During 2024 we saw our Sunday morning meeting shrink so that there are literally only 2 or 3 gathering and some Sundays there can be no meeting as I am the only one there. The meeting continues on Wednesdays and is often better attended but usually has only one other attendee apart from myself.
In May the Christian School (Takeley) closed. Very quickly, in July a new tenant was found. Through due process the handbook changed to allow the chapel to be hired out. Income was lost because of the school closure and additional responsibilities fell, to the Church.
I have worked to ensure the administration of the trust is efficient. Hiring of the Chapel by the Havers Community Church and regular giving has covered the costs of utilities in the chapel but not the rest. The gardens continued to be a green space for the village and limited meetings happen for the Gardening group.
The trustees meet regularly and communicate regularly electronically. The end of the year began a period of reflection on the mission of the church. With the arrival in November of a pastor from the Philippines the meetings started a period of evolution to be as welcoming of others as possible. This included singing and elements of liturgy but the basics practice of sharing personal responses to the readings from the day taken from the Common Lectionary continues after a shott message. The Bible text used is the Revised Standard Version. The practice is not just a passive reception of teaching or a chat but its intention is to lead us to stillness and prayer.
One development has been the extension of the Wednesday silent meeting to include soup. This, the Sunday meeting and occasional articles on the website are the outreach of the church. There is an active WhatsApp group that keeps members informed as well as email communication.
Takeley Chapel 