CHURCHES TOGETHER IN LICHFIELD
MINUTES OF THE ENABLING MEETING ON TUESDAY 7TH JANUARY 2025 AT 2.00PM AT 31 STOWE STREET, LICHFIELD – FINAL
PRESENT: Lilas Rawling (LR) - Chair, David Mason (DM) - Secretary, Liz Ridler (ER) - Treasurer, Danielle Leigh (DL), Diana Pearson (DP), John Preece (JP), Hugh Ashton (HA), David Clarke (DC) - Minutes
- OPENING PRAYER – LR opened the meeting in prayer.
- APOLOGIES – Richard Henshaw (RH), Abbie Walsh (AW)
- MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING (10.09.24) – the minutes were approved.
- MATTERS ARISING – none, other than those covered elsewhere on the agenda.
- CLERGY CHAIR – Sharon Greensmith resigned on 24.12.24. The constitution demands that CTIL should have a clergy chair, serving for three years, extendable to six. It is up to the clergy of member churches to decide who this will be. (Action: DL to talk to her clergy colleagues).
- FAIR TRADE – against a perception of declining support amongst member churches, reps were asked to give this renewed drive, with a minimum of tea and coffee. HA would check with the City Council as to central support, and DC would check the status of the Fairtrade Committee with Steve Barr. (Action: HA, DC, and All).
- TREASURER’S REPORT – AS AT 31.12.24 – included in ‘Income’ in the summary below is funding of £900 received for Christmas Day Together.
- Book
- Balance B/F 3697.27
- Income + 2688.58
- Expenditure - 2554.15
- Total 3831.70
- Statement
- Current A/C 1818.81
- Deposit A/C 2012.89
Christmas Day Together was subsidised by £85 from the general fund. A further gift of £100 was agreed to be given to Wade St Church to cover their expenses and show CTIL’s appreciation of their continuing support. This year is a fifteen-month accounting period and there will be some year-end adjustments to move us from accruals and liabilities to simpler cash accounting.
- CHARITY ACCOUNTS AND OUR CONSTITUTION – it was agreed that ER’s paper clarifying ‘not for profit’ and ‘Dissolution’ would go to the next Forum meeting, subject to clarifying voting rights as ‘one vote per subscription’ rather than per individual church in various CofE benefices.
- NEW HOUSING AREAS – JP, RH, and pat Maguire are all interested in being part of a group to further this work. Space is needed on new estates that can be used for worship. This should be part of secular development planning meetings and discussions. A date for convening the group should be agreed and publicised (Action: LR).
- REVIEW OF RECENT EVENTS:
- Carol Singing in the Market Square – it was felt that CTIL has lost control of this event. It has been more like a concert than communal singing, when carols and a brief message is what is needed. The venue is fine. (Action: LR to speak to Andrew Rushton about content).
- Christmas Day Together – a formal report has been received from ER. 44 people were fed with afternoon tea, plus 19 receiving ready meal deliveries. The social interaction for those at Wade St was more important than the type of meal. No chef could be found to cook a hot dinner. Numbers are down from a high of 80. CTIL will look in September to promote invitations and referrals, as well as agree the content of the event.
- REGULAR EVENTS:
- Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – 23 January, 7.30pm, at St Chad’s. The service sheet needs to be put together and hymns chosen. A service outline is included within the World Council of Churches documents. (Action: DL to work with Chris Davies to put it together).
- Good Friday Walk of Witness – 18 April. CTIL is looking for placards that may be lurking in a church cupboard. It would be worth purchasing a PA system as a communal resource and this would be taken to the next Forum meeting. (Action: LR to speak to Andrew Rushton about PA systems, and DM to liaise with Rob Hilyer about the whole event).
- Post-walk Service at Methodist Church – clergy will decide who leads this (Action: DL).
- Good Friday Service at Lichfield Cathedral, 7.30pm – Chris Davies is leading.
- Lichfield Bower – six volunteers will be needed to shake collection buckets.
- Carols in the Market Square – Thursday 18 December at 5.00pm was agreed. (Action: DM to book)
- CTIL REINVIGORATION – LR noted attendance at Forum meetings is falling. The appointment of reps in member churches is generally informal. We must think and pray about what we should be doing ahead of the next Enabling Meeting – is there a need in the city? Where can we make a difference? We need a sense of purpose that everyone can get behind. (Action: All)
- AOB
- City Council grant time is approaching. It would be ideal to apply towards the purchase of a PA system. (Action: ER)
- There is a vigil for world peace, organised by the Quakers, on the first Saturday of every month – 11.00am on the grass at The Friary.
- Prayer for places of conflict takes place every Tuesday at 6.00pm at St Chad’s.
- DATES FOR NEXT MEETINGS:
- Forum – Tuesday 25 February at 7.30pm at Lichfield Methodist Church. There will be no speaker. It will be an evening of prayer and praise for the city, with a minimum of business and closing with a prayer of blessing. (Action: DP to try to sort out musicians, DL to sort out content of prayer and praise, all to suggest favourite hymns).
- Enabling meeting – Tuesday 20 May at 2.00pm at Well Cottage.
- AGM – Wednesday 18 June at 7.00pm at Holy Cross Church in the community room.
CLOSE – the meeting concluded with prayer led by DL.