FINANCE AND PROPERTY

Contents

Following the initial announcement in the newsletter last month, the Church Council have now agreed that we should proceed with the installation of a "Data Display System" in the church. This equipment will be able to display pictures, text and video to enhance our worship.  Some people who lead worship, including our own minister Revd Gill Hulme, like to use this technology when it is available, and this demand is likely to increase in the future.  We were one of the first churches in the circuit to have lapel radio microphones and a sound loop, and we do not intend to trail behind in using new technology.

The equipment is likely to be installed on a shelf suspended above where the electronic keyboard sits.  It will project on a screen sited on the wall behind the organ.  For "traditional" services the screen will be raised electrically, and the general appearance of the church will be unchanged.  It is likely however that it will become the norm for the words of the hymns and bible readings to be regularly displayed.  Indeed when the new planned Methodist Hymn Book comes out we will only need a few regular and large print copies instead of several for each pew.

Preachers wishing to use the system may bring their own presentation prepared in advance on their own computer, but for regular services someone will need to prepare the running order for the hymns from a CD library of words and perhaps type the Bible readings into a document.  Possession of competence in "Power Point" software would enable appropriate backgrounds and movement to be incorporated.  Just the thing for a young enthusiastic student of IT (Information Technology).  Are there any children/grandchildren out there who might be interested in doing the job, say, once a month?

To fund this equipment and to start the ball rolling we will plan a few Fun(d) Raising events over the next few months.