PCC News

Filling the Gap

Nationally, up to three million estimated children are at risk of being hungry in the school holidays*, and for some families, the recent season of coronavirus lockdown has brought additional fear, worry and hardship, and left them facing greater adversity than ever before.

Doing church differently

The last six months have brought changes to our lives in a way which no-one could have foreseen as long established routines have had to be either abandoned or radically changed due to the restrictions brought about by COVID-19.

Festival churches

In 2016, General Synod adopted the Church Building Review Report which contained several initiatives, one of which was to explore the idea of creating festival churches.

Simple & practical

Normally, August marks a break from church work, but after such an unusual year I know many of you are trying to catch up with projects previously placed on hold.

Becoming all things

March 2020 was undoubtedly one of the most confusing, stressful and strange times any of us can remember.

Safeguarding and GDPR with online provision

During this period of lockdown we have seen a big shift towards online provision.

Do you have a faulty smart meter?

We are a small church on the Sandringham Estate. We don’t have fridges or micro wave ovens, just the overhead lights and two radiators to supply a modest amount of heat in the South Chapel for winter services.

All one community

Following the change of advice about public worship, and the Bishops’ guidance to re-open steadily and safely, at St Mary Magdalene, we re-opened for public worship on Sunday 19 July.

Tweaking in Pakefield

The lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us kicking and screaming into the 21st Century!

Looking after Ludham in the Waterside Benefice

“We must do something,” said Dr Christine Wall at the end of a PCC Fund Raising Committee Meeting in Ludham on Tuesday 10 March, as we realised that lockdown was imminent.

Lunch supplies for families

Here at St Mary’s Church, Watton we have been very busy.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever Hebrews 13:8

I had the privilege of leading the drive-in Songs of Praise at the Norfolk Showground

Be prepared for Christmas in a variety of ways

It seems a lifetime ago when I penned the article for PCC News last year, encouraging churches to hold services and events in a variety of ways so that communities could find God in different places.

Supporting the church, supporting community

When lockdown began our first thoughts were how we could meet the pastoral needs of the church and wider community and provide worship. We soon had systems in place to keep the church running while our buildings were closed.

Experiment pays off

How can a church future proof its giving? Well, it’s a journey, and it’s one we’re still on but these are some of the steps we – as a market town parish church - have taken so far.

Tap and grab

In the parish of Mundesley, the PCC explored the issue of giving in services across their two congregations as we’ve always struggled and often sought additional fundraising to bridge the gap.

Contactless readers

Following on from the trial of contactless card readers last year, which was part funded by the Listen Workstream of the Diocesan Mission Strategy and the recent shift towards contactless payments which has been accelerated by recent events, the Listen Workstream have provided some further funding to parishes who wish to embrace this modern form of giving.

iKnowChurch offer: free to first 25 benefices

iKnowChurch is a well-established online church management software – developed by the UK's leading Christian software company and recommended by the Church of England – which helps clergy and parish/benefice administrators with a whole host of administrative tasks such as rotas, benefice calendars, sending emails to church members, accepting online donations and much more.

Thorpe St Andrew celebrate the summer

Like many parishes Thorpe St Andrew has enjoyed online worship and fellowship during the lockdown, through Zoom and Facebook, but after returning to worship in church in July, they wanted to do something to celebrate the summer which was safe, but face to face.

We need more ministers! Is it you?

If you have been broadcasting worship, Bible studies or other church events in these last few months you may have found that one or two people are doing the work well; you may have found that people have discovered new skills and abilities.

An opportunity to build anew

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity" - Colossians 4:5.