High Street Methodist Church

MISSION STATEMENT FOR HIGH STREET METHODIST CHURCH

Jesus Christ who brings us to the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit is the foundation of our life together.

High Street Methodist Church aims to be a church, which is bringing Christ to our community and our community to Christ. We want to be dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, devoted to each other, determined to serve our local community and to support our fellow Christians.

2 May 2017

Dear Friends It doesn’t seem possible that this is the 3rd AGM report that I have written at High Street, and the past year has certainly been very full, with many joys, and not without its challenges. I am delighted that our Church continues to be the beating heart of our community welcoming, each, and every day, young and old alike creating an unmissable buzz. Once again, I am humbled by the time and commitment of so many willing volunteers, who regularly go un-thanked, but certainly not unappreciated. Putting together the right staffing team has certainly given me and a few others some headaches but I do believe that we are now in a good place with our staff and they are doing a terrific job. My sabbatical seems a distant memory now, but it was truly a remarkable gift and an opportunity that I will always treasure, although I’m sure for some of you, you’ve probably had your full of Celtic Christianity, hence I’ve stopped talking about it! You are already, I hope, beginning to see the out workings of our new adopted Mission Strategy including 3 bible teaching series each year, special services, the building up of messy church, school’s experiences, increased social events and much more. Do look out for the new initiative at Newland on a Tuesday afternoon twice per month. Sadly, we have had to say ‘goodbye’ to some dear friends who have passed away this year, but we rejoice in the constant stream of new friends and isn’t it wonderful to celebrate new members?

3 This AGM will see some changes in the Stewards, Jane Heath steps down as Senior Steward after 3 years dedicated service, I would like to express my thanks to her for steering me through the nuances of High Street. Every Minister needs a good Senior Steward especially when they are new to a church and I am looking forward to working with her replacement, although it would be wrong of me to let the cat out of the bag just yet! All, will be revealed at the AGM. I am sure that you will be keen to hear about Deacon Ellie’s experiences on her recent Sabbatical and how this will shape her future ministry. It just remains for me to encourage you to embrace your church, ask questions, make suggestions and do please get involved, but above all, pray for me as I continue to pray for you. May God Bless You. Rev Melanie

4 Index Page Church Life Lay Pastoral Worker and Pastoral Visitors 8 Prayer Opportunities 10 Leadership Team 12 Stewards Team 12 Holy Communion Services 13 Music 14 Church Flowers 15 Display Window 16 Safeguarding 17 Work among children and young people – on a Sunday Junior Church 19 Cradle Roll 20 House Groups : Colwell Drive House Group 21 New Yatt Road House Group 21 Thursday Night House Group 22 The Seedhouse House Group 22 Vanner Road House Group 23 Witney View House Group 23 The ‘Old Friday’ House Group 24

5 Index Page Women’s Fellowship 24 Newland Methodist Chapel 25 In Touch 26 Time Out 27 1st Witney Company of the Boy’s Brigade 28 2nd Witney Guides 31 Social Events Group 33

Mission and Outreach

Mission in Witney 35 includes Messy Church, Schools work, Holiday Club, Community Kitchen, Grandparents Group & Wesley Toddler Gp

Coffee Bar 39 Knit & Natter 39 World Church Committee 40 Christmas Shoeboxes 42 Lunchtime Recitals 44 Action for Children 45 Fairtrade 46 Methodist Homes for the Aged 47 Cream Tea Outreach 47

6 Index Page

Inter Church Relations

Churches Together in Witney & District 49 Women’s World Day of Prayer 50

Property

The Property Team 51 Centre Coordinator 52 Use of Premises 52 Major Works 52 The Old School Building 53 Health & Safety 53 Man Friday 53

Finance Treasurer’s Report and Accounts 55

Church Life

7 Pastoral Worker and Pastoral Visitors Report 2016-17 Pastoral care is of major importance in the life of our church and is essential for the wellbeing of the church fellowship. Our objective is to show everyone the love of God, give a warm welcome to all those who come to our church and show caring concern to them. Our aim at High Street is to allocate all members to one of the Pastoral Visitor team whose responsibility it is to keep in contact, give support and encouragement to those on their list by visiting, telephoning and looking out for them at church. Leaflets and copies of In Touch are delivered by them at Christmas, Easter, and at Harvest which is an important way to keep everyone informed on news of services and other activities. We are most grateful to the 31 Pastoral Visitors and Linda Burbage in her role as our Cradle Roll Secretary, for the caring that they give to the 300 or so people listed in our church directory. We remember housebound members and those living in residential care at Christmas with a card and plant, flowers at Harvest and a special card at Christmas for those who have suffered a close bereavement in the year also on the first anniversary of the death of a spouse. We are very pleased that Brenda Edwards and Shirley Hopkins have joined the team. We remember with sadness the death of Andrea Drowley one of our long-serving Pastoral Visitors who gave many years to serving those on her list with compassion and thoughtfulness. She is sadly missed. Rev Hilary Ewing has given extra help with visiting especially when Rev Melanie was away on her sabbatical and continues to share in this for which I am very grateful. It is good to share news of the church family, especially specific needs like bereavement or ill health but also to rejoice in special birthdays and anniversaries.

Pastoral Training

8 During the year we have had an interactive talk about dementia and Alzheimers Disease by Susi Morgan of Dementia Friends and Rev Melanie on "What is a Vulnerable Adult?" and what is meant by the term 'vulnerable adult'. The Prayer Chain This is is an important way to communicate specific needs for prayer and also for information on the additional care and support needed. Membership During the year Stephen Hopkins and Anne Doherty came into membership by confirmation. The following have transferred their membership to High Street: David and Celia Woodfine, Lynn Visser, Hannah MacDonald, Elizabeth McKechnie, Ivy Harper, Helen Mattinson, Moira Taylor, Ann Wittrick The following have transferred to other churches: Bob Shirley to Swindon, Mary Lucey to Devon, Erica Evans to Poynton, Jane and Colin Brookes to Minehead, Joan Tyler to Totnes, Debbie Pain to Winchcombe. The following 5 members have died: Mollie Morrow, Dennis Samuels, Eric Hopkins, Sylvia Baker, Andrea Drowley. We thank God for them and all that they meant to us and especially for Andrea and her many special contributions to the life of our church and Circuit. Total Membership is now 196 We continue to do our best to follow the aims of the church Mission Statement. I make extra visits when the need arises, keep in regular contact with Rev Melanie and the Pastoral Team and we share news with each other in order to improve pastoral care. Anne Crawford. Pastoral, Lay Worker

Prayer Opportunities 2017 The Weekly Prayer Meeting This takes place every Thursday morning 9.30 -10.10am with 5 regularly attending and others join in from time to time. We pray for the life of our church, those who are unwell, in hospital or

9 experiencing other difficulties. We always include those prayers left in the boxes in the Prayer Corner and Coffee Bar and any current topic, either here or overseas. Anne Crawford

The Prayer Corner This area of the church is available for quiet prayer every day from 10.00am until 2.45pm. There is a Prayer Box and another in the foyer with special Prayer Cards for requests which are prayed for at Thursday morning prayers. Prayer Ministry after Sunday Morning Worship Two members of the Prayer Ministry team are available in the Prayer Corner to anyone needing prayers for themselves or others. Shirley Richardson organises this. It is used regularly and is appreciated by those asking for prayer. Prayer Chains For church members who wish to take part in intercessory prayers for those in special need. There is an Email Chain and telephone calls for those without email. The prayers are sent by Anne Crawford and anyone can ask her to include needs as they arise. It is well used and gives important comfort, healing and communication. 54 members are on the Prayer Chain list for receiving messages and others are very welcome to join it. Church Prayer Diary Issued twice a year in January and June, listing prayer needs for High Street Church, its activities, users of the premises and others. Space 2B for quiet reflective prayer Every Wednesday morning 9.50-11.00 am. Held at the home of Brenda Woods. Exploring different ways of praying. Churches Together Prayers Breakfast at 8.00am on the fourth Saturday in the month followed by an ecumenical prayer meeting held at High Street at 8.45am to 9.30am focussing on the life and witness of the churches in the Witney & District.12 regularly attend, others come from time to time and more would be warmly welcomed to join for prayers even if it is

10 not possible to come to breakfast. Anne Crawford Leadership Team We have continued to meet regularly as a leadership team to explore the vision for High Street, setting targets for each of the action boxes. 4 posters were produced giving us clear imagery of the vision and these will be displayed again so everyone in the congregation can decide where their gifts can be best used to further the mission of the church. The vision can only succeed if we all play our part, seeking guidance for what God would like each of us to do. As you will appreciate, our work on this vision statement was again interrupted at the end of 2016, by dealing with the immediate issue of providing cover when our Centre manager left, and examining the new possibilities for the new post. We are very happy that Mary Willis has now taken on the enormous challenge of this job and we welcome her to the team

Stewards Team We are now a very small band of 5 (soon to be 4) Church stewards and 3 Sunday stewards. We really need to add more to our team, sharing the work to aid the smooth running of our Sunday services. If you feel this is something you might be able to offer or would like more information about what is involved in becoming either a Church steward or a Sunday steward, please do speak to any of the team. The evening service Bible studies led by Rev Melanie Reed have been well attended and appreciated. We thank Roy and Rosie for offering to steward all the evening services. Jane Heath, Retiring Senior Steward Holy Communion Services The six communion stewards are pleased to report that communion services continue to be well attended with 18+ at 8.30, 100+ at 10.30, 18-30 at 18.00 and 18+ at the mid-week shoppers’ service.

11 The retiring offering for the Benevolent fund, after the 10.30 services, helps Rev Melanie to show High Street’s care for the needy in a positive way. Thank you for your support! Sadly, we have said goodbye to Andrea who was, amongst other things, the steward for the midweek shoppers’ service for several years. Before she died Andrea had already spoken to Sybil (Kind) about asking on the role, Sybil agreed and has settled into this important role well (praise the Lord for the both of them!). Rev Melanie has been, and still is, an inspiration in this essential part of worship. We thank Rev Melanie and also Rev Paul Weir and Rev Fred Ireland for covering for Rev Melanie at communion services. The communion stewards would like to say thank you to Richard Carey, Jane Wilson and Peter Hunt who assist us at 8.30 and those who help tidy up after the service. Heartfelt thanks too to Paul Reed for leading our hymn singing at the other communion services. Our aim is to ensure that everyone is invited to share in this vital act of our spiritual wellbeing, to this end rest assured that the wine is alcohol-free and the bread is gluten, milk and wheat-free. In this we feel we are contributing to the Church’s mission statement in that no-one feels excluded from receiving the tokens of our Lord’s love for each of us! Communion Stewards

Music Music Coordinator – Rachael Prince Regular organists/pianists/musicians: Rachael Prince, Keith Crawford, Peter Hunt, Jeanette Mills, Jane Wilson, Laura Jones, Paul Reed Orchestra: Rachael Prince (organiser) plus 4-12 members Singing Group: Rachael Prince (organiser) plus 15-20 members Band: The Reeds (organisers) plus occasional other members. Aims Our main aim is to produce worship enhancing music in whatever style is appropriate to the service.

12 Worship planning meetings are led by Rev. Melanie and allows us to review the previous plan and the plan to come. It also gives us the opportunity for wider feedback from members of the congregation which we are always pleased to hear. We still like to use a broad range of music reflecting the variety of worship styles that we use. We will try anything, and will try to do it as well as we can. Progress and Achievements We continue to seek ways of using new hymns in worship whilst also using firm favourites. I am grateful to the singing group for their help in leading worship, especially with new tunes. We had a good number sing at Christmas carol service singing two new carols by Rachael and Guy and there are plans to gather the singing group together again later in the year. The orchestra continue to provide valuable support to our services and we see encouraging younger players in their music making and faith an important part of what we do. It is a blessing to see their confidence and abilities grow year on year. We have been able to welcome Ros May to the clarinets this year. The organ continues to be well used. We now have grade 2 listed status for the organ which recognises the importance of the instrument. Stage 1 of re-leathering of the reservoirs is complete thanks to generous donations and Harrisons are in the process of informing us of the options for stage 2 of this work. Rachael Prince

Church Flowers

In 2016 there were twelve ladies arranging flowers at High Street Methodist church, we are fewer in number than in 2015. A number of people kindly gave money for flowers to be arranged for them, so that, as in previous years the floral arrangements this group provide are not an expense to the church.

13 The flower group makes a special effort at Easter, Harvest and Christmas to decorate the worship area to make it attractive and welcoming to members and visitors. We continue to provide small gifts of flowers to be distributed to housebound friends after Harvest Festival.

We are pleased to have a new cupboard to store our vases and equipment in, thank you to the people who built it. Thank you to everyone who donated and arranged flowers.

As ever, we would warmly welcome any new flower arrangers and are always grateful for donations of flowers or money to buy them.

Mary Bradley Display Window (Wesley Room) I am not able to continue to dress the Church Display Window but until somebody comes forward to replace me I do what I can to assist in keeping it alive.

It cries out for somebody interested in telling the passing people something of the Christian message and the activities of the Church. Some artistic gifts are helpful but not essential. Of course a group of friends could work together and be creative. How about you???

Nancy Crewe

Safeguarding This has been a significant year for High Street in that a comprehensive safeguarding policy has been created and adopted by Church Council. Safeguarding is an important aspect of our church life and particularly crucial given the extent to which our premises are used. It is essential that policies and procedures are in place to prevent, as far as possible, safeguarding concerns from arising and, if

14 they do, to ensure that they are efficiently and appropriately dealt with. The following is taken from High Street’s safeguarding policy: ‘It is possible to be lulled into a false sense of security believing that those who work in the church will never be guilty of abuse because they are part of the Christian community. Of course, the church must take all possible steps to avoid contact between known abusers and those at risk. It is not, however, wise to assume that all others are automatically safe given particular circumstances, temptations and the risk of malicious accusation. For this reason, High Street Methodist Church strives to ensure that its safeguarding policy and all the procedures which are set in…are brought to the attention of everyone and applied to everyone…This is not the same as treating each person as though they were under suspicion. It is more a matter of taking sensible measures to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults, and recognising that it is the responsibility of us all. A robust safeguarding policy if followed also serves to protect those who work with children, young people and vulnerable adults who may inadvertently place themselves in a vulnerable position. Physical, sexual and emotional abuse can wreck the lives of those who have suffered from it. Malicious accusations can also wreck the lives of those against whom they are directed. ‘ We are concerned with the wholeness of each individual within God’s purpose for their lives, the life of the community and the life of the world. We seek to safeguard all members of this church community, irrespective of whether they are Church members, adherents or visitors, and irrespective of their age. It is the responsibility of each of us to prevent the physical, emotional and sexual abuse of all people on our premises or involved in any of our activities. ‘We are committed to:  the care and nurture of, and respectful pastoral ministry with, all children, young people and adults

15  the safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable  the establishing of safe, caring communities which provide a loving environment where there is informed vigilance as to the dangers of abuse.’ The safeguarding reference group meets regularly. Its duties include:  ensuring that the church’s Safeguarding Policy is reviewed annually (including Newland)  ensuring that there is a Safeguarding Risk Assessment  ensuring that the required DBS checks are completed and kept up to date  ensuring that all required training is up to date  ensuring that everything connected to safeguarding is recorded and monitored in accordance with current guidelines issued by The Methodist Church  ensuring that all those who rent rooms either have their own Safeguarding Policies or sign to agree to adhere to the church’s Policy  following through correctly and fully any safeguarding concerns  developing a system of pastoral supervision to ensure accountability

In line with this policy all Coffee Bar volunteers were asked to complete declarations etc, to ensure that everything was in order and we are grateful that they agreed to do this. We have looked at signage around the church premises and made some changes. A safeguarding safe has been purchased so that all documentation can be kept confidentially and securely. Ruth Lapworth Safeguarding Officer

Work Among Children and Young People – On A Sunday

Junior Church

16 The Junior Church at High Street continues to change to try and meet the needs of the children, young people and families that attend worship on a Sunday morning. There have been 3 age groups meeting throughout this year, pre-school, Primary school and year 6 plus. These groups have been led by a rota of leaders using the Roots materials but just recently we have decided to try another new pattern to use our resources more wisely. The children and young people have led 2 acts of worship this last year, on the Junior Church anniversary in the summer and the Nativity at Christmas. These were both well received and particularly the Nativity service which was put together by the older group. We hope to continue to encourage our young people to develop in this area of worship leading which they are enjoying the opportunity to be involved in. Over the year there have been less All-Age worship services at High Street due to lack of quality leaders of this type of worship. We have experimented with “Multi-Plex” worship but in all the children and young people have asked that we have more all-age worship planned though they are vocal in their hopes for what this looks like. Having less all-age worship services has also put extra pressure on the volunteers leading in Junior Church as they need to cover more weeks. The Junior Church would like to challenge the wider Church and Circuit to look at resourcing better quality and more regular all- age worship services at High Street maybe getting outside training for those interested in leading. Please do continue to support the Junior Church and its various leaders and helpers as they continue to work hard to encourage our children and young people in developing their spirituality and relationship with God as well as finding their place in God’s Church. Deacon Ellie Griffin

Cradle Roll We have celebrated three baptisms this year with members of our church family. Mark and Hannah brought their daughter, Layla for baptism in August. This was followed by Zac’s baptism in a paddling

17 pool at Messy Church in October and finally Katie and Mike brought their son Zachary for baptism in February. This means there are currently a total of six children on our Cradle Roll. I continue to visit these families with a birthday card for the child on birthdays until their third birthday and also with the seasonal church newsletters. Children are invited to join our Junior Church at the age of 3 but happily many of them are already attending our crèche. Linda Burbage, Cradle Roll Secretary

House Groups

Colwell Drive House Group The Colwell Drive House Group has now got established on the 1st & 3rd Mondays of the Month at 3.00 pm. It seems a good time, less busy than mornings & avoiding dark nights. We do clash with Bank Holidays however. Our use of the latest York Course CD was very successful. If you would like to join a House Group, try ours. Elgin Crewe.

New Yatt Road House Group Numbers involved: We are a morning Group and this means that we have a high proportion of retired members but their loyalty to the group is outstanding. This year we are celebrating 90th birthdays for 4 deeply valued members We have 19 people on our list, including some members from other churches and an average attendance of 14. We meet twice each month and weekly during Lent. This year we have lost another greatly loved member, by death Andrea Drowley. Aims: Like all House Groups we aim to grow in faith and understanding by fellowship and study in a home setting. There is the usual sense of responsibility for each other and a recognition that God can speak through all members in conversation and

18 discussion together. An extended prayer time is central to our meetings. Progress: Our numbers stay reasonably stable, and have been enriched by several somewhat younger members joining us. Church Mission Statement: We believe our meetings are fully in accord with the Church Mission Statement Ken Mumford

Thursday Night House group Rachael and Ian Prince Fortnightly @ 8pm, 235 Thorney Leys OX28 5NY 01993 773651 Group size: 8 New Members very welcome!

Aims Our main aims are to meet regularly during term time for fun and fellowship and to study. We like to choose material that is challenging and has a direct impact on our everyday lives. We meet on a Thursday and meet every fortnight during term time. More members are always welcome. Progress and Achievements We are currently following the book ‘Holy Habits’ by Andrew Roberts Rachael & Ian Prince

Seedhouse House Group We continue to meet regularly on the fist Tuesday evening of the month and are pleased to have added two new members to our group. We do work as a group with everyone participating. We share fellowship and friendship, before (often during) and after studying the bible. We certainly enjoy each other’s sense of humours and our meetings are blessed with laughter. We have been using one study book, looking at certain chapters from Jonah, Joel and Amos, which we have found interesting but also challenging.

Val Seedhouse

19 Vanner Road House Group Vanner Road House group meets on the first and third Tuesday evenings every month except August, including the occasional social evening. We now have 12 members and others would be very welcome to join us. Our aim is to meet for Bible Study, prayer, and friendship. We enjoy lively, informal discussion, respect each other’s point of view, encourage each other in exploring passages from the Bible, try to apply what we learn for living in today's world and help each other grow in our spiritual journeys. During 2016/17 we have discussed themes in Luke's Gospel, Isaiah chapters 1-39 and "Receiving Christ" one of the York Courses with CD. It was also our house group responsibility this year to organise the Maundy Thursday Service 13th April. Anne Crawford and Mike Limmer

Witney View House Group The group now has 12 members. In the summer months Rev Hilary Ewing leads the group and in the past month we have studied St Mark’s Gospel and the Prophet Jonah. During tjhe winter months we have been using Dennis Tackley’s ‘Conversation among friends’, discussion on various biblical topics. As a group we seek to increase our knowledge of the Bible and its relevance to our generation.

Muriel Glithero

The ‘Old Friday’ House Group We meet usually fortnightly but even this varies. At present we are studying 'The 7 Churches of Revelation' a DVD in the series produced by Our Daily Bread Ministries. We usually use these as we find them

20 very informative and easy to understand. We always welcome new members to our group and find that apart from meeting as a house group we try to support each other at other times. Dorothy Donald, Ruth Hems, Grace Hutchins, Rosie & Mike Jones, Mary Price and Jean Smith Women’s Fellowship The Fellowship has continued with the pattern of meeting on the 2nd and 4th Mondays during school term times as this is the preferred structure of the ladies, several of whom have family responsibilities in school holidays. There are currently over 30 names on the membership list but, as previously several members are unable to attend the meetings because they are now house-bound, have family caring responsibilities, or health reasons. They are prayed for regularly and are visited by other ladies from the Fellowship. The meetings, which are open to all interested parties, continue to be lively and informal, but do reflect the caring nature of the Fellowship who pray for each other, for local issues and worldwide concerns. The range of the programme is varied with the occasional quiz, member participation events, and speakers drawn from the circuit, other churches in the area and local charity organisations, with many having a Christian message. The meetings usually end with ‘Tea, Chat and Cake’ in the coffee bar. A collection is taken at each meeting and, after a donation has been given to High Street, refreshments costs covered, and a ‘Thank you’ gift given to speakers, a contribution is sent to Circuit Mission, other UK and foreign charities. in November we were responsible for providing the refreshments prior to the Operation Christmas Child Celebration. During the year, the ladies continue to contribute knitted hats, scarves, mittens and other items for the Shoe-Box Appeal.

21 Thanks to Anne Crawford, assisted by Megan Somerville for providing such a varied and interesting programme, to Shirley Simpson for managing the finances, Barbara Partlett for making the attractive birthday cards, Margaret Lawley for her musical talents in leading the singing, and to all the ladies who attend the meetings ensuring that is truly a ‘Women’s Fellowship’.

Ann Worrall

Newland Methodist Chapel 6 Helpers 26 attending Our aim is to bless the people of Newland with a place from which to pray, spread the gospel and provide a place where people can meet and find friends. We have a meal and meeting with guest speakers each Thursday evening which includes worship, prayer and Christian message. We have a drop in on a one Saturday morning per month for free tea, coffee and cake. A formal act of worship is conducted on the fourth Sunday of each month. We continue to attract people to our various meetings. We are distributing a leaflet and starting a drop in for crafts etc twice a month which will develop with the people who take part to possibly include board games, jigsaw etc. There will also be Christian literature available together with a quiet corner for prayer. Our Chapel continues to bring Christ to our community by being a loving inclusive fellowship, with a Christian wayside pulpit outside. The fellowship is very supportive to all who come. Dave Richardson

In-Touch In-Touch is a free bi-monthly magazine by and for the three Methodist fellowships in Witney. At High Street, it is available to

22 everybody who comes in to the coffee bar. Copies are also distributed by and through Davenport Road Methodist Church. In this way the magazine brings something of the Good News of Christ to our community. It has one editor (me). There is always news about members and activities in the church fellowships. Thank you to all those who provide this copy every issue. Anybody can contribute articles and all items submitted tend to be reproduced. However, items may be slightly changed for reasons of clarification and space. Opinions/thoughts expressed are those of the named contributor, not necessarily mine. In-Touch includes articles relating to the liturgical year, prayers, occasional items on different theological viewpoints, humour etc. It is not only for us within the church, it also provides a window for non-churched and de-churched people as to what we are about as Christian communities and individuals. As such I feel it is important to show, implicitly and sometimes more explicitly, that the Good News of Jesus is for everyone, that God loves them, that the Kingdom of Heaven is here and now and that people who call themselves Christians are people of joy and hope as well as being flawed human beings. I feel that it is also important to demonstrate that the Church of God is fully engaged in the business of the world – hence articles on Fairtrade, Holocaust Memorial Day, World AIDS Day etc. E-In-Touch is produced for those who want to view the magazine online. It is also put on the website, with contact details of individuals removed. Thanks to all who contribute articles and ideas for In-Touch, they are appreciated. I’m very aware that I have edited In-Touch for some years now. Whilst I am very happy to continue, if anybody else would like to take the role on, please do get in touch.

Ruth Lapworth

23 Time Out Time Out is a social meeting for ladies of all ages who are ‘young at heart’, mainly attended by ladies who have no other connection to the church. There is no age restriction. This year we tried meeting on either a Wednesday or Thursday (advertised well in advance) every other month in an attempt to increase membership but sadly this had the opposite effect and many ladies who had been able to attend on a Thursday had other activities on a Wednesday so membership has declined this year to an average of 10. Our best attended night was a crochet workshop when 20 ladies, some with skill in crochet and others complete beginners, enjoyed sharing the experience together. We have a variety of activities with the main aim of being a friendly and welcoming group which provides a place for women to meet socially and to take ‘time out’ from their other responsibilities. This year we have heard a moving talk by Hope Price from Marie Curie nurses and another about the life of a 17th century lady surgeon. We enjoyed our Christmas fun and games evening followed by a bring and share supper. Time Out is currently taking a break while we consider the best way forward in view of decreasing attendance. Linda Burbage

The Boys Brigade 1st Witney Company Junior Section

Membership & Staffing The Company started this session in September with two sections, which has been more challenging. Our membership remains steady at 8. This is made up of 5 Juniors and 3 Company Section. Overall our staffing level is the same; Chris, Colin and myself, with carious church members coming down each week on the prayer rota.

24 This year we have also been able to call on mark Sansom, a parent, to help; when needed. Church By the end of this session we will have attended three church parades. Remembrance Sunday in November, where the boys read out the names on the company’s roll of honour before taking part in the town open air service. Unfortunately our enrolment in January was not so good with only 2 boys attending due to a sickness bug going around the schools. Our final parade will be in June when the boys will be presented with their awards. This year for the first time we managed to attend the shoebox service which was supported by every member. The boys have also been seen around the church on Saturday mornings running the coffee bar to help raise funds for the company, for which we are most grateful. Competitions As always the company has tried to take part in as many Oxfordshire BB events as possible over the year. These have included Ten Pin Bowling, Team Games and Football where the Juniors retained their trophy. Awards Throughout the session the boys have covered various subjects for their badges. For the First Aid badge they were visited by a member of the St John Ambulance in which they got an insight into the importance of CPR when they received some practical lessons. Events On a more social note the company’s Christmas Party was Ten Pin Bowling in Banbury and four of the boys went to Life 2 the Max, an adventure day at Felden, the BB HQ in Hemel Hempstead, where they joined 700 other BB members from around London We also had great fun carrying the BB big balloon around the town at its annual carnival.

25 Future Looking to the future, we have just been awarded £300 from the Lions Dream Scheme to purchase a laptop to set up our own website, thus appealing to the younger age. It will also enable the staff to manage the members’ records on the new national database. We are also making plans to celebrate the Juniors National 100 years with the Oxfordshire BB Big 100 Birthday Party being held in Witney. Donation I must take this opportunity to thank Grace Hutchins for donating a microwave to the Company, this is greatly appreciated after she saw that we were collecting Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers for one. The microwave will be kept in the upper kitchen and can be use by BB and the Church. Mark Tooley, Captain

2nd Witney Guides Members The unit continues to grow and we have 23 guides with 3 new guides joining after the Easter holiday. The unit is run by myself, Allison Warren as Unit leader and assistant leaders Becky Raven and Vicky Kennedy. We have another assistant leader Annabelle Kennedy who is studying at university and is helping at the unit during her placement year. We have a Young Leaders who has completed her Young Leader Qualification and is going to begin to work on their adult leadership qualification. About Us Girlguiding is dedicated to creating a better world for girls and young women We empower girls, we give them space to grow and we ensure that each one of them can get involved - no matter what their background or ability. Here are some of the things that make our charity special.

26 Girlguiding Website April 2017

We carry out our aim by providing the guides with a weekly programme of events based around the 5 guide programme zones – Global Awareness, Discovery, Healthy Lifestyles, Celebrating Diversity and Skills and Relationships. Activities we have undertaken in the last year include sports activities including – netball, rounders and tennis, first aid, quiz around Long Harborough, cooking and badge work. Development We aim to provide the guides with a safe girl only space in which to undertake activities both in and outside the meeting place. The guides take part in activities both as a whole unit and in their patrols. We currently have 4 patrols which are led by a patrol leader who is assisted by her patrol second. We encourage the guides to develop their leadership skills by becoming patrol leaders and seconds and also by leading group activities at meetings for example games. We have meetings 3 times a year with the Patrol leaders and Seconders to help them develop their leadership skills called Patrol Leader council. The Patrol leaders and Seconder have recently completed their Team Leader badge.

Achievements We support the guides to achieve and gain awards and badges. We have had a guide during the last year who has completed her Baden Powell Challenge the highest award for guides, and two guides who are about to complete their award. Two of these guide hope to become Young leaders and one of them has been helping as at Guide helper at a local brownie pack. We have 4 guides who are about to start their BP ward. Many of the guides have gained badges throughout the year independently including – camper, advance camper, traditions, chocolate and confectioner. One of our leaders, Annabelle, has completed her Girlguiding Away scheme to enable her to lead residential events.

27 Special Projects Olympics themed summer camp in May 2016 at Deer park, Cowley, Gloucestershire. The guides took part in a Murder Mystery themed sleepover in Oxford in November which included a mystery to solve and gaining the cooks badge. Church Mission Statement We have contributed to the mission statement of the church by serving our local community through community service projects. We have taken part in the Church Shoe Box service, St George`s Day Parade and Witney Town Remembrance day service. We have completed both the Poppy and Daffodil challenge badges and as part of these badges have raised money for – The Royal British Legion, Dementia and Marie Curie. We encourage the guides to think about their guide promise and at times throughout the year we take part in activities based around the guide promise and thinking about what the different parts of our promise mean. When new guides start we celebrate them making their guide promise with a special evening. Our last promise celebration was Oscar party with awards, music and food. Allison Warren – Leader 2nd Witney Guides

Social & Events Group This has been a year of change for the events committee following the temporary halt on events prior to the sharing of the leadership foreword vision strategy and discussion on where we fitted into this plan. The temporary remit over the previous year has been to facilitate events that bring together and enhance the fellowship of our church family through social fun, and music events; and to facilitate an open and more evangelical event with the leadership team. With the change of emphasis of the committee we saw the resignation at the end of last year of our very able chair Rachel

28 Prince, who after careful thought and prayer felt her skills would be more appropriately used elsewhere within the church. We would like to thank Rachel so much for the considerable time and effort she has put in over the past few years producing the varied, and enjoyable quality music events we have had the opportunity to enjoy over that time. She has kindly (with great relief) offered her and Ian's expertise and continued support in the future when appropriate. Five current members have met approximately bi-monthly to plan and organise the events over the year which from the feedback were thoroughly enjoyed by those who attended. The events were: The Jonathan Veira concert The quiz night ably hosted by our own Richard Lock The bring and share harvest supper with a variety of enlightening and enjoyable entertainment provided by the High Street community. Going into 2017 our working remit remains similar. We aim to run four events a year but are happy to help support others within the church who wish to organise an event. Our first task this year is to seek ideas from the church family of what they would like to see happen. We would like to make it as varied and open as possible and will be putting a questionnaire in the church notices and handing them out in messy church, Sunday teas and the boys brigade to gather ideas and general opinions. It would be lovely to have events where family members or friends who would not normally attend a service felt comfortable and welcome along with other churches within the circuit. We will know if achieved our aims if we have all made new friends in the church family at the end of the year. If you are interested in helping us achieve this aim you would be very welcome to join our group.

Janet Buckle (chair)

29 Mission and Outreach

Mission in Witney The last twelve months has seen some developments and some changes and some endings for the work with children, families and young people in Witney. The number of volunteers involved in the various aspects of this work has increased and has become more ecumenical with a networking group of those involved in this area of work just beginning. This will hopefully ensure sustainability and the continuing development of this area of work whilst also encouraging the various Churches to share more closely their ideas, training opportunities and hopes for the future. Messy Church celebrated its first Birthday in December and now has a regular core group of attendees with new faces being seen most months. We need to work on encouraging the sense of belonging to the Church but already we have a couple of those who attend involved in the planning and preparation. There is great number of people willing to serve this work which is drawing mainly families but some lone adults as well to come and share in exploring faith and worship God in multi-sensory and creative ways. The core team is growing in confidence and leadership of the various areas is shared more widely leading to different named individuals on the Plan. The work with the schools in Witney continues to deliver a comprehensive curriculum to the children of primary school age via our Experience sessions, Godly Play, Church information visits and assemblies. Brenda Woods continues to co-ordinate much of this work with the schools and volunteers. Again this work is supported ecumenically and it was great to have Davenport Road Methodist Church hosting the Church information visit this year to offer a wider variety in Church settings. That they did this for the first time whilst I was on Sabbatical was a huge credit to them and was very well received by the school. There is still room for development and I

30 continue to approach the leadership in the schools to offer support in their curriculum. After the cancelling of last summer’s Churches Together holiday club due to lack of qualified volunteers the Churches Together in Witney meeting decided to no longer offer this activity. This is against the backdrop of some of the Churches in Witney deciding to host their own holiday clubs so does not represent that there is no longer Christian holiday clubs in the town just they are not being held ecumenically. The Methodist Churches in Witney may decide to host a club of their own, this is under consideration. Another initiative that has failed to develop is the Community Kitchen. This has been due to lack of volunteers. It held its last session in May 2016. The resources are still held in the Wesley Room cupboards and are available for groups to use for cooking activities on request. Many of you will know that due to the funding cuts by the Council that the two Children’s Centres in Witney have been closed. A working party drawn from a variety of groups both Church and secular and including Base33 have been preparing a bid for monies available to groups trying to fill the gaps that these closures have created. The outcome of this will not be known for a few months but the impact of the closures is already being noted at both High Street and Davenport Road with individuals seeking other opportunities and groups seeking other spaces. It is envisaged that over time those families who were receiving low level support via open access groups and groups meeting specific need will now fall under the radar only being identified when there is a crisis. It is mainly the early years, 0-5, bracket that will be affected but also the youth drop-ins. The Early Intervention Hub is only serving families already referred for crisis support. This is a huge opportunity for mission which has arisen quickly and for which the Churches are not currently equipped to embrace. However we must discern wisely how God calls us to respond to this need for the most vulnerable in our community. Where God calls us to serve He also equips.

31 Initially High Street have taken the Grandparents group under their wing that were already meeting on a Tuesday morning in the Radford Room, Helen James is doing a great job in supporting them and developing the link between the group and Church. Davenport Road have provided space for two new groups to meet, one for families of twins and multiple births and another a support group for those families with children with autism. The Wesley Toddler Group has been impacted by the closure of the Children’s Centre seeing its numbers rise almost to too many on a Friday morning. The leaders of this group have stepped up the organisation of the group whilst I was on Sabbatical and have been fantastically supported by Helen James and Jane Heath as well as those in the coffee bar on a Friday morning. Sherria Hind and Natalie Townsend, are mums who have run the group this year and Sherria has already confirmed she will continue next year. We are grateful for their leadership, creativity and organisational skills. We see many of these families coming along to the Messy Church now, some as regulars and some occasionally. Currently there is a small group looking at the resources needed to continue the work with children, families and young people in Witney after the initial five year period. The hope is to enable the work to be sustainable and to continue to grow and develop not just to be maintained. There has been a significant investment of resources in terms of people, physical space, materials and money and the hope is to ensure this investment is capitalised on and this area of work continues as a priority in the life of the Church in Witney. Thank you for your continued support for the work in this area, I know many of you enjoy the opportunities to get involved. There are a few of you that offer many hours to this work enabling it to happen for which the Church is indebted to you. May God continue to bless you as you serve and share God’s love and good news with those who would not otherwise have the opportunity to hear it. I personally thank you all for your support and affirmation as I continue to serve alongside you, it is a pleasure and a privilege to

32 work with so many of God’s faithful servants. I particularly thank those who have carried a heavier load whilst I have enjoyed the gift of my Sabbatical I appreciate the sacrifices this has meant. Any questions or comments please do come and ask. And if you want to get involved come and have a chat there is always room for more to get on board. Deacon Ellie Griffin

Coffee Bar The coffee bar plays an important role in the “ministry of hospitality” at High Street. It provides a service every day (excluding Bank Holidays), including after Sunday worship. The root of this ministry lies in providing an inclusive service to all customers based on the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. The principle of using voluntary staff is very important and there is a team of about 60 people who make all of this happen. Since September, steps have been taken to ensure that the coffee bar follows sound health & safety practice and hygiene rules. A risk assessment and food hygiene check have been carried out. Safeguarding training has been offered to all volunteers and safeguarding forms have been completed. We have a large number of regular customers who in January were invited to complete a questionnaire about the coffee bar and its products and services. The result of this consultation has provided some indication of how the coffee bar needs to move forward. New volunteers are always welcome so that we can more generously staff the coffee bar. This will ensure that all customers who would like some company will find friendly conversation and a listening ear. Val Donoghue, Coffee Bar Co-ordinator

Knit ‘n’ Natter

33 Knit ‘n’ Natter has been running for five years and continues to grow in numbers, occupying three tables in the Coffee Bar between 10.30am – 12.30 each week. We can have up to 20 ladies, both young and the more mature. Not only is it a good way of meeting other ladies (gentlemen are welcome too, however!) but you can socialise while being creative. Knitting is making a big come-back so get yourself some needles and wool and come and join us. You don’t have to be a knitter just come and natter if you want!

We have a mixture of people who are church members and people who are not. We do our own projects but also knit for the Special Care Baby Unit at the JR, CLIC Sargent, Christmas Shoeboxes and various other charities

Knit’n’ Natter Group

World Church Committee This committee has 8 members and meets twice a year in Spring and Autumn. We aim to involve and educate members of the congregation to the needs of the wider world and in accordance with our mission statement: “determined to support our fellow Christians”. We have continued to work with these aims during 2016 – 2017 through our involvement in:  Christmas Bazaar: This annual event, organised jointly with the Anglican team Parish, was held in the beginning of December. The total raised was divided between World Mission, Base 33 and an Anglican charity. We thank Rosie Jones for her time and energy she put in to making this event such a success over the past years, but appreciate that she feels the time is right to pass the baton on to someone else.

34  World Church Sunday: This years’ service will be held on Sunday 15th July 2017 and a speaker from MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) will be joining our worship. We are planning on sharing together in a fellowship lunch after the service.

 Christian Aid week: Due to the difficulty in getting volunteers in Witney for the house-to-house collections, it has been decided to concentrate energy on holding 2 concerts/events which will be held in the congregational Church. All proceeds from the lent lunches will be given to Christian Aid and envelopes were available at the lunches. Envelopes will be given out at High Street over two Sunday’s close to Christian Aid week.

 Wells for India: We continue to give our small change on a Sunday morning in the large glass bottles, but there are boxes at the back if the church for those who would prefer to take a box home. Once full they can be given to Ken Mumford or Jane Heath to empty. This loose change goes to increase the availability and accessibility of water to the people in Rajasthan, India. Last year we banked £387.00, over £100 more than the previous year. The coffee bar profits for last year were divided between Mission in Witney (50%), Street children in Kolkata (25%) and the Karibuni Children (25%). The charity box on the coffee bar continues to raise funds for both Kolkata and Karibuni charities. If you have a heart for Mission we would love you to join with us in our work, please do come and speak to me or any of the group. Jane Heath

35 Christmas Shoeboxes

Administrative Information  Name of Group Shoebox Team  Number of volunteersbetween 25 and 40  We have 12 members in the Shoebox Team Aims The aim of the group is to organise the collection, checking and packing of shoeboxes to be transported to countries like Romania, Belarus and Bosnia where some of the children are living in desperate circumstances. The boxes are filled with toys, toiletries, writing materials, games and sweets to delight the children, most of whom have no possessions at all. The team tries to involve as many people from our community as possible in this activity and promote a warm and friendly atmosphere in which to check the boxes.

 We invite churches, schools, local businesses and WI to join with us and be collection points for shoeboxes.  Hold coffee mornings to raise funds for top up items and transport costs.  Advertise in local village newsletters and on our website asking if anyone would like to be involved in knitting, donating, checking, packing or helping in any other way to please get in touch.  The send off evening involves the local Fireman, Police, Base 33 and volunteers to load the crates onto the lorry, we have refreshments and the Boys Brigade to play carols for us. Progress and Achievements  We had a wonderful group of volunteers last year, quite a lot of new faces as well as our regular helpers and the atmosphere was brilliant. Everyone worked hard but had a very enjoyable time and it was difficult to get the helpers to take a break for refreshments!

36  The Shoebox Celebration Service was well attended by the community and we have the support of the Women’s Fellowship who kindly supply refreshments. The shoeboxes make a wonderful display along with all the large toys and knitted items that the people of Witney and surrounding villages have donated. Reverend Melanie arranges a lovely service and blesses the boxes before they are packed into crates and sent off. The Brownies and Guides also attend.  We changed from Samaritan’s Purse to Teams4U last year as we were very concerned about the restrictions being placed on the items for the shoeboxes and also the distribution arrangements for the boxes. The support from the community was amazing and we all feel it was the right decision to make.  The send off evening was a great success with the Fireman and Firewomen helping us out once again along with Base 33 and all the other volunteers Marie Cotton

Lunchtime Recitals The church hosted another season of five lunchtime recitals on selected Thursdays between May and November 2016. Since their inception in 2000 these recitals have become an important part of the church’s outreach; the average audience at each concert last year continued at about 50-55, mostly people who have no other contact with the church (but it would be nice if there were more of our church members there too!) They are all grateful for this opportunity to enjoy classical music in the informal and friendly, but acoustically excellent, setting of our town centre church. The age spread is wide, and both young children and the disabled can integrate easily within the audience. The recitals, to which entry is always free of charge, are given by ‘Lunchtime Recitals’. This is the autonomous organisation which in 2014 evolved from the small group of musicians who had provided the artistic input to the recitals from their start. Its raison d’être is to

37 put on regular lunchtime recitals by professional musicians at High St. The church provides the venue free of charge but ‘Lunchtime Recitals’ provides everything else, including all performance planning and costs. The artistic director is West Oxfordshire mezzo-soprano Annabel Molyneaux and it is thanks to her enthusiasm, ability, and generosity with her time and talents that the recitals are able to continue. She, her regular pianist Peter Cowdrey, and her husband Paul, who intersperses the music with short and mainly humorous prose and poetry readings, perform at all the recitals but at each one there are also items by guest artists. Last year these included performances on violin, double bass, guitar, bassoon, flute, and by a soprano and a tenor. Annabel carefully plans each recital around a particular theme and this always ensures an inventive and entertaining mix of music. It is considered important by both partners in this outreach that the recitals remain free of charge. This means that ‘Lunchtime Recitals’ has to work hard to keep in financial balance, but both the District and Town Councils, recognising the importance to the local community, give invaluable grants. Individuals can (and do) help by becoming Friends of Lunchtime Recitals and there is also a small income from programme sales. Of vital importance too is the generosity shown by the musicians, all of them professional, in accepting fees that are significantly less than they could get elsewhere, and for this both ‘Lunchtime Recitals’ and the church are most grateful.

Tom Jones (High St.Liaison Person with ‘Lunchtime Recitals’)

Action for Children - Witney Children’s Centre

 Number of your organisers and helpers There are 3 members of the team. 1 full time Team Lead who manages both Centres in Witney, 1 full time Family Support Worker, 1 part time Admin Support worker,

38  Number of those attending group Over the last year there have been approximately 685 children under 5 and 830 carers attending the group.

This does not include the Grandparents group as we no longer log this information as the church are responsible for this group.

 What is the aim of your group? To provide opportunities for parents and carers to access services that will help develop life skills and improved outcome for families who live in the Witney area.

 How you carry out this aim By providing a well-balanced programme of targeted and universal work which includes children from less advantaged areas. The centre offers one to one work in the centre and in the home.

 How has your group developed towards fulfilling its aims? The group is consistently reviewing data which enables to make sure we are offering the right service for children and families who live in the local area. This programme is reviewed and can change to continually meet the local need of families.

 Progress of any special projects The Children’s Centre alongside many others has been closed by Oxfordshire County Council. A new model has been agreed and went live in February 2017.

39  How has your group contributed to the mission statement of the church? As a children’s centre who works within the community we aim to better the life of children and families who live in the community.

 Services will discontinue in Witney Action for Children as of the 31st March 2017. All services will be delivered for this area from the local Hub in Witney

Thank you for your support over the years and for being such a heart-warming place with lovely caring people.

Lorraine Hurdle, Team Leader Witney Children’s Centre

Fairtrade High Street continues to actively support Fairtrade. All the tea, coffee and sugar used in the busy coffee bar is Fairtrade. Fairtrade posters are always on display and with special emphasis during Fairtrade Fortnight. All outside organisations running events and coffee mornings at High Street are asked to use Fairtrade products. A large Fairtrade Stall was present at the Annual Bazaar. Fairtrade is often referred to in services of worship. High Street is a member of WAFTAG, the area Fairtrade group and supports Witney as a Fairtrade Towntrade .

Elgin Crewe

40 Methodist Homes for the Aged (MHA) High Street supports Methodist Homes both as a National organisation caring for ageing and sick people and independent living schemes also Homestead, the local Methodist Home in Carterton. An annual envelope collection is held at the Church each year in June and last year raised £85.41 and a substantial donation of £300 has been given to assist the Chaplain in her work at Homestead. Many church members regularly visit relatives and friends in other Care Homes in Witney and beyond to the immeasurable benefit of the residents. Elgin Crewe

Cream Tea Outreach (monthly) It hardly seems possible it was 18 months ago the Rev Melanie together with Age UK set up the Cream Teas, helped with grants from the Rotary Club and Witney Lion. Food was supplied, at discount, by Huffkins, and served by volunteers from the Church. Over time the dynamics have changed. To provide good stewardship of the generous funding we have received High Street now host these events itself with the help of a small volunteer catering group who each month provide a selection of sandwiches, scones (with cream and jam) and cakes all freshly made for each cream tea and presented as attractively as possible on tiered stands placed on tables laid with embroidered cloths. Witney’s answer to the Ritz! Hosts are on hand to welcome guests and help serve tea and coffee. We are extremely grateful to all who make these teas so successful. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you X The basic ethos of these cream teas, which are held on the 4th Sunday of each month at 4pm, remains unchanged. It is to provide, for those who find Sunday afternoon lonely and challenging, a place to meet, share conversation and form friendships. Numbers declined slightly to 25/30 during the winter months but are now increasing

41 with the approach of warmer weather and lighter evenings. We had to lay up two extra tables at the March tea. If you wish to join us it would be helpful if you could book your place by contacting me (my number is in the Church directory) by the Friday prior to the tea so we have an idea of numbers for whom we need to cater. In conclusion we would ask you to please pray for this initiative, that we may continue into the foreseeable future as the cream teas are a great outreach and in a small way allow us to replicate Christ’s ministry through the sharing of food and fellowship with people from all walks of life. Brenda Edwards

42 Inter Church Relations

Churches Together in Witney and District Churches Together Council meets three times a year and at other times when needed. Lay and ordained representatives from most of the churches in the town regularly attend. 2016-17 Chair is Rev Dr Jason Boyd and Rev Dr Nick Pike will take over in May 2017. Sue Green and I are CTiW representatives for High Street. I am also its secretary. CTiW aims to foster and encourage ecumenical cooperation between the various denominations in Witney and District. High Street always supports the annual events organised by CTiW including the Good Friday Walk of Witness and act of worship in the Market Square. The Sunrise Service on Easter Day 2017 will be again held in the garden at the Congregational Church and is usually attended by about 35 from various churches including members from High Street. Other events are organised during the year including carol singing in Witney town centre on a Saturday in December. Other annual events include the Week of Prayer in January when services are held in different churches on most evenings of that week, usually three or four United Services are held annually. Soup Lunches took place again in various churches in Witney every week during Lent in aid of Christian Aid. High Street hosted one on 31st March. There is a monthly Prayer Breakfast held at High Street on the fourth Saturday morning and more members of High Street would be very welcome to attend. CTiW issues a Prayer Diary four times a year and High Street is always represented. During 2016 CTiW participated in two national prayer events and some members of High Street were involved in 'Thy Kingdom Come' during a week in May and a weekend prayer event in September. Some High Street members are involved in planning 'Thy Kingdom Come' prayer event in Witney from Ascension Day to Pentecost 2017. This has grown considerably since last year and in 2017 will be taking

43 place in churches all over UK, Europe and countries across the world. Information about events taking place in member churches is circulated regularly to give the opportunity for attendance by those from other denominations. Anne Crawford

Women’s World Day of Prayer 3rd March 2017 ‘Am I being Unfair to You? The service this year was prepared by Christian women of the Philippians. As the women were preparing the materials for this service the islands of the Philippians were struck by Typhoon Haiyan, which caused much destruction. But life goes on and the people in the Philippians go on in faith, trusting that God is with them. The Women’s World day of Prayer is a wonderful opportunity to share in worship with women all around the globe, all using the same service. In the UK over 5,600 services were held, on this same day. An article in the Methodist Recorder shared: “Over 36 hours from dawn in Western Samoa to dusk in American Samoa – on the other side of the International date line – we are part of one huge wave of prayer – all yearning for one thing – a world in which God’s peace and justice reign and God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.” The WWDP service in Witney was organised by representatives of 8 churches in Witney. The morning service was hosted here at High Street and in the evening we were at the Congregational church. A preparation day was held in February, led by Ken Mumford, which was extremely helpful in giving us an understanding of this challenging but beautiful country where climate change has led to an increase in storms, droughts and severe typhoons in the last decade. We also reflected on Matthew 20 v 1-16, a passage chosen to support the theme of the service prepared by the women of the Philippians. Please look out for information about next years’ service prepared by the women in Suriname themed: ”All God’s Creation is Very Good!”

44 Jane Heath

Property

The Property Team The Property Team meets monthly to deal with the practical details of maintaining and running the premises, with the larger Finance and Property Committee meeting three times per year to consider matters of policy. We are grateful to our paid staff Mary Willis, Robin Edmunds, Robin Hambidge, Malcolm Cartner and Jason Thomas who keep our buildings clean and secure. We also appreciate the many volunteers (including Man Friday and the Coffee Bar helpers) who do so much to keep the premises open, tidy, safe and welcoming. Centre Coordinator After a bumpy year, we are pleased that Mary Willis joined us as Centre Coordinator in February. Bookings are now handled much more reliably. Mary and Richard Lock are working on setting up a new comprehensive room booking and invoicing program. Jason Thomas' hours have increased to cover 6pm - 8pm each day. The matter of supervision and security of the premises at other times is being kept under review. Use of Premises We are pleased to host Volunteer Link-Up, the Red Cross medical loan service, Witney Talking News, U3A, Witney Music Society and many other community activities and organisations. Action for Children, who ran the children's centre on our premises, and Churches Together in Oxfordshire have both recently vacated their offices due to changes in their circumstances.

45 The church flat is let through Martin's as our managing agent. Lynne Carter has a 3-5 year lease on the shop unit. Major works Less major property work has been carried out during the past year, but day-to-day maintenance continues to keep the premises safe and usable. The first phase of upgrading the 1995 electrical socket circuits with RCDs has been carried out. As the result of a special organ appeal, the first and worst of the 98-year-old organ air reservoirs has been re-leathered, but there remain four more needing attention. The Old School Building Negotiations over the disposal of the empty Old School Building have continued through the past 12 months and Amadeus Software have submitted a planning application to convert the building to a training facility and offices. Sale of the building is conditional on the successful outcome of this application. It should be noted that the proceeds of sale pass to the Circuit and the Connexion, and not to High Street Methodist Church. We can apply to get some of the money back and our thoughts are turning to areas where refurbishment or upgrading is required after 20 years of intensive use. Health and Safety The Church Council remains aware of our responsibilities towards the health and safety of all who use our premises. Moves are in hand to appoint someone to take charge of this work. Keith Crawford, Property Secretary

Man Friday Number of organisers One co-ordinator through which all work requested should be channelled.

46 Helpers / members of group Varying – due to age, family commitments & infirmity we now have 10 Men Fridays & 2 Girl Fridays (more always welcome and very necessary!)

Aims A social meeting for retired folks who, as well as enjoying each other’s company, are willing to attempt minor D.I.Y jobs around the church buildings – really valuable work keeping our premises looking good & welcoming. How this aim is carried out With enthusiasm and the help of cakes baked by Phyllis as well as the occasional birthday cake! Development of group If you are available & would like to join this happy band, please come along on a Friday morning from 9.00a.m. to 12 noon - and see what they get up to - new members are always welcome, whatever their skills. Please contact Geoff or Margaret [881316] for more information. N.B. Attendance each Friday is NOT compulsory and if you can spare only half a morning, you will be welcome too. Progress of projects We usually have about 20 tasks on the books at any one time, ranging from putting up shelves and coat hooks, sorting out vacuum cleaners, changing light bulbs to mending chairs and deterring pigeons! These jobs are crossed off as they are completed - but there are always others to take their place. Value of this group Inestimable & a great money saver for the church! Margaret Wright

47 Treasurer’s Report & Accounts The accounts of the church have been prepared and are presented below in the format as required by the Charities Commission. These present the full picture of the activities of the church and combine both the normal church operation and the funds for the building projects. The accounts show an overall deficit of £24,832 (2015: £8,615) with unrestricted funds showing a deficit of £17,807 (2015: £7,813) and restricted funds (the building project) showing a deficit of £7,025 (2015: £1802) as the final retention was agreed and paid. The deficit on unrestricted income is higher partly because of some necessary repair costs after a lower spend year in 2015. However, the underlying picture is that offerings and donations have increased at the level needed to meet the demands on costs and the work we wish to do. Lettings are down by 1% following the 10% increase last year and 18% the year before. Regular giving (offerings and tax credits) grew by 2.5% but this was more than offset by a drop in one-off donations leading to a decline in offerings and donations has slowed showing a decline of 3% compared to 2% last year. Costs, excluding those relating to the building project, were 4% higher than 2015. Increased spend on repairs and maintenance and staff costs (increased hours plus recruitment) were only partially offset by saving son insurance, utilities and general spend. The churches funds have dropped notably during the year. Excluding the building project money the funds stand at £70,667 (2015: £89.396) representing 28% (2015 – 37%) of annual expenditure. However, it should be noted that a level of reserves needs to be maintained to protect the fabric of the church building. The funding position of the church building project is at £1,598 having paid out the retention. Going forward, the challenge indicated in last year’s report remains. The level of reserves cannot support the current level of deficit for more than a couple of years. The accounts have been audited and are presented below.

48 Ian Prince, ACMA Treasurer

Reserve Policy for High Street Methodist Church for the year end 31st August 2016 We will commence the new financial year with £41,544Reserve Fund held at CFB and maintain our General Fund of £16,727 held locally with an additional £12,396 of debtors due to delays in raising invoices. In 2007 Church Council agreed a Fund target of six months average expenditure (approx £125k) although in recent years we have maintained a position a little short of this target it has now dropped to only 56% of the target. Whilst this can be managed at present it reduces our ability to react if there was an emergency need.

Policy for Restricted Funds The only restricted funds that we maintain relate to the project to develop the Wesley Centre. There are no significant funds remaining in the project and they will be used for further furnishing or maintenance of the building until exhausted.

49 50 51 TRUSTEES as at May 2017

Superintendent Minister and Ministers appointed to the Witney and Faringdon Circuit Rev’d Paul Weir replaced by Rev’d Rose Westwood w.e.f. 1/9/17 Rev’d Fred Ireland Rev’d Melanie Reed Deacon Ellie Griffin

Lay Pastoral Worker and Pastoral Committee Secretary Anne Crawford

Church Stewards Brenda Edwards (Senior), Stephen Hopkins, Owen Carney, Christina Limmer

Church Treasurer Ian Prince

Secretary to the Council Christina Limmer

Representatives from General Church Meeting 6th Yr: Tom Jones Bill Seedhouse 5th Yr: Marie Cotton Mary Jordan 4th Yr: Tony Perry Sophie Hickman Naomi Prince (<18) 3rd Yr: Geoff Wright Helen Williamson Helen James 2nd Yr: Ann Worrall Brian Jordan 1st Yr Isabel Lee

Church Council Appointed Ecumenical Affairs Sue Green Finance & Property Committee Ian Cotton Missions Jane Heath Newland Class Dave Richardson Jeanette Mills Pastoral Committee - Vacancy Property Secretary - Keith Crawford Property Steward - Les Harley Minutes Secretary to Finance &Property Cttee Margaret Wright Methodist Homes & Fairtrade - Elgin Crewe Safeguarding Officer - Ruth Lapworth Health & Safety Officer Stephen Hopkins Events - Janet Buckle Children, Young People & Families - Helen James Spiritual Life of the Church - Vacancy Coffee Bar Co-ordinator - David & Celia Woodfine