PCC minutes

Minutes of the St Mark’s Parochial Church Council meeting

(The minutes will always be approximately 2-4 months behind the current date due to them needing to be approved at the subsequent PCC meeting as true records of the proceedings.


Minutes of the St Mark’s Parochial Church Council Meeting
8 November 2011

PCC Members Present: Hilary Murray (Chair), Miles Elliott, Maggie Guite, Marguerite Roberts, Mary-Elise Domvile, Rosemary Gardiner, Wendy Walford, Hannelore Hägele, Jane Petkovic, Perrin Hardy, Margaret Wiseman, Susan Chester

In attendance: Peter Hampson

Apologies:. Anne Howie, Sue Payne, Stuart Lingard, Rita Lingard, Margaret Banks, John Brady

1. Opening Prayer
Maggie opened the meeting in prayer.

2. General Affairs
The Minutes of the 13 September 2011 meeting of the PCC were approved, subject to the following clarifications:
Finance: The church is not “owed” money from the community centre (CC) in a legal sense. The CC will reimburse the church for expenses attributable to activities plus a contribution. The month 9 break even position excludes the CC’s £3.5k.
Youth & Children: The new youth group will be called M’n’M, not MM.

Matters Arising:
All taken elsewhere.

3. Committee / Working Group Reports

Land & Buildings (L&B)
Referring to the report from the Land and Building Committee to this present PCC meeting:
1: Cherry Tree on front lawn: Quotation from Eastern Landscape Service for tree surgery in summer 2012 approved (£480 + VAT). Action: L&B to organise.
2: Repair of Chancel Floor: Quotation from Peter Saunders, Builders, accepted. (£350 +VAT)
Action: L&B to organise.
3: Chancel Furniture: Taken with Agenda Item 6.
4: Submission to new Mission Action Plan: Proposals for new fan radiators, boiler/s, and organ refurbishment to be considered at PCC Mission Action Plan Awayday on November 11.
Matters for Information were noted.
L&B are asked to consider including VAT for quotations in their reports to the PCC.
Action: Miles Elliott to inform L&B of all these items.


Finance
Stuart Lingard’s concerns in his written report were noted. In particular, that general regular expenditure continues to exceed regular income so that General Reserves, the Michaelmas Appeal, the Community Centre etc need to contribute to such regular expenses. Stuart reported that the attempt to encourage more people into regular giving had “fallen on stony ground”. The meeting considered this to be a serious situation and would need to be discussed in depth with Stuart at the next PCC meeting.
Action: Peter Hampson to confirm date of next PCC with Stuart Lingard


Community Centre
Margaret Wiseman,s continuing recovery was welcomed. Margaret reported that the Community Centre’s activities are running well and the refurbishments have been well received.

Worship Committee
The committee’s report was noted. It will consider whether Back to Church Sunday should also be a special event, e.g. Harvest Festival Sunday, or a more ordinary Sunday with, e.g. Harvest the following week (so people could be invited back to the special events).

Social & Fundraising
The committee’s report did not reach PH due to a transitory problem with e-mail. If is included with these minutes as follows:

S&F arranged “apple” refreshments after the Harvest Festival and likewise on Sunday 16th October to mark the completion of the 2008 Mission Action Plan.
The talent scheme was introduced on 16th October and will finish on 27th November.
S&F cooperated with Events to provide refreshments on both nights of “An Evening for Rex”.
The next S&F meeting is planned for Friday, 2nd December. Meanwhile S&F has been invited to assist with “Messy Church”.

Youth & Children
The Sunday school is now called ‘Junior Church’. There is no longer any distinction between older & younger children. Melody Makers is starting on Sundays from 3-5pm led by Emma. It is planned to start a youth group called ‘M’n’M’ . So far, seven plus teenagers have already signed up.

Visiting Group
Report Noted: The concerns mentioned in the VG’s report are likely to be considered at the PCC Awayday with a view to their incorporation in actions of the new Mission Action Plan.

Events Committee
Report noted: Hilary has been invited to join the EG as the link to the PCC. The EG met earlier on this day (Nov 8) and is planning a number of small events. Wendy, on behalf of the family, wished to note their gratitude for the “Evening with Rex”, and in particular, the work put in by Nick and Debbie. The PCC also expressed its appreciation of all the work put in by Jeremy Whitton Spriggs for the evenings.
Action : Hilary to inform Nick, Debbie and Jeremy

Education & Discipleship Group: Report Noted.
It is not clear why the speaker did not turn up for the first Kingdom Season talk on Nov 6. Maggie confirmed that the speakers for Nov 20 have definitely agreed to come.

Ministry Forum
The Ministry Forum met on Nov 4 to plan the PCC Awayday on Nov 11. Further details in Agenda items 4/5,


4 & 5: Mission Action Plan and PCC Away Day

The agenda for the PCC Awayday at Little Gidding on Friday, Nov 11, as prepared by the Ministry Forum was agreed, and Transport/Administrative matters discussed.
Agreed Agenda:
1: 10.00 - 10:45am. Arrival and overview by Maggie.
To include affirmation of current vison its links to future development.
To introduce need for "measure(s) of growth" and to consider "growth for whom".
The 5 "Ts" and the 4 "Ps".
The need to get the congregation to accept and become involved in the plan.
2: 10.45 - 11.15am.
Move to the church for prayer and two minutes' silent remembrance at 11am (it being Remembrance Day).
3: 11.15am: Coffee.
4: 11.30 - 1.00pm.
Group work on the shape of the new vision statement.
(MG to email PH with preamble to previous vision statement. Also list of best supported ideas from the summer consultation. PH to make copies for the event).
4: 1.00 - 1.45pm: Packed lunch.
5: 2.00 - 3.30pm:
Working through the list of supported ideas, with regard to practicability and
leadership.
6: 3.30pm - Tea and departure.


6: Faculty for Furniture
Miles informed the PCC that following a request in the pew slip 12 comments had been received, some positive, some negative. The negative comments were about the appearance of the furniture and the fact that decisions seemed to have been taken without proper consultation. Miles had reviewed the working papers and these showed that the PCC had, if fact, been kept informed, but that a mistake was made in ordering the furniture before a Faculty had been granted. The Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) visited St Marks in March 2011 and did not like the new arrangements. The PCC passed responsibility for the matter to Land & Buildings (L&B). The Archdeacon and Revd. Dr Lynne Broughton (Diocesan Advisor on Church Fabric) visited on July 13 and gave approval for the application for a Confirmatory Faculty. They felt, however, that the whole interior of St Mark’s is muddled in terms of colours and woods etc, and suggested that a different carpet would improve matters. Positive comments noted the new furniture’s flexibility, lightness to move, comfort and that there are shelves for books.
Miles recommended that the PCC should approve the L&B recommendations item 3 of their report to this meeting, namely:
Rather than attempting piecemeal changes we recommend that the PCC invite Dr Lynne Broughton, the member of the Diocesan Advisory Committee with special experience of church furniture and furnishings, to conduct an overall review of what we now have within the whole church, including the possibility of new investment to improve the situation. In the interim we recommend that a Confirmatory Faculty to cover the new furniture is not applied for.
This was agreed. Action: Miles to inform L&B.

Concern was expressed about the old choir stalls. The DAC have said it would be acceptable to remove the tops of the stalls and that the ones in use in the church are acceptably located.
The chairs that are stored on the balcony are a danger for children who might scramble up there and must be re-located. This is a Health and Safety issue.
Temporary off-site storage of the chairs should be considered.
Marguerite was concerned that some chairs appeared to have woodworm
Action: Miles to inform L&B.
The DAC and Dr Broughton would be made aware that new rostra are under consideration (AOB).

7: Proposed Date of Next Meetings:
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
Tuesday, March 13th, 2012 – both subject to Stuart being available.
Action: PH to check with Stuart.

8: Any Other Business:

1: Fireguards in the Narthex: The present guards need to be replaced as soon as possible. The PCC instructed L&B to order and install two fireguards, e.g. from a catalogue Maggie will pass to L&B.
Action: Marguerite to discuss with Alan Jones.

2: Rostra: The events group have proposed the purchase of light, flexible rostra, as noted at Michaelhouse during the Witness productions, to replace the unmanageable existing staging. Roy Murray has offered to research the matter and report to the PCC. This was agreed.
Action Miles to ask Roy to pursue research and Miles inform L&B of proposal.

3: Advertising manager for SEEK: Jane Plows needs to pass this role to another person. The PCC agreed that this should be announced and advertised in the pew slip. The high quality of SEEK’s content and production were noted. Action: PH

4: Christmas Card: A draft design was shown and approved. Marguerite (for Minuteman Press) and Margaret Wiseman (for SEEK’s printers) will determine previous print run numbers (probably about 2000) for each house in Newham.
ACTION: Maggie to prepare text & liaise with PH.

5: Digitisation of Register: The PCC felt that, with improved routines and security in the vestry, this would not normally be necessary.

6: Security: PH commented that he and Gill had found an intruder in the vestry during a recent weekday afternoon. (L&B had already arranged to have the vestry locks changed on Nov 9).

7: Capital expenditure: Proposals for new fan radiators, boiler/s, and organ refurbishment to be considered at PCC Mission Action Plan Awayday on November 11.

8: Closing Prayers: The meeting closed in prayer.