Chair’s report for Churches Together in Lichfield
AGM 2024
This report is a review of the year 2023, which was quite a time of transition. Clergy
retired, clergy arrived and the membership of the Enabling Group, which fixes the
agenda for the Forums and discusses activities of CTiL was enlarged to become
more widely representative.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Lent house groups, World Day of Prayer,
Christmas Day Together and other ecumenical activities were promoted.
As usual, Good Friday was a major opportunity for witness, with the walk of witness
starting from Whittington, progressing to Boley Park then to the top of the town,
collecting a large number of others to walk silently through the town, stopping in
significant places with acts of worship and finishing with a service in the Methodist
church followed by their hospitality of a hot drink and hot cross buns.
It was the year when a policy decision was taken not to have a tent on the field on
Bower Day, but to join the collectors in the procession, wearing gilets emblazoned
with the CTiL logo. Our 6 collectors felt that there was more interaction with the
general public and was a more effective witness than the expensive marquee on the
field.
Another change, after 2022 when Carol Singing in the Market Square had been in
the evening to try to engage the late-night shoppers, was to have the Carol Singing
at 4 o’clock, which meant that young people could be involved almost directly from
school, and Ladies Who Lark contributed. There was an excellent attendance,
shoppers and passers-by also joined in, so this timing is to be repeated in 2024.
CTiL supports several local organisations, reports from which you can read on the
website; it is thanks to the church membership subscriptions that it is able to do this
– a practical expression of our faith.
Thanks are due to those who so ably organise CTiL activities, in particular the CDT
team who give up their Christmas Day so that others may also celebrate the birth of
our Saviour, those who spoke at the Forums, book rooms, provide refreshments and
make sure that all the arrangements work out well.
Thanks are also due to the Enabling Group, to David Mason as Secretary, Liz Ridler
as Treasurer and to Pat Maguire who has so ably been the clergy Chair of Churches
Together In Lichfield for the last 10 years.
Lilas Rawling Pat Maguire
Lay Co Chair Clergy Co Chair