Broadway United Reformed Church  

 REPORTS FOR 2009, PRESENTED TO THE ANNUAL CHURCH MEETING

ON SUNDAY 28^th  MARCH 2010.

Ministers Annual Report for 2009

  To all members and friend of Broadway United Reformed Church:

In December 2009 I completed my third year as your Minister and I would like to record here that once again I think we have had another successful year of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ of Good News to the people of Broadway and its surrounding villages.We do this in various ways:  the Pilots Group, under the leadership of Mark Pickering and his team of officers who work hard with the children in the village to keep the numbers up and interest high.  In 2009 we have worked hard to invite the parents to join us on various occasions and this is slowly bearing fruit, we are seeing more parents on each occasion. There have been trips out with the older ones and some of our young people went away in the summer to camp, which they enjoyed very much. The new Broadway Play Park has proved to be a great attraction and we have enjoyed summer evenings down there. Food always plays an important part in Pilot activities I can never work out why.

  The Children’s Activities under the leadership of Bill Nelson have once more happened on Good Friday, a week in the summer and a day before Christmas.  They have all been well attended and our thanks go to all the helpers (who come from far and wide) for the Activity week in August – it is all hands on deck.   This year the theme was Showstoppers and we had a great time.  

  The Open the Book Team under the leadership of Michael Eden have continued their work in both schools in Broadway each week during term-time.  We are a smaller team now but we are well honed in how to use ourselves and our props to get over the stories from the Bible to the children. It gives us a great deal of delight in seeing the different reactions from each school. It was also a break-through when at the Christmas Tree Festival both schools came into the Church and we were packed out for the Christmas Open the Book. The joy being they have asked to return at Easter 2010. We continued the custom of presenting a Children’s Bible to each of the leavers in the First School.

  Our collections for Belarus under the leadership of Valerie Williams have continued and been well supported as has our other collections for charity and for Christian Aid this year.

  Our Ecumenical work in the village has carried on under the auspices of CTIB and we have been represented at all the events. My thanks go to Sheila Payne for her hard work on Lent Lunches and to Michael Sargeant my Methodist colleague for his co-operation on Lent Studies and other joint services we hold together. Our partnership I believe is growing in strength but I would encourage you all to see ecumenical work not as a chore but as a strength which we have been given.

  I have to thank Edna Hodges for continuing to lead the Church in Society Group and keeping in the forefront of our minds the issues that affect the world as well as the local scene.    

  My thanks go to Bill Nelson for convening the Vision Group and Finance and Premises. The Premises are looked after particularly well with a good team.

Thanks are also due to Shirley Caddy who has unfailingly produced the Broadsheet every month, even when not well, and been the chairman of our Fun and Fundraising Group which has been as active as usual during 2009.

  The Emmaus Course continued in 2009 with an afternoon session led by Revd Arthur Kent and an evening session led by myself and we have completed the Stage 3 Growth. The Church signed up for the Vision 4 Life Bible Year and we integrated some of that work into our summer Church Meetings.

  I have to report that during the year we had one Baptism when Emily Sian Hughes was brought into the fellowship and love of Jesus Christ much to the delight of everyone. There have been no deaths during 2009 but we have gained a new member, Mrs. Pat Aberdein, and a few new friends. My summer Garden Party was rained off for the first time but we adjourned to the Hall and I think almost every person in our congregation was there, very few were missing, thanks to you for coming.

  Links with the wider Church have been maintained through myself as a member of Synod Mission Council and at Area Meetings. I have taken up the role as Synod Link for Quiet Days. I have been to Windermere and to Launde Abbey for Ministers Training.

  I would like to extend my thanks to all the Elders for their support and co-operation over the past 12 months, to Arthur Kent for his willingness to help me out with the Healing Services on occasion and to both Robin Jones for his very faithful service as our Treasurer and Michael Eden our Church Secretary who have supported me as your Minister.

  You will all know that this is my last Annual Report for you, I am to retire from the Church and Broadway at the end of September 2010. The Harvest Service will be my final one as your Minister and that seemed appropriate to me, it is the time of year when we give thanks for all God’s good gifts and by then I will have been blessed with 16 years of ministry. You will all be entering a new phase, an interregnum is a time when as a congregation you take stock of how far you have come, where you want to go to and what areas of your life need improvement. I hope that you will tackle this with a true sense of looking forward to a new future, a future full of hope as you seek the way that God intends you to bring down his kingdom here on earth.

Reverend Kathryn Louch          Minister

TREASURER’S REPORT FOR  2009          Robin Jones.

With 2009 being such a difficult financial year for the world as a whole, I am pleased to report that Broadway United Reformed Church finances are reasonably sound. There has been a drop in rental income of £1,200 due to the reduced use of the hall by the Playgroup, though we hope that other organisations may come forward to take up some of the available times. The other concern is that the interest rates on our Designated Funds, which were at 4.9% at the beginning of the year, have now dropped dramatically to 0.52%. In view of this consideration will be given shortly to re-investing a proportion of the Robson Fund.
     During the year we paid off the loan given by Synod to install the double-glazing in the Manse and purchased a new carpet for the Church. From the Robson Fund some more comfortable chairs were purchased for the hall and ten chairs with arms installed in the Church, where they have been much appreciated. We were fortunate to receive another £7,867 from the estate of the late Margaret Robson, which has been added to the designated fund. Church Meeting decided that for 2010 we should increase our payments to Maintenance of the Ministry by 2% above the figure at which Synod had assessed Broadway. Seven charities have been supported through the year and our Emergency Fund has made three donations of £150 each. Thanks to the extra amount in the Robson Fund the accounts show an increase in the total funds but in fact our current account and general fund has decreased this year.
    I have decided that I should retire from the office of Treasurer after ten years and it is hoped that someone new will take on the responsibilities in due course. I should like to express my thanks for the help I have been given over the years especially to Michael Payne, our Covenant Secretary and advisor on the intricacies of account presentation, and to our honorary examiners.

2009 Report of the Premises section of the Finance and Premises Committee to the Annual Church Meeting, 2010

  Outside areas

• Our thanks have been passed to Robert Kemp for refurbishing the wooden bench in memory of his father.
• The plastic mesh has not yet been laid to strengthen the grass by the front path.  This is quite a tricky job and we’re waiting for the right ground conditions.
• Part of the paved patio area nearest the Vestry wall has been re-laid in order to direct rainwater away from the Church wall.
• The side path and front approach paving have been high-pressure water cleaned.

  Church

• 10 new chairs with arms are now in use.
• The very handsome Display/Message Board, in memory of Edna Collins, is now in use.
• The Flower Room Air Vent has been installed and, to a large extent, that has removed the condensation problem.
• The external Vestry side fascia boards have been totally replaced.
• A new carpet has been fitted in the worship space.
• The front door has been painted.
• Selection of new light fittings is in progress.  Once that is decided and installation is complete, we will have a modern, safe, energy-efficient system and all the inspection recommendations will have been completed.

Hall

• 35 new chairs have been purchased, 25 ordinary and 10 with arms, paid for by the Robson Fund.
• The Playgroup has released various sections of cupboard space for use by other organisations.  So far, Guides and Beavers have benefited and, if the Cubs come, there is one cupboard available for them.
• Electrical inspection recommendations have been completed.

  Wash House

• This has been tidied out considerably but the bulge and cracks in the front wall are of great concern.  Alternative structures are being studied at present, with a view to having both storage space and an extra meeting room.  Proposals will be put to the Church Meeting in due course

Manse

• The front door, back door and all gutters and down pipes have been painted.
• The remaining small flood precaution jobs have not yet been completed due to the serious illness of the selected builder.
• Electrical inspection recommendations have been completed.

  General

• A Fire Risk Assessment was carried out in October.  No new actions are required. 
• A new company called TVF (UK) Ltd is now carrying out the annual inspection of fire extinguishers.
• My thanks, as always, to the Committee - Kathryn, Sue and Robin, Les, Marion, Michael Payne and Michael Eden; to John Tunwell for window cleaning and to Margaret and Roger for looking after the Bookings for the Church and the Hall.

  Bill Nelson

    2009 Report of the Vision group to the Annual Church Meeting, 2010

    At a Church Meeting on 25^th January, members were asked to comment on the scheme drawn up by our new architect, Simon Brown.  The new plans were given enthusiastic approval and permission was given to proceed to the next stage which was to meet the Synod Property Committee/Trustee representatives to ensure that there was backing for the scheme and to ensure that there was no objection to encroaching on part of the Manse garden with the new buildings. The meeting with the Synod representatives was held on 16^th April and all hurdles were cleared. The Elders asked for more information from Simon and this was obtained.  An alternative, much cheaper, scheme layout had been proposed by a member and this was considered in fine detail but rejected for a number of reasons which were explained at the July Elders’ Meeting and then at a Church Meeting. Our proposal to ask Simon to talk to the Wychavon Planning Authorities was approved by Church Meeting.  A meeting on site duly took place and there were no significant problems highlighted. After studying Simon’s report, the committee felt that the scheme itself was ideal and had met the approval of the majority of Church members. If funds were unlimited, this would be the new building we would wish to see. However, we recognised that there are a number of unknown factors that may have a bearing on the future needs and possibilities.  These are as follows:

• Change of personnel and an interregnum in 2010
• Wychavon had asked for our parking strategy but there were possible major problems with parking because of the drastic reduction in spaces at the Shear House Car Park as part of the new housing development which had been approved by Wychavon Planning Department.
• The Playgroup are having a purpose-built facility provided at Broadway First School and they may not need to use our halls at all past 2010
• Church membership and our age profile will need to improve before we can justify embarking on a project of this size
• The current financial climate may make it difficult to raise the necessary funds.

    For these reasons, we recommended that the Main Project be put on ‘hold’ until it is deemed by the Church Meeting that it is timely to proceed.
    There are some much smaller improvements which could be made in the meantime and these will be the subject of detailed discussion with the Finance and Premises committee.  It is hoped that some proposals will be presented to Church Meeting in due course.

      My thanks to the members of this committee, most of whom have been serving for over ten years – Sue, Les, Laura and myself; Kathryn and Chris more recently.  A huge amount of work has gone into the various proposals put forward and, of course, we must not forget the amazing work done by Laura, Sue and Joanne in raising all the money needed for the facilities for Disabled people and for the curtains, blinds, etc in the Hall.
                                                                                    Bill Nelson

FUN AND FUNDRAISING ANNUAL REPORT 2009

    As always we have two purposes and seem to have done rather well in both of them this year.

FUNDRAISING
    The annual fete on the village green was, and the Christmas Tree Festival, were the two big events.  The committee give their heartfelt thanks to all the people who contributed to these in any way.  They were both very successful. These events only work because of the efforts of so many in the congregation and we must also add a special thanks to the Pilots, who take over the children's sideshows at the fete so efficiently.
   With fewer and fewer fit and able helpers, even the smallest bit of help, or the shortest time behind a stall is or as a steward among the trees is valuable and much appreciated.
    Then there were the other activities that brought cash into church funds in smaller but nevertheless valuable quantities.  Quiz evenings are always popular and we try to hold two each year.  There were coffee mornings and a delightful afternoon tea organised by Kathryn. Many of our events are there to increase the fellowship within the church.  In these the raising of funds is of secondary importance, although extra funding is always welcome!
    We are always ready to consider new ideas.  New this past year was Party Pieces, arranged by John Tunwell.  This proved to be a most enjoyable evening of varied entertainment with music, readings and stories.  We hope to repeat it shortly. This year we repeated the Desert Island Discs which is proving to be a popular event and thank Isla and Arthur for being our victims this year and supplying a varied and lovely programme.
    Things such as the Easter Breakfast and Harvest Supper are not the responsibility of this committee, although it is necessary that we are made aware of the dates they are planned, in order to avoid clashes.  We include them in our programme, not to take the credit for them, but to ensure that every event has the best possible attendance. Very few of our events are restricted to members of the church and for these there is no advertising, so we ask you all to take our posters for the others to your home area and try to get them put up.  Can you put one in the back window of your car, or on your gate post?  The wider the advertising, the more people will see it and hopefully some will come.  If they do, and become at home in our social life, the chances of them attending a service occasionally grow.  No one is likely to join a church unless they know something about us in advance so the more often we can get outsiders to come, the more comfortable they will feel with us, and the more likely it is that they will one day try a Sunday service.
    We are also aware that many people are becoming reluctant to leave their homes for an evening entertainment, so this year we are introducing a few tea-time and coffee break events.  Please try to attend these and let us know how successful they are.

        Shirley Caddy

The Flower Guild

To everyone who helped to maintain the “Ministry of Flowers” within the church during 2009 a big “Thank you”. Sharing the flowers with others, either within or outside our congregation is all part of Gods ministry and the healing process both spiritual and physical. For those who donate the flowers it is a tangible way of marking a birthday, anniversary or a special date in life’s path.

The Flower Guild is open to any member of the congregation to join, male or female, it is a very informal group who enjoy arranging their own flowers and for other people who are unable to do so. Offers of help are most welcome and be brave and put your own flowers in church.

Not all the dates for 2010 have been taken so that there is still time to add your name to the list. All you need to do is speak to Christine Waller or Sue Jones. As we always say at this time of year, the flowers do not have to be in the form of a formal arrangement, a vase of flowers is very acceptable and easy to distribute at the close of worship. We have quite a selection of vases in the flower room just waiting to be used.

  Thank you all, once again, for your help and generosity during 2009.

  From the Flower Guild.

         Church and Society.     Edna Hodges.

This committee under its present name is now seven years old, previously being called Mission and Outreach. The cries of the world still land on our doorstep, for us to pick up the challenge of causes outside the four walls of Broadway URC.

Christian Aid.  Sheila Payne puts considerable effort into organising our support to Christian Aid Week in May and other events. Without her efforts the coverage of URC allotted roads would not be filled. The commissioning service for collectors and friends, held in our church on the first Sunday of the week and followed by tea was better attended than last year. The need for monetary support is so important at this time and a recent appeal from the Director said that projects and personnel are under scrutiny.

Commitment for Life.  This is the URC’s partnership with Christian Aid and support is still given by individuals and events. We receive information about our chosen partner, Israel and the Palestinian Occupied Territories. In October, during One World Week, we held a meeting at which John Griffiths of Christian Aid, spoke about work in Gaza and the West Bank. Members of other Synod churches joined us.

At the Christmas Tree Festival our tree was decorated with Palestinian flags and Israeli stars, topped with a white Dove of Peace. “Pray that we do not divide these two countries in our prayers”. Also on the tree were olive wood decorations made by young folk disabled by war, who train in a carpentry workshop in Bethlehem. It is supported by CFL and the YMCA and donations went to this cause. Money from a quiz and Harvest Festival offerings all meant we could send support to this cause.

Leprosy Mission.  The Easter Breakfast continues to be a fundraiser for TLM. It is run by Les and Joanne Griffin and is a good and lovely way to start Easter Day. Allistair du Plessis of TLM took a service in September and in December £200 was raised from the sale of gifts and cards.

Belarus.  Val Williams keeps us up to date with news of collections and trips to Belarus.

Fairtrade Fortnight coffee morning was held in February and organised by Revd. Kathryn Louch.

Emergency Appeal Jar.  £150 has been sent to three appeals. Discussions are underway for linking the jar to extra Church collections when appeals arrive.

  Finally, my thanks to all the members of the committee. In April we will be discussing the way forward for our group, please let us have any thoughts and suggestions.   

          Broadway Pilots.

  Key notes for 2009.

·                          The ‘Child Friendly Church’ award was approved in October and will be presented to us by the West Midlands Synod in 2010. It includes all leaders having been CRB checked (again) and our Policy for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults is in place.

·                          Typically between 20 and 30 PILOTS each week in all age groups, 54 on the roll.

·                          5 new leaders have enabled our ambitious programme of activity to continue and at a high level of quality.

·                          Particularly positive comments from parents regarding how their children enjoy it and are developing.

·                          Increased awareness in Broadway and surrounding villages.

·                          8 Broadway Pilots attended the Pilots and Synod camps along with 65 other Christian youth from around the country.

  Key plans for 2010

The lexionary will be followed (Roots for Children and Young people and the Youth Emmaus) which will synchronise with Sunday services when PILOTS assist.

·                      5 PILOTS will be trained by Synod and mentored as Young Leaders

         We aim to take a coach of PILOTS and their families to the national PILOTS event at Warwick
     Castle, where around 4,000 PILOTS are expected from around the country.

·                          The PILOTS and Synod camps will be open to more Broadway PILOTS as they become
      old enough to attend.

·                          We will invite parents to join us for structured PILOTS services on some Friday nights.
       (First one is on 5^th February).

    We are engaging more broadly with the National PILOTS and Synod Children and Youth
   organisations to get fresh ideas and access best practice.

       Your prayers and support are requested particularly for the individual PILOTS, the officers, the
       success of the new initiatives and for successful fund raising for the training, outing and camps.

          Mark Pickering, Captain

  Church Secretary.

  As you all know, Kathryn will be leaving at the end of September 2010, so on behalf of everyone, I wish to thank her for the service she has given to this church for nearly 4 years. Her pastoral care will be missed by many of you and we will miss her in the school assemblies, where she enjoys playing ‘the baddy’. We hope she will find a new home and indeed a new life and challenges where ever she goes to. I don’t think anyone understood what 50% pastorate meant, so thank you Kathryn for doing more than you should have done.
    I also wish to thank Marion and the other organists for their work every Sunday. I feel it is a shame that so few of you attend Marion’s organ recitals, as she is one of the most accomplished organists in the area and we are very fortunate to have her in our church. It also reflects poorly on the members when visitors come and so few of us are present. Reading through the reports, I hope everyone has been covered and thanked for all they do, if not, then thank you.
    As already mentioned, I organise the school assemblies and these are great fun to do, even the children enjoy them! At harvest time I organised a Barn Dance especially with the Pilots in mind. Shirley taught them a few basic steps and it was really great to see them all on the floor and able to dance without instruction. Also my thanks to Yvonne Gormley for organising the food and the older Pilots for helping out even without being asked. Our Pilots played a big part in the pantomime in the Lifford Hall. Kath Phillips has come up through the ranks and took the leading role with Orrion also taking a major part. Jake and Tom helped back stage and on stage. All the youngsters were Pilots and of course most of the main production staff were our church members. Pilots itself is of huge benefit to the church and thanks goes to Mark for all his work in preparing everything. I am sure he must never sleep! One of the fantastic things is that some of our Pilots are going on a training course in order to take up national leadership roles.
    When I took on the work of secretary, I had hoped that my successor would be a new and younger person. It looks as though this will not happen, which I am very sad about as it indicates what has happened in the church over the last 8 years. I have enjoyed being secretary, for most of the time, although as with any work there are down times too. As I said when I resigned, I did so because of not wishing to be involved in a building project with which could not agree. The scale of the project, the un-necessary way the group dismissed a suggested outline plan upset me, and the fact that as a younger member of the church, if the building went ahead, I would have to pick up the pieces, all contributed to my decision. As far back as April 2001 I submitted a written paper to the Elders expressing my concerns about the proposed new building, as basic research had not been done and my own evaluation of the possibility of any major building work indicated that it would not be viable on our present site. During the years I presented various facts and figures about our membership and the progressive consequences of an ageing congregation. No action was taken but things I said would happen are now mentioned in previous reports. The irony of course, is that the Vision Group put the project on ‘hold’, giving as their reasons, many of the same conclusions that I mentioned in the past. Another illustration of my sadness is the fact that about five thousand pounds have been spent on a carpet and chairs and only about £100 on any outreach into the community.
    During my time as secretary I have tried to get new ideas of several kinds introduced. The school assemblies have been a success and the Worship Groups have now been resurrected out of necessity for someone to lead worship. I have no doubt that I will be told off (yet again) for what I have written, but these reports are a record of what has happened, not just a collection of all the good things, of which, I am pleased to say, there are many. This church is made up of a dedicated, hard-working and able membership and as we enter another Interregnum, these qualities will be needed even more as we increasingly have to look after ourselves. With faith, prayer, and God’s help, I am sure we will.

Addition requested at The Annual Church Meeting.  Outreach in the community included Bibles to school children at Broadway 1st. School and money for Pilots activities. The £100 mentioned was for advertising of Harvest and Christmas events.

      Michael Eden.