APCM 2015ST. PETER & ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, WIVELSFIELD

Registered Charity No. 1130751www.wivelsfieldchurch.org.uk

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Agenda for the Annual Meetingof Parishioners and the

Annual Parochial Church Meetingto be held on

Tuesday 21st April, 2015 at 7.20 p.m. in the Church

Opening Prayers followed by

ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHIONERS

1. Apologies for absence2. Election of Churchwardens

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETINGSee Report on Page No

1. Minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 8th April, 2014 22. The Vicar’s Message 53. Election of members to the Parochial Church Council4. Presentation of the Electoral Roll 55. Annual Report and Financial Statements of the 7 - 18

Parochial Church Council for the year ended 31st December 2014

6. Appointment of Honorary Auditor -7. Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the Church Report 198. Worship Reports including 20 - 21

a. the Worship Committee, b. Home Groups and c. Healing Ministry

9. Mission report including 22 - 23a. Christmas Lunch, b. Posada,c. Sierra Leone, d. Lunch Bunch, e. Playgroup Coffee &f. Everybody Welcome.

10. Child Protection 2411. Wivelsfield Church Hall 2512. Mothers’ Union Report 2513. Deanery Synod 2614. Stewards’ and Readers’ Report 2615. Organist’s and Director of Music’s Report 2616. Youth Reports including 27

a. Children’s Ministry, & b. Wicked Youth Club

17. Events Committee 2818. Wivelsfield Monthly News -19. Any Other Business -

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APCM 2015ITEM 1

Minutes of the Meeting of Parishionersand the Annual Parochial Church Meeting

held on Tuesday, 8th April, 2014 at 7.20 p.m. in the Church Hall

Chairman for both meetings, The Rev. C R Breeds

Opening Prayers

ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHIONERS

34 Parishioners were present. The vicar thanked the members for attending.

1. Apologies for absence were received from:- Mr G Perkins, Mr C Holden, Mr P Welch, Mrs M Russell, Mrs J Davey, Mr H Billam, Mr R Brocklehurst,Mrs A Wende, Mrs P Turner, Mr R Hope, Mrs A Hicks and Dr N Collins

2. The Vicar thanked the Churchwardens, the Treasurer and all members of the PCC for their hard work throughout the year.

3. Election of ChurchwardensMrs P Wood Proposed by Mrs S Blair, seconded by Mrs S CrichtonMr S Onions Proposed by Mr G Martin, seconded by Mr G Perkins

As there were no other candidates Mrs P Wood and Mr S Onions were declared elected.

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

1. The Minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 17th April, 2013The Minutes had been circulated. It was necessary to agree that they were a true

record at this meeting. It was proposed by Mr D Billam and seconded by Mr S Onions that they be agreed. Votes in favour 26, no votes against, abstentions 10.The Minutes were signed by the Chairman

2. The Vicar’s MessageThe Vicar’s Message had been presented. He confined his comments mainly to

developments in the mission of the church. We, as a church family, exist to serve our community and thereby demonstrate our love of God and our love of neighbour. He listed the ways in which we do this. He ended by pointing out that with regard to the refurbishment of the Church Hall, the PCC had chosen a path that was a tremendous leap of faith. He asked that all should be united in supporting the vision.

3. Election of members to the Parochial Church CouncilThe Vicar reported that Mrs A Martin and Mr R Meredith-Jones had completed three

years on the PCC and therefore would be standing down. Mrs A Martin had served as a representative on the Deanery Synod for some years. The Vicar thanked her for all the work she had done.

The Vicar asked if there were any volunteers prepared to stand for election. There were none. It was pointed out that we had up to six vacancies to fill on the PCC. We needed more volunteers so that more of the work involved could be shared out.

Mrs A Martin pointed out that new people on the PCC brought new ideas.

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APCM 20154. Presentation of the Electoral Roll

Mr D White, Electoral Roll Officer, advised that the head count on the Electoral Roll stood at 154.

5. Annual Report and Financial Statements for the PCC for the year ended 31st December, 2013.

The papers had been presented with the Agenda. The total receipts on general unrestricted funds received were £92,668. However, the total income for the year amounted to £178,839 which represented a 60% increase on the previous year. The largest expenditure of the PCC was the sum of £63,713 paid to the Chichester Diocese for ministry costs. The PCC paid 100% of the Deanery allocation of parish ministry costs. The total expenditure for the year was £106,120. The Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December, 2013, had been agreed unanimously by the PCC.

It was stated that £7,500 had been allocated to be paid to various charities. It was the policy of the PCC that when possible 10% of our income from unrestricted funds would be paid to charities.

The Vicar thanked Mr G Perkins for all his hard work as our Treasurer.

6. Appointment of Honorary AuditorThe Vicar thanked Mr R Brocklehurst for once again carrying out the role of

Independent Examiner. Mr Brocklehurst has agreed to continue to do this work for a further year. It was proposed by Mrs G Jeffrey-Cook, seconded by Mrs P Smitherman and agreed unanimously that Mr Brocklehurst should continue with this work.

7. Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the Church ReportMr R Wood has presented his report and this has been circulated with the agenda. The

Vicar thanked Mr Wood for overseeing the fabric of the church for the past year. It was pointed out by Mrs V Clements that before long, new covers for the alter would be required.

8. Worship ReportsReports have been presented as follows and circulated with the agenda. The Worship

Committee (Mr D Billam) - Home Groups (Mrs S Blair) - Healing Ministry (Mrs P Sullens). The Vicar thanked all those concerned with these areas of church life.The Vicar said that as Easter falls on a Cafe Church Sunday, the main Service will be slightly more informal to encourage families that attend Cafe Church, to come.

9. Mission ReportsReports have been presented as follows and circulated with the agenda. Mission Team

Report (Mrs S Blair) - Sierra Leone (Mr P Welch) - Posada (Mrs S Cox) - Christmas Lunch (Mrs C Godman Irvine) - Lunch Bunch (Mrs S Blair) All reports were most encouraging. The Vicar thanked all those mentioned but also all the others that assisted with these various activities.

10. Mission Action PlanThe Vicar explained that we had to have a Mission Action Plan. We needed more

people to read it, take an interest in it and contribute to it.

11. Safeguarding ReportMrs J Callaghan has presented her report and this has been circulated with the agenda.

There were no questions regarding the report.

12. Wivelsfield Church Hall AppealMr S Onions has presented his report and this has been circulated with the agenda.

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APCM 2015He added further explanation. A small number of builders had been approached with a view to them tendering for the work. It was stated that we are applying for various grants and applications are being carefully targeted. A number of concerns were raised concerning this project. It was stated that there would be a meeting in the summer to bring people up to date with the project.

13. Mothers’ Union ReportMrs J Billam has presented her report and this has been circulated with the agenda.

14. Friends of the ChurchyardMr D Garcka has presented his report and this has been circulated with the agenda.

In addition, it was reported that once again we had received £2,000 from Wivelsfield Parish Council, towards the cost of keeping up the churchyard.

15. Everybody WelcomeMr S Onions has presented his report and this has been circulated with the agenda.

It was reported that we have applied for a faculty so that the pews that had been removed to facilitate wheelchair users and for the children’s area, will not be reinstated. Mrs Sarah Cox was thanked for organising the children’s corner. The small team will continue to meet now and then to progress initiatives.

16. Deanery SynodMrs P Smitherman has presented her report and this has been circulated with the

agenda. It was reported that Mrs A Martin would be standing down as a deanery representative in May as she had stood down from the PCC. It was proposed by Mrs P Wood, seconded by Mrs S Blair and agreed unanimously that Mrs P Smitherman and Mr D White be re-elected as representatives. Mrs J Holden volunteered to become a representative from May onwards. It was proposed by Mr J Olsworth-Peter, seconded by Mrs A Martin and agreed unanimously that she should be a representative from May onwards.

17. Stewards’ and Readers’ ReportMrs J Billam has presented her report and this has been circulated with the agenda.

Please note that more volunteers are needed to be stewards at the 10.30 a.m. main services.

18. Organist and Director of Music ReportMr and Mrs D Billam have presented their report and this has been circulated with the

agenda. It was agreed that we are fortunate to have such excellent music in our church. The Vicar thanked Jenny and David for all they do with regard to the music.

Mrs J Billam said that some younger people were needed to help with running the Junior Choir.

19. Youth ReportsReports have been presented as follows and have been circulated with the agenda.

Children’s Ministry (Mrs S Cox) - Wicked Youth Club (Mr and Mrs S Onions) -School Children’s Social Club (Mrs A Martin). These were all interesting reports. The Vicar thanked all those who had been involved with these mission areas.

20. Events Committee ReportMrs M Whear has presented her report and this has been circulated with the agenda.

Comment was made that the Events Committee had worked very hard organising a range of events during the year. The Vicar thanked all the committee for their hard work and the others who had assisted at the various events. Special mention was made of the Church Fete that had raised a record sum. Mr R Wood was thanked for organising this event.

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21. Wivelsfield Monthly NewsMs F Holmes has presented her report. The Vicar thanked her for all her hard work

producing the Monthly News. It was agreed that this work was done very well.

22. Any Other BusinessThe Vicar thanked all those not mentioned previously, for all the work they do for the

church.

ITEM 2

Vicar’s ReportIt has been another extraordinary year in the life of Wivelsfield Church. At a time when we are

told that the Church of England is in general decline and we are in urgent need of an new reformation, and when other parishes similar to ours are struggling to survive, we are not only holding our own numerically and financially, but we are also successfully managing a major redevelopment of our Church Hall. In this sense I believe that we can all be proud of the time, effort and financial resources that we are putting into all of this. This is a truly magnificent effort and all of us can be proud of this.

When Bishop Martin came on his visitation last year to our deanery and our parish, I told him that it was my belief that no parish should sit back complacently believing that it had a divine right to exist. In this day and age every church congregation must earn the right to be valued, respected and supported by the people of the wider community if we are to survive and even flourish. In today’s post-Christian culture it is no good simply clinging on grimly to the old models of what it means to be Church, doing what we have always done behind closed doors on a Sunday and expecting people to turn up and support us with their presence, their time and talents and their money. It is self-evident that the impotence, indecision and inaction of the Church in many places have led to the current malaise in many parishes. The radical view of Church life mentioned in the Bible involves a number of important characteristics, and we can use them as a yardstick in order to discern if we are getting it right. These are listed in the Acts of the Apostles:

1. Studying Scripture, especially the Gospels, and learning from them.2. Faithfulness in fellowship through worship, Holy Communion and prayer.3. Selflessness, mutual care and generous, sacrificial giving of oneself.4. Gladness and sincerity of heart, issuing in praise of God.

We are told in the Acts of the Apostles that all of the believers were united in heart, mind and purpose, and in the power of the Holy Spirit they testified to Jesus and his resurrection. One of the most important ways in which we can testify, or bear witness, to our faith in Jesus and his resurrection is through the way we live out our lives. Yes, we must be faithful and positive in the way we demonstrate our love for God and for each other. Yes, we must be faithful in praying and worshipping together, but the whole purpose of this is to equip us and empower us to joyfully show God’s love and care for our community through Mission. Rather than trumpeting the modest numbers of people attending our church services, or the fact that we have a healthy bank balance, or even that we have raised most of the money required to develop our Church Hall, I would want to rejoice in our achievements in mission to our parish. Mission means going out or being sent by God to do his work and to make a difference for good in the lives of the people out there beyond the walls of the church building. We are called, in effect, to be the Church body, building God’s kingdom in the parish, so I rejoice, not only in the Sunday worship, but also in things like:

1. The weekly work that we do in the Parent & Toddler Group, the Playgroup and the School.2. The JAM Children’s Holiday Clubs in the Village Hall.3. The fortnightly WICKED Church Youth Club.4. The weekly Lunch Bunch for pre-school aged children and their parents.5. The monthly Light Lunches on Tuesdays in the Church.6. The monthly Tea Club for the older folk.7. The annual community Christmas Lunch.

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APCM 20158. The monthly Café Church in the Village Hall.9. The link with our partner parish in Sierra Leone and all of the prayer and financial support that

we give them.10. Our charitable giving which supports local organisations, as well as national and international

ones.These are just 10 things, out of many, that our church does in order to bear witness and to

enrich the life of our parish, and I believe that it is because we are faithful in Mission that God blesses us richly. Thank you for your fellowship in faith.

With love & prayer,Christopher

ITEM 4

Electoral Roll Report for 2015The Church Electoral Roll now stands at 160 compared with 154 at the previous Annual

Parochial Church Meeting.A copy of the Roll is available for inspection, so that individuals can confirm that information

held about them is correct.Not everybody used side two of the form, on which they could offer their God given gifts to

the service of their local church.

David White, Electoral Roll Officer

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APCM 2015St Peter and St John the Baptist Church, Wivelsfield

Registered Charity No. 1130751

Wivelsfield Parochial Church Council

Annual Report & Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 December 2014

Contents

Annual Report Page 8Statement of Financial Activities Page 10Balance Sheet Page 11Notes to the financial statements Page 12Report of the Independent Examiner Page 18

St Peter and St John the Baptist Church, Church Lane, Wivelsfield, West Sussex

Vicar: The Rev’d Christopher Breeds, The Vicarage, Church Lane, Wivelsfield, West Sussex, RH17 7RD

Independent Examiner: Mr Roger Brocklehurst, 12 Weald Rise, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 4RB

Bankers: Lloyds TSB Bank plc, 32 Oxford Street, London, W1A 2LD

CAF Bank Limited, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ

CCLA Investment Management Limited, 80 Cheapside, London, EC2A 6DZ

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APCM 2015Annual Report for 2014

Administrative information

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is registered with the Charity Commission as required by the Charities Act 2006.

During the year the following served as members of the PCC:

Vicar: The Rev’d Christopher Breeds Chairman

Church Wardens: Mrs Paula Wood Vice ChairmanMr Steve Onions

Representatives on the Deanery Synod: Mr David White Reader

Elected members: Mrs Jenny BillamMrs Sheila BlairMrs Sara Crichton SecretaryMrs Julie HoldenMr Andrew Meredith-Jones Parish Giving OfficerMr Geoff Perkins Honorary Treasurer

Structure, Governance & Management

Membership of the PCC is determined under the Church Representation Rules and consists of certain ex-officio members (the Vicar and Lay Reader licensed to officiate in the Church), the Churchwardens, three members of the Deanery and nine members of the Church who are elected to serve for three years at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM). Members are warmly encouraged to stand for election to the PCC and we try to ensure a balance of skills and experience where possible.

Objectives & activities

The primary objective of the PCC is the promotion of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England. The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Vicar in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church; pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

Achievements & performance

Church attendance:

There are 160 parishioners on the church electoral roll, of whom a number are not resident within the parish.. The average weekly attendance, counted during October, was 110 but this number increased at festivals.

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APCM 2015Review of the year:

1. The full PCC met 6 times during the year with a high average level of attendance. Committees met between meetings and minutes of their deliberations were received by the full PCC and discussed where necessary.

Summaries were published in the Parish magazine and will be discussed at the APCM to be held on 14 April 2015.

2. The total receipts on general unrestricted funds received were £94,152 and are detailed in the Financial Statements. The largest expenditure of the PCC was the sum of £65,017 paid to the Chichester Diocese for ministry costs. This amount covers the housing, stipend and pension costs of the clergy, church insurance and also a standard sum for the Diocesan central costs, clergy training and a contribution to national church funds. The PCC paid 100% of the Deanery allocation of parish ministry costs.

In 2015 the PCC has also committed to pay 100% of the Deanery allocation.

3. Mission Action Plan – Our MAP is updated through the year and currently has the headings of Discipleship/Mission/Worship/Fellowship and Ministry which are broken down into tasks and projects.

We have had an extraordinary year when not only have we held our own financially and agreed on giving nearly 12% of unrestricted income to a considerable list of charities, but we have also successfully managed a major redevelopment of our Church Hall.

We have continued to work for mission to our parish and for the wider world. We have contributed in the following ways:- the weekly work we have done for the Parent & Toddler group, the Playgroup and the Village School – the JAM children’s holiday sessions we have run – the fortnightly Wicked Church Youth Club – the weekly Lunch Bunch for pre-school children and their parents – the light lunches held once a month and every week during Lent – the monthly Tea Club for the older people – the annual community Christmas Lunch – the monthly Cafe Church held in the village hall – our link with our partner parish in Sierra Leone and all of the prayer and financial support that we have given them.

There are other smaller things that we have done during the year to bear witness to our Christian calling and to enrich the life of our parish.

4. Financial reserve policy

The PCC is committed to a policy to maintain a balance on the general unrestricted fund (excluding property) which equates to approximately three months worth of unrestricted payments as a contingency against unforeseen situations. This years closing balance of £47,784 exceeded this policy objective.

It is PCC policy to invest balances of funds with the CBF Church of England deposit fund and the CAF Gold Deposit account.

Signed on behalf of the PCC by the Rev’d Christopher Breeds

Chairman: …………………………………

Date:

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APCM 2015St Peter and St John the Baptist Church, Parochial Church Council, WivelsfieldRegistered Charity No. 1130751

Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2014

2014 2014 2014 2014 2013

NotesRestricted Funds

Designated Funds

Unrestricted Funds

Total Funds

Total Funds

£ £ £ £ £

Incoming resources:Voluntary income 2a 71,550 250 78,182 149,983 158,140Activities for generating funds 2b - - 12,262 12,262 9,659Income from investments 2c - - 1,674 1,674 1,480Church activities 2d - - 9,154 9,154 9,559

Total incoming resources 71,550 250 101,272 173,072 178,839

Resources expended:Costs of generating voluntary income 3a - - 93 93 163Fund-raising costs 3b - - 1,590 1,590 859Church activities 3c 43,455 3,130 92,279 138,864 106,120Governance costs - - - - -

Total resources expended 43,455 3,130 93,962 140,547 107,142

Net incoming (outgoing) resourcesbefore transfers 28,095 (2,880) 7,310 32,525 71,697

Gross transfers between funds 17,120 (10,000) (7,120) - -

Net incoming (outgoing) resourcesbefore other recognised gains/losses 45,215 (12,880) 190 32,525 71,697

Net Gain on revaluation of investments 4 - - 1,433 1,433 2,652

Net movement in funds 45,215 (12,880) 1,623 33,958 74,349

Total funds brought forward at1 January 2014 8 101,877 51,044 46,161 199,085 124,737

Total funds carried forward at31 December 2014 8 147,094 38,164 47,784 233,042 199,085

The notes on pages 6 to 17 form part of these accounts.

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APCM 2015St Peter and St John the Baptist Church, Parochial Church Council, WivelsfieldRegistered Charity No. 1130751

Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2014

2014 2014 2013Notes £ £ £

Fixed assets:Investments at market valueCentral Board of Finance2039 investment fund (income) shares 4 27,227 25,850454 fixed interest security (income) shares 4 756 699

27,983 26,549

Current Assets:Debtors & Prepayments 5 7,622 4,192Short term deposits 199,423 168,207Cash at bank 11,235 8,359

218,280 180,758

Creditors 6 13,221 8,223

Net Current Assets 205,059 172,535

NET ASSETS 233,042 199,084

Represented by:

Funds:

Restricted Funds 8 147,094 101,866

Designated Funds 8 38,164 51,044

Unrestricted Funds 8 47,784 46,174

TOTAL FUNDS 233,042 199,084

Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 18th March 2015 and signed on its behalf by:

Rev’d Christopher BreedsChairman

The notes on pages 12 to 17 form part of these accounts.

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APCM 2015St Peter and St John the Baptist Church, Parochial Church Council, WivelsfieldRegistered Charity No. 1130751

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2014

1. Accounting Policies

a) Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2005 together with applicable accounting standards and SORP 2005.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the inclusion of investments at market value. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the cost or value of the Church Hall, neither the accounts of church groups that owe their affiliation to another body, nor those which are informal gatherings of church members.

b) Funds accounting

Funds held by the PCC are:

Unrestricted funds – general funds which can be used for PCC ordinary purposes

Designated funds – monies set aside by the PCC out of unrestricted funds for specific future purposes or projects.

Restricted funds –

o Income from trusts or endowments which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in the terms of the trust or bequest, such as the Friends of Wivelsfield Churchyard.

o Donations or grants and the churchyard maintenance grant. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of the year is carried forward as a balance on that fund.

o Endowment funds – funds the capital of which must be maintained; only income arising from the investment of the endowment may be used, either as restricted or unrestricted funds, depending on the purpose set out in the terms of the original endowment. The Chichester Diocese holds the Chancel Trust.

c) Incoming resources

All incoming resources are accounted for gross.

Voluntary incomeCollections, numbered envelopes, and pew envelopes are recognised when received.Income tax recoverable on Gift Aid donations is recognised when the respective claim has been accepted by HMRC except for donations made via the Parish Giving Scheme whereby gift aid is received instantly. Grants and legacies are recognised when the PCC is legally entitled to the amount due.

Income from investments and deposits.

Dividends are accounted for when due and payable. Interest entitlements are accounted for as they accrue.

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APCM 2015

All other incomeChurch Hall rent is recognised when the rent is due. Magazine advertising revenue is recognised when it is due. All other income is recognised when it is receivable.

Gains and losses on investmentsUnrealised gains and losses are accounted for on revaluation on 31 December 2014.

d) Resources used

Resources expended are accounted for on an accruals basis and are accounted for gross.

GrantsGrants and donations are accounted for when paid over or when awarded where the award creates a binding obligation on the PCC.

Church activitiesThe diocesan parish contribution is accounted for when paid and was fully accrued for at 31 December 2014.

e) Fixed assets

Tangible fixed assetsConsecrated and beneficed property of any kind is excluded from the accounts by s96(2) of the Charities Act 1993 as amended by the Charities Act 2006.

No value is placed on the Church Hall and movable Church furnishings held by the Vicar and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal, since the PCC considers this to be inalienable property unless consecrated. They are listed in the Church’s inventory which can be inspected but are not included in the accounts.

All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or beneficed buildings, the Church Hall, moveable furnishings and equipment are written off in the year they were incurred.

InvestmentsInvestments are stated at market value at 31 December 2014.

f) Net current assets

The amount owing to the PCC at 31 December 2014 in respect of income tax recoverable and other items is shown as debtors.

Short term deposit is cash held with The Central Board of Finance Church of England Funds and also with CAF Bank Limited both of which pay favourable rates on interest on balances.

The amounts owing by the PCC at 31 December 2014 in respect of charitable giving, PAYE and other items is shown as amounts falling due within one year.

g) Chancel Trust

The Chichester Diocese administers a Chancel Trust, the income of which can be given to the PCC to be spent on repairs to this Church’s Chancel. At 31 December 2014, the accumulated income unspent was £7,402.

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2. Incoming Resources Restricted Funds

Designated Funds

Unrestricted Funds

Total Funds

Total Funds

2014 2014 2014 2014 2013£ £ £ £ £

a) Voluntary incomeCollections 1,509 - 3,694 5,203 3,336Parish Giving Scheme - - 20,628 20,628 -Bankers orders & cheques 3,094 - 14,253 17,347 30,798Numbered envelopes - - 17,054 17,054 18,981Pew envelopes - - 4,203 4,203 3,866Grants 20,750 - - 20,750 2,000Sundry donations & appeals 38,207 200 902 39,310 49,627Legacies - - 7,620 7,620 25,000Mission & outreach - - - - -Income tax recoverable 7,990 50 9,828 17,868 24,532

71,550 250 78,182 149,983 158,140

b) Activities for generating fundsFete & other fund-raising events - - 10,754 10,754 9,282Mag sales & ads - - 1,406 1,406 377Church history guides - - 102 102 -

- - 12,262 12,262 9,659

c) Income from investmentsDividends - - 1,034 1,034 802Interest - - 640 640 678

- - 1,674 1,674 1,480

d) Church activitiesChurch Hall rent - - 1,944 1,944 5,422Fees from weddings/funerals - - 7,210 7,210 4,014 4,137Youth club - - - - -

- - 9,154 9,154 9,559

Total incoming resources 71,550 250 101,272 173,072 178,839

3. Resources expendedRestricted Funds

Designated Funds

Unrestricted Funds

Total Funds

Total Funds

2014 2014 2014 2014 2013£ £ £ £ £

a) Costs of generating voluntary incomeStewardship envelopes - - 93 93 163

b) Fund-raising costsFete & other fund-raising costs - - 1,590 1,590 859

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3. Resources expended cont’d

Restricted Funds

Designated Funds

Unrestricted Funds

Total Funds

Total Funds

2014 2014 2014 2014 2013£ £ £ £ £

c) Church activitiesMissionary & charitable giving 1,509 - 4,821 6,330 11,780Christmas day lunch 634 - - 634 338Diocesan contribution - - 65,017 65,017 63,713Vicar’s expenses - - 1,619 1,619 1,417Vicarage costs - - 3,099 3,099 3,186Church services - - 4,821 4,821 4,553Administration - - 2,615 2,615 2,540Light & heat - - 2,445 2,445 3,617Church maintenance - 1,492 - 1,492 5,400Churchyard maintenance 5,000 - - 5,000 5,505Magazine - - 1,347 1,347 1,483Church hall 35,945 - 6,428 42,373 370Mission & outreach - 1,638 - 1,638 1,799Youth & Children Mission 367 - - 367 349Bank charges - - 67 67 71

43,455 3,130 92,279 138,864 106,120

4. Investments

No shares were purchased nor sold during the year. A net gain of £1,433 on revaluation of these shares at 31 December 2014 is shown on page 4. The PCC has passed a resolution to liquidate the investments held for use by the Church Hall conversion project.

5. Debtors & Prepayments

2014 2013£ £

Income tax recoverable 6,037 3,868Prepayments 762 -Other debtors 823 324

7,622 4,192

6. Creditors – amounts falling due within one year

2014 2013£ £

Missionary & charitable giving 7,070 6,130Chichester DBF 5,951 553Tax & social security 200 -Other creditors - 800

13,221 8,223

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7. Missionary & Charitable giving

2014 2014 2013 2013

GeneralSpecific appeals General

Specific appeals

£ £ £ £

Bible Society 50 50Burrswood 50 50Community Action Nepal 100 100CDA Family Support Work 1,400 1,200Church Army 200 200Christian Aid 500 750Crowhurst Christian Centre 100 100Children’s Society 150 148East Sussex Disability Association 100 100Ebola DEC appeal - 540 -Farmers DBF Appeal - 324 -Gaza DEC Appeal - 645 -Impact Foundation 250 250Mid Sussex Parkinson’s Disease 150 150Mothers Union 36 -NSPCC 200 200Off the Fence 200 100Open Doors 200 100Otehall Chapel - 150Philippines DEC Appeal - 550Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal 340 288Seafarers Mission 22 -Sierra Leone Mission 200 200St Peter & St James Hospice & Home 1,500 1,500Sycamore Tree Trust 200 200WaterAid 100 100Wivelsfield Community Tea Fund 100 100Wivelsfield Primary School 200 200Wivelsfield Green Playgroup - 200Wivelsfield Tenants & Residents 50 50UNICEF 200 200Unallocated provisions b/fwd 272 200

7,070 1,509 7,436 -

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APCM 20158. Statement of Funds

Bal B/f Income Expenditure Transfers Bal C/f01/01/2014 31/12/2014

£ £ £ £ £Unrestricted funds:

General (a) 46,161 102,705 (93,962) (7,120) 47,784

Designated funds:Fabric (b) 11,225 251 (1,492) 0 9,984

Joy Lawrence (c) 39,819 0 (1,640) (10,000) 28,180Specific collections -

51,044 251 (3,132) (10,000) 38,164

Restricted funds:Bells 4 0 0 0 4

Xmas Day lunch 4,500 1,058 (634) 0 4,924Churchyard Friends (d) 5,622 5,827 (5,000) 0 6,449

Organ 1,307 62 0 0 1.369Fabric 1,392 0 0 0 1,392

Sierra Leone (e) 9,740 3,746 0 0 13,486Sierra Leone Travel Fund (f) 2,016 394 0 0 2,410Church Hall Conversion (g) 76,582 58,952 (35,945) 17,120 116,709

Youth Mission 166 0 (166) 0 0Children Mission 548 0 (199) 0 349

Specific Collections 0 1,509 (1,509) 0 0101,877 71,548 (43,453) 17,120 147,094

Total funds 199,085 174,504 (140,547) 0 233,042

(a) Income includes a gain on investments held of £1,433.(b) £1,492 has been used to support repairs to the Church during the year. (c) In accordance with agreed policy £1,640 has been used against 2014 Mission expenditure. (d) Routine expenditure was incurred on maintaining the churchyard. A grant of £2,000 was received from

Wivelsfield Parish Council.(e) Due to Ebola crisis education sponsorships were suspended but after consultation with local

representatives a donation has been made early in 2015 to provide support.(f) A donation will be made in 2015 to provide support against the Ebola crisis.(g) The appeal continued to benefit from generous support from both the congregation and from grant

related funding. Income shown represents donations/grants received and banked. Grants were received, and fully consumed from the following organisations:

Henry Smith Charity £9,000Garfield Weston Foundation £7,500All Churches Trust £1,250Lloyds Bank £1,000

The appeal has also received a number of pledges which are not reflected in these numbers. The construction project began in September 2014 and the £35,945 represents the sum paid to the contractors as at 31 December 2014. Once the project has been completed the Church Hall will be brought onto the balance sheet as an asset.

Signed on behalf of the PCC by:

Rev’d Christopher BreedsChairman Date:

17

APCM 2015Independent Examiner’s report to the Parochial Church Council of St Peter and St John the Baptist Church, Wivelsfield

This report on the accounts of the PCC for the year ended 31 December 2014, which are set out on pages 4 to 11, is in respect of an examination carried out in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 (‘the Regulations’) and s43 of the Charities Act 1993 (‘the Act’) as amended by s28 of the Charities Act 2006.

Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the examiner

As members of the PCC, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirement of the Regulations and s43(2) of the Act, as amended, do not apply. It is my responsibility to issue this report on those accounts in accordance with the terms of the Regulations.

Basis of this report My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under s43(7)(b) of the Act, as amended, and to be found in the Church guidance, 2006 edition. That examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts with those records. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all of the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements

to keep accounting records in accordance with s41 of the Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with

requirements of the Act and the Regulations have not been met; or

2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed ……………………………………………………

Date ……………………………………………………

Mr Roger Brocklehurst12 Weald Rise, Haywards HeathWest Sussex, RH16 4RB

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APCM 2015ITEM 7

Fabric Report The Church is generally in good order. Maintenance and repairs have been attended to

throughout the year, a quiet year on the fabric front. The principal focus this year has been the Church Hall and that has been reported upon separately. As far as the Church itself is concerned there were no major undertakings this year. In detail, the works carried out were as follows:

The ChurchGutters, Gulleys and Drains.

These were periodically inspected and cleared, especially at the time of the autumn leaf fall. They are currently working well.

Lighting.The level of lighting at the high and chapel altars is poor. The situation at the high altar is

made worse by the contrasting brightness of the lighting focused on the nave altar, which leaves the high altar in comparative gloom. Electrician John Church was therefore asked to survey the area to see whether two new separate spotlights could be installed, one above each altar. He saw no problem, so the two lights will be installed in the near future.

The Advent Ring.As a result of increasing concerns about health and safety, the heavy wooden advent ring ws

considered to pose too great a risk. A new lightweight metal ring was therefore acquired and, rather than being suspended above the nave altar in the traditional manner, was mounted on a spare candle stand to the left of the high altar. The old wooden ring has been retained.

The Bells.The Church bells are maintained by the ringing team. They are in good order. Recently,

however, the tenor bell gave cause for concern, feeling uneven during ringing. Investigation revealed that one of the retaining bolts at the head of the bell had worked loose. This was accordingly tightened and now all is well.

The Notice Boards.The old notice boards in the Church porch have been removed and smart new ones have been

erected in the course of a general tidying of the porch. We are indebted to Sarah Cox's father, Ken Goddard, for the splendid new boards.

The Organ Humidifier.Recently the humidifier for the organ began to make a loud humming noise. Investigation

revealed that the problem was that the water supply to the machine had failed. The humidifier is permanently plumbed in to the mains water supply. A plumber has been asked to investigate, but has found no problem in the plumbing. It would therefore appear that the fault may in the humidifier itself, and the suppliers will now be contacted to deal with it at the next annual service. Meanwhile a temporary measure, the filling by hand of the machine's water reservoir, seems to cure the noise problem whilst allowing the machine to continue working.

The Pews.Following the successful removal of the front pew in the north aisle to facilitate the creation of

a children's corner, it was felt the children needed more room. A second pew has therefore been removed. It is currently being store in the Church Room. At the same time it was considered that the area by the north door was in sufficient for the band that plays there for informal services. The pew immediately to the west of the north door was therefore also removed. That too is being stored in the Church Room.

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APCM 2015

The West Wall.The West wall, which suffered water ingress and consequent damage some years ago, is now

thoroughly dry and should be attended to and redecorated. This was the case last year also, but other large works, such as the churchyard wall and more recently the Church Hall have understandably taken precedence. It needs now to be done, however. The cost of the work would clearly be quite high, but this could be off-set were we to apply for a grant from The Sussex Historic Churches Trust. We have long supported the trust, we have an historic Church building and recently the treasurer of the trust has complained that he has money to disburse but too few churches are applying.

The Church RoomUntil recently the heating in the Church Room was not working and nor was the radiator in the

corridor outside. Initially it was thought there was a plumbing problem similar to that which was causing problems for the organ humidifier. Investigation revealed, however, that the source of the problem was electrical. It transpired that the electrical control box, situated in the vestry, which dictates the times when the heating operates, had failed. Electrician John Church was summoned and repaired the said control box. All is now working well.

Electrical Safety.In the coming year we shall need to have all our small electrical appliances PAT tested by a

specialist electrician.

The Churchyard.There have been no major works in the churchyard this year but, as usual, it has been kept in

immaculate order by Philip Diamond and his team. They deserve our thanks. Recently tree surgeon, Mr David Edwards, has been asked to survey the trees in the churchyard and to recommend any action that might be required from a health and safety point of view.

Robert Wood.

ITEM 8

Worship ReportThe worship of our church is the most important thing that we do. We do it in order to put

ourselves consciously in the presence of God, to remind ourselves that he is holy and we are not, to remember what we owe him, to thank him for his boundless love and mercy, to ask for his guidance and strength, and to offer ourselves lovingly and humbly in his service. I believe we worship with sincerity and integrity and that we are empowered by this worship to live out the Christian life to the best of our ability and to engage in true fellowship, discipleship, ministry and mission.

Having said this, as with other areas of church life, we must never be complacent, but always be reviewing what we do and why we do it, and ensuring that we do it to the best of our ability. Our pattern of worship has hardly changed at all over the past year. The vast majority of our services are still fairly traditional with the Eucharist in contemporary language predominating. Attendances at the 10.30 am Sunday Service have remained reasonably good, but those at the 8 am Communion and 6 pm Evensong have diminished to the point where we are down to single figures occasionally. This is a source of concern, as we need to consider whether this is ‘viable’ or ‘sustainable’, but of course viability is not just a matter of numbers alone, and the spiritual sustenance of each and every member of our church family is vitally important.

We have found over the last year that there is a gradual decline in the number of communicants, but an increase in the attendance at some of the more informal services like the Christmas Eve Crib Service. Attendances at the monthly Children’s Service and Café Church remain strong and the Worship Committee are continually looking at how we might find more creative and imaginative ways of doing worship and marry up the needs and aspirations of the ‘seekers’ and more

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APCM 2015peripheral members of our church family with those of the more faithful ‘core’ members. We tread a delicate path in doing this, but as exemplified by the Easter Day Service last year, it can be achieved. I am sure that God wants us all to put ‘self’ aside and try to turn to him and to each other with open hearts, open minds and open arms as this is the essence of true worship.

Christopher

Home Groups

During 2014 here were four Home Groups in our church, meeting weekly or fortnightly. These are led and hosted by members of the church, in their homes or in the church room, enabling members to grow in their faith because these groups provide an environment in which to study the Bible in a more interactive and discussion-orientated surroundings. Home Groups are informal, friendly and supportive, providing an ideal setting in which to enjoy closer and more meaningful relationships with people and to meet new friends - a place to share, receive and give.

The Tuesday evening group met fortnightly. After the joint Lent study they started a workbook on Acts, however due to increasing commitments by various members of the group it disbanded in late 2014.

Two groups meet on Wednesday evenings; one weekly and one fortnightly. In 2014 Sheila Blair’s group started the year with a course on Christian stewardship of Environment. In Lent the course followed by all Home Groups was Tales of the Unexpected after which 40 Days with Jesus seemed an appropriate course of study. The year ended with study for Advent.

The “other” Wednesday Group, led by David Billam, had met weekly, but during 2014 decided to reduce to the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month month. We have currently 12 members, all of whom attend with great loyalty and commitment. We have studied a variety of topics, led by various members of the Group, on the Nicene Creed and Bible study. One notable evening was a visit to Cuckfield Church to see a production of the play “Racing Demon”. Another series was viewing a BBC2 series called “Pilgrimage”, following pilgrim routes from Lincoln to Jerusalem via Canterbury, Santiago etc. We have also enjoyed Holy Week meditations in words and music (one of these concluding with a moving celebration of Compline), a visit from the Vicar to answer our questions on faith, and are currently in an extended study of the Gospel of St Matthew.

Sadly the Thursday afternoon group was discontinued due to the ill health of several members.Some of the Wicked Youth Club took part in five sessions of Youth Emmaus run by Steve Onions and the Vicar

Sheila Blair

Healing Ministry Throughout the year at the 10.30 services the healing ministry team (Sheila Blair, Janet Day,

James Olsworth Peter, Penny Sullens, David White) have been available to listen to your concerns – big or small, and to pray with you. Being listened to can really ease the burden of worries, and allowing someone else to lift those worries to God in prayer can be a healing experience.

Four Healing services were held during 2014 - at the Ascension Church in May and October and at our church in March and August. There is an opportunity at these services to receive anointing, and laying on of hands with prayer but it is not obligatory!

The service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving took place in early November. This service was attended by about 70 people and candles were lit in memory of departed loved ones. This service involves a lot of preparation- writing letters of invitation to those who have held funeral/memorial services in our church during previous years and drawing up the list of names, which is read out at the service.

Our annual trip to Burrswood Christian Hospital and place of Healing took place in July and was well attended. They have a healing service each Thursday at 11.30am, which is open to all. This year we will be visiting for that service and lunch on Thursday August 27th – all welcome.

In February 2015 Sheila and I attended a training day in Eastbourne entitled ‘Great Expectations-encountering God’. One of the speakers was Bishop Richard Jackson who spoke on

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APCM 2015‘How much Faith is Enough?’ and Revd. Chris Lawrence gave teaching about different prayer ministry styles and also spoke about his personal experience of God’s healing power.– a very interesting day with inspiring speakers.

Our most recent healing service was on the 22nd March when our guest preacher was David Goodenough, (Chaplain at the Princess Royal Hospital.) who spoke about his own experience of healing which was very interesting.

Penny Sullens

ITEM 9

Mission Team The Mission Team’s terms of reference are to: ‘Reach out into the community for the greater

glory of God by sharing the Good News of His love by word and deed’.Activities that bring the church to the notice of the wider public and, where possible, involve

them directly are instigated and encouraged. The usual New Year’s Day walk was cancelled due to extremely wet weather. In the Spring, nine young couples attended the Marriage in Mind course, a day which helps prospective wedding couple think about their future life together. Frugal Fridays are a monthly opportunity for hosts to invite non-churched friends and neighbours to meet church members in table-fellowship, while raising money for the Village Fund. The Big Brew Coffee Morning at the pub and Fair Trade stall are other opportunities to build relationships, as is the church presence at Village Day, while Back to Church Sunday invites all those we have met during the year to join us in church.

Other Mission initiatives are reported in more detail below.Sheila Blair

Christmas Lunch 2014 was the seventh year that the Better Together Christmas Day Lunch, the brain child of

Norman and Ann Turner, took place in the Village Hall. The Lunch was more popular than ever with 90 guests and helpers sitting down to a full Christmas lunch in the Village Hall and enjoyed, music, entertainment, laughter, good company and friendship. Anyone finding themselves alone at Christmas were welcomed with open arms and joined the Christmas celebrations. The food, which was excellent, was once again donated and prepared by a small army of supporters, and helpers who joined in the festivities; Waitrose Community Fund and Tony Chandler, our major donors, for their generosity. Terry Murrell, Doreen Hardacre and Joyce St Clair gave turkeys; Alan Janes' artistic flair created the artwork for the posters, flyers and menus. Jane and Mark Hill and Barbara and Jocelyn Prichard worked wonders in the kitchen, ensuring everyone had a piping hot meal. Eddie Pascoe's piano playing ensured we all kept in tune while singing carols, and Matthew Godman Law organised a brain taxing quiz. Through the generous support and kindness of the many who give so generously, including their time, this event looks well set to carry on for many Christmases to come.

Carola Godman Irvine

Posada The list of families offering Mary and Joseph accommodation for a night filled up quickly and

after leaving church on Advent Sunday they journeyed round the village and beyond, including visits to Playgroup, School, Carols in the Cock plus being present at Village Hall carols, before returning to church for Crib Service. This year, many more people welcomed in the Posada and the visiting families by sharing food and wine together, which developed a stronger community feel to this lovely tradition. The original large Posada figures suffered some accidental damage, which was expertly repaired by Jon Billam, and are now kept for use in Church and at the Village Carols: a smaller set of figures has been kindly donated, and these are used for use in private houses.

Sarah Cox

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APCM 2015

Sierra Leone2014 was a difficult year for our link with St. Matthew's church in Aberdeen, Sierra Leone. In

the middle of the year the world began to hear news of an Ebola outbreak and by October this deadly virus had spread to a family in Aberdeen. Schools and other public gatherings were suspended and we have no news of our sponsored children other than they are safe so far. Scholarships for further children have been suspended until further notice. Our planned visit to them in the autumn was cancelled. Communications have been by way of monthly newsletters between both communities, when emails are working. In December we heard that 25 homes were now affected, involving 107 people including 15 children and 92 adults. An Aberdeen Ebola Task Force had been set up to minister to those affected and the community were trying to raise £2000 to provide disinfectants and food to quarantined household. A retiring collection was held at our Carol Service enable £500 to be sent to this Task Force via St Matthew's.

Paul Welch

Lunch Bunch This is a drop-in lunch club for mums, dads, grannies and carers every Thursday from 12 noon

to 2pm, in term time. Adults enjoy homemade soup and a roll while meeting new friends and chatting to old ones while play-helpers are on hand to entertain the children. This initiative is much appreciated and numbers continue to grow, ending the year with 16 parents/carers + 18 under-5s on the register. Fortunately not all come every week, as about a dozen is all that Otehall Chapel can comfortably accommodate. The move to our refurbished church hall is eagerly anticipated and funds are in hand to buy some equipment such as a large roll of carpet.

Sheila Blair

Playgroup Coffee This is a new initiative with half a dozen church members taking it in turn to provide coffee to

Play Group parents at 9am on Wednesday mornings. This gives them an opportunity to get to know each other and is chance to build relationships between them and the church. It is also somewhere dry, warm and welcoming for those waiting for Mums & Toddlers to start at 9.30.

Sheila Blair

Everybody WelcomeIt is now over 2 years since the series of Everybody Welcome sessions, which were so well

attended, were held. Over the early months following the sessions a number of changes were made with the aim of making our church more inviting. These changes included the establishment of a team of Welcomers to ensure that new people coming to our church would quickly feel at home. They have been doing a wonderful job and are well supported by other members of the wider congregation. During those first few months, on a trial basis, we also created a children's corner in church and an area in which wheelchair users could easily get to and be at the heart of services with their friends and family close by. It was strongly felt that both these changes added to the quality of church life. Accordingly a Faculty was applied for to allow us to make the changes permanent and this was granted last summer. More recently thanks to the work of Sarah Cox and her father the notice boards in the church porch have been replaced; Sheila Lay has been doing a great job in keeping the notice boards tidy with only current material being displayed.

You will probably have noticed that we have removed a pew by the North door on a trial basis to enable us to accommodate the musicians at some of our more informal services and the PCC have recently agreed to seek a Faculty with the aim of making this change permanent. It was also agreed that Steve Onions should form a small group providing representation across our church that would meet periodically to consider the aims of Everybody Welcome, how the changes already made were supporting the life of the church and identify any new areas that may need addressing.

23

APCM 2015Steve Onions

ITEM 10

Child Protection A major change in policy within the Diocese took place recently that stipulated that all

volunteers, involved with children in the Church, must hold a DBS certificate. We have now been advised that current checks on all helpers who work with children are necessary, even if the children’s parents are present. Volunteers will require an enhanced check (without the barred list information). Volunteers, who have regulated contact with the children i.e. more than 4 times per month, will still need the barred list check.

Christopher, David White & myself attended the Safer Church Training event in Horsham in January (postponed from October) where Colin Perkins, the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor led the training. I must admit I was a little surprised that we seem to have taken a step backwards, in light of the current government restricting the necessity to check absolutely everyone, however, the Diocese are obviously using a belt and braces approach and have had their recommendations approved.

Steve Onions has kindly agreed to assist me with the validation checks. He is now registered and he is able to validate your details necessary for a DBS certificate. It is very important that all volunteers have the necessary documentation to continue their work with the children in our parish. I recently sent out a notice in the Parish magazine and newsletter and contacted leaders for Wicked, Lunch Bunch & JAM. Please can I appeal to all of you who volunteer to contact Steve or myself personally, preferably by email. This will make it easier for us to communicate with you to arrange when it is most convenient to meet up. Of course if you currently hold a CRB or DBS certificate within the Diocese they need to be updated every five years.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Jo Callaghan, Safeguarding Coordinator

ITEM 11

Church HallFollowing much discussion, which included a meeting to which all parishioners were invited

in July 2014, the PCC took the decision to proceed with the planned redevelopment of our church hall. Brian Huntly Builders were appointed to carry out the work on our behalf and work commenced in October, with a planned completion date for the building works towards the end of April 2015.

The work has progressed well and at the time of writing this report is on track to be completed as planned and within budget. At the time of the APCM being held we will be only days away from the planned completion date! Once the building work is completed a short period will need to be allowed before the hall comes into full operation to permit the concrete floor to fully dry out and the floor covering to be laid. In terms of the flat, it is expected that the appointed letting agent will be able to show prospective tenants around the flat from the end of April with a view to the first tenant taking up occupation during May.

Thanks to all of the very generous donations, fund raising activities and the support of a number of grant giving bodies we have over £200,000 towards our target of £250,000. Following a recent visit where she said she was very impressed by our vision the Archdeacon has confirmed that she will be delighted to approve a loan of £25,000 from her office to help us close the gap. Any remaining gap will be funded by a loan from our own reserves. Consequently we do not need to take the loan from CAF bank that had previously been negotiated.

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APCM 2015With the completion of the building works now firmly within sight we are poised to realise our

vision of the hall again being used to further our mission of serving our community and spreading the word of God.

Steve Onions

ITEM 12

Mothers’ UnionThe year began with our AGM in January, followed by an interesting and informative talk by

John Durrant on Restorative Justice at Lewes Prison in February. The Wave of Prayer on 17 March was held at Sheila Blair’s house, followed by a bring-and-share supper. Marjorie Leggatt and Janet Day became members of the Mothers’ Union at the Lady Day service held at Colemans Hatch on 25 March.

Father Don kindly led our Lent Quiet Time on Maundy Thursday, and Sara Crichton held a coffee morning and plant sale at her house in May. A Marriage Reunion tea party was held in the Vicarage garden – many thanks to Christopher and Kay for their hospitality. The sun was shining for the Amble around Wakehurst in August, and a bird even “blessed” Kay during our lunch!

Anne Martin arranged a successful bring and buy auction in September – and thanks go to Paul Welch for being a brilliant auctioneer. Kay Breeds, Penny Sullens and Dorothy Matthew talked about their faith journeys at the October meeting. We enjoyed another of David Billam’s musical mornings in November – thank you David for another yummy cake. We provided the Light Lunch for the Church in December, and also performed at the Village Carols.

We have had another busy year which has seen members of the Mothers’ Union involved in many aspects of Church life, and we look forward to 2015, the theme being “United in Prayer”.

Dorothy Matthew

ITEM 13

Deanery Synod Four meetings have taken place in the past year. Mark Eyre, of West Sussex Police Division

told of various projects to redeem our communities, aiming to promote safe streets, safe communities, well-being and provision of night shelters.

Although there was a harrowing presentation about the increase in people trafficking worldwide, there was an accent during the year on youth work in our Deanery.

In September Cuckfield Deanery Youth forum met at the Church of the Ascension, led by Ali Campbell. 31 people were present from eleven of the Parishes.

The Deanery Conference was at the Tiger, Lindfield on 7th. FebruaryThe last Synod meeting was led by Ali Campbell, showing various Youth-work resources he is

able to offer across the Diocese from his own organisation, since being made redundant due to reorganisation in Church House.

Clergy moves in the deanery include the induction of Michael Maine as Vicar of Cuckfield. Sandra Hall, Cuckfield’s Curate now has her own Parish in Itchingfield and Slinfold.

Sue Sansom, previously Curate at the Ascension is now Priest in Charge of the Parish Church of Stowe as well as the School Chapel and serves as Stowe School Chaplain.

David White

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APCM 2015ITEM 14

Readers and Stewards ReportI am very pleased to be able to say that we have an excellent team of Readers. All services are

well covered and many will fill in at a moment’s notice if needed.We do have more Stewards, but our numbers are still too small to cover all the main 10.30am

services. Holidays or sickness can leave us short at certain times, but there is always someone willing to help out. Please do volunteer to help at the 10.30am service if you possibly can.

We are very fortunate to have such a brilliant team of readers and stewards and I would like to thank them all very much for their dedicated support.

Jenny Billam.

ITEM 15

Organist and Director of Music.The Choir continues in a healthy state, with, currently 18 members, all very reliable and with

great commitment. The Junior Choir also continues with a membership of currently 7 children who sing regularly at Café Church and have also entertained at the Church Fete, Village Carols and at the Wivelsfield Tea Club.

Three of us (Jenny, Fenella and David, have gained their Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) “Bronze Awards”, and will be presented with their certificates at Chichester Cathedral on Saturday 2 May at 5.30 p.m. when our Choir will be taking part in the local Choirs Festival as part of a huge gathering of singers. Any members of the congregation who would like to enjoy a day in Chichester and come to the Service would be warmly welcomed.

We have sung at a number of special services in the past year, including the funerals of much-loved Eddie and Stella Taylor, three weddings, Patronal Festival Evensong in June, Café Church in October, the Village Carol festival and the Service of 9 Lessons and Carols in December, and “Party Pieces” in March.

In 2014 we sang a special service on Good Friday consisting of anthems, prayers, readings and hymns, and in 2015 we sang Fauré’s “Requiem” with soloists Alex Mowforth and Christopher Breeds.

Musical events coming up in 2015 include a Concert in the Church on 23 May at 7 p.m. by Millie Richards and Friends, and a Choir Sponsored Hymn Sing on Saturday 27 June at 7 p.m. (the Patronal Festival weekend). Both of these events are in aid of the Church Hall restoration, and we request everyone’s support. We are eagerly awaiting the completion of the Church Hall, as the Choir needs better access to the Church Room (Choir Vestry) before and after morning services.

Jenny continues to bless us with her dedication and skill amassed from a lifetime as a professional musician – the Church is indeed fortunate to have her services.

The organ is behaving well at present, probably because of the humidifier the PCC installed a few years back, although at present the water supply to it is not operating, and we have to keep it topped up manually with jugs of water.

We have unfortunately lost the services of our much-loved Organ Builder, John Budgen, who has had to reduce his workload due to increasing age and ill-health. He gave Wivelsfield Church amazing service for over 20 years, and was a delightful man. We have been fortunate to obtain the services of Patrick Christian, an organ builder based near Brighton, who was recommended by the Diocesan Organ Adviser, and is proving to be an excellent replacement for John Budgen.

David Billam, Organist.

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APCM 2015ITEM 16

Youth Reports

Children’s Ministry It has been another exciting year for children’s ministry and the church has continued to run

another liturgical year of holiday JAM (Jesus and Me) special events that have all been well attended and well regarded. These events could not be run without the dedication of the many volunteers who give their time for the benefit of the children, so a huge thank you should be extended to them.

The Café Church activities for children continue to be popular and there are many young children and families attending on a monthly basis. It is clear that new people are starting to become regulars at these services and the children continue to engage well with the activities. In fact, the children are very focused during the services and what they create is of a good standard. The crafts also try to reflect the crystallised meaning of the service.

The Children’s Services are going from strength to strength, with many families attending on a monthly basis. It is great to see so many families coming along and also staying afterwards for refreshments. The Welcoming Team continue to help make everybody feel welcome but the refreshments afterwards are often pressured due to space and the overlap with the next service. This will be improved when the new church hall is ready to use. Many parents talk about feeling comfortable at these services and it is great that relationships continue to build. Some families now attending this service also come to the weekly lunch bunch. I would, as always, like to thank the volunteers who lead these services for the children, as it is their hard work and creativity that makes these services such a success. It is also great to have so much variation on the team as this keeps each month exciting.

Finally, this year we improved and extended the children’s corner in Church and the feedback continues to be positive. I have many bible story bags ready to roll out, but I need somewhere to hang them in church and I need to attach a label of the contents. These should help families to keep their children entertained during longer church services.

Sarah Cox - Children’s Minister

Wicked Youth ClubThe youth club has continued to gain new members particularly from The Ascension Church

in Haywards Heath. We currently have 23 members with typically 14 young people attending each meeting. We’ve had a varied programme over the last year including a night hike, dodgeball, quiz night and bowling at Brighton Marina. We have also entertained at the Village Carol Concert, learning to sing ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ in sign language.

Approximately half of the regular youth club attendees continue to attend Cafe Church and there has been an increase in the number playing an active part in the worship, particularly in the music team. We also prepared and led one Café Church service in the church where we focused on homelessness.

We again attended May Camp and were joined by the Ascension Church. We had a total of 20 young people and 6 leaders joining with approximately 280 other young people and leaders at Plumpton Racecourse. We were again fortunate to have the support of Kay Breeds and Sue Onions who provided the catering. We are taking part again this year and the Ascension Church will again be joining with us. In the lead up to May Camp, we ran a short Youth Emmaus course to prepare the young people for their experiences at May Camp. To help meet the cost of May Camp we had a great evening Carol singing in Fox and Hounds and The Cock Inn, which was very well supported.

We have also held some youth club meetings jointly with the Ascension Church, which allowed us to have some more boisterous games in their much larger hall, and we also joined with West Hoathly at one of their meetings. Members of our youth club have attended the new Youth Collective service arranged once a month by the full time youth workers at St Andrews Burgess Hill

27

APCM 2015and the Point. Earlier this year, we took a small group of young people from Wivelsfield and the Ascension Church to St Bartz retreat for a weekend and learnt about prayer in short sessions run by various leaders.

Annie and Chris Close

ITEM 17

Events CommitteeThe committee has met on five occasions to discuss and organise various social events. Our

small group work very hard and cheerfully. We have had a busy and successful time organising various events.

On. Easter Day and Bank Holiday Monday afternoon, the committee organised teas, so that any visitors to the Church might enjoy our beautiful Easter flowers, the background music and refreshments

We assisted with the catering for the Friends of the Churchyard Service in May The committee organised and made the preparations for the Summer Fête, which was held on

Saturday June 14th. . It was, once again, a wonderful afternoon of fun and fellowship. Our very grateful thanks to Anne and Hew Billson and their family for the kindness and support they gave during our preparations, allowing us to enjoy their beautiful garden and the use of the Billiard Room and kitchen. A great financial success too, so thanks everyone!

On October 3rd h the committee prepared the Harvest Supper, which was followed by an excellent programme of music, provided by Hurstpierpoint College Jazz Band and much appreciated by everyone. It was a very enjoyable evening

At Christmas we provided the usual refreshments after the Carol Service. On 6th February 2015 we organised a Quiz Night with a fish and chips supper. Unfortunately

David Turner, due to ill-health, was unable to act as quiz-master but Lesley Wale was able to persuade her friend, Nick Findall to take on the role, which he did very skilfully. The evening was a great success, so much so, that we intend to repeat the evening in 2016.

Light lunches have proved very popular and are provided on the 2nd Tuesday each month – weekly on most Tuesdays in Lent and on Good Friday We will always welcome volunteers to provide the soup and salads. We now endeavour to serve refreshments, after the Children’s Service and the 10.30 am Eucharist Services, in the Church Room and are very grateful to all who volunteer to help. I’d like to thank the committee for all their hard work and support. We have enjoyed working

together and appreciated the help of all the other people who have enabled us to organise these events. I hope I haven’t forgotten anything or anybody.

We look forward to 2015, which we trust will be equally busy and enjoyable. We are already making plans for the Fête, when your help will be needed and valued.

Marion Whear

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