FACT Leaders Lunch Meeting

FACT Leaders Lunch Meeting.

Thursday 6 March at the Bennett Centre (behind St John’s Church in Vicarage Street) 12.30-2pm

Present: Caroline Walker, Andrew Chalkley, Peter Craig(website), Nick Cooper, Colin Alsbury, Martin Weymont, John Samways.

Apologies: David Brinn, Jim Parsons, Neil Maxted, Jill Warren, Graham Owen, Nick Griffin, John Nockels.

Opening: A brief reading from Rom 12, reflections on encouragements we’ve experienced followed by a time of prayer.

Looking Back:

 Advent/Christmas plans:

- Newspaper advert for Christmas services was excellent (‘Thank you, Jim).

- Christmas Market on 1 December – Hope Frome’s contribution much appreciated by the Council.

- Carol singing was well received, notably at Sainsbury’s, Frome station, C&G

 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

- Pulpit swap went well and was much appreciated; slightly fewer involved this year

- The daily 9am prayer meeting at St John’s went well (thoughts of continuing this on the weekly basis on Saturdays ...... to be discussed)

 Lent

- Lunches – have got off to a good start at St John’s (49 on Ash Wednesday)

- inclusion of a talk well received

Lent course material. 75 copies of Michael Mitton’s book have been circulated around FACT, together with group details. In addition to that course, FACT has been notified of a wide array of other courses available for people to attend.

Good Friday. There will again be a gathering outside St John’s

 Pentecost – a broad discussion around this. General sense – good to encourage people to come to an afternoon ‘ad hoc’ picnic in the centre of town, near the Cheese and Grain - to ‘gather/engage’ with one another, pray for Frome. Details to be worked through/circulated. 

 Frome Festival. Two events to be ‘presented’ by FACT:

- Friday 4 July 7.30pm @ Merlin Theatre. ‘Walking on Sunshine’ - Simeon Wood. See www.simeonwood.com. We are hoping that Simeon will also be able to deliver presentations in local schools.

- Tuesday 8 July 7.30pm Soul Cafe @ Rook Lane Arts - featuring Simeon Wood and a number of local Christian musicians. An ideal venue for such an event.

- Providing a FACT brochure for all the events being hosted in churches through the Festival.

 Frome Show 2014

- As suggested last time, FACT to offer to support Postlebury tent and Hope Frome to contribute to litter pick

 AOB

- Youth Work post progress. Trinity are progressing this and have two people in mind. Support from the FACT churches (on the basis that part of the post involves working in the local schools) will be for each church to decide (rather than any set figure). Further developments will be circulated around FACT.

- Funding from FACT to the Get Sported camps. These have been organised and run in Frome for several years by World Sports Ministries (led by Grant Sheppard and based in Bath). Discussion followed which raised the importance of FACT and WSM reflecting on their strategies to maximise the benefits derived from this work.

It was proposed we encourage the FACT Trustees to fund – from the restricted FACT Youth fund – up to 50% of the costs of the programme for 2014. This will signal our gratitude and support for the venture but carries no guarantee for the future.

- Coming Events of General Interest

1. Alpha Holy Spirit Away Day led by Rt Rev John Holbrook, Suffragan Bishop of Peterborough Diocese on Saturday 22 March from 10am-3pm at Laverton Church. Ideal for anyone who has done Alpha but missed the Holy Spirit Day – lunch provided. Contact Revd Caroline Walker (834258) to book a place.

2. ‘Experience Easter’ is a Gloucester Diocese initiative to work with local schools to help the children engage with the Easter story. This can be visited in Hemington Church from 1-4 April. Contact Revd Caroline Walker for more details.

3. Saturday 18 October 2014. Canon Michael Mitton (author of this Lent’s course book on prayer) is speaking in Hardington Vale. Further details to come.

Closing prayer.

Date of next meetings.

Executive (+ AGM): Thursday 1 May. Venue to be confirmed

Leaders: Thursday 3 July in Bennett Centre. The question was raised whether this should be at 12.30pm (excluding some) or at 7.30pm? To be resolved ......

PS Easter service details for newspaper advert needed by Jim. Peter Craig has offered to help Jim.

Closing prayer

Next FACT Exec Meeting: Thursday 16th Jan 2014. Next Leaders Meeting: Thursday 6 March @12.30.

Both to be at The Bennett Centre in Vicarage St – our grateful thanks to Colin and St John’s for this facility.