Grace Church Thame
Registered Charity 1124788
Trustees’ Annual Report Period 01/04/2022 to 31/03/2023
Objectives and Activities
Grace Church Thame is committed to the advancement of the Christian Faith and, in accordance with the church’s doctrinal basis, to demonstrate the love of Christ in practical ways. The church is also committed to the relief of poverty, sickness, hardship and distress, together with education based on Christian principles.
Grace Church Thame is passionate about enabling as many people as possible to worship at the church and become committed members of the family of God at Grace Church Thame. Our Sunday worship service is open to all, and people are encouraged to put faith into practice and action by exercising spiritual gifts, prayer, scripture and music. As part of our Sunday meeting, we have a separate children's work, currently covering the ages 0 to 13, where the children are offered a safe environment in which to have fun, sing, hear stories from the bible and pray. We meet during the week in small group meetings held in several different homes for bible study, prayer, worship and evangelism. Most weeks, we gather together as a church mid-week for worship and prayer, where we pray for the church and the local community. We run courses explaining the Christian faith (Alpha courses) when there is a demand and discipleship courses for members and others who ask for help (Freedom in Christ, money management, marriage preparation and marriage courses). We join with other local churches to run community events, and are committed to supporting Christian missionaries and inter-denominational aid agencies.
In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out extraordinary lives of faith as part of the local community in Thame and the surrounding area. This is achieved through:
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Worship and prayer, learning about the gospel and developing people’s knowledge of, and trust in, Jesus Christ.
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Provision of pastoral care, not just for the church family, but also for people living in the local community.
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Mission and outreach work.
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Achievements and performance
The charity is a Christian church seeking to extend the kingdom of God and demonstrate the love of Christ in practical ways. The church employs a full-time pastor and a part-time administrative assistant. All other roles are carried out by unpaid volunteers.
Midweek discipleship groups continue to run bi-weekly with the emphasis on growing in spiritual maturity. Also, we run bi-weekly prayer meeting all together to pray for our town and country.
Our children’s work continues to be focussed mainly on Sunday mornings and predominantly, though not exclusively, with children from families with links to the church.
Jigsaw Babies and Toddlers group continues to run weekly in term-time, and remains very popular. It provides opportunities to minister to and support parents of young children in the area.
All volunteers are required to follow the church’s Safeguarding Policy and also be subject to DBS (previously CRB) checks before they are allowed to work with the children. We do take our responsibilities in this respect very seriously, and have a coordinator who ensures that DBS checks are kept up to date.
In January of 2021, we launched a Local Debt Centre in partnership with Christians Against Poverty, which continues to thrive. One person is employed for 16 hours a week as the debt centre manager, and many others in the church volunteer as “befrienders” to come alongside and offer support to those struggling with unmanageable debt. We are very grateful for the support and encouragement of other local churches in this essential ministry.
We are also passionate about working in partnership with other churches and organisations. The groups we work with include:
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Newfrontiers - we are part of Newfrontiers, a family of around 1,000 churches in over 80 different nations: www.newfrontierstogether.org
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Catalyst - within Newfrontiers we are part of Catalyst, a network of churches aiming to make disciples in the nations of the world: www.catalystnetwork.org
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Evangelical Alliance - we are members of the Evangelical Alliance, the umbrella body representing the UK's two million evangelical Christians: www.eauk.org
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Lighthouse Thame and Villages - a holiday week for children and young people in Thame and the surrounding area that takes place in the summer holidays: www.lighthousethame.org.uk
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Structure, governance and management
The church is governed by a trust deed, which was adopted by the membership on 29[th] August 2007.
Trustees are appointed as described in the Declaration of Trust, which is by recommendation and by the existing Trustees.
Administrative information
Grace Church Thame is situated in Thame, Oxfordshire and is a part of the NewFrontiers family of churches. The correspondence address is c/o
72 Roundhead Drive, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3DJ. The Registered Charity number is 1124788.
The trustees who currently manage the charity are:-
Mr David-John Williams Ms Jane Jubb Mrs Aileen Stanley Mr Anthony Taylor (Chair)
These accounts were approved by the trustees on 9[th] December 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
……………………………………………………. Mr Anthony Taylor
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| GRACE CHURCH THAME Registered Charity- 1124788 |
|||||
| Financial Statements Year Ended 31 March 2021 |
2022/23 Totals £'s |
2021/22 Totals £'s |
|||
| Summary of Balances General Funds Acts IV Fund New Frontiers TOTAL FUNDS |
9,929 1,319 43,211 54,459 |
20,750 1,698 39,989 |
|||
| 62,437 | |||||
| Financial Statements Year Ended 31 March 2021 CASH AT BANK HSBC Bank CAFcash Bank CAF Bank Petty Cash TOTAL FUNDS Manse Loan Accounts Receivable Accounts Payable TOTAL NET ASSETS |
2022/23 Totals £'s - 4,719 44,720 20 49,459 5,000 - - 54,459 |
2021/22 Totals £'s 8,486 - 49,398 - 57,884 5,000 - (447) 62,437 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
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| GRACE CHURCH THAME Registered Charity 1124788 |
|||
| General Funds Income Offerings Gift Aid Tax Recovered Other Income Interest Received Transfer from Restricted Funds Expenditure Staff Costs Working Expenses – lead elder Manse - Council Tax/Rates etc. Insurances Premises Hire Training/Conferences Stationery Sunday Mornings Outreach/Publicity Jigsaw Mission Support Catalyst gift & festival costs Newday Costs PA/Tape/Music Fund Raising & Governance cost Net Income/(Expenditure) Net Transfer to Restricted Funds Balance B/fwd Balance C/fwd |
28,988 6,046 4,128 328 - 38,944 31,849 301 2,828 373 4,176 335 103 1,300 360 1,885 - 2,400 - - 956 46,866 (7,322) (3,498) 20,750 9,929 |
29,668 2,002 1,269 7 - |
|
| 32,946 | |||
| 28,287 296 2,705 359 2,490 - 393 865 90 642 900 3,600 - 42 975 |
|||
| 41,644 | |||
| (8,697) (3,813) 33,260 20,750 |
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| GRACE CHURCH THAME Registered Charity 1124788 Church Tithe Income – Offerings Transfer from General Fund Net Receipts/(Payments) Balance B/fwd Balance C/fwd |
3,221 - 3,221 39,989 43,211 |
3,296 - |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,296 | |||
| 36,693 39,989 |
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| Acts IV Fund Income – Offerings Payments – Church Running Payments – Welfare gift Transfer from General Fund Net Receipts/(Payments) Balance B/fwd Balance C/fwd |
- - (379) - (379) 1,698 1,319 |
- - (287) - |
|
| (287) | |||
| 1,985 1,698 |
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| Christians Against Poverty Fund Income – Offerings Payments – CAP Debt Centre Subscription Payments – Church administration costs Transfer from General Fund Net Receipts/(Payments) Balance B/fwd Balance C/fwd |
342 (3,300) (540) 3,498 - - - |
238 (3,600) (451) 3,813 |
|
| - | |||
| - - |
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Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Grace Church Thame
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 March 2022, which are set out on pages 4 to 6.
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:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
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• 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.
Name: Donald Pottie
Relevant professional qualification or body: FCA., CAI
Address: 143 Denmark St., Chalfont St. Peter, Bucks, SL9 9QL
Date: 14 July 2023
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