Lay Ministry
The Current Situation
There is a dedicated pastoral visiting team of five members of the congregation. All have attended training in listening skills. The co-ordinator is a trained volunteer in Cruse Bereavement. Individual members of team exercise their ministries through the following activities:
- home communions;
- post baptism visits;
- post funeral visits;
- visiting the sick, both at home and in hospital;
- visits to former members of the congregation who are housebound or live in care homes.
We have a thriving branch of the Mothers’ Union which is actively involved in Diocesan activities as well as regular parish devotional, charity fund-raising and social events.
Many members of the congregation are involved in the following ways:
- reading lessons and leading the intercessions at the 9.45 Sung Eucharist;
- seven are licensed by the Bishop to administer the chalice;
- a part-time verger;
- two sacristans;
- a team of twelve servers, five of them of school age;
- three assistant churchwardens;
- a team of 39 sidespersons who work singly or in pairs to welcome attendees at all services;
- volunteers in church from 1.00 to 3.00 on weekdays in summer, and 2.00 to 4.00 on Saturdays throughout the year, to welcome visitors, offer them refreshments and answer their questions;
- four volunteers who run the Parish Office three mornings a week;
- a choir of 25 regular members, and 13 augmenters for special occasions;
- an instrumental group to play at All-Age Eucharist and a small band for Grassroots services;
- a team of 8 regular bellringers;
- a flower guild of over 40 members who decorate the church all the year round and produce spectacular displays for major festivals, special occasions and weddings;
- teams to run children and youth activities – St Mary’s 0s to 5s, Building Blocks, Children’s Church, the Vestry Group and the Youth Group;
- seven foundation governors, including the Chairman, and the Clerk to the Governors of St Anne’s School;
- a team of four to compile the weekly Newsletter;
- a Press Officer, who has been highly effective in bringing the work and activities of the parish to the attention of the local press, radio and television;
- ten committees which advise and report to the PCC:
Standing Committee, comprising the Vicar, the Churchwardens, the Treasurer the PCC Secretary and one appointed by the PCC, which is responsible for the work of the PCC between meetings;
Fabric & Ornaments Committee of eight members responsible for organising work to the church building and maintenance of church ornaments;
Finance Committee of four members to assist the Treasurer in financial planning and monitoring expenditure;
Church Hall Committee of six members which manages the maintenance, repairs and use of the hall;
Worship Group of eight members to review practice in worship;
Communications Committee of nine members which manages communication, promotion and co-ordination;
Charities Committee of five members which oversees charitable giving and selection of charities to be supported;
Fete Committee of eight members to organise and run the Christmas Bazaar in St Anne’s School and the Summer Fete in the vicarage garden;
Magazine Editorial Committee of five members to compile and edit the monthly "Parish News”;
Social Committee of seven members to organise social events;
- volunteers, augmented by members of the Baptist Church, to deliver round the town weekly street prayer mission cards, Christian Aid envelopes and joint flyers about services in all Godmanchester churches at Christmas and Easter;
- four teams, each of four volunteers, who clean the church each week;
- volunteers who provide a taxi service or push a wheel chair to enable access for all to church services, events and social functions.
All lay volunteers have CRB clearance for all activities which require it.
The Future
We have six candidates for Authorised Lay Ministry training, which begins in September, three for Pastoral Assistant, one for Evangelist, one for Worship Leading and one for Children’s Ministry.
For the last year there have been new healing ministry and prayer ministry teams involved in the exploration and growth of a healing ministry and a service with laying-on of hands.
