CHURCH ABLAZE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH AGM Annual General Meeting Annual Report & Financial Statements 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 Church Ablaze 88 Wellington Street, Batley, WF17 SQL Charity No. 1051958 Pastor Sarah Renton
CHURCH ABLAZE PENTECOST AL CHURCH Contents Trustees Report Governance Objertives & Activities Public Benefit Statement Achievements & Performance Financial Review Risk Management Reserves Policy •5 Independent Examiners Report +% Financial Statements Pastor Sarah Renton's Report Annual Reports & Financial Statements Period 1° April 2023 to 31 March 2024 Church Ablaze, 88 Wellington Street, Batley, WF17 SQL Registered Charity Number- 1051958
Church Ablaze Charity number 1051958 Annual Report and Financial Statement For the year ended 31st March 2024
Church Ablaza Trustees, report for the year ended 31st March 2024 Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees, and advisors The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were". Name Kevin Foster- resigned 2151 August 2023 Luke Crompton - appointed 21st August 2023 Sarah Renton - appointed 13th August 2023 Charity number 1051958 Principal address 88 Wellington Street Batley WF17 SQL Registered in England and Wales Bankers Virgin Money 46 Market Place Dewsbury WF13 1DN Independent examiner: E A Malko Registration history: registered 15th January 1996 Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees. The trustees of the charrty are appointed by trie members at the AGM. Objectives and Activities The objects of the church are for the benefit of the public a) To advan the Christian faith in accordan with the statement in such ways and in such parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Church Council from time to time will see fft b) To relieve sickness and financial hardship and to promote and preserve good health by the provision of funds. goods and ServIS of any kind including through the provision of counselling and support in such parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Church Council from time to time think fit. c) To advance education in such ways and in such parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Church Council from time to time may think fit.
The charity's main activities. We are a Church who gathers together to worship God. preach the word of God. and reach out into the community around us with the love of God. Public benefit statement In setting our objectives and planning our activities our trustees have given serious consideration to the charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. Achievements and performance The year ending 31 st March 2024 the church continues to be a well-used and important resource for the local community. A full weekly schedule is in pla creating a vibrant and busy location providing crucial day to day support for many local people. Financial review The net expenditure for the year was £32,164 including net expenditure of £31,901 on unrestricted funds and net expenditure of £263 on restricted funds. Risk Management The board have identified the major risks and keep their mitigation policy under regular review. Reserves pollcy The charity's free reserves at the year-end were £10,766. The trustees will aim lo hold free reserves of 3 to 6 months total expenditure. Signed on behalf of the board of trustees Signatur Printed name: Luke Crompton, Trustee Date:
Church Ablaze Independent examiner's report to the Trustees I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024 Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the charitys accounts as carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. In carying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act. 2 the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Printed name: E A Malko Dated: 4th October 2024
Total Recei s&Pa m&nt$ kcount for the ear ended 31103124 LhYeslrted Restricted Total Premous ear Rocelpts Church offer1rS Grants Acli¥Atie$ Verue Ffjre Donation otr Iorne Total recel ts Payments Minister Ministry Expenses Utilities Premises Costs Assemblies of God SLbs¢riptlor Resources 0gvelopnnt ChLWth maintair Transport Events Olkr 8ark ¢harges Other exp8ndllLY8 PrirtirKJ Postage S18tK>ry Eas Worshi Subscri IK)r Total pa ments 21445 21445 9520 8700 8700 7150 4829 34974 1359 18029 34974 18868 762 5921 1002 555 636 18868 762 5921 1002 555 696 16852 744 3140 6528 480 97 60 92 143 215 3702 63 145 32104 92 143 215 3702 63 145 32164 497 250 173 554 60 29314 Net rec•lpl$ I Ipaym•ntsl 2869 2809 .11285 Bakire bro lrt fs)nvard 8alan¢• carr5•d fon¥ard 3501 11592 14401 22877 11592 10959 Madg LP of.. Cwrent accolnl 14401 The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 1211112024 Signature.. Printed name: Luke Crompton, Trustee 2024 Funding accounting Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in fvrtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on Iheir expenditure imposed by the donor. Trustee expenses No trustee received any expenses for being a Trustee during this year or the previous year Trustee remuneration and benefits One trustee reiVed a remuneration of £18.867.68 to act as Minister of the church
CHURCH ABLAZE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH Pastorfs Annual Report- April 2023 to 31st of March 2024 Isl Year Anniversary- What a wonderful evening it was on the 30th of April when we celebrated the 1st Year Anniversary of the Church becoming Church Ablaze. In the service various church members shared testimonies and the evening wa5 fi'nished off with the surprise of an awesome cake specially made for the occasion. With the sUPPOrt of Pastor Kevin Foster, Pastor Luke Crompton and New Life Church in Wakefield, we were able to re-establish the AOG Church in Batley. It's been a year of spiritually rebuilding the foundations of the Church and numerically it has grown from being a Church of just 4 members {prior to our stepping in) to having 30 people most weeks in regular attendance, although in the winter months we have seen these numbers drop due to the dark nights. Kings Coronation- At the beginning of May it was the Coronation of King Charles, and whilst we prayed for our new King, it was also an opportunity for us to reflect and focus on the Sovereignty of God and King Jesus- Looking at the various royal objects and emblems used in the Coronation, and their biblical significance to King Jesus. AOG Events An.rTriJal Cnnfp.renc• ?0?3 - During the first week of May it was the National Assemblies of God Conference in Harrogate. There were a few changes to the National Leadership team, with new leaders and departments being established. It was a valuable tsme away, and the preaching and teaching seminars were excellent, and God confirmed several things for me regardin8 Church Ablaze, and so 5 look forward to seeing what God is going to do as the vision and ministry for Church Ablaze unfolds and expands. Equipping Day- AOG held an equipping day where our National leaders endeavoured to address some of the challenging issues facing the Church today, giving guidance as to where AOG stand on these topics- which is of course in line with Biblical scripture. Hijb, 7.nne & 4rp? Days-AOG hold various days throughout the year for Pastors and their Church leaders to meet relationally, and to be equipped through teaching and ministry. It ha5 been good for those who serve in leadership to attend these events, and for them to connect with people across our region. 3D Missions Conference - In October 2023 it was the 3D Missions Conference in Birmingham. Each Church is encouraged to have its very own 3D Missions Champion, Someone who has a heart and passion for mission both overseas and in the backyard of their local Church. As Church Ablaze is still relatively young, we have yet to find the right individual to take up this post, but until that time I will stand in the gap. It was an inspiring and challenging conference. Church IAin:_ SLindcJii FiorJirp.i-We continue to hold our Sunday services in the evening at 5pm. We are blessed in that those from New Life Church who initially chose to support the work at Batley continue to do so, and several other people have now joined us.
We are blessed that God's tangible presence is with us in our services, many people encountering Jesus and their lives being touched. We give God all the glory for what He is doing amongst us. Woryhip We are blessed to have such a gifted and anointed worship leader Steve Lloyd who leads the congregation into some wonderful times of praise and worship. Dwell Nights - The fi.rst Sunday of the month we dedicate the whole service to ministering to the Lord in worship. This gives the Church the opportunity to seek God and to dwell in His presence. Steve primarily leads 'Dwell' along with myself. These are extended evenings of worship that give room for people to encounter God. Holy Spirit leads us into times of intercession, prayer and ministry. This year Steve gave the opportunity for other musicians and singers to join him on these evenings and l am delighted to say that one of our Church members Carolyn Voice now sings alongside Steve. We are also joined by fellow musicians and singers from 'New Life, on occasions which is not only a pleasure, but a real blessing. PrÈachlng The primary focus initially was preaching the gospel, and when teaching we always ensure that room is made to share the gospel when visitors have joined us. Following the preaching of God's Word, we always allow time for ministry and prayer. Guest Speakers- We have been blessed to have various guests join us over the year from other ministries and churches- Evangelist Andrew Murray of Generation Builders, Evangelist Barry Woodward of Proclaim Trust, Pastor Johnny Haigh from Sowerby Bridge Elim Church, Jamie and Christine Tonge and of course Pastor Kevin Foster and Luke Crompton from New Life Church Wakeh'eld-who are very much a part of the Church and regularly minister and bringGod's Word. C7pprnwr3y Team In February we were blessed to have a team of Bible students from Capernwray join us. 4 students shared their testimonies, and it was so good to hear what God is doing in their lives. There was a great atmosphere as people from both churches gathered to support them. Bring & Share Evenings - This year we held 'Bring & Share, evenings, informal nights of sharing food & testimonies together. These were well attended and great evenings of fellowship and encouraging one another in the Lord. ThlE is my Story - Are evangelistic evenings where an invited guest or member of the Church shares their story of how they came to faith in Jesus, and how Jesus changed and transformed their lives. These have been powerful evenings, and evenings where church member5 are encouraged to bring unsaved family and friends. Midweek Ministry Prayer- Throughout the year we have held regular times of Prayer. For many months we held days of prayer on Wednesdays, having early morning prayer meetings at 6am and evening prayer meetings at 7pm. These have grown in attendance, and we have seen many answers to our prayers. Discipleship - In October 2023 following on from some evangelistic events we ran 'The Start Course,. This was a 6-week course that was put on for various clients that attend 'The Batley Community Outreach, which is held in the Church building. Sadly however, we found there were challenges when it came to people's commitment to the course. We will look at other avenues
of discipleship moving forward... but with the various evangelistic events that we have held we trust that seeds were sown, and people will come to full faith. B?.trle.y nV11 C)iJtreacb. Grouns-Tuesday. Wednesday and Fridays are days when the Batley Community Outreach Groups run from the Church building. These are led by some key members of the church- Eileen Green and Denise Fotherby, with other members volunteering to help with the workload. These groups offer actrvities and hot cooked meals for people in the community. Eileen and Denise do a fantastic job in serving God and the community through these groups. Easter Good Friday Sendice - I was invited to take part in an Ecumenical Good Friday service held at the Methodist Church and was delighted to accept the invitation. Several people from Church Ablaze attended, with others gathering from across the various Churches in the Batley area. It was good to meet with fellow Ministers of the Town, and I was pleased to learn that they are open to doing more services together. It was also encouraging to learn that they have heard good things about Church Ablaze. Ecumenical Mlnisters Lunch Following on from the Easter Service myself and other ministers from the Town have begun meeting once a month together for lunch, to pray and to discu55 avenue5 in which we can work together in the community. Christma* ServiceE Throughout the month of December, we held Christmas services. CornTI InitY Carol Singing- On the 10th of December, rather than having our Sunday evening service we took the opportunity to go out into the community and bless people by carol singing. It was a fantastic evening- Ethan and John Pearson played guitars whilst Kay led us. We had 300 flyers printed with details of our Christmas services to hand out and post through letter boxes. We focused on the area around church which is a housing estate, as well as singing in the Town Centre. It was a great atmosphere and start to the Christmas celebrations, and we had a few conversations with local people. Contemporary Carol Service- On the 17th of December we had a Contemporary carol seNice with a mix of traditional and modern carols, goody bags and activity books were ready for any children who came. It was another great evening, traditional in style with carols interspersed with bible readings and 3 short sermons various members of the church took part. The theme of the evening was 'The King is Coming, _ focusing not only that Jesus came that fi'rst Christmas, but that He is coming again. Caro15 by Candlelight Christmas Eve Service- Christrnas eve wa5 our candlelight service. Whilst some church members were unable to attend, we had plenty of visitors join us. The building looked beautiful with 100 candles lighting up the room. New Year5 Fve Th?.nksgiving Service - New Years eve was a night of giving thanks to God for His goodness and faithfulness to us over this last year. I was amazed at how the church responded to this opportunity of glorifying God and sharing testimonies of His goodness. There was laughter and tears- and I was overwhelmed and humbled and felt so incredibly blessed to be working in this corner of God's vineyard with such beautiful people. Outreach Christmas Dinner- On Friday the 22. of December it was the Outreach Christmas dinner. We had 2 sittings serving over 60 people a 3 course Christmas dinner. It was a great atmosphere,. all the clients went away with bags of groceries and Christmas gifts.
Other Events Love Batley Valentines Day- Valentines Day was a great opportunity to get out into the community and share the love of God. Roses with Bible verses attached were given out to ladies in the Town Centre, whilst chocolates were given to men. We had a fabulous time sharing the love of God, had some great conversations, and were even able to pray with people. Faith Leader Round Table - Throughout the year Local MP Kim Leadbeater continued to gather faith leaders from across her constituency, and when I was able l attended. These meetings were with a view of discussing local needs and issues in the community- and with the hope of fi'nding ways in which to address them. 02 Volunteers- We were blessed in having a group of volunteers from 02 come to help do some job5. They tidied up the outside area, front and side garden, and also began some work in the office. They have been doing this for many years and their kindness and help is greatly appreciated. Chlld & Adult Safeguarding Training - Various Child and Adult safeguarding Courses were run in the building, these were for the volunteers of the Batley Community Outreach Groups- but also other workers and leaders in the community who work with vulnerable people. The sessions were well attended. Br43ak in -. On the 26th of June I received a phone call from a local lady who said it appeared the bottom panel of the Church doors had been broken. Sadly, on arriving at Church I discovered that the Church building had been broken into. The thief had caused a great deal of damage, also stealing tithe5 and offerings. Since that occasion the Church no lon8er leaves money on the premises. Myself and our finance officer spent a great deal of time liaising with Police, insurance companies and with joiners etc. The doors at the time were secured, but it was many weeks before the doors were replaced and the damaged caused repaired, Name C.hangp Charity fommission - The Church name has been changed with the Charity Commission, along with all legal documents, bank accounts etc. The large front sign will also be changed in time. Unforeseen circurnstances - Sadly, at the end of February the Senior Pastor, Luke Crompton, of New Life Church and Trustee of Church Ablaze took seriously ill. At this tsme and throughout Luke's recovery I took on the role of Pastor in both churches. As you would expect this did have an impact on my time and what I was able to do at church Ablaze, however, l am grateful that everyone pulled together and also for Ministers such as Kevin Foster, Henry Drabble and Johnny Haigh who helped with preaching. l am pleased to say that in time Luke made a full recovery which we are thankful to God for. Summary- Overall it has been a good year with many positive things to rejoice in and be thankful to God for- but as we do, we also recognise there is still much to be done if we are to continue to see the Church flourish, and to see the community impacted with the love of God. We pray-'Lord let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done, in our community of Batley, Amen.