Draft Minutes of Easington Deanery Synod Meeting held at Wellfield School Wingate on July 11 2016
Draft Minutes of Easington Deanery Synod Meeting held on the 11th July2016
Present:
Reverend Canon Jane Grieve, Area Dean, Reverend Anna Brooker, Reverend Roger Davies,
Reverend Andrew Dunlop, Reverend Paul Harrison, Reverend Katie Jamie, Reverend Elaine
Jones, Reverend Emma Parker, Reverend Alan Stainsby, Reverend Tim Wall
Stephen Pickering, Lay Chair
Eric & Alice Armbrister, Alan Beck, Doris Binks, Jonnie Grieve, Christine Johnston, Diane
Metcalf, Kathy McAvoy, Muriel Peters, Jeannette Simpson, Anne Smith, Maureen Wilson,
Jane Winter
1. Opening Worship
Reverend Canon Jane Grieve opened the meeting with the hymn “Bless the Lord O my soul”
and “The Good Samaritan” video from the Brick Testament.
2. Welcome
A warm welcome was extended to Jonnie Grieve and thanks expressed for all of his hard
work with regard to the Deanery website, also Philip Lockley, an Ordinand on placement at
Peterlee
3. Apologies
Reverend Kevin Smith
Loraine Dodds (Easington Village St Mary) Wendy Tempest & Roger Keys (Easington
Colliery The Ascension) Margaret Daniel (South Hetton Holy Trinity) Edward Milestone
(Haswell St Paul) Neil Armstrong (Horden St Mary) Karen Jones & Ann Sanderson (Peterlee
St Cuthbert) Sharon Peters (Shotton St Saviour) Mary Hayes (Wingate Holy Trinity) Eleanor
Carr (Wheatley Hill All Saints)
4. Minutes of the meeting held on the 15th February 2016
With one amendment, the minutes were accepted as a true record.
5. Matters Arising
None.
1
Draft Minutes of Easington Deanery Synod Meeting held at Wellfield School Wingate on July 11 2016
6. Parish Share
The request from Bishop Paul and the Bishop's Council is for a 5% increase overall per
annum, although some parishes are offering more. The 2015 year end accounts for the
Diocese can be viewed on the Durham Diocese website under “Resources” and Stephen
Pickering urged the meeting to view the accounts in order to gain the fullest understanding
as to how income received by the diocese was expended. It was pointed out that 90% of all
income is expended on resourcing ministry.
As a deprived diocese, Durham has received financial help from the Church
Commissioners and also from Diocesan Reserves, but going forward the amount available
from reserves will diminish very significantly.
If overall levels of income are insufficient to cover expenditure, this will inevitably have
implications on the number of stipends that can be funded. In 2014 the amount of parish
share offered across the deanery was £233,275 although the actual amount paid was
£221,664. In 2015 the amount of parish share offered across the deanery was £226,664
although the actual amount paid was £208,673 - a shortfall of £17,942.
For 2016 the amount of parish offered across the deanery is £211,232 - a reduction of
£22,043 on the amount offered in 2014
Parishes were asked to make every effort to make regular payments of their parish share to
the diocese and not to wait until late in the year. Please contact Karen Jones, Deanery
Treasurer for assistance and advice in the event of any difficulties being experienced in
paying parish share on a regular basis.
Bishop Paul has commended to our prayers the need for a 5% increase overall in giving
this year and asks parishes to look for ways to meet this.
7. Website
All fees including relevant licences have been paid.
Website address is: www.easingtondeanery.org
Jonnie Grieve gave a demonstration of how to access the information on the website.
Material from the diocese and “A Church near you” websites have been used in the
compilation of information included for each parish. Churches should appoint a person to
be responsible for checking and updating the information on their section of the website,
as soon as possible. Also, there is an opportunity to be part of the management and coordination team for the website. Please contact Reverend Canon Jane Grieve for further
information.
2
Draft Minutes of Easington Deanery Synod Meeting held at Wellfield School Wingate on July 11 2016
Reverend Andrew Dunlop urged the meeting to think of the website as a “front door” to
our churches. What would you use it to tell people if they came to church, e.g. time of
services, groups, events?
The diocesan website: www.durham.anglican.org has many resources, so it is well worth
spending time in navigating the website and gaining a better understanding as to what
information and resources are available on the website.
Congratulations were offered following the Ordination of Reverend Katie Jamie and
Reverend Tim Wall and the diocesan website includes photos of this event.
8. Facebook
The Reverend Emma Parker explained how Facebook has been a great way to keep in
touch with Baptismal families and church contacts. After research and advice, Easington
Village and Easington Colliery parishes have opened a Facebook page. There has to be
editorial control and monitoring of any comments posted. Permission is required for
photos of weddings and other events to be used. If a visitor to the Facebook page ticks the
“like” button, then that article/photo appears on their Facebook page, so contact is made
with many people.
9. EDMP
Bishops in Mission 2– 5th March, Reverend Andrew Dunlop encouraged churches to put
forward ideas for Mission initiatives that their church would like to happen with the help
of the Bishop`s team. Some suggestions already raised are: Peterlee – Messy Church
Friday night and a Disco Saturday night, Easington - a Prayer Space in the Secondary
School. South Hetton - has missional activities planned for September. Ray Lennard
(Blackhall St Andrew with Hesledon and Castle Eden) is the link person between churches
and the Bishops.
There is a preparatory course for the Archdeaconry}
22nd September
Thursday 7-9pm
15th October
Saturday 10am -1pm
9th November
Wednesday 7-9pm
All at St Cuthbert`s House. Each session will be different but it is possible to attend only
one.
Starting22nd September there will be a six-week mission based course.
community, mission, discipleship and how to create new ways of church.
3
Looking at
Draft Minutes of Easington Deanery Synod Meeting held at Wellfield School Wingate on July 11 2016
10.
Deanery Plan -Summary of feedback from May meeting.
From the results of the “Refreshing the Deanery Plan” session (see notes from May
mailing) more churches are more actively engaged with mission. Also, a common
message was the challenge of finance, especially if there was large potential expenditure
e.g. new roof. On Saturday 8th October (venue to be decided) there will be a meeting for
all those involved with the finances of the church, to look at how we can help each other.
The Generous Giving Project Officer, Rachael Phillips, who has been writing articles for
our parish magazines, will be invited to participate.
A meeting for Deanery Synod Representatives and Church Wardens is also being planned.
If parishes who were not able to be at the session in May would like to look at the
questions, please contact Rev Canon Jane Grieve.
The Easington Deanery Plan will be presented by the Area Dean and Lay Chair to the
meeting of Bishop`s Council in November of this year.
11. Hub
The Reverend Anna Brooker was appointed as the Hub Vicar for the East Durham
Mission Project and for Cranmer Hall students on the Contextualized Urban Track course.
Recruitment has not been as brisk as desired, so this is being considered and also how
contextualized training can be made to work.
Anna thanked churches who had welcomed Ordinands, the investment that the Deanery
makes in these placements may change students’ lives and is a continuing strengthening of
our deanery links with Cranmer Hall.
12. Good News
Confirmation - The Confirmation Service on June 8th, at Shotton St Saviour was a very
joyful evening, with 16 candidates including one from outside the deanery. Reverend
Brooker had received a card from Bishop Paul expressing his encouragement at the signs
of growth he had seen. Candidates are continuing to be more involved in church life.
Bishops Paul and Mark have confirmed 161 candidates across the diocese in the space of
three weeks.
13. Any Other Business
None
The meeting expressed its thanks to Wellfield School for allowing us the use of the
building and for offering it to us free of charge.
4
Draft Minutes of Easington Deanery Synod Meeting held at Wellfield School Wingate on July 11 2016
The meeting closed with prayer
The date of the next meeting is 12th September at Horden St Mary in the Centennial Hall,
7pm for 7.15pm. Dr James Harrison, our link person for General Synod, will be attending
the meeting to report back on the work of the General Synod.
5