Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From: 1[st] of Jan 2020 Period start date. To: 31[st] of Dec 2020 Period end date.
Charity name: Rushden Full Gospel Church
Charity registration number: 1054425
Charity’s principle address:
Full Gospel Church 60, High Street South Rushden NN10 0QX
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity.
| Rev Joseph Sherwin (Minister of Religion) | Senior Leader |
|---|---|
| Deborah Bull | Leadership Team |
| David Rutt | Leadership Team |
| Christiana Chika Obiechefu | Leadership Team |
This report has been prepared by the trustees to set out the achievements of the Full Gospel Church in 2020 through the activities of its members.
The activities took place towards the fulfilment of its agreed objectives outlined within the model trust deed, church constitution, the purpose statement of the church and our united faith as set out within our conditions for church membership and the underpinning statement of faith document for Assemblies of God GB Incorporated.
Trustee Selection Methods:
Appointed by the Trustees/Leadership Team
How is the Charity Constituted?
Trust
Governing Document:
Model Constitution with Trust Deed for Local Assemblies of God
Objectives and Activities
Rushden Full Gospel Church (RFGC) is an Assemblies of God, Pentecostal church based in Rushden, Northamptonshire. The church has been active since the mid 1930’s is well known within the town.
1
We are a Christian church committed to working with others, operating a community use building and being a key player in our local community - reaching out with God’s love to all.
We strive to be a church living life to the full, restoring our hurts, becoming all we can be, with Christ at the centre.
THE OBJECTS OF THE CHURCH ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC:
A) TO ADVANCE THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATEMENT IN SUCH WAYS AND IN SUCH PARTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OR THE WORLD AS THE CHURCH COUNCIL FROM TIME TO TIME MAY THINK FIT;
B) 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 IN SUCH PARTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OR THE WORLD AS THE CHURCH COUNCIL FROM TIME TO TIME THINK FIT;
C) TO ADVANCE EDUCATION IN SUCH WAYS AND IN SUCH PARTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OR THE WORLD AS THE CHURCH COUNCIL FROM TIME TO TIME MAY THINK FIT.
For the main activities undertaken to further the charity's purposes for public benefit, the trustees have regards to Charities Commission Guidance on public benefit.
Achievements and Performance
2020 has been a challenging year, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting every area of church life. It has also been a good year, as we have responded to those challenges with flexibility, and done all we can to support our members through the pandemic. Some of our achievements include,
A. RFGC is a church of 50+ people with diverse age, gender, income, culture and ethnicity.
B. We provide regular opportunity for the public to worship, pray, receive biblical teaching, take communion, and have fellowship time within our Christian community.
C. Our building has an even wider reach, through our midweek activities, and those run by East Northants Community Services, who operate out of our building.
D. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we quickly shifted to doing online services without missing a Sunday. We made them as widely available as possible including providing audio CDs to those who couldn’t get online.
E. We have provided in person services when possible, working hard to facilitate worship with the required COVID safety precautions, booking forms and seating arrangements.
F. We have begun new weekly online prayer and bible study meetings via Zoom.
G. We have provided additional support to those who needed it most in a variety of ways, including buying & collecting shopping, regular phone calls to those shielding and isolating, and meeting other physical or financial needs.
H. We continue to provide deeper pastoral care to those who require it.
I. The church’s 12.5% share of the house at 11 Church Lane successfully sold, bringing in over £25,000 of revenue into the church.
J. We continue to provide financial support to our missionaries including Mark and Marie Lees, Sophie Lees, and Jiwon Jung.
2
At the start of the year, our planning was prioritised around seeking and building out future methods, ministries and activities following our leadership transition in 2019. However, this year, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on all of our operations and activities, as it has for churches and wider society across the globe.
Therefore, we changed our priorities into looking after our congregation through the pandemic as much as possible. This follows our heart for people, providing the love of Jesus by supporting and caring for them as they grapple with the challenges of coronavirus.
Upon being faced with the situation in March, the leadership team unanimously opted to close the church’s physical services. However, we recognised the risk that being physically closed presented to the health of the church. Our church has never had it’s doors closed for this length of time in it’s nearly 90 year history. In response, we worked hard to maintain online services and events, regular social zoom calls, and to keep in contact with our members as much as possible.
Subsequently, we have seen the large majority of our congregation keep in contact, attending church physically when we’ve been able to open, and overall remain and grow more united together as a church body. This has been wonderfully encouraging.
We have also seen our income and revenue remain consistent throughout the year, with many donors choosing to use our newly set up digital giving methods. This has led to a smaller operational loss of only -£3890 compared with last year’s loss of -£6506.
As we come out of the pandemic over the course of 2021, we will begin to shift our priorities again back into building out our operations and ministries, bringing change and new methods of achieving our goals following last year’s leadership transition.
Financial Review
The Financial Statement below is drawn from the accounts & bank statements for the end of the year.
Rushden Full Gospel Church - Statement of Financial Activity & Summary
Barclays Bank Current (Daily transactions) Account No. 10290238 - All figures in Pounds Sterling Figures for 1st January - 31st December 2020
| INCOME | Budget | Actual | Budget | EXPENDITURE | Budget | Actual | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2021 | ||
| Voluntary Income: | Governance | ||||||
| Offerings | 13500 | 14291 | 13500 | Utilities | 8000 | 8829 | 8000 |
| Taxable Offerings | 13500 | 8219 | 13500 | Building/Repairs | 8000 | 1737 | 8000 |
| Other grants/donations | 4000 | 1250 | 4000 | Insurance | 2400 | 2567 | 2400 |
| Gift Aid Tax refunds | 8000 | 969 | 8000 | AoG affiliation | 1800 | 770 | 1800 |
| Audit/Legal/ | |||||||
| Use of facilities | 12000 | 10575 | 12000 | Membership | 250 | 22 | 250 |
| House Sale | 28750 | Administration | 2000 | 965 | 2000 | ||
| Green Pastures Loan | |||||||
| Stock | 25000 | Training/Development | 2000 | 550 | 2000 | ||
| Sub Total | 51000 | 89054 | 51000 | Sub Total | 24450 | 15440 | 24450 |
| Minister's Costs | |||||||
| Salaries/NI/Travel/ | |||||||
| Pension | 23000 | 19092 | 23000 | ||||
| AoG Conferences | 250 | 0 | 250 | ||||
| Sub Total | 23250 | 19092 | 23250 | ||||
| Income from Charitable | activities | Ministry Costs | |||||
| NAN – Missions | 2500 | 1715 | 2500 | Missions/Mission trips | 1000 | 8361 | 1000 |
| Missions Fund | 8000 | 0 | 8000 | Local | 6000 | 0 | 6000 |
| Outreach/Visitors | |||||||
| NAN Fund | 2500 | 6903 | 2500 |
3
| Other Ministries 1000 377 Youth Work 600 0 Sub Total 2500 1715 2500 Sub Total 11100 15641 Church Sub Total 53500 90769 53500 Church Sub Total 58800 50173 Total Proft/Loss for Period Operational Proft/Loss for Period Account Balance as of 31st December 2020 Total Assets |
1000 600 11100 58800 40596 |
|---|---|
| -3890 44284 |
|
| 44284 |
The church fully owns the 60 High Street South property: Insurance cover of £1.5M (re-sale value £0.5M)
Figures prepared for Trustees by Rev. Joseph Sherwin – Senior Leader for Full Gospel Church Please find the Independent Examiner’s Report attached at the end of this document as Appendix 1.
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (e.g. Secretary, Chair, etc.) Date |
Joseph Sherwin | Dave Rutt | Debbie Bull | Christiana Chika Obiechefu |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Sherwin | Dave Rutt | Debbie Bull | Christiana Chika Obiechefu |
|
| Chair/ Senior Leader |
Trustee/ Leadership Team |
Trustee/ Leadership Team |
Trustee/ Leadership Team |
|
| 25/10/2021 | ||||
| 25/10/2021 |
Signatures agreed digitally over recorded Zoom on date above.
4
CHARITY COMMISSION —_ Independent examiner's FOR ENGLAND AND WALES report on the accounts
----- Start of picture text -----
SectionA Independent Examiner’s Report
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
Report to the trustees/ | Chery Nan
members of Full Gospel Church
On accounts for the year | 2020 Charity no | 1054425
ended (if any)
Set out on pagesOm| . . .
| report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended | :
----- End of picture text -----
Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of basis of report the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
| report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, | have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent | have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement | Come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: * accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or * the accounts do not accord with the accounting records | 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. * Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. er Name: ae|areHema fLonks a cree...| Relevant professional . qualification(s) or body frocht (if any): =
IER
October 2018
Address:
| Q5A Kita Roeud Wawra bender
|
Section B
Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose.
i?
|
IER
October 2018