St Nicholas Church

Shepperton

Annual Parochial Church

Meeting Monday 31st March 2014

“May God meet us where we are, and lead us where He would have us be.”

www.stnicholaschurch-shepperton.org.uk

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St Nicholas Church, Shepperton

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

Monday 31st March 2014

in the Parish Centre at 8.00pm

Agenda

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

Item

1 Apologies for absence

2 Minutes of the APCM held on Tuesday 16th April 2013

3 Matters arising

4 Summary of the activities of the PCC during 2013-2014

5 Churchwardens’ Fabric Report 2014

6 Presentation of the Accounts for 2013 and Forecast for 2014

7 Appointment of Auditor

8 The Parish Centre – Chairman’s Report

9 Electoral Roll Officer’s Report

10 Report from the Spelthorne Deanery Synod

11 Other Church Group/Committee Reports

12 The Rector’s Reflections

13 Elections to the Parochial Church Council (4 members)

14 Elections to the Deanery Synod (5 members)

15 Election of Sidespersons

16 Any Other Business (previously notified)

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St Nicholas Church, Shepperton

Minutes of Annual Parochial Church Meeting held on Tuesday 16th April 2013 in the Church

The Rector, the Revd Chris Swift, presided. There were approximately 44 parishioners recorded as being present. The meeting opened with a prayer. The Rector noted that although there are many people within our parish who need our prayer, we should especially think of the Revd Harold Nicholson.

ELECTION OF CHURCHWARDENS 1 There not having been an election in 2012, the Minutes of the meeting held on 29th

April 2011 were approved. 2 There were no matters arising. 3 Election of Wardens

Nicky Searle’s term of office had come to an end and in her place Sylvia Carter was proposed by Ian Passingham and seconded by Colin Barnard. In order to strengthen the team of Deputy Wardens, Nicky Addy had agreed to stand for another year. She will be joined by Margaret Bennet. No formal election was required for this position but the meeting agreed with the arrangement. The Rector wished to pass on his enormous thanks to Nicky Searle for all her superb work during her term of office. He noted that she had a tremendous heart for the life of St Nicholas and presented her with flowers as a heartfelt thank you from the congregation.

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

The Revd Chris Swift in the Chair 1 Apologies for absence were received from Mike & Liane Betchley, Pat & Des

Davidson, Kay Stapleton, Juliet Yell, Eric & Val Pizzey, Ann Parkin, John & Jo Child, Sheelagh Watson, Chris Hammond, Peter & Julia Jelley, Wendy Turner and Jane Davies.

2 The Minutes of the APCM of 22nd April 2012 were considered.

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3 Matters arising Elizabeth Greenwood queried the minute that “parent & toddler group had been

successful as a service to the families of the village but had failed to bring in new families into church life.” The Rector said that regrettably in all seriousness this had proved to be the case to a large degree.

Maggie Hammond wished to note that the person who offered to redesign the

website pages hadn’t actually come forward and should be reminded. The Rector confirmed that the money pledged for the Zimbabwe project in

conjunction with St Mary’s had now been reached and as such would be paid soon. He also drew the meeting’s attention to the letter put up by Elizabeth Greenwood from our Mozambique contact and noted that it was pleasing communication is improving.

The Rector also wished to express his delight at the tremendous work done on

‘Shelter From The Storm’, our first Gift Day in response to the restoration work needed.

The approval of the Minutes was proposed by Caroline Button and seconded by

Val Ralph and that being the case were duly signed and dated. 4 The Report of the Activities of the PCC was received by the meeting. Matters arising Hilary Dyer asked if feedback on the PCC activities could be mentioned at services.

It was agreed that the PCC Secretary would issue highlights to be included in the Notices and to be put up in the Church.

Maggie Hammond wished to remind people that the full Minutes are always on the Parish website. She also asked if we were now confirmed as a Grade I or II listed building and the Rector said that regrettably we are a Grade II. Guy Blythman asked if we could challenge this but it was thought very unlikely to bring about a reversal of decision.

The new requirement for Safeguarding roles was discussed at length. There was a

feeling that people are very often scared of taking on such a role but that we couldn’t let these very important appointments slip much further into 2013. Jenny Adolphus said that people may not take the roles seriously enough because it simply doesn’t feel as though our Parish would ever have such a situation that required action. Jenny explained that safeguarding really means everyone is in as safe as possible a situation that can be achieved. Pamela Barrie, who had recently undertaken a safeguarding course, stressed that it really is important people take this seriously as we tend to assume people are joining church for the right reasons. Neal Adolphus said that the necessary CRB checks can be off-putting to people but hopefully the new scheme whereby CRB checks are more “portable” will assist in encouraging people to volunteer. Margaret Bennet said it would be

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great if there was a largish pool of people checked from which to draw on – particularly with reference to those helping out at Messy Church on an ad hoc basis. Caroline Button noted that it really is a specialised area that requires a lot of time and responsibility. It was thought that the key areas to concentrate on would be those people involved in Messy Church, Young Church and the Pastoral Group but the Rector stressed that it in no way should we think this is only about children’s safety rather it is about all vulnerable people.

5 Churchwarden’s Fabric Report The Rector asked Nicky Searle to read out the report. Matters arising The first fund-raising meeting with regard to the restoration fund had happened

last week and had been well attended with many good and interesting ideas forthcoming. However, the Rector expressed his concerns about how much of this can be actually taken forward. The last big fund raising initiative was for the Parish Centre and there had been a rich amount of talent and expertise available then and we need to find a similar source again.

Colin Barnard reported that although we currently need £159,900, there would be other periphery requirements so we should continue to think of £200,000 as the final figure.

Hilary Dyer asked which big bodies we have applied to. The Rector reported that we are in the midst of the process with English Heritage and cannot undertake any work until we have their final agreement – we hope to receive £75-80,000 – a process which should take us to the end of May. It was suggested by Carole Harrison that we approach SITA by another route as, frankly, their popularity due to the Charlton Lane site redevelopment is not good and perhaps we could exploit this.

Both the Surrey Churches Conservation Trust and the Wolfson Foundation have also been approached.

The Rector informed the meeting that he had had a firm in to discuss the possibility of installing screens for back-projection but that the £5,000 cost was prohibitive. As a secondary measure, St Nicholas School would help with advice on a temporary projector to use with the current screen. This would help particularly with the 11.15 Service which would like to make more use of visuals.

The report was proposed by Doris Neville-Davies and seconded by Trevor

Stapleton. 6 Presentation of Accounts for 2012 The Rector reported that the small stewardship campaign last Spring had been

successful so we would not be repeating the exercise this year. However, we will need to look at money more creatively towards the end of the year - and with particular reference to the 11.15am Service as we shall need to increase our contribution to the Diocese. Although we were requested to contribute more to the Common Fund, we offered a mid-point of £67,000 due to the extensive building work needed this year.

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The small sum of £44.37 against ALMA Lent Appeal was noted. The Rector explained that the much larger sum for ALMA is a historical amount of money raised, which is held to go towards the development of the school in Milange.

The Accounts were accepted by the meeting, proposed by Neal Adolphus and seconded by Colin Barnard.

Additionally the Rector reported that the Treasurer, Val Ralph wished to step

down and thanked her hugely for the tremendous work she had done over the years – most particularly in keeping the realities in focus! A successor has not currently been found. Due to the broadening out of the Treasurer role, it may be necessary to consider sharing the financial and administrative duties between a group of people.

A replacement is also sought for Julia Jelley who, after 16 years of careful

organisation of the distribution of Shepperton News, is no longer able to continue. Since we have a financial obligation to the advertisers, it is a priority that this area is immediately covered in whatever way is possible. Doris Neville-Davies suggested a working party as an interim solution to at least cover the next distribution deadline. We could possibly look at the cost of Royal Mail delivering the booklet and indeed a delivery partnership with Shepperton Matters.

7 Appointment of Auditor Martin Clayden will be unable to continue, so a replacement will need to be found.

Grateful thanks were recorded for his help over the years. 8 The Parish Centre – Chairman’s Report/Parish Centre Accounts The report and accounts were received by the meeting with the alteration of two

small items on the accounts. Thanks were recorded to Kathy Hodge for her continued assistance with the auditing.

9 The Electoral Roll Officer’s Report Doris Neville-Davies wished to correct the figure quoted from 250 to 246 due to

the new roll being prepared and some inconsistencies. With the addition of names to be added following the 31st March deadline, the roll should then stand at c260.

The meeting received the report. 10 Report from the Deanery Synod The report was received and no questions were raised. 11 Other Church Group Reports It was accepted that the various reports were read and received. However, the

Rector wished to draw attention to the situation regarding the appointment of a new Children and Families’ Worker. This role has been vacant since January 2012 and the Rector had sought advice on trying to cope with the difficulty of finding the right person to fulfil such a role. He was gratified to report back that even large churches with arguably very wide demographics, had also failed in

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appointing the position – so we are by no means alone with this struggle. Hilary Dyer asked whether we could ask St Nicholas School if there was anyone there who would be interested in forming such a link. Elizabeth Harrow said she had tried to keep up a bit of liaison but that it might be worth talking to the teachers. Nicky Searle suggested that Johnny Kilhams was keen to do more work with the school and that might open up other opportunities.

12 The Rector’s Reflections The Rector had decided to speak to the meeting rather than present a written

report. He asked the meeting to actively consider things that we should do this year –

how we share the life that is at St Nicholas more broadly and deeply but that we do not let certain areas such as prayer and our connections to the world-wide Church disappear in the rush of the new.

As a first consideration, the meeting was asked to ‘write’ a job description – what do we really need the Parish Priest to do? What are the expectations and the core duties our Rector should be involved in and what really isn’t a necessity? We are fortunate indeed to have Elizabeth Greenwood with us. If Elizabeth left us for whatever reason, the gap in terms of pastoral care of established members of the church would be enormous. We would rightly be ‘stuffed’ to put it plainly. We need to think how we pastor the congregation and what role the Rector has in this, and how this fits with his role to extend the church’s life to new people.

There are many very good things we will not be able to do because we simply can’t – we do not presently have the resources both human and financially.

Despite this, and secondly, serious consideration must now be given to part-time paid administration. We can quite simply no longer function successfully without this

Thirdly, the meeting was asked to review our children’s ministry. This is a huge piece of work and will require a wide ranging task group to look at it. We need to commit people to this and in turn young people will react and engage. The success of holding the Palm Sunday Service at St Nicholas School was noted and a decision to bring the church literally into the school 6 times a year has been agreed with the Head Teacher. The 11.15am Service will also start to celebrate the Eucharist from September onwards, once a month. .

Fourthly – and this could be very challenging – we need to find clear ways of telling people what we do, using simple ways of talking in terms of language and materials. We need to be able to invite people to join us in terms that can make sense to them and to us.

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13 Elections to the Parochial Church Council Jayne Proctor, Jo Child, and Sylvia Carter had all completed their term of office.

With the addition of the resignations of Ian Passingham and Rob Lee, the following offered to stand for election:

Neal Adolphus Proposed by Nicky Addy, seconded by Richard Walsh Janice Wetherell Proposed by Nicky Searle, seconded by Nicky Addy Johnny Kilhams Proposed by Howard Watson, seconded by John Child Angela Enoch-Shore Proposed by Gaynor Barber, seconded by Terry Shore The Rector asked the meeting to elect these people for the full 3 year term which

was accepted. 14 Election of Sidesperons Val Ralph and Mark Bunell wished to step down. Liane Betchley, Norma Kent and

Katrina and Jan Zolyniak wished to volunteer. Thus the following were elected en bloc proposed by Ian Passingham and seconded by Trevor Stapleton.

Neal Adolphus Jenny Adolphus Alan Barber Gaynor Barber

Colin Barnard Kathy Crawford Pat Davidson Jane Davies

Peter Davies Carole Harrison Jimmy Harrow Ann Parkin

Hilary Dyer Bill Rawcliffe Jean Rawcliffe Diane Roberts

Carole Walsh Sheelagh Watson Sheila Spear Susan Smith

Angie Shore Steve Pratt Liane Betchley Norma Kent

Katrina Zolyniak Jan Zolyniak

15 Any Other Business There not being any other business notified, the APCM closed at 10.05pm.

Signed……………………………… Dated……………………………………….

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St Nicholas Church – Annual Report for 2013-2014

The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, the Revd Christopher Swift, in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has overall responsibility for the Parish Centre but has delegated the day-to-day running of the Centre to a Management Committee.

Membership

During the year the following served as members of the PCC:

Incumbent The Revd. Christopher Swift (Chairman) Curate The Revd. Pamela Barrie Assistant Priest The Revd. Harold Nicholson Churchwardens Howard Watson From April 2011 Sylvia Carter From April 2013 Deputy Wardens Nicky Addy From April 2011 Margaret Bennet From April 2013 Representatives on the Josie Coltman Deanery Synod Maggie Hammond Chris Hammond Guy Blythman Elected Members Jane Davies From April 2011 Caroline Button (resigned) From April 2012 Mike Betchley From April 2012 Janice Wetherall From April 2013 Angela Enock-Shore From April 2013 Neal Adolphus From April 2013 Johnny Kilhams From April 2013 Kathy Hodge From April 2013 Ex Officio Liz Felsing From Sept 2012 Treasurer Geoffrey Jones From July 2013 Secretary Susan Smith From May 2012

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Summary of the activities of the PCC during 2013-14 The PCC met for 5 business meetings during the last year with an average attendance of 72%. A brief meeting was held on Sunday 16th March in order to approve the independently examined accounts. Unfortunately a planned AwayDay focussing primarily on prayer had to be cancelled. But it is hoped this event will be held later in 2014. Many thanks go to everyone who has served on the PCC for their contributions, engagement and ideas that help make St Nicholas the vibrant church community it is. Across the year the PCC considered, initiated and debated many and varied topics – the highlights I give below. More detailed information on specific topics can be found in the individual reports contained in this document. Thank you to all those who have contributed. May/June

this was the first meeting of the newly formed PCC and we were reminded that the PCC is there to thoughtfully direct the mission of the church and to engage actively with people about what is occurring in order that they feel part of the discussion.

The PCC agreed that we are in need of a part-time paid administrator as the running of the parish had become increasingly demanding. A working party was formed to progress this role further.

The creation of a Church Handbook and Diary/wall planner was considered in order to plot key events throughout the year and to enhance wider communication.

Numbers at Young Church had dropped dramatically to the point that it was almost becoming unviable. We need to consider how we market what we are doing and how we develop in line with the needs of our congregation.

July/August

The PCC welcomed the appointment of Geoffrey Jones as Treasurer. The Children and Families Workers’ Group recently met and Neal was happy to

report it had been quite a positive meeting. There was however no immediate fix for this very specific role and as such further thought needed to be given as to how we advertise our requirements.

The Church Restoration Project Campaign Group reported the frustrations of dealing with Heritage Lottery Fund and their moving goalposts of regulations.

The Thomas Love Peacock Society has long wished for both graves to be restored and we have money specifically for care of the churchyard/cemetery which the donating family is in agreement to being used for this purpose.

It was agreed the Crib set should be replaced – at no cost to St Nicholas.

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September/October

The PCC agreed to write to thank people for their stewardship donations to the Children & Families’ Worker Fund but to ask them to suspend their payments until we are more in a position to appoint someone.

It was agreed to offer £70,000 to the Common Fund although the request for 2014 was for £73,000. Interestingly it was noted that 40% of those on the Electoral Roll are not committed to regular giving.

The formulation of a Fabric Committee was agreed as we need to consider more conscientiously how we care for the church building.

November/December

Work on creating a Church Handbook and Calendar had progressed and we now had an early version of the calendar with details on the website and in the church.

A new initiative of people being able to make a donation towards flowers in remembrance of someone was agreed.

Our Parish Administrator, Linda Lane started in December and had received a warm welcome from everyone.

The 11.15 All age Worship would now contain a simplified Eucharist on the third Sunday of each month and the PCC welcomed this step forward in widening out the spiritual side of this increasingly popular service.

Our bid (£80,000) to Heritage Lottery Fund was submitted and we hope to hear back favourably in the Spring.

January/February

The Treasurer circulated a comprehensive update on all financial matters and invited the PCC to agree that the accounts may go forward for independent examination prior to the APCM.

Maggie Hammond wished to give up looking after the website and this will now be handled by Linda Lane.

A new Safeguarding Officer needs to be appointed following the resignation of Caroline Button. The PCC felt the need for this role should not be underestimated because we feel such issues could not touch our community.

The PCC agreed to financially support ‘The Passion’ being produced by Churches Together in Staines and Laleham but to recoup such a donation later by people’s contributions.

Susan Smith JP PCC Secretary

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Churchwardens’ Fabric Report 2013

On a very cold Saturday morning in March last year a doughty bunch of volunteers of all

ages turned up to spring-clean the church. Hardly a nook or cranny was left untouched;

the younger members amongst us reaching places that probably hadn’t been touched

for years. This was a very agreeable supplement to the regular cleaning that goes on

week-by-week by volunteers who make sure that the place is in liveable condition when

we come to services on Sunday.

Otherwise the year has not been one of major issues but rather an holding one – for

example the repair of a leak in the church tower, or the levelling of paving stones outside

the West Door. There is more to be done on the south side when a project for improving

the churchyard makes use of a legacy given specifically for this purpose.

Clearly our eyes have been fixed on what we hope to do in the next year or two, firstly,

with the repair of the South Transept and, secondly, with the restoration of the rest of

the interior. We are encouraged by further donations which have come in response to

the ‘Shelter from the Storm' appeal. During 2013, £20,381 was added, taking the total

amount raised to £61,644. This is nearly one third of the total sum required for the

essential work needed. Included in the total is a refund of £4,090 for income tax paid on

the gifts at the “Gift Day” on 29th September 2012, bringing the total from that event up

to £21,182. The Friends of St Nicholas Church kindly donated a further £3,200 during the

year making their total contribution £5,700. We were pleased to receive a grant of £3,000

from Surrey County Council. Concerts arranged by the Director of Music, proceeds from

the summer quiz night, and part of the proceeds from the Village Fair and Christmas

Fayre together provided £1,885. Many thanks to all who helped to provide these

welcome contributions. In addition to generous individual donations amounting to

£4,176, we are grateful for donations from the Mothers Union, Lodge Brothers, St

Nicholas School and via Mydonate.

We were encouraged by the Diocesan Church Maintenance Support Officer to apply for a

grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund specifically for the work on the Transept (their

funds would not be available for improvements to the interior). The form-filling is very

complicated and thanks to him and the assistance of Colin Barnard and Geoffrey Jones

we finally submitted our application in November. The outcome of the first phase of the

application may be known by early April.

The PCC approved the formation of a Fabric Committee which will include in its brief not

only the general maintenance of the church but the larger projects we are anticipating.

Michael Betchley gladly volunteered to chair this new group but, sadly, at the time of

writing, he is ill. We wish him a speedy recovery.

Howard Watson and Sylvia Carter

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St Nicholas Church, Shepperton

Annual Report

&

Financial Statement of the Parochial Church Council

For the year ended 31st December 2013

Incumbent The Revd. Christopher Swift

The Rectory Church Square

Shepperton Middlesex TW17 9JY

Bank Barclays Bank Plc

42 High Street Shepperton Middlesex TW17 9AX

Independent Examiner Mr Tom Forsyth

“Kintail” Chertsey Road

Shepperton TW17 9LA

(NB – audited, certified and signed original accounts held on file)

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Financial Statement of the Parochial Church Council Report by the Treasurer

The outturn for the General Fund in the year ended 31st December 2013 was satisfactory but hides the underlying tendency for payments to exceed receipts. Payment for insurance was deferred until 2014 by securing agreement to pay by monthly instalments (at no extra cost) rather than the total amount in advance. Also, earlier banking of the Christmas collections than in 2012 provided extra receipts. Were it not for these factors, which cannot be repeated, the Fund would have shown a deficit of £3,288. A projection from 2013, allowing for all known events affecting the Fund in 2014, indicates a shortfall of £7,000 on the receipts required to cover all prospective payments. That is why we are asking for regular gifts through stewardship to be increased by 15%. Ideally we should receive more than this so as to be prepared for the unexpected. There is no scope for closing the gap in funding by reducing payments, 92% of which are committed or of a regular nature. We are very grateful for the gifts through stewardship, but these and other expected receipts that are reasonably firm, account for only 75% of the amount needed during this year. There is no guarantee that a significant proportion of receipts will be similar to the amounts received in recent years. The summary of restricted funds, records the receipt of a further £20,382 for the “Shelter from the Storm” appeal for restoration of the church. The new “Administrator” fund, initiated by a legacy in memory of Dr Chris Hammond, is currently providing the money for this essential post. With an eye to future requirements £500 has been set aside, in a dedicated fund, to provide an initial amount for maintenance of the Rectory. We welcome legacies, preferably for use at the discretion of the Council, as a practical way of remembering a loved one whilst helping the Church. I am pleased to record that St Nicholas has donated £2,500 to assist Christian Aid work in Zimbabwe. From the proceeds of concerts, fairs, other events and special collections, £2322 has been donated to charities and special appeals. My report would not be complete without recording my thanks to Valerie Ralph, who was treasurer until June, for handing over balanced accounts with helpful advice subsequently. Also to Howard Watson for holding the fort before I was able to sign cheques and access the bank accounts, and to Sylvia Carter and Howard who have countersigned cheques when necessary. We remember Juliet Yell’s many years of stewardship management in collaboration with Jeremy Lee who secures the extra 25% in gift aid from HMRC. Finally, my thanks go to Nicky Searle, Fiona Stevens, Hilary Dyer, Tom Greenwood and Alan Barber who take turns to count and bank the Sunday and other collections, and especially Nicky who makes sure that the accounting details reach me in good time. Geoffrey Jones

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St Nicholas Church Shepperton (Registered Charity Number: 113802110)

Financial Statement for the Year Ending 31 December 2013

2,013 2013 2,012 2,012

General Restricted General Restricted

Receipts £ £ £ £

Stewardship 53,291 1,184 50,881 2,630

Collections 10,295 689 9,697 474

Donations 1,656 14,817 5,625 28,546

Tax recovered 12,040 4,712 11,097 3,392

Legacies received 0 10,000 0 14,211

Recurring Grants 0 0 0 0

One off grants 0 3,000 0 0

Fund raising 1,029 3,020 0 4,012

Interest, income from property 221 16 410 8

Fees 5,498 - 4,513 -

Income from trading and advertising 11,746 - 9,588 -

(Shepperton News and sale of engraved plaques)

Other incoming resources 0 78 2,500 0

_____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________

TOTAL 95,776 37,516 94,311 53,273 _____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________

Payments

Cost of fundraising 250 171 0 961

Outward giving 168 3,000 318 2,355

Diocessan Fund 67,000 - 67,000 -

Salaries and Wages 6,207 2,254 6,344 508

Clergy expenses 3,919 - 3,140 -

Ministry 2,523 942 2,854 4,053

Church running expenses 6,879 1,058 9,182 5,541

Church utility bills 186 - 232 -

Cost of trading and advertising 7,271 - 6,049 -

(Shepperton News and sale of engraved plaques)

Governance costs 0 - 0 -

Major repairs to Church 0 0 0 0

Major Repairs to Church Hall 0 0 0 0

New building works 0 0 0 0

_______________________________________________________ ___________________

TOTAL 94,403 7,425 95,120 13,408

_______________________________________________________ ____________________

Excess of Receipts over Payments 1,373 30,091 809- 39,865

Dedicated

Opening Balance 0 7,139 76,125 7,949 36,259

Closing Balance 500 8,512 106,216 7,139 76,125

NET Revenue from Shepperton News 3,738 3,028

NET Revenue from engraved plaque sales 737 511

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St Nicholas Church Shepperton (Registered Charity Number 1138021)

Financial Summary -Year Ending 31st December 2013

Organ Fund £ Church Administrator Fund £

Balance at 1st January 2013 3,389 Legacy 10,000

Receipts 450 Donations 4,000

Payments 506 Payments 1,035

Balance at 31st December 2013 3,333 Balance at 31st December 2013 12,965

Childrens' Worker Fund Rectory Maintenance Fund

(including legacies from 2004) Allocation 2013 (Dedicated) 500

Balance at 1st January 2013 18,222 Balance at 31st December 2013 500

Stewardship 1,133

Young Church Account 78 ALMA

Other receipts 1,118 (Including School Project)

Payments 824 Balance at 1st January 2013 5,336

Balance at 31st December 2013 19,727 Receipts 0

Payment 500

Church Restoration Fund Balance at 31st December 2013 4,836

Carried over from Building Fund 6,335

Shelter from the Storm Appeal Christian Aid Zimbabwe Project

Balance at 1st January 2013 27,214 Balance at 1st January 2013 2,500

Receipts 20,382 Receipts 0

Payments 677 Payment 2,500

Balance at 31st December 2013 53,254 Balance at 31st December 2013 0

Upkeep of Churchyard Mozambique Parish Link

Balance at 1st January 2013 12,782 Balance at 1st January 2013 347

Receipts 0 Receipts 184

Payments 1,212 Payments 0

Balance at 31st December 2013 11,570 Balance at 31st December 2013 531

Net Amount in Fund Accounts at 31st December 2013£ £

General 8,512

Restricted Organ 3,333

Children's Worker 19,727

Church Restoration 53,254

Upkeep Churchyard 11,570

Administrator 12,965

ALMA 4,836

Mozambique Link 531 106,216

Dedicated Rectory Maintenance 500 500

TOTAL 115,228

Geoffrey Jones Tom Forsyth

PCC Treasurer Independent Examiner

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St Nicholas Church Shepperton

Outward Giving for Year Ending 31st December 2013

Collections, Donations and Fund Raising

The Children's Society - Collection at Christingle 2012 82.40£

Friends of Bronzefield Prison - Collection on Good Friday 111.00£

International Refugees Trust - Village Fair 498.46£

Laudamus Chamber Choir 141.54£

Carol Concert 229.68£

Shelter for Homeless Children - Christmas Fayre 524.00£

Carol Concert 229.68£

DEC Appeal for Phillipines - Christmas Fayre 505.24£ __________________________________________________________________TOTAL 2,322.00£ ___________________________________________________________________

Funds Distributed

The Children's Society 82.40£

Friends of Bronzefield Prison 111.00£

International Refugees Trust - Village Fair and Laudamus Choir * 640.00£

Carol Concert 229.68£

Shelter for Homeless Children - Christmas Fayre * 524.00£

Carol Concert Carol Concert 229.68£

DEC Appeal for Philippines 505.24£

____________________________________________________________________

TOTAL 2,322.00£ ____________________________________________________________________

* Laudamus Choir provided a supporting donation of £250

* Barclays Bank matched the Church donation with a further donation of £524

Other Outward Giving

The house to house collection in May for Christian Aid raised £4,500

The proceeds from Lent lunches, breakfasts, and the response to the Lent

envelopes, provided £1,886.17 for flood relief in Mozambique.

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St Nicholas Parish Centre 2013-14

Manager’s Report

Visitors, whether newcomers to the parish, or perhaps professionals assessing the needs

of the church’s fabric, express their surprise at the pleasant and welcoming nature of the

Parish Centre. The number of times I have heard: ‘this is not like a church hall’! We

continue to attract parties for small children, occasional ‘commercial’ bookings but still

lack a major booking like ‘Fairways’ was a few years ago to make up our deficit. However,

an advertising campaign is planned and we have, at least, filled Friday evenings with the

Cocaine Anonymous group which does a very similar job to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Otherwise the Centre is busy most mornings and at least three evenings a week, Pilates

being still very popular on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. A limitation and this was

realized from the beginning, is the restriction of numbers to no more than 50 in the Main

Hall.

Needless to say, the Parish Centre is a very important part of the Parish’s ministry and we

rely heavily on a team of volunteers to keep the ‘show on the road’. The trouble is that

none of us are getting younger and recently the very serious operation on our Treasurer,

Trevor Stapleton and the recurrence of Mike Betchley’s illness, just goes to show how

vulnerable we are. Anyone who is interested in helping on the Management Committee

would be very welcome and Mike Wood, our chairman or I would be delighted to chat

with you.

Just before Christmas we were very pleased to welcome Linda Lane as Parish

Administrator. She is, of course, based in the office and, amongst many other duties, co-

ordinates the team of volunteers who come in on a daily basis. Our thanks go to Kay

Stapleton (Monday), Terry Shore (new for Tuesday), Guy Blythman (Wednesday), Terry

Tracey (Thursday), and Peter Morley (Friday)

Howard Watson

March 2014

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St Nicholas Church Electoral Roll Report

March 2014

SUMMARY

Number on Previous Roll 246

Number Removed from Previous Roll 8

___

238

Number Added to Roll 32

___

Total on New Roll 270

____________________________________

Doris Neville Davies – Electoral Roll Officer

19th March, 2014

(NB – signed original held on file)

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Spelthorne Deanery Synod Annual Report 2014

It has been a quieter year for Deanery Synod and yet some really helpful areas have been

presented and worked on by its members.

In May we examined along with other business ‘How the local church can best help their

Local Schools.’ We had excellent input from Mr Nick Brooker Deputy Head of St

Stephens Church of England School, Twickenham; Mrs Becky Quinnell Children’s Worker

at St Saviours Upper, Sunbury and Mrs Moya Ratnayake the Chaplain at Bishop Wand

School.

In October we examined and discussed along with other business the London 2020

Capital Vision using their PowerPoint as the basis of the input. Some parishes have since

run teaching series and had PCC discussions on the 3 central themes of being:

Confident in speaking and living the gospel of Jesus Christ

Compassionate in serving communities with the love of God the Father

Creative in reaching new people and places with the power of the Spirit

Our next meeting is planned for the 24th April 2014.

Rev David McDougall

Area Dean of Spelthorne

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Annual Music Report at St Nicholas Church

This year at St Nicholas has seen a wide range of musical events both from our own musicians and outside performers. This time last year I set up a monthly concert series aiming at raising considerable funds for the restoration fund. The first concert in this series was an evening of choral music by candlelight and was a huge success that ever since, there has been quite a monthly following at the church. The brochure produced was a great guide for attendees so they could plan what event they would like to come to. Some highlights from the year have been the jazz band in the parish centre, opera stars performing classic arias, folk musicians that have now gone on to record their first CD and are touring America and Royal Holloway Chapel Choir. The last two concerts in the series were when I thought that this is something that should continue. The evening of discussion and performance of Bach’s music was a huge success and this is something that I would like to do with other composers in the future (any suggestions let me know!) But lastly the Come and Sing Day was an event that brought 45 singers together from 14 different choirs to sing Faure’s Requiem, Zadok the Priest and Parry’s I was Glad. This event was a great way to end the year’s concerts and in itself raised £550 towards St Nicholas. The proceeds from all concerts in the twelve months March 2013 to March 2014 was £3,168. Most of the proceeds will be eligible for Gift Aid and thereby increase the total to nearly £4,000.

As well as the monthly concerts that took place in the church I have worked with Pamela in creating a musical band to accompany the 11.15am Service. This has worked out to be a really fun and social group and my aim is to grow this in a way that would be educational for younger children starting instruments or being inspired to. We have already recruited Sky Morgan on her saxophone!! We are still discussing how we can bring the choir and this music group together in a suitable way for the 9.30am services and any suggestions would be gratefully received. The choir seems to keep growing and growing, so much so that we are considering redesigning the pigeon hole system in the vestry! The choir had had a great year and have been involved in the concert series raising money for the floods in Mozambique. Their annual choral evensong took place in Gloucester Cathedral and even though the Priest Vicar didn’t like the responses I wrote it was a huge success and extremely enjoyable for everyone involved. A few of us also went to St Paul’s to sing in the Royal School of Church Music’s annual Evensong.

It was my goal from when I started at St Nicholas to build the link between the school and the church as much as possible. For the larger services of the year such as the Christmas Carol Service and Easter Sunday musical kids from the school have joined the choir and sung/played percussion. The Carol Service was a particular highlight this year and the kids had the chance to perform on their own which was received with rapturous applause, mostly by the kid’s parents. Ultimately my aim is to have regular musicians from the school being actively involved in the music at St Nicholas Church.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the music this year at St Nicholas and I welcome any comments on how to improve the music or any suggestions for fund raising events. Please get in touch via email or phone with your thoughts.

Johnny Kilhams, Director of Music

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Baptism Visitors Report 2013/2014

There have been 29 baptisms since the last APCM which is 9 more than last year. Just out of interest, 14 girls and 15 boys have been baptised. We have had two new Baptism Visitors join the team, Kathy Crawford and Lisa Longley, both of whom have already made a good contribution to our work. Liz Crighton and myself make up the rest of the Team at the moment, with Nicky Addy taking a break. Liz has been a great support to the Team doing a lot of work on a booklet that we now give to all families who come for Baptism. This gives the families a lot of information they need, both spiritual e.g. signs and symbols used in the Baptism service and practical e.g. which car parks are closest to the church. Several families have indicated this has been helpful. This coming year we are hoping to have all families who bring their children to be baptised to be on our database so then they can be invited to events such as Messy Church, Mother's Day service etc. We hope this will encourage families to feel part of the Church Family. It is a great privilege to be part of this team meeting with families who bring their children to be baptised. If any-one is interested in joining the Team, we would be very pleased to talk with you. Please speak with Chris, Elizabeth, Pamela or myself if this interests you.

Jenny Adolphus

St Nicholas Toddler Group

The Toddler Group continues to flourish. Mondays have been quieter but Wednesdays have been very busy – we have had to turn people away as we have been full on a few occasions.

We have Worship in Church twice a month led by Elizabeth or Chris and everyone looks forward to this time.

Some of our mums take their little ones to ‘Messy Church’ and also attend the 11.15am Service on a Sunday.

The mums as well as the children benefit from the groups, as they have all become good friends and find a need to come and have a chat.

The children enjoy craft – decorating biscuits, crayoning, drawing, puzzles and playing with the many toys available for them. We finish with singing with musical instruments.

Margaret Hughes & Pauline Prout

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St Nicholas’ Film Society “ Faith and Film”

Since this initiative was set up in 2012 the core following has remained loyal but we have not attracted the numbers we were hoping for and would like to take this opportunity to invite members of the congregation to approach us with suggestions as to how to take the initiative forward, since we would like them to “own” it – as well as the general public - and not just the “usual suspects”! It is generally agreed that the films being shown are of high quality. Often powerful and compelling, they have included Shadowlands, Dead Man Walking, The Impossible, and Life Is Beautiful, which shows how it is possible to introduce humour into a subject like the Holocaust in a way which is sensitive and moving. “Faith and Film” alternates with the Discussion Group on a bi-monthly basis, the films being shown at 7.30 on Monday evenings. Guy Blythman

St Nicholas Pub Discussion Group

Much the same applies to the Discussion Group, which has been meeting on Tuesday evenings at 7.30 in the bar of the Anchor, as to Faith and Film. With one or two exceptions we have not succeeded in attracting people outside the normal congregation to the meetings and again we would like to ask the congregation how they think interest could be encouraged to grow. Topics discussed by the group include “Poverty” and “Loneliness”. We would very much like to continue with both groups and I would like to thank all those who have attended the meetings and helped to organise them. In particular I would like to express my gratitude to Nicky Searle for handling the publicity for both ventures and for help generally; also Howard and Chris, and Bill Rawcliffe for our initial induction into the mechanics of setting up audio-visual equipment.

Guy Blythman

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The Friends of St Nicholas Church

The Friends, an independent self governing charity, separate from but working with the PCC, have continued their fund raising activities throughout the year and have been able both to contribute to the "Shelter from the Storm” restoration appeal and to pursue our main objective which is to fund specific items or projects connected with the fabric of the church and its environs. In this connection we have been actively raising money by participating in events such as Shepperton Big Tree Night and the Village Fair. Other events organized by the committee include a History Walk led by local historian Nick Pollard followed by afternoon tea in the grounds of Creek House ( by kind permission of Jane and Barry Wilkinson) on September 1st., a conducted tour of St. Pauls Cathedral arranged especially for our group on October 19th. followed by evensong, a New Years Day lunch with live music in the Parish Centre, and a series of Sunday Suppers in November January and February with three excellent speakers in Maggie Hammond, the Reverend Dr. Malcolm Johnson and Carole Boyd. The monthly Bridge Teas run by Norma Kent on behalf of the Friends continued throughout the year, latterly at her home, and have yielded a small but regular income. They may continue if there is sufficient interest. On Sunday February 2nd.( Candlemas ) during Choral Evensong the Rector consecrated a new balance weight system for the sanctuary lamp which will enable the candle to be replaced more easily as and when required. Members of the Oliver family, whose donation to the Friends largely funded this gift, were present and joined the rest of the congregation for refreshments in the Parish Centre following the service. In January the Friends agreed to fund the purchase of two new flags for the churchyard flagpole. The Friends have also taken on the refurbishment of the wedding kneeler in the church as a group project and have been fortunate in having local artist and embroiderer Evelyn Jennings to advise on design and execution of the work. Forthcoming Events We are planning a special event to celebrate, the restoration of the grave of Thomas Love Peacock, the noted 19th. century poet and author, in the cemetery, which we are proposing help fund. This is all part of a plan to also celebrate and mark the graves of Peacocks daughter Margaret and that of the two African slaves in the churchyard. The celebration will take the form of an evening of music and poetry together with a splendid supper at a venue and time to be announced later. On July 5th. there will be an alfresco Supper Concert with the Laudamus Choir at the Desborough Sailing Club clubhouse and lawn, by kind invitation of the Commodore, Richard Broughton. Our members have been kept up to date with our activities with occasional newsletters but our website www.friendsofstnicholaschurch-shepperton.org.uk will keep members fully informed. The Friends A G M will be on Saturday October 25th. Clive Tibbits

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St Nicholas Mothers’ Union

We have enjoyed another busy year. Unfortunately many of our group have suffered ill

health over the period but as many as possible continue to regularly gather together on

the second Tuesday of each month. Our monthly meetings usually commenced in Church

with the sharing of the Eucharist, and we then moved into the Parish Centre where we

enjoyed talks on such diverse topics as Treasured Possessions, The Village Fair Raft Race,

and the tale of HMS Amethyst which was imprisoned on the Yangtze by the Chinese.

Pamela Barrie shared an evening with us just prior to her ordination, and Liz Collier told

us of daily life at St. Mary Magdalene Littleton.

We took our 30 minute slot in the M.U. worldwide Wave of Prayer in January, and in

March we hosted the local service for the Women’s World Day of Prayer, entertaining the

other churches to refreshments afterwards. Once again we made up posies using 900

daffodils for the three Mothering Sunday services in Church and an evening service held

at the Bradbury Centre. We continue to host and prepare the Marriage Preparation

Suppers and run a soft furnishing stall at the Christmas Fair. Within the Deanery several

members attended the Quiet Evening and the Annual Supper, and we supported the

Kensington Area Summer Fair. We hosted the Deanery Lady Day Service, led by Revd.

Chris Swift, and entertained the other branches to refreshments afterwards. We again

supported the two main Deanery projects by helping to supply and pack 66 boxes of

household essentials for Furnish, the charity supplying starter packs for previously

‘homeless’ families, and spent an afternoon busily signing away to enable every woman

at HMP Bronzefield to receive a card at Christmas ‘with love from The Mothers’ Union’.

Our plans for charitable fund raising by attending local Car Boot Sales were delayed

because of inclement weather. We amassed an excellent supply of goods and despite

this late start raised healthy amounts over the season. By adding profits from a Table

Top Sale at The Greeno Centre, regular raffles and our ‘penny collections’, members then

chose to make donations through Diocesan House to the Literacy Project and the

Philippines’ disaster fund.

In 2014 M. U. continues its efforts to support Spelthorne Deanery, St. Nicholas Church

and importantly each other.

Jean Harding

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Pastoral Group Report 2013/2014

There have been several changes to the Pastoral Group since the last APCM which has resulted in a time of refection for the best way forward with the Pastoral Ministry within our Church. The first big change was when Maggie Hammond decided to step down to spend more time with Chris as he became increasingly unwell, and also Eva. Maggie had done a great job in setting the group up and really had a feel for the work that was being done. Every-one understood the decision that Maggie made and this report seems an appropriate time to thank her for all that she did to set the group up and keep it going in what latterly, were very difficult times for her. Thank you Maggie. I agreed to 'caretake' things until it was clear whether Maggie was able to return to the group or not. As always, Elizabeth Greenwood was a tremendous support during this period and her wisdom and huge experience in pastoral work within our Church was a great reassurance to me. At about the same time, several members of Pastoral Group were also finding it difficult to commit to visiting, all for a variety of very genuine reasons, which left us in a difficult position of no longer having the capacity to take any new referrals. Most of the Visitors were able to come to a natural end with the people they were visiting and no-one was left without knowing what was happening. In discussion with Chris and Elizabeth we decided that we would no longer take any-one new on to be visited as we couldn't support them in the way we would like to. We also felt that it was time to rethink the way we worked in the Group as well. This piece of work is still to be done and I feel confident that before the next AGM you will be hearing what is the new way forward for this ministry at St Nicholas. As always Chris and Elizabeth both do a great deal of Pastoral work in the Parish and there are many members of the congregation who have their own networks set up. The Eucharistic Ministers Group also spend time with those people who are unable to get to Church. I would like to thank all the Pastoral Group for the very caring and supportive way they worked with the people in our Parish who needed to be visited and often went above and beyond what was asked of them. Thank you all. Jenny Adolphus

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“Shelter from the Storm”

During 2013, £20,381 was added to the “Shelter from the Storm” appeal for the restoration of the church, taking the total amount raised to £61,644. This is nearly one third of the total sum required for the essential work needed. Included in the total is a refund of £4,090 for income tax paid on the gifts at the “Gift Day” on 29th September 2012, bringing the total from that event up to £21,182. The Friends of St Nicholas Church kindly donated a further £3,200 during the year making their total contribution £5,700. We were pleased to receive a grant of £3,000 from Surrey County Council. Concerts arranged by the Director of Music, proceeds from the summer quiz night, and part of the proceeds from the Village Fair and Christmas Fayre together provided £1,885. Many thanks to all who helped to provide these welcome contributions. In addition to generous individual donations amounting to £4,176, we are grateful for donations from the Mothers Union, Lodge Brothers, St Nicholas School and via Mydonate. We look forward to receiving further donations following the distribution of an appeal leaflet with Shepperton News. Geoffrey Jones

St Nicholas Walkers 2014

We have continued to explore the Surrey Hills around Gomshall, Abinger, Brockham and Betchworth, Holmbury, Farley Green and Blackheath Forest this last year, walking through shady woods, up steep hillside tracks and along the North Downs Way with panoramic views over the Weald. Memorable sights have included banks of wild flowers especially orchids, World War 11 pillboxes, St. Michael’s Church Betchworth filmed for ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, and the monument erected to William Wilberforce’s son Bishop Samuel who was killed in a riding accident on Abinger Roughs in 1873. We have enjoyed tea by the stream in the garden of the Compasses pub and visited other village pubs at the end of our walks for refreshing drinks and much talking.

Our weekday walks are usually between five to six miles, led by Elizabeth, Jo and John and other walkers in the group, sharing their favourite walks or exploring new areas described in the various books of Surrey walks. The more strenuous seven to eight mile walks are led enthusiastically by Peter and Liz on Saturdays. Everyone is welcome to join us by simply turning up outside St. Nicholas Church on the advertised day and time, equipped with a packed lunch, sturdy shoes or walking boots, and a waterproof jacket. We look forward to welcoming you all!

Elizabeth Greenwood, Jo and John Child.

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Messy Church

We have continued to develop the ministry of Messy Church to parents and children

together increasing the frequency to two services on a Saturday during every school

term. After another poorly attended service last Summer numbers have picked up again

with 26 adults and 36 children at the most recent service. Attenders are largely, though

not wholly, drawn from families who come to the 11.15 All Age Worship services. The last

two Messy Church services have been on the themes: Jesus Feeding the Multitudes

(Harvest) and Jesus the Light of the World (Candlemas).

It is intended that the next Messy Church on 29th March will be on “Mothers and Others”

(Mothering Sunday). It is hoped to hold further Messy Churches in May and June with

dates to be confirmed.

We have continued to develop the structure of the service so the stories and activities

are delivered as an ongoing carousel to small groups of children with their parents, with

opening and closing sections involving all those attending to draw the teaching and

worship together. This approach has been generally well received and has had the

advantage of developing the leadership skills and confidence of a wider range of team

members. About thirty-five different church members have contributed to Messy Church

since it started, either in preparation of resources, as worship or activity leaders on the

day, or as part of the catering and clean-up crews. Experience has shown that we need

at least twelve team members for each Messy Church service. So far this ministry has

benefited from the support of a wide range of the church family, some of whom have

not previously been involved in ministry to children and young families. If it is to develop

further as we hope, this support must be both active and ongoing and we hope that

more focussed teams will become established to take responsibility for the different

aspects involved in delivering this type of service.

Margaret Bennet

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Young Church

Young Church continues to provide sessions comprising teaching, worship and craft

activities for children during all Sunday morning 9.30 services except those on the 1st

Sunday of each month and during August. Its programme follows the lectionary

generally using resource materials developed by ROOTS for Churches Ltd, a partnership

of churches and Christian organisations. It is usually attended by between two to six

different children, aged from two to about twelve years old, and drawn from about ten

families. Very few attend every week. The present team comprises Lorraine Russell &

Ceinwen Upton (2nd Sunday), Margaret Bennet (3rd Sunday) and Elizabeth Harrow & Mike

Ralph (4th Sunday). We still require another adult to join the team to ensure that we

have at least two adults in attendance at every session.

Young Church provides a service not only to the children who attend, but to their

parents, in that it enables them to take a full part in the adult church service. We

therefore hope that people do not feel discouraged from offering their services because

they do not have children of an age to take part!

Margaret Bennet

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The Rector’s Reflections

St. Nicholas has been graced this year in several aspects of the life we share. This isn’t all

of it – but I notice our musical ministry’s continued growth in confidence, joy and variety;

the developments in “Messy Church”; and the beginnings of proper parish

administration – with the possibilities of greatly enhanced communications, both

between ourselves and to the wider community, that this brings.

If there were just one thing to celebrate this year, then personally it would be the way in

which we have now at 11.15 am – once a month on the third Sunday – introduced the

Eucharist into our third morning service. It is not the Eucharist as we know it at 8.00 and

9.30 am, but that said, it isn’t a watered down version either; it feels like something deep

and authentic, even after only four outings for the new liturgy. Pamela has been at the

heart of devising this and it owes a great deal to her, but it isn’t in any sense another

clerical show.

This form of the Eucharist is being led by a team of people, with the ordained playing

only a clearly defined role as those who show God’s presence in prayers of forgiveness

and the remembrance of the Lord’s Supper – the rest, with its welcoming, holding,

reading, praying and teaching is led by other members of the church. If you’ve not yet

seen it, come along. It has an energy that I think can only come about when we share the

gifts of God’s Spirit among the whole of the body of Christ; and it is a spirit in which I

hope we can grow.

This thought in my part of the APCM reports won’t come as a surprise to you. I have been

saying for a long time now that a church that works only from the top down has no

future that I can see. Nor has one that doesn’t take what is best and deepest in its life

and find fresh ways of offering it to people (which is, I think, something quite different to

some “fresh expressions” that may want to set these gifts to one side). The 11.15 All Age

Eucharist may well be helping to show us the way: both refreshingly new and deeply of

our best tradition.

Chris Swift

March 2014

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