Churches Together in Gainford meeting 18th February 2015
Minutes of the Churches Together in Gainford Meeting on September 9th 2015
Prayers- we said a special prayer for the Queen on becoming our longest reigning monarch.
Present- Father Grieves, Judith Dyke, Coleen Dunbar, Christine Graham,
Canon Neil Russell, Geoff Taylor, Marion Parker, Sue Taylor, and Judith Elgy.
Apologies- Alan Gerard, Revd. Martin Jacques and Revd. Andrew Stobart
Minutes of the last meeting were read
Matters Arising - We need more singers in the choir for next Sunday evening for Evensong in St Mary’s. Some of the Ordinariate Choir are joining us. Members of the committee offered to do readings and prayers at this joint service and Father Grieves and Neil will lead the service. The lights in St Mary’s have failed so there will not be a lot of light, but we will use candles and it is not too difficult at this time of year.
Revd. Martin leaving. Martin is leaving to be Vicar of Tynemouth so there will be a Praise Service on Sunday 18th October to thank him and bid farewell. All are welcome to come.
We all expressed our regret that he is leaving and thanked him for his contribution to Churches Together. We discussed whether to have a joint gift or let each church give a gift. Later we decided with Father Grieves on the second option with presentations to be made at the service.
He will be inducted as Vicar of St Saviours Tynemouth on Thursday 12th of November at 7.30. A bus will be organised.
Joy Of The Gospel - five of us had attended this ecumenical service in Durham Cathedral at the weekend and been impressed by the Anglican Archbishop Sentamu and the Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool answering questions about our faith. We decided to follow the course of discussions which were suggested to follow up the service. We will organise four discussion sessions in lent. Ash Wednesday is the 10th of February.
Refugee Crisis - Geoff wondered if there is anything we can do to help, but Father Grieves said the Bishops would guide us in our response.
Remembrance Service - Neil will lead the service with the Ordinariate Choir supporting the singing outside at the war memorial and Father Grieves will say a prayer. We will follow the usual service and need someone to lay wreaths and read out the names. We will ask a scout to do the reading and members of the three churches to say prayers.
Christmas Cards - We will ask Parish news to print and distribute our cards again this year and thank them for doing this for us. Sue offered to take a photo of another window in St Mary’s of the nativity and add the Christmas Services to the back page.
Carol Service - This will be on Sunday 20th December at 6pm.This will follow the usual pattern of a family service with short lessons read by members of the three churches and carols sung by everyone, followed by refreshments. There will be a service of Nine Lessons and Carols at St Osmund’s on Monday 28th December with readers from other churches.
Service for the Week of Christian Unity - This will be on Sunday 24th of January at St Mary’s at 4pm. Following parts of the service provided by Churches Together in England.
AGM - This will be on Wednesday 3rd February at St Osmund’s at 7pm Father Grieves will ask if the Catholic Ecumenical officer can attend and talk.
Evensong at St Mary’s - Father Greives offered to lead an evensong at St Mary’s next year.
Songs of Praise - Father Greives said he would get in touch with Andrew Stobart to see if they could organise a Methodist Songs of Praise in St Osmund’s next year.
We thanked St Osmund’s for their hospitality.
Date of next meeting Wednesday 4th November at St Osmund’s at 4pm
Minutes of the Churches Together in Gainford Meeting
on November 4th 2015
The Meeting opened with prayers
Present- Father Grieves, Judith Dyke, Christine Graham, Alan Gerrard
Canon Neil Russell, Geoff Taylor, Marion Parker, Sue Taylor, and Judith Elgey.
Apologies- Colleen Dunbar and Revd. Andrew Stobart
Minutes of the last meeting were discussed
Matters Arising – Father Grieves has contacted the Catholic Ecumenical Officer, but she cannot talk on the proposed date of our AGM 3rd February 2016 so we asked him to see if she could attend on the 17th of Feb, the 10th being Ash Wednesday. We will let everyone know when the date is fixed. Judith Dyke agreed to carry on as Chair of CITG for another year.
Judith Elgey suggested we might do something for refugees in light of the great need for help at the moment. St Osmund’s have donated £200 to a refugee charity already, but we agreed to send a contribution from the Lent Lunches to help refugees.
Remembrance Service – is nearly organised. The Ordinariate congregation will join the outside service and provide a trumpeter. A scout will read the first lesson, Geoff the second and three members of the committee will share the prayers. Sheenah Davis will lay a wreath from the Queen. Mike Roff will lay one wreath from the village, and there will be two from St Osmund’s.
Joy Of The Gospel – We decided on four dates for Ecumenical Study groups to follow the course outlined by Pope Francis. These will be at St Osmund’s Centre on Tuesday 23rd February, 1st of March, 8th of March and the 15th March at 7.30 . We will need to plan these nearer the time.
Christmas Card – This has been sent to the parish Magazine to be printed and distributed with the December Magazine.
Carol Service – We will follow the pattern of previous years, which has worked so well in attracting families. The St John reading was first last year. Neil suggested the children should sing all of ‘Away in a Manger’ themselves if there are enough of them. We could provide the words. We will let Neil know when the various figures are brought to the crib.
Service for the Week of Christian Unity - This will be on Sunday 24th of January at St Mary’s at 4pm, following parts of the service provided by Churches Together in Great Britain and Ireland.
Evensong at St Mary’s - Father Greives offered to lead an evensong at St Mary’s next year for the Assumption on the 14th August. St Osmund’s are holding an Evensong on Sunday 27th of November at 4pm on the Feast of Christ the King.
Songs of Praise – Andrew Stobart has agreed to lead a Songs of Praise Service celebrating the Hymns written by Charles Wesley on the 22nd of May, Trinity Sunday, at 4pm, probably at St Osmund’s.
Lent Lunches-We planned four Lent Lunches starting at 12.30pm.
Wednesday 17th Feb at St Osmund’s Centre
Wednesday 24th Feb at Judith Elgey’s, 12 Water’s End
Wednesday 2nd March at the Taylor’s, 14 Academy Gardens
Wednesday 9th March at Hilary Heslop’s, 24 Low Green
AOB
New Signatory – We need a new signatory for our Bank Account with Santander as Lorna Edminson has not been on the committee for some time. Marion Parker offered to do this so Geoff said he would fill in the necessary parts of the form and get in touch with her.
TAP- Judith Dyke showed us a questionnaire that Teesdale Action Partnership have published in the Teesdale Mercury. Our speaker from Churches Acting Together in the North East had encouraged us to get involved wth TAP decision making so Alan said he would put it on the CTG website so we could fill it in to choose areas of most concern.
Find our web site as a link from St Osmund’s or St Mary’s Sites.- this beautiful life
We thanked St Osmund’s for their hospitality.
Date of next meeting the AGM
Minutes of the Churches Together in Gainford Meeting on September 9th 2015
Prayers- we said a special prayer for the Queen on becoming our longest reigning monarch.
Present- Father Grieves, Judith Dyke, Coleen Dunbar, Christine Graham,
Canon Neil Russell, Geoff Taylor, Marion Parker, Sue Taylor, and Judith Elgy.
Apologies- Alan Gerard, Revd. Martin Jacques and Revd. Andrew Stobart
Minutes of the last meeting were read
Matters Arising - We need more singers in the choir for next Sunday evening for Evensong in St Mary’s. Some of the Ordinariate Choir are joining us. Members of the committee offered to do readings and prayers at this joint service and Father Grieves and Neil will lead the service. The lights in St Mary’s have failed so there will not be a lot of light, but we will use candles and it is not too difficult at this time of year.
Revd. Martin leaving. Martin is leaving to be Vicar of Tynemouth so there will be a Praise Service on Sunday 18th October to thank him and bid farewell. All are welcome to come.
We all expressed our regret that he is leaving and thanked him for his contribution to Churches Together. We discussed whether to have a joint gift or let each church give a gift. Later we decided with Father Grieves on the second option with presentations to be made at the service.
He will be inducted as Vicar of St Saviours Tynemouth on Thursday 12th of November at 7.30. A bus will be organised.
Joy Of The Gospel - five of us had attended this ecumenical service in Durham Cathedral at the weekend and been impressed by the Anglican Archbishop Sentamu and the Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool answering questions about our faith. We decided to follow the course of discussions which were suggested to follow up the service. We will organise four discussion sessions in lent. Ash Wednesday is the 10th of February.
Refugee Crisis - Geoff wondered if there is anything we can do to help, but Father Grieves said the Bishops would guide us in our response.
Remembrance Service - Neil will lead the service with the Ordinariate Choir supporting the singing outside at the war memorial and Father Grieves will say a prayer. We will follow the usual service and need someone to lay wreaths and read out the names. We will ask a scout to do the reading and members of the three churches to say prayers.
Christmas Cards - We will ask Parish news to print and distribute our cards again this year and thank them for doing this for us. Sue offered to take a photo of another window in St Mary’s of the nativity and add the Christmas Services to the back page.
Carol Service - This will be on Sunday 20th December at 6pm.This will follow the usual pattern of a family service with short lessons read by members of the three churches and carols sung by everyone, followed by refreshments. There will be a service of Nine Lessons and Carols at St Osmund’s on Monday 28th December with readers from other churches.
Service for the Week of Christian Unity - This will be on Sunday 24th of January at St Mary’s at 4pm. Following parts of the service provided by Churches Together in England.
AGM - This will be on Wednesday 3rd February at St Osmund’s at 7pm Father Grieves will ask if the Catholic Ecumenical officer can attend and talk.
Evensong at St Mary’s - Father Greives offered to lead an evensong at St Mary’s next year.
Songs of Praise - Father Greives said he would get in touch with Andrew Stobart to see if they could organise a Methodist Songs of Praise in St Osmund’s next year.
We thanked St Osmund’s for their hospitality.
Date of next meeting Wednesday 4th November at St Osmund’s at 4pm
Minutes of the Churches Together in Gainford Meeting
on November 4th 2015
The Meeting opened with prayers
Present- Father Grieves, Judith Dyke, Christine Graham, Alan Gerrard
Canon Neil Russell, Geoff Taylor, Marion Parker, Sue Taylor, and Judith Elgey.
Apologies- Colleen Dunbar and Revd. Andrew Stobart
Minutes of the last meeting were discussed
Matters Arising – Father Grieves has contacted the Catholic Ecumenical Officer, but she cannot talk on the proposed date of our AGM 3rd February 2016 so we asked him to see if she could attend on the 17th of Feb, the 10th being Ash Wednesday. We will let everyone know when the date is fixed. Judith Dyke agreed to carry on as Chair of CITG for another year.
Judith Elgey suggested we might do something for refugees in light of the great need for help at the moment. St Osmund’s have donated £200 to a refugee charity already, but we agreed to send a contribution from the Lent Lunches to help refugees.
Remembrance Service – is nearly organised. The Ordinariate congregation will join the outside service and provide a trumpeter. A scout will read the first lesson, Geoff the second and three members of the committee will share the prayers. Sheenah Davis will lay a wreath from the Queen. Mike Roff will lay one wreath from the village, and there will be two from St Osmund’s.
Joy Of The Gospel – We decided on four dates for Ecumenical Study groups to follow the course outlined by Pope Francis. These will be at St Osmund’s Centre on Tuesday 23rd February, 1st of March, 8th of March and the 15th March at 7.30 . We will need to plan these nearer the time.
Christmas Card – This has been sent to the parish Magazine to be printed and distributed with the December Magazine.
Carol Service – We will follow the pattern of previous years, which has worked so well in attracting families. The St John reading was first last year. Neil suggested the children should sing all of ‘Away in a Manger’ themselves if there are enough of them. We could provide the words. We will let Neil know when the various figures are brought to the crib.
Service for the Week of Christian Unity - This will be on Sunday 24th of January at St Mary’s at 4pm, following parts of the service provided by Churches Together in Great Britain and Ireland.
Evensong at St Mary’s - Father Greives offered to lead an evensong at St Mary’s next year for the Assumption on the 14th August. St Osmund’s are holding an Evensong on Sunday 27th of November at 4pm on the Feast of Christ the King.
Songs of Praise – Andrew Stobart has agreed to lead a Songs of Praise Service celebrating the Hymns written by Charles Wesley on the 22nd of May, Trinity Sunday, at 4pm, probably at St Osmund’s.
Lent Lunches-We planned four Lent Lunches starting at 12.30pm.
Wednesday 17th Feb at St Osmund’s Centre
Wednesday 24th Feb at Judith Elgey’s, 12 Water’s End
Wednesday 2nd March at the Taylor’s, 14 Academy Gardens
Wednesday 9th March at Hilary Heslop’s, 24 Low Green
AOB
New Signatory – We need a new signatory for our Bank Account with Santander as Lorna Edminson has not been on the committee for some time. Marion Parker offered to do this so Geoff said he would fill in the necessary parts of the form and get in touch with her.
TAP- Judith Dyke showed us a questionnaire that Teesdale Action Partnership have published in the Teesdale Mercury. Our speaker from Churches Acting Together in the North East had encouraged us to get involved wth TAP decision making so Alan said he would put it on the CTG website so we could fill it in to choose areas of most concern.
Find our web site as a link from St Osmund’s or St Mary’s Sites.- this beautiful life
We thanked St Osmund’s for their hospitality.
Date of next meeting the AGM