Going Growing Gathering

St Chad’s: A Community building Communities

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October ‘09 edition

After a busy start to September, we are delighted

to publish the first Autumn edition of SHARE. We
hope you find the information useful. We start with
building community a Guywood update from Ken Earith who has been
PCC Report: October overseeing and managing the refurbishment.
Guywood Update
News

Guywood Update

“
Over the years the Guywood Centre has
brought God’s blessing to many, many people.
And, because of the current restoration and
refurbishment project it can continue to be a
place where God’s love and blessing can be shared
with young people for years to come. There have
been numerous challenges and difficulties over the
past 5 months, but there has always been a solution
and a way through the difficulties.

Because the Guywood Centre is in a Conservation

Area we were faced with 14 conservation conditions The new look front of Guywood
before obtaining planning permission. With God’s
guidance all these conditions have been met.
Perhaps the biggest problem was finding the
right replacement windows. At last we have just
found and awarded the contract to perhaps the
only company in the country who can do this work
successfully.

It is really encouraging to be at the stage where

some of the major works have been completed.
This includes re-roofing, treating and replacing
rotting floor timbers and cleaning all the outside
stonework. We are very near to completing the
plastering, re-wiring, installing the heating system
and building the extension. We are also rapidly The new store room completed
approaching the final stages of the project which
includes refitting toilets and decorating, and we have
companies lined up to fit ceilings and flooring.
Black tie dinner
Sadly we have not met the original deadline of
having work completed by mid-October. We are, On Friday 25th September Prampushers held a fund
however, on course for a grand re-opening at the raising dinner in support of the Guywood Project.
beginning of January 2010. That seems to me, to Parents wanted to show their support for the Guywood
be quite timely as 2010 is the 150th Anniversary of centre, which is used three times a week by under 5’s
the original school opening. and their carers. The black tie dinner was not only a
great night out with friends, but raised over £1600 to

Ken boot.

Thanks to Kirstie and her team who arranged the

evening and to local people who donated auction
prizes.
PCC Report: September
The PCC met for its annual new Safeguarding Policy and are currently showing a monthly
planning and review day on Procedures, which apply to our deficit of about £4K. From
Saturday 19th September. Most work with children, young people October the monthly deficit will be
of the day was spent discussing and vulnerable adults. reduced to around £1,500, as we
and planning our response to realise a reduction in staff costs
the Diocesan Growth Action Plan Guywood Project – The PCC of £2,773 per month.
(“GAP”). The PCC undertook a visited Guywood and were The PCC tithes all its income.
SWOT analysis and agreed to delighted with the progress. As a result of the generous
conduct a parish and a church The PCC thanked Ken and Paul legacies in recent years, we
audit this autumn, as part of the Fletcher for their outstanding have an “extra” amount held in
process. Other items discussed work. a discretionary fund, to be used
were… to throughout 2009. The PCC
Staffing – Tim Barlow is due to agreed this month to send £2,000
Sunday Services - The retire in November 2011. The to assist with a crisis at the
Autumn Teaching Programme PCC agreed that we need to Romanian Pro-Life project that
concentrates on the Kingdom start the process of recruiting Tom and Judy lead and many
of God and who Jesus is. his replacement in 2010, to from St Chad’s are involved
Children’s work will be carried avoid a potential vacancy. The in, to give £1,000 to Christians
out in the Lifecentre from 10.30 PCC agreed that Tim should Against Poverty (CAP) to assist
each Sunday, apart from the write to the Bishop, seeking his them in their work with those in
first Sunday of the month, when approval to develop and place an debt in the UK and £500 to Jamie
families will worship together for advertisement. Parker, to fund his discipleship
1BigSunday. course at Sheffield
The PCC agreed a proposal from
Children & Youth Ministry – The the Standing Committee to renew
autumn programme is underway. Johanna Pearson’s contract for a Bless the
New this term is a youth drop-in further 12 months with effect from
café called Pulse which takes 1st January 2010.
community at
place every other Tuesday in the Christmas
Lifecentre from 7-9.30pm. With Finance Report – The operating
a new team of volunteers, this financial report for the period Although it’s only October,
is a really exciting development! January to August (8 months) incredibly we need to
The PCC agreed to adopt the showed a deficit of £1,802. We start thinking now about
how we want to Bless our
community this Christmas!
Diocesan Church Audit It was amazing last year to
see so many people make
All the churches in the Chester Diocese are being encouraged to a difference in the lives of
complete what is known as “Growth Action Planning” (GAP). The aim people around them, from
of Growth Action Planning is to help each church to focus on what serving coffee to commuters
God longs for it to be like in 5 years time. The church then decides on and visiting elderly people
the priorities it will set for the coming year. for carol singing, to creating
the Narnia experience for
One of the first steps in the process is to conduct a Church Audit. This families - and much, much
involves collecting and analysing information about how the church is more!
now, in part based on the assessment of members of the church.
In our November edition of
Your views are vital in this and we will be asking every adult SHARE we will once again
member of St Chad’s to complete a simple questionnaire. be asking you to let us know
Other information is also being gathered and a complete audit will which activities you want to
be published in January 2010. At the same time, we are taking the get involved with. Why not
opportunity to update our contact details for every member of the think now about what God is
church – something that we haven’t done for a number of years. calling you to do?

Church audit questionnaires will be issued on Sundays October

11th & 18th. Please take the time to complete your questionnaire
and return it to church of the church office by Sunday October
25th. If you have any questions please contact David Bomford on
0161 427 5530.
 Goodbye to Rick & Claire
This month we said goodbye to our long-serving Kids Pastor,
Rick Otto and his wife Claire. We managed to grab Rick for a few
minutes to get his thoughts before he hit the A1…
Firstly, where are you going?!
I am moving on to be the Youth &
Children’s Co-ordinator for Holy
Trinity, Ripon. I will be working
with children and young people
on Sundays as well as throughout
the week. There are 2 secondary
schools (a Grammar & High
school) and Primary schools where
I will continue in assemblies and
lessons. Claire and I will also
continue to work together with New
Wine in our role as North & East
Children’s directors.
You’ve been working here for
6 years – what were the high
points?
There have been so many high
points I think I could fill a book!
But to touch on a few...to work
with some brilliant people over
the years including Joe and Cat,
Suzie Gordon (our first Intern),
Pete and Dawn Smith Langridge
(interns in Kids and Youth), Lydia
Corbett, Johanna Pearson and
Jan Anthony. Also our team of
Kids Volunteers – whether you
are weekly or one-off helpers you
have invested in the future of the
kingdom of heaven – and I couldn’t
have done my job without you.
Laura Pennington deserves a
special mention. I am proud
to have worked with Laura for
three years and I thank her for
all her support. She is a fantastic
children’s worker and I wish her
all the best as she moves to York.
I can honestly say there is no
conspiracy with us both moving to
Yorkshire!
The work with the children is
of course, the best thing, ever!
Highlights include the Light Parties,
the introduction of Gunge tanks
(and my dad, Ian, being the first
ever ‘Gunge-ie’ in a tank he built),
Fully Charged Holiday week which
has run for the last 6 years, the
mid week kids outreach, Ignite...
there are many and I will never
forget them!
What is the wackiest thing
you’ve had to do?
There have been many crazy
ideas and things I have done over
the years. The ones that spring to
mind are sitting on the balcony at
the crib service, dressed as a star,
dangling my feet over the edge,
filming the “fridge adventures” with
a fridge on a set of wheels on the
Guywood Hill, making it look like a
Fridge can skateboard down it, and
blowing up a microwave. He was
called Mikey – the fridge’s best
mate!!
What will you miss most?
I think what we will miss the most
are the great friendships we have!
This is all we have known since
we have been married and for me
since I was 6! I have been invested
in by some heroes of faith – that
has just been an amazing privilege.
And of course, I will also miss the
Children! For the last 6 years they
have been the reason I have been
here and I have seen God do some
great things through them and in
them. Not seeing them grow in
God’s love and gifting is something
I will miss also – but we will still be
in touch – mum and dad will see to
that!
What would you like to say to
the Youth & Kids? GIFTS for our kids
Keep on screaming it and shouting and youth team!
it...JESUS IS ALIVE! One of my
favourite bits of the bible is where
Jesus tells everyone that we Thanks to the generosity of
should become like children to people at St Chad’s we were
inherit the kingdom of God. You are able to give Rick and Claire
great children and young people. a gift of £500 to help them as
Be who you are and keep close to they set up their new home in
Jesus and you will see amazing Ripon.
things.
For Laura, we bought an
What would you like to say to espresso coffee machine, for
St Chad’s as a whole? Lydia, an iPod and Katie a
Be generations to generations! digital camera. They were all
There is such a great range of immensely grateful!
ages in St Chads and that is
something really special...
 notices
news
Small Groups
Have you been wondering
how to get involved in a small
group?
Would you find meeting with
other Christians valuable in
your journey of faith?
events
Want to stretch and challenge
your faith in new ways?
If you have answered yes to any
of the above then come and have
a coffee to chat about it more.
Sunday 18th October after the
updates
10:45am service at Lifecentre.
Harvest for the
Hungry
This year we will once again be
collecting money for Harvest
for the Hungry. Envelopes are
available from the back of Church.
The charity provide food parcels
to some of the poorest people in
eastern europe and last year were
able to send parcels to over 5,000
people.
www.harvestforthehungry.co.uk
Giving at St Chad’s
If you would like to know more about giving to St
Chad’s church please contact Jan Anthony at the
church office or pick up a giving pack. Giving packs
are available at the back of church
If you are a tax payer and are not yet gift-aiding your
giving, why not consider looking at doing that at this
time? We can claim back an additional 28% of what
tax-payers give, so £10.00 given results in £12.80,
£1,000 results in £1,200.80.
For many years the Kanachowski
Family volunteered as our link
to the Wood Street Mission, but
now that they have moved out
of the area we are searching for
somebody who would like to take
on that role. The charity works
with children and their families,
distributing bedding, baby clothes
and equipment, gifts at Christmas
and food parcels.
Could you act as a collection point
for the Wood Street Mission in
your spare time?
If you are interested please
contact Jan in the church office for
more information or visit:
www.woodstreetmission.org.uk
New York Marathon
Jan Booker will be running the
New York marathon on 1st
November in aid of Christies
Hospital. If you would like to
sponsor her you can either visit
www.justgiving.com/janbooker
or pick up a pledge form at the
back of church. If you’re a UK
tax payer you can gift aid your
donation online.
Church Office
1-5 Stockport Road
Romiley
Stockport
SK6 4BN
Service of
Remembrance
On Sunday 1st November as
part of our 9.15 service, we
will be including a service of
remembrance for families who
have recently been bereaved and
for whom St Chad’s carried out
the funeral service.
This is the first time we will
have held this service in some
time. We hope that it will be a
special opportunity for people to
remember those they loved.
Invitations have been issued and
members of our Bereavement
team will be available after the
service to talk with families over
coffee.
Please pray for all those who have
lost loved ones in recent times.
A note of thanks
Geoff Walton thanks all the
church family who sent cards and
condolences following the death
of his father Teddy
Men’s Breakfast
with Henry Olonga
Sat 14th Nov
8:30am Marple Golf Club
Advance tickets only £10 through
All Saint’s Marple 0161 4272378
phone (0161) 430 4652
email office@stchadsromiley.co.uk
web www.stchadsromiley.co.uk
Office Hours
Mon - Thurs 9 - 5pm