a) It was encouraging to witness the Confirmation of twelve people from the Glen Group (nine young people and three adults) by the Bishop of Grantham at the Deanery Confirmation service at Market Deeping in May.
b) Another highlight of the year for the whole benefice was the ordination of Rev’d Dr Lynda Pugh to the priesthood in July in Lincoln Cathedral. The service and the luncheon that followed were enjoyed by members of the Pugh family as well as by more than a coach load of people from the Glen Group.
c) In May we welcomed Bishop Tim Ellis, the Bishop of Grantham, who conducted a service of dedication for the reordering work at St Bartholomew’s Church, West Pinchbeck. This occasion was also a celebration of the 165th Anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the church.
d) Bishop John Saxbee also visited in May to dedicate the reordering work at St Mary’s Pinchbeck. This was the culmination of a long journey and included prayers giving thanks for all the work that has taken place since the fire in 2006. He dedicated the new Altar Frontals that replaced those destroyed in the fire as well as around 30 new tapestry kneelers (hassocks).
e) Youth nights in the church hall and elsewhere have continued to be well received by the young people of the three villages.
f) The Glen Crafters, which is held at the Vicarage, has continued to offer the opportunity for fellowship and mutual support on various craft projects.
g) We treated Back to Church Sunday as an opportunity for outreach in all three parishes. It was pleasing to see a number of new faces on that occasion.
h) In response to the diocesan Youth Participation Policy we have tried to be intentional about involving young people in decision making. This has included having young people participate in PCC meetings and in the planning and advertising of youth group sessions.
i) Once again I have appreciated the advice and support of the six churchwardens throughout the year.
a) The review of ministry with children and youth that was conducted in 2009 began to produce fruit in 2010. Children: Sunday School was phased out and was replaced by children’s activity days during half term breaks. These have proved popular and have been possible due to the involvement of a wide variety of leaders/supervisors. The Kids Praise services (replacing the Pram Services) were well received by the preschoolers and their parents and by the staff of Stepping Stones Playgroup. These services have also been encouraged and supported by the staff at school. Youth: the Friday youth nights became quarterly instead of monthly and we introduced a Wednesday night youth club (the young people chose the name Wednesday Fun Club). The focus of the former is a more interesting and active programme that still includes an element of Christian prayer and teaching. The focus of the latter is pastoral care and allowing the participants to talk about issues and topics relevant to them, following a short bible study.
b) It was an honour to host the Archdeacons Visitation in May. This was the new Archdeacon’s first Visitation and so it was a special privilege to be able to host it at St Mary’s.
c) Bishop Tim Ellis visited in June to attend a service of All Age Worship. He seems to enjoy creative expressions of worship and he was pleased to see that we are offering this contemporary service aimed at a wide age range.
d) The long awaited reordering project was completed in the spring. The new facilities are long overdue and offer a more practical and user friendly base for mission in Pinchbeck. I would like to thank Roy Withyman for the amount of time he has put into overseeing this project and others for their assistance and patience during the period of works.
e) At Pinchbeck East Church of England Primary School things are going from strength to strength under the leadership of Mr Tom Verity (and his staff) and Mrs Cherry Harpham, Chair of Governors (and the governing body). The links between the church and school continue to be strong.
f) We continue to offer a church led assembly at school every Wednesday.
g) St Mary’s Choir has continued to flourish under the leadership of John Bland as Organist and Choirmaster. They have enjoyed a number of social functions and have a sense of fellowship as a group. The positive feeling in the choir is evident in worship.
h) The monthly Pop-In ministry got off the ground during the year and this now offers a great outreach and source of fellowship for people of the village. This had been talked about for some time but it would not have got off the ground without the initiative taken by Pat Lake and Janet Bettinson.
i) We welcomed the diocesan Warden of Readers, Canon Alex Whitehead and the Leprosy Mission East Anglian representative Rev Mike Griffin as guest preachers during the year.
j) Once again we hosted the Annual Thanksgiving Service for the Peterborough and Spalding District Lodge of the Oddfellows.
k) The construction of the much awaited car park was commenced at the end of the year and at the time of writing is near completion.
a) Under our new arrangements in the benefice for school assemblies we are now able to offer church led collective worship every Thursday.
b) Sadly the Catch ministry had to fold up during the year because not enough leaders could be found. Catch was well supported by local children and the idea of it should be revisited in the near future.
c) The reordering project was completed in the Spring. This project had been conceived for many years and it was marvellous to see it become a reality. I would like to thank Jim Peach for the time and energy he has put into this project as well as Wendy Houghton and others who have seen to the management of practicalities to ensure that regular worship and other events could go ahead during the period of works. This is now used as a base for all sorts of ministries.
d) Thirsty on a Thursday and the monthly Saturday Coffee mornings in church offer a wonderful outreach in the village and help to nurture a sense of community and belonging based on church premises.
e) At the very end of the year we were saddened by the death of former Authorised Lay Minister, Fred Corfield. Also (and while it occurred at the start of 2011 I will mention it here) we were shocked by the death of Daphne Keen, Authorised Lay Minister and former churchwarden. Our prayers are with Betty and with Tony.
a) The housegroup continues to meet on Thursdays once a month in various homes and more often in Lent. We have had some good attendances.
b) We are now able to offer a fortnightly assembly at Surfleet school. The federation of Surfleet and Weston schools also means that we occasionally host joint assemblies in church as well.
c) The Minimarket continues to be an admirable example of community outreach and I would like to thank the team of people who make this possible.
d) Soup and Sweet was a new initiative during the year and this will also help to encourage fellowship and outreach.
a) We are extremely fortunate to have a gifted team of licensed and authorised ministers (19 in all) and once again I would like to thank them all for their ministry, friendship and support.
b) During the year one of our Readers, Nicki Bland, was recommended for training as a priest (incumbent status, national deployment, sponsored by Ely Diocese) and she commenced training on the Eastern Region Ministry Course in October. We congratulate Nicki on being recommended and I know we will keep her in our prayers during her period of priestly formation.
c) It has been a real privilege to have Lynda as Assistant Curate in the benefice. She has flourished during her curacy and I too have grown in my own knowledge and understanding during my time as her training incumbent.
d) Two people from the benefice are currently training to become Authorised Lay Ministers: Sally Sneath (West Pinchbeck) and David Bratley (Pinchbeck). I know they have a lot to offer and I hope we can support them in whatever way we can during and after their training.
e) We have continued the practice of quarterly combined ministry team meetings. One of our meetings was a shared meeting with the Gosberton Group. Staff meetings involve all licensed ministers and are monthly, with regular meetings involving Lynda and myself most weeks. We have a regular schedule of Morning Prayer that we share together.
f) An away day focused on the theme of mission was held for team members and others in March at Edenham. This was a shared away day with the Gosberton Group.
g) We welcomed The Rev Tony Kinnersley as the Baptist Minister for Pinchbeck early in the year. Tony has settled in well and is keen to participate in combined churches events and has joined our rota for school assemblies. It is great to be working collaboratively in this way.
h) Table One (following page) provides a summary of those holding the Bishop’s Licence and of Authorised ministers.
Table 1: Summary of Licensed and Authorised Ministry |
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Licensed Ministers |
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Rev’d Dr Murray Harvey (Incumbent) Rev’d Paul Hardingham (Associate Priest, OLM) Rev’d Dr Lynda Pugh (Assistant Curate) Michael Pemberton (Reader) Barrie Chapman (Reader) Lesley Pemberton (Reader) Nicki Bland (Reader and Ordinand) |
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Authorised Ministers
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Pinchbeck |
West Pinchbeck |
Surfleet |
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Graham Brooks Pat Smith Stephanie Bratley Pat Lake Aileen Workman John Bland |
Ann Garth Maureen Underwood |
Ruth Scrivener Bev Mackey Frances Richardson Douglas Drakard |
a) The housegroups completed the excellent study on John’s Gospel entitled John: The Way to True Life. During Lent over thirty people were involved in studies using the resource A Way Through the Wilderness. The housegroups provide a forum for bible study, fellowship, prayer and pastoral care as members explore the issues of faith and life together. In varying degrees this is also offered in other parish groups such as the Intercessions group, Mothers Union and Bellringers. Thank you once again to all group leaders and hosts.
b) As mentioned in the section (i) there were twelve confirmation candidates in 2010. The adults were prepared using Emmaus material by Lynda Pugh and her team. The young people were prepared by Nicki Bland, Lynda Pugh and me during the Wednesday night youth sessions. Thanks go to all those who helped prepare, sponsor or support the candidates.
c) The Rev Lynda Pugh offered a new group and focus for worship during 2010. This is the Ignatian Meditation group. They also share the Eucharist during their monthly meeting. The group has proved very popular and supplements the approach to prayer offered by the Intercessions Group.
a) I have been supported in my role as training incumbent by meetings with other clergy who are Training Incumbents and by meetings at Wesley House, Cambridge for those who supervise students on the Eastern Region Ministry Course.
b) As a national Bishops’ Adviser I attended a week long National Consultation in London in November for those involved in vocations and selection work in the Church of England. This was an exciting and challenging week and offered many opportunities to learn about approaches to this ministry in the various contexts that the Church of England has to offer.
c) As a Vocations Adviser I have attended regular meetings in Lincoln with the Director of Ordinands and his team as well as travelling there for selection days for candidates from this diocese. I have also served on Candidates Panel (interviewing those who want to move from one category of ministry to another).
d) I travelled to Cambridge to conduct the ANZAC Day service for the city of Cambridge and I also attended an Australia Day function there.
a) I continue to serve on Diocesan Synod and the Diocesan Board of Patronage.
b) I spent some time at Turvey Abbey on retreat in the Spring.
a) I am fairly confident in saying that the benefice is in good shape and is well prepared for the forthcoming vacancy. Please keep the churchwardens and licensed ministers (who form the Benefice Steering Group) in your prayers.
b) It needs to be kept in mind that although the ministry of the Rev’d Dr Lynda Pugh will be central during the vacancy, she is not the incumbent and your duty to her in the coming months remains unchanged: to provide a supportive training ground for Lynda as she grows and develops as a priest. In practical terms, her Initial Continuing Ministerial Education (ICME) and study days remain a priority. In this I hope you can live up to the agreement we made when we accepted a curate – to live out our vocation as training parishes.
c) On the weekend of my Farewell Service (8th May 2011) it will be almost exactly nine years since my Commissioning as Vicar (11th May 2002). These nine years have been very positive for me. They have not been without their challenges (such as agreeing a new Sunday service pattern, the fire at Pinchbeck and Special Measures at Pinchbeck School) but primarily I will remember the many friendships and special times spent together in God’s service. Specifically I should mention the highlights, given that I have listed the negatives! The highlights have been the Church Tourism Awards for Surfleet and Pinchbeck churches, the completion of the reordering projects at Pinchbeck and West Pinchbeck and seeing Pinchbeck School come out of Special Measures! For me and indeed for the whole Harvey family it will not be easy to say goodbye. We will continue to value all the friendships, learnings and memories of these past nine years. Thank you for welcoming us into the life of the three parishes of the Glen Group.
vii. Statistics
a) Table two provides statistics for 2010.
Table 2: Statistics for 2010
(2009 in brackets) |
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Pinchbeck |
West Pinchbeck |
Surfleet |
Benefice
Total |
|
Normal
Sunday Attendance1 Over
16 only |
64 (69) |
26 (24) |
26 (26) |
116 |
|
Attendance
Easter2 |
111 (125) |
55 (48) |
40 (54) |
206 |
|
Attendance Christmas
Eve & Day2 |
641 (665) |
59 (57) |
73 (67) |
773 |
|
Baptisms |
22 (19) |
2 (5) |
4 (3) |
28 |
|
Weddings |
7 (9) |
2 (3) |
4 (1) |
13 |
|
Funerals |
37 (34) |
4 (8) |
13 (9) |
54 |
|
Parish
Share Paid3 |
£31,314 |
£10,735 |
£11,000 |
£53,049 |
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Footnote 1. NSA includes all adults attending. It excludes those who have attended an earlier service in the same church on the same day. This is the figure sent to the Deanery treasurer each quarter for the calculation of the Parish Share. 2. This figure includes children. 3. Parish share was paid in full by Pinchbeck and
West Pinchbeck. Surfleet paid 94.5% of their share. |
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The Rev’d Dr Murray Alexander Harvey
Vicar of the Glen Group of Parishes