Weekly Update – 22nd March
It is a bit odd when we have yet to reach Easter to be thinking about mid-May, which will hopefully be warm and sunny. However, mid-May is when we are holding the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM). On Sunday 17th May at 11.30am (after the church service) to be precise. Please put the date in your diaries. All members of the congregation are invited to attend.
The APCM is when we look back and celebrate what has been happening in St Nicholas Church over the last 12 months, as well as more formal matters of reviewing and approving the church annual financial statements and the annual report for submission to the Charity Commission.
We also elect people from the congregation to join our Parochial Church Council (PCC) and to represent our church on Deanery Synod. The PCC is formed of members of the congregation and the Priest-in-Charge, who are nominated and elected to serve. They discuss and decide on matters such as worship, mission, pastoral focus, finance and the maintenance of the buildings. The Deanery Synod is formed of members of churches in a local Deanery area, in our case Maidstone. They meet to discuss, share and collaborate on common issues with the aim of reaching out and spreading the Gospel across the Deanery.
It is not so odd to be talking about the APCM now as we will soon be celebrating Maundy Thursday. “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum (commandment). It refers to Jesus’ new commandment at the Last Supper: “Love one another as I have loved you”(John 13:34). Maundy Thursday is also when Jesus demonstrated serving others through washing the disciples’ feet. In the past the APCM has been held around Easter reflecting on this principle of service to others in our church family and joining a body of people whose focus is Jesus’ new commandment in a practical sense.
At the next APCM we have two vacancies to serve on the PCC and two vacancies to serve on the Maidstone Deanery Synod. Please consider if you are able to stand for election to join the PCC or Deanery Synod. If you would like more information on the PCC and Deanery Synod or would like to put yourself forward for election then please speak to me or Jenny or Rev Claude.
Nigel
