ANNUAL GENERAL CHURCH MEETING : Sunday 22 May 2016, 11.45am : CALLING NOTICE
All Church Members and those from the wider Church Family are invited to attend the Annual General Church Meeting on Sunday 22 May 2016 at 11.45am. We will celebrate our life and mission together and consider the ongoing life and work of the Church. Coffee will be served after a shorter Morning Service, followed by the meeting. Please bring your own picnic lunch to eat afterwards. Apologies direct to Chris Kitchin, Church Council Secretary ( & 01707 332 470).
1 / Welcome2 / Apologies and Attendance Record
3 / Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 17 May 2015 (attached)
4 / Remembrance of Members who have passed away since the last Annual General Meeting
5 / Election of Church Stewards and Representatives to the Church Council
6 / Annual Report (to be circulated later)
7 / Any final matters
8 / Closing hymn and Benediction
There is a Nomination Form5 included here for the election of both Church Stewards and Representatives to serve on the Church Council. Nominations need to be with Andrew by Sunday 15 May 2016
A copy of the Annual Report6 will be circulated as soon as it is available. This will contain information about all the different aspects of the life of the Church over the past year. Please read it before the meeting and we offer you every encouragement to attend this meeting which we view as one of the most important in the year as we gather as a Church Family for mutual support, encouragement and counsel.
AndrewRevd Andrew Prout
Minister / Chris
Chris Kitchin
Church Council Secretary
HATFIELD ROAD METHODIST CHURCH
ST ALBANS
St Albans and Welwyn Circuit, Beds, Essex and Herts District
Minister: Rev’d Andrew Prout, 16 Gainsborough Avenue, St Albans, Herts AL1 4NL Tel: 01727 851834
Church Council Secretary: Judith Calvert, 6 Sunderland Ave, St Albans, Herts AL1 4HJ Tel: 01727 866872
Minutes of the Annual General Church Meeting held on Sunday 17th May 2015
at Hatfield Road Methodist Church at 6.30pm
1 WELCOME AND OPENING DEVOTONS
The Rev’d Andrew Prout welcomed everyone to the meeting and opened with devotions. Setting the meeting in the context of a service members sang the Hymn ‘The Saviour when to Heaven He rose’.
1. 2 ATTENDANCE RECORD AND APOLOGIES
See Appendix 1.
3 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS AGCM
The Minutes of the Annual General Church Meeting held on 31st March 2014 were approved and signed.
4 REMEMBRANCE OF MEMBERS WHO HAD PASSED AWAY SINCE THE LAST AGCM
Six church members who had passed away since the last Annual General Church Meeting were remembered in prayer: Margaret Mills, Ena Morgan, Louisa Mealey, Lynda Samuel, Gordon James and Jessie Munt. Members sang the hymn ‘For all the saints who showed your love’.
5 GREETINGS
John Huxstep had sent greetings to the meeting.
6 APPOINTMENTS
6.1 Church Stewards
The following were unanimously re-appointed as stewards: Paul Duxbury, Freda Gray, Val Parker, George Salvarajan, Tony Moody, Marion Eaton. Paul Duxbury, who was stepping down as Senior Steward, was thanked for serving in this role, particularly during the period between the Rev’d Sarah Lowe’s departure and Andrew’s arrival.
6.2 Church Council representatives
Peter Wallace and Graham Smith were standing down from the Church Council and were thanked for their contribution.
The following were unanimously re-elected by the meeting to the Church Council: Lesley Saunders; Eric Bridgstock; Caroline Tough and Denise Willingham.
Chris Hancock, Peggy Liffen and Helen Jeffery had each served for six years on the Church Council. They were re-elected to the Church Council for a further year by over a 75% majority of those present and voting on a ballot.
Ros Hancock had been appointed to the Church Council in October 2014 as one of the ‘additional persons appointed by the council’. She would be taking on the role of Senior Circuit Steward later in the year. The meeting unanimously elected her to the Council as one of their representatives.
6.3 Other appointments
The meeting thanked the following for their contributions: Graham Danbury, who was retiring as Treasurer; Graham Smith, who had stepped down as editor of the Broadcast; and Judith Calvert, who would be stepping down as Church Council Secretary and regular organist.
The meeting thanked Phillip Eaton, who had indicated that he would be willing to take over as Treasurer and Toby Weidmann, who had taken on the editorship of the Broadcast.
7 ANNUAL REVIEW 2015
7.1 The Annual Review 2015 had been circulated. The following comments were made:
Prayer Ministry (p.15): Roy Vivian reported that wherever possible the Prayer Tree was now using email to ensure everyone received the same message.
Growmore ramblers (p.12): Joanna Rose, noting last year’s concern that this group might fold, thanked everyone who had come forward to lead walks so that it might continue.
Network Fellowship (p.14): Sue Davey reported that there was a proposal to change the group’s name to ‘Wednesday Fellowship’ and noted that the meeting was also open to men.
World and Home Mission: Mary Groves, noting that there was no report on World or Home Missions in the Review, urged the revival and expansion of this work.
It was suggested that copies of the Review were made available in the Vestibule and for new members. Andrew noted that the ‘Welcome’ pack was being revised and that a meal was being planned for those who had joined the congregation in the past 12-18 months.
7.2 Andrew thanked everyone for their welcome on his arrival. He commended the church for all its activities, which required a lot of hard work from people. This included house-bound members who prayed for us. There were challenges going forward, with some groups, including Babies and Toddlers and the Aldersgate café, needing additional help. Andrew highlighted the need for leaders/helpers in Sunday Club. He thanked Ros Hancock, who had served as Sunday Club Co-ordinator for twelve years, and Lianne Weidmann for taking on the role. He also thanked Chris Tough, who would be stepping down in September from leading the Youth Fellowship.
8 THE WIDER CHURCH – CIRCUIT MATTERS & FINANCE
8.1 Andrew noted that questions about the circuit assessment had been raised at the last Church Council meeting. He explained that each of the ten churches in the Circuit paid an assessment to the Circuit which was used to pay the stipends of the five ordained staff; the cost of maintenance of the Manses; the Circuit administrator’s salary; and the contribution to the Methodist District and Connexion. HRMC had offered £44,083 for the 2013/14 assessment, which was about half its annual expenditure that year. The Circuit had also supported projects such as the mission work at Hatfield (the De Havilland project) and the costs for the young people attending 3Generate.
8.2 Peter Wallace reminded the meeting that last year he had compiled a report showing a breakdown of the cost of running the church [HRMC] and the weekly donations from members of the congregation - he suggested that there was room for more generosity. It was reported that there had been a slight increase in giving in 2015. Expenditure in 2013/2014 had included the cost of refurbishing the kitchen and expenses for the Church Away Weekend. Without these exceptional items there had been an excess of expenditure over income of £560 in the financial year 2013/14. Noting the aforementioned increase in giving and the economic climate of recent years Andrew thanked everyone for their existing generosity. He also reminded everyone of the importance of annually reviewing their giving.
8.3 Andrew reported that the last circuit meeting had been looking ahead to the next invitation process in 2017 and considering how best to staff the Circuit in its on-going mission.
9 CHURCH LIFE – MISSION POSSIBLE
Andrew reported that c.55 people would be attending the church ‘Away Weekend’, but that our thoughts would also be with those not able to attend. The Rev’d Dr Chris Blake would be leading the weekend, which would look at growing the church, both spiritually and numerically, based on the Rev’d Robert Schnase’s book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Andrew stated that he would be building on the Away Weekend and the Cliff College Mission to reflect on his first year at Hatfield Road, before seeing how we might move forward in the autumn. In considering our ongoing and future work and ministry everyone would be invited to contribute. It was necessary to remind ourselves that mission was possible. Members sang the hymn ‘O Watcher in the wilderness’ as they reminded themselves of the God who strengthens us.
10 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
A number of forthcoming events were highlighted. The business meeting finished at 7.45pm and was followed by a celebration of the Lord’s Supper concluding with the hymn ‘Lord, your Church on Earth is seeking’ and a final blessing.
APPENDIX ONE
Present / Paul Duxbury / Helen Jeffery / Evangeline SelvarajanThe Rev’d Andrew Prout * / Marion Eaton / Glyn Lewis / George Selvarajan
Judith Calvert ** / Philip Eaton / Peggy Liffen / Lesley Saunders
Colin Branch / Angela Ellam / Gerry Livesey / Caroline Tough
Eric Bridgstock / Peter Ellam / Margaret Livesey / Chris Tough
Kate Calvert / Christine Ford / Bryn Mendes-Lewis / Roy Vivian
Tomas Crvcek / Una Galliers / Carolyn Moody / Peter Wallace
Graham Danbury / Mary Gotts / Tony Moody / Ruth Wallace
Sue Danbury / Freda Gray / Val Parker / Lianne Weidman
Alan Davey / Chris Hancock / Joanna Rose / Denise Willingham
Sue Davey / Ros Hancock / Colin Rowe / = 44
Pip Davies / Muriel Ison / Mary Rowe (Groves)
Apologies
Betty Burdett / Helen Fulton / Diana van de Merwe
Geoff Burdett / John Huxstep / Johanna Mason
Imelda Deuxberry / Chris Kitchin / Phyllis Rogers
Sheila Fowler / Jan Kitchin / Jackie Vivian / = 12
* Minister & Chairman ** Church Council Secretary
ANNUAL GENERAL CHURCH MEETING : SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 : NOMINATION FORMS
The annual elections of Church Stewards and Representatives to sit on the Church Council take place at this meeting. Nominations can only be made by Church Members and those Members attending the meeting are entitled to elect up to 15 such representatives. The Church Council meets generally three or four times every year and holds in view the ongoing life, work and mission of the Church. We currently annually elect six stewards who work with the minister in the exercise of leadership and in the implementation of Church Policies. Each of the current six Church Stewards has indicated they are willing to serve for a further year. When a Church Steward or Elected Representative has served for 6 continuous years they must step aside if someone else is nominated and there is no further vacancy. In order to serve for more than six years each person must gain a 75% approval by ballot of those present and voting. For all others election is by a simple majority of those present and voting.
Nominations, in writing, should be handed to Revd Andrew Prout no later than 15 May 2016.
Current Elected Representatives 2015-16: Peggy Liffen (2005) / Helen Jeffery (2005) / Chris Hancock (2009) / Lesley Saunders (2010) / Eric Bridgstock (2013) / Caroline Tough (2012) / Denise Willingham (2012) / Ros Hancock (2015).
Current Church Stewards 2015-16: Paul Duxberry (2012) / Freda Gray (2012) / Val Parker (Senior Steward) (2012) / George Selvarajan (2013) / Tony Moody (2013) / Marion Eaton (2014).
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REPRESENTATIVES TO CHURCH COUNCIL FROM THE ANNUAL GENERAL CHURCH MEETING
Standing Orders 607, 620 and 623 apply. Elections are for one year only until the next AGM.
Name of proposed representativeSignature of the person to indicate that they have agreed to be nominated.
Nominated by / Signature
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CHURCH STEWARD
Standing Orders 607, 620 and 632. Appointments are for one year only until the next AGM.
Name of suggested StewardSignature of the person to indicate that they have agreed to be nominated.
Nominated by / Signature