Introduction
On 12 October 2022 a meeting was held to discuss the future of Holy Trinity Church and its viability to continue to be open for worship, following on from similar public meetings in 2017. 60 members of the village attended. The challenges facing the church in terms of congregation, volunteers and finance were outlined and that the PCC would have to recommend the closure of Holy Trinity unless these were addressed. The community were invited to commit to attending church regularly and contributing financially to raise the £1000 a month required for financial viability.
What has changed
70 standing orders were distributed, 34 at the meeting, 11 Standing orders have been returned, 2 letters pledging support.
Funds raised so far, if these are all actioned:
£250 pre-existing giving
£250 new standing orders
£210 letters pledging support
Tunstall Parish Council have added Holy Trinity Churchyard to the precept for the coming year (2023) budget £400.
Some people have expressed interest but not yet committed, some have suggested that more time is needed.
1 volunteer is considering the role of Treasurer.
There has not been a worship service in Holy Trinity since the meeting, so it is not possible to gauge if there is any rise in commitment to regular worship at Holy Trinity. There has been increase in attendance at the online zoom service.
FINANCIAL BREAKDOWN OF MONTHLY BUDGET
Share £4300
Insurance £1500
Utilities £2000
Grass Cutting £1000 (partial area of the grave yard)
Building Maintenance £2000
Parish Expenses £600
Sundries £500
Total £12,000 = £1000.00 / month
Please note this a basic budget does not include anything additional that would be needed for mission, ministry, events and activities.
Next steps
The £1000 per month target has not been met, and therefore closure is still a very real possibility and cannot be taken off the table. In light of the response so far, however, it has been suggested that the PCC suspend a proposal of closure of Holy Trinity for 6 months to give the Tunstall community space and time to put their own proposals forward and address some of the challenges by committing to worship, volunteering, giving financially. Also for the PCC to pray and think of other possible ways forward, before re-considering the matter. In the meantime the financial pledges could be actioned to ensure the Holy Trinity church continues to be able to pay essential bills.
The PCC would therefore like to hear from local people willing to form a small group to take this forward.
The group would be supported by representatives from the PCC, in order to;
come up with ideas and proposals,
prayerfully discern what is appropriate and realistic as a basis for an action plan and then working together with the PCC & existing Holy Trinity Church congregation,
take that plan forward.
Anyone who would like to be part of the that group should contact the PCC as soon as possible so that the working group can form in mid January 2023 to start meeting early February at the latest.
Key Contacts
Robert Knowles, (PCC, Parish Treasurer),
01748 818683, email [email protected]
Victoria Laslett (PCC, Safeguarding Officer)
email: [email protected]
Graham Bannister (PCC, Parish Environmental Officer, MWOS Co-ordinator) [email protected] 01748 811915
Reverend Lindsay Southern, Vicar of Holy Trinity and St Anne’s,
[email protected] 01748 811462, 07908159421, The Vicarage, DL10 7LN
The way forward
The PCC hope this 6 months will give the Tunstall community and wider parish time to discern if there is the will and the means to give Holy Trinity Church a future, or if closure remains the only viable option.
PRACTICAL ACTIONS:
To contribute to the life of the church:
Worship regularly at Holy Trinity Church and/or online services via Zoom
Volunteer your time and talents to the church
For example: Volunteers needed to; assist with cleaning, setting up for worship and clearing away, welcome and refreshments, taking part in worship - reading and leading intercessions, publicity and communication, maintaining the churchyard, hosting/leading small groups and other activities, pastoral care, mission, fundraising and social events. Ideally, it would be great to have people willing to take on the roles of Treasurer, Churchwarden or assistant churchwarden or verger.
Pray regularly for Tunstall community, the future mission and ministry of Holy Trinity Church.
Join the church electoral roll if you are eligible – this enables you to have a voice in church life by voting for PCC representatives – or even stand as a PCC member in due course.
Support the church financially - Set up a standing order and/or make a donation (Parish Treasurer Robert Knowles has volunteered to act as a contact point for this and is happy to speak to individuals about financial matters) Even small amounts make a difference and if you sign a gift aid form as a tax payer the church is eligible to claim 25% extra from the government.
Stay in touch - sign up to receive email updates from Holy Trinity and St Anne’s by emailing [email protected] giving your name, contact details and permission permission to stay in touch. Use the heading HOLY TRINITY CONTACT LIST.
If you would like to volunteer to be involved in any way, or would simply like more information, please speak to any of the people listed or other PCC representatives , email your contact details to [email protected] or fill in and return the form on the download below.