THE 144th ANNUAL REPORT TO THE CONGREGATION OF FLOWERY FIELD CHURCH PRESENTED 24th FEBRUARY 2008
Chairman:
Mr. Donald Brooks
Joint Treasurers:
Mr. Harry Durose & Mr. John Heywood
Joint Secretaries:
Mr. Peter J.Bramall, 9 Hollybank Rise, Dukinfield, SK16 5EG
Mrs.Carol A. Redfern,18 Thorsby Avenue, Hyde, SK14 5PH
Church Committee Members 2007/2008:
Mr. J. Ashall Mrs. P. Burgess
Mrs. S. Cooke Mrs.D. Finan
Mrs. M. Slater Mr.D. Timperley
Mrs. D. Timperley
On reviewing the past year we have much to be thankful for. Our small but devoted band is united in purpose and as active as ever. Our spiritual health and well-being cannot be measured by the numbers attending Sunday Services or by the state of our finances. What matters is the sincerity and faithfulness of our worship; upholding and demonstrating the Christian ethos; maintaining a loving and joyful working fellowship; offering a service to the local community; and ensuring outreach to the wider world. These are the standards we hope to achieve.
The link with Hyde Chapel has continued, enabling us to sustain the Rev. Eric W. Breeze as the Joint Minister, and two Joint Pastorate Services have been held.
In addition to the regular weekly Services, Holy Communion has been held on the first Sunday of each month. The practice of serving tea and biscuits at the conclusion of the Afternoon Services has continued each week. Volunteers again formed a choir at Easter, Harvest and Christmas; also paying a visit to sing Carols for the elderly residents of Bowlacre Home. A midweek lunchtime Bible Study Group has been started and meets in the Flowery Field Centre on the first Wednesday of each month.
There were 12 Christenings and 6 Weddings held in Church during 2007.
We shared in the sense of loss felt by the relatives and friends of Alice Barraciough, Alice Barrow, Graham Godfrey, Celia Saxton, Christine Shawdale and Marian Spinks and we send our sincere condolences to their families.
A number of successful social and entertaining events were held during the year including two productions in the Flowery Field Centre by FFADS, our Amateur Dramatic Society, the play "Table Manners" and a Revue "Down Memory Lane- Stars of the Silver Screen" .
By our membership of the Unitarian Christian Association we are preserving and strengthening liberal Christianity within the General Assembly.
For the thirteenth year in succession a group of members enjoyed spending the weekend of the 20th to 22nd April together at the Nightingale Centre, Great Hucklow.
The Church was again opened for the Heritage Open Days in September when members of the public visited us, to look around and inspect some of our historical archives.
As usual we joined the members of neighbouring Churches in the Newton area for the traditional Walk of Witness and United Sing on Whit Sunday in Hyde Park. We were also represented at the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the War Memorial in the George & Dragon Square on Remembrance Sunday.
We supported Christian Unity by co-operating in ecumenical events organised by the Hyde District Fellowship of Churches.
We again took part in the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Appeal filling and dispatching 100 shoeboxes.
Retiring collections were taken at all Services throughout the year and, thanks to charitable giving by members, we were able to support :-the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, ChristianAid, a Zimbabwean Orphanage for abandoned children, the Meningitis Trust, the Lifeshare Crisis at Christmas Appeal, the Darfur Appeal, the Send-a-child-to-Hucklow Fund and the Bangladesh Cyclone Appeal. Produce from the Harvest Thanksgiving Service was again sent to 'Lifeshare' and gifts brought to the Christmas Day Service were distributed amongst elderly patients in Tameside General Hospital.
We appear to have been successful in eradicating the problem of pigeons roosting on the Church Tower, the paths were professionally cleaned of moss, the trees in the Church grounds were pruned and Contractors were engaged to undertake the expensive but essential job of repairing the Church roof.
We were fortunate to win the Supreme Shield in the Arts & Crafts Exhibition in May but, regrettably, our Sunday School has not met for the past few months. However the children have attended Services in Church on special occasions and presented a Nativity Mime at the Christingle Service.
During June our Church co-operated in the Tercentenary celebrations of Dukinfield Old Chapel when three of our members undertook two floral displays in their Flower Festival.
Finally, we place on record our sincere gratitude to everyone who helps keep our Fellowship going:-the Minister, the Visiting Preachers and all who take part in Services, the Organists, the Cleaner, the Authorised Persons for registration of marriages, the Wedding Caretaker, Envelope Registrar, Envelope subscribers, Flower Steward, flower donors and distributors, Altar cloth changers, Sidesmen/women, Coupon Secretary, Coupon sellers, Flag Stewards, Wardens, Central Heating controller, Working Party volunteers, Memorial Plaque installer, Communion assistants, Auditor, Leaflet distributors, Poster Stewards, all who provide transport during the year; the Editorial Staff and distributors of 'Chalice', the Website controller, the birthday card scheme operator, volunteers who open and close the Church each week, the choir, all who help decorate church for special occasions, the Building Management Committee of the Flowery Field Centre and the 100 Club organisers.
On behalf of the Church Committee,
DONALD BROOKS, Chairman
HARRY DUROSE, Joint Treasurer
JOHN HEYWOOD, Joint Treasurer
PETER J. BRAMALL, Joint Secretary
CAROL A. REDFERN,Joint Secretary