St Andrew's

Psalter Lane

Church

Latest ECC minutes

ST ANDREW’S PSALTER LANE CHURCH

Minutes of the Ecumenical Church Council meeting, Monday 19th May 2025

Present: Anna Calvert (AC) in the Chair, Bill Atherton (BA), Jenny Carpenter (JC), Emma Handy (EH), John Harding (JH), Anna Harvey (AHa), Clare Loughridge (CL), Janet Loughridge (JL), Mary Mitchell (MM), Alastair Morris (AM), Rachel Morris (RM), Judith Roberts (JRo), Rev Joy Rulton (JRu) Pete Sandford (PS)

  1.   The meeting opened with prayer  
  2.   Welcome  AC welcomed everyone to the meeting, especially Rev Joy Rulton and the 2

            new elected members, Emma Handy and Pete Sandford.

            Apologies had been received from Jenny Bywaters, Revd Naomi Cooke, Caroline Cripps,

John Cripps, Joseph Dey, Anne Hollows. Peter Mitchell, Jan Owen. JL apologised for

forgetting until the last minute that Julie Jordan-Brown was still an ex officio ECC

member as a Deanery Synod rep and not inviting her to the meeting.

Forms to be filled in: members were asked to fill in the necessary forms

Safeguarding Form C - signed by the new members present

Notice of Pecuniary interests - signed by all members present

Fit and Proper person Declaration - be signed by all members present

Appointment of Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Circuit representatives:

ECC Chair – Anna Calvert 

Treasurer – Joe Dey  

ECC secretary – Janet Loughridge

Circuit representatives – John Harding and Jenny Carpenter 

 

ECC members were asked to approve all these – All in Favour

 

  1.  Items for Any Other Business:

 Pete Sandford – welcoming; deferred to Welcome Meeting on 28th May.  

 

 

  1.  Minutes of the ECC meeting held on 18th February 2025 were accepted as a true record

 and signed.

 

  1.  Matters arising not already on the agenda: none.

 

  1.  Discussion on how we are managing during Naomi’s leave of absence:
    1. Vacancies:
      • Steward/Warden: no offers to stand for this role at the ACM. To continue to try to find someone.
      • Property Steward: Points made in discussion:
  1. AC said John Cripps had asked whether a group of people could work on grant applications and bureaucracy.
  2. Need to talk to people about the skills and roles they have which could be used for this.
  3. Necessary skills for the role of property steward would include awareness of buildings and what needs doing to keep them in good condition; getting jobs done – finding contractors and following through; funding – grant applications; practical skills; legal knowledge; running the property committee.
  4. need for job description
  5. AC to speak to John Cripps and Joe Dey about the way forward
  6. GDPR: JRo asked whether someone could help her with this.
  7. JC asked who the Links people are.
  8. How to include Southcroft people, and help them to get to church
  9. lifts for older people who are becoming less able to get to church themselves
  10. people to do sound and streaming
  11. EH offered to create a form to be distributed on Badge Sunday 1st June, asking what hours and skills people could offer
      • Health and Safety Officer: Jan Owen had offered to take this role. The ECC voted on whether to appoint her – All in Favour
    • Lay worker for hospitality, pastoral care and children: AC was happy to inform members that Sophie Peel-Yates had been appointed, subject to DBS check. She was to start in August, with a support group. CL said she hoped school visits would be part of her remit, and would invite her to come to the next visit to see how we do them.
    • Services: all gaps had been filled; the ECC thanked the Stewards/Wardens for all they had done to achieve this, and the ministers and preachers who had responded to our need.

Naomi was expected to be back in the last week of July. AC offered to contact Debora Marschner to find out more.

MM said there were Anglican ministers we had not used; PS is an Anglican reader who could help if necessary; JC thought we should use Iain Cloke more often because of our link with Highfield Trinity.

EH said there should be an explanation about the bread and 2 sorts of wine at all Communion services.

JL was compiling the list of services for the June – August Nexus – to put in services as on the Preaching Plan.

    1. Church Family Weekend: there was to be a social event on Saturday 14th June; EH offered to lead a walk during the day.

 

  1.  Reports tabled (others reported to ACM on 11th May)
    1. Policies and Communications Officer’s report
    2. Treasurer’s report, receipts and payments: AC read Peter Mitchell’s comments: “what a good response was obtained from the congregation for funds for the Lay Worker, pleasing to see everyone chipping in so well.  And as always thanks to Joe for his work in handing the money affairs and providing a clear account of where we stand part-way through the financial year.”

MM asked about the solar panel battery box, and hoped this would not use all the money left after installation. Alastair explained that the insurance company had insisted we put a protective fire-proof box round the battery.

MM – Liz Bentley would like to have organ lessons paid for by SAPLC as agreed at her appointment. MM was acting as Liz’s Line Manager in Naomi’s absence, and asked the ECC to authorise this – All in Favour

 

  1.  Dates of next meetings

 ECC meetings:

 2025 - Tuesday 22nd July, Wednesday 17th September, Monday 24th

 November; 2026 - Wednesday 11th February 

 Annual Church Meeting 26th April 2026 

 

  1.  Closing Prayers. The meeting ended with the Grace.

 

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