The Chairman’s Report

Hands Together

During the past year,as we've faced the challenge of being a viable and vibrant Town Centre
Church, I've seen a lot of 'helping hands' coming together to pray, to plan, and to put into practice church services, social events, lectures, concerts, exhibitions, church magazines and all the administrative jobs and pastoral care that allow this to happen.
As usual it has been a busy year whose highlights have included:

  • A series of wonderful talks and events arranged by the Friends of StCuthbert's ranging from archaeological digs next door to doing the Locomotion at Dalkeith House!The skills of a stone mason and the history of Raby Castle also featured.
  • Last September we were treated to a lovely concert in Church given by the Northern Voices.
  • On the lead up to Christmas we had six very different Carol Services:

1.The Cooperative FuneralService Carol Service at which our choir sang beautifully

2.Polam End of Term Carol Service
3.The Police and Emergency Services

4.Carols for Kids when children from six primary schools in Darlington took part. This is organised by Naomi Potts a former member of our choir and from this we now have some more children in our children's choir.

5.Mowden School came into churchfor their Carol Service for the first time and filled the church with joyful singing.

6.Last but not leastwas our own Church Carol Service which was well attended and included some lovely singing by the choir

  • During the year we have enjoyed the presence of two students from Cranmer Hall Durham,Ali Miller and Sharon Lord each of whom have preached and helped in the leading of services.
  • The Sundial Singers gave a concert in the hall which took a musical look at the First World War commemorating the centenary of that war.

One or two personal highlights have included starting a chaplaincy to the DFE and the Town Hall,planning a major event with concerts for our launch of the church's building project in September and leading the United Pentecost Praise here in StCuthbert's.
There have also been some sadder occasions with the deaths of some of our dearest members of StCuthbert's- Nancy Foster, Ruby and John Jacksonand Eva Robson.

Recent events of significance have included:

  • a well-attended Lent Course
  • Confirmation Classes with four young people and three adults preparing for confirmation atSt. Mark's on 3rd June.

Please remember Charlie,Brooke,Katelyn,James,Amanda,Louise andGavin in your prayers as they complete their preparation and are welcomed as full communicant
members of StCuthbert's.

  • a wonderful singing of Stainer's Crucifixion when our choir united with choristers of other choirs
  • the choir are also to be thanked for helping us to witness in the keeping of a full Holy Week here at St Cuthbert's.I was particularly pleased with such a good attendance on Easter Day.
  • two exhibitions grace the beauty of StCuthbert's (in line with our vision for thechurch as a Town Centre focal point for worship,music,drama and exhibitions),with embroidered banners on the theme of creation and a Christian Aid exhibition.

Things to look forward to in the coming months include:-
- work on the church roof to make it watertight.
- once that is done we will put in the new boilers!
- welcoming the Reverend David Railton as vicar of All Saints Blackwell and as a

member of our Group Ministry
- the Deanery Confirmation (on June 3rd)
- the launch of our Parish Vision on September 12th with a full day of music including

an eveningconcert with the Northern Voices and Darlington Operatic Society
- an appropriate service to mark September 9th when our Queen becomes the longest

serving monarch this country has ever had(even longer than Queen Victoria)
- a talk by the television broadcaster John Grundy on October 20th relating to the

magnificent heritage of our ancient parish churches
- a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Restoration of StCuthbert's
- December then brings us round to the various Carol services that lead us into

Christmas!
- weekday prayers have also been reintroduced to herald the greater use of

StCuthbert'sduring the week.
For St. Cuthbert's to exist as a vibrant town centre church a huge effort is put in by a very faithful band of people to whom I want to say a huge "thank you". I am going to name those elected officers who serve this church so faithfully but that doesn't mean that the faithful service of many other folk goes unnoticed or is unappreciated.So thank you to my churchwardens Elizabeth and Joan; to our treasurer Brian; to Hylda our reader and APA assistant;to David our musical director; David Lane who takes the children'schoir from which we were delighted to welcome two more into the full choir on Easter Day;to Sueour PCC Secretary and to elected members of the PCC-Dawn,Hylda,Margaret,David Lane,Marion,Gill,andLynne, and to our ex officio members Paul and David Ratnanayagam. Paul has done a lot of very hard work on the building side of things along with members of the Building Vision and Mission Development Team.Thank you for all your tremendous work.
The reports of the various church organisations will give further opportunity for thanks but I now want to conclude by saying that the title of my Chairman's Report "Hands Together" isdeliberately ambiguous! First of all it indicates the coming together of many hands in prayer and practical help which are integral to the life of StCuthbert's,and secondly it indicates the fact that we should put our hands together in appreciation of all the tremendous work done at StCuthbert's that makes it a very real witness to the love of God in the centre of Darlington.

Thank you.

Robert.