news from the pcc (april 2008)

This newsletter (slightly shorter than usual) gives you an update on how the PCC (Church Council) has been spending its time this last month.  We are very grateful for your comments / feedback / suggestions / interest / and engagement with this necessary, but behind-the scenes, part of our communal life.  

The final PCC!
This was the final PCC meeting before the APCM and time was spent on looking at (and formally approving) the audited accounts etc in preparation for the 27th April meeting.  It seems that we are in fair shape, financially.  Many thanks to both Josephine Ndyanabo and James Dow for all the hard work of recent months.  

The APCM
Those on the Electoral Roll should be receiving a letter about this.  It is on 27th April at 1.30pm and we are intending to combine it with a less formal ‘community meeting’.   It is an important time to think about our life, as a church, in this year of possibly great change which lies ahead.   It should all be over by 3.45pm.

Concerts Management
Sarah Baxter gave her quarterly report.  Our profile as a concert venue has improved significantly recently with the Bryan Adams and other pop concerts. We are again ‘flavour of the month’.  These concerts bring into the Church a great number of people who would not otherwise have encountered us.  You can read their responses on the various fan web-sites - it is very positive! 

Open slot
This gave us an opportunity to think, informally, about our links with other churches.  Instinctively, the idea of linking up with similar churches (eg St Mark’s, Capitol Hill in Washington DC, the church of Paul Abernathy who was with us during his sabbatical last year). We are looking for ways of building up meaningful links which will be of value to us all. We have had a number of ideas (eg joint projects, exchange of information on our own projects, etc) but further ideas would be most welcome. 

Site Development
Work of preparation continues to move ahead.  Work on a number of trial pits and test boreholes will start shortly.  We are also looking for an effective communication strategy with regard to the whole project. 

At their meeting, the PCC talked about “Rights of light”, VAT, logistics and phasing, and other details which would easily fill up a newsletter, but still leave most people in the dark!  Most importantly, the whole project is undergoing a thorough, detailed review with architects, quantity surveyors, constructors, financiers, environmental experts, structural engineers, developers and Uncle Tom Cobley and all!  Things are still looking positive and this stage and the experts should have completed their work before the end of April.  They will then report back to the PCC at an extraordinary meeting on 6th May.  If all goes well, work on site may start as soon as immediately after Christmas. 

Elections
Please do think about standing yourself, - or proposing others (with their permission, of course) - to stand for election in order to fill the various vacancies which are arising. We need a strong PCC which reflects the diversity of our community. ...and don’t forget to come along and vote!

“Within-giving”
The voucher selling has been very successful and we have agreed a preliminary monthly purchase of £750 vouchers.  Further information about the scheme is available from Jo Hynes and Lindsay Meader.

And finally..
Many thanks to both Cornell Jackson (churchwarden for 6 years) and James Dow (treasurer for 3 years) for all their hard work and their highly valued contribution to the life of St James’s.

Want to know more?
If you want to know more, please speak to one of the members of the PCC, and share your thoughts with them too.  As well as the clergy, members of the PCC are Caroline Clark, Tom Cook, Ray Crocker, James Dow, Jo Hines, Roy Holland, Helen Holmes, Cornell Jackson, Fiona Markey, Christopher Ohlson, Jane Preest, Richard Pullin, Heather Simmonds, Verity Smith and Heather Williams.