Minutes of meeting held on Tuesday 14th January 2020 at 7.45pm in the Stable

 

Present: Valerie Oertel (Chair), Ann Adams, Jenny Hayward (Churchwardens), Sally Cripsey, Nick Cullum, Jan Diffey, Amy Johnston, Julie Longbottom, Carol Watts, Liz White, Mike White

 

VO welcomed members and opened the meeting with prayer.

 

Apologies: Warren Foot, Elisabeth Le Mesurier

 

The Minutes of the meeting of Tuesday 12th November 2019 were signed as a true record.

 

Matters arising:

 

Mission Action Plan: AA said this was in hand and will be completed shortly

 

Letter re hole from Boiler House to Church: EW said that Dave Clarke had been thanked by letter for his time, expertise and materials

 

Missing Tile in Lady Chapel: Phil Diffey has been painstakingly mending this. He will then fill in the small area where the pieces are missing and Jan will paint in the appropriate colour. Phil was thanked for all his hard work.

 

Churchyard Burial Plan: In hand – waiting for better weather.

 

New Church Lights in Nave: Covered in Churchwardens’ Report.

 

Repair of red and purple ecclesiastical vestments: VO has this in hand.

 

Policy on reserved Grave Spaces: MC reiterated that Dean had advised us to adopt a policy on reserving specific grave spaces in the churchyard. It is not thought likely that there will be a huge demand for this given the high cost involved and availability of spaces, but MW passed around a policy that AA had been given by Linda Klimas (the Rural Dean) and has been adapted for St. Mary’s. Copy attached to these Minutes.

VO proposed the policy, SC seconded it, all were in agreement so the policy was officially adopted.

 

Churchwardens’ Report

AA read out the following report:

 

ROOF LEAK After some recent heavy rain water was found in the church by the radiator where the music group stand, this has happened before. Mike has looked at the roof but no tiles are missing. Mr Kinns was asked to check the tiles the last time he cleaned the gutters, he found nothing amiss. We will get him to look again on his next visit in the spring.

SOUND SYSTEM/MICROPHONES  After a few problems over Christmas Nick has sorted out our sound system which was also improved with the use on Sunday of one of Nick’s microphone. Nick is suggestion we purchased a new microphone for the church as he feels there is no need to spend on a completely new system.

ROOF LIGHTS IN THE NAVE We have sent details to the DAC regarding replacement LED lighting. They have requested photographs of the existing lighting and details of the new wiring required together with the quote. We are now waiting to hear from Peter Morgan re the wiring. Once the DAC have all these details, they can tell us if we need a faculty or if the work can be done under an Archdeacons letter. AA added that she had just spoken to Emma Critchley who said that Peter Morgan’s electrical accreditations did not fit with those of the Diocese – AA to try to sort so that Morgans can complete the work

TRAINING COURSE AT BARTON REGARDING NEW FACULTY REGULATIONS. There is a training course at Barton on the 27th January regarding new faculty process. AA will try and get booked on this.          

RESERVED GRAVE SPACES. All the paper work has now gone through and we have two reserved gave spaces.  We have recorded detail of both of these in a book so we have named a date of when permission was given and the number of the grave.

THE RECTORY Jenny and I continue to check on the Rectory regularly as requested by Ian Blythe who is the Estates Secretary at St Albans. The oil, 500ltrs was delivered in November and the bill sent to Ian for direct payment to the oil company. The electricity bill is set up in my (Ann) name, as reported at the last meeting. The first payment from my account of £58 on the 16th December. Robert Preen has been in the Rectory garden, cutting back the hedges and shrubs, cutting the grass and clearing the leaves. He has also worked in the front garden and has sprayed the weeds in the drive. All the garden rubbish has been taken away. We now have his invoice for payment which is £105. If these can be paid from the PCC account a claim can be sent into Ian Blythe and we will be reimbursed. The carpets have yet to be replaced.

STATISTICS FOR MISSION FORM Almost completed, we are waiting for details of any funerals taken at the crematorium during 2019 but as we do not have the file Maggie is going to check through her paper to find this information for us. Maggie rang back today, there were no services at the crematorium only during 2019 so we can now complete the form on line, this is due in by 22nd January.

CHRISTMAS SERVICES We are delighted to report that the Christmas services were very well attended. Numbers were.

  • School Carol Service……    150 children         140 adults
  • Christingle……………......        6       “                25       “
  • Carol Service…………….        8       “                 72       “
  • Crib Service……………...       60       “                 80       “
  • Midnight Mass…………...         2       “                 35       “

The collection at the Christingle Service was for the Church of England Children Society and £74 was collected.   The collection at the Crib Service was split this year with £74 going to Crisis and £137 to Keech Children’s Hospice.

BENEFICE PROFILE  Jenny and I attended a meeting yesterday to finalise the profile. Linda Garton is making the last amendments and will send to the Bishop on Wednesday. The Archdeacon has already seen the draft copy and was very pleased with it, he has sent a copy to another local church as he said theirs needed rewriting. A copy of the amended profile will be sent to Archdeacon Dave and the Bishop tomorrow morning together with the advertisement for their approval. Once this has happened, we will email all on the electoral roll and it can go on our website. Tricia, the Archdeacons PA, has booked for our advertisement to go in the Church Times on the 24th January for two weeks, the total cost is £1000. If we have had no applicants at the end of the two weeks the advert can go in the Church Times again after a break of two weeks and so on until the post is filled, at no extra cost.

The time table is now:

Profile and advertisement to the Archdeacon and the Bishop 15th January for final approval. The advert and the profile will be on the Diocesan website.

Advertisement in the Church Times from 24th January.

Closing date for applications – 24th February.

Shortlisting – assuming we have applicants - 27th February.

Interviews - 25th March. Venue to be arranged.

We will keep everyone updated on any progress.

Ann and Jenny.

Both AA and JH were thanked for all the extra hard work during the interregnum.

Treasurer’s Report: JL spoke to the accounts to 31/12/19 which had been previously circulated. Income is up on 2018 thanks to Fundraising. There is £24,000 in General Fund. JL is waiting for the statement to come in for the Trust Income Funds and the accounts can then be sent to Evlyn for auditing, hopefully in time for adoption at the March PCC meeting.

JL was thanked for all her hard work and the clear and thorough accounts.

 

Church Sound System: NC outlined the problems we have had in recent months with the sound system and the lapel microphone, and how he has tried to solve these. NC has brought his own lectern microphone from home for the last two Sundays which all agreed has worked very well. NC will continue to monitor the system (AM has said that an anonymous donor is prepared to pay for a new church sound system) but in the first instance the PCC agreed that NC should purchase (at PCC expense) a similar microphone to his own at a cost of £66 from Amazon. A wireless microphone can be used with this. NC thanked for all his work with the sound system and all agreed that it was very much better now.                   Action: NC

 

Church Website: CW had asked members to look at the welcome page on the website.

It was agreed to change the lengthy welcome to ‘We are an inclusive church embracing all forms of diversity’. This will tie in neatly with the Benefice profile.

CW was thanked for her work on the website. She keeps it completely up to date, it has all forthcoming events, church groups, photographs and all policies.

 

Review of Christmas Services: Covered under AA’s report. All agreed that all Christmas services had gone well.

 

Arrangements for APCM and regulations: APCM to be held on Tuesday 21st April.

It was decided that the venue would be the Stable block. 2020 is a new triennium for the Deanery Synod so 2 reps to be appointed for 3 years. EW highlighted changes to regulations

(Rachel O'Connor has these for Electoral Roll) One small change is that sidespeople to be appointed by the PCC, not at the APCM.

 

Food waste in the kitchen area of church: EW said that if any food waste, including corn etc is left in kitchen bin, it attracts mice and there were problems after harvest. EW to put up notice in kitchen saying no food waste at all to be left in bin unless it is emptied straightaway.            Action: EW

 

Fundraising and Future Events: Ceilidh 7th March, Ukulele Evening 24th October, Jumble Sale -Feb/March. It is the wish of the PCC that Church Teas are held again in 2020.

JD said she hoped to organise a Jazz Supper in the Village Hall (with Sausage and Mash supper) in September or November.

 

Correspondence: EW had heard today from Gill Wiggs (Clerk to the Parish Council) that £1000 is to given as a churchyard grant for 2020, payable in May. EW has written a letter of thanks.

EW had also received a letter of thanks from The Master at Science of the Soul (already shared with the PCC) for the letter sent by the PCC following the sad death of his wife.

EW also received arrangements and regulations for the APCM

All other e-mail correspondence is always forwarded to PCC members but EW receives many adverts about jobs at the Diocesan office at St Albans which she does not always forward.

 

AOB: VO said that she and Brian had visited Mike and Ann Pennington in Norwich. Although Ann is not well, Mike is a Reader and would very much like to come and officiate at a 2nd or 4th Sunday Service in Haynes. Ann and Jenny to contact                       Action: AA/JH

 

AJ showed photo of water coming through the West Door of the church during bellringing practice on Monday in bad weather. MW and NC to investigate.             Action MW/NC

 

VO said that having PCC meetings on different nights of the week should be an item for discussion for the new PCC.

 

The meeting closed with The Grace at 8.50pm.

 

Next PCC Meeting: Tuesday 10th March 2020

APCM: Tuesday 21st April in The Stable