The 2009
St Faith's
Annual Parochial Church Meeting
Wherein may be read what happened
at the meeting held on Thursday, 23rd April, 2009.
Coming soon: the Vicar's Annual
'State of the Nation' report
Linked below: four previous
meetings (for masochists and historians only)
ANNUAL
REPORT
of the Parochial Church Council for the
year ended 31 December 2008
Administrative
Information
Saint Faith’s Church, Crosby Road North, Waterloo, Liverpool, L22 4QQ.
The correspondence address is: The Parish Office, 32 Brooklands Avenue,
Waterloo, Liverpool, L22 3XZ.
Website:
http://www.stfaithsgreatcrosby.org.uk
Incumbent:
Fr. Neil Kelley
Assistant Priests
Fr. Peter Goodrich
Fr. Dennis Smith
Fr. Mark Waters
(* resigned 8 February 2009)
Readers
Dr. Fred Nye
Mrs. Jackie Parry
Mrs. Cynthia Johnson
Wardens
Mr Leo Appleton (* resigned
3 March 2009)
Ms Kari Dodson
Deputy Wardens Mrs
Judith Moizer
Mrs. Rosie Walker
Secretary
Mrs Judith Moizer
Treasurer
Mr.
David Jones
Deanery Synod
Mr. Ken Bramwell
Representatives Mrs. Joan
Tudhope
Elected Member Mrs. Val
Broom (to APCM 23 April 2008)
Mrs. Sue Walsh (to APCM 23 April 2008)
Mrs. Ruth Winder (to
APCM 23 April 2008)
Mr. John Knight (to
APCM 23 April 2008)
To retire 2009
Mr. David Jones
Mrs. Judith Moizer
Mrs. Christine Spence
Mrs. Rosie Walker
To retire 2010
Mr. Denis Whalley
Mrs Margaret Houghton
Mrs Maureen Madden
Mr Gareth Griffiths
To retire 2011
Mr. Martin Caesar
Mrs Sarah Evison
Mr. Michael Broom
Mr. Michael Taylor
Bankers:
Lloyds Bank plc., 101 South Road, Waterloo, Liverpool, L22 0LS
Independent Examiner: Raymond
Bissex FCA, The Vicarage, 4 St Andrew’s Rd., Bootle, L20 5EX
Architect: Robbie Bell,
Saunders Bell, Sherwood Road, Crosby, Liverpool, L23 7UF
Day to day management control of the church is exercised by the
incumbent and the churchwarden, Fr Neil Kelley, and Ms Kari Dodson,
contactable via the Parish Office, 32 Brooklands Avenue, Waterloo,
Liverpool, L22 3XZ. Tel and fax: 0151 928 9913
Structure, Management and Governance
Saint Faith’s Great Crosby PCC operates under the Parochial Church
Council (Powers) Measure 1956. The PCC is currently registering
with the Charity Commission.
The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church
Representation Rules. All church members are encouraged to
register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.
The PCC operates five sub committees: Standing Committee, Finance
Committee, Mission Group, Premises Committee and Catering Team.
Standing Committee: Fr. Neil Kelley (Chairman), Kari Dodson (Warden),
Leo Appleton (Warden), Judith Moizer (PCC Secretary), David Jones (PCC
Treasurer) and two representatives of the PCC, Ken Bramwell and Ruth
Winder.
Finance Committee: David Jones (Treasurer) (Chair), Fr. Neil Kelley
(Incumbent - ex-officio), Kari Dodson (Warden), Leo Appleton (Warden),
Margaret Houghton, Chris Price, Gareth Griffiths and Rick Walker.
Mission Group: Fred Nye (Group Leader), Father Neil Kelley, Linda Nye,
Joan Tudhope, Joyce Green, Jackie Parry, Kathy Zimak, Rosie Walker, Fr.
Mark Waters, Diana Waters, Kari Dodson, Audrey Dawson, David Jones,
Judith Moizer, Angie Price.
Premises Committee: Leo Appleton (Warden) (Chair), Fr. Neil Kelley
(Incumbent – ex-officio), Ruth Winder, Christine Spence, Michael
Holland, Michael Broom, Ken Bramwell.
Catering Team: Ruth Winder (Team Leader), Fr. Neil Kelley (Incumbent –
ex-officio), Betty Sutcliffe, Christine Spence, Fiona Whalley,
Angie Price, Mary Crooke, Linda Nye, Audrey Dawson, Rosie Walker,
Lillie Wilmot, Irene Taylor, Eunice Little, Judith Moizer.
PCC members receive information on trustee responsibilities, basic
health and safety, risk assessment and child protection procedures.
Church Attendance
There are 111 names currently on the Church Electoral Roll.
During the year, 5 names have been added and 10 names removed.
The average weekly attendance, counted during September, was 115 and
the average Sunday attendance during the same period was 91.
These figures do not include the monthly baptism services, weddings,
funerals and principal festivals.
Objectives and Activities
The Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure 1956 states the PCC “is
to co-operate with the minister in promoting in the ecclesiastical
parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social
and ecumenical”.
At St. Faith’s we have a mission statement which confirms our mission
to proclaim the Gospel according to the doctrines and practices of the
Church of England.
In order to do this our objectives for 2008 were as follows:
1. Finalise our Parish Mission Statement, with full involvement of the
members of the PCC and congregation. This Mission Statement will then
identify a number of aims and objectives which it is not possible to
specify at this time, but they will be under the 4 main areas of
Service, Fellowship, Proclamation/Good News, and Liturgy and Worship.
Activity:
Significant work has been continuing throughout the year in relation to
developing the Parish Mission Statement by way of strategic planning.
This has involved whole-team Ministry Team meetings and Away-Days, as
well as members of the Ministry Team working in smaller subgroups to
address the individual areas of Service, Fellowship, Proclamation/Good
News and Worship. In addition to these four main aims, we have
identified a fifth, underlying aim to support our Mission which is
Resources/Sustainability. This links in with our ongoing efforts to
maximize the financial resources of the Parish.
2. Plan further fundraising activities, in order that the church, its
mission and activities can be sustained.
Activity:
A number of fundraising events have again taken place throughout the
past year, including quiz nights, a 1970s evening, raffles, jumble sale
and the Summer Recitals series, which had its most successful year so
far, in terms of both finance and numbers attending. Events have
been well supported by members of the congregation, and by the wider
community. The 100 Club continues to be popular, and is a welcome
regular source of income for the Parish. Fundraising will continue to
be a priority for the next year.
3. Renew our commitment to the ‘Giving in Grace’ Campaign.
ctivity:
The PCC, Finance Committee and Ministry Team have all been considering
how we can be more effective in maximising giving in the Parish, and in
managing what resources we have as effectively as possible. Regular
planned giving is sadly not meeting our current expenditure, and the
PCC has taken on this challenge as a priority. New campaigns under the
banner, “Changed Priorities Ahead” are encouraging people to consider
their giving, and to directly link this with the Church’s mission
planning, identifying key objectives which can realistically be
resourced and sustained.
4. Form a bereavement group, as set out in the objectives for 2007
Activity:
A group of 20 met initially in July 2008 to consider how best to
re-instate a bereavement group. There was overwhelming support with the
proposal to establish a permanent group. Refresher/update training for
members of the group, and any new members who wished to be involved,
was identified as a priority. Advice is being sought from the Diocese
about the most appropriate person to facilitate this training, and it
is hoped that this will be available as soon as possible.
5. Involve the parish in discussions arising from the Mission-Shaped
Ministry course, which came to an end in June 2008.
Activity:
This has been an extremely successful aspect of our Parish activity
over the past year. Three members of the Ministry Team successfully
completed the Mission-Shaped Ministry course in June 2008, and have
been feeding their learning and growth back into the discussions at
Ministry Team and PCC, and on an individual level, regarding
mission planning for the Parish. This has informed our strategic
thinking, has led to a wider understanding of ‘mission’ within the
Parish, and has helped us understand how we need to link our activities
and our resources to our mission priorities. Out of the enthusiasm
generated around mission, we elected to run a 6-week Mission-Shaped
Introduction course in the United Benefice during Lent 2009.
Health and Safety
A review has been undertaken by a member of the church with specific
experience in this field. The PCC has been appraised of the risks and
the necessary compliance requirements and these have been put in place.
Protection for All
The church has an active Child Protection Officer, and policies are in
place for protecting children and adults. All church members who work
with children and young people have had appropriate training and have
been CRB checked. Church hall users all have to agree to adhere to
church policy as part of their hiring agreements.
Deanery Synod Report
During the year the Deanery Synod has met three times, with one special
meeting. At the meeting in June, Kari Dodson was elected as Lay
Chair for the Synod and Derek McLoughlin was co-opted on to Deanery
Synod and then to the Pastoral Committee. Seven Bishops were
expected to visit Liverpool Diocese in the week prior to the Lambeth
Conference, and Bishop Michael Sande from Kenya would be the visiting
bishop to the Bootle Deanery. It had been agreed by Chapter that a
Deanery Eucharist would be held on 13 July, 2008 at S. Faith’s,
followed by lunch. This event was to prove to be one of the
highlights of the year, with over 300 people attending the
service. It was a wonderful occasion and it is hoped to hold
another Deanery Eucharist in 2009.
The Area Dean reminded representatives to bring any important issues
from their PCCs to Deanery Synod when they could be discussed and then
work their way through to Diocesan Synod and General Synod.
Ministerial Development Reviews had been talked about. Bootle
Deanery had been identified as a pilot deanery to take part in this
review.
Deanery Mission Planning / Mission Shaped Ministry, was the main item
on the agenda at one of the meetings and was followed up with a special
meeting to discuss this further. It was envisaged that initially
two people from each parish would be asked to join the group.
Mission Group
The past year has in many ways been a time of quiet growth in our
development as a welcoming church, and in our mission and outreach, and
we have much to be thankful for.
* In July last year a meeting for young families lead to a number of
fruitful suggestions for children’s worship and activities.
* Our Family Eucharist and Parade services have become firmly
established, and are often truly inspirational. Involving the uniformed
organisations in leading worship - in the music, prayers and
‘sermon slot’ – has deepened the experience of worship for everyone.
* With the unanimous approval of the PCC, children are now welcomed
into the table-fellowship of the Eucharist after appropriate
preparation and before they are confirmed. It was a joy when nine of
our young people received their First Communion at Easter.
* Our Children’s Church on a Sunday morning continues to grow in
numbers and enthusiasm. New helpers have been recruited.
* In addition to the Holiday Club, we have introduced regular
children’s Activity Days, combined with worship, at major festivals:
Advent, Holy Week and Pentecost. These are popular and provide
opportunities for outreach to new families. We are very grateful to the
volunteers, both old and new, who help with these events.
* Following on from the Mission Shaped Ministry initiative, more than
forty church members from across the United Benefice attended the
Mission Shaped Introduction course. This is tremendously encouraging,
and we look forward to the new insights and challenges they will bring
back to our two churches.
Report on the Church Fabric
The Premises Committee have met at regular intervals throughout the
year and, thanks to a number of generous legacies and donations, we
have continued to make considerable progress in some of the church
buildings’ most urgent priorities.
From a routine and operational stance, general maintenance has
continued to be carried out to the church and hall, and the appearance
of the buildings and grounds is generally tidy. We have had persistent
trouble with church windows being broken due to vandalism, but these
have continued to be fixed through our insurance claims.
The larger jobs that the Premises Committee have co-ordinated over the
past year are as follows:
* Pointing and brickwork to the church hall
* Installation of a new kitchen in the church hall, including painting
and tiling.
* Work on the church buttresses
* Replacing the gutters and downspouts to the church.
* Disabled access to both church hall entrances
* Handrail to the church hall entrance
* Grounds cleared and levelled behind church hall
* Decoration and maintenance of gents’ toilets in church hall
* Replacement flooring to stairs and landing in church hall
* Remedial roof work to the church hall
* Removal of 6 pews from church to create a community space
Priority jobs and the agenda of the Premises Committee for 2009-10 will
include:
* Replacement of church hall door
* Provision of accessible toilets in church hall
* Replacement and fixing of floor tiles in church hall
* Work arising from the Quinquennial Inspection report.
Financial Review
The year under review has been a challenging one where we sought to
increase our income against a background of a world economic recession
whilst at the same time spending money on refurbishing our church
fabric and facilities.
Planned giving by church members (through the weekly envelopes or
monthly standing orders) shows a healthy increase of just over 11% on
2007 – although at a monthly average income of £3,091, this is
insufficient to pay our monthly Parish Share to the Diocese of
£3,502. Transitional relief for Gift Aid had been announced
in the Budget which would secure the level of tax reclaimed for three
years.
We are very grateful to the people who have reviewed their planned
giving during the year. A stewardship renewal campaign is
currently under way and there have been frequent updates in the
Newslink magazine and in sermons. The blue Gift Aid envelopes
continue to be an invaluable source of additional income.
Once again, we have been extremely fortunate in the receipt of legacies
from the estates of the late George Smith (part received in 2007),
Jenny Kemp and Margaret Hesketh-Roberts. Their generosity enabled
some outstanding work to be carried out in the church and hall,
although there is much still to do.
The Saturday Summer Recitals were a great success, due in no small part
to the organization and publicity arranged by our Parish Administrator,
Liz Mooney. The net receipts were £2,787 (excluding
re-claimed Gift Aid tax) and 1,645 people had visited the church during
the season. Apart from the very welcome source of income, the
recitals provide good opportunities for outreach.
Other fundraising events during the year proved to be popular,
including a sponsored walk from Southport to Crosby in May, a concert
for the Patronal Festival and a 1970s night. The Quiz Night made
a healthy profit this year, despite slightly fewer numbers. Thanks are
extended to all those who organized and took part in these important
events.
St Mary’s have paid their share of the costs of the United Benefice in
full this year and we thank them for their serious response to this
issue. With some debtors outstanding, it had not been possible to
pay the Diocesan Parish Share on time and, by the end of 2008, three
months’ payments were owing; this has now been corrected. The
cost of the Parish Administrator continues to be supported financially
by the Diocese on a sliding scale; this funding ceases in June 2010.
In the 2007 Review, reference was made to the renewal of a lease for
the sub-station off Kingsway. After protracted negotiations
between the Diocese, Scottish Power Systems and a firm of surveyors, a
new 25 year lease has finally been approved (although this has been
backdated to 1998 when the old lease expired!).
As reported above, the receipt of generous legacies has enabled
extensive work to be carried out on the organ, the complete
refurbishment of the hall kitchen, roofing to both church and hall, and
much improved access works to both entrances of the hall.
Extensive glazing repairs have also been undertaken and funded wholly
by Ecclesiastical Insurance. It is also encouraging to note that,
since the installation of the new heating system in June 2007, the
energy costs are much reduced. Approval was given to the
continuation of the gas supply contract from the current purchasing
agency in October 2009.
Registration for the Charity Commission is currently under way and
should be completed early in 2009. No further guidance has been
issued by the Diocese in respect of the Internal Financial Controls,
although the church continues to follow all good practice and
procedures as recommended by the Charities Act.
The financial outlook for 2009 and beyond is likely to be
challenging. There are many demands on our resources and a
Quinquennial Inspection of the church fabric is imminent which is
likely to place an additional strain on our repairs programme.
The stewardship renewal campaign is vitally important to cover our
routine costs and to provide for mission and outreach in the future.
Reserves Policy
The PCC has a Reserves Policy whereby two months’ costs will be
maintained as a general reserve. A Fabric Fund of £5,000
was established to allow the Premises Committee to carry out repairs as
identified in the Quinquennial Inspection. At 31 December, the
general reserve stood at £7,317.
Risk Management
The major risks to which the PCC is exposed is under review and a Risk
Management Plan is being prepared for consideration by the PCC.
The risks may be categorized as follows:
* Financial risk
* Reputational risk
* Statutory and legal requirements
* Operational risk.
Plans for the future
In 2009, we intend to:
* Develop further opportunities for prayer and reflection as well as
faith-sharing and discipleship.
* Develop further our Parish Mission Statement, with full involvement
of the members of the PCC and the congregation. In order to make
firm plans for mission and outreach, the newly-formed Resources and
Sustainability Group will begin its work.
* Develop further fundraising activities, in order that the church, its
mission and activities can be sustained. We will also consider
ways of making new approaches to both individuals and businesses in the
wider community and through the Friends of S. Faith’s.
* Renew our commitment to the ‘Giving in Grace’ campaign. This
will build on an appeal made during Lent during a Sunday Mass and we
will explore ways in which regular givers can be kept informed on the
church’s financial affairs as well as challenging those not currently
in planned and covenanted giving schemes to see this as an essential
part of Christian discipleship.
* Form a Bereavement Group. We will seek advice from the Diocese
on training and support in this area and explore the possibility of a
wedding preparation group with other churches in the Waterloo and
Crosby district.
* Involve the parish in discussions, starting at the APCM, arising from
the Mission-Shaped Introduction course to see what new and fresh
expressions of church may be relevant to our setting.
* Explore our Eucharistic life (how at times we need to express what we
believe to be important in a fresh way, particularly aimed at those
with little or no experience of church) and our social life, i.e. how
that Eucharistic fellowship is developed socially. Both of these
must be seen as mission and growth opportunities.
Approved by the PCC on 5 April 2009 and signed on their behalf by
Fr Neil Kelley
Chairman of the PCC
Election Results
At the Vestry Meeting held before the APCM proper, Maureen Madden and Kari Dodson were elected unopposed
as Church Wardens, following the previous resignation of Leo Appleton.
At the A.P.C.M. itself, the following were elected, also unopposed:
Deputy Wardens: Judith Moizer and Rosie Walker
P.C.C.: Shelagh Mulholland, Lillie Wilmot, Peter
Garner, Gill Ellis, Mike Carr, Eunice Little
P.C.C. COMMITTEES
Catering Team: Ruth Winder (Team Leader), Fr Neil
Kelley (Incumbent – ex officio), Lillie Wilmot, Irene Taylor, Christine
Spence, Mary Crooke, Eunice Little, Judith Moizer, Fiona Whalley, Angie
Price,
Rosie Walker, Audrey Dawson, Linda Nye, Ann Holland
Finance Committee: David Jones (Treasurer) (Chair), Fr
Neil Kelley (Incumbent – ex officio), Maureen Madden and Kari Dodson
(Churchwardens – ex officio), Chris Price, Rick Walker, Margaret
Houghton, Gareth Griffiths.
Premises Committee: Leo Appleton (Chair), Fr Neil
Kelley (Incumbent – ex officio), David Jones (Treasurer – ex officio),
Ruth Winder, Christine Spence, Michael Holland, Michael Broom, Ken
Bramwell, Maureen Madden, Kari Dodson (churchwardens), Mike Taylor
Mission Group: Fred Nye (Reader) (Group Leader),
Fr Neil Kelley (Incumbent – ex officio), Linda Nye, Jackie Parry, Angie
Price, Joan Tudhope, Rosie Walker, Kathleen Zimak, Audrey Dawson.
Church
and Community Reports
Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2009
Catering Team
This was another busy and varied year for us during which we were
privileged to cater for the Deanery lunch, at which we welcomed Bishop
Michael Sande and his wife, Deanery members, clergy and representative
members of the churches in the Bootle Deanery. The team provided
a wonderful welcome and a splendid lunch for which many compliments and
thanks were received. The day was helped massively by wonderful weather
permitting the use of the Vicarage garden, which enabled everything to
run smoothly. (It was really humbling at one point when a
comment from Bishop Michael that he had “never seen so much food,”
filtered back to the kitchen.)
The year was not without some sad duties when we extended our usual
commitments for people we have loved and lost. “Thank you” to all
concerned for your time and generosity.
Happily in 2008 we had a new kitchen. What a difference - it
makes it almost a pleasure to cook. Big thanks to Mike Broom,
Mike Taylor, Ken Bramwell and others for painting and tiling, and
giving us the most appreciated of gifts “a window that opens” there is
still some finishing to do, but we are so much more comfortable.
Naturally, not forgetting our generous benefactor George Smith
for providing us with the funds to proceed.
Well done, Catering Team, as usual many tasks well met.
Ruth Winder
Churches Together in Waterloo
The committee has continued its regular meetings with all the member
churches being represented by at least one of their congregation.
The year’s activities have included shared worship at the Christian Aid
Week service in May 2008, the Advent Service and carol singing at the
Waterloo Interchange. A large number of people had attended the
Family Fun Day in June where the Gospel was clearly proclaimed via the
“In Another Place” group.
This year St Faith’s and St Mary’s were unable to participate fully in
the Procession of Witness to the Civic Hall on Good Friday because of
the Children’s special Good Friday activity at St Mary’s but the
congregation was represented at the service there. There
will be a joint Christian Aid service at Waterloo United Free Church on
10 May and the churches will again be responsible for the house to
house collections during the following week. The churches
contributed to the Sefton Fairtrade campaign by organising a
coffee morning with sales of Fairtrade goods, raising £200 for
the Christian Aid Gaza Appeal and Traidcraft Exchange which funds
community projects in the developing world. Another successful coffee
morning was held in aid of a maize mill in Malawi enabling the appeal
to reach its target of £10k, and securing the purchase of
the maize mill together with a building to house it. CTW
committee members were invited to tea with Lucy Chipeta, the director
of the Home of Hope orphanage in Malawi.
Financially the committee is grateful for the subscriptions of member
parishes: however it was decided that it would be more effective this
year to advertise events not with leaflets but on the Rotary Club
notice board opposite South Road.
The congregations of the Waterloo churches are warmly invited to attend
the weekly Monday service at Liverpool Seafarers Centre, where the Rev
Greg Cuff is Hon. Chaplain. On the second Monday of each month Holy
Communion is celebrated.
We are grateful for the leadership of the Revd Randal Brown as Chair of
the committee.
Kathleen Zimak
Choir
It is a great pleasure to be able to report that we were able to
appoint a very able and talented new Director of Music in September
2008, Sam Austin. Sam has been working hard to maintain and
develop the strong musical tradition here at St Faith’s, and he is an
enthusiastic and creative musician with plans for expanding our
repertoire and encouraging new members to join the choir. With a view
to this, we organised a BIG SING evening – an open rehearsal – in
November, which attracted a good attendance and was very enjoyable. We
are hoping to hold more of these evenings during the coming year, both
as a recruitment initiative and as a way of letting the congregation
see some of the hard but interesting work that goes on ‘backstage’!
As always, we are extremely grateful to Stephen Hargreaves, who acted
as our Musical Director in times of great uncertainty, and, on Sam’s
appointment, has moved back to his role as Assistant Organist. His
contribution to our worship continues to be greatly appreciated. We are
indeed blessed to have two such talented musicians in our midst.
Communications
As has been the case for a good many years now, St Faith’s (and St
Mary’s) continue to generate an endless flow of paperwork: service
sheets, liturgy booklets, flyers and tickets, to name but a few
(including this large booklet!). Thanks to the good offices of our
Archdeacon, we have recently gained access to a cheap source of colour
printing for magazine pages and centre photo spreads: a welcome
development, but whose continuation and frequency depends on
sponsorship by members of the congregation and friends!
Newslink has a monthly run of 350 copies, of which 130 or more
are posted, free of charge, to non-attending friends and well-wishers
locally and nation-wide. The editor continues to try to provide a mix
of news, devotional material, pictures, notices and attempts at humour…
and this year has provoked an outburst of healthy controversy. I am
grateful to the many who supported me on that occasion and, of course,
to all who provide articles, photographs, and dubious jokes and
cuttings.
The church website, securely established with an accommodating
provider, has continued to flourish. It features a wide range of
features, religious and secular, and attracts a healthy number of
visitors. We are fast approaching our 100,000th visitor. With the
magazine now online monthly in full PDF colour, we have taken another
step towards the (doubtless distant) day when the internet replaces
paper productions and secures a bit more of the rain forest. If you
have yet to do so, please visit www.stfaithsgreatcrosby.org.uk (which of course you have done!)
where, in the wonderful world of cyberspace, words, pictures still and
moving, sounds - and as many feeble jokes as you could
possibly want, all flourish freely.
Chris Price
Junior Church
It’s good to be able to report that the Sunday School has begun to grow
in numbers: we now have 17 names on the register. Not only that – we
have also been very happy to welcome Tom, Julie and Frances as
assistant teachers and Gill as a full-blown teacher!
The parties at Christmas and in the summer were, as always,
well-attended and great fun, and the weekly classes continue to provide
varied Christian instruction, fun and play. Many thanks to all helpers
who have made this possible once again.
Angie Price
Men’s Group
In an age where it seems that all organisations need mission
statements, codes of conduct, rules, regulations and management
structures, the Men's Group is unique in not only having none of those,
but actually meets simply because it wants to meet. Through highs and
lows, the members have met more or less regularly most months on Sunday
evenings, and used our joint experiences of St Faith’s to try to know
each other better, and to be able to offer better support to the wider
community of Waterloo.
We have enjoyed meals in each other’s houses, and also at the wonderful
Spice Company restaurant of Samantha Brown. Although the restaurant is
sadly now closed, the food from Sri Lanka was much enjoyed. Food also
featured in most other events, from the Christmas pensioners’ lunch
funded largely by the group, to the sumptuous meals during our annual
retreat to David’s House.
We suffered a huge shock in November at the sudden loss of Kevin Walsh
who had been a stalwart of the Group for very many years. His passing
has left a huge hole in the Group, and as a very much larger than life
personality, stories and happy memories will no doubt feature in our
meetings for very many years to come. It was a real privilege to have
known Kevin and to join with Sue and the girls at his funeral. His name
joins those of former members who have passed away and whose names are
engraved on the Silver paten of the Group’s communion set.
We have welcomed one or two new faces this year, and are always happy
to see any member of St Faith’s community who wishes to join us for our
monthly natters, debates, eats and drinks.
Rick Walker
S. Faith’s Holiday Club
Joan Tudhope ran the August 2008 sixth S. Faith’s Holiday Club.
Once again we received a grant from Sefton Council towards the running
of the club and from St. Christopher’s Home Trust, which enabled the
children to have a great week. We were able to run the usual four
groups again thanks to a dedicated team of Leaders and helpers.
The Club functioned at full capacity with 50 children attending the
week’s activities. Thanks must go to all the Leaders of the
Groups and to those who helped in any way whatsoever.
Serving Team
Last year the serving team suffered a major loss with the death of
Kevin Walsh. He was the Assistant Sacristan and played a major role not
only on the serving team but also in our lives. Judith has moved to
that role and we must thank her for the support she gives to the team.
Paul Jones has also been a great help in assisting me with preparing
the church on Sunday mornings. Peter Lunt left the team in February and
we thank him for all the work he did over a number of years. The team
remains strong and, with a large team, it allows flexibility and
ensures that we always have enough servers for every service. I would
like to thank the serving team for all their hard work and dedication
during the last twelve months
Geoff Moss
United Benefice Over 65s Holiday
Club
The third Over 65s Holiday Club was held this year in S. Mary’s Church
Hall. The format again followed that of the Children’s Holiday
Club in that there were activities each day, with a half day out
to the Dobbies Garden Centre, a full day out to Llangollen, and a
fantastic surprise half day to Eccles to the Wurlitzer Organ
Experience. The week was a great success.
Walsingham Circle
The Circle met regularly throughout the year. We visited Holy
Trinity Tarleton in September, where we joined with members of their
Group in Mass and shared lunch with them. In November, Fr. Martin
Jones and Miriam hosted a visit to St. Oswald’s, Winwick, and in
December following Mass and Advent Meditation we enjoyed mulled wine
and mince pies. At the January Mass we welcomed our friends from
Tarleton and followed this with lunch in the Upper Room. Many of the
Circle attended the excellent School of Prayer in Liverpool Cathedral
where the Bishop of Stafford talked on the Psalms. In March there
was a Mass for the Annunciation of Our Lord to Mary followed by Lenten
lunch in the Vicarage.
The following programme is set for the rest of 2009 :
3rd May 6.00 pm May
Devotions in S. Faith’s.
30th May 10.30 Mass
7th June S. Mary’s Patronal
Festival & BBQ
25th July 10.30 am S. James’s Day
Mass
26th September 12.00 Noon Mass followed by lunch
21st November` 12 Noon Mass followed by lunch
4th December 6.30 pm Mass followed
by mulled wine and mince pies.
From Friday 16 – Sunday 18 October 2009 there is a Pilgrimage planned
to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Go to
the 'Meeting
People' page for an introduction to APCMs and links to previous
years' meetings