2021-06-30-accounts

Charity Number: 1108310

Grace Church Manchester

Report and financial statements

For the year ended 30 June 2021

Grace Church Manchester

Reference and administrative information

for the year ended 30 June 2021

Charity number 1108310 Registered office and operational address 247A Wilmslow Road Rusholme Manchester M14 5LW

Trustees Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:

Alison Collins Trustee Dr. Sophie Craggs Trustee Rev. Stephen James Trustee Nnamdi Okolie Trustee (appointed 14th June 2021) Michael Tindall Senior Pastor

Staff Staff employed by Grace Church during the year were as follows:

Michael Tindall Senior Pastor Dan Collins Associate Pastor Jeremy Poyner Assistant Pastor Joel Madur International Student Worker Emily Horlock Administrator

Bankers The Co-operative Bank PO Box 101 1 Balloon Street Manchester M60 4EP Independent Marijeta Sadiku, Alest Limited Examiner 3 Hilltop Avenue, Manchester, M9 6PU

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Grace Church Manchester

Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 30 June 2021

The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2021.

Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the charity’s trust deed and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in the governing document

• a) To advance the Christian faith in accordance with the statement of beliefs (which appears as a schedule in The Declaration of Trust) hereto particularly but not exclusively amongst students in Manchester and in such other parts of the UK or the world as the trustees may from time to time think fit and to fulfil such other purposes which are exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales and are connected with the charitable work of the Trust.

• a) To relieve persons who are in conditions of need or hardship or who are aged or sick and to relieve the distress caused thereby in Manchester and in such other parts of the UK or the world as the trustees may from time to time think fit.

The trustees review the aims, objectives and activities of the charity each year. This report looks at what the charity has achieved and the outcomes of its work in the reporting period. The trustees report the success of each key activity and the benefits the charity has brought to those groups of people that it is set up to help. The review also helps the trustees ensure the charity's aims, objectives and activities remained focused on its stated purposes.

The trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and in planning its future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set.

Summary of the main activities in relation to these objects

The main activities of Grace Church over the 2020-2021 financial year in relation to our charitable objectives are described below. It is worth noting that over the course of this financial year, the charity took steps (in line with government advice) to help contain the outbreak of COVID-19. This included the temporary suspension of physical gatherings from March 2020 to March 2021. During this time, the charity was able to continue some of its activities using online platforms.

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Grace Church Manchester

Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 30 June 2021

a) To advance the Christian faith

Sunday Services and Life Groups

The church met weekly for a Sunday service. This took place online until March 2021, from which point we also met in person at the Edgar Wood building in South Manchester. Our services included Bible teaching, a time of sung worship and prayer. On average, online services were attended by 70 viewers (one viewer being an individual or a family). 30-40 people attended in-person services, with places restricted to enable social distancing. Our children’s ministry, made up of four groups - creche, kid’s club, explorers and a youth group, continued to meet either online or in person (in line with government guidelines).

The church runs a network of life groups which meet throughout the week for fellowship, mutual support, Bible study and prayer. These groups form a very significant part of church life and most church members are in a life group. The groups focus on building a day-to-day gospel presence across the city and are based on geographical location or mission affinity. We have life groups in Burnage, Fallowfield, Longsight, Moss Side, Old Moat, Rusholme, West Didsbury and Withington. We support life group leaders by equipping and encouraging them in leadership, practical skills, vision and teaching the Christian faith to others.

Ministry to Students

We work in partnership with the Christian Unions at Manchester and Salford’s universities to help them in the work of promoting the Christian faith amongst students. Our student ministry has been growing under the leadership of Jez Poyner and his team, with a weekly Sunday evening meeting involving teaching and fellowship as well as pastoral discipleship work done on a 1 to 1 basis throughout the week. All student work took place online during the 2020-21 academic year, with an average attendance of 18 students.

Joel Madur, our International Student Worker, has been involved in running a variety of events aimed at welcoming international students and providing opportunities to look into the claims of the Christian faith. Joel has built good relationships with international students and academic visitors and, as a result, several are regularly attending Grace Church.

Training

In partnership with Redeemer Manchester and Emmanuel Community Church, a Crosslands Learning Site has offered church members the opportunity to study theology in a local context. A number of students from Grace Church attended the course over the academic year, either studying year 1 or year 2.

Mission & Partnerships

Landon Nichols has been working as a full-time intern at Grace Church. He raises all of his support and is on a Tier 2 Religious Worker visa coordinated and monitored by GEM in partnership with IGO (International Gospel Outreach). Landon’s focus is on outreach to the local community as well as supporting ministry in the church.

Our life groups are involved in a wide range of local outreach initiatives, including the following:

• Running an online baby group with the aim of providing support and friendship to new parents and carers

• Running a community choir in Fallowfield

• Helping with weekly conversation classes through the Alexandria Library

• Meeting regularly to clean up a local park in the Old Moat ward to serve the community

• Partnering with Friends International’s iCafé initiative, providing an online conversation cafe for international students and academic visitors

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Grace Church Manchester

Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 30 June 2021

Some of these ministries started the year online but were able to continue to meet in person when restrictions were lifted.

In addition to Life Group missional activities, an online Life Explored course ran from January to March 2021, with 5 participants.

We support and pray for several mission partners in a variety of ministries around the world, some of whom are present or former members: one leads and develops a website service distributing Scriptures to unreached language communities; a former member and his wife working amongst students in Athens; a church planter in North India. We have also been supporting church planting and leadership initiatives in France, Pakistan and Turkey.

b) To relieve persons who are in conditions of need or hardship

We have encouraged and facilitated church members in getting involved with helping needy people in the community. This has been seen especially through the work of our life groups, and continues to be an on-going project. As a church, we support a local food bank. Whilst the foodbank was not able to accept food donations during the pandemic, we encouraged church members to continue their support through financial donations.

Direct relief of hardship has been given to those that have approached the leadership, or been referred by church members. We have continued to support members of the church with illness, including emotional and pastoral problems. Our pastoral care structure aims to provide support practically, as well as providing a system for people to refer issues that are more serious than they feel able to deal with to the elders or other trained members.

Achievements and performance

Grace Church has welcomed new people coming to in-person and online services and events. There is an encouraging diversity of people from different ethnic groups, age ranges and a wider social/economic demographic.

Developing leaders and a team approach to leading ministries has been a priority over recent years and we were encouraged to see new people step into leadership. Although the pandemic impacted some of the activities and plans for 2021, we are encouraged to have seen people grow in faith and love for one another during a difficult season.

The ministry to international students continues to grow. Good relationships are developing with Manchester City Council, enabling us to connect with and support international students in new ways. We are encouraged by the opportunity we’ve had to connect with dozens of people through weekly conversation classes, and the engagement of a number of life groups in supporting this work.

We are encouraged to have seen community continue to thrive during the year despite not being able to meet in person for the majority of that time. We have found new ways to connect and support one another through an unusual time. Monday Monkey’s online baby group has been a great opportunity to support new mums in the local area. Several members of the church continue to be involved with and run a choir for the local community in Fallowfield. We continued our support for Compassion Food Bank in Moss Side.

During the Christmas period, we held an online nativity service for children, with a number of visitors attending. Our online carol service included a talk, performance from Fallowfield Choir and a spoken word piece written and produced by church members. The Christmas service included a fundraising initiative to raise support for the food bank, with the church matching individual donations. Through this, Grace Church donated £1000. We received positive feedback for both events.

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Grace Church Manchester

Trustees’ annual report

for the year ended 30 June 2021

Financial support through the Hardship Fund has been given to several individuals at Grace Church in the last year.

Grace Church has eight mission partners and we are regularly supporting them both in prayer and financially. Our monthly online prayer gatherings have been visited by mission partners and have been a particular highlight.

We have appointed a single trustee to oversee safeguarding and they have set up a safeguarding team which includes the Safeguarding Lead, the leader of children’s work and an Elder. The role of the team is to oversee policy writing and reviews, run internal safeguarding training and ensure all relevant parties are DBS checked and have undergone relevant safeguarding training. Grace Church is also a member of the safeguarding organisation 31:8, who we use for external training and advice.

Financial review

During the year, the charity received £176,915, primarily through donations, and spent £186,357 giving a net deficit of £9,442. At the end of the reporting period, the charity held cash funds of £74,180. Any restricted fund deficits relating to salaries are covered by the charity’s unrestricted reserves. Therefore, there were no funds in deficit at 30 June 2021.

Reserves Policy

From 2021, the trustees elected to increase the level of cash reserves maintained to £30,000 in order to meet any unforeseen commitments, with a view to further increasing the level of cash reserves in due course so that the charity holds a reserve of at least 3 months’ running costs.

Financial Impact of COVID-19

The trustees have monitored income and expenditure and have not had to take measures thus far to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the charity’s free reserves. A number of donors have had to decrease or stop their giving, although we also saw a decrease in expenditure as activities were operating online. We are above the level of reserves as stated in our reserves policy, although the trustees continue to monitor the financial situation carefully.

Structure, governance and management

The organisation is an unincorporated charity, registered as a charity on 10[th] February 2005 in England and Wales. The charity is constituted under a trust deed which was last amended on 1[st] June 2014. The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity. All trustees who receive benefits from the charity are outlined in note 3 of the accounts.

In line with the trust deed, a trustee is appointed by a resolution of the trustees passed by a majority. This is recorded in the meeting minutes and signed by the new trustee and the meeting chair as evidence of the appointment. All trustees declare their agreement with the Statement of Beliefs.

Related parties and relationships with other organisations

We are members of two external organisations. The first of these is a church planting network called Acts 29, which we joined formally in January 2012. Mike Tindall is a trustee of Acts 29 Great Britain, helping to support the planting of churches across GB and into Europe. The second is a national group of churches called the FIEC (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches). Both of these membership organisations enhance our ability to fulfil our objective to advance the Christian faith.

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Grace Church Manchester Trustees, annual report for the year ended 30 June 2021 Mike Tindall is also on the board of Union School of Theology which seeks to train and resource church leaders and church planting initiatives and has built a number of strong links with churches in other countries. Statement of responsibilities of the trustees Law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financlal statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity's financial activities during the period and of its financial position at the end of the period. In preparing financial statements giving a true and fair view, the trustees should follow best practice and: Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards and statements of recommended practlce have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it Is inappmpriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation The trustees are responsible for keeplng proper accountlng records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detertion of frnud and other Irregularities. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corpordte and financial nformation included on the charity's website. Legislation in the Unlted Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation In other jurisdirtlons. The trustees, annual report has been approved by the trustees on 21&1 2021 and slgned on thelr behalf by Alison Collins Trustee

Independent examiner’s report

to the trustees of

Grace Church Manchester

I report on the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 30[th] June 2021 which are set out on pages 8 to 9.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

• examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;

• follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and

• state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner's report

My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner's statement

In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

• (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

• to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and

• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act

have not been met; or

• (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Marijeta Sadiku MAAT Alest Limited 3 Hilltop Avenue Manchester M9 6PU

07/12/2021 Date…………………….

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Grace Church Manchester

Receipts and Payments

for the year ended 30th June 2021

Receipts Donations, legacies and grants Gift aid receipts Income from charitable activities Other Total Receipts Payments Charitable Activities: Staff costs including pensions and expenses Purchase of 62 The Gallery Property expenses Facilites Ministry costs Children/youth ministry Admin costs Professional Fees Annual conference Other costs Grants Payable for: Missionary support Relief of poverty Total Payments Net Receipts/Payments Transfers between funds Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end	Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds £ £ £ 161,100 4,099 - 11,086 - - 550 - - 80 - - 172,816 4,099 - 85,723 27,226 - - - - - - 2,513 10,224 - - 3,959 2,581 - 166 - - 8,002 155 - 3,955 - - - - - - - - 112,030 29,962 2,513 27,703 - - 14,150 - - 41,853 - - 153,883 29,962 2,513 18,934 (25,863) (2,513) (17,691) 15,179 2,513 72,938 10,685 - 74,180 - -	Total Prior year funds funds £ £ 165,199 196,225 11,086 19,052 550 1,093 80 30
		176,915 216,400
		112,949 128,572 - - 2,513 3,392 10,224 17,187 6,540 19,443 166 364 8,157 9,243 3,955 4,216 - 76 - 221 144,504 182,714 27,703 27,737 14,150 2,000 41,853 29,737
		186,357 212,451
		(9,442) 3,949
		- - 83,623 79,674
		74,180 83,623

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Grace Church Manchester Receipts and Payments for the year ended 30th June 2021 Total funds prtor Yeqr funds Note I Cash Funds Detslls Cash in Bank Cash in Deposits 44,041 30,139 53,544 30,079 Total Cash Funds 74,180 83,623 Fundi ts whkh sét b•lon8S Cost {optlon•ll 2 Assets retalned for the charitrfs own use Details Property: 62 The Gallery Endowment 139,000 Total Assets 139.Ot)o Related party Transattions Michael Tindall, trustee, received a salary of £18,37512020: £18,193), plus a housing allowance of £18,18012020.. £18,000) during the year in his capacity as minister of the church, as permitted by the governing document. Daniel Collins, the spouse of Alison Collins, trustee, received a salary of £7,57512020: £15,000} plu5 a housing allowance of £7,57512020: £16,250) in his (apacity a5 associate minister, as permttted by the governing document. Durin8 the year, one trustee also received travel expenses totslling £12912020: £441 in line with their role as a trustee. Notes a) The financial statements have been prepared In accordan￿ with the Charlties Act 2011. As lower-income charity under section 133 of the 2011 Art, the trustees have elected to prepare the charity'5 financial statements uslng the Receipts & Payments basls. b) All restrlcted funds relate to stsff Support which are funds raised by the Assistant and Associate Pastor to support thelr work for the church. Signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees: Signature Prlnt Name Date of Approval z/z