Minster Lifeline #9
3 March 2021
Rev. Irene writes:
I made my first journey into the Minster last week to record for the Sunday service.
It was a great feeling to be back in the building and I look forward to when we can all congregate again in relative freedom!
What surprised me was the changes as I came into Hull. The new bridge that links the City Centre with the Marina is now open, I believe it is called the ‘Burnsey’ bridge, not sure whether that is the official name or just one that Radio Humberside has given it.
Then as I passed the junction where Ferensway meets the A63 the changes were enormous, new markings in all directions, trees down and of course numerous signs to help (or hinder) a free run through the road words. It all looked promising and I hope it keeps progressing, so we end up with a much better flow of traffic in that area.
It is, of course, thanks to Highways England that the building work is happening at the Minster, so I have invited Iain Ogilvie one of our churchwardens to give us an update on that and other developments at Hull Minster.
As 2021 dawned the Southside of the Minster was wrapped in scaffolding and we heard an odd bit of banging in some of the online services. I am delighted to report that the South Aisle Nave roof work is now complete, and we should be watertight. Work has moved onto the Broadley Chapel, vestries, and kitchens down the Southside. More scaffolding has been erected to cover this area while roofs are repaired, drains are dug, and the problems of damp are tackled. It is hoped that by Easter we will have contracted and begun the extension works and that all the works will be completed in Spring 2022.
At the Annual Meeting last year, in the PCC, and in wider discussions, the issue of funding has been raised. How can we do all this work to the building and continuously be told that we have no money left, and that the staff need to be reduced? One of the questions regularly raised is:
“Does my money go into supporting the building and the extension; I want my contribution to support mission and outreach?”
As a community we do have a responsibility to maintain the Grade 1 listed building and over the last 5 years or so we have worked tirelessly to ensure that works undertaken are supported by Grants and not taking PCC resources. Through the Development Trust, the works currently underway are being paid for by Highways England and the National Churches Trust; we are indebted to them for their support. The funding they have offered is only available for buildings and cannot be used to meet running costs or salaries. Without the support of external funds, we would not be doing the building works; we have not chosen them over people or outreach. We are using this money to build facilities to allow us to meet people on their faith journeys and to allow the PCC to spend its limited resources on mission, outreach, and music, not on the amazing building where we gather to worship. The message can be confusing, but we are fortunate to have significant funds to do building works and people think:
“Oh, the Minister must be doing ok, look at all the work being done to that building!”
We are not financially OK. We have generous supporters who can help by removing the challenges of our historic church building, but even if they wanted to, the restrictions tied to their money means that they cannot pay for staff. Our funds are limited, and we have taken decisions to try and control our spending with significantly reduced income. As you are aware, we took the difficult decision last summer to reduce our staffing and we have also given up the Parish Centre, soon to be replaced by a Portakabin office on the car park. All these decisions have implications, many of which the PCC did not want to take or did not like the impact of, but we have controlled the spending.
During Lent we are looking at Giving and working with the Diocese to enhance the levels of giving to the Minster. The works to the building are only part of the story providing new facilities to encourage others to find a faith and to get to know Jesus; but without people the buildings will not deliver our mission. As we emerge from the pandemic and look at new ways to connect with our community and the wider city, we want to continue our city centre ministry. One area is to open opportunities on the Great Thornton Street Estate and to continue to offer pastoral support from the Minster. All these activities require our support through prayer, through time and through finance. We have to support ourselves through our giving as no one else will pay for our missional activity. Please pray and talk to your loved ones about the Minster and how you can support us and review your giving. We all have many demands on our financial resources and what we can offer is very personal, but it is through giving that we receive; God knows and values what we have given to bring people to him in faith.
And in answer to the opening question, everything you give is used to the Glory of God and to support our mission and not on the programme of works currently underway.
If you have any questions on the programme of building works, I would be happy to answer them.
Please think about your giving and how you can help us to fulfil our mission across the City from our amazing building a Beacon of Hope to so many.
Iain Ogilvie, Church Warden
Irene concludes with:
March services and opening times:
The Minster will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion and Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion. Please click here to book in.
The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click here for the link.
All other public services are cancelled at the present time. However, changes could take place in the coming weeks so please keep checking in Lifeline or on the Hull Minster website.
PLEASE NOTE The Minster will be open for personal prayer each Saturday 12-3pm.
It is looking likely that the government is going ahead with the May local council elections. Given the current situation you may want to apply for a postal ballot. Here is the link on the Hull Council website. http://www.hull.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections-and-voting/voting-post
An Invitation to Lent 2021
During Lent there will be a zoom bible study on Wednesday evenings 7:30-8:30pm beginning 24th February. Do join Rev. Irene and Val in study and discussion around Gladness and Generosity, in the Holy Habits series. You can join here. You should now have received a booklet of daily reflections based on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book for 2021, Living His Story by Hannah Steel. These notes include a short passage of scripture, a reflection, and a prayer for each day of Lent. If you have a smart phone or tablet these notes are accompanied by the free #LiveLent App on iOS and Android where you can listen along to the reflections. [suggested donation £2.50 to cover booklet and postage].. Click here for full details.
The Heritage Volunteering group have been meeting via Zoom Coffee Mornings to have a chat and carry out some research about the Minster's history. As part of this, our Heritage Project Manager, Jane Owen, has organised several talks and would like to open these up to the wider church to join in. These will take place via zoom on a Wednesday or Friday morning at 10.00am, with a 15-minute chat before the talk starts. The dates and topics are below. Please send Jane and email if you would like to join in any of them - or if you would like to give a talk in future - and she will send you the links. They are very informal and can be accessed by computer, telephone, tablet or even by telephone to listen in.
We are also looking for any volunteers who would like to join our team to do some computer-based research at home about the church, the community surrounding it, the graveyard at the east end and the burial ground at Castle Street. Again, if you would like to be involved, please contact Jane at jane@hullminster.org Click here for full details.
APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) The meeting this year will be held on TUESDAY 27th APRIL via zoom at 7pm. Further details to follow.
Ecclesiastical Insurance have provided cover for the Minster and the clergy houses for a long time and have a special interest in helping churches undertake maintenance through their grant scheme. We have benefitted from these generous grants in the past. In this, their 130th year they are offering donations of £130 to our church for every person who takes out home insurance cover with them - at any point during the year. Some of the staff team have been using their home insurance for several years and it is very comprehensive and reasonably priced. So, if you are thinking of renewing with your provider please take a look at Ecclesiastical. The post below shows what you have to do. Just name the church and they will find it for you. Click the button below for full details.
READINGS: FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
COLLECT FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy,
but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,
may find it no other than the way of life and peace;
through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord.
AMEN
This Month’s Prayer Diary
Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.