Barbara Ioannou, who could not travel for her funeral but joined online. In due course, we plan to create a surround for the control desk from pew wood, and then all the cabling will be tidied.

The Church Loo:

The vestry loo is rented to TFL for use by bus drivers on the E11 route for £1,750 p.a. It’s long overdue refurbishment was completed in January2022 with a small electric water heater and room heater (Cost £1000 – electrical work).

Progress Report for Ongoing Projects: Future Vision.

Whilst 2022/3 has been a quieter year for completed projects, it has been busy in preparatory work to obtain permissions for our future vision projects.

“Re-Imagining The Nave”:

What does this project include?

What are the Objectives?

This is a major re-ordering project which given our listed status, requires careful consultation. We are now at the point of receiving DAC approval and the proposals are being sent to the heritage bodies for statutory consultation.

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What Has Happened So Far?

October 2021: PCC approval was granted and an outline project brief was shared with our cover architect as Heather was on maternity leave.

November 2021: being under Covid restrictions, a zoom meeting was held with the architect, from which he prepared an initial plan that was more ambitious than our current objectives. We set up the project with the DAC and requested a site meeting with them.

April 2022 : The architect visited the church, after which he sent through a new simple plan, to which we added further detail.

May 2022: This plan was agreed by PCC and was submitted to the DAC for initial feedback, along with outline statements of need and significance. They agreed to a site meeting.

August 2022: we submitted very detailed statements about the project and the historic/architectural significance of the building after considerable research.

On September 1[st ] (after 2 postponements), the DAC met at church and our project was then formally considered at their October meeting.

Our proposal was the May layout as agreed by PCC:

Removal of all pews

Choice of chair was the SB2M lightweight upholstered chair that won most approval from the congregation survey.

to mitigate the impact on the historic building caused by removing its original interior, we proposed to retain the two “churchwarden seats” and a short length of pew to be repositioned either side of the Baptistry, framed by the column and arch.

The DAC feedback was positive in that they recognised and supported our missional aims, but felt that The Victorian Society would require us to retain more pews than just the churchwarden seats. They advised that a wood chair would be more in keeping with the context of our building.

Nov 2022 - Feb 2023 : careful thought was required about how many pews we should offer to retain (no further clarification being forthcoming from DAC), without compromising the objective and being mindful of the practical operating of future church activities. Research was carried out amongst other churches to establish whether our particular pews could be made moveable: we now have two short pews in church, one with castors (manoeuvrable and lockable) and one with felt (slightly heavier to move and not lockable in position).It was apparent that a quarter length pew could be easily moved by one person, a half-length was considerably more unwieldy and would need two people to move, anything longer would be impossible to move or store easily to the side when not required in the nave.

March 2023 : Revised proposal put to DAC:

Keeping the overall layout plan, we suggested retaining a half pew against each side wall as our first choice, or four quarter length moveable pews in the nave if that is what the DAC felt was needed. We suggested a compromise on the chairs: the wood “Canterbury Curvy” chair for worship and the upholstered chair for the tables.

April 2023 : DAC response was still further pews to be retained and only the wood chair. After PCC consultation, we have submitted a third proposal: We agreed to the choice of wood chair only.

And to retain 9 quarter-length pews made moveable to be arranged in the worship space or moved to the sides as required, along with the churchwarden seats as previously proposed.

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The head of the DAC has passed this proposal on to the heritage bodies for the statutory consultations and told us that our Statement of Need was ‘well developed” and “to be commended” – that is, we had fully thought through why we wanted to change the interior and had built a strong case. The proposal will be considered at the next full DAC meeting due this month and so there may yet be further adjustments. The heritage bodies too may require changes, and we now wait to hear from them.

However, it is very good news that the DAC have agreed to remove fixed pews from the nave, which was the most important requirement of the project: beyond that, it is just agreeing the fine detail.

Enclosing the SE Porch:

This area, accessed from the front right-hand nave, is to become internal storage. It was designed as a semi-open covered walkway, purpose for which has never been clear. It is currently boarded up after break-in and arson attempts during Lockdown and is an untidy store for lawn mowers, gazebos etc. We have architect drawings and method for enclosing the open areas with wood cladding and appropriate insulation. The wood cladding is in sympathy with the “Arts and Crafts” influences on that part of the building. We have DAC approval to apply for a Faculty, subject to obtaining local council planning permission. Work will hopefully take place in due course this year (projected cost: £5,000).

Other pending projects on the long list:

CONTENTS OF THE CHURCH

Addition of a new green altar frontal: The church received this wonderful new addition in November 2022. The design is bespoke for us, by noted ecclesiastical designer, Juliet Hemingray and her company Church-Textiles Co Ltd. The frontal is part paid for by the legacy of £1000 generously left to All Saints by Dorothy John. Dorothy was a much-loved member of All Saints congregation and choir. Her legacy has been set aside in the Deposit Account. The balance of £1200 will come from the Cultural Grant/church funds.

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Archives of the church: Richard Bowden reports further progress made with the church’s archives this year. Acid-free boxes have been bought to house the archives and the records stored in the tower have been transferred into them. Work has continued on Kenneth Bryant’s former records – those dealing with the church’s fabric have been separated from the others, and his collection of photos of the church have been reorganised into special storage sleeves. Mo and Richard were very pleased to have received a visit from the Diocesan Architect, who came to look at among other things the choir vestry. She is now working on a plan to reorganise this part of the church so that the archives can be accommodated there. This would be a major step forward in this long-running saga!

More sorting of the financial records and the large collection of pre-war choral records in the tower is still needed. Many of them can simply be weeded and discarded. There was one complete surprise this year. In the course of looking through some of the organ music in the choir vestry two early volumes of collections of organ music were found dating from around 1930, but also an edition of Bach’s organ sonatas apparently signed by Sir Henry Wood. All Saints has had some distinguished organists in its day! Following the advice of Robert Sholl two 1930 volumes were sent to the Royal College of Music’s organ library, which was very glad to have them and offered the Sir Henry Wood Bach sonatas to the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), which has the main collection of Sir Henry Wood’s manuscripts. The RAM was delighted to accept these sonatas as a donation. Apparently they have very few of his works from this particular period which are actually signed by him. The flyleaf of our volume was dated, in his hand, 1884, when he was 13, and the individual sonatas were annotated by him in detail – the RAM’s librarian recognised his writing. So, although we do not know how it came about All Saints now has a special connection with Sir Henry Wood! Richard Bowden Archivist

Electronic drawings of the church

New architectural drawings were fully received in November 2021: commissioned by Charles Mynors when churchwarden and the cost covered largely by a generous donation from him, these drawings have already proved very useful for annotating and illustrating many projects for the aid of the DAC. They are stored, both physically and electronically, in The Terrier, and will be useful for years to come.

THE GROUNDS

New Notice-boards: The new external notice-boards were erected in June 2022. The larger one located near the roundabout close to the site of the original board gives the historical dedication of the church and the smaller at the main entrance path is to display current church activities. Part paid for by a Deanery Mission Grant of £1000. Many thanks to Charles for project managing.

Tidying: The University of London leant some of their staff to help clear overgrowth in the side passage between the hall and the neighbouring house along with some church volunteers.

The Horse-Chestnut Tree: A detailed health check was carried out in March 2023 by Usherwood Arboriculture. The overall report is good: the tree is historic but in good health although has suffered from Chestnut Bleeding Canker (along with many other horse-chestnuts). The PCC have adopted their recommendations: to obtain a further assessment when in full leaf and an aerial inspection in the autumn, not to place a bench underneath in case of “sudden branch drop” a rare occurrence. There are certain actions we can take ourselves to ensure its ongoing health: regular inspections, aerate the soil around the tree and planting beneath the canopy. If you would like to become one of the tree’s guardians let me know.

New Trees:

In line with our Creation Care vision to maximise the wildlife benefits of our grounds we propose the planting of new fruit trees at the front and at the east end. You are invited to look at the proposals and walk around the grounds to decide. It would be good to have them planted in November on All Saints Day.

Stuart Perkins Churchwarden

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8. Families and Children Report

We began 2022 still under Covid health restrictions: the need for face masks and self-isolation, mercifully “normal” operations gradually resumed. Ministry with families is always fluid as children grow, join or move onto other things, and can look very different in different contexts. All Saints has a very long record of seeking to incorporate families into its usual activities whether worship or serving together. This desire to see children take their place as fellow disciples alongside other church family members, has seen the creation of space in front of the nave altar for better welcome and inclusion of youngsters at the heart of the worshipping community. The hope is to support participation in worship and communion, not distraction from it. The families’ space at the altar is now well-established and seems to be appreciated, the children sit facing the altar for the Eucharistic Prayer sharing pitta bread and grapes at the appropriate points. Even the youngest child absorbs the sense of welcome and mutual participation and the presence of God. They also absorb the rhythm of worship across the two spaces of church and hall: gathering and preparation, confession, praise, story and wondering, prayer and thanksgiving through communion, blessing and dismissal.

Sunday mornings: The ministry team have a flexible, open approach to where parents and their children feel most comfortable: for babies and very young children they are very welcome to play on the carpet at the front for the whole service, as they approach nursery/school age, they may wish to join the families’ worship in the hall, but there is no pressure to do so.

The Sunday morning gathering in the church hall is for all age, all generation family worship not for “children’s groups” as traditionally known. From here, the congregation join the worship in church at The Peace. The specific age range of children on a Sunday varies each week but currently ranges between toddler to 8-year-olds and on average perhaps 3 families and perhaps 6 children, sometimes more. As with the service in church, this is public worship and so we must anticipate all ages of child and all stages of faith within the family to appear. We aim to make friends, have fun and for all family members to encounter God in our session whether parent or grandparent, 8 -year -old or toddler.

Consequently, no two sessions are quite alike. We make use of invitational and imaginative storytelling inspired by the very well-crafted work of Godly Play, using Montessori techniques of handling objects, alongside occasional use of role play and other physical ways of exploring our story. In response to the scripture of the day, there might be baking bread or icing biscuits to share with the church family, exploring a prayer labyrinth or creating artwork for church. Lent began with a families’ breakfast. We stay connected with outside events: the passing of The Queen lead to a session reflecting on faithfulness and trust, the invasion of Ukraine was approached through prayer activities (shared with the wider church) and with the tying of blue and yellow ribbon around the tree.

It is exciting to watch our children grow into more confident participation: some like to help setting up the session and this early urge to serve together is encouraged, responses to the scripture are often wonderfully thoughtful and our older children were this year able to contribute readings at the carol service and the crib service. The sharing of the big story of God in scripture is our key focus, but we also recognise that parents are the greatest faith sharers in the children’s lives. To support them, occasional resources go home to be looked at and thought about, along with activity calendars for Lent and Advent. In addition to the regular gatherings, there are occasional opportunities to gather differently: Covid encouraged outdoor meetings and we held some sessions in the church grounds. At the summer break in the hot weather, we had a families’ picnic and water play. In October, we held the very successful Creation Fair in which all generations worked enthusiastically to create a bug house for the church grounds.

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Future Plans: there is always scope for improvement and strengthening; for better information to parents and more widely about how we approach family worship and all age worship in church, which is being worked on. The challenge remains, as I wrote about in last year’s report, to reach the vast majority of families that are yet to have God in their lives. We need everyone’s prayers that it is God’s intention for our vision for a cleared nave to come into being this year and enable new ministry and outreach initiatives to launch. There is now realistic hope for an expanded families ministry team that will facilitate a wider programme. We look for ways in which the children can intentionally serve alongside adults as the Creation event demonstrated as well as opportunities for trips out and more scope in the hall sessions.

Our previous mid-week toddler group Mini Saints remains on pause, but there are options to explore for an outdoor/indoor group over summer. A parent at a midweek toddler group that I serve, commented that there was no group on offer for getting (outdoor) messy and this was important for young children: the growth of Forest Church and Muddy Church movements has arisen in response to the climate crisis: if we want future generations to both love God and nurture the planet, there is no better way than the church to facilitate a grassroots appreciation of both. This is something that we might be able to initiate now in warmer weather. The next year will be interesting as we seek God’s voice on his hopes for us to reach out to our community and meet their needs. Thank you to all parents and wonderful children that light up our communal life together, particular thanks to those who commit to come early occasionally to help set up or regularly clear away afterwards – it is much appreciated.

Family ministry is essentially fluid: children grow and develop by the hour and their needs and capacity for understanding evolve rapidly, but at any age, we are hard wired for God and it is an unceasing joy to facilitate and nurture their spirituality.

9. Safeguarding Report

As a PCC we are responsible for ensuring compliance with national safeguarding requirements set for charities and organisations working with children and adults at risk and those of the Church of England and the Diocese. The Parish Safeguarding Officer, Alan Boulton, has continued to monitor and develop policies and best practice for the PCC. Under Part 9 of the Church Representation Rules (2020), the PCC are required in this annual report to the APCM to confirm that we have complied with our duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016, to have due regard to House of Bishops' guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. We are happy to confirm our full commitment to following government and Church of England safeguarding practice requirements. Whilst we cannot afford to be complacent in such matters, we believe we are in a good place in terms of the procedures we are following. We would like to record our thanks to Alan and the leaders of activities with children, all of whom, without exception, have cooperated fully in the safeguarding arrangements. In February 2023, Alan Boulton informed the PCC of his intention to stand down as the Parish Safeguarding Officer after having served as the PSO for the last 4 years. Over that period the role has developed significantly. The PCC would like to express their sincere thanks to Alan for his hard work over the years in such a demanding role and for his grace, dignity, and willingness in service.

This will be my fourth and final year as Safeguarding Officer. The baton will be passed on at the APCM on 23rd April 2023.

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I am pleased to report that there have been no safeguarding incidents in the last year. The Church has is almost back to normal after lockdown. There are still various policies in place to help protect everyone at Church from Covid. These include hand sanitizers around the Church, social distancing in Church and no Communion Wine being dispensed.

All of the All Saints congregation who work with adults and children have been DBS Checked. The appropriate safeguarding training, including domestic violence awareness, is in the process of being undertaken by all relevant parties.

Three new DBS checks were carried out this year. None are pending. Two people renewed their safeguarding training this year. Please see below for a helpful table indicating which safeguarding courses we should be doing.

Safeguarding data is GDPR compliant. Only essential data is stored, and this is with an encrypted password.

The Diocese have produced a safeguarding policy document which has been implemented by All Saints Church; see below. In addition, there are new numbers/agencies for Domestic Abuse related concerns. I have included a link below for a digital booklet entitled ‘Ending Domestic Abuse: A Pack for Churches’. The new numbers/agencies are contained within the booklet. www.restored-uk.org/get/download/uid/896c59a4-a0d9-4c91-9344-c2ebc509ca30

All Saints PCC complies with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016, in relation to having due regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. The House of Bishops has produced policy statements which can be found at this link: www.churchofengland.org/more/safeguarding/

Ensuring that children and young people as well as adults are kept safe whilst in our care is an integral part of our church life. If you have any concerns about safeguarding please contact: In the parish of All Saints Ealing, Parish Safeguarding Officer: Alan Boulton direct by email at alan@foresterssolicitors.co.uk.

The diocesan safeguarding policy can be found here: https://www.london.anglican.org/support/safeguarding/safeguarding-policy/

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Number if you have any concerns: Diocesan Safeguarding Officer: 020 7932 1224 Reporting abuse and finding support: if you have information about a safeguarding situation where a child or adult is in immediate danger or requires immediate medical attention call the emergency services on 999. Do not delay.

Survivor support websites and contact details

We understand reporting abuse may be very difficult and distressing to you and it may add to your hurt by our not being able to immediately assist you. Therefore, here are the contact details of other agencies that are available to assist either on a 24-hour basis or through specialist helplines and services:

NSPCC helpline for Children and Adults: 0800 80 20 20 NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: 0808 800 5000 - if you are worried about a child. Child-line: 0800 111 -if you are a child or young person and are worried about anything. National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247 - if you are experiencing domestic abuse. Samaritans Helpline: 116 123 - if you feel you are struggling to cope and need someone to talk to. Action on Elder Abuse Helpline: 0808 808 8141 (free phone Monday to Friday 9-5pm) National Rape Crisis Helpline: 0808 802 9999 and is open every day from 12-2.30pm and 7-9.30pm. The Survivors Trust: 0808 801 0818 Mon to Wed 10-7.30pm, Thurs 10-6pm, Fri 10-2pm.

Other Contacts

National Casework enquiries - safeguarding@churchofengland.org National General safeguarding enquiries - safeguardingeo@churchofengland.org Your local Diocesan Safeguarding Team - www.london.anglican.org/support/safeguarding/ Write to: National Safeguarding Team, Church House, Great Smith Street, Westminster, SW1P 3AZ

Alan Boulton Safeguarding Officer

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10. Deanery Synod Report

The Deanery Synod met 4 times in 2022 to consider a range of topics.

January Deanery Synod 2022

There was an introduction to the Church of England’s Pastoral Principles which are to govern best practice across our parishes. They are:

  1. Acknowledge prejudice

  2. Speak into silence (silence can be damaging)

  3. Address ignorance

  4. Cast out fear

  5. Admit hypocrisy

  6. Pay attention to power

The focus of the evening was Compassionate Communities :

ECWNS spoke about plans for Shelter 2022. Due to remaining risk of Covid infection, a hotel will be provided with ten rooms for three months to end of March 2022. Churches are to provide meals through food outlet vouchers. More information can be found on https://www.ecwns.org.uk/

CAP manager Mark Dishley (Acton) spoke about how CAP work to help people out of debt and work with all cultures and religions. https://capuk.org/

Besom manager Jo Smith spoke about Besom which is a bridge between those who want to give money, time, skills, or things; and those in need. All clients are referred by e.g. social services, CAP, Ealing Foodbank etc. The Besom service starts with a home visit to find out what sort of help would be useful; this help may include decoration, furniture (needs to be good quality and compliant with fire regulations), etc. Besom is based at St Paul’s Ealing but many of the clients are based in Southall and so there may be opportunities for churches in Southall to help in befriending and following up clients. More information can be found at stpaulsealing.com/besom/

July Deanery Synod 2022

Revd. Mark Melluish (St Paul’s Ealing and Chair of Pathways ) gave a presentation on the work of Pathways - one of London’s largest providers of almshouse accommodation for over 55s seehttps://www.yourpathways.org.uk/grants/pathways-main-grantsprogramme/)

Mission Bids for funding from the Deanery Fund (£2K) were accepted from 14 churches

September Deanery Synod 2022

A presentation was given about Ealing Soup Kitchen by Angela Loundes. To help homeless, vulnerable - mainly street homeless - but also some people who have struggles. The doors open four times a week: Monday Evening Hub - serves hot takeaway meals and food parcels; 6 - 8 pm - Salvation Army Hall; Friday Hub - a hot meal, food parcel, advice, shower, clothes haircuts and foot care; 1 - 3:30 pm - The Crypt, St John's Mattock Lane; Sat / Sun Ealing Soup Kitchen - hot meal; 3:30 - 5pm. Church Room, St Johns, Mattock Lane,. New initiatives include: Workshops (with Friday Hub starting earlier) to help clients with a variety of issues; Counselling; Welfare / Benefits; Housing; Coffee Church to bring faith into clients’ lives. See www.ealingsoupkitchen.org

Janet Fletcher, manager gave a presentation on Ealing Foodbank . Ealing is unfortunately the fourth busiest foodbank in the UK and the busiest in London. The aim of Ealing Foodbank - Food, Fellowship, Funded Advice and Forums / Networks held together by the handle of Finance. See www.ealing.foodbank.org.uk

Revd. Steve Paynter gave a presentation on South Ealing Community Food Cupboard . Set up at St Mary’s in response to the vast quantities of food sent to landfill. Collected by charities such as Felix Project, FareShare and City Harvest and distributed to organisations who can make use of the food. SECFC is open on Mondays (apart from Bank Holidays) 1pm to 3pm. See www.stmarysealing.org.uk/south-ealing-communityfood-cupboard

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November Deanery Synod 2022

Revd Mark Poulson addressed the Synod on the topic of Transforming Mission: What place now for the Church in 21st Century London? (Vicar of St John's Southall for 11 years; Interreligious Affairs Adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury; Canon of St Paul's Cathedral; Leader of the Transforming Southall and Hounslow Mission Area, based at St John's church through its resourcing arm: The Kings Centre Southall).

Ealing 4th largest borough in London; bigger than many cities; most multiethnic centre in the world with centres of Sikh, Hindu and Polish communities, growing numbers of Muslim communities and also the African-Caribbean community. More people unchurched (no experience of church) than dechurched (experience of church but gone away). People are turning against institutional religions and, with the internet, there is no longer the same need for a place of worship on your doorstep. However, secularisation is not “the enemy”; it keeps us honest. Christians are to be peace-makers, not push-overs. Conflict can be born of fear and misunderstanding; churches include people and will therefore include conflict. We were encouraged to learn to listen and walk with others. On the other hand, Jesus was not afraid to cause conflict and it may be necessary to confront injustice. We are called to unmask the idols and speak truth from a position of humility. The Protestant tradition is one of dissent and the truth will set us free. There are different pathways for people to explore the Christian faith and we have so much to learn from the Hebrew scriptures. We are not called to be a mosaic or a melting pot but to bring our multiple cultures, seeking the welfare of the city that we call home.

11. Creation-Care Report

What is CreationCare?

Creation-Care is joining in with what God invites us to do: having a heart and mind set on caring for that which God created and God loves. It is, at its simplest, leading a discipled life.

Climate change is an emergency and the greatest existential threat. It does not discriminate– but as always the poorest and most vulnerable suffer most yet have contributed least to its cause. Likewise, landscapes, rivers and oceans and all non-human life forms struggle against our merciless exploitation. Climate change is therefore also a justice issue. And climate change can seem overwhelming – or conversely perhaps it seems irrelevant if so little direction or urgency comes from government or the media. Once we see our life choices as a spiritual discipline then making planet friendly choices becomes simpler.

The Church of England requires all parishes to appoint a “Creation Care Champion”. The purpose of this role is not to single-handedly do all that the church might do to mitigate climate change, but rather to encourage each member of the church family to become creation champions themselves – both in church and in our own lifestyles.

See www.london.anglican.org/kb/parish-environmental-champions/

A team is best way to bring creativity, efficiency and FUN to the process – everyone should be involved. Everyone’s ideas, gifts and experience are needed for publicity, event planning, team building, fund-raising, teaching & praying, gardening for nature, meat-free recipes; plastic and waste free living; sourcing, buildings, heating, sowing and tilling… Is God calling you to be a part of this? Or is anyone you know in the congregation passionate to see creation restored? How shall we move ahead? What ideas and experience is out there in our PCC and our church family? We cannot solve everything – but we can change something.

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In May 2022, we were awarded the Bronze Eco-Church Award. Eco-Church is there to support churches in becoming good planet stewards. See www.london.anglican.org/kb/eco-church Please join me to reach the Silver Award.

Through summer we adopted the “No-Mow May” - by allowing the church grass to grow, it became a wildflower meadow buzzing with life – and looked lovely! The PCC have now agreed to continue this each year – and we encourage you to do the same if you have grass at home.

October 2022: we held our Creation Event/Harvest, where all ages worked together to create a magnificent bug house cathedral, and small ones to take home – using only wood scavenged from all over, no new wood was purchased. Not only was this a practical activity to support the dwindling numbers of mini beasts, but it was also a wonderful opportunity for all generations to serve together. It was also the first public event since the Covid Lockdown. Enormous thanks to Stuart and Guy who worked very hard in preparation and with James on the day: it could not have happened without you!

Our harvest lunch was this year supplied by “The Humble Veg”: a local business that serves only vegetarian, planet friendly dishes- an opportunity to support our L.O.A.F. principles – Local, Organic, Animal-friendly, Fairtrade – and a local sustainable business. Information boards were displayed across a range of issues from travel to food to wildlife gardening – and space for suggestions.

November 2022: the PCC adopted The All Saints’ Creation Care Policy: this sets out our intention to take our impact on the climate and environment into account in every decision we take, and - more, to consciously do all we can to make a positive impact. www.allsaintsealing.org.uk/new page-34

The Road to Net Zero: The Church of England has set a target to become net zero by 2030, and produced the “Road Map to Net Zero” to help parishes get there. You can find the All Saints road map on the back table or I can email it to you. Briefly, we must reduce our power consumption and our waste, generate power if we can, off-set what we cannot, plant trees. In practical terms, we need a new heating system that does not burn fossil fuels and agree to challenge the local planning department for solar panels. But before that we can finish draught-proofing all our doors! https://yorkminster.org/latest/york-minster-installs-solar-tiles-in-historic-first/

This year, we will:

Inform ourselves: The Church has produced many webinars on a huge variety of topics related to climate and nature. www.london.anglican.org/kb/resources-on-the-environment www.churchofengland.org/about/environment-and-climate-change/webinars-getting-net-zero-carbon I have completed Carbon Literacy Training and urge you to do this because it is informative.

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And pray – and pray that God will bless our efforts to make amends and he will mould hearts of policy makers everywhere.

Mo Perkins Creation-Care Officer

12 . Election of Lay Representatives to the PCC & Deanery Synod representative

Vicar’s Reflection and Prayers for the year ahead

I hope we are all encouraged by our achievements over the year under review. I certainly am and I would like to communicate my thanks, encouragement and hope after a season of adjustment to a new normal, post-Covid, when all churches needed to rediscover their essentials and adapt to new ways of ministering and sharing the Gospel.

We adapted to the new technology needed for communicating beyond our walls; to continue to take worship into people's homes. The Church of England bodies here in London heard our appeal to them for plans to adapt our church building and notably our nave and its lay-out. We are making very good progress on this front so that we might open to a wide body of people in the week in ways that take a creative approach to worship & fellowship.

We have adapted to new resources for singing praise and we have walked collectively with sensitivity, taking care with communion and the sharing of the peace so that all may feel safe and loved.

We have experienced newcomers to worship, whether holidaying or staying in Ealing with family, give testimony to the quality of our music (thanks to our tech upgrade) and we have found our voice again, accompanied as we are, at times, with choirs and singers who are now able to be with us because of our adaptability and openness to that wealth of resources that churches from across the denomination made available to us over lockdown. We are a little lighter on our feet because we are literally more plugged in! We look forward to housing our sound desk in something beautiful very soon and we are adapting furniture that has been so much a part of our shared life at All Saints so that it might fit, with a new lease of life, into a renewed church.

Adapting and renewing, repurposing and reimagining - our shared vocabulary in reports and meetings of the Church Council demonstrate exactly what we are about in this season. After the Selah! Pause, Pray and Discern of 2021, 2022 saw the stirrings again of activity but with a greater degree of confidence that we know who we are and the path that we are on.

We continue to be a church inclusive of all the generations, nurturing of one another and with a degree of fellowship that reaches beyond Sundays as we 'coffee' and walk and take trips and share meals that are shaping life in the week as connections between us spill over into the Monday to Saturday rhythms. Some of us are greatly missed and it was with a ‘happy sadness’, because they are safe in Him, the King of Kings - that we experienced Barbara, then Karin and then Mary translated to Glory. We are grateful to God for all they taught us and shared with us.

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2022 saw us prepare for the Archdeacon's Visitation (triennial) which happened as soon as 2023 began. The Archdeacon found an ordered church with effective governance and excellent paperwork!

We are also so grateful to God for providing for us, financially, so generously, in this season.

Our Archdeacon also passed on commendations to our lay pioneers (I think that that is a good word for them) (Warden and LLM if we are being proper) - Stuart and Mo - for the attention to detail and vision communicated in proposals for the re-imagination of our church interior, that we might better grasp the opportunities God has for us. Our proposal sets a benchmark in best practice and will be shared with other churches to help them. What a boon!

I sense that there is a tangible feeling of family amongst us; that we are indeed known by our 'love for one another' which is how Jesus hopes his disciples will be known. We have a degree of trust and fellowship which is built on a foundation of ‘Gospel humble-confidence’ (I love theology’s paradoxes). We are confident that we can be what we are, and stretch ourselves into the new, because we have confidence in one another but moreover in God, our provider.

Bravo All Saints - it is a thoroughly lovely experience being vicar here!

I finish with a ‘manifesto’ I came across recently which captures who we are and hold to ‘being’, in this season of our shared life together. Let’s continue to walk in the Light of the Lord!

We believe in God who created us for him and for each other.

We believe in Jesus who welcomes young and old without exception.

We believe in the Holy Spirit who transforms the life of all believers, young and old.

We believe in meeting God most intimately in the lives of those who are different from ourselves.

We believe in a church which reflects God, the three in one.

We believe we grow closer to Jesus as his disciples when we:

(‘All-Age Worship,’ L Moore, (The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2010, p.11-12.)

And to finish…..

A great Gospel Prayer from Ephesians 3.20-21 which is fitting for us:

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

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APPENDIX

ALL SAINTS CHURCH, EALING PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022 NOTES

2) Income Receipts: Grant income received in year totalled £41,041 comprised of £38,400 received from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, and a £2,641 energy grant from the London Diocesan Fund. Mast income included a £5,264 rebate against past energy costs

Cash Total cash held at year end was £53,525.

Thank you Isabel Dart

18.4.23

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