Minutes of P.C.C. Meeting  : Tues. 19^th March 2002

Apologies:  Derek Allott, Elaine Davies, Mary Lloyd, Sheila Tysoe

 Minutes of P.C.C. Meeting 06/02/02: the minutes were signed as a correct record.

 Matters Arising:

1. Quinquennial report.  We still do not have a date.
2. Bells.  Pending quinquennial.
3. The Rectory Hedge. It still hasn’t been done. A company called Hybrid Gardens has now been given the job of attending to it. On the subject of maintenance repair work, Robert has also had to wait for days to have a drains problem fixed.
4. Common Worship wording.  All done and paid for.
5. Church tap.. Peter has made a box and attended to the plumbing –it now just needs connecting
6. Notices for pews – in hand  (Catherine.)
7. Leading intercessionary prayers. There are various set forms of prayers which could be used, and Michael Smith (LMT) could investigate the available resources. They are not compulsory, and prayer-leaders  - members of the congregation willing to take on this role, on a rota basis -  should adapt them to suit the situation.  Extra prayers might be appropriate, for instance, for people known to us or in response to world events. (Prayer leaders are trusted to produce appropriate prayers in terms of content and length!)  This could only take place at the 11 o’clock Family Service, in our current services format, as the content of the other services is prescribed.
8. Electoral Roll. We should ask regular attenders who are not on it whether they would like to be (explaining, however, that each extra person will cost an extra £60 - £80/p.a. in the parish share!) All P.C.C. members must be on it. There was no further comment on the ethnicity questions contained in the forms.
9. Diocesan Mission Weekend. The Lilbourne minibus was not needed. The content (planned by Yelvertoft P.C.C.) was in response to the question of how the church can help in people’s daily lives; it took primary-aged children for an activities morning, and offered lunch for the family when the children were picked up. Robert felt that it had produced a very positive outcome, with 10 people requesting further information on Jesus and the Church. He is now following up these enquiries.
10. Annual planning meeting for events.  –to take place in November
11. ‘Clergy Pay and Pensions’ Document.  We had all been sent a copy, before the meeting. It required Yes/No answers to various possible changes in the pay/pension structure for clergy and assistant staff, and will be discussed further at the Deanery Synod and at higher levels.. Our feelings, in summary, were that the arrangements should be brought more into line with those for other professions, in keeping with the modern way of doing things. .i.e.

i.                     We think that the clergy should be paid more, with appropriate differentials maintained, and that the definition of ‘stipend’ should be changed to ‘payment for the exercise of office’. A more suitable level of pay might bring in others who, while feeling that they have a vocation, are put off by the existing stipendiary arrangements. We hoped that , conversely, it would not lead those in charge to look for a reduction in clergy to support a pay increase!

ii.                   Housing. The document states that free housing will continue. We did not agree with this at all.  Many clergy now buy a house anyway, so that their retirement is catered for. We thought that it would be much more appropriate to pay the money currently spent on housing provision directly to incumbents, who would then make their own arrangements (although some support would be necessary in areas where housing is very expensive.) This would also cut down on bureaucracy and eliminate problems such as getting the Rectory hedge –and drainage- dealt with!

iii.                  Pensions. We thought that a contributory pension scheme would probably be better.

iv.                 We did not think that we are qualified to produce an informed opinion on the complex financial arrangements involved in all of this. Financial/management experts should be called in. However, in terms of a possible effect on us, as a P.C.C. – we felt that we could not possibly produce the huge increase in the Parish Share that would be necessary if this is how the extra money to pay clergy is to be found. We still think that the solution lies in housing, and in better management.

v.                   We will write to the Peterborough Diocesan Secretary to inform him of our thoughts on the Document.  (Jan Alexander.)

Local Management Team.  The team’s recent meeting came up with the suggestion that parishes should regularly review their church services, checking that the best possible format is being offered. We thought that we do this, but we will consider it further at the next P.C.C meeting.

Overseas Link.  As a benefice, we are not happy with how the existing link with Machakos has gone; they produce no feedback at all, and an arrangement of this kind should be something of a two-way process – they have something to offer us, in terms of the dynamism of the Church over there.  We were all given a copy of an E-mail to Robert from Clive Evans, the diocesan link officer, and Rural Dean. The diocese supports a link with an area of Kenya called Bungoma, which he had recently visited. He suggested that our benefice might consider a link with a small village, Chebuktumi, and support its efforts to develop an infrastructure. We did consider whether administration costs might make donation to a large charity the best way to offer support overseas, but felt that there is much to be said for a personal link – and the necessary contacts are already in place with Bungoma. We were in favour of forming this new link, now that the three-year period of promised support to Machakos is up.

Future Events.  I. Presentation on the work of the CMS, by Colin Darling, at the Old School, Crick, Thurs. 13^th June (time t.b.a.)

               ii. NHCT sponsored cycle ride, 14^th Sept. – we have received the preliminary form to register the church as ‘open’. We agreed that it would be open, with squash&biscuits available, for the whole day (10a.m. –6p.m.) although, if having someone down there the whole time is a problem, we could, if necessary, leave things in the porch. The form will be returned with this information (Jan Alexander.)

            iii.We have an Easter ‘flier’ almost ready for distribution. The 6.00p.m. service on Easter Sunday will be a Communion; it contains this information along with details of the other Easter services.

‘Outside Consultant’  Businesses have ‘outside’ management consultants to come and check them, offering advice on any problems and the way forward. For churches, the Church Pastoral Aid Society fulfils this function, and we have links with them already because they form part of the Lilbourne/Yelvertoft patronage. Robert has been in touch with the area representative, who is also has responsibility for rural concerns within the organisation. We would be interested in being involved in the discussion when he visits the benefice.

Any Other Business. None, except to thank Angela for her work on the Common Worship leaflets and Peter for his on the church tap.

Dates of next meetings: 28^th April A.G.M., in church following evening service;

Wed. 15^th May, 7.30p.m, and Mon. 8^th July, 7.30p.m. – both probably at Burnham House but we will need to ask Sheila first.

The meeting closed with a prayer at 9.30p.m., and we thanked Catherine and Peter for hosting it this time.

 FUTURE  EVENTS

 29/03/02          Good Friday Hour at the Cross service, 12 noon

31/03/02          Easter. 8a.m. & 6p.m. services, both Communion. Choir at 6.00p.m.

                        (N.B. Clocks forward!)

  27/04/02          Lucy Bygraves’ wedding 11.00a.m – bells & choir

28/04/02          P.C.C. AGM following evening service ( this coincides with the date of the village ‘garage sale’, with cakes requested for a stall on the Green. – a busy day!)

 15/05/02          P.C.C. Meeting, 7.30p.m.

 1/2/3/06/02      Village Jubilee Celebrations; not ‘us’ directly but we ought to bear it in mind!

 13/06/02          CMS talk, Old School, Crick

 08/07/02          P.C.C. meeting, 7.30p.m.

13 & 14/07/02 Gardens Open Weekend

 31/08/02          Safari Supper

 14/09/02          NHCT Sponsored Cycle – church open 10a.m. – 6p.m.

22/09/02          Harvest Festival & Supper

 05/10/02          Jumble sale

 TBA/11/02       Planning Meeting for 2003 Events

 06/12/02          Cheese & Wine, & Grand Draw

07/12/02          Children’s Workshop

15/12/02          Candlelit Carols, 5p.m.

TBA/12/02       Carol-Singing

29/12/02          Benefice Service at Lilbourne

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