St Stephen’s PCC – Tuesday 20 May 2014 – Notes

• PCC Members & Terms of service – at the APCM, 6 people were voted onto the APCM. Need to decide how long each person is going to serve – 3 vacancies for 3 years,2 for 2 years and 1 for 1 year. It was decided on the following terms:
  • 3 years – Susie Nicklin; Ben Wentworth; Andy Cole.
  • 2 years – Richard Blagg; Luke Ingledow.
  • 1 year – Pat Allen

• Heating – Notices on the church door and the outside notice board, detailing the proposal for the new heating system which will consist of under pew heaters on first 8 pews and 6 radiant heaters at back of church. The notices must be up for 28 days, then signed and sent back to the Diocese where it will be presented at another meeting for final go ahead.
  • Current proposal doesn’t provide heating around the band area, organ or side chapel – short term solution is to have portable heaters while we decide on a long term solution.
  • Talked about layout of pews on side of church (Lady Chapel) – ie a gap then 1 pews then another gap and then 2 more pews – move back pew forwards and have 3 pews.
  • 3 phase electricity is to be installed – different options and different supply levels available – want to ensure that whatever is installed is ‘future proof’ and at the moment we are waiting for quotations on the different options.

• First Aid Training – to be arranged for Youth Leaders to ensure there is a qualified first aider at all groups.
• It has been suggested that we have a pen made from a piece of local oak as a leaving present for +Bishop Michael.
• We are looking into the legal requirements for sanitary waste disposal.
• Trialling different ways of communicating PCC decisions to the wider church community. This will include these notes being posted onto the website, a copy on the PCC notice board and in the parish magazine. Pictures of all of the PCC members will also be on the notice board.
• There has been some confusion over our support for the Food Bank. The PCC has made the decision to actively support the Salvation Army, who work closely with and exchange goods with the food bank.
• There is to be a service on Sunday 3 August at the Cathedral to commemorate 100 years since the start of World War 1. During the service the names of all those lost in this conflict will be read out.
• Sian is to take over as Verger.
• Access Ministries – there is going to be a BBQ at St Stephen’s on 3 July, 6-9pm, for those who wish to find out more about this organisation. There will then be Access Ministries services starting on Wednesday 3 September (7-9pm) and will continue every other week during term time.
• PCC thanked Richard for all his work as warden.
• Arch-Deacons Visitation at 5.00pm on 1 June at St John’s.
• The notice board outside the front of church is to be replaced.
• Some ground clearance and cutting down of some of the trees has been done – thank you to all the men who stayed behind after the BoB breakfast. A chipper has now been procured and work has started on clearing the big piles of wood.
• There seems to be lots of books in the vestry that may not be used. If you are interested in giving them a home, please speak to Chris.
• The PCC made a commitment to only buy Fairtrade communion wine from now on.

Preparing for the next Bishop of Gloucester

• We received an email from the Diocese asking the following questions:
  • What would you say are the top 2 priorities for the next Bishop?
  • What are the top 2 things you would want to tell the next Bishop?
• If you would like to make a comment on these questions please email Karen at [email protected]

Safeguarding

• The Child Protection policy has recently be updated and so it was agreed to adopt as is with it to be reviewed next year.
• The PCC adopted a new Vulnerable Adults policy with Sian as the nominated person.

Both of these policies will be on display on the new ‘Safeguarding’ notice board in the near future.

Date of next meeting

Tuesday 8 July 2014 at 7.30pm