OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2020-12-31-accounts

St Mary’s Medieval Church, Thorpe

VESTRY MEETING and reports for the

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING Sunday 9[th] May 2021 11:30am

including the ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST. MARY, THORPE Charity No: 1176929 for the year ending 31 December 2020

Vicar: The Revd Damian Stewart Harrison-Miles, BTh St Mary’s Vicarage, Church Approach, Thorpe Village, Surrey TW20 8TQ

www.stmaryschurchthorpe.co.uk

1

St Mary’s Thorpe VESTRY MEETING and reports for the ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING Contents

Part 1

p. 22-27 OTHER REPORTS IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH (alphabetical) Part 2

Part 3 Appendix Section

What is the Annual Parish Meeting (APCM) all about? A brief introduction

The APCM is an important meeting for the whole church, an opportunity to elect the people our congregation want to represent them on their Parochial Church Council (PCC). It is an opportunity to ask questions about the finances of the church, the state of the buildings, or about any matter of concern to the life of the parish. The PCC takes account of views expressed at the APCM, and matters are taken forward into the subsequent PCC for discussion. Thorpe PCC meets six times a year to conduct the business of the church. Please read these reports thoroughly and come to the meeting with questions, as we share together as the family of faith in our life together, in sacramental worship and fellowship – Transforming, Church, Transforming Lives. We do this in a Christian spirit of mutual respect and love, friends, and pilgrims. We come prepared to look forward, as well as reflect upon the past year. May the Lord of all guide our thoughts, words, and actions to his Glory; the building up of the Kingdom in Thorpe.

2

Agenda for the Vestry Meeting (Meeting of Parishioners) via Zoom Sunday 9[th] May 2021, 11:30am ( following the ONLINE Eucharist )

  1. The opening of proceedings with Prayers

  2. Apologies for absence

  3. Minutes of 20 September 2020 and any matters arising

  4. Election of Churchwardens

  5. Nomination for approval of four Deputy Wardens (honorary supportive role) End of Vestry Meeting

(At this point those not named on the Church Electoral Roll cannot vote if they remain.)

Agenda for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) via Zoom

Sunday 9[th] May 2021, 11:30am ( immediately following the Vestry Meeting) Apologies for absence

Minutes of the previous APCM held in Church on 20 September 2020 11:30am. Matters arising

  1. Elections & Appointments 

     - Annual election of PCC Members

 - Election of Deanery Synod Representatives

 - Approval of Sides-persons (to assist Wardens with service duties)

 - Appointment of Sides-person to assist the Treasurer with banking

 - Confirmation of appointment of the Electoral Roll Officer

  2. Note that the PCC Secretary, Treasurer and Vice Chair of the PCC will be formally agreed at the next Parochial Church Council meeting (to be held on Monday 17[th] May 2021, 7:30pm) as they are Officers of the PCC.

  3. Appointment of the Independent Examiner for 2021/22 Financial Accounts (Mr Alan Alderson)

  4. Reports – see written reports

    • (i) Report on Electoral Roll

    • (ii) PCC Secretary’s Report on the proceedings of PCC

    • (iii) Parish reports – printed & distributed 

      - _Summary of reports from the Chair_

    • (iv) Church Wardens’ Report including Fabric/Terrier

    • (v) Accounts – Financial Report 2020 

      - Acceptance of Financial Report 2020

    • (vi) Note on the Deanery Synod Report – printed & distributed

  5. Any other business – to be notified at least 24 hours in advance

    • (i) Questions & Answers Session – questions please at least 24 hours in advance stmaryschurchthorpe@outlook.com

    • (ii) Announcements

  6. The meeting concludes in prayer and with the Grace.

3

Minutes of the Meeting of Parishioners (Vestry Meeting) of St Mary’s Church Thorpe, Sunday 20[th] September 2020, 11:30am

Present: Fr. D. Miles – Chair (DM) Present in Church:

B. Huxley, A. West. A. Kelly, A. Carter, B. Lowe, M. Roberts, J. Collinson, J. Mitchiner,

T. Leighton, A. Leighton, J. deVille, C. Cobbold, P. Gruncell, J. Gruncell Present via Zoom:

Mthr J. Winn-Smith, Fr. G. Mee, S. Bolton, M. Morris, J. Bates, S. Bruce, P. Hudson, D. Kidd,

J. Bright, M. Harnden, K. Flanagan, S.Thornton, Jim Lowe, Jane Lowe, A. Falconer,

B. Grove, T. Grove, C. Wareham-Davis, J. Harrison-Miles, K. Wade (via

Absent: All electoral roll members not listed as Present or having submitted apologies

Meeting commenced: 11.31 a.m

1. Father Damian opened the meeting with prayers.

2. Apologies for Absence:

B. Syradd, H. Southgate, B. Mixham

3. Minutes and Matters Arising

Minutes for the APCM Meeting held 14[th] April 2019 were accepted and no matters were arising.

4. Re-election of Wardens

Barry Huxley and Peter Gruncell confirmed their agreement to stand as Church Wardens.

Unanimously re-elected

Margaret Roberts has stood down after 7 years’ service. She was thanked on behalf of St. Mary’s by Fr Damian and presented with flowers. Margaret thanked all and confirmed that the role of Church Warden was a good thing to undertake and wished Peter all the best in his new role.

5. Nominations for approval Deputy Wardens

There were seven Deputy Warden nominations, from:

Margaret Harnden, Susi Thornton, Helen Cunningham, Bev Syradd, Jill Collinson, Deborah Kidd, and Margaret Roberts. All seven candidates were unanimously accepted.

7. Any Other Business - None

4

The meeting therefore continued with the Annual Parochial Church Meeting of St Mary’s Church, Thorpe. A vote was taken and passed unanimously to allow any non-members of St Mary’s Electoral church Roll to remain (without voting rights).

The attendance at both meetings was therefore the same.

Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting of St Mary’s Church, Thorpe Sunday 20[th] September 2020, 11:45am

Minutes from the APCM held 14[th] April 2019 were accepted with no amendments.

1. Elections and Appointments

9 persons had submitted written nominations:

Bev Syradd, Mary Morris, Allison Kelly, Margaret Harnden, Deborah Kidd, Sarah Bolton, Andrew Falconer, Jenny Bright, Catherine Wareham-Davis, All 9 nominations were unanimously confirmed.

Fr D. Harrison-Miles gave thanks to Jane Lowe who was stepping down after 9 years and welcomed Catherine Wareham-Davis to the PCC.

The following persons had put their names forward for appointment as sides persons:

S. Thornton, B. Lowe, J. Mitchiner, B. Grove, T. Grove, K. Stangroom, E. Gill, J. Gruncell,

P. Gruncell, A. West, D. Kidd, M. Roberts, M. Harnden, B. Huxley A. Leighton, T. Leighton,

C. Wareham-Davies, Jane Lowe, Jim Lowe, A. Falconer, B. Syradd All persons were unanimously confirmed.

5

2. Reports

Fr Damian felt that most of the reports in the booklet were now dated, due to the lockdown, which had prevented the APCM meeting being held as usual in spring, but this was especially true of the Vicar’s Report and he wished to read a report which he felt summarised the current climate.

Fr Damian reiterated the measures taken regarding Covid-19:

Address to the APCM, 20[th] September 2020.

By Father Damian Stewart Harrison-Miles – Vicar of Thorpe.

An APCM is meant to be a reflection upon the previous year – in this case 2019, and a chance to set the agenda for what is to come – 2020! But we had to postpone our meeting in April, and we are already 9 months into 2020. So, we look back, perhaps with glassy eyes to the world of 2019 but face the realities of our present time, when life is different. So, this is no ordinary APCM, and we are not living through normal times. Our lives have been disrupted like never before, we are effectively at war with a virus, Covid 19, and since the last APCM we have been thrown into lock-down, with Holy Week and Easter 2020 delivered from the Vicarage study. What a strange time we are living through.

Less than a year ago we had not heard of Covid-19 and we all had plans – for our families, among friends, in our work context and of course our beautiful Church. For our PCC it was delivering that last part of our 2020 vision for Thorpe. We wanted to find and appoint a Family & Children’s worker. We had quotations ready to seek a faculty for the installation of technology, including screens and projection fitted inside St Mary’s, along with some improvements to our sound system. We had a full drain survey completed, to see why we were having problems with groundwater flooding and we were looking to improve drainage and our footpaths. We had long desired to create an outdoor surface for social and fundraising events and had met with our church architect to think about and draw-up plans. 2019 was a good year for St Mary’s with another increase in some congregations and finances remaining strong, meeting our second increase in Parish Share in full. We had built up our finances, not least following a successful Christmas season 2019, and were able to pay a chunk of Parish Share up-front at the start of 2020, but from then on finance remained on balance tight. 2019 had been a good year, and a sure foundation for 2020. Our PCC asked several tree surgeons to inspect the great Canadian soft-wood, a form of Yew that graced the front of our building

6

since Victorian times, but had no idea it would come crashing down in freak gales in March, just as lock-down started. It was a marker of the kind of significant change to come. Our dear John Brittain falling ill, and still without a full diagnosis now – just one of many people who have deteriorated in health or struggled in this pandemic, even if not directly attributable to Covid-19. We lost Bob Castledine to cancer and were unable to gather as a faith family to say goodbye and support Jenny as we would have liked. Our buildings fell silent – locked, with groups and activities suspended and no idea when they may return.

Worship was conducted from our homes with the Vicarage study transformed in just 24hours into a chapel for live filming. The team worked exceptionally hard to keep our worship as regular and as normal as possible, with the Eucharist – the Mass at the heart of our faith family. Andrew spent hours recording and preparing tracks so the voices of our congregation could be heard with readings and prayers in worship, and David with his daughter Annie recorded hymns, songs, and anthems from York, that have inspired us. The clergy zoomed into worship as we experimented with technology to see what was best, but we soon found Facebook Live offered a missional approach, drawing new people into our liturgical life – some who had not been to church in many years.

We were busy conducting many funerals, re-arranging weddings and baptisms with pastoral care and support became a number one priority. We wrote monthly to those without internet, we delivered food packs, toilet rolls and crosswords, puzzles and even some jokes to keep spirits up. We created a buddy-up scheme and phoned the lonely and housebound, took prescriptions to those in need and shopping where possible. I know we couldn’t meet everyone’s needs and I have to say I am sorry we couldn’t do more, but I am so thankful for what we have achieved together – well done team.

We moved meetings onto Zoom and Messenger, we set up various trial systems for managing data and communication, with Workplace by Facebook proving the easiest to use and having the largest take-up, with 42 members of the congregation now engaged in teams from Communication to Deputy Wardens. Our Social Committee plan to expand upon that with the bubbles project, creating small groups of six people who make it their task to keep in touch with each other and pray with and for one another. We will make Workplace available for those bubbles, as a free communication tool.

Many have found the past 6 months to be a time of real challenge; emotionally, personally, spiritually, mentally, physically and in many other ways, but I realise that not everyone disliked it – there are mixed feelings and experiences. For some they found peace, quiet and safety alone. But for many I have talked to it was the opposite, a time of isolation and struggle, of loss and loneliness, of burdens that couldn’t be shared and of financial hardship too – and of course fear, which hasn’t gone away. This pandemic affects different people in different ways, and we must

7

all be sensitive to that reality. Friends, there is no room for, “I’m alright jack,” in the Christian faith – pastorally and spiritually, we are all in this together.

We were busy in a practical sense too, with damage caused by the fallen tree our priority. Then Barry, Margaret and I set about jobs, finding tradespeople where possible, such as repairing stonework and the front pathway, and doing a lot of work ourselves with help from Pete, Terry, Jane and others – you know who you are! Pete refurbished the Lych-gate and began re-painting the black metal memorials around our churchyard. Jason and I repainted the Rutherwyke Room, Barry and Terry added new kitchen flooring and Jane set about a thorough springclean and together we achieved a complete re-configuring of our facilities to create a one-way system, in line with national Covid-secure guidance. It is hard to overplay the enormity of the challenges we have faced this last six months, with a lockdown and then the gradual re-opening of some services and activities.

The PCC agreed to put the Audio-Visual project on hold, but we did purchase new equipment to help with live-streaming services, so we could move back into Church for worship at the earliest opportunity. The PCC, still meeting but via Zoom, also agreed to progress the footpaths and patio project to planning, knowing we would have two years to complete the work if approved by faculty. But we also had to make tough decisions about where to spend any money, which at times has felt like Hobson’s choice. We prioritised paying the Parish Share in full – we didn’t accept the offer of a grant from the Diocesan Board of Finance because we believed this money should go to church communities in poorer areas. We also prioritised church cleaning, re-employing our cleaner for more hours each week, so we could get the church open again at the earliest opportunity.

Your response to our financial challenge has been a real blessing. Some of you have set-up monthly standing orders to ensure our finances were not destroyed by Covid and others handed over a wodge of green envelopes for all the weeks the church was closed, or made a one-off additional donation – thank you. I know that not everyone can carry that burden, but I ask everyone to reflect upon their giving and to see what can be done, so those less able to carry the load moving forward are supported by those who can.

And now, we have worship back in church, the art class will be back soon, and we are trying to find a new normal. Of course, we have got nowhere near the maximum 48 people in church for the Sunday Eucharist so far, with general attendance at services very small, and hardly any families and children, not least because so many fear a resurgence of this vile virus, which it seems we are now seeing internationally. But also, people are out of the habit of attending worship and that could have longer term consequences for St Mary’s. Attendances for all services and activities is limited – new blue posters remind us of the numbers permitted, with Covid-secure protocols in place, and we are reviewing what that could mean for the run-up to Christmas, with some events and festivals needing to

8

be ticketed for the first time ever – some services like Remembrance almost impossible and some, like our annual Memorial Service we will have to re-imagine. Although ever hopeful things may get better, we must be prepared for any future lock-down, or for some or even many of us to fall ill and what that could mean moving forward. We simply must keep everyone who uses our church safe. We can do this by maintaining our welcome teams, ensuring all hands are washed at entry, wearing a face mask, social distancing and keeping 2 meters apart where possible, not singing in church, and using copious amounts of hand gel! I know not everyone likes or agrees with these protocols, but they are important, and we will maintain them for as long as is necessary to keep people safe. Thank you for your forbearance.

The truth is that our church community is made up of different, diverse people, whose lives, priorities, and personalities are unique – wonderfully so! I have used this past few months to reflect further on mission and what it means to be a church community today. We have very suddenly lost most of our church ‘fringe’ – the 200 or more people of all ages and backgrounds who call St Mary’s their church but have a tentative connection. In essence this group have all but melted away as regular activities ceased. It will take some time to draw people back and we need to face the missional challenges of Covid head-on. This situation won’t improve any time soon.

I know these times have weighed heavily upon some of you and I am so proud of you and of St Mary’s and what we have achieved these past 9 months. Recognising our differences is essential for maintaining and growing our church family moving forward. I’m afraid we can’t always be everything to everyone – we have limited resources. As our new PCC sets priorities in the coming months, we will endeavour to take the whole church on a journey, united. We face a barrage of new and changing legislation from the government, with Church of England guidance updated at a moment’s notice, and we are trying to communicate to the best of our ability – and while we are at it trying to navigate wider church politics too. We will all need to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to lead us safely into all truth – for discernment to know what to prioritise and for a further deepening of our corporate and private prayer.

We have only achieved so much this year because of the excellent foundations we laid in 2019 and because of you, the part you have played. Thank you. So, we also look to the future, with some fear and trepidation, that we may we build on our strengths and draw everyone together in our diversity, which makes us stronger. Now more than ever we need your commitment, your time, and your ideas – please complete and return those questionnaires because they will be the basis of discussion as we re-set our Church development plan post 2020.

This is your church – not mine. I will only be here to guard and to guide for a time, but I do believe that together we can grow again and be stronger than ever –

9

because we have a Lord who loves us and who longs to reconcile us into his very presence, his kingdom. We are building the church of tomorrow, upon the foundations of today and I do believe there is a lot to look forward to in Thorpe. Thank you for your part in that journey. And may the prayers of Blessed Mary, our Patron be with us as we move through this time of great challenge. Amen.

(i) Electoral Roll

The electoral roll has 116 members subsequent to the 7[th] September 2020 PCC meeting. There were no questions raised.

(ii) PCC Secretary’s Report - There were no questions raised.

(iii) Parish Reports - There were no questions raised. Fr Damian requested more information in the Liturgy and Worship report for 2020. Jane Carter enquired if the Deanery Event, a prayer evening at Lyne Church could be held at St. Mary’s in future. Fr Damian advised that this had clashed with the confirmation class at the time, any future event would be advertised on the notice board in the link which has all Deanery information.

Jane Carter further enquired if the children who had been prepared for communion had been back to church. Fr Damian confirmed they had as they are part of the Family Service and that it was a priority moving forward to re-instate the service but current guidance was not to run children’s groups.

(iv) Church Wardens Report - There were no questions raised.

(v) Accounts – Financial Report 2019 Andy West enquired if there were any questions on the report. There were none. He advised that income had exceeded expenditure in 2019. There had been a rise in giving of some 20%. Total receipts for the year were £111,573.00 gross. The only area in which there had been no reduction in costs were with utilities, all other areas were below that of 2018. It has been a financially positive year.

AW requested that any recipients of an early draft of the booklet corrected the date of the Independent Examiners Report to 31[st] May 2020, which was correct. AW proposed acceptance of the Financial Report. The accounts were unanimously accepted.

Fr Damian asked for the situation on accounts as at 20.09.20. AW stated £8,000 in the current account, which was low as we had paid the parish share for 2020 in full in July. Fr Damian explained that we should not expect the normal November and December increases as per last year, due to predicted reduced attendance. 2021 will be a much more challenging year financially and even though the parish share will remain the same next year, this will rise by £6,000 in 2022. Andy West confirmed there would be a payment of £54,000 required in 2021.

10

(vi) Deanery Synod Report

Fr Damian expressed thanks to Deborah Kidd who having represented St. Mary’s at Deanery Synod for several years was now standing down. Her role is to be taken up by Bryan Lowe. There were no questions raised.

3. Any Other Business

No questions had been submitted before the meeting. No questions were raised at the meeting. Fr Damian passed the thanks of all at St. Mary’s to Petra Hudson who had stepped down as Office Administrator. There was a round of applause and Fr Damian confirmed that he had a gift and flowers for Petra, which would be delivered. The meeting concluded with prayers at 12.34 p.m.

RECEPTION OF THE ELECTORAL ROLL IN ADVANCE OF THE APCM 2021

The revision of the Electoral Roll is taking place. Notices are posted from Easter Sunday 4[th] April for 21 days and the revised Roll will be displayed for 14 days at Church, as prepared and approved.

Under the Church Representation Rules any persons are entitled to have their names entered on the roll if they—

(i) are baptised and aged 16 or over.

(ii) have signed a form of application for enrolment. and either

(iii) are members of the Church of England or of any Church in communion with the Church of England being resident in the parish or (not being resident in the parish) having habitually attended public worship in the parish during the six months prior to the application for enrolment;

or:

(iv) are members in good standing of a Church (not in communion with the Church of England) which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity declaring themselves also to be members of the Church of England and having habitually attended public worship in the parish during the period of six months prior to enrolment.

Sarah Bolton, Electoral Roll Officer

Vicar’s report on 2020

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to loose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NRSV)

11

Over recent years this bible reading from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes has been more requested than any other. I found the text somewhat uncomfortable, the way it mixes metaphors and includes words and phrases like pluck up, die, hate and to kill. And then 2020 happened, and all our lives changed almost overnight. Everything we had planned as a Church community, like that of our national life was put on hold, postponed or cancelled. Now those words, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heavens” make so much more sense than they did before. Especially considering Covid-19, these ring true of our experience in the 21[st] century.

We started 2020 with the usual mixture of liturgy, meetings, and social events. Relate were using the Rutherwyke Room facilities on a Tuesday for counselling have recently extended their hours and our Noah’s Ark toddler group was going strong, with suggestions we may need to split it into two to manage numbers. We held a wonderful Candlemas celebration followed by a meal at the Red Lion with 30 in attendance at the pub. On hearing about the mystery illness in parts of China, we introduced hand sanitiser points in the porch and link and encouraged people to sanitise as often as possible. Several people fell ill early on, unsure of what was behind it, losing their sense of taste and smell. At the vicarage we took a week off work, with no idea the virus causing our flu-like symptoms was to be so deadly for so many. Thankfully, as far as we can tell, we didn’t pass it on.

As we entered March, the situation across the UK worsened, and by Mothering Sunday we had closed our Sunday worship to just a small team. With Barry and Margaret and their helpful inspiration, we worked as a team to try and delivery worship from church. Jane and Jim Lowe were just brilliant, with ideas on settingup filming equipment, and procedures for the building to help keep those of us inside safe. We quickly realised that we needed to create a one-way system for entry and exit, before such recommendations were published by the government. But we were guessing, and I have to say I for one was listening out for ideas. As government guidance was released, so we updated our plans and our PCC prepared a ‘lockdown plan.’ At our last meeting together we shared sherry and biscuits, and we raised a toast. It was a very strange moment, but I will always treasure that time together. Within hours a lockdown was announced and with that we were told by the Archbishops that clergy could no longer lead worship from the church buildings. The rationale was that the ‘church’ should pilgrimage with the nation from home, keeping people safe and facing the challenges in the same way as everyone else. But I can’t deny it was a devastating blow.

Mother Jo set to work establishing our buddy-up scheme, whereby members of our community volunteered to be ‘connected’ by phone to those without the internet or Facebook, to keep in touch. New friendships blossomed as we sought to keep everyone connected. I began a process of collecting news, stories and jokes and writing to the elderly and those who lived on their own sending newsletters and much more. The first ‘care pack’ even included toilet rolls. Thanks to those who

12

helped distribute our first pack which was a near military operation. We began producing a weekly ‘Family pack’ of online resources for children, young people – indeed for all ages to see us though the lockdown with a bit of Christian input. Our pattern of regular worship continued online, with a service of Morning Prayer at 10am and with the Eucharist on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Having a Eucharistic tradition, we continued to gather around the altar to encounter Christ Jesus present among us, and I believed strongly, and even more so do today, that ‘Real Presence’ is not simply about consuming the Consecrated Elements, but participation in the whole Mass, ‘Spiritual Communion,’ be that in person or online. The Vicarage study was converted into a chapel for live-streaming worship from home, with Father Gerard doing something similar. Mother Jo was unable to participate in the Eucharist as fully as we would have liked, like all Deacons waiting to be priested. However, the Ministry Team watched the worship offered from each other’s homes faithfully.

The amount of work involved for the team was enormous. Jason commented that he saw less of me in lockdown than before! Hours were spent behind the scenes preparing each service, managing the technology (which at this time involved experimenting and a lot of sticky tape) and so much more as the Study was now a small film studio. We set-up a rota of readers and intercessors and Andrew Falconer brilliantly, and with great generosity of time, captured voices so our worship included many from the Church Family. David Howard and his daughter Annie, (based in York for lockdown) set about recording music, which spiritually enhanced our worship and brought great joy to many and still does.

We had no idea at this point quite how much lockdown would change the life of the Church, with Holy Week and Easter needing to be streamed from the Vicarage study. I couldn’t quite take it all in. The number of people participating online at that time was hard to quantify, but we believe it was well over 200 at some services, with over 1000 views of Easter Day.

Robert Castledine passed away, and the true hardship of lockdown hit, with only a small service at the crematorium possible. Jenny Bright was amazing as she coped with the loss. The Church Family supported her as much as we could within the strict rules and her family were in touch. She, like many others at that time, had to walk the long road of bereavement alone. At this time we began streaming weekly worship for Thorpe Primary School.

As lockdown continued, the Churchwardens and I set about re-decorating the halls complex, with Barry (supported by Terry Leighton) working on the kitchen floor, Jason and I repainting walls and washing carpets and Jane Lowe kindly gave the kitchen a thorough clean and sort-out. A full tidy-up of the Wallace Room followed. We moved the large blue notice board out into the Link and set the Rutherwyke Room up in accordance with government guidelines. This was to be our way into Church, the reception area, and needed to function as a safe place for signing-in and collecting recyclable service sheets, the kitchen becoming a hand-washing

13

station. At the first opportunity to re-open for funerals we did so and tested out our new Covid-secure protocols. They worked well, and quickly we were able to introduce times of Open Prayer. Thanks go to our team of Wardens and Deputies for training up the Welcome Team and managing our new Covid-secure protocols – what a brilliant team we have. We replaced the internet cables that link the Vicarage and Church, and thanks to a kind donation were able to purchase a new lap-top for the church which was up to the task of handling the data needed to live stream from inside the building. As children returned to school, I had the privilege of meeting with the staff teaching and support team outdoors and praying with them.

Mother Jo’s Ordination to the priesthood was postponed, and discussion followed about how and when this could happen. Jo was stoic and held strong, but I know this was an additional challenge in the midst of all that was already going on. Bishop Andrew joined us for worship at Pentecost and we said goodbye to the collage of people’s Easter Crosses which had decorated the study wall behind the Cross at the end of Easter season. The Vicarage study had served us well for several months and what a privilege that time was, to welcome you into my home. That space will always feel holy and set-apart. Returning to worship from the Church was such a real blessing. The 30-year-old sound system struggled to cope; it was never built for the tasks we were performing, but for the most part has held up, with a little adaptation. By summer, restrictions on Communal Worship were lifted, and we managed to get much of our worshipping life up and running. We reintroduced the 8am Said Eucharist with a congregation in Church and a few weeks later, the 10am and 7pm Compline with a maximum of 40 people allowed. With an online quiz and other activities, we all worked to keep our community, and the fringe of our church in touch and continued to send-out our care packs. The PCC continued to meet via Zoom on the dates already planned with the standing committee meeting in between and regular meetings with the churchwardens. Faculties were prepared for footpath works around the Church Building including a new level surface between the Wallace Room, Link and South aisle of St Mary’s, creating a patio area. (This was approved in October 2020). By the start of Autumn, we had re-drafted the risk assessment 8 times! The situation kept evolving and our priority, as always, is to keep everyone safe to the best of our ability and knowledge. The APCM was held in September, the third possible date set, and it was a blessing it could go ahead with a combination of in church and Zoom attendance, although we were only just quorate. We thanked Margaret Roberts for her six years as churchwarden and elected Peter Gruncell to take over. Harvest Festival was joyful with 39 adults and one child in Church for the main service – the only time we reached our maximum allowed capacity. On Sunday 11[th] October Mother Jo was ordained priest at St John’s Church Egham and celebrated her First Eucharist that same evening in St Mary’s and what a joy that was. However, some of the toughest days of the pandemic were ahead. The second lockdown during November closed St Mary’s to Communal Worship with Remembrance Sunday and our Memorial Service moved online.

14

We continued to open for Funerals and Private Prayer. The Leadership Team felt uneasy, as we believed Communal Worship was inherently safer. Looking ahead to the Festive Season and unsure of what would happen next, we prepared for various scenarios. Indeed, plans had to be amended as Covid cases rose. More members of our Church Family died including Rita Johns, Joan Rollason, Sam Thornton and Pat Harnden, along with more from the wider Thorpe community with a lot of us in mourning. Christmas was not going to be different! The beautiful outdoor Crib Scene designed and built by Simon Steele, next door neighbour to Bridgett and Tony Grove, was installed in the churchyard. It was magical, with lights twinkling around our buildings throughout December and many families attending in the early evening to listen to the Carol Service. Throughout this period we prayed, ‘Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus’ with a daily reading streamed online. Andrew Falconer worked hard behind the scenes collecting the recordings, editing and unloading them to our website and Facebook page. Daily over 30 people participated, what an achievement! We delivered as much of our usual Christmas offerings as possible, but with heavy hearts as the Funerals continued and another lockdown, in the form of tier 4 hit and our planned socially-distanced Fair was cancelled. This time our PCC voted to remain open for Communal Worship and we continued to be a Runnymede Food Bank donation point, helping to provide families in need with Christmas goodies as well as essentials, and many making online financial gifts too.

Financially, 2020 was not so bad for St Mary’s. Largely due to the hard work and dedication of some who gave generously, to cover the cost of essential temporary repairs to our audio equipment, allowing us to install new streaming devices, repaired, and decorated the halls complex, crucially employed our cleaner Claire weekly for 3 hours (to meet covid-secure protocols) and importantly paid our Parish Share in full by the end of July (itself an act of faith as the PCC were left with just £1k in the current account!) We trusted God with everything and were right to do so. There is so much more I could write about here, and in time perhaps there will be a way of recording more stories. What is certain is that 2020 has seen mixed emotions and experiences like none of us would have dared to imagine, but perhaps the Old Testament writer of Ecclesiastes understood after a long life of many challenges: There is indeed a time to live and to die, to weep and to laugh, to tear and to mend, to mourn and to dance, for war and for peace. The pandemic is far from over, and 2021 will continue to be a year of much challenge. From 2020 we can take away some certainties that can help us with the year to come, and the first is that Prayer is answered. The way our community has come together to support others has been outstanding, and to pay our Parish Share in full by the end of July was an answer to Prayer, as we sought to help the wider Church. The miracle of science and the vaccine roll-out, at the heart of much Prayer in 2020 has also been realised. And some of those who have fallen sick have recovered, although not all by any means. There is so much to be thankful for, even if we must still ‘refrain from embracing.’

15

Today, social distancing remains important as we must work to keep everyone as safe as possible, and so we can’t yet return to normal, whatever that will look like. So, we live with great loss, but also with hope for what lies ahead. God is faithful, as are many in our Church Community, for which I am so grateful. Our pilgrimage through this time of International Pandemic continues, but the end of this journey, is perhaps closer. There is indeed a time for everything. May our Prayers be for those who carry the scars of loss, bereavement, mental health and long Covid (and much more besides). It has been heart-breaking to witness, and I will forever feel that I haven’t or perhaps couldn’t do enough for everyone, even if I know I did all I could at the time. I know many of us feel the same – a sense of powerless-ness. May we look forward to the future as we learn from the past, for God has a plan for this community of Thorpe beyond Covid, for the months and years ahead. Thank you for being a part of this story – this journey together in faith.

Your friend in faith and Vicar Father Damian Harrison-Miles

Electoral Roll Report – January-December 2020

The Electoral Roll for St Mary’s Thorpe at the end of December 2020 was 112, and of this figure there are 22 households where there are 2 members.

The figure at the beginning of January 2021 remained 112. There could be some work to be done to encourage those who have joined us for online worship to join the Electoral Roll and this will be explored as lockdown starts to lift.

Electoral Roll Officer, Sarah Bolton

PCC Secretary’s Report 2020 on the work of the Parochial Church Council The Parochial Church Council met seven times during 2020, which includes a brief meeting on 7[th] September to agree the electoral roll in advance of the APCM but excluding the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held on Sunday 20[th] September. Meetings were preceded by the Eucharist at 7pm. The meetings started just after 7:30pm and it was aimed to conclude each meeting by 9:15pm. Only the January and March meetings were held in the Rutherwyke Room, all others moving to

Every meeting in 2020 was dominated by Covid, from planning through to agreeing systems for the church to operate safely. There were many discussions over the year and plans aligned for services and events, which due to circumstances were subsequently cancelled. As a PCC we have all certainly increased our knowledge of technology to attend meetings and communicate with each other. We have as a PCC continued to execute the business of running St Mary’s bringing to meetings our unique, varied experiences and understanding.

The patio project was approved and then subsequently put on hold, but has now been moved to work commencing in 2021, following approval of a grant. Agreement to pay the balance of the parish share was made in July, in order to assist Diocesan finances as many local churches were unable to meet their

16

own parish share. This ensured that the monthly standing order could remain the same for the rest of the year, completing St. Mary’s annual financial commitment and enabled better planning capabilities for funds, with the reduced income from church closures. All other regular business and approval of Policies were conducted as normal

PCC Secretary , Allison Kelly

Church Wardens’ Annual Report, including St Mary's Church, Thorpe Terrier and Fabric, 2020

This past year could hardly have been more difficult or challenging for us at St Mary’s Church - due to the ongoing Covid pandemic. In spite of this we have kept going, pulled together and generally kept our spirits up. Thank you to everyone, but particularly to our wonderful vicar, Fr Damian who has led us expertly and diligently through these most difficult times. Government covid rules and restrictions have changed many times but Fr D has always managed to keep up-to-date and implement them at St Mary’s straight away, thereby complying with the rules and law and importantly, keeping us safe and open as much as possible. It has been a great team effort. Thank you to all who have helped and contributed so much to keep church services going, in their various forms. Thank you Fr Damian, Fr Gerard, Mtr Jo, Andrew Falconer, Andy West, and assistant clergy. Thank you to the great support team of deputy wardens and welcomers, and also those who do so much at the church in their own quiet way, with the music – including all the recordings David Howard has made for us, the cleaning, the flowers and of course the social team who meet regularly and benefit us all and the church so much. Sorry if I have missed someone out. Without you all we just couldn’t manage. Thank you. It is of course very sad that we have lost several dear friends from our congregation this past year, particularly recently. Their memories are very special - they were a treasured part of our congregation at St Mary’s and will be greatly missed. The maximum term for a churchwarden is 6 years and so last year Margaret Roberts had to stand down having completed her 6 year term of office. Although very much still in attendance at St Mary’s, we miss her warm and friendly presence at meetings, her great wisdom and advice and importantly her sense of humour. Thank you so much Margaret for all you did. I appreciate that you are still there for your opinion and advice when we need it! Last year Pete Gruncell became churchwarden, taking Margaret’s place. An excellent appointment! Pete is settling in very well to his new role and continues to contribute a great deal to St Mary’s. Thank you for all your hard work (and to Joan as well!) We continue to enjoy excellent relations with our close neighbour, TASIS School. We offer our warmest thanks to headmaster Bryan Nixon for their continued help and support. In particular, the use of their car park for certain services and the kind gift of a magnificent Christmas Tree again which was put in front of the church at the start of December as usual and looked beautiful. Thank you Bryan .

Terrier & Fabric Report 2020

The Churchyard: Normally twice a year we organise a churchyard weed and cleanup with members of the congregation, however due to Covid it didn’t happen last

17

year. However we are most fortunate in having a young helper, Dominic Tatham, who spends 2 hours every fortnight working in the churchyard doing weeding and tidying, which is all part of his Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. He is aiming for gold! Our grateful thanks to Dominic. He carries out his duties cheerfully in all sorts of weather conditions. He started with us last June, and his work is to last 12 months. We also had the help of a team from TASIS in the autumn, including students and teachers (about 12) who kindly volunteered and worked in the churchyard for a morning, doing a great job tidying and sweeping up leaves. Pete has been starting to remove the ivy which has taken over some of the gravestones and the walls. This needs to be kept going to stop it spreading. The half-moon flower bed next to the lych-gate continues to look nice and is a pleasant welcome to all who approach the church. Fr Damian has worked hard making it tidy and attractive. Thank you, Fr Damian, for once again going above and beyond this year. Some of the proposed footpath work was carried out in October 2020 which you may have noticed. Soon we hope to start work on the patio/pathway project outside the Rutherwyke Room. And we are hopeful also of going ahead soon with the new audio-visual project inside the church, although we are waiting for grants to hopefully make this possible. More about this to follow shortly. We have appointed a contractor to clean out all the church gutters and gullies and tidy the roof spaces. This should happen soon.

Barry Huxley and Peter Gruncell

Financial Report 2020

(including the PCC Treasurer’s report) PCC accounts can be found at page 33. Receipts

Regular Giving increased by over 8% (£4.3k) compared to last year. Increased giving by GA and NGA direct donations more than compensated (+23% and +49%) for the expected fall in planned giving (green & yellow envelopes) due to the church closure and the more recent reduced capacity of the church due to occupancy regulations.

Other voluntary receipts

Income from general donations, In Memoriam , charity fund-raising and wall boxes was down 50% year on year.

Fund-generating activities

Receipts from hire and fund-raising events were considerably reduced this year for obvious reasons. Income from this sector was down by 57% (£10.2k) compared to 2019.

Income from Church activities

Income from fees (specifically Weddings) was 29% less than 2019 and all receipts in this area showed a drop on last year. Overall income was down by 41% (£6.9k).

Receipts from Investments & Other Income

Income from share dividends rose by 3% yoy whilst other income fell by 18%. This, however, was due to yoy differences in the amounts transferred from the Works and Education accounts into the current account. Also, the GA reclaim for 2019 (received in 2020) was 24% less than that for 2018 (received in 2019). Overall income from this sector was £4k down yoy.

18

Total receipts for 2020 were £94,152 compared to £111,573 in 2019 (-15.6%)

Payments Church Activities

Our Parish Share (£54,395) was paid in full by July last year. Other church activity costs either remained static or dropped. Total expenditure was 1% (-£600) down compared to 2019.

Maintenance

Maintenance costs rose by 52% (+£3,965) compared to last year. This was off-set by a recoupment of £1,943 from Ecclesiastical Insurance which is shown in Income and draw-downs from the Works account where applicable. Projects covered were: drainage & path work, architect’s fees, tree removal and roof repair.

Church running expenses

Insurance costs remained relatively static at £2,619 (£2,600 in 2019) and Utility costs fell by 12% or £473. Overall running costs fell by 7% (-£454).

Administration

Administrative, computer and office supply costs were 15% lower (£758) this year that last but postage costs increased by £65 due to the increased need to support our parishioners during lock-down.

Other costs

Total expenditure in this sector fell by just under £7,900 (-50%) yoy. Whilst fees due to the Diocese rose by over 95% because of the increased number of funerals that took place, nearly every other area saw much-reduced expenditure, e.g. events & fund-raising costs fell by 89%.

Fund transfers

A total of £10,049 was transferred from the deposit accounts (Works & Education) in 2020 compared to £14,044 in 2019. As usual, all donations specifically identified as, for example, Works project specific were recorded as income when received into the Current account (Receipts from Fund-generating Activities & Donations) and then as expenditure upon transfer to the Works Account (Deposit). This should be taken into consideration for any comparison of Total Income versus Total Expenditure.

Total payments in 2020 were £98,430 compared to £106,903 in 2019.

Considering the unique and difficult circumstances we have faced during the last year I am pleased to report that the church finances are in a good position which is a direct reflection of the outstanding generosity, hard work and commitment of the PCC, our parishioners and the church’s leadership.

Andy West, Treasurer

Safeguarding Officer’s Report 2020

Initially lockdown slowed up the DBS and Safeguarding training processes in 2020 but transferring some of the training online helped to reduce the backlog around the diocese. Unfortunately, as the year developed the National Churches Institutions' training programme changed yet again, the plus side being that some of the rules and regulations for parish officer training are no longer required.

19

Virtually all church clubs, entertainment and hospitality were put on hold in 2020, but vigilance on the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults remained a priority. Recruitment of Deanery Safeguarding Representatives enabled a wider point of contact throughout the Deanery. We are optimistic that the Diocesan office will have produced a new guidance report on DBS and Safeguarding Training by the time this report is published.

Safeguarding Officer , Mary Morris

Runnymede Deanery Synod Report 2020

Deanery Events

Due to pandemic restrictions, our only physical Synod meeting in 2020 took place at All Saints New Haw in early March. Revd Craig Holmes, former Curate at St John Egham and now Director of Ordinands at Guildford Diocese, and his colleague, Mrs Glynis Beazley, presented an engaging talk on “Creating a Culture of Vocation”. June Synod was cancelled owing to the extended lockdown and in October we met via Zoom, facilitated by St Mary Thorpe and hosted by St Paul Addlestone, with our new Archdeacon Ven Martin Breadmore giving an introduction to himself and Q&A session as focal point.

Both meetings were open to the public and detailed Minutes are available via the Deanery Administrator runnymededeanery@gmail.com.

Deanery Growth & Strategy Group

The workgroup met once in early 2020, with the main focus being the continuation of the Deanery Growth Fund, hosting of a Kenyan Bishop on the occasion of the Lambeth Conference which was subsequently cancelled due to the pandemic outbreak, and brainstorming deanery-wide opportunities for mission which may yet be realised in the future but were not pursued further in 2020, again due to the circumstances. Encouraging feedback reports on the second round of 2019 grant allocations were presented at March Synod, concerning £150 each given to St Paul Egham Hythe for an upgrade of to their toddler group equipment and to All Saints New Haw for Christian diaries to give away at their local Village Christmas Fair. Although the Fund was open for applications in 2020, none were received, no doubt due to the uncertainties around the pandemic preventing any longer term planning.

Kebbi Link

Runnymede Deanery donated £500 from its reserves to support Kebbi clergy and their families during this particularly trying time (African clergy are generally selfsupporting/relying on donations). Sad news was received from Kebbi Diocese, our contact Bishop Edmund having been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Lay Chair Keith Malcouronne, also Non-executive Director of St Peter’s & Ashford Hospitals, has been able to arrange for robotically controlled surgery at the Royal Surrey hospital (a procedure not available in Nigeria), although this, too, is on hold because of the pandemic. Meanwhile a collection is open via Runnymede Deanery to support Bishop Edmund financially for his travels and stay in England –

20

donations from churches and individuals are welcome; contact runnymededeanery@gmail.com.

Finance

Runnymede Deanery accounts continue to be sound and Parish Contributions were confirmed to remain at the same level as in recent years (individual parish amounts are determined by three-year rolling average of Sunday attendance, combined with Relative Prosperity Index), without donations towards the Deanery Growth Fund.

Other Business

Newsletters continued to be produced but on a more irregular basis, owing to lack of activities during lockdowns, and with an emphasis more on sharing experiences. The mailing list is open to anybody interested; requests via runnymededeanery@gmail.com

Claire Cobbold, Deborah Kidd, Bryan Lowe St Mary’s Representatives on Runnymede Deanery Synod

Diocesan Synod Report

In the face of the pandemic, it was clear that decisions would need to be taken at a corporate level that could impact all our churches, so Diocesan Synod was convened via Zoom from June 2020 and an emergency budget introduced with support for struggling parishes available. (Thorpe did not take up the offer of financial support, indeed we paid our Parish Share for 2020 in full by mid-July, trusting God would provide for the rest of the year, which indeed was the case). The Bishop of Guildford introduced his Health and Viability review which has begun to look at struggling parishes and ask questions about their resources and staffing levels. The implication is that some churches will need to share a clergy person in future. Sadly, the financial challenges of 2020 left the Diocesan Board of Finance with no choice but to furlough staff and make some redundant to cut costs quickly.

It is a privilege to represent clergy from Runnymede Borough at Diocesan Synod. I enjoyed the support of Bryan Lowe (who passed away in March 2021) at those meetings, who was always an ally and took the minutes for over 8 years. Bryan will be missed and our prayers are with Mary. Fr Damian.

21

OTHER REPORTS IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

Emmaus Online Spring/Summer 2020

It was a joy to share the lead with Father Gerard, Mother Jo and Andrew Falconer for our Emmaus course. We had an average of 6 adults taking part. We hope that post pandemic this will lead to the confirmation of several candidates. Like our Faith Confirmed course, Emmaus explores various themes of Christian teaching, doctrine and experience from understanding God and creation to Jesus life, death and resurrection, the creeds, the Eucharist and 7 sacraments of the Church, St Mary's catholic-Anglican tradition, matters of financial stewardship and commitment to worship and fellowship, faith and life after death. We hope to run the course again in Autumn this year.

Fr Damian

Preparation for Communion before Confirmation

Because of the ongoing pandemic we were unable to prepare any children from school during 2020. Previously the children studied the theological meaning of the Sunday Eucharist and our tradition belief that Jesus meets us and is present in the consecrated bread and wine - the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. It is our hope that we can re-start this work in September 2021. Fr Damian

Charities Engagement & Craft Group Report 2020

Sadly, all our booked charity events in 2020 had to be cancelled due to the pandemic restrictions and our customary crafts sales table in the Rutherwyke Room had to shut down for the same reason. However, there were still some things we were able to carry on and some new ideas tried successfully: During one of our last pre-pandemic social events, the Lent Lunch in February, Sue Bruce kindly drew attention to the Koala Wildfire Crisis and organised a collection which raised £332.

Just before the November lockdown, our Social Team prepared the very popular “Memorials Sponsored Walk”, taking participants to memorials and plaques around Thorpe and Virginia Water. 50% of monies raised were dedicated to the British Legion who happily received £305 from this fundraiser. We also managed for most of the year to continue our support of Runnymede Foodbank, implementing various procedures at different times to accommodate changing pandemic rules.

Our Foodbank Link Jill Collinson did a sterling job of delivering huge amounts of food and hygiene items to their Chertsey base during these months (or at times overseeing their pickup at St Mary’s), for which the Foodbank was extremely grateful. Many of our members made online financial contributions to Runnymede Foodbank instead during weeks when we were unable to collect goods or they were unable to bring donations to Thorpe.

Harvest collection for Runnymede Foodbank and the White Lodge also went ahead, though sadly without the lovely display around the Altar. Fiona Rouse did a car boot sale for White Lodge in the autumn to which we contributed a large bag of

22

handcrafted goods, raising £133 in total. Our thanks go to all who organised, participated and donated to any of these activities or online in any way .

Petra Hudson

Children’s Church Report

This is a very brief report this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic which curtailed all our activities from mid- March 2020.

Up to that date, from early January, we had resumed our baby and toddler group, Noah’s Ark after the Christmas break and welcomed back families to the Thursday morning sessions with good attendances despite an increase of charges from £1 per child to £2. We also resumed the Children’s Church Sunday Club sessions at the 10am Sunday morning service, led by myself and Liza Overin on alternate Sundays. Throughout January, February and early March we also offered Faith ’n’ Fun on Monday, our after school sessions at Thorpe School, although our take up was reduced by other clubs which started up on the same afternoon and which attracted some of our regular children. We had introduced new strategies to encourage a wider net of children when the school closures were announced by the government. In September, when the school reopened, the regulations and safeguarding arrangements prohibited any resumption of the after school club for the rest of the year. Since mid- March, it has not been possible to run any children’s activities. However, we keep in touch with some of the families through phone calls, some garden visits when they were allowed, and contacts at school drop off and pick up time. We hope that 2021 will eventually restore the work of Children’s Church and it will flourish once more.

During periods of lockdown from March to June and then recommencing in November 2020, Family Packs, giving children’s bible readings and activities have been sent out each week with the mailer and made available via Facebook and our church website. These have proved popular and are worth the hard work to prepare as they are downloaded on average 25 times each week.

Margaret Alderson

Church Cleaning Group Report 2020

The cleaning team of three volunteers has met on the third Saturday of the month over the last year. General dusting, polishing and floor washing has been carried out with the help of the regular church cleaning lady, independent of the voluntary cleaning team. With the imposition of the recent lockdown regulations, cleaning will now take place with only one volunteer on each occasion, in place of all three volunteers .

Deborah Kidd

Contemplative Prayer Group Report 2020

At the beginning of the first lockdown the prayer group members decided to meet weekly instead of monthly and agreed a time each week to light a candle and sit down to pray together, each in our own homes. As the weather improved, and restrictions were relaxed, we were able to meet in Susi's garden where we found an ideal corner surrounded by trees and shrubs, one of which became known as the Burning Bush due to its flaming red foliage.

23

Our structure of prayer is always the same. We start with a short reading often by Fr. Richard Rohr, Fr Anthony de Mello and other Sources, which leads us into a time of silent meditation. This is followed by intercessions for the sick and any others known to us who are in need. We finish by saying the Grace together. With further lockdowns and cooler weather we returned each to our own home but we remain in contact by telephone at the start, and again after the time of silence, for the intercessions.

This is our work to keep a regular weekly time of prayer for our Parish, the Church, the World and ourselves.

Would you like to join us?

Jane Carter, Margaret Harden, Susi Thornton

For further information contact Jane Carter on 01344 843033 or Susi Thornton on susi@thorntonclan.com or 01784 433480.

Flower Guild Report 2020

As you can probably imagine, the past year has been a very quiet one for the Flower Guild. Due to government regulations regarding the Covid-19 pandemic we were unable to decorate the church with the usual Easter lily and white flower arrangements, something we all enjoy doing at that special time. One highlight for us was providing the flowers for the wedding of two of our church family, Bev Syradd and Dave Germany – a really happy occasion in what has been an extremely difficult year.

In Advent and at Christmas, our floral contributions were restricted to producing the Advent Wreath, decorating the windowsills with greenery and one pedestal arrangement at the altar. We hope very much that restrictions will be lifted when safe to do so, allowing us to do what we love, that is adding beauty to our wonderful church building and doing so together, as a team. My thanks as always go to Jane, Margaret, Elaine, Helen and Sarah for their continued, and much appreciated, support. Margaret Harden

Liturgy Group Report 2020

What does it mean to gather for worship? Our Liturgy Group have been reflecting upon that question over the past year as we have endeavoured to keep offering the very best of who we are back to God. During times of lockdown and social distancing, this has been a significant challenge. But we have worked to uphold and honour our sacramental foundations. We have been so thankful for the prayers of our church family. We have been shaken out of our comfort zone and through God's gracious wisdom and the ever-guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, we have been able to deliver almost all of what we would like, with a

combination of online and services with a congregation present. Fr Damian has

24

worked hard to produce printed service sheets for the seasons and festivals, with no administrative support from the end of September 2020, although Andrew Falconer did step into the breach and help with printing, as well as coordinating the brilliant “Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus” season of reflections during Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Offering beautiful and reverent worship, fitting for our Lord and Saviour, has at times had to be delivered from our own homes with Fr Damian converting his study into a chapel for services during Holy Week and Eastertide 2020. Use of technology including Zoom and Facebook Live, and latterly Vimeo has been a new experience for most of us and has required patience and humility for all – we know it hasn’t always been easy to hear, or the video stream successful and the team are so thankful for your patience. Significant numbers of people have and continue to tune in to regular worship from as far afield as India, New Zealand, California USA and Canada. Thanks to all who, behind the scenes, have ensured our worship is a living witness and testimony that has cast the St. Mary’s net across a wide inclusive range of people living locally, nationally and overseas. The dedication and skill set of our occasional preacher, Andrew Falconer, has been a real blessing, especially to a techo dinosaur such as me! Likewise, those who have led intercessions and bible readings, both in person and pre-recorded, served the Altar and kept our linen up to scratch have truly been a God send over this past twelve months. As they say, there is no letter ‘I’ in the word team, for that's what we have here at Thorpe, a team of whom I am proud to be a member.

Fr Gerard Mee

Music Secretary’s Report 2020

A very different year due to the Coronavirus. In January/February St Mary’s choir performed at three Sunday morning services and one wedding accompanied by David Howard or Lionel Pike on the organ. Unfortunately, due to lockdown no more were permitted. With the exception of a cantor singing behind a plastic screen singing was banned in all church services. Most services were available on Facebook live and subsequently on the St Mary’s website which permitted singing at home. Sadly many funerals have been held and, with a few exceptions when David was able to play, the music has been provided from pre-recorded sources (iPod). In September the Knights Templar celebrated their annual service and David played the organ for the first time for many months. David Howard recorded a large amount of music and Andrew Falconer then spent hours preparing it for use on the iPod. Father Damian, Mother Jo and Petra Hudson cantored. David and his daughter Annie recorded the Mass and some hymns for regular use. The Hythe Singers with David recorded carols for the Christmas services which were very much appreciated. This was a heroic exercise in ensuring all covid restrictions were adhered too. Myra Owen stepped in at the last moment to sing at the Midnight mass for which we were extremely grateful. A difficult year for all with many making herculean efforts to ensure music was able to enhance our services. Thank You

Jill Collinson

25

Social and Fundraising Team Report 2020

Our “A” team continue to meet up on Zoom to try and think of ways to fundraise in these unprecedented times. Just before the first lockdown we held a quiz at the Thorpe Community Hall and raised nearly £1,000. We thought the lockdown was only going to be temporary but then it went on and various planned functions had to be cancelled. We tried a quiz initially with KAHOOT which Andrew and Ritchie kindly organised but this was poorly subscribed. The Summer went on and whilst a few restrictions were lifted it was not possible to organise a social function due to social distancing etc. In November we organised a sponsored walk which again had to be “watered down” but we managed to raise £600. Christmas came and again our hands were tied and our lovely Xmas Fayre around the village for which we had done a lot of planning had to be cancelled as there were too many risk factors. In January we organised another quiz this time only on ZOOM which again Andrew and Ritchie kindly organised: this was better subscribed and we raised £225. We plan to do another one and let’s hope we are able to organise some more fundraising events in the not-too-distant future!

Jenny Bright

Stewardship Committee Report 2020

The Stewardship Committee works to enable the financial sustainability of St. Mary’s and our parish activities. The significant annual increases in Parish Share and higher utility costs must be met by additional financial commitments from the congregation and other income streams. We are committed under the St. Mary’s strategic objectives and “Transforming Church, Transforming Lives” from the Diocese to ensure funds are available for sustainable growth. Regular (“Planned Giving”) donations through Standing Orders have largely sustained despite Covid19. There has been a year-on-year increase in such donations since 2012 and this is vital for the PCC to be able to project and plan expenditure. We actively encourage the whole congregation to donate using this method. The amount given ranges from £8 to £250 per month. It costs us over £10k per month to run St. Mary’s and we are grateful for any increases in amounts donated. Following on from the success of the colourful stewardship infographic, the Diocese has adopted the model as “Best Practice” and is encouraging other parishes to replicate it. Andrew Falconer was invited to take part in a Diocesan webinar to share experiences of stewardship. We had planned to focus on legacies in 2020 but given the circumstances it wasn’t the most appropriate campaign but one we’ll focus on in the future. The church signed up to Amazon Smile so a small amount of money can be raised through everyday purchases online – smile.amazon.co.uk and this is already providing additional revenue.

Andrew Falconer

Thorpe Church of England Primary School Report 2020

We are incredibly proud of the way our school community has responded to the challenges that the pandemic has brought us. Our school staff have all stepped up to support each other as well as the children and families at our school. Several members of staff have been working longer hours or extra days for those colleagues who have suffered from Covid-19. Parents and well-wishers have

26

funded vouchers for parents in need to buy groceries and presents for their children at Christmas.

Our Governors continue to be very supportive and visionary and are an asset to the school. Our Co-Chair of Governors, Margaret Alderson and Linda Gillham are both very experienced governors and work hard for the children at our school. From the Church Fr Damian has offered Worship weekly over Zoom and during the lockdowns, we together have offered a weekly worship to include parents and carers at home, also streamed in school for all to join in. We currently pray virtually ~ ‘together but apart’. We stand by our strong Christian ethos which permeates throughout everything we do.

Children at our school are very motivated and want to join in with prayers during the school day.

The Grace Learning Partnership continues to work closely together for school improvement, resources and sharing good practice.

We are an inclusive school where we welcome all children and provide the best opportunities for them.

We are committed to safeguarding children’s welfare and all checks on regular helpers are carried out. Our Single Central List is checked by our Safeguarding Governor Mr Bryan Nixon every term. Headteacher trains governors and every member of staff on an annual basis and visitors who volunteer also have training before they work with children.

Our parent body is very active; FOTSA have raised a lot of money for the school and is run by a very creative, cohesive group of parents who work tirelessly for the benefit of all the children in the school.

Our strong transition programme continues with The Magna Carta School – TMCS where most of our children will go on to, and also to Chertsey High School .

We have a successful Breakfast Club; Earlybirds and After School Club; Owl Club.

In February 2020 the Headteacher visited The Gateway Primary School, a Christian School in Freetown, Sierra Leone and will be progressing a project to raise money for them. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know. 01932 562329 or head@thorpe.surrey.sch.uk

. Mrs Helen Southgate, Headteacher Faith, Love and Excellence

God’s Kingdom in our School Faith – Love – Excellence

27

Part 2 The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Mary, Thorpe – Charity No: 5116755 Annual Report & Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2020

On Sunday 7th June 2015, the Right Reverend Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford, led a service of Institution and Induction at which The Very Reverend Paul Bryer, Archdeacon of Dorking, made Father Damian Stewart Miles BTh the Vicar of Thorpe under ‘Common Tenure’ – with the agreement of our Parish Patrons Keble College Oxford. This was following a period of five years when the ‘Living’ was suspended under the pastoral measure. From 31 January 2011, all appointments are made under ‘Common Tenure’ and the ‘Living’ has ceased to exist. Father Damian’s appointment as Vicar of Thorpe is under Common Tenure and is not time limited. Fr Damian had served Thorpe as Priest in Charge from February 2011 until he was made the Vicar in 2015.

Review of the Year Please refer to the Vicar’s and PCC Secretary’s reports.

The Parochial Church Council and Responsibilities

St Mary’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with and assisting the Vicar in promoting, in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission to which Christ Jesus calls his Church; worship, pastoral care, evangelistic outreach, fellowship as well as engaging fully within our local Deanery of Runnymede. Our PCC has responsibility for the fabric of St Mary’s Historic Medieval Church, the Rutherwyke Room with Wallace Room (Parish Office) and closed churchyard surrounding the church buildings (including the Leigh Bennett Enclosure, and the southern end of Church Approach including the lych-gate, flowerbed and entrance to the Vicarage in Church Approach). By agreement St Mary’s PCC maintains the Vicarage front garden for use as a church car park. This land remains the property of the Diocesan Parsonage Board and the agreement allows for car parking on the red gravel area only (approximately 13 spaces). The red surfaced driveway must always be kept clear for emergency vehicles and access to the Vicarage.

Governance

Churchwardens are elected at the Vestry Meeting (meeting of parishioners) and serve for a period of no longer than six years. They are then disqualified from being churchwardens for the next two years, after which they are free to stand for another term of six years. In 2008 the APCM voted to allow an extension of up to two years’ service before disqualification under the rules. Members of the PCC are either elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) or ex officio in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. Up to 2018 elected members have served on a three-year term for up to two terms, before being disqualified for a year, as agreed by a previous APCM. This was reviewed at our 2018 APCM and a motion carried for a change to block elections for the PCC annually. From 2019 APCM all those intending to stand for the PCC need to complete an application

28

form and be proposed and seconded in the customary way. If there are more proposed people than places an election will be held. Additional members may be co-opted at the PCC’s discretion for a specific purpose, up to two at any one time. (Church Representation Rules 46A and 46B) A person shall be disqualified from being nominated, chosen, or elected or from serving as a member of a parochial church council, a district church council or any synod under these rules if the person:

A person is disqualified from being a charity trustee under the Charities Act if they have been convicted of an offence involving deception or dishonesty (unless any such conviction is legally regarded as spent), if they are an undischarged bankrupt, have made compositions or arrangements with any creditors from which they have not been discharged or have been removed from serving as a charity trustee, or been stopped from acting in a management position within a charity.

Charity Registration

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Mary, Thorpe is a registered charity no: 1176929. See www.stmaryschurchthorpe.co.uk/policies for Thorpe Governing Documents and PCC Trustee Guidance, as well as other parish polices and role descriptions for elected, voluntary and employed staff.

Parish Share 2020 – 2023

In 2018 the Diocese of Guildford voted to adopt a new Parish Share calculation from 2019. For Thorpe Parish, if the new calculation were implemented in full, from day one, we would have needed to find nearly 80k each year, an increase of 35k annually. Negotiations followed with the PCC and Standing Committee, and a revised calculation for Thorpe was proposed by the Diocesan Board of Finance, which sees an increase in our contribution of 40% phased over five years. In 2019 we were asked to contribute £50,121. (+5k on 2018) In 2020 we are asked to contribute = £54,439. This should have increased in 2021 to £58,769, 2022 to £63,281 and 2023 to £67,982.However, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Parish Share has been frozen at 2020 level. It is unclear what the position will be in 2022, but we are aware the Diocesan Board of Finance has significant financial challenges, so we should expect the annual rises to be re-introduced. The Parish Share calculation is made up of two component parts: 'Ministry Costs' at £56,300 includes the stipend for a full-time Vicar - Fr Damian is actually paid £27,000k

29

before deductions – this amount has been frozen for two years with no % increase expected any time soon, so in effect, the clergy have taken a pay cut. Other aspects of the parish share calculation include pension liabilities (including historical pension costs), housing, training (including curates) and the cost of maintaining vicarages, etc. 'Shared Costs' are then calculated on the top, and these include money for mission and the National Church, church schools, diocesan costs and much more besides. As our share contribution rises annually, we will not only pay the full ministry cost but begin to pay the shared costs component, which had previously been subsidised by other churches.

2020 – a year of pandemic many challenges

Last year several of our older members moved away to accommodation further afield, and some gave-up driving. With no public transport into Thorpe on a Sunday this disproportionately impacts our attendances and to some degree income. The ministry team are committed to taking communion monthly to those who cannot attend regular Sunday worship, but none the less, a decrease in income from these people is to be expected. Since March we have produced care packs and distributed newsletters, sermons and much more to over 15 households every other month. It is still unclear exactly what impact the coronavirus will have longerterm. The PCC strongly encourage everyone who can, to set-up a regular monthly standing order in place of cash donations at worship. In addition, we ask everyone to look prayerfully at their giving to see if there is any room for a small increase again this year 2021 to help us through this difficult period.

Church Attendance

It is impossible to make an accurate comparison between 2020 and 2019 due to the nature of the Covid-19 pandemic and the heavy restrictions which have been placed upon St Mary’s. After the first lockdown in mid-March 2020, the most wellattended service was Harvest Festival with 38 adults and 4 children. For much of Autumn 2020 our risk-assessment allowed for 40 people (plus 8 staff) to be present for any individual service. We did all we could to stay open and are thankful for the support of so many in achieving all we did.

GDPR & Privacy Policy

Your privacy is especially important to Thorpe PCC and we are committed to keeping your information and data secure and safe. Visit our website to read our Privacy Notice: https://www.stmaryschurchthorpe.co.uk/copy-of-safeguarding

ST MARY’S PARISH CHURCH

(S) = Sunday Christmas with additional worship/service included in the figures.

STATISTICS FOR MISSION 2015–2020 STATISTICS FOR MISSION 2015–2020 STATISTICS FOR MISSION 2015–2020
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Mothering Sunday
205		 194 77 97 157 8
Easter Day
222		 183 259 257 249 (closed)
Harvest
104		 86 84 106 112 41
Advent Carol Services (new from 2017) 916 1133 1082 181

30

Christmas Eve/Day 661 697_(S)_ 638 639 627 161
Occasional Offices:
Funerals (Crematorium) 6 10 9 10 15 20
(In Church) 9 11 11 9 9 9
Burial of Ashes 2 4 5 3 4 1
Baptisms 26 17 22 17 25 3
Weddings 10 9 10 6 6 2
Wedding Blessings 0 2 0 0 1 0
Wedding Banns Only 3 4 2 2 3 2
Electoral Roll (Dec year-end)
108		 122 140 142 107 119
Average 10am attendance at worship ONLINE (devices) during 2020 69

National Church – continuing to decline

According to the British Attitudes Survey (September 2018), the number of people in society who describe themselves as part of the Church of England has more than halved since 2002, from 31% to 14%. This is a worrying statistic and should give us cause for concern with the number who attend regular Sunday worship thought to be far lower. Anecdotally, we have seen more people connected to St Mary’s (known as the ‘fringe’ of the church community) but overall, people are less regular in their commitment to worship and lockdowns have exacerbated this trend. Nationally, the decline in attendance among 45 – 54-year olds is most acute and again reflects the challenge we have in meeting this age group and their spiritual needs. The national average decline in Church of England attendance is said to be around 2% and St Mary’s Church managed overall to come out level. We were one of a handful of churches in the Diocese of Guildford which showed up as growing consistently over a three-year period to October 2016.

Our numbers then fell (directly attributable to several parishioners dying or moving away) and since then we have remained relatively stable with encouraging signs towards the end of 2018 through 2019 of a new period of growth in Sunday attendances. This is also reflected in an increase in the Electoral Roll, rising above 140 for the first time in decades, although that fell back to 107 following the full revision in 2019. Considering the national challenge, we must not be complacent. We need to do more to encourage committed faith and disciple regular worshippers in view of the continuing and challenging change in wider society. Our post 20:20 Church Development Plan must prioritise our missional activity; recognising who we are and our catholic-Anglican foundation, with the proclamation of the Gospel our top priority in a changing world and context. Whilst we all know that increasing the number of worshippers is not the sole aim of leading a healthy church community, it is still a measure that something is going well, especially given the national backdrop of decline. We have a lot to give thanks for at St Mary’s Church but also much more work to still do. To have remained level this year with some modest growth, against all the odds, is a real achievement. Let us all pray for renewed growth during 2021 as we seek to offer a new invitation to people within and beyond Thorpe to worship with us at St Mary’s and discover the living God

31

who longs to touch their lives with deep faith and his real presence. Looking ahead – Mission!

As we review our post 2020 Church Development Plan, our PCC set us the challenge of reaching out during 2020 and promoting St Mary’s to a wider constituency beyond the parish of Thorpe, because we recognise that many people who are drawn to our inclusive catholic-Anglican tradition live outside Thorpe Parish. There is no doubt the use of new technology and internet live-streaming has done just that, but it remains to be seen what the long-term impact will be upon attendance and involvement and therefore finance.

Thorpe Together

The usual Spring edition 2020 was not produced as we were in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Margaret Harnden (as editor) with Fr Damian and Petra (up to September) and the support of the Wardens and Social Committee have continued to draw together a list of events, services and activities to be included in Thorpe Together magazine. Due to the pandemic it has not been physically distributed to every household in Thorpe Ward, instead digitally circulated, and printed copies have been sent to those members of our church community who don’t have access to the internet.

Gift Aid

As a charity this is especially important in meeting the costs of ministry and the maintenance of our historic medieval church here in Thorpe. We ask every member of the church family who can do so, to complete and sign an annual Gift Aid declaration. Thank you for your help and support.

The Vicarage study was used for live streaming worship from the start of Lockdown in March 2020 until we were allowed back into Church at the end of May. The was the scene at Compline on Easter Day 2020, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

32

St Mary's Church, Thorpe Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2020

General Receipts & Payments General Receipts & Payments
Receipts 2020 2019
£ £
Regular Giving
Planned Giving 32,467 34,692
Collections and other giving (non GA) 8,809 7,165
Collections and other giving (GA) 15,340 10,448
56,616 52,305
Other Voluntary Receipts
Donations/In Memoriam 60 77
Charities 332 731
Wall boxes & Candles 146 268
538 1,076
Receipts from Fund-generating Activities
Fund-raising Events & Activities 5,031 13,192
Hire of Church and Rutherwyke Room 2,806 4,936
7,837 18,128

33

Receipts from Church Activities Receipts from Church Activities
Fees (Banns, Weddings, Funerals) 8,629 12,091
Refreshments 341 1,887
Noah's Ark 196 913
Flowers 45 361
Books 15 -
Sundry (Stall, Cards, Gift etc.) 504 1,353
9,729 16,604
Receipts from Investments
CBF Dividends 472 458
472 458
Other Income
Works Account (inter a/c transfers) 4,677 4,183
Education Account (inter a/c transfers) 1,140 4,011
Tax reclaims (2019 Gift Aid) 11,199 14,807
Receipts from insurance 1,943 -
18,960 23,001
Total Receipts 94,152 111,573
Payments 2020 2019
£ £
Church
Activities

34

Diocesan parish share
54,395

50,121
Parish Costs (Expenses, Travel,
Telephone)		 1,635 1,599
Organists 560 2,935
Cost of services 1,826 3,159
58,415 57,814
Maintenance
Facilities maint. Cleaning, Fees etc 11,634 7,669
11,634 7,669
Church running expenses
Insurance 2,619 2,600
Gas, Electricity, Water 3,529 4,002
6,148 6,601
Administration
Admin, computer & office supplies 4,323 5,081
Postage 72 7
4,395 5,088
Other Costs
Books 172 136
Music & Subscriptions 302 132
Charities 305 454
Parish Fees to Diocese 5,774 2,953

35

Events & Fund-raising costs
566

5,191
Refreshments 141 708
Marketing 529 922
Flowers -
533
Sundry payments (training, misc) -
3,665
Fixed assets -
992
7,790 15,686
Fund Transfers
Transfer to Works Acc 10,020 13,814
Transfer to Education Acc 29 230
10,049 14,044
Total
Payments		 98,430 106,903
Balance (Income less Expenditure) (4,278) 4,670
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 2020 2019
£ £
Cash Funds
at 31 Dec 2020 Bank: Current Account 1 22,324 26,602
Bank: Business Reserve Account:
Education		 2 35,727 36,838
Bank: Business Saver: Works 3 14,663 9,310
Investment Assets

36

at 31 Dec 2020 CBF: Thorpe St. Mary PCC - value of
shares		 4
16,840

15,721
821.00 shares @ £20.4873 each on
31/12/20
89,554 88,472
Other Monetary Assets
Estimated refund for 2020 GA
donations		 5 11,952 11,285
11,952 11,285
Breakdown of Cash Funds
Unrestricted (1+4+5) 51,116 53,608
Restricted (2+3) 50,390 46,149
101,506 99,757

Approved by the PCC on Monday 15[th] March 2021 and signed on their behalf by:

Mr. Andrew West Fr Damian Harrison-Miles Treasurer Vicar

37

Independent Examiner's Report to the PCC of St Mary’s Church, Thorpe I report on the accounts of the PCC of St Mary’s Church, Thorpe for the year ended 31 December 2020.

Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The PCC is responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The PCC considers that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

Basis of Independent Examiner's Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner's Statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

have not been met; or

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Name: Alan Alderson Date: 13[th] February 2021 Address: 5 Mead Close, Egham, Surrey TW20 8JA

38

Part 3 Appendix Section

Sunday Worship at St Mary’s & Covid-19 secure protocols 8am Said Eucharist, 10am Parish Eucharist,

1[st] , 3[rd] & 5[th] Sunday monthly 11:30am Family Service,

2[nd] or 4[th] Sundays by arrangement 12noon Baptism Service,

7pm Compline.

ALL SUNDAY WORSHIP is with a congregation present, up to 40 people (plus 8 staff maximum). The 10am, 11:30amd and 7pm services are also live streamed to Facebook and St Mary’s Church website.

Weekdays Weekday Said Eucharist: 10am Wednesday

Evening Sung Festival Eucharist (Mass) at 7.30pm on select occasions.

Noah’s Ark Group, Faith & Fun, St Mary’s Church Choir, Parish Office & Viewing the Church, Charities Group & lunches & Relate Counselling.

These activities are all suspended but under constant review. The PCC is committed to re-starting these as soon as possible. Please note some services will come from the homes of our ministry team, as circumstances dictate.

Covid-19 Entrance Procedures at St Mary’s Church

We aim to keep everyone safe and have introduced the following procedure:

  1. A one-way system around the Church is in operation, with entrance to worship via the Rutherwyke Room Kitchen door ONLY.

  2. On entering ALL must WASH THEIR HANDS. You should wear a face mask (unless prevented from doing so by a medical condition).

  3. All must sign-in with their name and a contact phone number. (This information may be passed to TEST AND TRACE if requested by HM Government).

  4. Place your financial offering / gift-aid envelope into the glass jar provided.

  5. Collect a service sheet, weekly newsletter and post-it note, and make your way up the Link into Church via the Chancel.

  6. Maintain social distancing of 2 metres at all times. ALL 2 SEATS ARE SET AT

  7. 2M SPACING – MANY IN PAIRS. Don’t move of change seats during worship.

  8. Place your post-it sticky note onto the top of the chair you have chosen (to identify this for cleaning purposes after the service).

  9. The sharing of the Peace has been suspended. Singing is not permitted.

  10. Communion is distributed by the priest, stood by the FONT. Please follow the one-way system around the church (marked on the floor) directed by the warden on duty – you will be offered hand gel on your way to the Communion station – please keep your mask on. The consecrated bread dipped in wine will be placed into your hands. Consume on your way back to your seat.

  11. Additional hand sanitiser is available in the Link and Church Porch.

  12. Exit St Mary’s via the BLUE MAIN DOORS / Church porch.

  13. Places used service sheets into the BLU re-cycling box as you leave.

  14. Please don’t stay in church to socialise. Please exit in silence.

Visit our Parish Website for more information: www.stmaryschurchthorpe.co.uk

39

What does our Church Development Plan look like post 2020/21?

We are nearing the end of our 20:20 vision / Church Development Plan, so it is time to ask questions about the next phase in our pilgrimage of faith and mission in Thorpe. The PCC would like every member of our church community to participate as we review where we have come from and celebrate so many achievements and seek to prioritise projects and ambitions for the coming years, post 2021.

As Christian people, we are called by God to service, just as Jesus’ first disciples were called to gather people into God’s Kingdom. This is our mission to Thorpe and beyond! To achieve this God has made each one of us unique with different and varied gifts. These gifts, or talents, are the building blocks of our Christian common life and we hope you will be willing to share those gifts with the church family for the building-up of faith. After all everything we have comes from God first:

“But who am I, and what are my people, that we should be able to make this freewill offering? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.” (1 Chronicles 29:14)

For the past three years our 2020 vision plan (Church Development Plan) has delivered renewal in our life together, fabric improvements, increased discipleship, and improved finances. We should celebrate and give thanks to God for the many achievements of the past five years - what an achievement. Over the next year our Church Teams will be contributing towards a new vision plan, taking us beyond 2020 towards 2024/5. But we need your ideas and help too, so we are asking:

What is God calling us to, as His Church corporate and His people here at St Mary’s Thorpe, beyond 2020/21?

Our giving in the service of God is not simply about financial support (although that is one important aspect) but practical gifts of time and spiritual commitment to the Church including regular attendance at worship. Indeed, there are so many ways in which we can all play a part in the life of our Christian fellowship in Thorpe. Thank you for the part you already play in our life together and for being willing to support this wonderful community of faith into the future. Please help us plan for 2020+.

FOUR QUESTIONS TO PONDER AND RESPOND TO:

  1. Are there any suggestions or comments you would like to make as our PCC begins to plan our Church Development Plan post 2020?

  2. What should our priorities be beyond 2020?

  3. What skills, talents, time, or gifts could YOU offer/bring to the life of this Parish and the mission of our Church in Thorpe?

  4. Considering the Covid-19 pandemic, should we change our priorities and if so how and why? Any reflections upon our Church response so far?

Please return the response slip enclosed with this booklet at the APCM or email your response to stmaryschurchthorpe@outlook.com to have your say.

40

----- Start of picture text -----
St Mary's Church, Thorpe
Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31
December 2020
General Receipts & Payments
Receipts 2020 2019
£ £
Regular
Giving
32 3
Planned Giving
,467 4,692
Collections and other giving 8
(non GA) ,809 7,165
Collections and other giving 15 1
(GA) ,340 0,448
5 5
6,616 2,305
Other Voluntary Receipts
Donations/In Memoriam
60 77
Charities
332 731
Wall boxes & Candles
146 268
538 1,076
Receipts from Fund-generating Activities
5 1
Fund-raising Events & Activities
,031 3,192
Hire of Church and Rutherwyke 2
Room ,806 4,936
1
7,837 8,128
Receipts from Church Activities
Fees (Banns, Weddings, 8 1
Funerals) ,629 2,091
Refreshments
341 1,887
Noah's Ark
196 913
Flowers
45 361
Books
15 -
Sundry (Stall, Cards, Gift etc.)
504 1,353
1
9,729 6,604
Receipts from Investments
CBF Dividends
472 458
472 458
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Other
Income
Works Account (inter a/c 4
transfers) ,677 4,183
Education Account (inter a/c 1
transfers) ,140 4,011
11 1
Tax reclaims (2019 Gift Aid)
,199 4,807
1
Receipts from insurance
,943 -
1 2
8,960 3,001
Total 9 11
Receipts 4,152 1,573
Paymen 2020 2019
ts
£ £
Church
Activities
54 5
Diocesan parish share
,395 0,121
Parish Costs (Expenses, Travel, 1
Telephone) ,635 1,599
Organists
560 2,935
1
Cost of services
,826 3,159
5 5
8,415 7,814
Maintenan
ce
Facilities maint. Cleaning, Fees 11
etc ,634 7,669
1
1,634 7,669
Church running expenses
2
Insurance
,619 2,600
3
Gas, Electricity, Water
,529 4,002
6,148 6,601
Administra
tion
Admin, computer & office 4
supplies ,323 5,081
Postage
72 7
4,395 5,088
Other
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Costs
Books
172 136
Music & Subscriptions
302 132
Charities
305 454
5
Parish Fees to Diocese
,774 2,953
Events & Fund-raising costs
566 5,191
Refreshments
141 708
Marketing
529 922
Flowers
- 533
Sundry payments (training,
misc) - 3,665
Fixed assets
- 992
1
7,790 5,686
Fund
Transfers
10 1
Transfer to Works Acc
,020 3,814
Transfer to Education Acc
29 230
1 1
0,049 4,044
Total 9 10
Payments 8,430 6,903
Balance (Income less Expenditure) (
4,278) 4,670
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 2020 2019
£ £
Cash
Funds
at 31 Dec Bank: Current Account 1 22 2
2020 ,324 6,602
Bank: Business Reserve 2 35 3
Account: Education ,727 6,838
3 14
Bank: Business Saver: Works
,663 9,310
Investment Assets
at 31 Dec CBF: Thorpe St. Mary PCC - 4 16 1
2020 value of shares ,840 5,721
821.00 shares @ £20.4873 each
on 31/12/20
8 8
9,554 8,472
Other Monetary Assets
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Estimated refund for 2020 GA 5 11 1
donations ,952 1,285
1 1
1,952 1,285
Breakdown of Cash Funds
51 5
Unrestricted (1+4+5)
,116 3,608
50 4
Restricted (2+3)
,390 6,149
10 9
1,506 9,757
----- End of picture text -----

Approved by the PCC on //_ and signed on their behalf by____

Inde endent examiner's re to the PCC of St Ma s Churth Tho I report on the accounts of the PCC of SL Marfs Church. Thorpe for the year ended 31 December 2020. The PCC are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The PCC consider that an audtt is not required for this year under secknon 14412) of t￿ Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act} and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibilty to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act; to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directio￿ given by the Charity Commission under section 14515)Ib) of the 2011 Art. and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Bass of Independert examinerfs fewt My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Direction5 given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accountinE records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also indudes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees onceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the eviden￿ that would be required in an audit and consequentty no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a rue and fair vieW and the report Is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examlnerfs statement In connection with my examination. no matter has come to my attention: 11) which 8ives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with sertion 130 of the 2011 Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accountiryg records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been me¢ or {2} to which, in my opinion. attention sFM)uld be drawn in order to enable a proper Understandi￿ of the accounts to be reached. Name: rt&A-H 2>. Address: Date: S48nature: