Action Groups

 

Our church activities are all overseen or organised by members of our various Action Groups, meaning that many people are involved in the life of St Mary's.

 

1. Communication & Publicity AG - Dominic Gardner - email

Aim to publicise the major services, especially Easter, Harvest, and Christmas

• Edit copy for church posters and publicity, and oversee their production and display
• Organise or undertake external advertising, when appropriate
• Oversee all church notice boards, interior and exterior
• Maintain church website, including adding weekly sermon recordings (audio and visual)
• Prepare weekly “news loop’ to display for services
• Be creative in introducing new ways of communicating God’s love and church life

2. Traditional Services AG – Don Smith - email

Aim to oversee and facilitate the worship at our traditional church services

• Monitor how our traditional church services are going,
  suggest improvements, research alternatives
• Note schedule of annual church services such as Easter, Harvest,
  Christmas, united 10.30 services
• Identify any training needs for roles within services,
  and identify possible trainees
• Ensure range of banners are displayed appropriately

3. Fundraising AG - Don Smith - email (Deputy: Cate Wilby)

Aim to plan and organise church fundraising events

• Plan regular or occasional events with the additional factor of raising money for church funds, either specific or general
  
• Consider how best to maximise outcomes
  
• Liaise and work with other action groups (eg Comms & Pubs, TOE, and Pastoral Care) when planning events which might overlap with their area of operation
  

4. Fabric AG – David Kidney - email

Aim to oversee the maintenance of all church buildings

• Oversee maintenance (and possible replacement) of soft-fabric of the church - including banners
• Set up contracts with companies, then pass on to Church Administrator
• Devise and run annual appraisals of all church buildings
  (including rectory interior)
• Devise financial planning and projections for future maintenance
  and replacement of equipment
• Oversee various ‘special projects’ (eg extended platform in the nave)
• Consider the implications of re-ordering the church

5. Missionary AG – Don Smith - email

Aim to monitor, review and promote our current missionary agencies

• Review ‘mission partners,’ at least every three years, creating long-term plans
• Maintain links with mission partners, currently London City Mission, Haven in Romania and Open Doors
• Ensure each agency receives their share of St Mary’s financial gifts each year
• Appoint representatives to liaise with Mission agencies
• Promote mission partners in church services and on display board
• Arrange annual Mission Sundays for each of our Mission Partners
• Oversee appropriate donations to CPAS, FM, FACT, EA and other ‘occasional beneficiaries’ from our ‘fourth quarter’ of giving income
• Allocate any residue from the ‘fourth quarter’ of our annual gift income
• Receive occasional feedback from our smaller mission ministry agencies

6. Training, Outreach & Evangelism AG - Peter Wood - email

Aim to equip and encourage the church with the resources, inspiration and ability
to reach out into the community with the Good News of Jesus.

• Plan regular Training courses, Outreach and Evangelism opportunities
• Coordinate nurture and discipleship courses
• Ensure suitable evangelistic literature is on display
• Consider alternatives for Lent/nurture courses
• Encourage ‘targeted outreach’ eg men’s events
• Coordinate delivery of Easter and Christmas invitation cards to the whole parish
• Consider any special Christmas outreach
• Oversee AG sub-groups, WoW and MoI, reporting back to AG
• Encourage local ministries of Soup Run and Jaywick Project 

7. Pastoral Care AG - Malcolm Bryden (email)& Tricia Hamilton (email)

Aim to develop and oversee a system of pastoral care for all church members

• Ensure the elderly and unwell receive support, at home, in hospital, or in residential care
• Receive from the Rector and others the names of those who would like to be visited, including the lonely and bereaved, offering Holy Communion, where possible
• Consider the needs of other individuals of any age within the church, and offer support as appropriate
  
• Provide training, including safeguarding, for new ‘pastoral carers’
  
• Inform the church office of prayer requests for the notice sheet, with permission
  

8. Standing Committee AG – Don Smith - email

Aim to monitor the action taken by Action Groups and PCC

• Oversee church employment contracts (staff & contractors)
• Work with Church Treasurer, overseeing expenditure
  and annual church budget
• Take emergency decisions on behalf of the PCC where appropriate
• Suggest items for PCC agenda, including proposals
• Monitor PCC decisions
• Coordinate Health & Safety (and related Safeguarding) matters
• Ensure Action Groups are fulfilling their duties and monitor their expenditure
• Advise Rector on issues that may arise in the life of the church
• Work with Fabric AG on ‘special projects’ including application for faculties
• Explore possibilities of increasing church premises use as revenue stream,
  to help fund church ministry

9. Children, Youth & Families AG - Yoyis Higgins - email

Aim to grow the children and youth of the church in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ

• Organise and administer training, nurture, education, and events to this end, encompassing other children and youth through contact
• Oversee and support all groups involving children, youth and families:
           Crèche, Smallsorts, Transformers, NRG, Messy Church
• Ensure Health & Safety matters (including Child Safeguarding) maintain a high profile
• Ensure St Mary’s ‘volunteer employment’ system is followed,
  including contracts for all volunteers
• Check each group’s team of volunteers is sufficient to support the aims of the group
• Facilitate children’s involvement in church services
• Support our Children’s & Families’ Worker
• Draw on resources from the diocese/wider church

10. Prayer AG - Graham Dallisson - email

Aim to oversee the prayer life of the church and help people to engage in prayer

• Encourage & lead by example, both in intercession and personal devotion,
  using various models of prayer.
• Keep prayer life fresh and appealing and introduce new prayer initiatives
• Coordinate the Prayer Chain
• Develop sets of prayer cards & sheets for individuals and groups to use
• Organise special prayer events, eg ‘half-nights’ of prayer
• Promote/advertise prayer at church services and in notice-sheet
• Develop and advertise corporate church prayer times,
  including the 'Monthly Prayer-Meeting’ on third Mondays
• Encourage prayer partnerships or triplets
• Produce and distribute prayer ideas for individual prayer
• Pray for any needs arising from AG activities and concerns,
  e.g. illness, publicity, special services

11. Homegroups AG -  Heather Ursell - email

Aim: to support all homegroup leaders with appropriate resources to enable their group members to grow spiritually, and in an atmosphere of encouragement and mutual support

• Suggest study material and books for homegroups to follow
  
• Support group leaders by the sharing of ideas and suggestions 
  
• Encourage group leaders to identify and nurture potential future homegroup leaders
  
• Liaise with the Training, Outreach, and Evangelism AG,
  in particular in relation to post-Alpha
  
• Maintain accurate lists of homegroup membership and
  ensure Pastoral Care AG Leader is kept informed of any relevant changes
• Maintain overview of sizes and styles of homegroups at St Mary’s
  
• Encourage members of the congregation to join a homegroup
  

12. 11 O'Clock AG - Don Smith - email

Aim to bring strategic thinking and vision to the contemporary service developments

• Make practical recommendations on how to use new resources and materials
• Liaise with other AG Leaders over shared agenda items (eg joint services)
  Identify any training needs for roles within services, and identify possible trainees
• Keep general overview of 'shape' of the Sunday year, including joint services, baptism services, and festival services
• Have input into planning certain special services, eg Christmas Family Service

13. Concerts AG - Duncan Archard - email   (deputy: Susan Hare)

Aim to maintain an overview of the concert year at St Mary’s

• Arrange summer lunch-time concerts, and others during the rest of the year, bearing in mind any ‘normal’ church use, including other events on days before, on, and after, concert days
• Booking of premises, including kitchen and hall as required, and heating
• Booking any personnel required, such as operator of sound system, camera, projection system
• Arrange any necessary movement or provision of equipment, and its return afterwards
• Ensure clearing up of all premises afterwards, including WCs, leaving everything ready for other users
• Ensure all buildings – all doors and windows – are secured on departure
• Generate invoices and collect payments
• Decide on rates of payment according to premises hire guidelines
• Advertising: posters, website, tickets (and information to reception)

14. Church Growth AG - Don Smith

Aim: to bring strategic thinking and vision to growing St Mary’s, numerically and spiritually

• Consider how to encourage and support growth in our church
• Liaise with other AG Leaders over possible development of shared areas and activities
• Maintain an overview of the range of church services being offered to the community 
• Apply suitable approaches suggested by LYCIG (Church Growth course)

15. Safeguarding AG - Dominic Gardner - email

Aim: to supervise and facilitate all aspects of safeguarding at St Mary’s

• Be aware of all areas of church life, including premises hire, where understanding of, and compliance with, safeguarding legislation is necessary
• Ensure that safeguarding practice is diligently carried out in all these areas
• Create and enact PCC safeguarding action plan
• Prepare relevant updates or policy proposals for each PCC meeting
• Regulate and support regular safeguarding training for all who require it