Faith Friendship & Fresco – Assisi 2006
Churches together in Bishop’s
Stortford
For
Ideal for parties (children’s or adults’)
Licensed Bar available
The Vestry at All Saints' Hockerill
is an attractive split-level
hall with good facilities.
Vacancies for occasional or
regular bookings
Afternoons, evenings,
Saturdays.
Janice
Bennett
How to make your donations to the Church 28%
bigger!
Why?
All Saints costs about £70,000 a year to run. This
includes the costs of
maintenance and servicing (heating, lighting etc.) of the beautiful
building, plus our share of Fr. Kevin's stipend and the central costs
needed for maintaining and improving Vicarages, training new priests,
supporting poorer parishes etc.
How?
Most of this money needs to come from voluntary donations from all of
us, either by regular giving or one-offs. If you are a UK taxpayer the
Church can claim from the Inland Revenue an extra 28% of whatever you
give. All you need to do is to put you name and address on a very simple
Gift-Aid declaration form, which we will provide. Then any
gifts from
you via the numbered envelopes or any other traceable method will have
the extra benefit of Gift Aid.
If you would like more information about this, please contact David
Walters, or Jill Beardwood.
What is it?
The ‘Electoral Roll’ is a
list of everybody who can attend the Annual Parochial Church Meeting.
What happens at the
Annual Parochial Church meeting?
Everyone who ‘belongs’ to
All Saints and is on the Parish Electoral Roll is offered the chance to take a
further part in the life of the parish.
There will be discussions about what the Parochial Church Council (PCC)
has done during the year and what plans, ideas and issues need to be considered
for the future. The accounts are
presented and elections for places on the PCC take place. It is a good opportunity to see how the
church administration works and to contribute your views, and opinions.
Who can be on the Parish
Electoral Roll?
Anyone is eligible who
is baptised and aged 16 or over and who either
is a member of
the Church of England (or of a Church in communion with the Church of England)
and lives within the parish boundaries
or
is a member of
the Church of England (or of a Church in communion with the Church of England)
and is not resident in the parish but has habitually attended public worship in
the parish during the last six months
or
is a member in
good standing of a Church (not in communion with the Church of England) which
subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and declares him or herself to
be a member of the Church of England and has habitually attended public worship
in the parish during the last six months.
If you are interested do
take a form (back of church or churchwardens or Fr Kevin) or click here either for yourself or for someone else.
by Cantica
The
PCC met on Tuesday 8th July
Mrs
Hodges gave a very informative talk about Churches Together in Bishop’s
Stortford. Stort Youth Work Club (SINC) - An organisation
which
is specifically aimed at the young people in Stortford. Representatives from the churches and Stort
Valley Trust have a shared re-
sponsibility. They are open to all churches, hold
quarterly services and do a great deal of work with the youth in Bishop’s
Stortford. They have
been
proposed to become an associate member of CTBS. The PCC confirmed that they would agree this proposal. Holiday Bible Week –
It
will be held this year at the Bishop’s Stortford High School and they still
need at least 10 more adult helpers so that everyone who has regis-
tered
can take part.
Meet
the PCC – It has been provisionally agreed that there should be a social event
on 1st February 2009, when everybody will have the oppor-
tunity
to meet the members of the PCC in a social environment.
The
Lych Gate has recently been repaired by Mr. Rivett and the insurers have
accepted the claim and the bill has been paid. Unfortunately it has
been
hit again by an Argos lorry and this is being looked into to assess any damage
that might have been done.
School
Governor - Miss Beardwood’s term as governor will come to an end on 31st July
and she agreed to stand again with the proviso that it
might
not be for the usual four year term.
She was unanimously reelected.
Mrs
Vaill has indicated that she would like to become a debt counsellor. Churches Together run a scheme to train
people in debt counselling and
she
would like to do this. The scheme
starts in September and would involve two training sessions each of which costs
£25.00. The PCC
agreed
unanimously to sponsor her.
The CTBS web site is now up and running (www.ctbs.org.uk); please log on and have a look at what CTBS
is all about.
The Interfaith Group invites you to join them for
a study day
at Holy Trinity Church,
Bishop’s Stortford
Islam and Other Faiths
speaker: Dr Chris
Hewer
Dr Hewer is St Ethelberga
Fellow in Christian Muslim relations,
a former advisor on
interfaith matters
to the Bishop of Birmingham
an author and lecturer.
Saturday 11 October
Coffee at 10am, Study Day 10.30-4.30
with a bring and share
lunch.
Booking is essential as
places are limited.
There is no charge for the
study day
but small donations to cover
minor expenses
would be appreciated.
To book, or for further
details,
ring Audrey Costley 01279 659371 or email

Many
leading thinkers believe religion will play an increasingly influential role on
the global stage. For this reason, the 2008-9 lecture series will focus on the
history and place of the major religions in today’s world.
Autumn
2008 programme
Wednesday 8th
October, 4.00pm Public Lecture
CHRISTIANITY in the 21st Century
DR MICHAEL MOYNAGH
Templeton College, Oxford
Wednesday 5th
November, 4.00pm Public Lecture
DR MALEIHA MALIK
Kings’ College, London
Wednesday 3rd
December, 4.00pm Public
Lecture
HUMANISM in the 21st Century
PETER CAVE
President, British Humanist Society
Booking: 01279 838575
Entry
is free but places do need to be reserved in advance
www.bishops-stortford-college.herts.sch.uk

Shine
Dear
friends,
May
I take this opportunity to thank you all for your participation in this
weekend’s Shine! events.
It
was fantastic to see such a presence of volunteers throughout the town on
Saturday. I received many positive
comments from passers by, who were impressed to see people working together to
improve their local surroundings.
Of
course it was made easier by the fact that the sun was shining on Shine!
I hope that you all enjoyed being part of such an event and that you
experienced the benefit of working together for the local community.
With
thanks again for your hard work, enthusiasm and commitment.
Yours
in Christ
Reverend
John Walford
Street Pastors
Street Pastors is
running a number of one day courses n the near future which anyone is welcome
to attend
- even to find out more about us.
At present
we go out in groups of four on alternate Friday and Saturday nights between
10pm - 2.30am.
The next
course is 'Good News' and is run by Ascension Trust on Saturday 18th October.
There is a
one day course on 'Roles and Responsibilities' - essential if you want to become a Street Pastor
- on
Saturday 8th November in Chelmsford.
A number
of people from Stortford are going in order to complete their training.
On
Saturday 24th January there is a half day course on the second part of Roles and Responsibilities.
The rest
of the training is arranged for half days on Saturday or Wednesday evenings in the New Year.
Please let
me know if you are interested in attending any of these - or
interested at all in Street Pastors.
"WE ARE THERE BECAUSE WE
CARE!"
Paul
Senior, Co-ordinator
07512
934991 - paul-senior@sky.com - 01279
651465
Assisi 2006 Friendship, Faith,
and Frescos:
I was
a late booking for Assisi; circumstances seemed stacked against me going, but
it was meant to be…
Father
Michael flew out on the preceding Friday to stay with a family in the parish of
Santa Famiglia Fano and on Monday Father Kevin, Father John, the Bishop of St.
Alban’s, and I (and a few others!!) joined him in Italy. I had not really spoken to a Bishop before,
and was a little concerned about protocol!
However I need not have worried; Bishop Christopher is wonderful. We were collected at the airport by Paulo,
one of the lay representatives, and whilst the boys engaged in ‘discussions’
the Bishop let me play with his ring and Pectoral cross…I can ‘do’ jewellery!
We
were taken to Fano where there was some excitement about us having “The Bishop”
with us, and rumour of a party was rife. It was here that I met Don Vincenzo.
This man glows! He is the driving force behind the ecumenical links and is
inspirational. Father Michael told me later how Don Vincenzo and his parish
live their faith. They have a house “Nazareth” which is lived in by a parish
family for a period of six months at a time and where vulnerable people are
looked after, nourished, mended, and supported. They have accommodation for
homeless people in the centre of their community, and Don Vincenzo has an open
door…literally and figuratively to his entire parish.
My
other companions were all known to Don Vincenzo, and to many of the amazing
people that appeared. It was lovely to see these old friendships renewed and
the genuine fondness that exists. My lack of Italian and my ‘strangeness’ did
not in any way cool the generosity of their welcome and hospitality. I was
initially overwhelmed, but soon relaxed into this wonderful new
experience.
We
had lunch together, there must have been twenty-five or so people, and at
various intervals another priest would arrive and more reunions ensued. The food was amazing, and, when we got to
the third (or was it the fifth?) course, I had to pinch myself that this was
real. The language barriers dropped away and before long new friendships were
being made. One guest asked if I was married to Father Kevin, and because he is
such a gentleman Father did not laugh too loudly!
I
defy anybody to be unmoved by meeting such open and warm people who have a
genuine interest in bridging the gaps between our traditions. Things at the top
of organisations are often slow to change, but, when the people at the bottom
start reaching out to each other, change follows.
It
was hard to leave Fano, but our final destination was Assisi, so, having met up
with Father Michael, we ventured on.
Now, I could spend many pages telling you of our week of adventures
there, but I’m strict on space, so I will tell you only of St. Stephano, a tiny
and simple little church where St. Francis worshipped as a child. Father Michael deaconed for the Bishop in a
most beautiful mass, and afterwards Father Kevin, egged on by the Bishop, with
a humble alto (that’s me!) and Dave (a friend of Father John) formed an
impromptu quartet and sang a selection of Taizé and canon to take full
advantage of the acoustics! Never
before have I been asked to “make up an alto line”…thanks, Dave!
At
the end of the week we were again joined by our Italian friends and pilgrimaged
through Assisi, sharing our thoughts and faith as we walked. A reception for
their Archbishop and shared meals were two more of the memorable occasions.
Before
long it was time for me to return home, leaving Father Kevin and Father John to
return to Fano. I wish I could have stayed to spend more time with new friends
and to learn more about these amazing Christians. Perhaps next time!
So
there you have it… Friendship, Faith, and, oh dear…no time to tell you about
the Frescos!
The
Finance Working Group is one of the Working Groups to come from our Paris
Review. The Group, comprising Jill
Beardwood, Su Tarran,
David Walters, and Steve Couzens met on Tuesday 6th
May 2008.
Initial
discussion concerned the setting of some ‘Terms of Reference’.The following were proposed and subsequently approved
by the
PCC meeting of 13th May;
“To
establish a workable financial model for the PCC of All Saints Hockerill, to
include a review of budgeting procedures and sound financial forward
planning”
The work
of the Finance Review Group will inevitably impact upon the work carried out by
all of the other Parish Review ‘Working Groups’.
The
Finance Group has reviewed the current statements of Income and Outgoings and has concluded that unless action is
taken now we will very soon
be faced with making some serious decisions that
will impact our ability to fund (a) new projects coming from our Parish Review,
and (b) our current ‘everyday’
activities.
We
cannot continue to spend beyond our means!
The
Group would propose that work is started without delay to devise a budget
structure for the church financial year commencing 1st January 2009,
and also that we address with immediate effect
the anticipated shortfall in our
finances for 2008 of some £7 – 8,000.
Tight
budgetary controls will be required.
Budget holders will be asked to submit their anticipated costs for the
2009 year by 1st October 2008. These
individual budgets should then be reviewed by a ‘to
be appointed’ Finance Committee. The Finance
Committee will prepare a statement of anticipated
income for the forthcoming year. Having made provision for the essential
outgoings (parish share, heat/light, insurance, basic running costs), any
surplus
may then be allocated against the requirements of
the budget holders. If we don’t have
the money then we cannot spend it!! If
we ignore this then we will
certainly have some very difficult decisions to make
about what we cannot afford to finance.
For example, do we want to repair/replace the PA system? Do
we want to be able to put the heating on when the
weather is cold?, or Can we afford another Curate?
Having
looked at controlling our outgoings, the other way to address the current
shortfall, and to provide funds for future reserves and forward projects, is to
look at all of our sources of income.
These include;
- Stewardship
/ regular giving
- Plate
collections
- Gift
Aid
- Letting
of buildings
- Bazaar
- Other
fund raising activities
To function
on a day-to-day basis on a sound financial footing, and certainly to grow in
the future we have to increase our income.
The congregation has to be made aware of the ‘Gap’ in our finances. We should not be embarrassed about
discussing this – in fact it is essential that we DO discuss this; if nobody
knows, then nothing will happen!! The
Group has suggested producing a 1-page summary of our current finances and that
this is updated at regular intervals and made readily available to all, along
the lines of our ‘Mind the Gap’ illustrations.
We also
need to keep the congregation regularly aware of our vision as a PCC –
expressed though the Parish Review – of growth. It is a harsh but undeniable truth that our growth will have to
be underpinned by sustainable finances.
The Finance Group would welcome any thoughts, ideas
or support - please get in touch with us.
Thank You,
Steve
Couzens
FINANCE REVIEW GROUP UPDATE – July 08
Most
of you will shortly be receiving a letter from Father Kevin and the Church
Wardens concerning the very difficult decision currently facing the PCC over
the provision of a new Organist and Director of Music following the departure
of David Moore at the end of the summer.
Whilst the PCC would very much like to
appoint a new Director of Music, the stark reality is that we, as a church, now
simply cannot afford it. Over the past
two or three years, our income has not kept up with the rising costs of
expenditure required to maintain the worship and ministry of All Saints.
The
PCC is committed to responsible budgeting and rigorous control of expenditure.
That means that we can only have what we can afford to pay for. Accordingly, as things stand, it will be
financially impossible to appoint a new organist. Unless the full cost (up to £6,000 per year) can be
found within the PCC budget by September, the organ will fall silent and our
choral tradition, including our work with the children of the junior choir,
which we have come to know and love, will simply disappear.
This
is undoubtedly the first of the ‘difficult decisions’ referenced within the
Finance Working Group report within the June issue of ‘Window’. Remember also
that we face a deficit in our finances for the current year of several thousand
pounds, before we even start to look at the continued provision of music at All
Saints.
To
pay for what we want we have to grow our income. A growth in our income of £6,000 per year (i.e. £500 per month)
may seem a very large sum but it IS achievable. What we have to do is to break
down this large amount in to smaller more manageable amounts. What the church
really needs is consistent, regular, realistic long-term giving. £6,000 shared
among 20 people works out at £25 per person per month or £5.76 per week; the
same sum shared among 40 people works out at £12.50 per month or £2.88 per
week. Remember that for an income tax
payer a ‘Gift Aid’ Declaration can serve to reduce these ‘bite-sized’ amounts
further
Last updated 28.5.08
Robin Moore (Director of Music in the late 1970s)
has sent two items for the archives. There is a photograph of the choir (all
male!) at Ely Cathedral when the choir provided the music over the week-end of
14/15 August 1976; with the photograph came the programme for the week-end, the
list of music to be sung, and a list of personnel. The choir was
accommodated in the Youth Hostel, and the week-end cost the men £3.78 and the
boys £3.24! I recognise only one name! The other item was the invoice for new
choir robes, costing a total of £272.46, quite a sum in 1976!
Searching for additional storage space, I came
across a row of dusty volumes which I thought could well be stored elsewhere.
Imagine my delight when Carole and Jill, to whom I had taken my problem without
examining the books, said that they really ought to be in the archives because
of the inscriptions some of them bore – and indeed, so it has turned out! Three
of them in particular will be valuable additions to our collection. There is a
lovely book “The Priest to the Altar - Aids to the devout celebration of Holy
Communion chiefly after the ancient English use of Sarum”, whose inside cover
bears the inscription“A.M.D.G et ad
usum Eccles: Omn: Sanct. apud Hockerill D.D.D. R.J.Mockridge Presbyter huius
Parochiae A.D. MCMXXXVII” [“To the
greater glory of God (Ad maiorem Dei gloriam) and for the use of the Church of
All Saints at Hockerill R.J.Mockridge Priest of this Parish gave and dedicated
as a gift [dono dedit (et) dedicavit] A.D. 1937”]. The volume, beautifully
bound and with gold edges, is covered in cloth with magnificent embroidery in
metallic thread; sadly it is showing signs of its age but it is still a thing
of beauty. Then there is a volume of the sermons of the Rev. John Menet, the
first vicar of All Saints’ which was privately printed for circulation to his
friends in 1901 and presented to All Saints’ by Mrs. L. Sparrow in October
1926. This volume also yielded, tucked inside,
another treasure in the form of a reprint of the sermon preached by the
Rev. Alexander Irving, the second vicar of All Saints’, at the evening service
on 26 January 1896 “In memoriam John Menet”; this is now too fragile to go on
public display but I am in the process of preparing a transcript. The third
volume is a leather-bound copy of Holy Communion and other
services and bears the inscription: “The Gift of
Henry J. Cowell, F.R.S.L - Fellow Royal Society of Arts - Fellow Huguenot
Society of London - Member Royal Institute of International Affairs - Officier
de l’instruction publique de France - Scholar and Choirboy of All Saints
Hockerill - Laus Deo - October 1946”; the inscription is counter-signed
“A.E.Saul, Vicar”. Also on the shelf were two copies of the Authorised Version,
both leather-bound, and a leather-bound volume of the 1928 prayer-book with
music; their provenance is unknown.
We hope that you enjoy visiting our website. If you
have any suggestions or comments, please send them to
su@allsaintshockerill.org.uk.