The Parish Team
A brief review of activity since the last “Trumpet”
The period since the last ‘Trumpet” has been dominated by a very successful AGM and the ‘silly season’ we laughingly call the summer holidays, a time when even the parish team decided that discretion called for a pause in our regular meeting schedule.
The AGM was significant for a number of reasons. It was, for example, the first AGM most of us could remember. It was certainly the first AGM anyone could remember where everyone was invited to participate; and many of you did. We had around a hundred turn out on the evening of Tuesday 22nd June and that in itself was significant. Thank you all for showing such interest and enthusiasm; all, hugely motivating for the hard working parish team and all those who busy themselves on behalf of the parish.
All the areas of parish activity were represented and the coordinators reported on their areas of responsibility and invited questions and discussion. We had a good debate over the need to replace the organ and how much should be afforded. We had discussion about our wish to modernise the hall kitchen and heating, replace the windows in the church, health and safety and church upkeep and we introduced a programme to raise funds for many of these ambitions. We also received many offers of assistance.
Importantly, we used the occasion of the AGM to launch our smashing new parish website. Please take a look at stmichaelashtead.org.uk ; it’s got everything you need to know about every aspect of the parish and parish life.
The parish team met the following week to review what we had heard and learnt and what we needed to do as a result. And then we all went on holiday.
But we’re back and we’re on the case. In the next month or so there will be a flurry of communications and events. We are almost ready to present to you our recommendations for replacing the organ and we hope to have illustrations of the etching we propose for the new double-glazing in the church. We are also beginning a whole series of fundraising social events throughout the autumn; please come and take part; they should all be a lot of fun. The choir has reconvened after the summer recess, flushed with the success of the wonderful singing at Peter Andrews ordination an event which is of the greatest possible significance to all of us and which is reported in more detail in the current issue of the Trumpet.
The only sour note of the entire period that I feel obliged to mention, is that the lead on the hall roof was stolen again…the second time this year. It is a sad reality that security will have to form an increasingly significant part of our workload and investment; our insurers will only be understanding for so long.
So, This Sunday we celebrate our parish patron’s feast day and the first anniversary of the arrival of Father Tony Whale. We thank God for our parish and for our priest. We thank God for Peter Andrews and wish him well at his new parish in Horsham. And we look forward to a fruitful autumn of parish activities.
God bless,
Mike King
