Minutes

Condensed Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 11 September 2009: (subject to approval at the next Meeting), for the information of members of the Electoral Roll.

The Chaplain's holiday: Fr Neil Dawson is away on holiday for most of September, so this Council meeting was chaired by Jim Thwaites - in addition to being on duty at church from 8 - 6pm on recent days, he is also vice-chairman of the Council! This also gives the opportunity to mention, if you have not noticed already, that The Rev. David Heal, accompanied by his wife Pamela, is standing in during Neil's absence. They were here when David was Chaplain from 1998 to 2003. Don't miss the opportunity to meet them during this month.

The Garden: You may have preferred to look away over recent weeks. Don't do so any more - things are already looking much better, thanks to incredibly efficient and speedy work so far, and the garden can now be seen in a state of historic transition unlikely to be repeated in our lifetimes. The new boundary wall, with the border and lower wall in front, is a major feature of great beauty already, and the extent of the new lawn and features on the north side can also be envisaged. The south side is also being transformed and will be a much more useable and attractive space incorporating an area designed for contemplation and using the old iron gates removed when the church entrance was widened. The Council reviewed all this, and decided on the form of the stage that is to be built at the far end on the north side.

The Garden Restoration Appeal: The working group convened by David Vallat has been hard at it during the summer months. They are full of ideas, and the Appeal is to be officially launched at the Sunday service on the 27th September, where we shall focus on the garden etc., as part of the creation in which we can recognize and respond to God. Please try to make a point of being at this historic service.

Formal Registration, the Constitution, and the Trust: The formal registration of the church, for the first time in its long history, as a "religious legal person" (beat that for a phrase!) was completed on the 31st July. This gives the church a proper legal status at last, and will have implications for tax etc. A Special General Meeting of all church members is likely to be needed, in order to agree the final version of the Constitution consequent on this, and also to receive the Report of the working group on the Trust and the role of Trustees that was appointed at the AGM in March. Be prepared for the notice of this Meeting, likely to be in late October or November.

Council Secretary: Bob Lewis has offered to take this job over from Bill Weston, and the Council gratefully accepted his offer and appointed Bob, to take effect within the next week or thereabouts. Bill was thanked for his work over the last three years, and in turn spoke of the privilege it had been to work with such a committed and hard-working group of Council Members during a time of unprecedented challenge, change and progress from the struggling state of so much in the church in early 2006.

Film nights, and the Projection/Sound system: Following the refurbishment of the Parsonage and the Trinity Rooms, we now have a projection/sound system and can have Film Nights. There have been three such events already, which have proved very enjoyable and successful get-togethers, with a simple meal as well as the film, and they have been quite impressive in fund-raising. So we shall certainly have more. It realizes some of the potential of the Old Library and adjoining facilities, in ways the Council hoped for when embarking on this work.

The Reception: Council Members have had some concern about the Sunday Reception recently. On the one hand, it is clearly one of the most important, distinctive, and valued parts of Sunday mornings at Holy Trinity, when people from far and wide enjoy a unique opportunity to meet together and receive hospitality in a beautiful environment and, as many have said, by doing so experience a little of what the universal church is like. On the other hand, one of our main attractions, the garden, has been anything but that in recent weeks. Are we charging too much in return for too little? Are people being deterred from staying for the Reception? The Council considered this, and decided for a trial period to make the cost of coming to the Reception optional. This will be monitored, and reviewed at a Council Meeting later in the year.

Other Matters: As at every Council Meeting, Members worked away at a range of other matters that need handling all the time and don't usually see the light of day - the finances, pastoral issues, our responsibilities as employers, correspondence with the Bishop, etc. Despite speculation beforehand that the length of the Meeting might possibly break the 5-hour record, it probably fell just short of that!

Forthcoming events: Several developments are the initiative of the Worship Sub-Committee.
Harvest Festival - Sunday 4th October, with the Harvest Supper on Saturday the 3rd. The Sunday will also be our "Back to Church Sunday", instead of the previous week, as generally in the UK.
"Why do we do it this way?" There will be an informal question and answer evening, with drinks and nibbles, on Wednesday 21st October, at 6pm, to explore various aspects of the ritual and symbolism used in services.
Services with special prayer and focus on Healing This is an important feature of Christian worship, and we are looking at how it could be a regular part of church life here. We hope to have some initial arrangements in place by November.
Remembrance Sunday - 8th November.

Future Council Meeting dates are 14th October and 25th November.

Don't forget to use the church website regularly to keep up to date - www.holytrinity-madeira.org

Holy Trinity Church Funchal exists to share the love of God in Christ Jesus with all people through its Welcome, Worship, and Works of Service