# **Annual Report for the Benefice of Saxmundham with Kelsale cum Carlton for calendar year 2021** Faces of SKC 2021 ## **The Parochial Church Council of St John the Baptist, Saxmundham and the Parochial Church Council of St Mary and St Peter’s, Kelsale with St Peter’s, Carlton.** The trustees present their reports and the audited financial statements of the charities for the year ended 31 December 2021. As the two PCCs work closely together they have prepared one report that covers the benefice, apart from finances which are presented separately. ## **Aim and Purposes** The Parochial Church Councils have the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbent to promote, in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also specific responsible for the maintenance of the Church building(s) of which there are three church buildings and one church hall. ## **Priest-in-Charge Comment** 2021 was another year of change in the Benefice of Saxmundham with Kelsale cum Carlton. A lot of what we did, or planned to do, was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We began the year with lockdown restrictions in place that gradually eased only to be reintroduced a few times. The Benefice also began the year in vacancy and grappled with all that meant as well. My family and I moved into The Rectory at the end of February and although we were flying under the radar we felt incredibly welcomed through cards, gifts, and visits from people too. My licensing happened online at the end of March and then I spent some time getting to know the Benefice through door-stop hellos, thank you to everyone who invited me to their doorstop, garden, or when the restrictions allowed, into your home. We continued to do various things online throughout 2021 including the Lent Course, at least one Alpha Course, and various church services too. Once worship had restarted in person we explored how we could stream things too with varying levels of success. One of the significant times in 2021 was our 40 Days of Prayer as we sought God’s heart and vision for our Benefice. It was encouraging to see us all commit the time to praying for us as churches and for those in our communities. Following the 40 Days of Prayer we discerned our Mission, Vision, and Values to solidify our common direction of travel as a Benefice as we seek to follow where God leads us. We believe we are called to Love God, Love one another, and Love our communities. We seek to do that through encountering the love of Jesus in our life and worship, to grow as Spirit filled disciple-making disciples, and to see communities transformed through the love of God. Our values, the things that are ‘how we do things round here’ are prayer, unity, generosity and hospitality, community, and mission. Hopefully we see those things in all that we do. 2 A lot happened in 2021 that would take far too much space to detail but here are a few things to mention (not in any particular order!): relaunching in person worship including Connections in St Johns, 40 Days of Prayer, the Weekend Away at Home (three garden parties in the Rectory garden), our long-delayed Sizewell Weekend Away, the Big Film Event, a Flower Festival in Kelsale, a Harvest Supper, an All Souls Remembrance Event, and so much more. I’ve also not mentioned the quiet things Group in Sizewell, November 2021 that so many people do behind the scenes living out our calling to be like Jesus. There are the team of cleaners who get the churches ready for worship, those who tidy up the churchyards, volunteering at the shop, helping at the Community Fridge, and more than I can mention. Group in Sizewell, November 2021 I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has done something this year whether it be one-off or regularly, up front or behind-the-scenes, in the church or in the community, seen or unseen (although God sees you). A special thank you to the wardens, Nic, and Tom, for leading the Benefice in the vacancy and for helping me settle as well. _Rev. Dave Preece (Priest-in-Charge)_ ## **Future Plans** The vacancy and the pandemic provided opportunities for the benefice to work closer together than ever before. One thing that shone through the 40 Days of Prayer was the subject of unity and so we have been seeking ways to deepen and develop our unity as a benefice. I have likened the benefice to a fleet of ships. Each different thing we do could be described as a ship; our different Sunday services, At the Crossroads, our activities in the community, and other things. Each ship is different and we celebrate that fact but we want to be travelling in the same direction. Our Mission, Vision, and Values help us to keep a common direction of travel together. We switched from two websites (one for St Johns and one for Connections) to a Benefice website (skc.church) and are starting to use the name SKC Church more (SKC standing for each of our physical centres Saxmundham, Kelsale, and Carlton, although we reach far further than that too). At the end of 2021 we started to really delve into whether we could join the two PCCs into one Joint Church Council (JCC). I am indebted to the Consultation Group who met weekly to deep dive into all the small details and technicalities of what a JCC could look like. We have spent time consulting the Benefice Leaders and the PCCs and are now opening up those conversations to the wider church, including you. We will spend more time in 2022 exploring whether we are being called to form a Joint Church Council. We want to see Saxmundham, Kelsale, and Carlton (and surrounding villages) transformed through encountering the power and love of the risen Jesus. As we join together in worship and mission we believe a Joint Church Council might help us to work more efficiently to realise our Mission to Love God, Love one another, and love our communities. _Rev. Dave Preece (Priest-in-Charge) ic Stuchfield (Assistant Priest)_ 15 Fty th• pwknd frqTh 01 J*nw 2021 kn 31 D•c•rn￿ 2021 11A1JO 3451.12 16 11.1•12• *JJ•.77 $14K71 111•IA) IJS7AS 4t15r 17