Henley-in-Arden Parish Church

How things are organised within the Parish

[This page contains a profile of the current Rector, John Ganjavi; details of the Church Wardens; PCC members; Church Task Groups; Youth Work; the Sunday School; and Jolly Tots.]

PROFILE OF THE RECTOR

Revd John Ganjavi BSc. A.C.G.I.

Born 13^th May 1957;
Ordained Autumn 1982;
Served curacies at Yardley Parish Church, Birmingham Diocese – 1982-1985 ;
& Knowle Parish Church Birmingham Diocese – 1985-1989;
Rector of Beaudesert with Henley in Arden & Ullenhall since 1989

CHURCH WARDENS

	Brian Jackson	Jo Lopes
	Daphne Jones	Rosemary Furze

If you wish to contact any of the Church Wardens, please email them .

PCC MEMBERS

The PCC is made up of 17 members plus the Chairman (The Rector); seven members are ex-officio and nine members are elected each year at the Annual Parish Church Meeting. Until recently, we have had a limit of how many years in a row a person can serve on the PCC before having a year off, but that restriction has been lifted for the time being!

The 2008 PCC members are:

John Ganjavi - Chariman

Andrew Gardner - Vice Chairman

Margrit Johnson - Secretary

Sophie Weatherley - Treasurer

Brian Jackson (Church Warden)

Daphne Jones (Church Warden)

Jo Lopes (Church Warden)

John Pudney (Church Warden)

Ginny Matheou Deanery (Synod Representative)

Diane Bayley, Mike Colclough, Andrew Hirst, Nevenka Miles, Helene Power, Cilla Pudney, Rowena Silk and Barbara Warmington

The role of the PCC is leadership – they hold the long-term vision for the parish church, and they seek to guide us towards that vision by working with and through various Task Groups in the Church.

The PCC meets on the first Thursday of every month, 7.45 for 8 pm, in the Parish Room, Beaudesert Lane, except during April, August and December.

The PCC is very happy to receive items for its Agenda, but in the absence of exceptional items, the agenda includes the following list of items:

TASK GROUPS

The Church has been described in many ways. The model for church life we shall be using is that of the Family of God. This picture combines the ideas of life, privilege and responsibility. Of course, each one of us will have experienced family life in a different way. Our childhood memories might be good or bad. Nevertheless, we can all imagine what an ideal family life would be like. Listed below, are some thoughts on this subject. The comments have been carefully chosen so that they can be readily applied to church life as well.

1.	Home is where we are loved, and learn to love.
2.	A good family home is where we feel a sense of belonging and security.
3.	Home is where we can be ourselves, as well as learning to live with others.
4.	Home is where we have the space to grow up, and learn life's routines.
5.	Home is where we pick up habits and develop our identity.
6.	Home is where we do most of our eating and resting.
7.	Home is where we learn to exercise responsibility and to play our part.
8.	A successful home is where expectations are understood, agreed, and acted upon.
9.	Within every household, each member contributes to, and benefits from, the family's reputation.
10.	Home is where we get ready to face the world.

We can develop this list. The main point being made, however, is that what makes a good home also makes a good church. This thought lies behind much of our thinking about our church's life.

In the next few paragraphs we will expand this theme as we look at the thirteen areas of work covered by our Task Groups:

1. WORSHIP
The idea In any family, each member has their own way of expressing themselves; they will have their own priorities, style and routines. Nevertheless, a family with so many different interests would still want to maintain a sense of unity. This goal is often achieved by having regular get togethers - often round a meal. Where this is not possible it becomes even more important to be together for special occasions eg birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, Christmas, and so on.
The practice We all live different lives during the week, but we seek to gather together for worship on a Sunday. As a church, we would like to emphasise the importance of this weekly routine. Our church bells call us to worship. Due to our varied traditions, however, we gather together each Sunday at different times. Whilst this is understandable and acceptable, there are two ways in which we can strengthen our sense of unity: Firstly, from time to time, we can attend a service which is not the one we usually attend. Secondly, we can make an extra effort to show our unity when it comes to celebrating the major church festivals.
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2. SOCIALS
The idea A family can strengthen the relationships between its members by enjoying the occasional common leisuretime eg a walk, an outing, a concert, a games evening, a holiday etc.
The practice Our church has a calendar of social events. These events are mainly for fellowship, even though they sometimes raise funds. Such occasions are serious attempts at getting us together as a church family. We should contribute ideas so that the calendar is a good mix of events, and we are encouraged to take part in a variety of activities
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3. ADULT EDUCATION
The idea Members of a family can learn a lot from each other by sharing information and experience.
The practice Our church has a clear programme of sermons for the year which forms the central plank of our education policy. There are other forms of learning, however, that must be encouraged if we are to get to grips with the wealth of Christian teaching. There needs to be time for discussion, for asking questions, hearing answers, challenging points of view, and developing ideas. In our church we are encouraged to meet together regularly in smaller groups. These groups are most effective in combining fellowship, caring, and education. In supporting these type of groups, and occasional courses such as Lent, we are declaring that we are all 'learners for life'. No-one is past learning, or past being of help to others. In addition to membership of groups, we are invited to pursue our private learning by the use of Bible Study notes and books from the church Library.
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4. YOUNG PEOPLE'S EDUCATION
The idea In any family, the nurture of the young has to be a priority.
The practice In this day and age, the children in our parish have few opportunities to learn about the Christian Faith. Our church, therefore plays a more vital role in this area than ever. We seek to fulfil our responsibilities in three ways: a) To provide Sunday School and Youth Groups that are well supported and resourced. b) To provide guidance and support for parents as they build up Christian foundations in the home. c) To bring a Christian influence into all youth activities in our parish, especially the local schools.
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5. EVANGELISM
The idea Every family rejoices in the birth of a new member!
The practice We recognise that the great majority of the population does not relate to church life, and a sizeable proportion would not claim to have a clear understanding of God. The call to evangelise reminds us that in caring for others we cannot ignore their spiritual needs. We have a responsibility to proclaim the Gospel to those who have not heard it, to help establish the faith of those who respond, whilst regularly renewing our own faith. Such sharing of the Good News of the Gospel is primarily friendship based. Whilst recognising that this work can be awkward and embarrassing, we accept that it is important for every member to be able to give a simple account of their faith. We also recognise that evangelism is at its most effective when the whole church family works together for growth.
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6. CHURCH OF ENGLAND
The idea Everyone enjoys being in touch with members of their wider family.
The practice In order to understand why we organise our church life in certain ways, we acknowledge that we are an Anglican Church. We can all benefit from learning about our Church's traditions and history, going back all the way to New Testament times. We also acknowledge the fact that we are part of a Deanery and Diocese, and we accept our responsibilities to these wider levels of church life.
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7. ECUMENICAL MATTERS
The idea Families enjoy making friends with other families that share common aims and values.
The practice There are good relations between us and the other churches in Henley. We are committed to working and worshipping together wherever possible so that, despite our different ways, we might express our unity in Christ.
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8. MISSIONS & CHARITIES
The idea Every family would wish to make an impact on the wider world by exercising a spirit of care and generosity. It is most healthy to acknowledge that we are all part of one world in which we all have responsibilities towards one another.
The practice As part of our worship of the one true God who loves the whole world we encourage every church member to be generous in supporting charities. We also acknowledge our special responsibilities towards missionary organisations. In order to give this work a high profile, we have adopted a list of organisations that we wish to support as a church. This list puts us in touch with God's work across our own nation and throughout the world. We are invited to support these projects through prayer, attendance at Missionary Sunday Services, and by giving financial help.
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9. FINANCE
The idea Every family must be careful about the lifestyle it adopts, prioritising its activities so that it remains within its financial constraints
The practice In our church we take serious note of the words in the Communion service: All things come from you, and of your own do we give you. We acknowledge our need to be good stewards of all our finances and resources and to see them as gifts from God. We are encouraged to live a lifestyle that is in keeping with the teachings of Jesus Christ. We are also invited to follow any guidance given to us by the PCC about contributing towards the financial needs of the church.
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10. PROPERTY
The idea In every household, every member is expected to play their part in maintaining the home.
The practice A number of people give freely of their time to clean and maintain our church buildings, Hall and churchyard. This work is much appreciated. We encourage all members to offer their skills, where appropriate, to maintain our property.
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11. PASTORAL CARE
The idea We would expect our homes to be places of security, comfort and care.
The practice Within our church a great deal of caring goes on quietly and behind the scenes. Our caring is friendship based, and it is the church's role to equip everyone to be a good friend and neighbour. Where particular personal needs arise, we can rely on our Pastoral Care Team to be available to us as an additional resource. This Team is also ready and willing to offer care to anyone whose needs are brought to our attention. The Pastoral Care Team is not a professional group, but it receives low key training as it offers a completely confidential service under the supervision of the Rector. In addition, the Team regularly follows up baptism, wedding, and funeral contacts, as well as wishing to mark special occasions in church members' lives.
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12. COMMUNITY RELATIONS
The idea Every family would wish to support those who serve them in the community.
The practice It is our view that people can be best cared for when they join in with the church's life. Nevertheless, we have a constant desire to serve the community, and, wherever possible, to respond to its social needs.We would like to encourage church members to play an active role in the life of our community, and to take up positions of responsibility within it. We would like to offer encouragement and support to all who serve our parish.
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13. COMMUNICATION
The idea Every family tries to avoid confrontations and frustrations by paying due heed to good communication. It is good to talk!
The practice As a church we wish to maintain a good line of communication between ourselves, the parish, and the wider area. We also wish to have good 'in-house' communication via the weekly Noticesheet, noticeboards, open meetings, and occasional letters from the Rector. In all of this, however, we do not want to overlook the personal approach. Every member is encouraged to communicate freely with the Rector, Churchwardens, and PCC members on any matter that concerns them.
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YOUTH WORK

Young members of our church enjoy membership of one of two youth groups: the Senior Youth group (year 10+) meets every week during term time, 6-7.30 pm on a Thursday evening in the Parish Room, Beaudesert Lane; the Junior Youth Group (years 7-9) meets every week during term time, 7.30 – 9 pm on a Friday evening, usually at 203, High Street, Henley. The Rector leads the Senior Group, and Andrea Gardner the Junior.

Going to a youth group is an opportunity for teenagers to meet together socially, to have fun and to learn about the Christian faith. Both groups enjoy social outings, they plan fundraising activities for their chosen charities and they are invited to lead church services!!

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Children are very welcome at all Church Services. Our main service takes place at 10.00 am

We all start together, but halfway through, the younger members go to the Church Hall for their own activities. Afterwards, we all meet up together in the Church Hall for refreshments.

The only change to this is on the third Sunday of each month, when we all stay together for our communion service.

We call the children’s activities in the Church Hall ‘Sunday School’. We use Scripture Union material as well as other teaching resources. Children from Reception Year upwards are divided into four age groups, each group having two adult leaders.

Karen Chamberlain is our overall Sunday School Leader, and she can be contacted by emailing , or you can contact the Rector, John Ganjavi on 01564 792570.

There is an organized Crèche for pre-Reception Year children at all 10.00 am Services. The church also has toilet facilities!

JOLLY TOTS

Come to our Mothers & Toddlers Group (babies welcome too)! Our Jollytots meetings take place in the Church Hall, Beaudesert Lane, every Tuesday morning, during school term time, from 10 am until 12 noon. (There is a small charge)

At the end of the morning we enjoy a time of singing with actions and instruments for the children to play.

Jollytots is run by members of the Parish Church, but because of its great popularity, mums are asked to help on a rota basis!

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