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← Life Community Church (Warwickshire)

2024-06-30-accounts

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] JUNE, 2024

Trustees

David Bolton, Senior Pastor (Chair) David Onyekwe (Treasurer) Peter Stephanis

Church Elders

David Bolton, Senior Pastor (Chair) (with oversight of vision, teaching, pastoral care & administration)

Leanne Bolton, Senior Pastor (with oversight of worship, children’s and youth ministry, and

evangelism)

Friday Ehiguese, Elder (Minister in Training with AoG) – appointed on Sunday 14[th] April 2024 David Onyekwe, Elder (with oversight of Finance)

Holding Trustees

(in order of appointment) Peter Gale Richard Norton David Onyekwe David Bolton

Registered Charity Name and Number

Life Community Church (Warwickshire): 1052019

Principal Operating Office

Life Community Church, Charlotte Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. CV31 3EB

Independent Examiner of Accounts

Luke Silver, Accountancy & Taxation Services, 25 Ellicombe Close, Minehead, Somerset. TA24 6DQ

Bankers

Lloyds Bank, 73 Parade, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. CV32 4BB Kingdom Bank, Media House, Padge Road, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 2RS

Solicitors

Field Overell, 42 Warwick Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. CV32 5JS

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

TRUSTEE REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] JUNE, 2024

The Trustees present their Annual Report together with the externally examined financial statements of Life Community Church for the year ended 30[th] June 2024 . The Trustees confirm that the Annual Report and financial statements of the charity comply with the current statutory requirements, the requirements of the charity, and the charity’s governing document.

Structure, Governance and Management

The Governing Documents

The Church’s governing document is the “Model Constitution with Trust Deed for Local Assemblies of God” dated 6[th] May 2012.

Life Community Church (Warwickshire) is a charity registered with the Charity Commission with registration number 1052019. The church is a member of the Assemblies of God in Great Britain, and the Evangelical Alliance.

Trustees

The Trustees of the Church are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Church’s business in accordance with the Church’s objects.

The Trustees meet approximately 4-8 times per year, to discuss a full range of matters relating to the life of the church including activities, finance, fabric, general administration, the implementation of the church constitution, and church membership. Decision making happens either through a simple majority vote in a meeting (a quorum being the highest of 3 or a third of the Trustees present) or by a written resolution and signed by all the Trustees.

One of the Church’s Trustees receives remuneration for their employed position in the ministry. In compliance with Charity Commission guidelines, a greater proportion of Trustees are voluntary and receive no benefits or remuneration in connection with their duties.

Appointment of Trustees

The Church Council and Trustees of the Church identify suitable candidates, who are then invited to serve as Trustees. Their suitability for this role would be based mainly on their commitment to the Church, demonstrated by membership (or partnership), regular attendance and a high degree of involvement. Potential candidates are not appointed as Trustees due to any particular professional competence that they may be able to bring, although the Trustees do seek to ensure that an appropriate mix of skills are represented to help the charity identify and manage risks that might be faced by the Church. The induction and training process for a newly appointed Trustee, will include them having mentoring conversations with the Senior Pastor, to review their role and to seek to understand any training needs. They will also receive copies of the following documents:

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

Holding Trustees

Holding Trustees are individuals appointed to hold the property of the charity. They can only act on the lawful instructions of the charity Trustees and in accordance with any provisions contained in the governing document.

Church Members (Partners)

Church membership (or Partnership) is open to any individual who:

Church Members share in providing for the finances, administration, maintenance, and activities of the church.

Risk Management

The Church’s primary concern and objective is the glory of God. Whilst it is the Church’s policy to trust wholly in the Lord that He will work out His purpose to this end, the Church also acknowledges that it has a responsibility both as individual members and as a body of members, for the identification and proper management of risks faced by the church in achieving its primary aim.

The Trustees have therefore sought to assess the major risks to which the Church is exposed, particularly those relating to the specific operational areas of the Church, its investments, and its finances. The Trustees believe that, by monitoring reserve levels, by ensuring that controls exist over key financial systems, and by examining the operational risks faced by the Church, it has established effective systems and procedures to mitigate those risks.

Objectives and Activities

Objectives

In accordance with the Constitution, the church’s purposes (or objects) for the benefit of the public, are:

1. To advance the Christian Faith.

2. To relieve sickness and financial hardship and to promote and preserve good health by the provision of funds, goods or services of any kind including through the provision of counselling and support.

3. To advance education in such parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Church Council from time to time may think fit.

The Trustees do not believe that it is possible to accurately report on the individual performance of the 3 parts of the objectives above, as they are intrinsically linked, and therefore impossible to account for independently. The Trustees believe that doing so, would portray an inaccurate representation of the charity’s achievements.

We are confident that we have tried to equip ordinary people from a wide variety of diverse backgrounds, to grow in their faith within the local community through:

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

The Trustees are confident that with the comprehensive provision of activities to people of all age ranges and diverse backgrounds, the charity does provide benefit to the public. The Trustees and Elders of Life Community Church are confident that the church has advanced the Christian Faith.

Public Benefit Statement

The previous section of this report, entitled “Objectives”, sets out the aims and priorities of the charity.

When planning our activities for this year, the Trustees and Church Leaders have considered both the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, and the further specific guidance contained within “The Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit”. We have concluded that we have had due regard to the guidance in exercising our powers, and so:

  1. The aims of the organisation continue to be charitable.

  2. The aims and work done give identifiable benefits to the charitable sector, and both indirectly and directly to individuals in need.

  3. The benefits are for the public, are not unreasonably restricted in any way, and certainly not by ability to pay.

  4. There is no harm or detriment arising from the aims or activities.

Achievements and Performance

Life Community Church is an independent church and is affiliated to the Assemblies of God of Great Britain. The congregation is composed of a wide range of ethnicities and backgrounds from across Leamington Spa and the surrounding areas and caters for all age groups. The Church has maintained a presence in the town since 1937, and by God’s grace, we continue to build on the work of previous generations. The Trustees are truly thankful to the great and growing number of volunteers who serve on teams to help Life Community Church outwork its objectives.

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

Performance Against Objectives

Life Community Church meets its objectives through the delivery of activities both on a Sunday, and during the rest of the week. During the main Sunday ministry, the congregation will gather for worship and teaching. The congregation will then outwork the benefit of that teaching, in both quantifiable and often non-quantifiable ways, in their everyday life within the local community, as well as through the various ministries in the life of the Church.

Sunday Ministry

Sundays play a key part in the life of the church, and our Sunday Morning Family Service plays a central role in helping us to meet our aims. Over the course of the year, the teaching team gave various series to positively equip people to live out the Christian faith every day. Messages over the year included:

We were delighted to also receive ministry from the following guest speakers:

Sunday ministry also included:

Towards the start of May 2023, Ps. Dave and Leanne were able to commence a special three-month Sabbatical. This was an opportunity for them to rest, recharge and study following 11 years of ministry at LCC (in total). During this time, many key people from the church served in vital roles to serve the church family. These roles varied from administration, speaking, pastoral care, prayer, to building maintenance and support and so much more. They wish to officially express thanks to everyone involved who carried the load to allow them to benefit from this very special time.

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

The church continues to livestream all our services onto Facebook and YouTube. This means that those from the church family who cannot attend in-person, can also join in live or on catch-up. We have heard from several people, how they can no longer attend due to age and ill health but watch regularly from home: a genuine lifeline for them. Also, others can watch when away or travelling and still feel connected. Our online presence has now become the new “shop window” for people to connect with the church, before visiting us for the first time. It has become a vital tool to help us reach new people.

Sundays also saw celebration services take place, designed to reach more people in the community on special occasions. These included our Mother’s Day Celebration (where we celebrated mothers and women), and Father’s Day Celebration (honouring fathers and men). At Christmas time, on 10[th] December, we ran our “Carols by Candlelight” Christmas services. Both services were very well attended, with 183 people present across two services.

We had two baptism services during the year. In October it was fantastic to see 3 people get baptised , of different age groups. Then on Easter Sunday we saw 2 more people get baptised , and going public in their faith, confessing Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives.

Engagement, Service and Discipleship

The “Next Steps Journey” course is designed to help new guests (or the existing church congregation) meet some of the team, and to understand the church’s mission, vision, and values. Over three sessions, they can “discover family and find their fit”. This means that participants can learn more about LCC, explore their gifts and talents, and understand how to get more involved in the church through groups and teams. Attendees are encouraged to then pray and see if the Lord is leading them to make LCC their spiritual home. This has proven to be a highly successful method to engage new people and to also find out how we can serve them better. Throughout the course of the year, we have seen 8 people become Partners at LCC, choosing to make the church their spiritual home.

We are so thankful to the many volunteers who serve on teams throughout the life of the church. Many serve on a Sunday, as well as on teams throughout the week. These are the heroes who always go above and beyond, to serve the needs of others. Our volunteers are the life blood of the church, and their selflessness really does make a difference to the lives of many people. Whether it has been teaching, playing in the worship team, leading a Life Group, calling and connecting with members of the church, pastoral visits and calls, serving on hospitality, hosting kid’s work, the list goes on… On behalf of the Leadership Team, I wish to thank you for all your commitment and hard work. You really are making an impact in the lives of the church family and wider community!

Throughout this year, we have endeavoured to provide opportunities for people in the church to be discipled. This has been outworked through the provision of 1:1 mentoring and pastoral sessions, our Life Groups, and Leadership Development.

Children, Youth and Families

We have 2 ministries in the life of the church that cater to children and young people – Sunday Stars (school years reception to year 5) and Elevate (school years 6+). We also aim to serve the children’s respective families, as well as to reach out to other families within the local community.

Cathryn Myers, our Children’s Ministry Leader, and her wider team have done a fantastic job in teaching and leading our children and young people. Here’s a brief summary:

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

Sunday Stars:

Elevate:

General:

The Trustees would like to thank Cathryn and the whole children’s and youth teams for the amazing work they have done by equipping our children and young people. We stand amazed, encouraged and thrilled at what the Lord is doing, as we see young and old serving side-by-side together in ministry!

Life Groups

Life Groups have also been a vital way for people in the church to connect with others, care for each other and grow together. They run termly, three times a year, with an official start and end date, so people can attend for a season (if life is busy), or swap groups if they would like. Life Groups are currently open to attendees of LCC as well as the wider community to sign-up to. On average, seven groups ran per term, catering for different ages, and with each group having a unique focus. We would like to say a huge thank you to all the Life Group leaders who have served to connect, care, and help disciple people in the Christian faith.

Corporate Prayer

Prayer continues to be a significant priority in the life of the church, as we seek to encourage people to gather in different settings to pray together. We still have our Monday morning prayer group (led by Peter and Anne Gale) who meet to pray for requests both within the church family and now coming in from the community from the website and social media. Friday Ehiguese also faithfully led our Thursday evening prayer group, who met faithfully on a weekly basis to commit the activities of the church to the Lord. Our Pre-Service Prayer meeting on a Sunday morning is gathering real momentum. At 9:45am on a weekly basis, everyone serving on team is asked to gather for a short

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

time of prayer and encouragement to commit our morning to the Lord. People from the wider church family are also encouraged to come along. This continues to be an important and significant time together.

“Encounter Nights” continue to take place on the first Thursday of each month. This evening seeks to provide a time of extended worship and prayer. We are encouraged by the engagement of these evenings.

Seasons of Prayer and Fasting within the church, are significant and vital times for us to pause and to seek God in various settings. During this period, we held our annual “21 Days of Prayer and Fasting” towards the start of the year in January. We are thrilled by the engagement of people as they set aside time to pray individually as well as corporately on Zoom and in-person. It is no surprise that the impact of these seasons is always evident in the life of the church!

Care Home Outreach

Sandra Middleton is our Care Home Outreach Team leader. Here is a brief summary on LCC’s visits to Gainsborough Hall:

In January 2023, Life Community Church were invited to visit Gainsborough Hall retirement Home and set up regular meetings with some of the residents. We were specifically asked to teach on the parables of Jesus. I was very interested in doing this as the people were of a certain age group and needed to hear the gospel. I invited Peter and Bev to join me. We have now been visiting Gainsborough on the second Thursday of each month for over two years. Apart from sharing the Parables we have shared chapters in Matthew’s Gospel. We have 9 or 10 people each time and we are made to feel very welcome. It is wonderful to share the life of Jesus with these dear people most of them hearing this for the first time in their lives. We were asked to put on a Carol Service in December 2023. I was very pleased that everyone who was asked to participate said yes. There were 19 people from LCC altogether. We sang Carols, read the Christmas story and Peter brought the Christmas message. Everyone seemed to enjoy the service. On the last Friday of the month, Irene and I go to the coffee morning and chat with the residents. Also, when there is a special event taking place there, a few of us have been to support the Home. We are always made welcome and have got to know some of them.

Community Café Outreach

Here is a report on LCC’s Community Café by Sandra Middleton (Team Leader):

The café has been running since 6[th] July 2022 and was opened by the Leamington and Warwick Mayor. We have 7 volunteers who serve, and we enjoy what we do. We provide a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, showing God’s love to people who come through the door. Rather than staying in the kitchen or behind the refreshment table, we sit with our guests and chat, if they are happy with this. Sometimes we have prayer requests and if people wish to talk over a problem, we will talk and pray in the Church. We also have a prayer box and from time-to-time people will put their prayer request into the box.

At the cafe we display a variety of Christian literature which people are free to take home. We usually get between 8 to 18 people at our cafe morning. At the moment our average is about 12. Our volunteers provide all the refreshments apart from the milk, and we are very happy to do this. Our donations from July 23 to June 24 were £103. I normally give the Treasurer our cafe donations every 6 months. As volunteers we feel that we are catering for people who mostly live on their own and who need some encouragement. We always like to give them food to take home, as it's another way of sharing Gods love. We trust that the work continues.

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

Pastoral Care Team

Here is a report on LCC’s Pastoral Care Team by Sandra Middleton (Team Leader):

There are 5 of us on the Pastoral Care Team: Bev, Vivian, Marion, Geoff and I. We try and meet up every 10 weeks or so. We discuss any problems and also share who needs prayer or a visit from us, including hospital visits which thankfully are rare. Most of the people we talk to and pray with don't need follow up although we are always available. Occasionally there may be someone who needs ongoing care, encouragement, prayer, and home visits, but we would always stress the importance of being with the body of Christ and getting spiritually built up.

There can be a number of reasons why some Church members need a visit from us. Since Covid some people have lost confidence in being in a close environment with others, or on-going medical issues prevent some people from joining us on a Sunday for worship. As a result, these people can miss fellowship with the body of Christ and look forward to a regular visit from some of us from the Pastoral Care Team.

We all have people connected with our Church community whom we visit and "look out for”. I myself, visit 5 ladies regularly. Basically, as volunteers, when we hear or are made aware of someone who needs prayer and encouragement, we are there to listen and pray. As a team, we aim to be of spiritual help to others as and when needed.

Missions and Partnerships

Table: Church Spending on Missions’ Partnerships in 2023-24

Children’s Bible Camp in Poland £1,200 LCC Hardship Fund(This fund is available to £500
(via Siloam Christian Ministries) people in the church family facing crisis or
hardship).
Christians Against Poverty, Junior Debt £3,000 Jews for Jesus(exists to support Jews in exploring £1,600
Centre(based at St. Mary’s Church) Jewish life with faith in Jesus).
Christmas Appeal(see below) £700 Street Pastors(work with other organisations £300
to practically help vulnerable people under
the influence of drink or drugs, or homeless,
or disorientated by mental illness, or the
young,lost or lonely).
Empart UK(Reaching the lost in South Asia) £1,500 Thrive Youth Ministry(exists to help local £400
churches be more effective in reaching out to
young people and discipling them in the Christian
faith).
Heart Transformation Ministry(Seth £1,550 Warwick University Christian Union(helping £500
Copeland’s trip to Uganda via Siloam them with their annual outreach to reach more
Christian Ministries) Students with the good news of Jesus Christ, on
campus).
Helping Hands(Local charity who extends £700 Warwick District Foodbank(exists to provide £700
compassionate and practical support to emergency food and support to people facing
those struggling with the causes and effects hardship, and campaign for change to end the
of homelessness and trauma). need for food banks in the UK).
Hope For Justice(exists to bring an end to £1,000 Other:Gift to CFaN (Christ for all Nations) for £550
modern slavery by preventing exploitation, Evangelism Training and resources
rescuing victims, restoring lives, and
reformingsociety).
TOTAL £14,200

The church seeks to partner and build relationships with other organisations who share an affinity with our charity’s objectives and values. We realise that more can be achieved in partnership than in isolation, and so we seek to partner through signposting and offering support through prayer,

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

finance and volunteers. To help us achieve this, the church tithes on its income to produce an annual missions’ budget (10% of the previous year’s income), whose expenditure is allocated to other organisations or individuals (e.g. Missions Partners) or needs as they arise. The table above, is a breakdown of our annual mission’s expenditure for the Financial Year. In 2023-24, we were able to spend most of the amount allocated.

At Christmas, we launched our annual Christmas appeal, seeking to give to those in need in the local community. This year, working in partnership with Helping Hands, and Warwick District Foodbank, and local Primary Schools, we launched our Christmas Hamper Appeal. We invited people to contribute financially to our campaign with the goal to raise enough money for 110 hampers. We were able to give away 125 to the local community through our Missions Partners and through the church. This was amazing, and we were so thankful to the generosity of the church, to be able to bless people in need at this time of year!

Venue Hire

We continue to see a gradual increase in demand for the hire of the centre for small meetings and groups. We currently only offer the Life Lounge and Kitchen for hire, as this is helpful from a logistics perspective. During this year, we are pleased to report that LCC earned £1,608 from venue hire within the local community, compared with £1,612 last year.

Financial Review

Financial Activity and Financial Position

Current Financial Review from 1[st] July 2023 to 30[th] June 2024

The main sources of funding for the Church are the free will offerings of Church members and income tax recovered under the Gift Aid scheme.

Due to the financial threshold in which the Church fell this year, the charity’s accounts have been prepared on a “receipts and payments” basis. In the “Statement of Account and Independent Examination Report” attached to this report, pages 5-7 show the Receipts and Payments Accounts, and page 8 shows the Church’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities. A comparison of the current and previous Financial Year follows:

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FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

89.1% vs 10.9% (compared with 88.0% vs 12.0% last year, excluding Gift Aid). This is helpful to the church , as it means that less cash is being physically handled by the offering counters for various reasons including security. Also, electronic giving methods reduce the time and administration of processing cash payments but also facilitate the ease and speed for people to donate. Standing Orders remain the Church’s preferred option of giving, as there are no charges incurred with this method.

This compares with the previous Vision Offering 2023, where people pledged £33,728 in total, and gave £23,778 in total. YoY, total Vision Income increased by £8,994 (37.8%)

Financial Position:

Financial Position:
Cash at Bank: 30/06/2024 £ 113,815
Less
Previous Missions Fund balances £ 2,012
AoG 3% balance £ -
Unspent Vision Balances* £ 35,633 *** Vision Balances: £35,633**
Vision80 Building Fund Balance £ 32,483 • Vision 2023: £11,200
Other commitments (children's account) £ 1,114 unspent
Sub-Total £ 71,242 • Vision 2024: £24,433 (of
£32,772) received in 2023-
24.
Balance £ 42,573
Essential Operating Expenditure for £ 62,637
2023-24 is c. :
Reserves Policy of 5 months OPEX would be c.: £ 26,100
FREE CASH POSITION: 30/06/2024 £ 16,473

We are so thankful to every person who gives within the life of the church. From regular donations in our weekly offerings, to those who gave sacrificially into our Vision 2024 offering, the church Leadership Team and Trustees wish to express our deepest gratitude. Your giving is truly making a difference!

Reserves Policy

The Trustees have examined the requirements for free reserves, i.e., those unrestricted funds not invested in tangible fixed assets. The Trustees consider that, given the nature of the Church’s work, free reserves should be equivalent to approximately 5 months’ routine general fund expenditure, plus committed future expenditure on other projects, where funds permit. The Trustees are of the

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FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

opinion that this provides sufficient flexibility to cover temporary shortfalls of incoming resources and will allow the church to cope and respond to unforeseen emergencies whilst action plans are implemented. However, as income increases, the Trustees will look to increase this amount to provide a greater safeguard for the charity. As of the end of the current financial year, free reserves requirement for 5 months budgeted routine expenditure is c.£26,100. This money will be held in the current account, and through regular monitoring the account will not be allowed to slip below this amount without actions being put in place to mitigate against any decline in income.

Grants Policy

The Church makes grants, equivalent to 10% of its donated income annually, to support missionary endeavours both in the UK and abroad. This amount is transferred into the “designated account”, known as the Mission Fund. The policy of the Church is to give grants on the basis that they are subject to annual review and only renewed based on meeting set criteria. These grants will either be donated as a “lump sum” or will be given on a monthly or quarterly basis. In addition, the Church makes donations for hardship at the discretion of the Eldership, to those in need within the Church.

Future Plans

We are excited about the future of the Church. We continue to put in place a strategy where mission is kept at the forefront of the church, along with discipleship pathways to help people grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ. We continue to develop leaders through a leadership development pipeline, and finances are strong. As attendance and engagement continue to increase, we will need to take a step in the next financial year, to make space for growth.

Again, we are thankful for the all the volunteers who give of their time and their money to make a significant contribution to the Church, and as we expand our volunteer base in the future, Life Community Church will seek to continue to make an impact, both locally and beyond.

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE, 2024

TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES STATEMENT

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Trustee’s Statement

Each of the persons who are Trustees at the time when this Trustees’ report was approved has confirmed that:

This report was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

10/04/2025

David Bolton, Senior Pastor Trustee

Date

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LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH

CHARLOTTE STREET

LEAMINGTON SPA

WARWICKSHIRE

CV31 3EB

Registered Charity: 1052019

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT

AND

INDEPENDENT EXAMINATION REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH ] JUNE 2024

Luke Silver Accountancy & Taxation Services 25 Ellicombe Close Minehead Somerset TA24 6DQ

Mobile: 07710 456376

E-mail: luke-silver@puresilver.org.uk

Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts

Receipts and Payment Accounts

Report to the trustees of Life Community Church

Registered Charity Number 1052019

On the accounts for the year ended 30[th ] June 2024

Set out on the following pages

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity¹s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act; follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and

state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed L A Silver

Date: 11 February 2025

Luke Silver, HNC Business & Finance

Accountancy & Taxation Services 25 Ellicombe Close, Minehead, Somerset. TA24 6DQ

Independent Examiners Report to the Trustees

Introduction

Thank you for submitting the accounts for independent examination. They have been well maintained and the treasurer and others responsible are to be commended for their hard work. Therefore I will keep my comments to a minimum.

Charity Law and Financial Regulations

The independent examination has been carried out in accordance with the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 1995 (Statutory Instruments No 2724) and the Accounting by Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP).

Signing of Accounts

I shall be obliged if you will please forward a copy of the signature page for my records after the accounts have been signed by a representative appointed by the Trustees and Church Council. A spare copy is enclosed.

Conclusion

There are no other matters I feel need to be brought to your attention.

Please do not hesitate to contact me for further clarification or for further assistance.

Luke Silver

Date: 11 February 2025

LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH ] JUNE 2024

ACTIVITIES REVIEW

The financial results are set out in the enclosed accounts.

The principal activity throughout the year under review was that of

TRUSTEES AND CHURCH COUNCIL

The trustees and church council during the year were as follows:

David Bolton

Leanne Bolton

Friday Ehiguese (Appointed as an Elder on 14 April 2024)

David Onyekwe

Peter Stephanis

STATEMENT

We certify that the books, vouchers and information produced to enable the independent examination of our accounts to be conducted contain a full and correct record of our financial transactions and activities to the best of our knowledge and belief.

SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE TRUSTEES

Please print name: David Bolton

Date: 10[th] April, 2025

Life Community Church

Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2024

Receipts and Payments Account

Grants and Donations
Donations - G/A (Standing Orders)
Donations - G/A (Cash)
Donations - G/A (Card / Online)
Donations - Non G/A (Cash)
Donations - Non G/A (S O)
Donations - Non G/A (Card / Online)
HMRC Gift Aid Tax Rebate
Children's Income
Trading Activities
Church Rent
General Sales
Manse Rent
Investment Income
TOTAL INCOME		 Designated
Fund £
2024
General
Total
Fund
£
£
0
97,201
97,201
0 5,272 5,272
0 1,309 1,309
0 8,925 8,925
0
14,401
14,401
0 1,293 1,293
0
27,830
27,830
0 765 765
0
156,996
156,996
0
1,608
1,608
0 0 0
0 0 0
0
1,608
1,608
0
621
0
159,225
621
159,225		 Designated
Fund £
2023
General
Total
Fund
£
£
0
74,494
74,494
0 5,851 5,851
0 1,286 1,286
0 7,894 7,894
0
13,448
13,448
0 1,950 1,950
0
26,632
26,632
0 1,092 1,092
0
132,647
132,647
0 1,612 1,612
0 1,650 1,650
0
0
0
0
3,262
3,262
0
48
0
135,957
48
135,957
Direct Charitable Expenditure
Teaching
Training
Outreach
Missions
Gifts
Ministry Gifts
Children
Youth Ministry
Student Ministry
Worship Team
Equipment
IT Equipment
Furniture & Fittings
Worship Equipment
Office Equipment
Equipment Hire
General
Management & Admin
Net Salaries
PAYE & NIC's
Professional Fees
Pensions
Support Costs
Property Insurance
Water Rates
Gas & Electricity
Travelling Expenses
Mileage
Printing & Stationery
Postage & Carriage
Maintenance
Subscriptions
Licences
Telephone Charges
General Expenses
Cleaning
Hospitality
Subsistence
P.R. (Leaflets & Brochures)
PSP (Card Payments)
Refuse Collection
Manse
Property Insurance
Council Tax
Gas & Electricity
Water Rates
Furniture & Fittings
Equipment Hire
Maintenance
TOTAL PAYMENTS		 0
195
195
0 4,858 4,858
0 1,238 1,238
0 16,186 16,186
0
916
916
0 1,165 1,165
0
814
814
0 1,968 1,968
0
116
116
0 0 0
0
27,456
27,456
0
470
470
0 0 0
0
479
479
0 0 0
0
264
264
0
395
395
0
1,608
1,608
0
58,730
58,730
0
10,339
10,339
0 3,896 3,896
0 5,057 5,057
0
78,022
78,022
0
3,198
3,198
0 85 85
0
3,306
3,306
0 117 117
0
1,109
1,109
0
1,116
1,116
0 17 17
0
1,565
1,565
0
4,327
4,327
0
2,632
2,632
0 588 588
0 253 253
0
3,341
3,341
0
1,306
1,306
0 39 39
0 100 100
0 749 749
0 794 794
0
24,642
24,642
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 1,158 1,158
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
4
0
1,162
1,162
0
132,890
132,890		 0
51
51
0 2,732 2,732
0 483 483
0 13,639 13,639
0 1,659 1,659
0 1,045 1,045
0 635 635
0 1,214 1,214
0
36
36
0 108 108
0
21,602
21,602
0
1,038
1,038
0 144 144
0
2,508
2,508
0 0 0
0 132 132
0
1,670
1,670
0
5,492
5,492
0
58,470
58,470
0
10,852
10,852
0 1,590 1,590
0 4,881 4,881
0
75,793
75,793
0
1,566
1,566
0 57 57
0
4,172
4,172
0 141 141
0 553 553
0 873 873
0 58 58
0
6,400
6,400
0
3,611
3,611
0
2,389
2,389
0 510 510
0 429 429
0
3,450
3,450
0
1,338
1,338
0 50 50
0 137 137
0 513 513
0 736 736
0
26,983
26,983
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 364 364
0
0
0
0 28 28
0
0
0
0 152 152
0
544
544
0
130,414
130,414
Transfers
Excess of Income over Payments
For the Year
Funds as at 30 June Start of
Year
Fund Balance Adjustment
Funds as at 30 June End of Year
**Monetary Assets: **		 0
0
0
26,335
34,674
52,806
28,262
(28,262)
62,936
50,879
0
26,335
87,480
0
113,815
51,517
32,483
0
1,114
28,701
0
113,815		 0
0
0
0
5,543
5,543
34,674
47,263
81,937
0
0
0
34,674
52,806
87,480
37,846
33,120
0
1,114
15,400
0
87,480





Bank Current Accounts
Kingdom Bank
Cash in Hand
Life Youth & Children's Account
Life Vision Offering
Creditors

Life Community Church

Statement of Assets and Liabilities As At 30th June 2024

2024
£		 2023
£
Fixed Assets
Church Building & Manse
(Commercial Property Valuation
undertaken in 2023)
Current Assets
Bank Balances:
Current Account
Life Designated Account
Kingdom Bank
Life Youth & Children's Account
Life Vision Offerings
Cash In Hand
Total Current Assets
Current Liabilities
Total Assets		 820,000
49,765
1,752
32,483
1,114
28,701
0		 820,000
35,325
2,521
33,120
1,114
15,400
0
113,815 87,480
113,815 87,480
0
0
933,815 907,480

LAS

08/04/2025