Who does what!!
The Church Wardens in this church are elected for a 3 year term and we also have an assistant Church Warden to work with the Wardens and provide continuity. Offering to be a Church Warden is not a "life sentence" and also means many more people are able to take on the job for a short period. The Church Wardens are the people's representatives to the Bishop and if situations demand it, can appeal direct to the Bishop - it keeps the vicar on his toes!! They are particularly important in an interregnum (when a church is between Vicars) - it is their responsibility to keep the church going. They also have a particular responsibility for the Church building itself.
The PCC are helped by various people - readers, pastoral workers and children's workers and several small committees...
Readers are people who have been trained by the Diocese to prepare them for leading worship and preaching. We have four Readers at St Mary's - Barbara Wadsworth, Roger Walters, Joan Bateman and Elinor Noble. They help the Vicar in developing worship, organising rotas, taking funerals, preaching and leading services such as the Quiet Service and the Service of Healing and Wholeness.
Pastoral workers people, some of whom have been trained by the Diocese who care for the congregation and others outside the Church. We have a pastoral committee who ensures members of our congregation are looked after. Our trained Pastoral workers take out communion to those who are house-bound and they have also developed services to
Children's workers are trained by the Diocese to work with children, particularly Sunday schools and Sunday clubs. Sunday Club is offered every Sunday in term time and our group consists of Ian Hudson and Sue Hayward.
Parish Evangelists are also trained by the Diocese and are there to constantly remind us of our mission to strive to bring heaven down to earth. Vicky Camber has recently completed her training.
We have a Verger who sets up the church for occasional services like funerals and weddings ensuring all is in place. We have an organist, John Smith and are fortunate enough to have two others who play the organ so we are rarely without accompaniment. We have a sacristan who sets up the Altar area for regular services, keeps an eye on the provision of candles and the like. We have servers who carry the cross, help with preparing for communion, readers and intercessors who share in the service as well as an occasional singing group and sidespeople (who welcome and give out service sheets) - it's very much a family business!
Supporting all this, we have people who clean the church, organise the flowers, ring the bells (always on the look-out for new bell ringers - we will happily train you!), organise, print and distribute 450 copies of the Parish magazine, make tea and coffee, organise our Autumn and Spring Fayres and help maintain the Church Yard and the Church Hall.
If you are interested in getting involved, there is a wide range of activities.
Electoral Roll and the PCC
Regular members of the congregation are encouraged to share in the life of the Church by joining the Electoral Roll. This allows you to vote at the Annual General Meeting. We currently have just over 90 people on the Electoral roll at St Mary's.
The PCC is the guiding committee of the church. It is elected each year at the Annual General Meeting and meets to discuss the life of the church including looking after the building, its finances, its mission. At present it meets bi-monthly. By joining the PCC you get an insight into the full workings of the Church and help preserve and develop its future.
PCC 2008
Fr Mike Healey Vicar
Trevor Hardwick Treasurer
Jean Hardwick
Chris Jennings Church Warden
Tony Jennings
Lynn Ardron
Gordon Bowers
Pat Collins
John Smith
Joy Smith
Christine Brunt
Herbert Brunt
Christine Schofield
Pamela Senior
Frank Hancock
Vi Hancock
Keith Wadsworth
Barbara Wadsworth Lay Reader
Brian Davis
Sybil Davis
Roger Walters Church Warden
Beth Walters
Deanery Synod Representatives:
Lynn Ardron
Pat Collins