PraiseWay Church AOG 27-31 Straight Road Colchester CO3 9BY
Trustees Annual Report for Period 2021
Aim of the Church
PraiseWay Assemblies of God Colchester is a registered charity (number 120441) and a part of the AOG movement in the Uk and is located at 27-31 Straight Road Colchester.
The church is managed and administered by a church council and a small leadership team. Some members of the church council are also the composition of the board of Trustees. These people were specifically chosen from the congregation as suitable for this position for their good standing and suitable abilities.
The aim of the leadership and council is to actively promote the pastoral, evangelical and social purposes of the church.
The church has a full time pastor Mr Sean McIntyre together with his wife Joyce. The Pastor is the chairman of the board of trustees.
Objectives and Activities
The aim of Praiseway is the growth, sustenance and nurturing of a healthy and vibrant community that is both an asset to the community at large and a valuable resource to all its members.
The practice and promotion of spiritual and practical matters in regards to the welfare, leadership and general encouragement of all the members of the church comprises the primary objective and activity of the church. This is also extended to all visitors who attend.
These objectives are achieved in the main through its regular activities which are offered in the church, which encompass fellowship, corporate worship and teaching.
The church’s activities are put into practice via our regular services and a variety of less formal meetings that take place during the week. It is during these regular meetings that the core values of the church are expressed and promoted wherever appropriate.
The church continued the use of on-line meetings during 2021 which were called ‘Bubbles’ meeting via Zoom to maintain fellowship and encouragement in the face of the worldwide pandemic that called for maximum isolation and exclusion from meetings.
Every member of the church is encouraged and enabled to express their individual beliefs in the medium of worship, teaching, prayer and faith based activities during our meetings.
The church maintains a strong commitment to pastoral care of its members and anyone else it comes into contact with through practical support, advice and the promotion of lifestyles that reflect goodwill, care and the advancement of faith.
The church continues to maintain a valuable contribution to missionary work across the world through an ongoing commitment of financial support and prayer.
Performance
During 2021 the church offered a Sunday Service week by week, which met in-person at the church location site. During this period the church also experimented with an exchange location with another orgainsation making use of its building for sunday services. Whilst this did initially provide a source of expansion and greater exposure, it did eventually prove too arduous in terms of maintainence and was ceased later in the year.
As the local community was still adjusting to the effects of Covid 19, the church’s sense of community remained its primary focus as it began to see the end of isolation. The church endeavored to constantly promote communication and and sense of support wherever and whenever possible, firsty to its members but also to the community at large.
The midweek bible study group continued to meet via zoom and maintained its core values of discussion, teaching and reflection as well as encouragement and fellowship.
The church continued its use of ‘bubbles’ or group meetings during this perioid, where members of the church were designated to belong, which included those who would attend on-line as well as other members who would not but were cared for pastorally by the group members to maximise a community spirit throughout 2021. The church also took the opportunity in these bubbles to teach and encourage its members through the use of the Multiply Movement online teaching materials which prepares individuals for exercising evangelism in their own lives.
Church Site
Although there was no major building work undertaken in 2021, the fire safety and fire fighting equipment throughout the building was assessed and updated in line with current regulations.
The church continues to employ the services of a local gardener infrequently, who will continue to maintain the various flower beds and shrubbery, the costs of which were borne by the Building Fund.
Pastoral Care
During 2021, the return of in-person meetings on a Sunday returned, although safe distancing was practiced throughout, by limited seating and adequate spacing and the following of Government guidelines with regards to facemasks and sanitation. Meeting halls were steamed or wiped down after each service to reduce any risk of infection.
This enabled a return of in person fellowship, allbeit in a limited capacity, with zero physical contact, no refreshments offered after services and strict guidelines in relation to movement in and out of the building.
The midweek Zoom meetings provided the additional fellowship opportunities,to which all were invited, though of course due to age and other restrictions some members have had a very limited amount of contact, some not being familiar with the technical requirements to attend these meetings.
Due to long term illnesses and requirements to isolate due to risk, some members had actually benefited from the exposure to online meetings as it has enabled them to attend when it would have been not possible normally.
The Youth group has continued to meet online during 2021 with a healthy proportion of the young members of the church getting connected.
Missions
As a church has a firm commitment to several projects around the globe which provides missionary work and outreach. The church achieves this with finacial support and prayer.
In particular the church continues to support CAM international that funds missionaries working in schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It is also financially supporting the Barnabas Fund in Mombasa, a christian organisation that provides help and support to Christian minorities who experience persecution for their faith and provide real means to fund projects in the local environment that benefit the community.
Administrative Information
PraiseWay church is part of the Assemblies of God and is situated in the district of Lexden and Stanway in Colchester.
The address is 27-31 Straight Road, Colchester, Essex CO3 9BY
Financial Report for the Activities of Praiseway
The financial period ending 31st December 2021 reported a small increase in the income of the church in comparison with the last financial period.
The church was able to make use of credit balances held with some of its utilities companies which has been accrued in the previous financial period due to low usage of the buiding and the continued payments of its standing orders. This enabled the church to lower its financial payments in this period and use of these credits which resulted in a real-time reduction in payments made during this year.
Overall for this period, there was very little change in the amount of cash held in bank. Although the income of the church had increased slightly, the expenses for the same period had also risen by a comparable amount.
Use was made of the Builiding Fund, a restricted fund, for this period to fund the maintainence and replacement of fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment for the builiding.
Building Fund aside, overall, the liquid assets of the church, namely cash held at bank, was maintained during this financial period which is a considerable achievement.
2021 showed a large decrease in the amount of giving in cash compared to the previous period, but also a large increase of amounts giving via bank transfers. Whilst there was a reduction in the amount of giving that attracted Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme funds, there continues to be an increase of giving that can be Gift Aided by members who have signed a Gift Aid Donor form.
PRAISEWAY ASSEMBLY OF GOD
DRAFT
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
AS AT 31ST DECEMBER 2021
| Unrestricted Restricted Designated Total Funds Funds Funds Funds 2021 Notes £ £ £ £ Receipts Donations - offertory 24,655 24,655 - special causes 1,343 1,343 - gift aid 4,718 4,718 - premises hire 2,500 2,500 33,216 0 0 33,216 Interest received 0 0 Total Receipts 33,216 0 0 33,216 Payments Pastoral support and payroll costs 1 24,102 24,102 Activities relating to the work of the church 2 3,447 3,447 Gifts and Donations 3 335 335 Utility and insurance costs 4 1,908 1,908 Repairs and Maintenance 5 527 463 990 Equipment and accessories 366 366 Management and administration costs 6 2,149 2,149 Total Payments 32,834 463 0 33,297 Net of Receipts/ (Payments) 382 (463) 0 (81) Transfers between funds 0 Cash Funds b/f 1st January 2021 7,465 990 470 8,925 Cash Funds c/f 31st December 2021 7,847 527 470 8,844 |
Total Funds 2020 £ 21,774 4,218 1,200 |
|---|---|
| 27,192 10 |
|
| 27,202 | |
| 20,622 2,081 0 2,625 3,320 148 1,931 |
|
| 30,727 | |
| (3,525) 0 12,450 |
|
| 8,925 |
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Inde ndent Examiner's Re rt to the Trustees of Prgisewa Assembl of God For the ear ended 31" December 2021 Chari number 1054335 I report to the trustees on my examination of th¢ accounts of the ave charity for the year ended 31, December 2021. Res nsibilities and basis of r¢ As the charity trustees, you are resw)nsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Aci 2011 (the Charities Act). I report in respect of my examination of th¢ charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act. and in carrying out my examinatiorn I have followed the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act. Inde nd¢nl examiner's slalcmenl I have completed my examination. I confirn) that no maierial matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which give me cause to lIeVe thaL in any material r¢spect, accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of th¢ Chariti¢s Act, or that the accounts do nol accord with the accounting reconts. I have no concerns. and have come across no other mallers in connection with the examination to which attention should k drawn in order to enable a proper understsnding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: 21 Mrs. Carole Cowgill ACA 4 Penny Meadow Capel St. Mary Ipswich IP9 2UU ICAEW CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT