All Saints’ Hartford Church PARISH PLAN Background o The Diocese wants all Parishes and their PCCs to take charge of spreading the Gospel in their own communities. o Each Parish to contribute their thoughts and ideas to help in the formulation of a Deanery Development Plan. o The Parish held an Awayday in November 2021 with a second session in March 2022. o A full Parish Plan is evolving and being developed. Current Information o The Church is in the Benefice of All Saints Hartford and St Mary’s Houghton and Wyton. o The church is in a beautiful setting on the banks of the River Ouse with water meadows on the opposite side of the river. o There are 2,000 homes in the parish. o At the end of December 2021, the total number on the Electoral Roll was 81 of which 43 were residents and 38 non- residents of the parish. o The average Sunday congregation has recovered from the restricted Covid levels and numbers are slowly building and averaging 45 to 50. o The number of people from the community attending special Sunday services and social events has increased significantly in 2022. o The age profile of the congregation is principally 60 and over. o There is no children’s or youth work currently. o The Stipendiary Ministry for the Benefice is a Rector and a Curate. o The Church has one LLM and one ALM. o There are two retired priests in the congregation and a priest from the Diocesan team who also preach and lead services as required. o There are two Churchwardens, Treasurer, and a PCC Secretary. o There are no vacancies on the PCC. o The church pays its Ministry Share in full. o 70% of Income comes from Direct Giving with the balance from Other Income comprising Church Room Letting, Parochial Fees and Fundraising. o The church has £100,000 of financial reserves invested in a CCLA Investment Fund. o The Church is listed as Grade 2*. o A Church Room was added on to the Church in 2004 to provide a kitchen, toilet, disabled toilet, meeting room with seating for 50 people and new heating facilities. o The last Quinquennial Report was published in July 2022 and no issues of concern were reported by the Architect. o The Church and Church Room are well maintained. o In the last four years £90,000 of capital projects have been completed including repairs to the Tower, refurbishment of the Bells, installation of a new Boiler and a complete renovation of the Organ. Parish Plan Priorities The priorities identified at the Parish Awayday are set out below under six category headings: o Communication Website Weekly Sheet PCC minutes Rotas Noticeboard Hunts post and radio Wi-Fi Quarterly Newsletter Photographs Social Media o Pastoral Care Pastoral Care/ Visiting Group Bereavement support Visiting the sick and housebound o Worship New/different liturgies Special Occasions Making the most of organ and choir Midweek prayer and worship Pew bibles Songs of Praise o Occasional Offices Annual Baptism celebration/Teddy Bears picnic All Souls service Anniversary Cards Baptism support o Social Activity Teas Games Mental Health support New crockery Lunches o Discipleship and Christian Nurture Emmaus Course Healing Service Children and Youth activity Parish Plan Development Initially we are focusing on: o Communication o Pastoral Care o Social Activity Communication o The Website has been refreshed. o The Weekly Sheet includes information about events. o The paper magazine was replaced by an e- Newsletter. The first edition in October 2021 was sent to 60 people and this number has increased to 140. o Hartford Connects has been set up to issue News about the Church, Church Events, as well as the Quarterly Newsletter. o A leaflet on All Saints Church Hartford has been produced (October 2022) to help increase the links with the community. o The PCC Minutes are now posted on the website. o The preparation and production of weekly notices in Sunday services has changed. o The rotas are being published quarterly. Pastoral Care o A Pastoral Care Group is meeting monthly. o A Service of Healing and Wholeness is being held monthly. o The Prayer Corner and Prayer List on the Weekly Sheet is being updated and coordinated regularly. o The follow up from the Occasional Offices is being developed. o A meeting to examine how we engage with children and young people has been led by the curate. Social Activity o Coffee and Chat has been reintroduced after Sunday Services and is well attended. o Crafty Saints meet every Monday morning. o Chatty Saints meet fortnightly. o A program of Social and Fundraising Events is followed throughout the year. o Links with the community and community groups including the local school are being explored and developed. We have also commenced some Worship initiatives. Worship o Some new and different liturgies have been introduced. o A Bible Study Group has started and is meeting fortnightly. Conclusion o The Parish Plan is evolving and there are encouraging signs of growth. o The links with the local community are developing strongly. o The largest challenge is the age profile of the congregation. o The church is financially in a strong position.