Here’s the noticesheet for the services and week beginning the 1st October.
Meet our new Church Warden Stephen Watson takes up new post
2016 April 24th APCM @ 4pm Papers now available
Some of the papers are now ready and can be downloaded here. If anyone would like a set printed out for them, please get in touch with the Church Office. Please keep checking back and the remainder of the documents will be available soon.
Please note that there will be no evening service on this day. We hope to be able to provide childcare during the event to allow families to attend.
Files for APCM on Sunday 19th April @ 4:00pm
The following files have been made available for download ahead of the upcoming APCM. If anyone would like a hard copy of these, please contact Helen in the office.
2015 Annual Report
2015 group reports
April 7th Vestry minutes
2014 APCM minutes
Parking
Wright Marshall have scheduled some viewing days on Sundays, meaning that their car park is not available for people going to the services.
The dates are: 15th March, 10th May, 19th July, 13th September, and 8th November. Please try to walk to the service or find alternative parking on these dates.
New term cards
The term cards for both Knutsford and Toft for the spring 2015 term are now available to download at the resources page.
Five Year Plan 2015-2020
As you know, we have been waiting to launch the plan until the building project is complete. Since January 2012, there have been consultations, meetings, reflections, bible studies, and prayers on what we need to do to plan to keep moving as a church.
This process culminated in January 2015, when PCC reviewed and approved the final version. So the time to launch the plan has arrived, and below is the final version we will be using to shape our thinking.
We hope you’re excited to grab hold of the opportunities they represent!
There will be a short presentation, some discussion and prayer on Saturday 24 January, 9.30-11am.
From then on, we pray that the Lord will continue to bless the work of St John’s in preaching the good news of Jesus Christ to this generation, making and growing mature disciples to continue the Lord’s work into the future.
Vicar, Wardens and PCC
Five Year Plan 2015-2020
Overall theme: ‘A fearless church’
Teaching
Aim: to ensure we are united by what we believe
• Continue to train teachers through the North West Partnership Course (a further 20).
• Develop a wider variety of ways of learning together (eg Catechism).
• Invite regular guest speakers (c. three per year) from like-minded churches.
• Hold monthly Q&A sessions with the Vicar in services.
• Reintroduce monthly ‘Cafe Church’ or similar format.
• Strengthen national and international links with like-minded bodies.
Discipleship
Aim: to grow a closer, deeper and stronger walk with Jesus
• Run one annual discipleship course, eg Yr1 parenting, Yr2 marriage MOT, Yr3 [TBC], Yr4 people into ministry, Yr5 [TBC].
• Run quarterly special in-depth seminars on pressing topics.
• Create database of gifts/skills, and look to nurture and develop people’s skills.
• Encourage more active PCC membership eg commitment to service.
• Observe continuous improvements in planned giving year-on-year.
• Increase membership on Electoral Roll.
Fellowship
Aim: to ensure we encourage and admonish one another in love.
• Introduce informal and engaging pieces into the morning service prayerbook format.
• Make the monthly prayer meeting essential, and have additional prayer opportunities.
• Arrange two church family social events per year, combined with Toft.
Mission & Evangelism
Aim: to enable us to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Start/source an annual apologetics course.
• Create open events and social action specifically for our community (that values what they value).
• Noticeably increase the attendance at the Sunday services through making new Christians.
• Enable and encourage people to enter politics/government.
• Explore the opportunities to plant a church.
• Continue to partner Christians around the world, and to encourage church family members to serve in overseas mission.
Progress on laying the floor…
with some pictures!
Anglican Teaching on Marriage
Nigel writes:
‘In the light of the introduction of controversial legislation to redefine marriage to include same-sex relationships, I invite you all to remind yourself of the Church of England’s teaching on marriage. This helpful PDF document (prepared by Rev Stephen Trott) presents the teaching  clearly, together with the implications of the new legislation.’
Prayer and Pastries
All members of the church family are warmly invited to an All Age Prayer and Pastries morning – Â an opportunity to pray specifically for the reordering process, Phase 2 and for the financial needs. It is also the first prayer meeting of the new year, and a chance to pray for all that is ahead of us as a church.
It’s on Saturday 11Â January 2014 from 9.30-11.00am in the Church Centre
The exciting news is that we have negotiated access to the North aisle of the church so that we can view the current progress, and get some idea of the way the reordered space will feel. Be there if you can!