The Countdown Begins Card Readers
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Issue 13 - Winter 2018 PCC News The newspaper for all PCC members to help support your church Chancellor's changes Rabbits in the Theological Farewell to Gift Aid 3 Headlights 5 Am Dram 9 Bishop Graham 10 The countdown begins Card readers James South Senior Finance Officer During the Christmas period we As some of you may have seen in will see a marked increase in March of this year, the National footfall through our church doors, Church issued a press release and we need to maintain some sort of Does your church which was picked up by many contact with these people. With recent send a Christmas card to mainstream media organisations GDPR legislation, keeping data has become everyone in your parish? It is a in relation to card readers being more involved so why not ask people to be great way to wish everyone a Happy available to churches. friends on your facebook page? You might like Christmas but also a superb way to let This followed a trial which ran to run a draw whereby one person who has people know about your services, and across the Church of England joined will win a bottle of wine? Give children explain that everyone is welcome. through late 2017 and into 2018 attending the plethora of services a leaflet Make a point of inviting people involving card readers being to take home asking parents/carers to be personally at Christmas to your available in churches. friends on facebook. It is an ideal services or events. It is an ideal way to keep in touch and opportunity to speak to Some of the benefits of using a advertise events. other people. card reader include: n More security compared to holding cash n A convenient way of giving for Christingle, those who do not carry cash n it is one word which Donations through contactless will need no explanation to those giving are eligible for the Gift Aid who have come across it. The Children’s Small Donations Scheme (if less Society introduced Christingle celebrations than £20), meaning that donations in this country 50 years ago to raise money for could potentially be enhanced. vulnerable young people. Even when the child has grown into an adult the thought of Christingle brings a At present, this initiative is best smile to the face. In the cup shape made by a pair of hands used for one-off payments. Such sits an orange representing the world. It is adorned by a red as the payment of statutory fees or ribbon, the blood of Jesus. In the middle sits a lit candle, donor instigated one-off donations. Jesus the light of the world. Once more the Christian story However, the national church is shared and brought to life through the magic of glowing is currently working on providing candles shining in the darkness. If you would like more additional options, including, but not information on holding a Christingle service visit the limited to a cost-effective method of Children’s Society website www.childrenssociety. utilising readily available hardware org.uk/what-you-can-do/fundraising-and- to provide a convenient option events/christingle-resources for one-off, contactless donations. We understand that they will be The Revd providing an update on this soon. Penny Goodman Therefore, if you have yet to do so, you may wish to sign up to the Parish Buying website www. parishbuying.org to receive updates. 2 ISSUE 13 - WINTER 2018 PCC News Editorial Robert Culyer Parish Funding Support Officer 01603 882326 [email protected] Recently I attended a study day doing so they identified who in London looking at making the movers and shakers are in churches sustainable. Initially their local community. I think I was a little sceptical because we all have them in our local quite often ideas that work in community; the person who gets London do not transfer to our everyone together and organises lovely rural villages. events in our villages. It was But armed with an open mind then a case of seeing how they I was pleasantly surprised at how could work with this person many of the ideas are transferable or group. For example, letting to Norfolk. Before I go into the them use the church/church detail of generic ideas that are rooms/hall for classes or events. usable I will tell you briefly about At the first church it was a a couple of the churches that we group of artists whom the vicar visited in the Eastend. befriended. He let them use the Professional help to The first was a church that has church space to work in. This made itself into a community group of people then went on hub at the centre of the parish. to develop and build a second, They have built a doctor’s different service of worship on complete our project surgery and have advice clinics Sunday afternoons. In your local which help with everything community it might be a group from housing to language of young people looking for a Places of Worship Roof Repair April 2018. lessons. The next church was a venue to do band practise. Starting a project for most Fund for a grant. Unfortunately, this The job was carried out barn of a church, that had been Another interesting thing was of us is a daunting prospect, fund was heavily oversubscribed during a period of difficult and derelict and unusable. They the fact that they rented the so it is important to get the and despite much time and effort unseasonable weather conditions. raised over £3million to restore space out to groups who were right professional help. Here on everyone's part, our application However, everything went more or it. They placed a pod, very much doing activities that would we have two stories from was rejected. We were somewhat less according to plan, with works in the shape of an ark inside attract funding in their own parishes that have used downhearted but David encouraged finishing before the estimated the church. This has created right. For example the gym Spire Property Consultants us to persevere. date and with minimal upheaval valuable rental space for the specially designed for disabled (a company owned by the Good fortune followed and we and mess. We are delighted with church. The top floor is rented people. Also both churches Diocese of Norwich). were awarded a grant of £10,000 the quality of the building works out as a gym for disabled people found that it was a steep by the Norfolk Churches Trust and the co-operation between and the first floor is rented out learning curve, and they needed that gave us a very welcome kick- our surveyor and the builder was to an educational trust that helps to adapt and mould to their Priscilla McDougal start to our appeal. Subsequently, seamless and good humoured. children from 10-18 years old. changing environment. As we St Peter & St Paul, Sustead we were fortunate to obtain grants David has seen us through the On the ground floor there is a know each of our parishes across from other organisations for various processes of obtaining a café, a space for worship and the diocese is different and it is Our Quinquennial Reports for which we are most grateful and faculty, VAT reclaim, and dare I more rental space. The church a case of providing what local St Peter & St Paul, Sustead had were able to take the plunge and say it, negotiating all the red tape now has a thriving worshipping people want and we can only do been warning us for some time sign a contract. needed to obtain the relevant community and is self funding. this by talking to people. that the tiles on the chancel roof It was a difficult time to find an permissions and reports required. The first thing that I found So with this in mind it is were badly laminated. This was appropriate builder - especially A bonus was the choice of these two projects had in important that we don’t stagnate. threatening our unique painted with competition from the appropriate clay roof tiles which common was that before they I am a great list maker to ensure roof below, and also our rather churches who HAD obtained a have proved to be the piece de started the project the church that I get things done and don’t special stained-glass windows by grant from the Roof Repair Fund résistance. David made a special goers made themselves very put jobs off until tomorrow, but C.W. Whall. - but David obtained quotations visit on a Saturday morning to visible in the local community. I do know a few people who Our surveyor, David Lemon of for us, including one from Nigel bring the tiles to us to approve, They engaged with the people don’t make lists and instead Spire Property Consultants, advised Coverdale. We were very happy which was typical of the service we who did not attend worship. In never get… us that there was a window of to be able to accept this quote and have received from him throughout opportunity to apply to the Listed the work began at the beginning of our project. The Beast from the East Matthew McDade caused by undiscovered leaks, as management/ Care of Church Buildings the only water likely to flow into If you discover a frozen pipe, the church is what remains in don’t wait for it to burst. Turn Thinking back to the ‘Beast from the pipe, rather than it coming off your water supply and then the East’ we all need to be aware straight from the mains in a slowly thaw the affected pipe by of precautions we can take if continuous flow.