CONTACT DETAILS
SPEARHEAD GROUP
Vivienne Sommerville 513181, Terry Moat 511662,
Harriet Gilfillan 511656, Caroline Davis 510236.
TASK GROUPS
ORGANISATION Richard Wheatley 504655
YOUTH Jeremy Cooper 511593
PASTORAL Jean Mills 514924
WORSHIP Dave Pope 01670 515806
OUTREACH Richard Major 513492
Update on the Parish Five Year Plan.
A big thank you to the task groups for all their work to date and for their reports to the parish annual meeting on 20th April. Some of the groups had abbreviated their reports considerably to fit the time constraints, but there are more detailed versions of those reports available at the back of each church or by request. They are also available on the Parish website.
Thank you too to individuals who have filled in forms, made suggestions, talked to us and been praying over the last few months. Please keep it up! If you feel you have experience or expertise of any kind that has not yet ‘gone into the melting pot’, please do not be reticent about coming forward and having a chat with spearhead or task group members.
We are planning a special weekend to coincide with Pentecost, with an open event on Saturday 10th May and an act of dedication during services on Sunday 11th May. The Saturday event will be from 10 am till 2 pm at Storey Park and will include times of worship, enquiry, discussion and dreaming dreams together. We particularly look forward to welcoming Mairi McLeod, who mentors the Local Ministry Group and who, together with Sue Ford, facilitated the PCC/LMG discussions at Wooler last November. It is open to all the parish and people are welcome to come and go at any stage. Coffee and tea will be available throughout and you are welcome to bring sandwiches!
The task groups and spearhead group will meet together immediately afterwards to encourage each other towards bringing together some concrete suggestions. Only a month or so later we will start the first draft of the plan, ready to bring it to PCC on 2nd July.
One last thing: does anyone have any bright ideas for a name for this exercise, or will we use ‘Parish Development Plan’ for the next five years?
Here is a digest of the presentations to the Parish on Sunday April 20th
at the APCM.
Organisation Task Group
Remit: To gear the Parish up for changes that will be feeding through from all the Task Groups in the Parish redevelopment and to become an ‘open church’.
Task #1 To audit all Parish buildings (ongoing)
Current status: 6 Buildings owned/operated by Morpeth Parish
Examine finances of all Parish buildings (income & expenses)
Look at green issues/carbon footprints/recycling policies
Investigate feasibility of refurbishment of Parish Hall. Organise meeting with Parish Hall Committee. Involve Archdeacon in both these steps at earliest opportunity
Proceed with Faculty applications to improve lighting at St James and DDA access to both St James & St Mary as well as WC and meeting room at St Mary’s
Liase with Morpeth Town Council to have ‘Parish kitchen’ area in Storey Park refurbished, possibly jointly funded?
Task #2 Plan to create three open churches
St James Church was opened on weekend of March 28th. Building is open weekdays 10 am – 3 pm. The other two Church buildings are not open at present.
Next Steps:
To investigate feasibility of opening St Mary’s during the summer season
To investigate advisability of opening St Aidan’s possibly with a rota of volunteers to man the premises during opening hours.
To audit key holders and perhaps look at possibility of a different system of access to buildings.
Task #3 To Review Administration of the Parish
At present there are 54 groups & committees undertaking specific tasks or courses of study or prayer.
Next Steps
Look closely at the proposals for streamlining worship patterns from the Worship TG and attempt to amalgamate some groups..
Consider the number of prayer foci and study groups/house groups. Work closely with Outreach & Pastoral TGs on this. Organise meeting asap.
Consider a ‘Task and Finish’ approach for Parish initiatives, where a committee or group is formed to address a specific task or event and once finished, is disbanded.
Communication:
Make the magazine more relevant in terms of notices and parish information & news. Increase the magazine distribution if possible.
See if the present blend of salaried and voluntary admin. staff could/should be revised e.g. do we need a bigger office, which is more central & better appointed?
Investigate how other churches in the town handle their admin & communications
Improve the notice boards inside & outside all Parish buildings and keep information clear & up to date.
Health & Safety
At present the Churchwardens are Health & Safety Officers in each of the three buildings. A Health & Safety Audit needs to be carried out as a matter of urgency in all Parish buildings and appropriate training given to designated Health & Safety Officers
First Aid Training as above and specific First Aid personnel to be appointed for each Church building
PAT testing to be carried out on all electrical appliances used in the Parish
Staffing We are not clear as to the remit of this point. We do not feel that we can make recommendations about clergy issues of staffing.
Next step
Invite the clergy to address this TG on this issue, possibly a joint meeting with all other TGs would ensure clear communication.
Task #4 To plan improvements and new ways of operating & communicating
This process is ongoing Comments to Richard Wheatley 504655
Youth Task Group
Action so far Made initial contacts with:
Mustard Tree Trust (Mike Willis). Jeremy meeting him Thursday to discuss how we might work together & complement one another, especially in the area of Contemplative Youth Ministry & After school clubs.
Diocesan children's advisor (Sister Sandra Doore) with a view to exploring ideas & possible training
Diocesan youth advisor (Simon White) with a view to setting up youth services perhaps deanery wide. NB Need to contact Colin Gough (Area Dean) also.
Muriel Harris, Carlotta Johnson (her friend Sophia) with a view to setting up email or Facebook, etc. links with Christians in other parts of the world.
Caroline Dickinson (Head Teacher of All Saints School) with a view to exploring how we can work more closely.
Future plans:
Contact Scouts, Guides, BB, etc. How can we work together?
Ask adults in church to befriend & prayer for our young people
Engage the youth group through planning services including Morning Worship.
Develop contemplative youth ministry
Encourage the youngsters to pray & visit the sick & housebound
Next steps:
Pray
Produce short & long term plans Comments to Jeremy Cooper 511593
PASTORAL TASK GROUP
BAPTISM
We need to:
consider the present system
To think about training given to the pastoral visitors
To consider the support of the pastoral visitors
To recruit more pastoral visitors
consider with the worship task group & clergy the timing of the services, perhaps including more baptisms in the morning worship
invite members of the congregation to stay after the service for the baptism
Consider changing the Baptism time so that we could include the Parish family alongside the baptismal families and their guests in the service.
To consider what other actions would be appropriate eg inviting baptism families to a family service up to 3 months after the event (consider with the Youth task group where appropriate).
Find out if Diocesan advice is available?
WEDDINGS
We need to -
To consider views of all involved to find out if the system is as good as it could be.
To explore advice available from the Diocese and see what happens in other parishes?
FUNERALS
Next steps -
To consider parish involvement with funerals and in particular the after-care for the bereaved.
CARE HOMES
We need to
To consider how the visits are arranged.
To think about the system which supports the visitors
To consider contacting those already involved for suggestions for improvements and to talk to Care home staff and carers.
To recruit more visitors
ST GEORGE'S PARK
We need to
To consider the mechanism that supports the helpers who attend the weekly St Georege’s Park services – what is it? how can it be improved? (Advice may be available from Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Trust (NTW)
Encourage more people to help
Ask for suggestions for improvements from helpers, clergy, patients &. NTW. Consider possible links with St George’s URC through the Minister and congregation.
HEALING MINISTRY
We need to
To consider how to improve this special service by seeking suggestions from parishioners, clergy, diocese.
To consider with the Worship Task Group the possibility of incorporating the healing ministry into the Eucharist from time to time.
To consider how to establish a more regular pattern of healing services, which would incorporate the laying on of hands and also enable the congregation to offer particular prayer requests.
To think about an explanation of the service being included in the magazine for those who do not understand it.
CONFIDENTIAL PRAYER GROUP
At present the prayer list is compiled from names made known during the Healing Service. Names of individuals are also communicated via word of mouth and telephone to the Co-ordinator, who compiles the list. The list, once compiled, is taken to the Parish Office to be typed up and distributed. Those who receive the list pray for those named daily. We feel this system works well.
PASTORAL VISITORS, SICK VISITING AND WELCOME POLICY
Pastoral visiting at present is done by lay volunteers and individuals on an ad hoc basis.
When people are ill, they are sometimes visited by either members of the clergy or by individuals from the Parish family, but there is no formal organised structure for home visits. Members of the church family can be disappointed not to be visited when ill simply because their absence had not been noted.
Next steps
We need to look at a policy for encouraging members of the church family
To be observant about noticing absences and possible pastoral needs
To communicate the need for a visit to the relevant people (whether clergy or lay)
To consider how we can fulfil our pastoral responsibilities
To consider a system of compiling the names & addresses of people who would be happy to be visited
To think about how best to share the realization that this is the responsibility of each one of us.
To find people who are willing to visit
To organise provision of a system of support for those who are visiting.
Comments to Jean Mills 514924
Worship Task Group
The group undertook an audit of the current pattern of regular worship in the parish, along with average attendances at the main services.
Arising form the result of this audit, the group decided to consider having only one Sung Parish Communion per week, and that this should rotate on an equitable basis around the three buildings.
Considering remarks made in the recent parish survey, it was decided to recommend that any pattern of regular worship should be adhered to as closely as possible, because ad-hoc changes appear to cause confusion and disappointment. Communication of service times and locations is vital.
In considering any changes, it needs to be born in mind that the parish may not be so well served for full-time ordained clergy in the future.
In respect for the preferences of a few, but very faithful, communicants, no change to the 8am St James communion or to weekday pattern of Eucharist is being considered.
Though sparsely attended, the group considers that Evensong needs to be continued, with perhaps only two per month. One full Choral Evensong per month may attract a larger congregation. It was recommended that the seasonal time-change for Evensong be dropped, and that it should always be at 6pm.
The group believes that the tradition of non-eucharistic worship in the parish is valuable and has great potential for development. The work already done by lay persons, readers and clergy is to be commended. A variety of alternative service forms has been suggested, and many are under consideration.
Liaison with the “Pastoral Group” and clergy regarding Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, Healing Services and Services of Remembrance has already taken place.
The next steps to be taken are to conclude a proposal for a revised pattern of worship, in discussion with other Task Groups, Clergy and congregation, making alterations as is felt appropriate.
Comments to Dave Pope 01670 515806 dpope@morpethnet.co.uk
OUTREACH TASK GROUP
Background
There are four elements to our remit:
Review of community needs
Review of our involvement with other organisations
Feasibility of a drop in centre in the town centre
Outreach plan
Further Questions
We feel that other questions need answering and seek your responses.
What is outreach?
What is the purpose of outreach?
What is the difference between the outreach activities of the parish as an organisation and the activities of individuals?
Should outreach stretch beyond the parish boundaries in Morpeth?
What We Are Doing
Review of community needs
Benchmarking other examples of identifying needs.
Review of our involvement with other organisations
Listing formal links
Inviting information on informal links
Feasibility of a drop in centre in the town centre
Look at other examples
Investigate costs
Consider competition
Examine our existing buildings
Outreach plan
Produce a plan when all information is available.
What You Can Do
The parish is made up of many individuals, all with many talents, but …
People are busy and have many time commitments.
There are limits too not only on time but also on finances.
We need your help to prepare a realistic and achievable plan so
Please pray and think about the questions above.
Please pray and think about what you are currently doing that may fall under the heading of outreach. What are you doing now? Could you, should you do more?
Please send your thoughts, answers or more questions to Richard Major (Tel: 513492) or email: richard_major@tiscali.co.uk or any member of the Spearhead team.
Please talk to any of the contacts or the Spearhead Group: Vivienne Sommerville 513181, Terry Moat 511662, Harriet Gilfillan 511656, Caroline Davis 510236.
YOUR VIEWS ARE IMPORTANT BUT YOUR PRAYERS ARE OF VITAL IMPORTANCE AS WE MOVE ON TO DISCUSS OUR FUTURE
AS A CHURCH FAMILY.
