Minutes of the PCC for St. Andrew's

Minutes of P.C.C. Meeting 14 May 2010
held at St Andrews

1.    Dave Mayor opened the meeting with prayers.

2.    Present: Penny Bates; Elaine Major;  John Whitfield; Peter Maltby;  Rupert Little;  David Mayor; Celia Kozlowski; Pat Harvey David Major 
Apologies:  Rev. Hugh Ellis; Linda Stamp

3.    Minutes for the previous meeting were approved as a true record.

4.    Matters Arising:  We confirmed that all on the PCC knew that the Bishops have changed their plans due to ill health and now expect to remain in the village.

     A  new team curate named Jess Pitman will be arriving in July and Pat mentioned that she will be residing in  Newtown -- handy for Aller. [Secry.'s note:  Revd. Ellis adds that Mrs. Pitman's spouse is named Chris and they have five children, with three away at university and the other two, Sam and Toby somewhere around 11 & 14 yrs old.]

    Dave Mayor suggested that working clusters of people in the church be organized along the following lines:

• Fabric / Building and exterior (John will guide)
• Fabric / Interior -- textiles, glassware, silverware, etc. (Penny will guide with Linda, who is managing Rotas; John said Church inventory has been updated)
• Finance, Fundraising & Events -- Elaine will guide with David Major and others
• Worship -- Dave Mayor will guide with input from Gill/Music folks
• Communications -- Celia will guide with review/input from Penny. Dave Mayor will look into getting access to the WI Noticeboard at the Village Hall to use for Church announcements now that the WI is defunct
  
• Mission/ pastoral / service /Fairtrade -- Pat will guide with David Mayor, Bishops, others.
  
  

Dave Mayor asked about "Local Strategic Partnerships" or other matters from the Langport Ministry Team. John Whitfield had nothing to report. Pat Harvey and Dave Mayor will attend the next Team Council meeting.

Celia and others stressed the importance of involving others on each work cluster.

5.    Reports:

• Fabric / Exterior:
  --John says he has made 8 inquiries about the roof repair work, including 5 builders and 3 small companies.
  --Rupert stated that Aller stonemasons Paul and Tracy are keen to assist in stone masonry repairs and are willing and able to help through their Somerton company, which includes equipment for copying masonry objects such as the cross on the roof. John said the stone masonry work can be spread out over a few years.
  
  
  
• Finance, Fundraising & Events:
  --Thanks to David Major for his hard work on an application to English Heritage for financial assistance with the church restoration. The forms and pictures will be off to the Archdeacon well in advance of the deadline so that they can be signed, returned to David Mayor, and mailed to English Heritage well ahead of the deadline.
  --David will contact Mark Taylor, the Architect who completed St Andrew's Quinquennial survey.
  --Dave Mayor will contact people in Middlezoy about their experience with grants to support church restoration.
  --Peter Maltby suggested contacting Viridor for a grant-in-aid.
  --Rupert said there might be fund-raising / community support opportunities for the church at the 2nd Annual Downhill Race and games day  on the Rec in September-- planning meeting for that in "The Snug" of the Pound Inn June 8 at 7 pm. This event could be combined with a "Thank you" to the Bishops for their service to the village.
  --Elaine is trying to arrange a concert by Peter Mary's students at the church in July (but not on the 4th when there is a ceremony for new curates).
  --The Aller Extravaganza is being arranged for 21st August, 7:30 - 10:30 at the Aller Village Hall.
  --Roger Bond Jazz Quartet will be back on Nov 13. 2011
  --Calendars will go on sale around then
  --Penny suggested that when refreshments are organized for future events, thought should be given to volunteer burnout including constant cooking, cleaning up, and washing dishes. Possibilities include hiring young people to do the cleanup; inviting people to bring their own place-settings; and providing food and drink that entail minimal cleanup
  

6.    Future Services

    May: 23 May will be a Morning Prayer service at 11 a.m. -- with the time kept as planned in case some people did not get word that the farewell service for the Bishops was cancelled. 30 May will be a 6:30 p.m. Songs of Praise service followed by wine and nibbles -- possibly burgers. Aller musicians will present music in honor of the Bishops.
    Beyond: Dave Mayor discussed the challenges Aller will have with the Bishops no longer taking services. Celia asked the PCC, if something has to give, what should it be? What is most important? Keeping the time of the service? Having several communion services each month? Having traditional or non-traditional worship? Rupert said the most important thing was high-quality services, preferrably short. John said communion services. Elaine said it was important to have more contemporary, non-communion services that appealed to new people. Celia proposed the following plan; Elaine seconded it and all but one PCC member voted in favor of a pattern of services that included :
--an All-age village service once a month led by Dave Mayor
--a Communion service with a Team priest once a month
--Team Eucharist once a month and
--a short (30 mins) evening Songs of Praise service once a month
When possible, clergy such as Grant Welsh, Charles Howard, the new curate, and even guest priests from farther afield should be worked in for variety at the end of the month, especially when there is a 5th Sunday in the month. Communion can be added when a priest is available for a fourth or fifth Sunday.


8.    All Other Business: Pat Harvey said it is urgent to have a church clear-out and clean up of the South Porch. Penny will assist in organizing this. Celia will alert people via the Roundabout that this will be happening in late summer, urging people to notify us of  items left in the South Porch that must not be discarded. Some vases and decorations may be organized and/or removed to the back vestry in the course of a clean-up of the closet there. Pat noted that the South Porch is one of the architectural highlights of the church and so it is important that the area be presentable. It was mentioned that there had been a previous plan for enclosed shelving across one wall of the South Porch, but the plan was never carried to completion.


9.    Date of next meeting will be arranged for the 1st or 2nd Wednesday in July at 8 p.m. in the snug at the Olde Pound Inn.

The meeting adjourned at 9:34 p.m.