Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2020/21 Vicar’s Report

Dear Christ Church Network.

It is annual meeting time – after two years of online meetings we can return to doing such things in-person.

I want to highlight some key things. However, let me first thank those who have served on our two Church Councils – Bessingby and Christ Church. Thanks also to our Wardens, Emma Miles and Chaz Walker for Bessingby, and Keith Gibbons and Penny Clarke for Christ Church. Chaz is stepping down this year to focus on a new role as ‘Prayer Champion’ – calling us all to the ministry of prayer and intercession. Thank you, Chaz, for serving so faithfully.

Ken and Maureen Reynard stepped down from their leadership role in Martongate Community Church and a team has taken over to continue to develop this part of the Network. Thank you, Ken and Maureen. St Mark’s Westhill has begun to explore what next as Val Taylor steps down from her Network Leader role shortly. Thank you Val. Overall across the network churches there is an encouraging sense of faith-development in a continued time of uncertainty.

The last year has been shaped by continued response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. It has been a year of returning to corporate in-person worship and adjusting through the lifting of restrictions. It has been a year of gradual adaptation to a context that is continually affected by limits, less and loss. This will be ongoing, because the pandemic is not over yet. The cost- of living crisis, now worsened through war in Ukraine, will continue to mean we have to work out new ways of responding to the challenge of how to ‘live the gospel’ in times like this.

I can’t possibly thank everyone by name. We are blessed across our network to have many leaders and volunteer teams. But special thanks to our network church leaders and teams, and to our paid and volunteer staff. To those who occupy senior leadership roles around me. For the teams who focus in on particular areas – Café, Restore, Restore Hope Hub, CCB Site, Administration and Key Centre, Worship and preaching, Morning Prayer, Families and Children, Tech and hospitality, Discipleship and Alpha.

We have added a Café Manager role, Suzanne Martin, and also clarified the role of Toni Miles as Restore Team Leader. Both are part-time and the plan is that they would be self-sustaining roles – though for Restore we recognize this will be a significant challenge given the demands. Emma Miles has continued to serve across both Bessingby and Christ Church in a planting and community development role.

Miriam Thurlow has joined us as Curate, and Darius Traves on a contextual ordination training placement. Oli Preston has continued to develop the Multiply role of planting church with 20s-40s in mind. During the course of the year Rev Ray Yates and Rev David Phillips have joined our clergy team to serve alongside Revs Margaret and Steve Dye, Rev Michael Chaffey and Rev Dave Chislett.

The PCCs have contributed to the York Diocese Living Christ’s Story initiative to enable local C of E churches in their Deaneries to plan for a future that is defined by being missionary disciples of Christ. Both PCCs have also given the go-ahead for formal discussions and planning regarding becoming a Joint Council across the two parishes and the various churches. As Vicar I am taking a full part in the Deanery Leadership team, serving on the Diocesan Synod and am currently on the advisory panel for the appointment of the new Bishop of Hull. I have also accepted the invitation to serve on the council of reference for the St Hild College of Church Planting. I try to balance these external responsibilities with being around the Christ Church site regularly and supporting the ‘senior’ leadership team in their areas of leadership.

You may be asking ‘what next?’ You will have heard me reframing that to the question ‘what’s new?’ There is no going back. Look at the world around us – it seems familiar and yet there is so much change and uncertainty. I’m seeking to take on the discipline of asking ‘what’s new?’

We are called to be people who ‘live the gospel’ – that is, being good news people in a culture that is very different to the one many of us have grown up in. We have a fantastic opportunity to serve the health and well-being of our communities – but we do it with the humility of acknowledging the reality of less, limits and loss.

We worship and serve with a Lord who is limitless, generous and gracious and who calls us to trust him and his provision. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of developing leaders, gathering disciples and adapting our organization and structure to meet the challenges of this time. Please don’t underestimate how important your faithful and disciplined giving is: both financially and in time and energy.

I find being your Vicar a great privilege and responsibility – thank you for the ongoing support and encouragement. I don’t always find it easy to know how to lead, especially in these uncertain times, and I know I don’t get everything right – thanks for your forgiveness and patience!