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ANNUAL REPORT 2010.
Forward
Thank you to all the
various group leaders who have contributed to this booklet for
We
give thanks to God for his faithful guidance, our strength and our inspiration
that makes
Lastly, a big thank you to Mike Tuggey
for all his hard work in preparing and collating this Annual report.
Sue Quinney
Senior Steward
Stewards
We have two teams of stewards at
The Harvest Supper last autumn was
very well supported by all ages of the church family. We were entertained by our Youth Worker, Ray Skudder and our teenagers from Youth Cell with a comedy
sketch followed by board games, giant jenga and wii car racing games. It was a big success and more than
£500 was raised for Hope HIV Aids.
We are currently making preparations
for the Church Anniversary which takes place on the 5th and 6th
of March. We will be celebrating
87 years of worship at
I feel that this year there have
been five senior stewards, not just one.
They have shown their dedication and enthusiasm and have made a great
contribution to the life of our church. It has been a privilege to serve the
church and it has allowed us to get to know more about our church family and
make new friends. The team works very hard but we do need more stewards. Every steward brings new ideas and talents to
the team. We have all been blessed with gifts, we just don’t always recognise them. Speaking in front of the church family before
any service can be very daunting but once you have made that first ‘welcome’
you will feel Gods love in the warmth of the church family. If you would like to know more about becoming
a church steward please speak to either Judith or to one of the stewards.
I can hardly believe that I have
been Senior Steward for almost a year, the time has
just flown by. I do feel a fraud calling myself Senior when all of the stewards
from
The key elements of income and
expenditure relating to the running of our Churches at
Cash
Flow
2009/10
Actual 2010/11 Budget £’000 £’000
Income
Offertories 113 107
Youth Work
10 9
Gift Day 5 0
Tax Recoveries 26 25
Property Grants 0 3
Use of Premises 37 32
Interest 2 2
193 178
Expenditure
Circuit Contribution 100 101
Youth Work/SMB 19 22
Property/ Maintenance 43 48
QP Quinquennial Work 0
1
WR Church Lighting 16 0
WR Data Projector 0 4
Miscellaneous
10 8
188 194
Net Cash Flow 5 -6
Year End Bank Balance 133 127
The year ended 31 August 2010, saw a
small surplus. Our offertories and tax
recoveries, including money to support our Youth Work, were less than the
previous year. However, following the resignation of Dave Chuck in April 2009 and the
appointment of Ray Skudder as Trainee Youth Worker in
October 2009, Youth Work costs were also lower.
During the year the much needed
replacement of the Western Road Church Lighting was carried out. £15,000
towards the cost of this work had been raised the previous year from our Gift
Day (£11,000) and a grant from the Fowler, Smith and Jones Trust (£4,000). We
are grateful to John Lee for overseeing this project.
Gift Day 2010 raised £5,000 which
has been shared equally between our two sister churches in
During the current year, we have
budgeted for the continued employment of Ray Skudder
as a Trainee Youth Worker. Unfortunately our budget also reflects known
reductions in our offertories.
A special thank you goes to Hazel
Westcott, who has willingly stepped in to handle our Gift Aid work, as well as
covering our banking every Monday morning. Thanks also to the team who help her
with the banking – Alec Garner, Maureen Loss, Yvonne Pasola,
Geoff Pullen and Margaret Salmon, and to Vince Loss for auditing the church’s
year end accounts.
Martin Ball
Worship
at
Life at QP continues to develop and
grow. Last year Alan wrote about Mark’s departure but after gaining permission
from the circuit we were able to quickly move forward with the appointment of a
new Outreach Worker, and on one not particularly nice day in the middle of
January the panel met to interview the shortlisted candidates, and ably led by
Marion Cole we appointed Helen Croft who joined us in April with a formal
welcome at a Circuit service on the 18th.
However in the meantime we didn’t
stop and I would like to thank everyone who contributed and encouraged others
and prayed to ensure that our activities continued during this period,
especially Philip Gibson who acted as our ‘manager / co-ordinator’.
We have continued in our mission of
praying and serving the local community and in April held our ‘Inside Out’ day
when we invited groups that use the premises to have a small display to show
people what goes on in the Christian Link on a regular basis, and with tea and
cakes provided by the Brownies the day was very successful. On that day we prayed for the organisations
that meet in our premises and then in September we held a prayer event for our
Church Fellowship.
Tuesday evenings have grown to be a
QP evening and we now offer activities on a regular basis including Bible
Study, film nights and a prayer/worship evening.
Our worship has progressed with the
introduction of holding the evening service on the 5th Sunday in the month at
QP. This is combined worship for the
congregations from both sites and is a more informal café style with coffee
available before the service. It was at this service in October that we met to
join with Ray and Jenny as they committed their lives through full immersion
baptism. We have also held a few ‘
There are so many folks who give
freely of their time and I would like to thank them all for ensuring our
premises are well organised, that our worship is uplifting and that we are able
to show God’s love to the Community through the provision of activities.
However in particular I would like to thank Elizabeth Hardy who has stepped
down from being our pastoral worker and Alan Jubb who
was our senior steward. We are truly
grateful and give thanks for all they have done (and still continue to do
albeit in slightly different roles).
Liz Read
Children
at
Over the past year our work has
involved the continuation of “Little Sparrows” as a drop in play session for
carers, babies and toddlers. Our thanks to Chris, Pauline and Val (friends of
our Church) who help Christine Gibson facilitate the
activities on a Monday afternoon.
In December some of the Little
Sparrow members along with other young families from groups who use the
building joined us for a second very successful “Cracking Christmas” - an afternoon craft
and nativity family time.
On Sunday mornings Suzan Prior along
with Anna Laughland, and Shirley Green continue to provide Christian teaching
in a fun way for any children who come to join us.
We thank God for his call to reach
out to the children in our community and we pray for His blessing as we share
His love with them.
Suzan Prior and Christine Gibson
6th Chantry Brownies
2010
was the year we celebrated 100 years of Girl guiding, and 6th Brownies had fun
completing the Adventure 100 badge. We
went to BBC radio
Our
adult support is as strong as ever, with 2 leaders hoping to open another guide
unit in the church, and another helper beginning her leadership training. The Young Helpers have been a constant,
reliable and indispensable help, and on top of their studies we cannot thank
them enough, they are amazing.
Helen
Harpole
Prayer Chain
The
Prayer Chain for the
Don
Ward
Coffee
Pot - Thursday
and Friday
Thursday & Friday morning Coffee Pot's, at
On Thursday's the Craft Group meet regularly, with 8 to 12+ ladies
enjoying chatting time, while doing Knitting, Embroidery, Beading etc. We also
have extra people to be served, if there is a 'Parenting Course', which usually
runs for 6+ weeks, or one off 'Children's Centre' meetings.
Thanks to Maureen Davis and Shirley Green, who took it in turns to
serve, every other week. We said 'Goodbye' and gave our thanks to Joan Hagger, who stepped down in the
middle of last year after 6 years service.
Thanks too, to Helen & Christine, who pop in, and are willing to
stand in, if needed. It was with much thanks, that we
also had to say 'Goodbye' to Audrey Taylor & Yvonne Pasola,
at Christmas, they had served together Coffee Pot7 years, on alternate Fridays.
This meant we had to find 2 people to take on the responsibility, for
these. As it became apparent there wasoneto do this, we decided to ask 6 people to work in 3 groups of 2 on
alternate weeks, meaning each of these 6 people only did a duty every 6 weeks,
which seemed to be much more acceptable, and is working very well.
Thank you, to my 2 ladies, Eileen Rogers & Monica Gravett, who have helped me over the last 7 years on
alternate Friday's, and continue to do so.
Friday mornings also see 12 people at 'Pause for Thought', which is now
led by 6 to 8 different people, on a Rota basis, with thanks to Ann Bray &
Tom Patient, who take it in turns, to us on the Piano, for Hymn singing week.
We had our usual 'Macmillan Coffee morning in September, we raised £180.
We've also been selling Tradecraft goods, at both mornings, for a few months.
We are also pleased to Welcomeserve, the Friday
morning Cell group, who now meet at QP every other week.
Elizabeth Hardy
Queens
Park Court Activity Group
We meet on Mondays at 10.30am to
share an hour of gentle craft, tea and chat with the residents. Our nine
regular helpers contribute their own memories and items from the past to bring
each week's topic to life. We hope to see around ten or twelve residents
attending each week although there has been a slight drop lately due to
ill-health.
This year we have had our usual
flower-arranging sessions, saint's days, Remembrance Day and enjoyed music from
"The Wizard of Oz", "South Pacific" and "The Sound of Music". We
reminisced about TV programmes of the 50's, our memories of
Each month, usually the last Monday,
we have "Time to Share", a short service. The Easter service, will be on 18th April and you are welcome to join
us.
Ann Bray
Esther’s
Spa
During the year we held four
sessions – Spring and Autumn Spas, a Summer soiree and
a Winter Warmer. Thanks go to all who helped provide the services and supported
our outreach.
It has been decided that in future
Esther sessions will no longer be planned for the year ahead but may be offered
on a one-off basis from time to time as we feel led.
God has been good over the years in
always supplying our needs and we ask that He will continue to bless all those
who have attended, helped and benefited from the relaxing experience at the
Spa.
Christine Gibson
Wednesday
Morning Art
Arrive
9.00a.m Set up room: 4-5 tables for use as work
tables
1 table with jars with
clean water
1
table with paper, pencils brushes paint boxes, rulers, erasers, water colour paper. (hopefully) people will bring their own equipment as the weeks progress)
1
table with pictures etc
and books on painting
Check tea, coffee, sugar, milk,
cups, biscuits etc and have set up ready in the kitchen.
9.30.a.m Start Week 1, 3rd September
Programme:
Welcome and introduction –
Establish beginners from more
experienced painters.
Anticipate experienced painters will
be prepared to start on their own pieces of work but hopefully they can be
encouraged to lend a hand with any beginners who may need some friendly advice.
Discuss with beginners the basic
equipment that one needs e.g. type of paper, brushes paint, paper towels ( for blotting
colour) palette for mixing colours.
Go on to the three main areas paintings
can be divided into, life, still life, composition e.g
landscape.
This first morning we will take a
fairly simple object like an apple and try to draw it in pencil, noting
the shape and more importantly the light and shade we observe. We pinpoint the
angle that the light is strongest and if possible any highlights, and use
pencil to shade in to create the three dimensional effect on paper. We will
then go on to look at our paints and talk about colour. Try experimenting with
different colour combinations. Should then enable us to
decide how to now paint the fruit that we had previously drawn. We must
circle in pencil very lightly where the highlight is and leave that white.
Place an
emphasis on observation with reference to objects and then our landscape. hoping people will start to really look at their
surroundings. Continue this week with perhaps each person painting a small group of fruits.
Pat Crabb
Q.U.O.G’s
I am pleased to report that Q.U.O.G's are still going strong. Our monthly meetings are
well attended with an average of 30 members per month. The programme offered is
more of a social meeting that seems to meet the needs of our members, we are
beyond ''Setting the world on fire'' just happy to be among likeminded folk,
relaxed & have a bit of a laugh.
Our Christmas events are usually
booked for December but due to weather conditions actually take place about
March by then the evenings are drawing out nicely & somehow it all works
out well. We have a couple of coach trips each year including a Theatre/Meal
trip to Southend. We welcome newcomers we always
finish with a cup of tea & home made cake starting at 2.30 P.M. till
between 4.30 & 5 o'clock
Joyce Scott.
Big
Breakfast
Once again it's good to report that
''Big Breakfast'' is still catering for the local folk who make this a monthly
social event. Average numbers are still reaching 50+ a month & it's not
always the same customers every time. We have kept our price down to £3.00 per
person & hopefully will be able to carry on albeit the cost of food is
increasing. We donated £500.00 to the church a couple of weeks ago &
£100.00 to ‘Help The Heroes’. Thank-you for your
custom & a Big Thank-You to my team, without them I would not be able to do
it. Anyone wishing to take over apply to Joyce Scott
{now form an orderly queue}.
Joyce Scott