St Martin in the Bull Ring Annual Report for the year ending 31st December 2010 Discovering the Heart of God in the Heart of the City A Dream I walked the streets of a city that I knew but didn’t. Recognised buildings with a light and energy never experienced before. As I wandered around the strange familiar streets I came to The Heart of the City. There was a truly holy place alive with people and prayer. I watched as the old and young The able and the sick, The rich and the poor, The local and the visitor, The resident and the foreigner, The happy and the sad, The hopeful and the helpless entered the busy stillness. I watched children and others learning from screens and welcomers about the one to whom the glory is given. They ate meals and had the chance to create in word and form, paint and clay their response to this day. People were praying some alone others with helpers, listeners to the cries of the heart, lighting candles, seeking. The needs of the world brought to its creator through shabby scraps of snatched thoughts and pleas. Laughter and smiles mixed with silent tears as people gathered to share and greet. A broken group waited for their chance of wholeness through dance and art as the work continued around them. If hope and love could be a colour or a taste or a fragrance or a place… I sought an explanation from someone at the door. ‘What is this place?’ I asked, hopeful for a simple answer. ‘This is the place where we discover the Heart of God in the Heart of the City. Come and join the celebration. Stewart Jones RECTOR’S REPORT In 2010 we re-launched our vision and strategy document „Discovering the Heart of God in the Heart of the City‟. After wide consultation the document was presented at the APCM in April. We have focussed our efforts in six areas having three key objectives to achieve in each area by 2013. In addition we have two overall objectives of deepening our prayer life and growing leaders in the coming three years. These overall objectives have led to two key prayer events being held in church in the year and the start of a training course designed to equip more people in leadership. The current course has 16 participants. To help us achieve these objectives we have reorganised the staff team and the structure of the PCC. Within the staff team we have appointed Tom Thompson as our Commercial Man- ager and Mark Gordon as the Church Manager. This has enabled there to be a more realis- tic distribution of work rather than expecting the Operations Manager to do it all. We are al- ready seeing the benefits of this new way of working with a very successful year for the Tea Lounge, the introduction of corporate events into the church and a more settled way of run- ning the building through the Facilities team. In July Josh Jones our Director of Music for the Crossing service left for a new post in New Zealand and we replaced him with Philippa Done in October. The vision document has also been foundational in helping us establish forums to ensure each of the areas of work are worked on and that the church council has very clear ways of knowing when an objective has been achieved. The forums are accountable to the PCC and are chaired by members of the church with a staff member serving on each one. In addition we began a coherent programme of staff development for the senior staff mem- bers working in partnership with CPAS and one of their leadership consultants. In 2010 we held a stewardship campaign which enabled us to raise enough money to look to appoint a Youth and schools Worker in 2011. Developing this area of work is a key part of what we want to achieve as a church in the coming years. St Martin‘s continues to be a place of prayer visited by many people and the dream of it be- ing a place where people discover the heart of God in the heart of the city shows clear signs of being fulfilled. Stewart Jones Rector Prayer and Worship Prayer and Worship Forum Report 2010 – 2011 The Prayer and Worship Forum has met three times , the first meeting being at the end of September, when the Rector introduced a paper outlining the planned service themes focusing on the Bible as we celebrate the quatercentenary of the King James version of the Bible. Prayer events were discussed. The all-night prayer session start- ing immediately after the Advent Carol service was well attended and we moved around the church praying for various aspects of our church life. Another is planned to start at the beginning of the Ash Wednesday service at 12.00 , going through until Mid- night, when congregation members will be praying either in St Martin's or at home. Dick Rodgers prepared some thoughts about the atmosphere of our services, including theology and growing in trust with one another. In November Elsie Blair-Chappell came to discuss the 9.30 Holy Communion service, and how it can grow, while maintaining a friendly and warm fellowship. The January forum saw John Hawker come as we discussed the 6.00 service, and we particularly looked at the coming Lenten services with eminent guest speakers. The exhibition by Peter Privett of 'Gethsemane Garments' will provide a time of reflection for all who visit the church. The Forum plans to look at the 11.00 service, Baptisms, a different form of worship for the 3rd Sunday in the month at 6.00, and Sunday afternoons with the young people. Marion Woodward 9.30am Sunday Holy Communion Service Annual Report 2010 General information The number of the congregation varies from Sunday to Sunday as we have visitors from all over town and indeed from all over the world. Our core congregation continues to be faithful and the age range varies from as young as a baby in a pram to ninety something. We continue using the liturgy in Common Worship and follow the liturgical seasons. The readings and preaching follow the same theme as the other Sunday services. Charlotte Barber continues to be our organist. When she is unable to play we are thankful that Margaret Relf and Stephen Blair- Chappell come to our rescue. New Development One of the areas we developed and involved the congregation in active participation was intercessions. Elizabeth Meaney and Jennifer Campbell are now leading interces- sions on a rota basis. Prayer for this coming year Lord, may we never lose the desire to be renewed and to use our gifts. You do not work alone but have invited us to play a part in your purpose. May we be the people you want to raise to fulfil that purpose. In Jesus name we pray. Amen Elsie Blair-Chappell Assistant Priest THE CROSSING SERVICE The Crossing service remains a key focal point in our worship with our aim remaining to welcome people just as they are. Clearly the main change in 2010 was Josh Jones our Director of Music leaving to take up a new post in New Zealand. Josh left in July after 10 years of service at St Martin‘s. Replacing someone who has contributed so much to St Martin‘s over such a significant length of time is not easy but we are fortu- nate to have Philippa Done in post. Philippa has settled in very well and has begun to develop the worship team in the short time she has been working with us. The Crossing is the largest service of the week with a rich variety of people coming to experience the mix of old and new songs, sermons and prayers. In the year we have followed particular themes at key times of the year, highlights being the Lent and Easter theme ‗The Naked Truth‘ and during Advent and Christmas ‗The Light of Life‘. In addition we have looked at other themes on prayer, the Jesus you never knew and in August we have used that season to try and be more meditative reflecting on key Bible verses. We have introduced a prayer ministry team when this service is Holy Communion and those involved in praying with people are humbled by their willingness to share deep felt needs. They rejoice too at how gracious God is in answering our prayers. The Crossing requires a great deal of planning and a team of people meet weekly to ensure we know what is happening, have available the right resources and prepare the power point slides. Thanks to Mark Gordon, Janet Finnemore, Lisa Taphouse, Emma Sykes and Philippa Done for all their help in this. A big thank you too to the Facilities Team and the Wardens team for the way they ensure the practical details for each ser- vice are sorted out. Stewart Jones 6PM EVENING SERVICE This Congregation has a real sense of fellowship and friendship; there is a good mixture of ages and races and numbers have on the whole been maintained. The Evening Service, though conventional in structure, continues to incorporate elements from a wide range of traditions and styles; always grounded in Scripture, in both word and song, in thoughtful prayer and with time for meditation, it embodies as much congregational involvement as possible. The congregation does not feel sidelined even in Choral Services. Despite being held in the Nave it can be quite intimate in feel, thanks to the expertise of those leading worship and preaching.