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2024-01-31-accounts

TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2024

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Index to the Trustees Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 January 2024

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Emmanuel Christian Centre Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 January 2024

Reference and Administration Details

Charity Name Emmanuel Christian Centre
Charity Number 1052196
Address Mill Street
Ulverston
Cumbria
LA12 7EB
Board of Trustees: Other Roles:
Chairman DavidDarren Roy Minister, Pastor
Secretary Lisa Smith Chaplain, Treasurer
Other Trustees David Smith Elder
Colin Thornhill Deacon, Safeguarding Lead
Paul Sedgwick Deacon
Andrew Wright Steward
Bankers TSB Bank Plc
Lunedale House
4 Market Street East
Morecambe
Lancashire
LA4 5DW
Independent Examiner Knox Accountants Limited
Unit 1 The Old Fire Station
1 Abbey Road
Barrow in Furness
Cumbria
LA14 1XH

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Structure, Governance and Management

Organisation

Emmanuel Christian Centre (ECC) has been registered with the Charity Commission in its current form since 23[rd] January 1996, in practice operating as a church. ECC is a member of the Evangelical Alliance and Churches in Communities International (CIC), governed by its Constitution and Trust Deed last updated in 2012.

Organisational Structure

ECC is administered and managed by a board of trustees known as the Church Council, chaired by the senior ordained minister. Members of the Church Council give their time freely and receive no remuneration for managing ECC as trustees. Each trustee has an equal vote on decisions of the Church Council which meets at least four times a year to ensure ECC carries out its purposes for public benefit in accordance with charity law and its Constitution. Every issue considered by the Church Council is determined by a simple majority of the votes cast. For the sake of public confidence, whenever a member of the Church Council has a personal interest in a matter to be discussed, they are required to declare their interest and then be absent from that part of the meeting.

Recruitment & Appointment of Trustees

The Senior Minister nominates an individual to be a Trustee and the Church Council sanctions the appointment by voting. This ensures that any trustee is a respected member of the Christian faith who understands the foundational tenets and can effectively promote our objects. Trustees are selected to bring varying skills and insight to the Church Council and to fairly represent the beneficiaries of ECC.

Members of the Church Council who also serve in ecclesiastical roles are purposefully not affiliated with one or the same organisation so as to maintain probity and impartiality. The Senior Minister must be ordained, hold relevant qualifications, and be subject to an annual review. The current Senior Minister is the Reverend Darren Roy, ordained through CIC as part of the Free Churches Group. Other church offices are ratified locally which includes elders (David Smith) and deacons (Colin Thornhill and Paul Sedgwick). Church-related appointments which are not to the Church Council, such as chaplains and celebrants, are externally reviewed and accredited (Stuart Matthews and Lisa Smith).

Induction & Training of Trustees

Induction and training of a new trustee is under the guidance of the existing Church Council. A new trustee is given a copy of the Constitution and Trust Deed, the Charity Commission’s trustee welcome pack, ECC’s adopted policies and procedures, and a guidebook to the operation of the Church Council. Safeguarding training is completed before appointment. Trustees are made aware of their responsibilities, accountability, scope and limits.

Risk Management

The Church Council has assessed the major strategic and operational risks which ECC faces and they have systems in place for protection, including a regularly reviewed reserves policy. Reports are produced so that necessary steps can be taken to lessen any risks. Insurance cover is always in place, finances are kept under review, policies are regularly updated, and appropriate DBS background checks are undertaken for volunteers. Checks are also carried out regarding organisations ECC works with to ensure safeguarding and financial probity.

Mr Colin Thornhill was the Safeguarding Lead for 2023-2024, working with Thirtyone:eight to protect children and adults at risk of harm who use or attend services of ECC. Volunteers also complete safeguarding awareness training.

Aims and Objectives

The purposes listed as ECC’s charitable objects are the primary goals for the charity and the various internal departments are assigned to achieve these. A modified version of ECC’s vision statement from 1986 is still actively pursued, and each member of ECC is encouraged to demonstrate the latest core values.

ECC is accredited by Churches in Communities International, recognised in the Free Churches Group, and it is a member of the Evangelical Alliance.

The vision statement of ECC is for the saints to:

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ECC’s core values are summed up as: love, community and honour . This means to love God and others, to be a community of growth and unity, and to honour God and people according to the Scriptures.

Charitable Objects

The main objects of ECC as a charity are to:

After consultation and review with the various departments, the trustees are confident that ECC is meeting all its objectives with due regard to public benefit according to guidance published by the Charity Commission.

[ The following overview is based on activities up to 31 January 2024]

Achievements and Performance

Review of the Year

Attendance at ECC has continued to rise during the year, there has been a 15% increase in formal membership, and there have been many baptisms. Both tiers of seating areas are used weekly and are near capacity at gospel services. There is a tangible sense of being a family centred around a passion for Jesus Christ. This has led to an increase in formal discipleship groups as well as impromptu fellowship, prayer meetings and get-togethers arranged by members. The core values of love, community and honour are manifest and the Church Council is pleased with the enthusiasm throughout the Church.

The charitable objects have been promoted through regular Sunday worship and teaching services which are the main public-facing provision available to all. Sunday services have been described by attendees as ‘super-welcoming’, ‘spiritfilled’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘lively’. As well as in-person attendance, there was an average of 33 people logged-in to watch the live stream each Sunday and 105 views each week for the sermons published later on YouTube.

There has also been an emphasis on developing the post-worship fellowship which is described as ‘the less formal part of the service’. This is where Christian unity and friendships are developed, and it’s often the case that people stay for an extended period into the afternoon. It’s not uncommon to see people praying together, supporting one another and reading the Bible in groups for encouragement, as you might expect in a faithful Christian community.

Church communications have worked well with various messaging groups and points of contact offering practical and spiritual support. Much of the practical support has been overseen by deacons, but it’s been encouraging to see members really looking out for each other’s welfare. The members area of the website has also been widely resourced to enable access to biblical teaching, helpful articles, forms and important documents.

The Church Council are confident that all of ECC’s charitable objects have been met through various departments. The dedication of the members and volunteers has been commended at the AGM. Brief reports related so some of the departments are detailed below:

The Ulverston outpost of Royal Rangers was formed at ECC in August 2021. Rangers is a uniformed, practical based programme involving scouting type activities, adventure in the outdoors and achievement. Some parts of the curriculum meet our objective of advancing the Christian faith to young people aged between 11-17 years. Primarily it advances education in a range of practical skills, including the increasingly popular art of bushcraft.

Rangers was held on Wednesday evenings during term time and has doubled in attendance this year. Paul and Karen Sedgwick served as the senior leaders, supported by leaders Nahum and Abbey Matthews, and 2 new

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younger leaders developed to assist with the growth in attendance. The rangers attended 2 weekend camps during the year and were actively involved in community events such as remembrance day and civic services.

• Chaplaincy

In 2023, ECC had 2 dedicated chaplains serving the emergency services, students and young adults. Each chaplain operated according to the needs and protocols of the sector, thus fulfilling ECC’s objectives to advance the Christian faith, relieve sickness and financial hardship, and to promote and preserve good health by the provision of services including through counselling and support.

The Emergency Services Chaplain attended Police duty meetings, Fire Service training days, and civic and remembrance services. Using resources from Oscar Kilo (the Police wellbeing charity) the Chaplain was able to equip officers and staff with tools for better mental wellbeing. The Chaplain also supported staff through membership of the Christian Police Association.

ECC’s Chaplain to Students and Young Adults held weekly self-worth courses in local schools through partnership with the Be Me Project. There were also a number of referrals for counselling vulnerable young people and the demand is growing. Any support offered is from a Christian perspective but available to all, subject to parental and school agreement. The Chaplain is accredited and annually reviewed by a national body.

• All-Stars Junior Church

All-Stars is the children’s church at ECC which runs on Sunday mornings. During this year, All-Stars was run by a team of parents and helpers who on a rota basis were teaching the children Christian messages and Bible stories. The Church Council are grateful for the commitment of all the parents involved. To maintain consistency and for a more focussed provision, a specifically trained All-Stars teacher will run the sessions weekly in 2024.

All-Stars used Scripture Union resources as a basis to provide fun lessons with arts, crafts, singing and ageappropriate activities. All-Stars is open to all children in the area and it promoted the objectives of advancing education and the Christian faith. The lessons from All-Stars teach the children to be good Christian citizens within their community. The children attend enthusiastically and often the theme for their session matches the sermon in the main service.

• Emmanuel Toddlers

This year, Emmanuel Toddlers met on Tuesday mornings during school term. The group continues to serve young families in the community by providing a warm and stimulating environment for parents, toddlers and babies to interact and build supportive relationships. Led by Carol Roy and a team of helpers, there is a clear Christian element with Bible stories and songs.

As an objective this is about the advancement of the Christian faith, relief of sickness and financial hardship, and the promotion of good health by the provision of a service with counselling and support. Emmanuel Toddlers uses the minor hall at ECC and has seen a steady growth since moving from afternoon to morning sessions.

• Missions Department

This year the Missions Department had the purpose of raising funds and communicating with people and organisations that benefit from ECC as a charity, both locally and internationally. The Missions Department reported to the Church Council and presented requests from organisations and individuals who were in need of charitable assistance.

• Carelink

The purpose of Carelink is to demonstrate the love of God in a practical way mainly through the provision of meals. The meals offered are either part of Carelink’s regular meals service which replaced Cumbria County Council’s meal-on-wheels provision, or they are given as Carelink free meals which were open to anybody in the community experiencing short-term crisis because of illness or financial hardship.

Led by Lynne Matthews, the meals service has been running for over 10 years and has built a great reputation in Ulverston. On Christmas Day, Carelink again provided a free dinner for those who wanted to either attend ECC for a celebration or have a meal delivered. On behalf of those who benefitted from Carelink’s services in 2023, the Church Council are thankful to all the volunteers and drivers.

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• House-groups

Due to growth, even more house-groups were needed and therefore held throughout the year. These were at the heart of ECC’s midweek fellowship and discipleship. The aim of the groups was to provide Christian teaching, develop relationships between members, and to prepare members for work in the community. Each group had a slightly different format as they were facilitated by people with different, but equally valuable, talents.

The groups met our objects of advancing education and advancing the Christian faith, as well as the provision of counselling and support to group members. It has been encouraging for the Church Council to see such an increase in voluntary attendance at house-groups, resulting in meaningful friendships, a sense of unity, and growth in personal discipleship. At the AGM, those who attended groups from 2023 to 2024 expressed their gratitude to the house-group leaders for opening their homes weekly, and for ‘promoting an authentic sense of New Testament fellowship’.

• Worship Music & AV Group

As a Christian organisation our Music & AV Group plays an integral part in our objective to advance the Christian faith. The team provides live music at our Sunday services and also supports all the other departments in various ways. The Music & AV Group allows for our members to meet for corporate expressions of worship and none of this would be possible without their regular practice nights and training.

The Church Council noted that those who serve on ECC’s Music & AV team, carry a Christian commitment that extends beyond Sunday services. Each member of the team being faithful to personal discipleship is what allows for a genuine expression of praise each Sunday. There is a real sense of enthusiasm, joy and ‘presence’ which is felt when the team play. Terms used by visitors who have left feedback include ‘Jesus-praising’, ‘passionate’, ‘joyous’ and ‘anointed’. There is a tangible feeling of God’s pleasure in the musical worship at ECC.

• Kintsugi Hope

ECC partnered with Kintsugi Hope during 2021 to form a wellbeing group which is a safe and supportive space for people who feel or have felt overwhelmed. By providing tools for self-management, the group was able to cover subjects such as disappointment, loss, anxiety, anger perfectionism, depression, shame and resilience. Initial feedback was somewhat positive and a review of ECC’s wellbeing group will be conducted before firm plans to present further courses are established.

• Connections Coffee Shop

The coffee shop area known as Connections is open to the public on Friday each week. Connections also compliments other ECC initiatives by providing refreshments and the space for meetings. The area has been hired by a number of community groups and other churches for business meetings and fellowship events.

During some of Ulverston’s festivals, Connections Coffee Shop has proved to be very popular, causing us to draw on many volunteers to offer a great service. The Dickensian festival was constantly busy, during which Church members were available to answer questions, supply Christian literature and introduce new people to life at ECC.

Colin and Sue Thornhill run Connections and all of ECC are grateful for the service they provide. Proceeds from Connections are used for charitable purposes and missions giving is funded through it.

• Chosen Youth Group

Chosen Group is a house-group style provision which encourages and supports high-schoolers in the Christian Faith. Led by Dan & Connie Blundell it forms part of ECC’s discipleship and pastoral system for children in year 7 or above. During the year, the group met at least monthly and was a place of help and prayer for younger people navigating the challenges of school life, at whatever stage of the Christian journey they may be. Discipleship through Chosen Group was rooted in relationship and the concept of God’s love for all was the primary value. It was a blessing for the Church Council to see the group members taking steps forward in the Way which is Jesus, and to then see those steps outworked through involvement in the wider Church.

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[ A signed copy of the following accounts is available at Emmanuel Christian Centre ]

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Wages and social security costs cover 1 full-time and 3 part-time employees

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En)n)anuel Christian Centre As At 31 Janua 2024 2024 2023 Notes Fixed Assets Depre(iatinq Assets 187,547 193,099 Current Assets Stock Debtors Cash at bank and In hand Buildinq sc(iety and kn'rKJdom bank ￿COUnts 300 28,1119 811,628 108,947 18,(162 53,968 72,331 Current Ilabllitles Credttors and accruals 120 1211 Net Current Assets 108,827 72,211 E 296,374 265,310 Represented By: Capital Account Accumulated Reserves Unrestncted qeneral funds Unrestncted desiqnated funds Restricted funds 226,273 9,291 6U,8U9 181,167 52,711 31,432 E 296,374 265,310 These financial statements were approved by the trustees on the 30 April 2024 and are siqned on their behalf by: Trustee Trustee io

Enlnianuel Christian Centre Notes to the Accounts ear ended 31 Janua For the 2024 Note l Accounting Policies The accounts on paqes 2 and 3 have been prepared under the historical cost conventi'on. Depre(iation is charged on the fixed assets of the church as f(Ak)v￿. Freehold property Fixtures and fittings Equipment 20/0 straiqht line 250/0 reducing balance 150/0 reducino balance Note 2 Depreciating Assets Freehold Property Fixtures and Fittings Equipnient Total Cost At l February 2U23 Additions At 31 January 2024 346,633 35,530 38,333 2,793 41,126 42U,496 346,633 35,530 42n,496 Depreciation At l February 2023 Charae for the year At 31 January 2024 159,612 6,933 166,545 34,461 160 34,621 33,322 1,254 34,575 227,396 8,347 235,742 Net Book Value At 31 January 2n24 18O,(189 909 6,55(J 187,547 At 31 January 2023 187,1121 1,1169 5,1111 193,1199