O N
Introduction 03.
Agenda for the Meetings 04.
Minutes of the 2024 Annual Vestry Meeting 05
Leadership 10.
5 Systems of Church Analysis 11
Well-Being @ St James’ 22.
Youth and Children’s Ministry 23.
Fabric Report 24. Financial Report 25.
Our annual meeting will this year review the life of the Holywell Mission Hub in 2024 - a year which again saw growth in our life together as the Mission Hub became more established. Unlike previous years, there is a single report that covers the whole Mission Hub - as so many of our projects and services attract people across old divides.
The real emphasis at the beginning of this year was the introduction of our four Mission Hub Habits: praying, serving, inviting and giving, which I hope will continue to be the cornerstone of our life together
This is my fifth annual meeting, and I continue to remain enormously thankful to God for calling me to lead and serve the church in this place. This report comes at a difficult time, but please know that I am so grateful for your love, encouragement and support It's also very good to know we have a strong team who have been able to take up the slack while I have had to take a step back to focus on my own health and well-being
I hope receiving this report helps you to prayerfully reflect on all that God is doing in our midst Please do feel free to ask me any questions either before, during or after the Vestry Meeting
As I’ve said above, the most significant change in this year’s report is that there is only one report that covers the whole Mission Hub - reflecting the fact that we are one church, one family and we have a shared calling to proclaim the Gospel in Holywell and Greenfield I find it really encouraging that these old boundaries are lowering and we are supporting one another better
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3.20)
Yours in Christ,
A G E N D A F O R T H E M E E T I N G
Welcome from the Vicar
Meeting called to order & apologies for absence
Minutes of the 2024 Meeting
Receive the Vicar's Report
Receive the Two Wardens’ Reports
Receive the 2024 Treasurers’ Report
Elections People’s Warden Treasurer
Members of Church Committee
Mission Area Conference Reps
Well-Being MAC Representative (St Peter’s only)
Appointment of Vicar's Wardens
The Blessing
A D
The Holywell Mission Hub is growing - we have new people, new projects and new possibilities In 2024, I tried to cement the idea of a leadership team.
There is a really dangerous idea that the priest’s job is to make all the decisions and do all the ministry in the church I believe this ‘’father knows best” attitude has restricted the growth of the church in the past and we need to move away from it
Jesus called others to join his mission He ‘co-missioned’ them to go out and continue his work. Why then would we expect the vicar to do it all on their own?
Forming the Mission Hub Leadership Team has been one of the most exciting things for me about 2024 Calling together those I felt had a heart for mission and a desire to challenge the status quo has been enormously positive and transformative for my ministry and, I hope, for the whole church
Imagine responding to a suggestion about what we should be doing by saying, ‘Let me talk to the team about that’ rather than worrying about it on my own until the early hours of the morning It’s been truly transformational for me.
We’re not perfect and we have much to learn, but we are committed to that task. It’s not about me having a group of ‘flunkies’ or ‘mates’ who will agree enthusiastically with everything I say Rather it is a group who challenge me and each other robustly, from a shared desire to see the church grow They support me and each other and have a genuine love of the community and a desire to serve it in the best way possible
Over the coming year, I want to extend the role of the MHLT and the Church Committees to enable them to be truly effective I also think the MHLT can and should be flexible and fluid. It means that those called to serve in this way aren’t expected to do so for the next 20 years! Different times and new challenges will necessitate a change of personnel.
We have also benefitted from the ministry of our new Archdeacon, the Venerable Hayley Matthews, who is so supportive of the Mission Hub and excited to be involved.
Groucho Marx famously commented “I don’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member” I don’t know whether he would have wanted to belong to our church family or not, but I know that Jesus would have welcomed him with open arms!
If you weren’t a follower of Jesus what would we, as Church, need to be like to attract you to explore becoming a Christian?
St Peter’s and St James’, Holywell - 74 (↓19 fro ) Holy Trinity, Greenfield - 40 ( ↑13 from 2020) 5 S Y S T E M S O F C H U R C H A N A L Y S I S
That’s a question we should always carry with us when we look at the life of our church Last year, we looked at our personal life as disciples through the Mission Hub Habits: Praying, Inviting, Serving and Giving This year, I would like to introduce something for the whole church the 5 Systems of Church Analysis as a way to help us to look honestly at the life of the Mission Hub.
In the same way that the ten systems of the human body need to be working properly for the body to be healthy, so all five systems of any organisation need to be working well for the church to be healthy and to be able to function effectively
So, what are the five systems that we will use as the lens through which we see ourselves as Church in 2025 and beyond? They are:
➤ Worship
➤ Evangelism
➤ Discipleship
➤ Meaningful Community
➤ Ministry
They are rooted in the great commission – Matthew 28 19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Evangelism), baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Meaningful Community), teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Discipleship)”, and in the great commandment –Matthew 22 37-39 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (Worship) This is the greatest and first commandment And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself (Ministry)”
In the following pages we will take a look at e these in turn.
Electoral Roll
As required by the Constitution, I include her numbers on our Electoral Roll at the end of 2
PW O R S H I
Worship is all about lifting our hearts and minds to God. The Church gathers primarily for worship, to celebrate all that God is and all that God has done, to be drawn into the life of the Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Throughout this year, our Sunday Eucharist in both churches has been enhanced by the large number of people contributing as servers or doing readings and intercessions and we have made use of varied liturgy and music as we've followed the Church's calendar. The numbers attending our Sunday morning services have remained steady, although it is good that new people have joined our fellowship, even as we have commended older members into loving arms of God. In Holy Trinity, the All Age Eucharist has become established and it’s been really good to worship as a church family together with Sunday School.
We owe a particular thanks to John Blomfield in St Peter’s and John Evans in Holy Trinity, whose ministry as our organists means our worship has been so moving and beautiful We’ve also benefitted from the ministry of the St Peter’s Choir who, although small in number, do so much to help us lift our hearts and minds to God I want to particular pay tribute to Joyce Hughes and Alun Jones, both longstanding members of our choir, who we have entrusted into God’s safe keeping this year.
I have found this quote from the book Divine Renovation quite powerful as I’ve reflected on our worshipping life together:
‘If the liturgy and our music are to have a missional dimension, our evaluation of music must always include the question of what speaks to the people we are attempting to reach.’
I believe this calls us to develop a mixed ecology of different styles of worship, at different times and in different places, so that we can meet people where they are
This has been an area of development in 2024 Our (Re)Try Church Service, brilliantly coordinated by Jon, and moving between the church buildings, is increasingly attracting a young and dynamic congregation; the Bread of Life Service in St Peter’s goes from strength to strength; a new Love Holway Bread of Life has been launched and is a gathering of almost 20 people, some of whom have no other church connection
Our worship remains of a very high quality - and I am so grateful to all those people who work so hard to make it possible week-in and week-out It’s particularly good that, over 2023, we have increased the amount of lay-led se worship is the work of the whole people of God and not jus
A simple definition of evangelism might be “The Good News of God’s love revealed in Jesus, and the salvation offered through his Cross and Resurrection, proclaimed to those who don’t know Jesus.”
In the Holywell Mission Hub this takes three obvious forms which we could call:
➤ Presence
➤ Service
➤ Proclamation and so we’ll look at how each of these areas has been expanded on in 2024
Presence
The most obvious way that this has been done is in the increase of tracts and prayer cards in all three church spaces These have been taken in their 100s and, we hope, may be a small step on the way to faith and joining our church family I have written and produced a series of booklets which seek to explain the Christian faith in simple ways. We also invested in thematic tracts for Holy Week/Easter and Christmas. We continue to give away free bibles to anyone who needs one, thanks to the anonymous donation from a church in Southwark.
The Table also continues to go from strength to strength an opportunity to get a basket of essential shopping with a free E V A N G E L I S M
We have also been present at a number of events in the town and our schools - such as the Party in the Park, Light Switch On and, at the end of the year, by singing carols in the community hospital.
We have also massively improved our website and kept it updated continually through 2024 If you’ve never visited it before, do take a look and share it with others: holywellchurches co uk We continue to use Facebook as a key place to advertise events and encourage people to pause and reflect in their daily lives Towards the end of the year, I invested time in developing our social media with different content
Central to the life of the Mission Hub is our commitment to reaching out in loving service to the community, as we seek to be 'the heart of God in the heart of Holywell' In 2024, the Foodbank continued to support families in crisis in Holywell, and I especially want to pay tribute to Jean Parry, Glenys Roberts, Margaret Mort, Russell, and all those who maintain this vital ministry for those facing a time of crisis I want to thank our youth group who made soup to be served by our Foodbank chaplains in December
community lunch and lots of opportunities for sign-posting and support, particularly thanks to our partnerships with other charities Over this year, numbers varied but there was an average of 80 households each week, meaning around 170 people having lunch I could fill this whole booklet with thanks to those who have made this ministry possible, and the stories of people whose lives have been transformed by coming to the Table. The Table is funded by donations and grants, and - although money has been tight - the Lord always seems to provide what we need!
It's a particular joy that more and more people are volunteering at the Foodbank, the Table and our other community events If you want to serve in one of these aspects of church life, please speak to me
Finally, we held our Community Christmas Dinner, which received an incredible amount of external support from local businesses and other groups Thank you to the team who worked so hard to make it an enjoyable occasion for all those who came
I also want to thank to Flint Lions who have continued fundraising for the Table and Well-Being, alongside many other worthy causes, and especially for providing Christmas Presents to so many children from families in Holywell.
We preach the Gospel in our actions and loving service as a church family, but we must also have opportunities to proclaim the Gospel in words as well As St Paul said in Romans 10:
‘How are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’’
This proclamation is best done when individuals share their stories of the difference God has made in their lives. I can’t list all the times this happened in 2024, but I know that it’s an area we can improve on I am hoping the Year of Growing Faith will help people to grow in confidence
We have also proclaimed the Gospel in a new way this year with the Love Holway Project Led by Rev Andrea, this project is growing both in service - through the Warm Welcome group, Musical Tots, and Hub Clubs - and in proclamation The new Warm Welcome Bread of Life attracts a small but growing congregation, some of whom are hearing the Good News for the first time There has been a focus on asking people to share their stories (testimonies) which have been really encouraging
The Bread of Life service has continued in the Table and regularly attracts new people. Thanks to the Mission Hub Leadership Team making this a key priority, we have also regularly sought to have an opportunity for proclamation at social and fundraising events - even if it’s just having act of worship with an evangelistic homily
They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
I S C I P L E S H I
To become a follower of Jesus Christ is to be his disciple. Jesus said, ‘This is the will of my Father, that you should become my disciples’ (John 15:8). A disciple literally means ‘one who is learning.’ Learning and growing are lifelong tasks that should be central to the life of our Mission Hub.
One of the highlights of 2024, was our Confirmation Service in July, during which Bishop Gregory baptised and confirmed 8 people, who have come to faith in our church family It was a privilege to walk with these amazing people and to present them to the Bishop and pray that the Holy Spirit would strengthen them in their discipleship
Throughout this year, our two house groups have continued to meet faithfully. Under the leadership of Dr Olive Frost, the Tuesday night Bible Study have enjoyed a varied programme of study - with contributions from Deacon Gareth, Archdeacon Andy Grimwood, and others. Our smaller house group, the Disciples, under Deacon Gareth’s leadership have continued to meet in one of the members home - and have explored Biblical texts and enjoyed themselves possibly a bit too much!
Rev Andrea and Hannah Daniels also led a Women’s Quiet Day in Noddfa, which was greatly appreciated As you can read about later, our young people also went through Youth Alpha to deepen their faith and ask the big questions together
However, this system seems to be the area of our life together that requires the most attention. Many folk in our congregation only have the preaching on a Sunday morning to nourish their faith.
It’s for that reason, that in November of this year we launched the Year of Growing Faith I hope that, by next year’s vestry report, the majority of our regular congregation will have engaged with one or more of the programme of courses, events and quiet days that we have planned for 2025
Acts2givesusaverymovingpictureofthe earlyChristiancommunity,thatshouldinspire usinourowndaytodevelopadeeperand moremeaningfulcommunity.
“Allwhobelievedweretogetherandhadall thingsincommon;theywouldselltheir possessionsandgoodsanddistributethe proceedstoall,asanyhadneed.Daybyday,as theyspentmuchtimetogetherinthetemple, theybrokebreadathomeandatetheirfood withgladandgeneroushearts,praisingGod andhavingthegoodwillofallthepeople.And daybydaytheLordaddedtotheirnumber thosewhowerebeingsaved.”
Centraltothelifeofourchurchesisthrowingourdoorsopenand welcomingthecommunitytosocialevents.
InHolyTrinity,wehavetheweeklycoffeemorningandBingo,which hasbeentransformedbywelcomingourfriendsfromtheClockHouse andStationHouseforSinging4AllSinging4Allisaweeklyjoy-filled opportunityforeveryone,includingadultswithdisabilities,tocome andsingandheartheGospelmessageTheweeklybingoatStPeter’s hasalsoattractedasmallbutloyalattendance
2024alsosawsomeverysuccessfulfundraisingandsocialevents. Thereisn’tspacetolistthemall-butwecanallrememberthe StrawberryFair,theChristmasFair,MurderinDibley,theIndian BanquetforMentalHealthCharities,KaraokeNightandsomore Thankyoutoeveryonewhohasworkedsohardthisyeartocreate suchafullcalendarofevents.
Overthecourseoftheyear,I,oramemberoftheteam,havesought tovisitorspeakonthe'phonetoeverymemberofourchurchwho hasbeensickorinparticularneed.In2023,wehadaverygood oplewhocompletedtheirtrainingas houghtheseareyettohavebeende M E A N I
F U L C O M M U N I T Y
own ill health. Thankfully, they are still raring to go and I look forward to sharing ministry with them in 2025.
As we move into 2025, our pastoral assistants - along with the ministry of our Parish Nurse - are going to make a huge difference in improving our pastoral care both within and without the congregation Our 12 Pastoral Assistants will be commissioned in 2025 and undertake a range of different ministries:
➤ Home Visiting (including taking Holy Communion to those who cannot come to church);
➤ Visiting in local Nursing and Residential Homes;
➤ Working in the Well-Being Centre;
➤ and acting as Pastoral Ministers within each congregation - noticing those who aren’t with us and making sure they’re OK.
In 2024, myself and Rev Andrea officiated at around 60 funerals for families in Holywell and Greenfield, and it is always a huge privilege to be alongside families at this most difficult time and to offer hope and comfort There have also been other funerals from our area that have been taken by another cleric Funerals are about 40% in one of our church buildings and 60% in the crematorium or at the graveside This year we held an All Souls’ Day Eucharist in Well-Being @ St James’, and launched our first ever Bereavement Cafe
We have also celebrated the baptism of 28 children and 5 adults in 2024 It was great to welcome back families of children who’ve been baptised at our Teddy Bears’ Picnic, which has become an annual occasion. Jon and I are exploring how we can work better with the families who come to us to baptise their babies.
We have also solemnised two weddings in Holy Trinity, which were both beautiful occasions and it always wonderful to share with couples as they are joined together in a covenant of lifelong love and we pray for God’s blessing upon their lives together
Our Mothers’ Union group is growing and active, meeting monthly for prayer and fellowship The Mothers’ Union mourned the loss of Joyce Hughes this year and formed a guard of honour at her Requiem Eucharist
Mothers’ Union lead us in prayer each month in both churches, and it’s really good to see our branch expanding with members from both St Peter’s and Holy Trinity. For the second year, we have had admissions of new members as part of the annual service.
The branch met each month for fellowship and prayer, under the care of Christine Artus, our Branch Leader Our MU Branch contributed to our life together by organising this year’s Harvest Supper and our Elvis Night It was also a real joy to ho Celebration Service in May
M I N I S T R Y
Jesus said, ‘The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.’ (Mark 10.45) The essence of the Christian life is to serve God and one another. In this way we bear witness that the Church is the hands and feet of Jesus in the world.
We’ve already spoken about different ministries throughout the other Systems of Church life Jesus never sends out his disciples to minister on their own, he always sends out pairs or teams to proclaim the Kingdom of God
In 2024, the Mission Hub Team was strengthened by the arrival of new members:
➤ Rev Andrea was licensed to serve as our Associate Priest and Love Holway Chaplain;
➤ Josh Schoch was licensed as a Pastoral Chaplain, having already been with us during his training;
➤ Margaret Mort was commissioned as our Parish Nurse;
➤ Ian Williams took on the mantle of being Project Coordinator for Well-Being @ St James’;
Each of them, in their own way, has contributed to our life together They have joined Rev Gareth, Jon and me in forming the licensed ministry team in the Mission Hub and it is such a gift to have such a diverse and gifted team to share in ministry with
As well as those licensed or commissioned for various ministries, I want to thank especially our tireless church wardens, Bethan Hall, Alex Griffiths, Carrie Ann Greenwood and Rebecca Moore, for the many things they do every single week to support the whole church During my ill health the wardens had to step up to ensure continuity in worship and the well-being of the whole church I also want to pay tribute to their hard work I also want to thank our treasurer Jane Greenwood who has worked very hard to ensure our finances are in order and meet the stringent rules of the charity commission
We also benefitted this year from two engaged and forward-looking Church Committees, and a whole host of others who have worked very hard in particular aspects of church life in 2024.
I wish there were time to name all those who contribute to our life, but I am pleased to say that the list would be too long for this little booklet! But please know that your contribution, however big or small, is much valued and contributes to the building up of the whole life of our church family
ThisyearwehostedourfirstVolunteerThankYouEvent,whichwasanimportantreminderof justhowmanypeoplecontributetothelifeofourchurchesWhetherit’sservingintheTableor atacoffeemorning,welcomingpeopletochurchonSunday,helpingwithroutinemaintenance orinthegardens,servinginourYouthandChildren’sTeamordoingoneofa1000otherjobs thatareneeded-Thankyou!Itistrulyincrediblethatwehaveover80peopleregularly volunteeringinthelifeofthechurch
IwillfinishwiththissonnetfromMalcolmGute,ALastBeatitude,whichremindsusofthemany peoplewhosefaithfulservicehascontributedtothebuildingupofourcommonlife
Andblessèdaretheonesweoverlook; Thefaithfulserversonthecoffeerota, Theoneswhoholdnocandle,bellorbook Butkeepthebooksandtallyupthequota, Thegentlesoulswhocometo‘dotheflowers’, Thequietoneswhoorganisethefete, Churchsitterswhogiveuptheirweekdayhours, Doorkeeperswhomayopenheaven’sgate. Godknowsthedepthsthatoftengounspoken Amongsttheshy,thequiet,andthekind, Ortheslowhealingofaheartlongbroken Placingeachflowersoforayear’smind. Invisibleonearth,withoutavoice, Inheaventheirangelsgloryandrejoice.
Aswellashavingsomuchtocelebrate,wealsosaidgoodbyein2024toBrianNapier,sometime wardenatHolyTrinity.AlthoughnolongeraregularworshipperinHolyTrinity,wewereableto givethanksforhiscontributiontoourlifeandcommendhimtoGod,ourmercifulredeemer
OurMissionHubispartofawiderMissionArea,andwearegratefulforthe encouragement,supportandcollegialityoftheSharedMinistryTeamManyofour LeadershipTeamarealsomembersoftheMASharedMinistryTeamandwehave workedtogethertobuildupthewholeMAthisyearThebiggestnewsinthe MissionAreathisyearhasbeentheappointmentofEmilyLovgrenasayouthand children’sworkerand,insaddernews,thedepartureofRevKathrynEvanstopasturesnewin Holyhead.
It’sreallygoodthattheTablehasbeenextendedandnowoperatesonFridaysinStMaryandSt David’s,FlintTherehavealsobeenlotsofourvolunteerswhohavehelpedwithMAprojectsand viceversa,withcollectionsfortheTableacrosstheMissionAreaandotherdonationsreceived. Ifyou’dliketohearmoreaboutwhattheMAhasbeendoingthisy theMissionAreaVestryMeeting
E I N G
WWell-Being @ St James' is a significant development in the life of the Mission Hub, and a way to bring new life to this ancient building, and to bless all in our community who need healing, wholeness and, above all, hope.
2024wasayearofgreatactivityintheWell-BeingProject-themajor buildingworkwascompleted;ourparishnursewasrecruitedand trained;andpartnershipsweremadeorstrengthenedAllthatcanbe doneinthisreportistoofferasummary
Thebuildingworkwascompletedinrecordtimethankstothehard workofbothGarethWilliams,thebuilder,andBrynJones,John WilliamsandtheirteamwhodidsomuchtopreparethewayThe transformedStJames’isabsolutelybeautifulandeventheharshest criticshavebeenwonoverwhentheyseeit!
TheLaunchwasareallybeautifuloccassioninOctober,anditwas wonderfultoseethechurchfullofpeopleexcitedaboutthefutureof thatancientplace.Followingthegrandopening,wehavedecidedto opentheWell-Beingprojectgradually,hopingtobefullyoperational bythestartofthePilgrimSeasonin2025.
MargaretbeganherministryamongusinOctoberlastyear,andsheis alreadymakingahugeimpactinthelivesofindividualsandinthe groupsthatwehopewillonedaycallWell-Beingtheirhome
AllthathasbeenachievedattheWell-BeingProjecthasbeenmade possiblebytherelationshipswehaveforgedWecontinuetobean activepartoftheHolywell-GreenfieldPartnership;weareseekingto workcloselywiththeCatholicNationalShrineofStWinifred’s;weare aBronzeHealingHubwithGoHealth;wehaveagoodrelationship withtheNHSandsomanyotherpartnershipsthatwillmakethis projectasuccess.
Iwanttothankallthosewhohavemadethisprojectareality:Ian,our ProjectCoodinator,Margaret,ourdynamicSteeringGroupandall thosewhohaveworkedandprayedtomakethisdreamareality
’ S
A report from our brilliant youth and children’s worker, Jon Andrew.
During2024weheldseveralholidayclubsinStPeter’sandHolyTrinityduring MayandFebruaryhalftermsandHolyWeek–eachholidayclubranbetween 10:00and12.30.Thesessionsbeganwithabigbreakfast,followedbysongs,a themedBiblestory,prayerandacraft Thechildrenarethengivenapacked lunchwhichtheycaneithertakehomeoreatinchurchbeforebeingpickedup About15-20childrenattendonaverage.
Forthesummerof2024wedecidedtoholdahalfdayholidayclubeachweekin Trinity-‘TenintheTent’.Therewaslessstructurethantheusualformatand gavethechanceforyoungpeopletojustcomeandplaygamesorsomesimple crafts.Weusuallyfinishedthesessionwithchips!Around10-12youngpeople attendedthisoverthesummerbreak InStPeter’swedecidedtoholdaweek longholidayclubinAugustwithasuperherotheme–wherewelookedat heroesoftheBible.Theweekwentreallywellandallthechildrenandvolunteers enjoyedthetimetogether
Octoberhalftermsawthereturnofourhotchocolatedriveduringtheevening ofthe31st;wehandedouthotchocolates/sweetstoanychildrenout‘trickor treating’inHolyTrinityandontheStrand Thisyearwemadeapproximately300 drinksforpeopleanditwasagreatopportunitytoadvertisetheLightParties.
TheLightPartieswentverywellandyoungpeopleandtheirfamiliescameto hearaboutthelightofChrist Itwasamazingtohaveteenagersfromtheyouth groupbeinginvolvedeitherthroughsinging/dancing/helpingwithcraftor helpingwiththesoundandlighting.
AllageservicesatHolyTrinityhavegonewellandareusuallydubbedasaholy chaos-whichissometimesinevitablewhendoingintergenerationalservices! Wefeelthatchurchshouldbeintergenerational TheCribServicesfor2024took placeonSunday22ndDecemberandChristmasEve Theywerewellattended bypeopleofallages Thechildrenenjoyedbeinginvolvedintheserviceanda numberofvisitorscommentedonhowmuchtheyenjoyedtheservice
Sundayschoolhascontinuedtogrowandsomeweekswehave12children attending.JaneoverseesthecraftandJonoverseesthetalkandothercontent. Theyoungpeopleenjoythespaceandvalueourtimetogether Ideally,wecould dowithacouplemorehelperssothatwecancreateaSundayschoolrotaand eenoughadultspresent.Twoofthe soservedonthealtarwhichwaswon
OurrelationshipwithYsgolMaesglashasgrownstrongerovertheyear;theschoolarealwayskeen forustoleadassemblies(wherethepupilscometochurch)andholdcreativeprayerdaysatthe school Jon,CarrieAnnandGareth(whenavailable)visittheschooleveryWednesdayandthechildren arealwayshappytoseeusandchat.Theyear6leaverscametoHolyTrinityinJulyfortheirspecial endofschoolservice,andtheyalsocamefortheirleaver’spromattheendofterm
WehavecontinuedtodevelopourrelationshipwithYsgolMaesyFelinandYsgolTreffynon Jonand SheilavisittheprimaryschooleveryThursdaybetween12and1wherewehostareflective mindfulnessspaceforchildrenthatwantsomeextranurturing Anumberofpupilsregularlyvisitthe ‘Table’andgetstuckinhelpingwhereverneeded Weholdassembliesandreflectiveprayerdaysat theschoolwhicharewellreceived.Theyear6’srequestedtohavetheirendofyearpromatthe churchwhichwasabrilliantcelebration JonandSheilathenvisitthehighschoolbetween120and 210onaThursdayforadropinatthe‘base:’thequietlunchtimespacewherepupilscangofora morepeacefullunchbreak.JonandGarethalsovisitthehighschooleveryMondaymorningfor breakfastclub WeheldthefirstRElessonsonprayerandareflectiveprayerdayforalltheyear7sin YsgolTrefynnon,whichwasreallyappreciatedbytheschool Thereisnowthepossibilityofrollingthis outtootheryeargroupstoo
WelaunchedourThursdayafterschoolclubinStPeter’sin2024whereweprovideadifferentactivity eachweekforhighschoolagedyoungpeople.Theactivitiesrangefromartsandcraftsrunin conjunctionwithTheatrClwydtoDJandlightingworkshopstoRadioControlledcarracingand repairs Wegenerallyhavearound6youngpeopleattend,andit’sbeenwonderfulgettingtoknow themandwatchingthemdevelopnewskills.
TheSundayyouthgrouphappenseveryotherweekandthevenuealternatesbetweenStPetersand HolyTrinity Anumberoftheyoungpeoplefromthehighschoolhavestartedcomingalongtoyouth group ForhalfoftheyearwewereworkingthroughYouthAlpha,latertowardstheendoftheyear theyoungpeoplewantedtogetinvolvedwithcommunityprojectssowemadesoupforfamilies visitingtheFoodank(amongstotherthings) Itsbeenamazingseeingtheyouthgroupdevelopand watchingtheyoungpeoplethemselvesgrow–manystayonforRETryandsomeareinvolvedwith leadingworship OverthesummerweputonatriptoChesterZoowherealltheindividualgroups cametogetherforonebigtrip WealsoheldaChristmaspartyforalltheyouthwhothengotinvolved withtheStPeter’sCarolService
Thankyou!Iwouldjustliketosayahugethankyoutoallourvolunteerswhomakeallthe abovehappen–youknowwhoyouareandtherearetoomanypeopletolist!Youareall superstarsanditsgreathavingsuchapassionateanddedicatedteamtogrowGod’s kingdomamongsttheyoungpeopleofHolywellandGreenfield!
A B R I C R E P O R T
Although a modern building, St Peter’s is starting to show signs of wear and tear that require regular maintenance. This year we have undertaken all the necessary routine maintenance - like gutter cleaning, fire safety checks, electrical testing etc.. Right at the end of the year, we also raised the money to replace the bulbs in the main church that were starting to fail. Thanks to Jon Andrews, this can be done relatively inexpensively
As well as new lights, we have also replaced the nave chairs in the main hall We are particularly grateful to Darrin and Steve who have overhauled our PA system, upgrading much of our AV equipment to make it serviceable for another decade Darrin has also trained to become our PAT Tester, which will be a big saving for us each year
Fr Dominic’s Office has also been reordered to make it more usable as a place for pastoral visits, small meetings, and other uses. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this possible.
We also obtained a faculty in November to erect a baby loss memorial, which is now in situ in the grounds and has received a lot of attention on social media and regular visits from families
The Church Committee have also identified some works that are needed to improve the overall appearance of the church Principally, we need to replace the blinds in the main church and the flooring throughout the church These are expensive jobs and we will need to apply for grants to make this possible in 2025
The maintenance of Holy Trinity has been a team effort and we’re really grateful to everyone who has contributed this year to keeping the building maintained The only major work this year was the repairs to the west window, needed to make the building safe to use
In the last few days of the year, Ged Hall also very kindly repaired the iron door handle after it wore down and broke
There are further repairs needed following Storm Darragh to the windows and roof, which we are hoping will be covered by our insurance. We have also ecessary to repair the roof in Sunda as been damaged by the water
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always
L R E P O R T
A report from Jane Greenwood, Treasurer of Holywell and Greenfield
HopefullyyourememberthatthefourthofourMissionHubHabitsisgiving.
"WebelieveinagenerousGodandourgivingispartofour responsetohislove.Weneedtobeachurchofgenerosity whosegivingmakespossibleallourworkfortheKingdom."
Thefoundationofourincomehastobetheregulargivingofourcongregation, whichisourresponsetothelovethatGodhaspouredoutonus
Aseveryyear,Iwanttotakethisopportunitytoencourageyoutolookatyour regulargivingandwhetherthiscanbeincreased Also,ifyouareabletomove yourgivingfromcashorenvelopestotheGiftDirectSchemethatisvery helpful,becauseitmeanswecanpredictwhatiscominginandcanbudget moreeasily
Ileavethiswithyoutothinkandprayover,ifyouwanttoknowmore-please speaktomeorJane
Thankstothegenerousgiftof£10,000fromStMary’s,Flint,and£1,000fromthe Tablefund,StPeter’shavemanagedtopaytheirMissionAreaShareandallour otherbillsthisyear Thishasalsobeenhelpedbytheamazingeffortsin fundraisingthatwehavemade,especiallyinthelatterhalfoftheyear
Thehelpwe’vereceivedwon’tbeavailableagain,andsowehavetostepupour effortsinfundraisingandencourageoneanothertoimproveourweeklygiving
BothchurcheshavealsobenefittedfromtheMissionHubFunding,provided bytheDiocese,tofundsomeofourmissionalwork-particularlywithChildren well F I N A N C I
Duetothemonumentaleffortofeveryoneinthecongregation,wehave managedtopayourMissionAreaShareandallourotherbillsthisyear Ithas beenclosetothewire,butthisisagreatachievement.Ourincomehasbeen greatlystrengthenedbybothourweeklyfundraisingthroughtheBingoand CoffeeMorning,aswellasourfundraisingevents I’msurewewillallremember theMurderMysteryNight!However,thingsremaintightandwewillneedto continuethiseffort,andreflectonourowngivingin2025andbeyond
