Reports for the AGM 14th December 2014

Rector’s Report This year has on the whole been a very positive and successful one, and an important one in our ongoing journey. It has been a year of laying foundations and getting organised in preparation for some of the new projects and initiatives that I hope we will find the courage to commit to during the next twelve months. Sadly we have lost two dear members who have gone to their rest during the year; Mrs Margaret Measures, and Mrs Anne Sutton. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with those close to them. Even so our membership continues to rise gradually. During the year we welcomed two new families with children, and two mature couples, all of whom attend regularly. We are yet to attract non-church going people from the community but this will come as we commit to a prayerfully discerned mission plan with joy and enthusiasm. Interestingly, although we are gaining new members our Annual Statistical Return to the diocese this year shows a small decline in weekly church attendance. There are more members coming slightly less frequently. Our worship pattern has essentially remained unchanged since my appointment and seems to be well appreciated by regular attenders. However, if we genuinely want to reach and connect with younger generations there is need for some less structured and more contemporary expressions of worship that will suit younger worshippers and families. I am exploring what that might look like and how it could happen. As I assured last year, we will continue with our cherished traditional forms of worship as long as people still appreciate and support them. I hope to encourage a “both/and” situation where the old and the new rejoice in and affirm each other. I respect that members of St Mary’s who have more traditional preferences may not like new expressions of worship or outreach and they

will have my blessing to not attend them. I would ask though that we all pray for the success of those new ventures and every aspect of our shared life, and that we would create a real and holy unity in our diversity. The Vestry have invested a great deal of time and energy over the past twelve months exploring different projects, some of which now need to be progressed. But the biggest challenge that lies ahead is not whether we ought to replaster walls, or fit a new heating system, but in discovering a God given vision that unites us in purpose, and committing ourselves and our resources to it. Our vision day in January 2015 will be instrumental in this. According to that vision we then need to develop our church and its social and worship life in such a way that it is appealing and welcoming to new people, and so that we ourselves become so excited and enthusiastic that inviting others to come and join us simply becomes effortless and easy. As you will read in the following reports, thanks to the hard work of so many St Mary’s is in a much healthier position at the end of this year providing us with real opportunity to do significant things in church and in the community. I hope and pray that together we can discover a vision that we share passionately, and have faith to do wonderful things together in 2015.

Financial review for the year to 30th September 2014 The increase in congregational giving following the Trio stewardship campaign this Spring generated an increase of over £9,000 in income this year. There had not been a Stewardship campaign for several years and this spring’s success shows the importance of keeping in touch with our members regularly. The annual benefit for next year will be greater as we received less than eight months of the annualised increase between the campaign and the yearend. The increase in donations to £17,807 came from generous legacies which will help to finance the church improvement plans. Legacies are one-off benefits which do not recur so we cannot rely on similar increases to income in future years. The Vestry is considering its accounting policies for large legacies; in the past, these have been invested in the Episcopal Church unit trust scheme and the income from the investment is available for financing church expenditure. The bulk of the expenditure on the Hall was incurred last year: this year, the expenditure on the Hall and Rectory was more modest, but the

Vestry has been considering improvements to the church, including better heating which is likely to result in higher Premises and equipment costs next year. More information is given in the paragraph on Church Property Repairs and Improvements. The net income after expenditure of £16,984 has been taken to General Reserve. Our project fund, for unexpected and unwelcome property costs, has been invested in church units which have risen in value.

Eco-Congregation The Eco group is presently looking for a new leader. Thanks go to Kate for her work in this and other important roles. While a replacement is being sought I have assumed the role for now. While the eco co-ordinating group has not met for a while, St Mary’s commitment to our Eco congregation status continues. Vestry gave serious consideration this year to reducing our carbon footprint and energy costs with a proposal to install Solar PEV’s which turned out not to be viable. Biomass heating systems and secondary glazing in the church are presently also being considered. The wild flower garden was not as stunning this year and a complaint was made that it now looks tatty so it has been cut back. What to do next will be considered at the next meeting of the group. The plans to create a quiet garden are beginning to gain momentum and work will begin soon. Other plans for the future include a desire to explore working more closely with the school Eco-committee, possibly on the quiet garden. Nick Green

Young Church Our small Young Church has grown this year to 8 frequent attenders, plus some less frequent visitors. This has enabled us to start planning our programme with more confidence, and we are thankful to God for each new child and family. The children have a growing sense of belonging together and to the wider St Mary’s family. At the end of the summer term this year Nerys handed over her responsibility for the Young Church. She has served the children and young people of St Mary’s and their families for 16 years, and I would like to express my thanks for all she has done for my own family, as well as so many others.

The focus and theme of Young Church on Sunday mornings mirrors the main service in an age-appropriate manner. We start with a gathering activity and prayer. We hear an adaptation of one of the week’s Bible passages from the lectionary. Children reflect and respond to the passage in groups, through discussion, games and craft activities. Finally we gather again to prepare for communion by prayer and song, before joining the rest of the church. The children have also organised a Fairtrade banana petition, held a cake stall in support of Christian Aid, and helped to run stalls and activities at the fete. Please keep praying for the children and leaders in Young Church, and for others who may join us this year. Pippa Faunce Smith – Young Church Leader

Women's Group During the year we had a talk by Rev Nick Green. Gudrun and Ann showed us some of the Quilts made for Hampden in aid of Altzheimers to whom we made a small donation. John Roddis talked about his life at sea. We also had meetings in the Committee Room and lunch at Old Churches House. We are a small group of church members and new members would be most welcome. Judith Abbott

Property and improvements A number of items were brought forward from last year. The damp part of the south wall was reinstated as was, after discussions about wood panelling and tackling similar dampness damaged parts of the north wall. Further investigation of the north wall has identified loose lime mortar and poorly installed damp proofing as external sources of dampness. This is still work in progress. The installation of solar panels on the hall roof was approved, and then stopped on the basis of installation costs / financial returns at the present time. Lastly the final touches were made to the prayer room (old choir vestry). As always a lot of tasks are carried out by a large group of volunteers through-out the year. Thank you to all who have helped in the buildings and grounds. St Mary’s is fortunate in having its own churchyard and private space around the buildings which gives more scope to how we use our buildings and shape our worship. Neglected corners of the churchyard have been tidied and some Health and Safety actions carried out by volunteers.

Drains have continued to be problematic with both the hall and rectory drains becoming blocked. The hall drain has had 3 excavations in 10 years – we have now got access over most of its course and so any future blockages should be accessible. At the rectory access is not good and the blockage was possibly caused by roots. Discussions on improvements to the drive surface are in progress and different options are being explored. A full asbestos survey has been carried on the church and hall. No action is required with the hall roof sheeting unless it is disturbed. In the church both removal and management have been investigated. The Vestry is inclined towards removal and a grant from Stirling & Clackmannan Environment Trust is being investigated. A dampness problem has arisen in the rectory where parts of the flooring have lifted and high levels of dampness have been found. This is still work in progress. Finally, after several years of hard work carefully mowing grass in between memorial stones, pruning trees and generally keeping the grounds tidy, sincere thanks go to Hadrian Stirling as he retires from working for St Mary’s at the end of this season. John Hamilton – Property Convenor

Heating Group Report The Vestry have requested a small group to look at the alternative heating possibilities for the church (and hall). The group consists: Nick Green, Guy Crawford, Mike Christmas, John Hamilton, Kate Nash and Les Slater (now convenor). Over the past twelve months we have looked at Gas/water filled radiator systems, Gas air blown systems, Electric air source heating pump, Electric halogen heating, Electric tube heating and Biomass heating. We have also considered secondary glazing (internal and external) roof insulation and wall insulation. To further this work we have attended both Church Building Renewal Trust and Eco congregation conferences aimed specifically at energy reducing measures. We have also had various companies survey the problem and quote for their solution. The cost of some options may be prohibitive but the group will look carefully at all options and make our recommendations to Vestry soon for consideration. Les Slater - Convenor

Hall Report The new Hall committee formed last year has proved useful in keeping tabs on all aspects of running of the hall and has made a number of improvements we have: • had individual meetings with other halls in Dunblane on how they manage things, including charges, hall bookings, and cleaning arrangements. • increased the hourly rate for the use of the hall from Aug 2014 from £10 to £11, with associated changes in charges for the small rooms and kitchen. • agreed with the Council a significant increase in the rate paid for the use of the hall by the school: to the normal rate for other users, in two stages: an interim increase in Aug 2014 and to the full rate in Aug 2015. • made new cleaning arrangements from Oct 2014: new cleaner appointed, total cleaning hours increased, and timing changed to fit better with hall users’ needs. The increase in income from the school is enabling us to make improvements, e.g. the new cleaning arrangements; and required health and safety measures. Now we are liaising with vestry on improvements in the driveway leading to the hall. Total hall usage is similar to last year. It’s good to see the hall well used by the school and by 6 regular groups. It is also used for private parties, e.g. by parents of pupils at the school for birthday parties and for Enjoy-a-Ball - we have capacity to increase this kind of usage, at the same time making sure the hall is available for church use when needed. Thanks to all who participate in running of the hall. Special thanks to Rob Smallman for valuable research on rates paid by the Council for other halls and the rates paid by other councils in Scotland; and to Alastair Christmas for help on the discussions with the Council.

Quiet Garden Report There have been no meetings recently of the group looking at creating a Quiet Garden. The garden is planned to be in an area that would be cut out of a corner of the rectory garden and that might link with the (currently closed) meditation walk. Two donations have been received recently for making the garden, one financial in memory of Margaret Measures and one in kind: free supply of the stone needed to build the wall that will separate the Quiet Garden from the rectory garden. The group will meet soon to plan next steps.

Schools We continue to enjoy strong relationships with all the schools in Dunblane, and work with leaders and volunteers from other churches on a weekly basis in leading lunchtime groups, assemblies, and in the delivery of curriculum by taking RE lessons etc. The schools also send groups to the church for visits, and we participate in and help prepare end of year and special occasion services. We also provide pastoral support for staff and pupils. All the schools are very appreciative of our commitment. Nerys Brown oversees our representation in Dunblane Primary, and Newton Primary, and Rev'd. Nick in Dunblane High School, and St Mary's Episcopal Primary School. Although run by our local authority, St Mary’s is one of the two(?) remaining SEC denominational schools in Scotland. The school has a close relationship with our church. Here is their own report…

St Mary’s Episcopal Primary School Reverend Nick continues to organise and lead the whole school weekly assemblies. The children enjoy the interactive nature of the assemblies. Reverend Nick has also worked closely with the staff and children to produce the end of term services. He has supported the children in their learning by talking to certain classes about his role in the community and has agreed to be our community representative for the school’s Rights Respecting School Assessment. The school continues to work with the church and together we support Start Up Stirling and more recently, the Blythswood Shoe Box gift Appeal. In September Michael Boyle (Stirling Council) and I met with Hugh Grant and Nick to discuss and agree the use of the hall, times and conditions. I will also soon be meeting with Mr Smallman regarding health and safety procedures. Sally Fraser- Acting Headteacher

Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults I have processed one new application for a full PVG check, and hope that as our Young Church is growing one or two more applications will be needed for people giving Pippa support. At the end of August the Provincial Office in Edinburgh asked me to process members of the congregation with Enhanced Disclosure at St Mary’s to upgrade to the new PVG certification.

The paperwork for this has been completed and sent to Edinburgh for 6 members of the congregation wishing to continue to help with the children in any way. This now means that a crèche will be possible if we have a need for one. Kathryn Smallman - Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Co-ordinator

Church Magazine Three years and 32 issues ago I naively said I'd take on editorship of our church magazine "temporarily", however it's a task I enjoy and I am willing to continue in this role for the time being. The magazine currently has a circulation of around 100 to 120, and is mostly aimed at our own congregation, providing information and insight, and some personal glimpses too. I'm very grateful that most of our regular contributors send me their copy by the deadline - It helps me considerably as I often have only a day or two to put each issue together and items arriving late increase the stress levels considerably. I'm also very grateful that here at St Mary's we have a number of writers among the congregation who contribute interesting and insightful pieces for the magazine every now and again - I very much hope this will continue, and if anyone else would like to write something for the magazine please get in touch with me. Chris Sawyer - Magazine Editor

Health & Safety We worked together to produce the “Health & Safety Manual for St. Mary’s” which was approved by the Vestry. This describes the way we should all work safely in St. Mary’s. A copy is kept in a display holder in the entrance lobby of the church hall and is also available on the St. Mary’s website. Forms to promote a safe approach to church work and events (such as repair jobs and occasions like the Annual Fete) have been used throughout the year and should always be part of the planning of such activities. We purchased hard hats and safety glasses as Personal Protective Equipment for use by anyone doing work in the church or hall. They are stored behind the doors to the storage place under the hall stage. I for one am glad to use a helmet to avoid bumping my head in that low-ceilinged storage! We have fixed standard warning signs around the premises as required to point out potential hazards and safety instructions. The Fire Detection & Alarm system in the hall was checked out by AFA Fire & Security and is now on a regular maintenance schedule and call-out service.

AFA also carried out an audit of the hall for a formal Fire Safety Risk Assessment, which is required because of the hall’s public use. The assessor was reasonably complimentary about our facilities in his verbal summary but some improvement recommendations are awaited. Unfortunately, the assessor has been seriously ill, which has delayed the formal report document. I was involved with John Hamilton and the Rector in considering the presence of asbestos in our premises and its potential impact on proposed heating systems developments and other potential work projects. Specialist contractors were involved in this activity. They found that here is a modest amount of asbestos insulation on old pipes in the unused “boiler crypt” and under the church floor. This does not present a hazard at present but will need to be professionally removed should any work be planned in those areas. Detailed records of these findings have been filed with the Vestry Secretary. The H&S Committee continues to consider the need for any written procedures for the safe use of the hall kitchen. Rob Smallman – H&S Coordinator

Flowers in Church I would like to thank everyone who has done flowers over the past year and beyond. I do like seeing the variety and different ideas. It was not as organised as the rota perhaps should have been but hopefully next year I'll be back into my stride and will have a meeting before Easter. Again many thanks to everyone. Gerry Goddard

Forth Valley Branch Mothers’ Union In November Susie Shanks came to talk to us about the MU Parenting Course, which she had done. Susie told us she had worked through the materials and had found them extremely useful. We celebrated Advent at St Mary’s Dunblane. Elizabeth Benton and Jeanette Allan took the service. This was a very special service and gave us the time out to think about the real message of Christmas and our members around the world. We had a similar Easter Reflection at St John’s Alloa.

During Marriage week we shared memorabilia and stories about our own weddings. The evening was a huge success as members opened up and talked about some of the funny things that happened on their wedding day. Another memorable evening was Elizabeth Benton talking about her visits to the Holy Land. This meeting was open to St Mary’s congregation and attended by nearly 30 people. Elizabeth showed her beautiful photographs and shared her vast experience of travelling through the Holy land. We had a “Baby Changing Tent” at the fling, this was also used by the pupils of the Queen Victoria School to change into their Highland costumes, and the story teller and Book Bug. Linda Brownlee our Diocesan President attended our June meeting to tell us about her travels abroad which are linked into the work of the Mothers’ Union. She works in underdeveloped countries sharing her midwifery skills August we celebrated Mary Sumner Day, this was led by Paddy Allen with the help of Jeanette. Paddy reflected on the Transfiguration. It was a very thought inspiring day. We finished our year with our annual Strawberry tea at the home of Mary Kenyon, husbands invited. We raised £80 at our bring and buy for A.F.I.A holidays. We are collecting Christmas presents of toiletries for the prisoners at Cornton Vale prison also “knickers” so any contributions would be gratefully received. Margaret Slater

Traidcraft Stall Report The stall has a steady flow of business, which is swelled by peoples’ generous donations to the Startup Stirling Foodbank box. These mean we are helping two lots of people much less fortunate than ourselves. Obviously as the goods on the stall are more expensive than those in the supermarket the foodbank may benefit slightly less; this is a judgement we can all make for ourselves… Last November I donated £500 of profits from the stall to Traidcraft Exchange and I am about to donate £400 to the same cause. The stall has been slightly less profitable this year-I am not sure why. Buying Fairtrade products in shops is also very important. The producers who sell their goods to Traidcraft often get more support etc than those to sell to big retailers which is why it is still an important cause to support. If anyone has any ideas of how the stall could be improved please let me know. Many thanks to everyone who has helped out when we have been away. Bridget McCalister

Dunblane Council of Churches This has been a busy year for the Council. We have done the usual regular things. We were part of the Christmas extravaganza again, singing carols and with a hunt in the shops for the children. We provided water for the children at the High School as they went into exams. We provided the sound system for the Remembrance Day service at the War Memorial, all standard stuff. We hosted a major historic first on St Blane’s Day. For the first time since the Reformation the Medieval Office of St Blane from the Aberdeen Breviary was sung in the Cathedral on St Blane’s Day. Prof Alan Macquarrie, who had done the translation gave us a talk on the office before we sang it, to very simple chants. This year was a year of “Goodbyes” and “Hellos” We said goodbye to Colin Macintosh as he retired after 25 years of ministry at the Cathedral and we said hello to Colin Renwick as he came to serve at the Cathedral in his place. At the end of our year we said goodbye to Alex Mitchell from St. Blane’s, as he too retired, and we wait to welcome his successor. At the AGM Nerys Brown retired after her stint as Convenor of the Council, and Christine Davis from the Quakers has now become convenor in her place. The Council supported, but did not run, Radio Rainbow, as it has for many years. A new venture, also supported but not run by the Council has been a series of quiet afternoons which have taken place on Sunday afternoons, led by a variety of people, both local and from farther afield, which have had a small but faithful following. Jeanette Allan

Coffee Group Report Angela and I continue to be responsible for the administration of Coffee after Church on Sunday mornings. Angela has the more onerous task of shopping and keeping supplies topped up, while I count the cash. We would like to thank you all for your generous donations and are pleased to report a similar sum to last year (£600) has been paid into St Mary's Church Account. Our thanks also to all who faithfully prepare and serve the coffee on Sunday mornings. Angela Roddis & Ann Christmas

The Craft Group The craft group has changed very little since last year. We gather to chat and knit and sew, and have a mug of tea at half time. We help each other with craft projects as well as friendly advice when needed. Occasionally we arrange a communal lunch out. You do not have to be a “crafter” to come. Some members rarely do more than chat or listen and make the tea, both of which are just as much needed and appreciated as the production of goods to sell. For the last church fete we made a large quilt, which was very much a joint effort, as well as many knitted items, cushions, aprons, some jewellery, and of course the bear made by Anne Neill, for whom you had to guess where he takes his holiday to win him. Katherine made us some very professional bags, and a few other toys and sewn gifts made the stall at the fete look really colourful, and raised some money as well. We still sell greetings cards after church services, and the “food bank” gets bags made by us fairly regularly. We are happy to make other small items when needed, like chickens to decorate shop windows with for Easter, and, right now hats for sea farers. We are hoping to contribute financially to a new carpet for the church and also pew cushions at some point. New members are always most welcome! Gudrun Sawyer

Improvements Team Think Tank Report Eighteen months ago a small group of us were asked to be creative and dream dreams in order to assist Vestry in considering options for improving the interior of St Mary's Church. Anne Sutton, Mary Storrar, Chris Sawyer, John Hamilton and I were encouraged to look at churches that have been re-ordered. And so began a series of visits across Central Scotland in order to appreciate the places of worship that others call 'home'. We were made very welcome on these visits and learned a lot. Back home again, much work followed as we discussed a variety of possibilities and options. During this time, Chris created a series of detailed and stunning 3-D computer images of how the interior of St Mary's could look. On 12 July we presented our initial report and recommendations to Vestry in St Mary's Church. The Rector and Vestry are now giving consideration to the suggestions that the group have made. Sue Lockwood