PraiseWay Church AOG 27-31 Straight Road Colchester CO3 9BY ## **Trustees Annual Report for Period 2022** ## **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 saw an increase in mainly-in person meetings after Covid-19. 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 has a deep commitment to cultural diversity and providing the wider community with information and education about the Christian 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** With the end of the limitations of in-person meetings that was caused by Covid-19, we saw an increase in members attending church with many new members finding faith after the effects of Covid-19 to the world. Although we still applied what we had learned in the previous two years to good use by continuing to provide online-options. This was especially helpful during the week when work and family commitments limit people’s ability to take part in any in-person activities. The easing of restrictions has also allowed the church to hold events such as BBQ’s and to mark festivals such as Easter and Pentecost. Pentecost was an opportunity to celebrate our cultural diversity. These activities have especially helped in reaching the wider community to educate and inform about the Christian faith and we have seen a growth in attendance at our meetings as a result of these. ## **Church Site** 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 2022 the church continued to provide pastoral care by visiting those members who were unable to attend in-person due to age or illness. The Pastor also began to carry out one to one meetings with individual members to help mentor them in personal growth and to hear individual concerns about the development of the church. We have improved our tracking and follow-up of visitors and those wishing to know more about Christianity with the adoption of a church management solution called ChurchSuite. ## **Missions** The church is committed to Christian mission initiatives in Congo and Kenya. We have financially supported a missionary team in Congo through an organisation call CAM and also the work of Barnabas Outreach trust, an organisation that carries out missionary trips to Kenya and supports local churches in that region. ## **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 2022 reported a decrease in the income of the church in comparison with the last financial period. The church was still able to make use of some 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 however, with the increase of in-person meeting at the church, utility usage did increase. Overall for this period, there was around a 50% decrease in the amount of cash held in bank. As although there were now collections at the church as more people are now attending in-person, more maintenance and supplies were needed for the building including equipment with more people now attending in-person. Use was made of the Building Fund, a restricted fund, for this period to fund the maintenance and replacement of fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment for the building. Building Fund aside, overall, the liquid assets of the church, namely cash held at bank, decreased during this financial period which was expected as the church had to readjust to circumstances after Covid-19. In 2022, with the increase in cash being given at collections, we have seen an increase in what we are able to claim in Gift with the steady income of donors who have signed Gift aid forms with a few new signed gift aiders. ## **PRAISEWAY ASSEMBLY OF GOD** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2022** **Charity Trustees** **Sean McIntyre Joyce McIntyre Martin Manning Jasmin Diaz** **Independent Examiner** **Mrs Carole Cowgill ACA 4 Penny Meadow Capel St Mary Ipswich IP9 2UU** **Contents Page Trustees' Report 3 to 6 Independent Examiner's Report 7 Receipts and Payments Account 8 Statement of Assets and Liabilities 9 Notes to the Accounts 10** 2 ## **PRAISEWAY ASSEMBLY OF GOD** ## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT** ## **AS AT 31ST DECEMBER 2022** |**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**Designated Total Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2022**
**Notes**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donations
- offertory
20,883
350
960
22,193
- special causes
1,224
1,224
- gift aid
5,324
88
40
5,452
- premises hire
1,830
1,830
29,261
438
1,000
30,699
Interest received
6
6
**Total Receipts**
**29,267**
**438**
**1,000**
**30,705**
**Payments**
Pastoral support and payroll costs
1
24,330
24,330
Activities relating to the work of
the church
2
3,309
3,309
Gifts and Donations
3
0
0
Utility and insurance costs
4
2,386
2,386
Repairs and Maintenance
5
1,134
210
1,344
Equipment and accessories
1,192
1,192
Management and administration costs
6
2,692
2,692
**Total Payments**
**35,043**
**210**
**0**
**35,253**
**Net of Receipts/ (Payments)**
(5,776)
228
1,000
(4,548)
**Transfers between funds**
0
**Cash Funds b/f 1st January 2022**
7,747
627
470
8,844
**Cash Funds c/f 31st December 2022**
**1,971**
**855**
**1,470**
**4,296**|**Total Funds**
**2021**
**£**
24,655
1,343
4,718
2,500| |---|---| ||33,216
0| ||**33,216**| ||24,102
3,447
335
1,908
990
366
2,149| ||**33,297**| ||(81)
0
8,925| ||**8,844**| 8 ## **PRAISEWAY ASSEMBLY OF GOD** ## **REPORT AND ACCOUNTS** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED** **31ST DECEMBER 2022** **Registered Charity Number – 1054335 Address: 27 Straight Road Colchester CO3 9BY** 1 ## **PRAISEWAY ASSEMBLY OF GOD** ## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2022** |**1.**
**Pastoral support and payroll costs**
Pastor's salary + pension costs
Visiting speaker fees
**2.**
**Activities relating to the work of**
**the church**
Pulpit supplies
Mission support
Books
Children and Youth
Catering
Subscriptions
Sundry
Evangelism
Advertising / Banners
Conferences
**3.**
**Gifts and Donations**
Other donations
**4.**
**Utility and insurance costs**
Heat and light
Phone and internet costs
Water charges
Insurance
**5.**
**Repairs and Maintenance**
Flooring
Extinguisher maintenance/ replacement
Door repairs
Rubbish clearance
Gas/ Electrical servicing
Fire risk assessment
Other repairs and maintenance
Gardening
**6.**
**Management and administration costs**
Payments to AOG Head Office
Payment to AOG Property Trust
Accountancy and independent exam fees
Payroll costs
Software costs
Media costs
Postage, printing, stationery
Licences|**2022**
**£**
24,180
150
**24,330**
77
1,440
334
0
165
0
49
0
1,224
20
**3,309**
0
**0**
672
562
40
1,112
**2,386**
1,069
0
0
210**R**
0
0
65
0
**1,344**
660
200
275
132
105
201
56
563|**2021**
**£**
24,102
0
**24,102**
160
1,540
176
53
0
76
42
1,270
130
0
**3,447**
335
**335**
462
116
279
1,051
**1,908**
0
326**R**
37**R**
0**R**
209
270
48
100**R**
**990**
660
0
260
0
154
412
81
582| |---|---|---| 10 Professional / consultancy fees 500 0 **2,692 2,149** **R** = Restricted building fund expenses 10 ## **PRAISEWAY ASSEMBLY OF GOD** ## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2022** ||**31 December**|**31 December**|**31 December**|**31**|**December**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |||**2022**|||**2021**| ||**£**|**£**||**£**|**£**| |**Cash Funds**|||||| |Barclays current account|3,207|||7,762|| |Kingdom savings account|1,089|||1,082|| |**Total Monetary Assets**||4,296|||8,844| |**The Funds of the Charity:**|||||| |**Unrestricted Income Funds**|||||| |Unrestricted General Funds||1,971|||7,747| |Designated funds - Welfare Fund|470|||470|| |- Administrator Fund|1,000|||0|| |**Total Unrestricted Funds**||1,470|||470| |**Restricted Income Funds**|||||| |Building Fund|||855||627| |**Total Charity Funds**||4,296|||8,844| |These accounts were approved by the Trustees and signed on|||their behalf:||| |Signed:……………………………..|Date:……………….|||Date:……………….|| 9 Inde ndent Examiner's Re rt to the Trustees of Praisewa Assembl of God For the ear ended 31" December 2022 Chari number 1054335 I report to the truslees on my examination of the accounts of the alM)ve charity for thc y¢ar ¢nd¢d 31, December 2022. nsibilities and basi5 of As the charity trustees. you are resFK)nsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (thc Charities Act). I report in respect of my examination of the charity's acci)unts carried oul under seclion 145 of ihe Charities Acl. and in carrying oui my examTrnation. I have followed the applicable directions given by the Charity C'ommission under section 145{5Mb) of the Charities Act. Inde endenl examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confinn that no n￿terIal matters have come to my attention in connection with the examinalion which give me cause to believe thaL in any material respect, accountin¥ rwords w¢r¢ not kept in accordance with se£tion 130 of the Charities ACL or that the accounts do nol accord with the accounting records. I have no concerns. and hav¢ com¢ across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understsnding of the accounts to be reached. Mrs. Carole Cowgill ACA 4 Penny Meadow c.apel St. Mary Ipswich IP9 2UU ICAEIV CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT