Looking back, moving forward...and time for a roll call

A visit by Trevor Huddleston (then bishop of Stepney) in early 1970s, with the vicar Bill Picton (on left) and Justin's predecessor poised at the organ (click on picture for bigger image).

On 14 April, St Luke’s has its APCM (annual parochial church meeting) after the 11am service – once we’ve had time to fortify ourselves with a coffee. The APCM is the church equivalent of an AGM, when we review the last 12 months and make plans for the upcoming year. If you think that sounds about as thrilling as watching paint dry, well… you may be right. But here at St Luke’s, we’ve managed to streamline the process into a quick jaunt through the year’s highlights and a chance to air a few issues. You can plough through the nitty gritty of the church accounts and building plans at your leisure (sounds tempting, doesn’t it?), as all the details will be in the annual report, available to pick up at services afterwards.

If you come along to the APCM, you’ll also be able to vote to appoint (or reappoint) church wardens and the PCC (parochial church council). These are the people who steer St Luke’s and help to keep it running smoothly throughout the year. If you’d like to consider standing for office, have a word with Dave or Pat.

To vote at the APCM, you need to be registered on the electoral roll. It’s now that time (every six years) when we have to renew the roll – so even if you’re already on it, you’ll need to re-register. As well as giving you the right to vote and hold office in the church, the electoral roll gives the Church of England an idea of how many people attend different churches, so it’s really important to St Luke’s that you’re on the list. It’s also a requirement if you want to be married at St Luke’s and don’t live in the parish. You don’t have to attend every week or live in the parish to be on the roll – you just need to identify yourself as a part of the St Luke’s community. You can even be on the electoral roll of more than one church (although you can only vote at one). If you’d like to add your name to the list, ask Dave or Pat for a form.