2024-12-31-accounts - Colchester City Church

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Colchester City Church AOG 27-31 Straight Road Colchester CO3 9BY

Trustees Annual Report for Period 2024

Aim of the Church

Colchester City Church 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 Colchester City Church 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.

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.

After serving the community from its previous location in Straight Road, Lexden, since 1948, the church relocated to its current, central premises in 2024, significantly enhancing its accessibility and community reach. Because this is done as a charity lease with no rent, it is a very economical move.

Since the appointment of the current minister, Sean McIntyre, in 2018, the church has experienced consistent organic growth, steadily transforming into a thriving and diverse congregation. Crucially, the overwhelming majority of our members are migrants to the UK.

This unique demographic makeup has not only shaped our identity but has also instilled in us a deep, lived concern for the wellbeing, integration, and holistic support of the wider migrant, asylum seeker, and refugee communities in Colchester. Working with this community is now a key, central component of our mission. In 2025 and beyond, the church is planning to explore strategic partnerships in this demographic area.

Performance

The church has had an increase in the visitors at the church on Sundays and this continues to grow. Although there isn't an online service option we have WhatsApp groups for various demographics such as youth, women, young adults as well as a general members group and a channel for people who are not members but want to connect with us more. Plans to begin livestreaming continue to be in place but have been put on temporary hold while pursuing more pressing priorities for our community work.

Church Site

The church is currently maintained by the Pastor as well as any volunteers from the visitors to offer a helping hand.

Pastoral Care

During 2024 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. New discipleship programmes are being put in place to facilitate the integration of new members.. 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.We had a mission in Kenya at the end of 2024, which was used to deepen ties with Barnabas East Africa Church. Ministry was hampered due to the death of a local pastor in Mombasa. It was however, an opportunity to encourage the local congregation and strengthen ties with the church leadership there.

Administrative Information

Colchester City 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 Colchester City Church

The financial period ending 31st December 2024 reported a decrease in the income of the church in comparison with the last financial period. This is mostly because in 2024 the church did not receive a legacy as it did in 2023.

The church made a big move to a new venue in town (as mentioned above) which has hopes of attracting more people as it is more centrally located. This move did cost the church financially

which is why our finances dropped as repairs and builds needed to be made to the new building as well as rubbish clearing.

Overall for this period, there was around a 65.99% decrease in the amount of cash held in banks. After the expenses of the new venue we also continued to invest in making giving easier with the use of card machines at the church to make giving more accessible to all in hopes that this drop in finances is temporary.

Fortunately we did have an increase in giving in 2024 and we hope this continues to improve with the new venue and more accessible giving.

COLCHESTER CITY CHURCH

YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

Charity Trustees

Sean McIntyre Joyce McIntyre Martin Manning Jasmin Diaz (resigned in year) Rosemary Kalu ( appointed 9th July 2024)

Independent Examiner

Mrs Carole Cowgill ACA 4 Penny Meadow Capel St Mary Ipswich IP9 2UU

Contents Trustees' Report Independent Examiner's Report Receipts and Payments Account Statement of Assets and Liabilities Notes to the Accounts	Page 3 to 6 7 8 9 10 to 11

COLCHESTER CITY CHURCH

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

DRAFT

AS AT 31ST DECEMBER 2024

Notes Receipts Donations - offertory - gift aid - legacy received - premises hire Interest received Amazon credits Total Receipts Payments Pastoral support and payroll costs 1 Activities relating to the work of the church 2 Gifts and Donations 3 Utility and insurance costs 4 Repairs and Maintenance 5 Equipment and accessories 6 Management and administration costs 7 Total Payments	Unrestricted Restricted Designated Total Funds Funds Funds Funds 2024 £ £ £ £ 34,594 34,594 6,778 6,778 0 2,400 2,400	Total Funds 2023 £ 32,714 7,147 10,123 2,540
	43,772 0 0 43,772 19 19 0 43,791 0 0 43,791 27,501 27,501 3,809 3,809 37 37 4,494 4,494 5,288 5,288 5,610 5,610 8,777 8,777 55,516 0 0 55,516	52,524 18 18
		52,560
		24,102 3,040 100 5,187 223 1,614 4,824
		39,090

Net of Receipts/ (Payments) Transfers between funds Cash Funds b/f 1st January 2024 Cash Funds c/f 31st December 2024	(11,725) 0 0 (11,725) 6,174 (693) (5,481) 0 9,896 1,605 6,265 17,766 4,345 912 784 6,041	13,470 0 4,296 17,766

COLCHESTER CITY CHURCH

REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

Registered Charity Number – 1054335 Address: 27 Straight Road Colchester CO3 9BY

COLCHESTER CITY CHURCH

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 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 Catering Travel expenses Accommodation and subsistence Training Sundry Advertising/ Leaflets Fund day expenses Conferences AOG Minister's fee 3. Gifts and Donations Gifts and donations 4. Utility and Insurance costs Heat and light Phone and internet costs Water charges	DRAFT 2024 2023 £ £ (27,501) (24,102) (0) (0)	DRAFT 2024 2023 £ £ (27,501) (24,102) (0) (0)
	(27,501) (28) (1,500) (308) (195) (275) (884) (351) (25) (60) (123) (0) (60) (3,809) (37) (37)	(24,102)
		(32) (1,440) (494) (233) (226) (0) (0) (58) (0) (179) (318) (60)
		(3,040)
		(100)
		(100)
	(1,680) (1,228) (201)	(2,740) (1,142) (0)

Insurance 5. Repairs and Maintenance New Venue Building costs Extinguisher maintenance Rubbish clearance Boiler service and repairs Other repairs and maintenance 6. Equipment and Accessories Equipment and accessories Fire extinguishers New venue fixtures 7. Management and Administration costs Admin salaries Payments to AOG Head Office Payment to AOG Property Trust Accountancy and independent exam fees Payroll costs Software costs Go Cardless fees Media costs Website maintenance costs Postage, printing, stationery Licences	(1,385)	(1,305)
	(4,494) (4,420) (84) (200) (489) (95) (5,288) (2,757) (461) (2,392) (5,610) (3,490) (660) (200) (403) (207) (214) (1,632) (383) (359) (305) (924) (8,777)	(5,187)
		(0) (60) (0) (150) (13)
		(223)
		(1,614) (0) (0)
		(1,614)
		(1,860) (660) (100) (300) (219) (462) (0) (172) (0) (362) (689)
		(4,824)

COLCHESTER CITY CHURCH

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

DRAFT

31 December 2024 £ £ 1,375 3,534 7 1,125	31 December 2024 £ £ 1,375 3,534 7 1,125	31 December 2023 £ £ 95 16,538 27 1,106	31 December 2023 £ £ 95 16,538 27 1,106
370 240 174 0	6,041 4,345 784	370 0 174 5,721	17,766
			9,896 6,265

	5,129		16,161

Restricted Income Funds
Building Fund	912		1,605
Total Charity Funds	6,041		17,766
These accounts were approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf:
Signed:……………………………..	Date:……………….	Date:……………….

Inde endent Examiner's Re rt to the Trustees of Colchester Ci Church For the ear ended 31 December 2024 Chari number 1054335 sl I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year ended 31 D¢Mr 2024. st nsibilities and basis of re ort As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act). I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act, and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act. Inde ndent examiner, s statement I have completed my ¢xamination. I confirn] that no material matters hav¢ come to my attention in Connection with th¢ examination which give me cause to b¢lieve that, in any material respect. accounting records We not k¢pt in accordance with tion 130 of the Charities Act, or that the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. I have no concerns, and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Date: ?_oi£ Mrs. Carole Cowgill ACA 4 Penny Meadow Capel St. Mary Ipswich IP9 2UU ICAEW CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT