The PCC is committed to enabling worship in all three churches which resources those who share in it to live lives of faithfulness and service, is welcoming and attractive to newcomers, and helps to make God known to those on the fringes of faith. We are committed, also, to living out our faith, both corporately and individually, in ways which serve the local community practically and pastorally.
We are seeking to be churches, and a team of churches, that are at the heart of the communities of Wickford and Runwell, while also being with those on the edge. We have joined HeartEdge and are utilising their mission model, the 4Cs of compassion, culture, commerce and congregation, together with the idea of Being With, as an incarnational model of mission and ministry:
- Compassion: We are involved with our ecumenical partners in the Gateway Project, the local Foodbank hosted by the Salvation Army. We also collect for the local Women’s Refuge and fundraise for our Kenya Link. We partnered with Kintsugi Hope in 2022, with the aim of setting up a Wellbeing Group in 2023, and began work on plans to set up a Parent and Toddler Group at St Catherine’s in 2023. Our coffee mornings and Meet and Make group provide warm spaces to local residents.
- Culture: We are developing St Andrew’s as a cultural centre for the town through our ‘Unveiled’ arts and performance evenings, an exhibition programme, and an arts festival (12-26 May 2023).
- Commerce: We hire out our Halls at all three of our churches and receive donations for use of our car park at St Andrew’s (update - now managed by NCP).
- Congregation: Our core activities include – Services; Messy Church; Mothers Union; Quiet Days (St Mary’s); Pastoral Visitors; Educational opportunities (Bible Study groups, Lent Course, Being With courses); Prayer Circle; and Social/fundraising events.
We hope that in our three churches visitors and regulars will find:
- a warm welcome, whoever they are, wherever they come from, and whatever they bring, because all are made in God's image; and
- people in all their variety who try to live out God's transforming love for this parish and community.
Worship and prayer
Patterns of worship have been shaped by the Ministry Team, led, initially by Team Vicar (House for Duty), Revd Sue Wise, and, from May, by the Team Rector, Revd Jonathan Evens, in conjunction with the PCC. For much of the year we had two Sunday services, one at 10.00 am in either St Mary’s or St Andrew’s (alternating bimonthly) and an 11.00 am at St Catherine’s. However, from October, we reintroduced Sunday morning services at all three churches together with these being All-age services on the first Sunday in the month at St Andrew’s, second at St Catherine’s, and third at St Mary’s.
Our average Sunday attendance for October across the parish was 37 (with an additional average of 8 online), during which time our churches held their Harvest Festivals and we had a Messy Church for Harvest, we held our usual midweek and evening services, and hosted a School Harvest Service. We recommenced our monthly services at four Care Homes and, in the autumn, were able to begin holding Messy Church on a bi-monthly basis. At Christmas we were able to hold our Christingle and Crib Services for the first time in two years and saw encouraging numbers returning to those services, as well as for Midnight Mass, and Advent and Christmas as a whole.
There was a total of 41 baptisms in the year, of which one was an adult. There were 6 weddings in the parish and our funeral ministry continued with 43 funerals conducted by our clergy, in either church or crematorium, and 15 interments of ashes.
Occasions for sharing and exploring faith have been created through our education programme. We held our annual Parish Study Day in January, a Lent Course, a Parish Quiet Day at the Othona Community in Bradwell, and a Living in Love & Faith course. We also held a first Quiet Day at St Mary’s and aim to organize more in 2023. Several Bible Study groups have also met regularly during the year.
Mothers Union has had a full and interesting year’s programme under the leadership of Caroline Wheeler. This included an excellent Garden Party celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Following the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, books of condolence were opened at all three churches and Commemoration Services held.
Deanery Synod
Three members of the PCC sit on the Deanery Synod, as well as our clergy. This provides the PCC with an important link between the parish and the wider structures of the Church. There were four meetings in 2022, including a meeting with Parish Treasurers and Churchwardens to discuss the new Parish Share formula. Speakers throughout the year have included the Area Dean and Archdeacon of Southend on Parish Share, plus Fr Michael Hall on Spiritual Direction and Nikki Schuster (CEO of Renew) on counselling. Kat D'Arcy Cumber, our General Synod Link member, gave a report on the February 2022 Synod meeting.
Our Churches and Halls
Our buildings are maintained diligently by our churchwardens and the DCCs, ensuring work is carried out promptly and appropriately, with all the necessary checks in place. All three churches received their latest quinquennial inspection in 2021, with varying amounts of work to be undertaken, particularly with the older buildings. The church halls and St Andrew’s Centre are well maintained and have returned to much fuller usage now that pandemic restrictions have been fully lifted. At St Andrew’s sensor lights were fitted to light the car park at night. At St Mary’s there are a number of items that have to be taken care of in the next few years, as would be expected of a Grade 1 listed building. Urgent work has been required to the tower of St Catherine’s as a result of ground movement caused by the long dry summer. This resulted in subsidence of the foundations in the North West corner which caused a number of large cracks to appear in the walls and some stonework to fall. As a result, urgent safety and weather protection work has been undertaken - : removing or temporarily fixing loose stonework; undertaking temporary roof repairs and loose filling of walls for weather protection; removal of loose internal plasterwork; temporary covering of affected windows; and the reinstatement of the lightning conductor - which will be followed by the investigations needed to design a long-term solution to the problem. We launched a fundraising campaign at Christmas to begin raising the funds for this initial work and the much longer project to effectively underpin the church in order to prevent the regular recurrence of the issue.
Our churchyards are well maintained. A bug hotel and wildlife area have been introduced at St Mary’s. All three churches are considering their environmental impact and St Mary’s began work on an application for a Bronze Eco Church Award.
We enable our three churches and halls to function as hubs for the community. Between them activities and groups supported include: Coffee Mornings; Councillor Surgery; Art and Heritage Exhibitions; Floral Art; Gamblers Anonymous; Huff and Puff; Lace Makers; Ladies Support Group; Ladygate Scribblers; Martial Arts; Meditation; Meet & Make (Crafts Group); Mothers Union; Parent’s 1st Group; Phlebotomy Clinic; Rangers; Steps; U3A; Unveiled arts and performance evening; Warfarin Clinic; WI Craft Group; Wickford Chapter; Wickford Lodge; Wickford Women’s Institute; and several Yoga Groups. These groups and activities provide a wide range of social, leisure, educational and wellbeing opportunities for the local community, as well as providing warm spaces that enable those attending to save on heating in their homes while attending. On a monthly basis, we estimate the groups meeting in our Halls benefit in excess of 750 local residents.
In addition, local schools regularly visit our buildings for educational opportunities, which this year have also begun to include visits to our art exhibitions. Our new Unveiled arts and performance evening (Fridays fortnightly) plus our new art and heritage exhibition programme deliver new cultural offers in Wickford. These seek to bring high quality art and performance to Wickford while also encouraging local talent by providing new platforms for local performers and artists.
We held a very successful and well attended Christmas Bazaar at St Andrew’s for the parish which raised £2,000. Each church and the Mothers Union organized stalls. A grand draw was held, there was a grotto for children to visit Santa and choirs from Wickford Church of England School and Wickford Primary School sang to those who attended. Our thanks to everyone involved in the organization and running of the Bazaar, particularly those on the planning group.
Pastoral care
Much pastoral care within our congregations is informal and mutual. Our team of pastoral visitors and clergy continues to support individuals in need, and have once more been able to offer Home Communion. Visits to local care homes for services are once again happening monthly, including to the new Eve Belle Care Home, and the team visiting has been expanded with several new volunteers. A Prayer Circle operates when specific requests are made for those in need of prayer.
Mission and evangelism
Much of our mission and outreach, including Messy Church (bi-monthly on Saturdays), the Gateway foodbank (Ecumenical initiative), Open the Book (Schools work), ministry in care homes (monthly services in four homes), and other initiatives, is enabled by teams drawn from across our three churches. We are increasingly developing mission initiatives related to our context including: Contemplative Commuters - a Facebook group for any commuter wanting quiet reflective time and content on their journeys to and from work; Saturday Solace - 10-minute reflection and Christian mindfulness sessions between 10.00 am & 12 noon on Saturdays at St Andrew’s; and Unveiled – an arts and performance evening which attracted an average of 25 people per event, with events including artist talks, concerts, dance performances, exhibition viewings, heritage talks, lectures, and an Open Mic Night.
We continue to support the ecumenical Gateway Project, the local foodbank, with congregation members continuing to give generously in kind.
Clergy and laity support the work of local schools as governors and in taking assemblies. Assemblies are taken at seven local schools, with assemblies beginning at St Luke’s Park for the first time this year. We also hold school services in our churches for several schools, with a Carol Service for Beauchamps School being introduced this year for the first time. Lessons on Easter and Christmas take place at Beauchamps School and there is also input to Interfaith Week lessons and an Interfaith panel for the Sixth Form. Several schools visit our churches in the course of the year, with schools coming to see the art exhibitions at St Andrew’s for the first time this year. The Open the Book Team, who tell Bible stories in dramatic form, are using technology to video the stories and send them to the schools, thus enabling a new school to be added.
The churches have a strong tradition of hospitality to the local community, especially through coffee mornings and social events. Coffee mornings are held at all three churches and Meet and Make sessions in St Andrew’s continue to reach out to those on the fringe of and beyond our congregations.
Our three churches have a commitment to supporting the charity Positive Life Kenya. PLK works to break the cycle of poverty by educating and empowering marginalised families to build healthy environments for their children to thrive and create lasting change. We are currently committed to raising and sending at least US$ 250 each quarter. Each of our three churches respond to particular appeals, such as The Children’s Society and the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoebox Appeal.
Our Facebook Group has continued to increase in membership and we have created the Contemplative Commuters Facebook group which has gained 30+ members. Our Facebook Group, Pages and website are kept up to date with news and schedules as well as livestreamed Morning prayer three days a week. St Mary’s include their news and views in the regular Runwell newsletter that goes to every house in Runwell.
Ecumenical relationships
The churches in Wickford and Runwell are responsible for jointly supporting the Gateway Project Foodbank that is run out of the local Salvation Army premises and staffed by volunteers from across the churches under their supervision. A minsters’ group meets every two months to discuss this and other projects and for mutual support. Together we arrange the annual Walk of Witness on Good Friday and the Church’s choir for the Town Christmas event. Funding was gained from the Locality Fund to run an Arts Festival in May 2023 using the churches as venues.
Three members of the PCC sit on the Deanery Synod, as well as our clergy. This provides the PCC with an important link between the parish and the wider structures of the Church. There were four meetings in 2022, including a meeting with Parish Treasurers and Churchwardens to discuss the new Parish Share formula. Speakers throughout the year have included the Area Dean and Archdeacon of Southend on Parish Share, plus Fr Michael Hall on Spiritual Direction and Nikki Schuster (CEO of Renew) on counselling. Kat D'Arcy Cumber, our General Synod Link member, gave a report on the February 2022 Synod meeting.
Our Churches and Halls
Our buildings are maintained diligently by our churchwardens and the DCCs, ensuring work is carried out promptly and appropriately, with all the necessary checks in place. All three churches received their latest quinquennial inspection in 2021, with varying amounts of work to be undertaken, particularly with the older buildings. The church halls and St Andrew’s Centre are well maintained and have returned to much fuller usage now that pandemic restrictions have been fully lifted. At St Andrew’s sensor lights were fitted to light the car park at night. At St Mary’s there are a number of items that have to be taken care of in the next few years, as would be expected of a Grade 1 listed building. Urgent work has been required to the tower of St Catherine’s as a result of ground movement caused by the long dry summer. This resulted in subsidence of the foundations in the North West corner which caused a number of large cracks to appear in the walls and some stonework to fall. As a result, urgent safety and weather protection work has been undertaken - : removing or temporarily fixing loose stonework; undertaking temporary roof repairs and loose filling of walls for weather protection; removal of loose internal plasterwork; temporary covering of affected windows; and the reinstatement of the lightning conductor - which will be followed by the investigations needed to design a long-term solution to the problem. We launched a fundraising campaign at Christmas to begin raising the funds for this initial work and the much longer project to effectively underpin the church in order to prevent the regular recurrence of the issue.
Our churchyards are well maintained. A bug hotel and wildlife area have been introduced at St Mary’s. All three churches are considering their environmental impact and St Mary’s began work on an application for a Bronze Eco Church Award.
We enable our three churches and halls to function as hubs for the community. Between them activities and groups supported include: Coffee Mornings; Councillor Surgery; Art and Heritage Exhibitions; Floral Art; Gamblers Anonymous; Huff and Puff; Lace Makers; Ladies Support Group; Ladygate Scribblers; Martial Arts; Meditation; Meet & Make (Crafts Group); Mothers Union; Parent’s 1st Group; Phlebotomy Clinic; Rangers; Steps; U3A; Unveiled arts and performance evening; Warfarin Clinic; WI Craft Group; Wickford Chapter; Wickford Lodge; Wickford Women’s Institute; and several Yoga Groups. These groups and activities provide a wide range of social, leisure, educational and wellbeing opportunities for the local community, as well as providing warm spaces that enable those attending to save on heating in their homes while attending. On a monthly basis, we estimate the groups meeting in our Halls benefit in excess of 750 local residents.
In addition, local schools regularly visit our buildings for educational opportunities, which this year have also begun to include visits to our art exhibitions. Our new Unveiled arts and performance evening (Fridays fortnightly) plus our new art and heritage exhibition programme deliver new cultural offers in Wickford. These seek to bring high quality art and performance to Wickford while also encouraging local talent by providing new platforms for local performers and artists.
We held a very successful and well attended Christmas Bazaar at St Andrew’s for the parish which raised £2,000. Each church and the Mothers Union organized stalls. A grand draw was held, there was a grotto for children to visit Santa and choirs from Wickford Church of England School and Wickford Primary School sang to those who attended. Our thanks to everyone involved in the organization and running of the Bazaar, particularly those on the planning group.
Pastoral care
Much pastoral care within our congregations is informal and mutual. Our team of pastoral visitors and clergy continues to support individuals in need, and have once more been able to offer Home Communion. Visits to local care homes for services are once again happening monthly, including to the new Eve Belle Care Home, and the team visiting has been expanded with several new volunteers. A Prayer Circle operates when specific requests are made for those in need of prayer.
Mission and evangelism
Much of our mission and outreach, including Messy Church (bi-monthly on Saturdays), the Gateway foodbank (Ecumenical initiative), Open the Book (Schools work), ministry in care homes (monthly services in four homes), and other initiatives, is enabled by teams drawn from across our three churches. We are increasingly developing mission initiatives related to our context including: Contemplative Commuters - a Facebook group for any commuter wanting quiet reflective time and content on their journeys to and from work; Saturday Solace - 10-minute reflection and Christian mindfulness sessions between 10.00 am & 12 noon on Saturdays at St Andrew’s; and Unveiled – an arts and performance evening which attracted an average of 25 people per event, with events including artist talks, concerts, dance performances, exhibition viewings, heritage talks, lectures, and an Open Mic Night.
We continue to support the ecumenical Gateway Project, the local foodbank, with congregation members continuing to give generously in kind.
Clergy and laity support the work of local schools as governors and in taking assemblies. Assemblies are taken at seven local schools, with assemblies beginning at St Luke’s Park for the first time this year. We also hold school services in our churches for several schools, with a Carol Service for Beauchamps School being introduced this year for the first time. Lessons on Easter and Christmas take place at Beauchamps School and there is also input to Interfaith Week lessons and an Interfaith panel for the Sixth Form. Several schools visit our churches in the course of the year, with schools coming to see the art exhibitions at St Andrew’s for the first time this year. The Open the Book Team, who tell Bible stories in dramatic form, are using technology to video the stories and send them to the schools, thus enabling a new school to be added.
The churches have a strong tradition of hospitality to the local community, especially through coffee mornings and social events. Coffee mornings are held at all three churches and Meet and Make sessions in St Andrew’s continue to reach out to those on the fringe of and beyond our congregations.
Our three churches have a commitment to supporting the charity Positive Life Kenya. PLK works to break the cycle of poverty by educating and empowering marginalised families to build healthy environments for their children to thrive and create lasting change. We are currently committed to raising and sending at least US$ 250 each quarter. Each of our three churches respond to particular appeals, such as The Children’s Society and the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoebox Appeal.
Our Facebook Group has continued to increase in membership and we have created the Contemplative Commuters Facebook group which has gained 30+ members. Our Facebook Group, Pages and website are kept up to date with news and schedules as well as livestreamed Morning prayer three days a week. St Mary’s include their news and views in the regular Runwell newsletter that goes to every house in Runwell.
Ecumenical relationships
The churches in Wickford and Runwell are responsible for jointly supporting the Gateway Project Foodbank that is run out of the local Salvation Army premises and staffed by volunteers from across the churches under their supervision. A minsters’ group meets every two months to discuss this and other projects and for mutual support. Together we arrange the annual Walk of Witness on Good Friday and the Church’s choir for the Town Christmas event. Funding was gained from the Locality Fund to run an Arts Festival in May 2023 using the churches as venues.
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Emma-Marie Kabanova - Awake! My Soul.
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