**St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 1 ## **The Parochial Church Council** ## **of St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** ## **2023 Annual Report** **Review period: 17[th] April 2022 to 1[st] May 2023** ~~PO~~ **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 2 The Annual Report is a public document that represents the teamwork required to deliver our aims, mission and vision as a church. It addresses the legal requirement to report on how St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington, a registered charity, has carried out the charity’s purposes for the public benefit and has stewarded its material resources, including the finances and fabric of the church. ## **CONTENTS** |**CONTENTS**|| |---|---| |**Section**|**Page**| |1. Church Mission and Vision|**3**| |2. Church Leadership|**3**| |3. Contact Details|**3**| |4. The Parochial Church Council (PCC)|**4**| |5. The Vicar’s Report|**5**| |6. St Michael’s Safeguarding Report|**8**| |7. Children, Youth and Families Ministry|**10**| |8. The Ministry of Music|**15**| |9. Pastoral Ministry|**16**| |10. Care Home Ministry|**17**| |11. The Mission Task Group|**17**| |12. The Social and Outreach Task Group|**18**| |13. Informal Conversations on Christian Living|**18**| |14. Wilmington Parish News|**18**| |15. Coffee Pop-In|**19**| |16. St Michael’s Craft Group|**19**| |17. The Church Hall|**20**| |18. Tech Team Report|**20**| |19. The Fabric Report|**20**| |20. The Deanery Synod Report|**22**| |21. The Treasurer’s Report|**23**| |22. Gift Aid Report|**25**| **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 3 ## **1. Church Mission and Vision** St. Michael and All Angels Church is an Anglican Church situated in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Wilmington, working under the jurisdictions of the Diocese of Rochester and the Church of England. Our mission is to glorify God through a Bible-based ministry that nurtures disciples of Jesus across the generations. We aim to be an inclusive church that welcomes people of all ages, viewpoints and life experiences into our extended family. We endeavour to be a vibrant Christian presence in the community of Wilmington and to contribute to a more socially just world, both locally and globally. At the centre of our vision for the future is a commitment to nurturing the spiritual, personal and social development of children, young people and their families. More detailed descriptions of the activities and achievements of the church are given by church leaders, later in the Annual Report. ## **2. Church Leadership** The church is led by the Revd. Carl Chambers and the Children, Youth and Families Minister, Sharon Stirman, with the members of the Parochial Church Council (PCC), supported by Licensed Lay Ministers, Jean Hook, Eric Hookins and Richard Kinderman; Licensed Lay Reader, Penny Culliford; and Pastoral Assistant, Christine Hookins, together with a multitude of volunteer workers who contribute to the corporate life of the church. ## **3. Contact Details** |**THE CHURCH**|**THE CHURCH OFFICE**| |---|---| |St. Michael & All Angels Church
Church Hill
Wilmington
Kent
DA2 7EH
Telephone: 01322 277511
Website:www.stmichaelswilmington.org.uk|St. Michaels Church Hall
Church Office
2 High Road
Wilmington
Kent
DA2 7EG
Telephone: 01322 277511
Email:stmichaelswilmington@googlemail.com| **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 4 ## **4. The Parochial Church Council** The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St Michael and All Angels Church is responsible for promoting the evangelistic, pastoral, social and ecumenical aims of the Church; the governance and stewardship of corporate property and church finances; and the strategic development of the church. It is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2020) and a registered charity (number 1127656). It employs paid and volunteer workers; oversees church finances; and approves the Annual Accounts. PCC members serve a three year term of office. Lay members of the PCC are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), co-opted onto the PCC or occupy an ex-officio place. The PCC meets six times a year, with additional meetings as and when necessary. The Stewardship Task Group, the Mission Task Group and the Outreach and Social Task Group report regularly to the PCC. ||**PEOPLE**|**ROLE**|**TERM OF**
**OFFICE**| |---|---|---|---| |1|Revd Carl Chambers|Vicar|ongoing| |2|Penny Culliford|Ex-officio (Licensed Lay Reader)|2023| |3|Jean Hook|Ex-officio (Licensed Lay Minister)|2023| |4|Richard Kinderman|Ex-officio (LLM)|2023| |5|Tony Bullimore|Ex-officio (Churchwarden)|2023| |6|Marc Culliford|Ex-officio (Churchwarden)|2023| |7|Karl Richards|Ex-officio (Deanery Synod Representative)|2023| |8|Alison Mountain|Co-opted to PCC in 2021|2023| |9|Janice Hennessy|Elected to PCC in 2021|2024| |10|Pat Booker|Elected to PCC in 2022|2025| |11|Alan Hunt|Elected to PCC in 2022|2025| |12|Pamela Hunt|Elected to PCC in 2022|2025| |13|Marion Miller|Elected to PCC in 2022|2025| |14|Louise Richards|Elected to PCC in 2022|2025| |14|Sharon Stirman|Elected to PCC in 2022|2025| |15|David Short|Elected to PCC in 2022|2025| |16|Chrystal Simmons|Elected to PCC in 2022|2025| |17|Keith Simons|Elected to PCC in 2022|2025| **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 5 ## **PCC Officers** |**PCC Officers**|| |---|---| |**Role**|**Person**| |PCC Secretary|**Christine Jefferys**| |Electoral Roll Officer|**Sharon Duncan**| |PCC Treasurer|**Julie Short**| |PCC Book-Keeper|**Alison Mountain**| ## **5. The Vicar’s Report by the Reverend Carl Chambers** ## **Worship** Our corporate worship is the centre of our life as the people of God. It has been wonderful to see the way that people have returned to church services post-Covid, and others have joined our church family. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 10.30am, and three times a month at 8.30pm. The first Sunday is always an “All Age” service, partly to encourage greater mixing across the generations, and partly to give the children’s (BEEs) leaders a chance to enjoy corporate worship with the rest of the church. The third (and fifth) Sundays are a regular ‘Service of the Word’. BEEs is the group for children up to and including Year 9, though we recognise that parents may prefer to keep infants with them in the main church. We are thankful to Alan Hunt and Louise Richards for their input in music, not least their bi-monthly meetings with Sharon Stirman and myself to prepare songs for the upcoming services. Evensong (BCP) has continued on the first Sunday at 5pm, with a recent introduction of a reflective service on some third Sundays, also at 5pm. I’m keen to encourage us to keep thinking of ways we can encourage corporate worship for the whole congregation but believe that a primary focus on the 10.30am is still the best way for us to grow as a church, both individually and together. We continue monthly prayer meetings, both on the first Wednesday (8-9pm on Zoom) and then typically the Saturday following (9-10am in the Church or Parish Centre). If there was one other meeting which I would encourage people from our church to commit to, apart from their weekly commitment to a service on Sunday, it would be the prayer meeting. I think this is even more important than our home groups (which are important!). As we **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 6 pray, we are showing our worship of God and our dependence on Him. We’re seeking his good and glory in the world. We are showing that we surrender our passions and desires and control to Him; and seeking for Him to be more Himself in our lives and our church. The Westminster catechism asks: What is the chief end of man? The response: To glorify God and enjoy him forever. Our prayer lives are a litmus test of how we truly seek to glorify God together. ## **Teaching, Preaching and Evangelism** Our aim as a church is to ‘nurture disciples across the generations’. In practice, this means seeking to teach the Bible so that we know and understand just how much the God of heaven and earth has loved us in Jesus, and what this means for us in response. A ‘first step’ is our outreach. This depends on relationships with people who are not yet committed to Christ but is far more than friendship or being social. The word ‘evangelism’ means the teaching of the good news (the ‘evangel’), which means explaining how we have fallen far short of living God’s way in God’s world, and what he has done to bring us back. Previously, we’ve run a short course, “Tales of the Unexpected”, looking at three of Jesus’s parables. In this last year, we’ve run similar four-week courses: “The King and I” and “Close Encounters”. Each has been very encouraging and engaging as people have learned more of who Jesus is and what He’s like as he meets with us. A second step for discipleship is the course, “Just for Starters”. It’s hard to underestimate the impact of this course, not least because it is so helpful in modelling what careful Bible study looks like. It is my fervent prayer that as many as possible in St Michael’s might benefit from studying this together. This course has run on Zoom and has just started after Coffee Pop-In on Tuesdays. A further aspect of growth in St Michael’s is the encouragement given to preachers. The Leadership Team considers what should be preached on Sunday mornings. In February 2023, the preachers met on a Saturday with others from St Peter’s Hextable and Christ Church, Dartford, to encourage each other in how we preach. I also seek to meet with any preacher who would like to discuss their passage before they preach it, to gain the most from the passage, and consider how to preach and apply it to our church. I’m conscious this still takes some getting used to but I have seen the fruit of even more encouraging and helpful sermons as people have worked to distil their thinking beforehand. **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 7 I said last year: “A challenge for the coming year will be to build on this, particularly as we seek to encourage Home Group leaders”. We recently held a very useful evening to help Home Group leaders in their leadership, especially of some quite challenging passages. I hope that this next year will see these meetings occur termly, to support existing Home Group leaders, and begin to prepare others for the time when we start new Home Groups. ## **Ecumenical Relationships** Last year, I mentioned seeking a collaboration of the local Anglican churches: St Peter’s Hextable and Christ Church Dartford. As reported above, this hatched a ‘preachers’ training session’ in February. We also held a joint evening with Justyn Rees-Larcombe in September in St Michael’s, learning about his challenge with gambling and debt, and how the Lord Jesus Christ has rescued him. In May 2023, we’ll be joining together again as churches to welcome Jeremy Marshall, who will share his struggles with “The Big ‘C’” (cancer), hosted by Christ Church Dartford. I continue to meet with the local Deanery Chapter regularly, i.e. other Anglican church leaders from the Dartford area. It has been less easy to get to the monthly “Dartford Churches” lunchtime meetings, typically because I am double-booked by all kinds of things. I have also been encouraged by fellow ministers in the Rochester Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship. To be an ‘Evangelical’ is, essentially, to believe in the supreme authority and sufficiency of scripture, and in Jesus Christ as God’s Son, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sins and, through faith alone, to bring us to God. That might sound like fairly standard Anglican doctrine: it is! Personally, I think it’s sad that such groups should be necessary, but it’s a sign of the times (and the history of the Anglican church) that they are needed. ## **The Rochester Good Stewards Trust** Annual Reports should seek to provide an overview of the year and mention the most significant developments. It would, therefore, be remiss of me to fail to mention the remarkable support we have received from the Rochester Good Stewards Trust, and the recent support we have been promised for the next 3 years towards Sharon’s post as Children, Youth and Families Minister. This is a remarkable affirmation both of the calling Sharon has, and of the ministry we are training her for: a ministry that seeks to teach and preach God’s word, with all faithfulness, to a generation of children, youth and their **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 8 families, as well as training us as a church in the same. A couple of their trustees visited us last September, as a PCC, and left greatly encouraged – and (wonderfully) having learned some things they felt they could take back to their churches. This was particularly around the area of ‘intergenerational ministry’ – nurturing disciples across the generations. Young people can encourage older people, and vice versa, and we are deliberate in fostering this as ministers. I look forward to this kind of mutual partnership and collaboration continuing. In this past year, I was invited to be a trustee of the small but (I believe) significant charity “Anglican Futures”, which seeks to support all kinds of orthodox Anglicans in their ministries. ## **6. St Michael’s Safeguarding Report by Sharon Stirman and Louise Richards** ## **Parish Safeguarding Officer: Sharon Stirman Deputy Parish Safeguarding Officer: Louise Richards** St Michael and All Angels Church adopts the House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policy Statement, which is displayed on the notice board near the main church entrance. There have been no formal safeguarding concerns since the last APCM. Sharon and Louise continue to monitor the safeguarding email account, attend the annual Diocesan Safeguarding Conference and read the regular diocesan safeguarding bulletins, reporting any changes and/or updates to the PCC. Last August, it came to light that DBS checks had not been completed for a number of people. This, of course, could have been potentially dangerous and it led to an informal review of what led to this situation arising. Inheritance of poor record keeping and a change in Church of England recommended renewals were some of the reasons. However, the review also commented on the significant progress made by Sharon and Louise, who have worked hard to update and simplify the way in which records are kept, i.e. those who have completed required and optional training, DBS checks and when these need to be renewed. This has led to a change in the way reports are given to the PCC and we are now in the situation where there are very few gaps in training, and only one DBS check is required (this person is not currently working with young/vulnerable people). **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 9 ## **Safeguarding Requirements** - All volunteers in any role are required to undertake a Basic Safeguarding course. - All PCC members, Churchwardens and those volunteering with children and youth activities - must complete both Basic and Foundation Safeguarding courses, either individually online or through the church hosting formal training as a group. This training should be completed by August 2023. - All those volunteering with children and youth activities must complete both Basic and Foundation Safeguarding courses as soon as possible after offering to volunteer - they must not be left unsupervised until training is complete. - Churchwardens are to have completed both Basic and Foundation courses and to be booked onto a Leadership course by the end of August 2023. - All PCC members and Churchwardens are also required to complete the on-line Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse training. ## **Current Safeguarding Training Data** |Those holding current basic training
certificates|31|Those required but yet to undertake
training|3| |---|---|---|---| |Those holding current foundation
training certificates|25|Those required but yet to undertake
training|2| |Those holding current leadership
certificates|71|Those required but yet to undertake
training:|2| |Those holding current Awareness of
Domestic Abuse certificates|19|Those required but yet to undertake
training|2| ## **Provisional training dates for new PCC members and sides persons are to be confirmed.** ## **Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS), Lead: Sharon Stirman** DBS checks are ongoing and individuals are contacted individually by the DBS Lead. All PCC members are required to undertake an enhanced DBS check as are all volunteers who support work with children, young people and vulnerable adults or hold leadership roles such as Home Group leaders. Invitations to complete DBS, for new PCC members and appointed sides persons will be generated within 10 days of the APCM. > 1 With one completed course awaiting certificate. **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 10 ## **9. Children, Youth and Families Ministry by Sharon Stirman** What a year it has been since the last APCM and I continue to love every minute of my role with the aim to always work following the church’s vision to grow disciples across the generations. The multi-purpose youth area at the back of the church has been renamed “The SNUG” - Sitting Nicely Under God and is used regularly by a variety of people including children and young people on Sundays and during the week, and also for small church meetings. ## **Sunday Children and Youth Work** The youth area is used as a creche available for parents and small children to use during the morning service, with specific toys and books available for them, along with colouring and activity sheets. BEEs (The Bible’s Eager Explorers) runs for children aged 3 to 14 in the Parish Centre during term time and currently has approximately 6 or 7 regular members with visitors always welcomed and included. We use the method of ‘whole church teaching’ meaning that all age groups study the same Bible passage which encourages discussions about what has been understood and taught, and also builds up relationships through the generations. The support of Jenny, Jane and Bobby is invaluable but a rota is in place to ensure that they do not miss out on worship and teaching for themselves. EPIC (Every Person in Christ) is a Bible study group for ages 11 to 18, who meet weekly on a Sunday evening, during term time. This is held in the SNUG and the young people make great use of the equipment before settling on the sofas to study the Bible passage preached at the 10.30am service. We have good in depth discussions and the young people often surprise me with their understanding and ask really thought-provoking questions. There are currently eight regular members and it is a very special time with good bonds being made between the young people. To build relationships between the young people and the older members of the church, EPIC sets up tables for Coffee Pop-In, at the end of each EPIC session, and is also on the rota to serve church coffee - and they even wash up! **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 11 ## **All-Age Worship** I have worked closely with Carl to make All-Age Worship more inclusive for everyone, thinking about engagement with God’s word, the hymns and songs, and keeping it to within the hour. Children and young people regularly read from the Bible and are involved in the writing and speaking of prayers for the whole church. This is ongoing and I welcome any feedback on how we can ensure that our all-age services on the first Sunday of every month are engaging and relevant across the generations. ## **Family Support** Following a one-day training event on Parenthood and Worship at Christ Church Bromley, I was able to share what I had heard with our church families, as well as enjoy some lovely food and fellowship, and give out family-friendly Advent books and calendars, which were well received. Last year, I led an online Home Group for parents and young adults but, due to other commitments and the general business of family life, this was unsustainable. However, this year, it is hoped to combine social family events with some informal Bible teaching. I regularly visit families and/or invite them to share a meal or coffee and am in regular contact through emails and a parents’ WhatsApp group. I have also visited and supported couples in baptism preparation. ## **Weekly Activities** The After School Drop-In continues on Wednesday afternoons. It currently has four regular members who enjoy the time together and have lots of fun as well as learning about Jesus in the “God Spot”. Although the numbers are small, the impact is great. For example, one young person, who had never opened the Bible before, can now find books and verses, and when we played a game about what they could tell me about Jesus, she was able to state 25 things that she had learnt about Him through After School Club. Praise God! I continue to support Jean with the Under 5s group on Thursday mornings and this is growing and growing with several new mums and grandmas now attending, and children ranging from a few months to 4 years old. I have written a simple curriculum so that various stories from the Bible are looked at each month in an age appropriate way. Good relationships are being **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 12 nurtured and several have attended other church events as a result of attending Under 5s. Long may this continue! “Teaching The Bible to Little Ones” is a resource I have created for parents and grandparents, with suggestions, ideas and examples on encouraging little ones to learn from and engage with The Bible, using stories, craft, prayers and songs. This is now on the church website with hard copies available in church. Coffee Pop-In, with a new start time of 9.15am was trialled to encourage parents/carers to ‘pop-in’ after the school run, but this was not a success with no parents ‘popping in’ despite me physically being at the school and pre-school at drop-off, giving out leaflets and trying to engage with parents. Following a review, this has reverted to a 10am start. I am very grateful for the support from Alison and her team in this. ## **Beavers** The Beavers Group has visited church twice this year, with the most recent visit last December, where it was a pleasure to share the story of Christmas and make Christingles with them. It is hoped this link will continue. ## **Work with Schools** Relationships with the Wilmington Grammar Schools continue to be upheld, with bi-annual meetings with the Head Teachers. Once again, we worked with the Girls’ School to distribute Christmas Hampers to the elderly and needy in Wilmington, in December 2022. We hosted a joint Carol Service for both grammar schools which included an explanation as to why Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Unfortunately, the planned Year 7 Christmas Assemblies due to take place in church were cancelled due to snow but the schools are eager to have them again this year. From Wilmington Primary School, we welcomed children and their families to church for their Christmas concert, which included a talk where everyone discovered the true meaning of Christmas through opening a variety of presents. I continue to regularly liaise with the Head Teacher who supports thorough inclusion of event information in their weekly parent emails. **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 13 I continue to have excellent relationships with Oakfield Primary School and it is an absolute pleasure to visit the school and lead termly assemblies covering a variety of themes including hope, goodbye and, of course, Christmas and Easter. In December 2022, ninety children from Year 1 visited the church to discover how Christmas is celebrated in the Church of England, which was a great success, and in March this year, we welcomed ninety-five children from the reception classes into church where they heard about Easter and new life, and even went on a treasure hunt around the church! On both occasions, it was a real joy to see so many children exploring the church and learning about Jesus. It was also very special to welcome children and young people from Oakfield Primary School and both Grammar Schools to participate in the Family Christmas Carol Service, where everyone pulled crackers and discovered how each part could be found in the true Christmas story. ## **Special Activities and Services** **June 2022:** EPIC visited Rochester Cathedral to see the Gaia installation and studied the Creation story while sitting under the beautifully lit giant globe suspended from the cathedral’s vast ceiling. **August 2022:** Children attending the village fete enjoyed badge making, Giant Connect 4, croquet and the traditional jam jar tombola as we chatted with parents and families, and gave out details of weekly church activities. **December 2022:** The ‘Make and Take’ at the Christmas Fair was well received, with 38 children completing a range of crafts showing the true meaning of Christmas and bringing their parents and families to enjoy the fun of the fair! **The Christmas Eve Children’s Service** was really well attended and the children enjoyed searching for hidden pictures and then putting them in the right order to tell the true story of Christmas! **January 2023:** Following the success of last year, we now have an annual Christingle Service in the format of a cafe church with tables for people to sit at, and tea and coffee served. This year, we welcomed thirty-two people of all ages who enjoyed joining in with singing, stories and making a Christingle showing God’s love for us in sending His son to be the Light of the World. Seeing the church lit by just the light of the Christingle candles is something really special and never ceases to give me tingles. **March 2023:** EPIC, again wonderfully, led the Mothering Sunday service, celebrating and remembering the love of mothers. This was enjoyed by all who attended, with many commenting on how well the young people had led. **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 14 **April 2023: The Easter Craft Morning and Egg Hunt** was a fantastic morning where those attending Coffee Pop-In were able to join in activities celebrating Easter. Forty-three children took part along with parents, carers and grandparents, and went home having heard the good news that Jesus is Alive! The EPIC **Bake Off Technical Challenge** was a fun afternoon where five youngsters made amazing rainbow cakes (and a big mess!). EPIC enjoyed a **fun film evening** using the cinema room at Emmerson Park. One of the more elderly members of our church family, who lives there, had a huge surprise to see us all and joined us for the evening - even sharing her chocolates with the young people! Five young people also supported **Holiday at Home** with serving lunches, clearing tables and helping with the washing up - this was a great inter-generational time and the young people will be invited to arrive earlier next time to join in games and crafts with the guests. As I am writing this, I am looking forward to sharing a **BBQ lunch** for all church families in May, a whole church **family BBQ** in August and accompanying children and young people to a **Summer Camp** . We are also prayerfully considering a **Holiday Club** in the summer holidays, too! ## **Study** Studying for the MA (Master’s Degree [Christian Ministry, specialising in children and youth]) continues, having passed my first year and now well into my second. I have attended two residential study weeks, completed an intensive on-line learning week and participated in six seminar days in Southampton and Birmingham, with the most recent one being on Zoom. Since the last APCM, I have studied modules covering ‘Mission - Culture and Context’, ‘Biblical Theology’, ‘Bible Exposition’ and ‘Doctrine in Historical Perspective’ and have passed all the assignments so far. I am currently studying a specialist module, ‘Word Ministry in Children and Youth Work’, which involves lots of practical work as well as theological theory. Each module involves six-weekly units of reading and exercises alongside an interim assignment (1500-2000 words) and a final assignment (3000-3500 words). I am looking forward to the summer residential, seeing my tutor group, having face to face learning and sharing worship together. It is a great joy to share some of my learning with families, the Leadership Team and the whole church family. I can honestly say that I am really enjoying the in-depth studies and level of work required but it is definitely challenging! **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 15 I am now in my second year of training with the Growing Young Disciples Academy, with lectures on Monday evenings. Modules studied include ‘Spiritual Development in Children, Youth and Family Ministry’, ‘Doctrine in Children and Youth Ministry’ and ‘Leadership’. The final module for this year is ‘Pastoral Care in Children, Youth and Family Ministry’. Next year, Year 3, is the final year for completion of the seminary level qualification. I also attend relevant Diocesan training as well as networking sessions for all Children and Youth Ministers in the Diocese, where we share ideas, resources and nice cakes! Living in the village and being the Children and Youth Minister for St Michaels is truly a gift from God and I want to thank everyone who supports me, helps me and prays for me. Praise be to God. ## **10.The Ministry of Music by Alan R J Hunt (FFA DipRSCM HECert)** ## **Alan is Director of Music, Organist and Choirmaster at St Michael’s** ## **St Michael’s Choir** Although we no longer hold weekly Friday choir practices, there has, however, been considerable success in running an Augmented Choir made up of regular choir members plus members of the congregation and friends from outside St. Michaels who have been willing to commit to singing on special occasions. We are starting a monthly practice on Fridays to go through the music for the month and work on extra music for special occasions. Over the year, Louise Richards has been helpful and committed in organising and taking choir practices for the Augmented Choir and I have been accompanist. We have, by this means, been able to sing anthems on most of the major festivals throughout the year including Christmas. We continually hope to recruit and encourage new choir members, either on a regular basis or offering occasional help. All voices are welcome from ages 7 to 107. Everyone can sing and if you think you can’t, please come along and you might be surprised. As a Church Choir we are affiliated to The Royal School of Church Music and, in this respect, it is the function of the choir to lead worship. Training and help can be given in all aspects of choral singing to raise and keep a suitable standard, not only of singing but of discipline. **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 16 Being a member of any group requires commitment and some members of the choir have given that commitment for many years and continue to do so. BUT, things always change as with any group and, over the years, younger members have gone to university, some people have moved away, some have found they need more time to devote to their families and some have found getting older makes it more difficult to get out and about. Please consider whether you would like to offer your services by joining the Augmented Choir for special occasions and also by helping lead the worship week by week. You can decide how much of your time you are willing to give. ## **St Michael’s Music Group** We have also restarted the Music Group to play at one service a month and members regularly give their time and commitment in practising and leading worship. Again, new members are always welcome. ## **Worship Planning Team** Louise, Sharon, Alan and Vicar Carl meet every two months to plan all the music for each week’s worship. Many thanks to Louise and Pam for their work with the choir and music group. ## **9. Our Pastoral Ministry by Christine Hookins** A small group of people meet regularly to consider, prayerfully, whether those in our fellowship who are suffering or troubled in some way may need help, comfort and support. They may be housebound through illness, disability or advancing years and no longer able to get to church as they once did; they may be grieving the death of a loved one, lonely or struggling with varying circumstances of life. It is important that each person feels valued and part of the family of Christ here in Wilmington. Prayer, ‘phone calls, visits and home Communions can really help with this. Some may also be in need of practical assistance - for example, lifts to church or a hospital appointment, or help with shopping. Of course, it is not just those in the pastoral group who minister to others - many in our congregation make frequent ‘phone calls and visits to others and, during lockdown, every member of St Michael’s was contacted by at least one other person on a regular basis. Specific prayer needs can be shared on the prayer lines which operate either by telephone or via WhatsApp. Prayer ministry during 10.30am Communion services has been recommenced. Holiday at Home could not be held for 2-3 years because of Covid but has **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 17 restarted. Two events have now taken place – October 2022 and April 2023 – when an average of about 40 people on each occasion enjoyed fellowship together and spent their day taking part in various activities and entertainment. May we all continue to show the love and compassion of Jesus, in practical and spiritual ways, to our friends and neighbours. ## **10.Ministry to Care Homes** Services for residents of local care homes and units of sheltered accommodation were necessarily suspended due to the Covid restrictions but are gradually being reinstated on a regular basis with permission and encouragement from the managers of the homes. If anyone would like to take part in these services to boost the singing, please see Chris or Eric Hookins or Jean Hook for details. ## Farrell Court and Emily Court by Christine Hookins The services reach out to residents and enable them to feel a part of the family of St Michael’s. Numbers are fairly small but many of the regulars in Farrell Court and Emily Court encourage others to join in. During the times when we were unable to meet in person, residents were contacted by ‘phone or cards and were prayed for regularly. Currently, services are as follows: Farrell Court – monthly, usually 4th Monday at 7pm; Emily Court – fortnightly, usually 2nd and 4th Mondays at 10.45am. ## Sonya Lodge and Wilmington Manor by Jean Hook During the past year, there has been a major change in my ministry in that I now visit Sonya Lodge for a Christian service every week. This has proved a great help in continuity and the residents and staff are always appreciative. Despite a short closure due to some COVID cases recently (but no serious illness), their precautions have now been relaxed. Although I had kept in touch with Wilmington Manor during the COVID pandemic, the few visits I was able to make, once they opened, were less than satisfactory: the staff explained that few residents were able to leave their rooms now. Only two or three residents attended, no staff and, on one occasion, no one at all turned up. However, I have recently received a request for regular individual visits for a resident in her own room, which I am happy to fulfil. These will take place shortly. Concentrating my full service provision on Sonya Lodge seems more **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 18 appropriate, as they have a close connection with St Michael’s, but I am always happy to respond to requests for pastoral visits from Wilmington Manor. ## **11.The Mission Task Group by Christine Hookins** The Mission Task Group meets several times a year to learn more about and consider the ongoing support that St Michael’s offers to our chosen charities. Currently, these charities are: **Christian Solidarity Worldwide** , working to support people across the world who are being persecuted for their faith. **Porchlight** , which helps people in Kent with problems of homelessness, poverty and mental health issues. **High Hopes for Children** , a local charity operating in Uganda and Moldova which aims to enable children suffering a disability to access education. **Wycliffe Bible Translators** , bringing the word of God to all nations in their own languages. **Christian Aid** , supporting communities with diverse needs, both financially and practically, especially after natural disasters. **Chemba Church in Kondoa Diocese, Tanzania** : St Michael’s has had a link with this church since 2008 and has supported building work as well as aiming to foster good relationships with local pastors and people. ## **12.The Social and Outreach Task Group** The Social and Outreach Task Group coordinate and organise multiple social events in the Church, the Church Hall and the Parish Centre, including a meal on Christmas Day and a community Christmas Fair and model railway exhibition, as well as varied children, youth and family activities as described in our CYF Minister’s report on page 11. We also participate in the August Bank Holiday Fair on Wilmington Common and meetings with the Parish Council, demonstrating our commitment to, and presence in, the wider parish community. Through these activities, we seek to welcome people into our church family; draw existing church members closer to each other and support them in speaking about Jesus with their friends. ## **13.Pop-Up Conversations on Christian Living by Christine Jefferys** **The group is facilitated by Gerard Hennessy, Janice Hennessy, Christine Jefferys and Steve** **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 19 ## **Jefferys.** The church introduced a new fellowship and discussion initiative this year. Every month, following the Sunday morning 10.30am service, people gather informally to discuss the challenges and opportunities of 21[st] century life from a Christian perspective. This is a multigenerational conversation space where we share Christian perspectives on group-chosen topics that affect our lives, such as ‘Welcoming Refugees’ and ‘Engaging with Young People’. Conversations draw on, embrace and harness the rich diversity of experience of those who worship at St Michael’s to explore values, attitudes, perspectives and positive action in the community and beyond. ## **14.Wilmington Parish News by Steve Jefferys, Editor** Email: stmichaelswilmingtonmagazine@gmail.com The “Wilmington Parish News”, which is produced 6 times a year, once every two months, is an example of the church’s community outreach work. The magazine has existed for many years and continues to be distributed to approximately 500 households throughout Wilmington as well as outside the Parish. We strive to achieve an editorial balance that reflects the work and role of St Michael’s as a Christian presence in Wilmington and beyond, together with items of general interest to parish residents, including accounts of the work of the Parish Council, historical articles, biographies of residents, poems and the activities of local groups and societies. I am grateful to three key teams: my editorial team; the team of volunteers who organise the distributor bundles; and the 29 people who distribute the magazine to homes in Wilmington. Extra copies of the magazine are placed at the back of the church for those church members who live outside the Wilmington area. Copies are also available to purchase in the weekly Village Market. It is now possible for subscribers to pay online (details on the church website). We welcome contributions to the magazine, especially articles that highlight village life, past and present. If you wish to subscribe or submit an article, please email me at the above address. ## **15.Coffee Pop-In by Alison Mountain** As well as services, contemplation, prayer and teaching, the church buildings are used for a range of community and fellowship activities. Coffee Pop-In is held in the church between 10.00 and 12.00, every Tuesday. The idea is for people in the local community to pop in for tea/coffee **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 20 and homemade cakes. We did experiment with starting at 9.15 in the hope that some parents and carers might stop for a coffee after dropping children at school or playgroup. This did not prove to be popular and so we have reverted to starting at 10.00. Some people bring their grandchildren and we welcome residents from Sonya Lodge and Farrel Court. More people seem to be staying for the full two hours and some seem reluctant to go home! It's encouraging that Coffee Pop-In is continuing to be so popular and fulfilling a need in the community. People who are not regular church attenders receive a warm welcome from the church family who want everyone to feel at home. It is also enjoyable for our team who work really well together and are always ready to help each other. ## **16. St Michael’s Craft Group by Helen Winton** Craft Group has successfully re-established after the pandemic, meeting every Tuesday from 12 to 2pm in the Parish Centre, with a break over Christmas, Easter and in August. A few members did not return just because life moves on but we have welcomed a couple of new members. We continue to run as a relaxed group for adults of any age with a few organised activities. People come as and when it suits for a cuppa with friends and a craft activity of their choice. We keep in touch in between meetings via a WhatsApp group. Several Craft Group Friends are members of this WhatsApp Group and keep in touch even when they don’t attend the meetings. Craft Group aims to provide a friendly space for church members and non-church members alike. By speaking about church life and associated activities as well as supporting the Christmas Fair, we aim to make the church a place where everyone feels welcome and comfortable, and therefore hopefully will in time become a part of the church family. ## **17. The Church Hall by Jenny Chambers, Church Hall Manager** We want our Church Hall to benefit both parishioners and the wider community by providing an inclusive, multi-purpose and multi-generational space. Important church activities such as Village Breakfast are held in the hall. The hall can be hired for one off events such as family celebrations. In addition, we hire the hall out to the following groups on a regular basis: - The Preschool, every morning in term time. - Brownies on a Tuesday evening. - Dance-a-cise on a Monday and Wednesday evening and all day Saturday. - Guides on a Thursday evening. **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 21 ## **18.Tech Team Report by Karl Richards** Another year of changes for St Michael’s. As we continue to deliver services online via Zoom, to those who cannot attend church in person, we have upgraded a number of pieces of equipment - primarily a new camera to replace old iPhones - and increased the number of screens to 4, including one for the choir. There are still plans for further screens in the body of the church but these present some technical and logistical problems which need to be overcome. There is now a group of tech volunteers on a rota system to cover all the regular Sunday services, which has taken pressure off Keith and myself. Hopefully, as time and money permit, we can introduce a number of further small tweaks to enhance the online offering to our parishioners. ## **19.The Fabric Report by Tony Bullimore** This report relates to the careful management of property under the control of the PCC, namely the Church, the Parish Centre, the Church Hall and the churchyard. The PCC has delegated this responsibility to the Stewardship Task Group (STG), which has met formally online and in person throughout the review period. ## **Risk Assessments** Although Covid restrictions have been lifted, the STG has continued to monitor Government and Church of England advice and has adjusted Risk Assessments relating to church services, the varied hall users, the hall office and Coffee Pop-In, as required. ## **Internal** The Church Hall is managed by Jenny Chambers and we thank her for her efforts throughout the year. We ensure all our cleaning products are eco-friendly and used by all hall users. Regular servicing/maintenance of the heating and fire extinguishers has been carried out, together with checking the emergency lights, fire equipment and smoke/carbon dioxide alarms. It should be stated that the floor still shows significant signs of wear and needs replacing. This is an ongoing issue that will be addressed when funds allow. The Church and Parish Centre are cleaned by a small team of regular volunteers. We thank them all for their sterling effort and devotion to maintaining our church buildings in a clean and tidy state. Louise Richards has responsibility for decorating the church with flowers. Most of the money for this is donated by churchgoers in celebration or remembrance of an event or person. **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 22 With regard to the repair, maintenance and improvement of the church buildings internally, sections of plaster, which had previously been removed owing to the potential for damage or injury to churchgoers, have continued to be monitored. Currently, there is no further sign of decay. During the period under review, the boiler was both serviced and repaired, and regular checks on the emergency lights, fire equipment and smoke alarms were made. ## **External** Externally, the church roof gullies were inspected by Alec Cartwright and Tony Bullimore, and cleared of leaf debris to help prevent leaks in wet weather. The churchyard and Garden of Remembrance have been maintained by the church gardener, Trevor Willder. We are also grateful to all the volunteers, including Geoff Hackett and Keith Simons, who work hard to keep the churchyard tidy. We are still currently in discussion with the Diocese of Rochester and Dartford Borough Council with regard to work to the perimeter wall. Financially, this is a large undertaking and will be addressed when funds allow. We are grateful to Richard Kinderman for his work on and leadership of this project. A number of the larger trees which, if they had fallen, would have caused damage to either the church buildings or our neighbours, have been substantially reduced in size following discussions with Dartford Borough Council, and a separate independent survey of churchyard trees. ## **Quinquennial Inspection** In the next year, St. Michael’s will undergo a Quinquennial Inspection relating to the fabric of the church, which will highlight any work required to maintain the buildings. The management and upkeep of the church fabric is an important element of the work of the STG. I would like to draw attention to the hard work and dedication of Keith Simons, whose knowledge and sage advice have been key throughout the year. ## **20. The Deanery Synod Report by Karl Richards** ## **Karl is St Michael’s Deanery Synod Representative and was elected to the Rochester Diocesan Synod by the Dartford Deanery Synod.** The Church of England is immensely diverse in terms of age, ethnicity, socio economic status, **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 23 theology and life experience. Accordingly, there are an equally diverse range of opinions and views on every aspect of church life and teaching. In order for the Church to best serve and represent God’s people, General Synod needs to know and understand these views. ## **General Synod** General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England. It came into being in 1970 under the Synodical Government Measure 1969, replacing an earlier body known as the Church Assembly. Its role is to consider and approve legislation affecting the whole of the Church of England, formulate new forms of worship, debate matters of national and international importance, and approve the annual budget for the work of the Church at national level. There are 3 “Houses” in the General Synod - the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and the House of Laity. There are a number of layers between parish churches and General Synod: PCC, Deanery Synod and Diocesan Synod which enable the viewpoints of everyone in the Church of England to be addressed, discussed, debated and disseminated. ## **Deanery Synod Representatives** At the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), every church has the opportunity to appoint a number of Deanery Synod Representatives, which varies according to the number of parishioners on its Electoral Roll. In St Michael’s case, there are two representatives and it is incredibly important to fill these positions. The role of Deanery Synod Representative isn’t onerous - it involves attending 3 evening meetings a year held in different churches within Dartford Deanery and reporting back to the PCC. These meetings discuss and debate subjects that have cascaded down from the General Synod through the Diocesan Synod. Agendas and supporting materials are received in good time, prior to the meeting, permitting reps. to read, digest and address issues in prayer. Representatives are there to provide input on what we as a parish church feel and how we believe God has guided our thinking. Items may be raised by churches and PCC’s to go back up the chain to raise awareness within the Diocese and church as a whole. Matters of finance, structure, theology, worship, struggles, successes and many other issues are discussed. The overriding driver for all of these meetings is PRAYER. We seek to approach everything prayerfully and be open to God’s word and guidance. We open all meetings with an act of worship and finish all meetings with a time of personal and corporate prayer. It is a safe space **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 24 where conversation takes place ever mindful of the needs, views and feelings of all concerned. There is no judgement or condemnation but there is respect for all, whether their views align with or oppose one’s own. ## **Would You Consider This Role?** In conclusion, I would ask that, if you feel this is a role you may be drawn towards, then take some time to pray into it. If you would like to know more, please feel free to have a chat with me. And, if you wish to be considered for one of the Deanery Synod positions, then see Christine Jefferys for an application form. God bless. ## **21. The Treasurer's Report by David Short** ## **David is a member of the St Michael’s Treasury Team.** 2022 has been a year of change for St Michael's. Firstly, Clive Winton retired as Treasurer on the 1[st] January 2022. Clive worked tirelessly for over a decade and we are extremely grateful for all his hard work and effort in the past, as well as the continuing support that he has given to the new Treasury Team in 2022. The PCC decided that, in order to lessen the load on any one individual, team working would be preferable in future. Accordingly, the role of Treasurer was passed to Julie Short and she has been ably assisted by Carl Chambers, Alison Mountain, Louise Richards, David Short and Keith Simons. The appointment of Luca Gintu as Parish Administrator in early 2023 will also help to improve the efficiency of our team working, immensely, from now on. Secondly, 2022 saw the introduction of an accounting package 'Expense Plus', which has been very successful, even if it has taken a while to get used to it. Unfortunately, as a result, the accounts for 2022, at the time of submitting this report, are still to be approved and signed off by the PCC. However the figures quoted below are from the draft accounts, approved by the Independent Examiner, due to be submitted to the PCC as soon as possible. ## **Financial Review** The Financial Review is based on the accounting period 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022. The accounting for 2022 has changed, as directed by the PCC, to a Receipts and Payments basis, having previously been on an Accruals basis, with the intention that this would simplify the process for all concerned, especially at year end. **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 25 ## **Reserves Policy** This has not changed from that reported in 2021. The PCC aims to have a minimum of three months of general expenditure available as a contingency which amounts to circa £27,000. The balance of the General Fund, £5,862 and Repairs Fund, £22,007 satisfies this criterion. In addition, Cash at Bank, £33,215, is reassuring, albeit that some of the cash is held within restricted funds. ## **The following comparisons can be made with 2021** **Total receipts on unrestricted funds:** 2021: £104,791 2022: £110,177 IMPROVED **Total receipts on restricted funds:** 2021: £50,434 2022: £73,788 IMPROVED ## **Total expenditure on unrestricted funds:** 2021: £105,935 2022: £105,577 IMPROVED ## **Total expenditure on restricted funds:** 2021: £38,038 2022: £59,361 INCREASED DUE TO HIGHER EXPENDITURE ON THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES MINISTER (CYFM) Thus, compared to a loss of £1,101 in 2021, there was a profit on unrestricted funds of £4,600 in 2022. Overall, compared to a surplus of £11,295 in 2021, primarily due to a surplus in the CYFM Fund, there was a profit of £19,027 in 2022. Therefore, 2022 has built upon the positive outcome of 2021, enabling the PCC to accumulate £22,027 in the Repairs Fund, which it regards as its contingency for unexpected repairs/general expenditure. In addition, as a result of substantial donations, £22,314 has been accumulated, most of which **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 26 will be allocated to the proposed replacement of the floor in the Church Hall in 2023. The Children, Youth and Families Minister received considerable donations and grants (£37,790) during 2022 and, as a result of considerable ongoing support from the Rochester Good Stewards Trust, Sharon's ministry has been protected for the next three years. However, despite the positive financial outcome of 2022, there are major concerns for the budget in 2023 due to the effects of inflation and, in particular, the cost of utilities. The future is uncertain and the PCC is fully aware that it will have to take great care in managing finances in 2023 and beyond. ## **22. Gift Aid Report by Lesley Bate, Gift Aid Secretary** ## **For the Year ending 31 December 2022** (Figures in brackets are those for the year ending 2021, for the purpose of comparison.) Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows charities to reclaim the basic rate of tax on donations - if you are a taxpayer, we can claim 25p of tax for every £1 you donate, at no extra cost to you. During 2022, we claimed gift aid on donations from 53 (56) people, with 42 (41) of us using Gift Aid for regular giving, as at the end of the year. We received £ 14,683.93 (£14,795.13) in gift aid from the Inland Revenue, of which £10,393.25 (£10,411.63) was by way of regular giving. During the year, 3 gift aid declarations were cancelled or no longer used, and 1 new declaration for regular giving was signed. ## **Gift Aid Small Donation Scheme (GASDS)** The GASDS allows us to claim a gift aid style repayment on small cash donations of £30 or less for which we don’t hold a gift aid declaration. (For us, this is generally the loose notes and coins in the offering, but also includes planned giving envelope donations where we do not hold a declaration.) For 2022, we were able to claim £1,302.58, compared to £497.81 in 2021. The lower figure in 2021 reflects the fact that there were fewer services in Church due to Covid and, therefore, fewer open collections. **Gift Aid Declarations** **St Michael and All Angels Church Wilmington** 27 Please talk to me if you are a tax payer and have not yet signed a gift aid declaration or you want to know more. Gift aid declarations can be downloaded from the church website or are available from the church office, one of the churchwardens or myself. **If you have signed a gift aid declaration, please remember to let me know, if you no longer pay tax, do not pay sufficient tax to cover the amount we can claim on your donations, or if you change your address.** ## **APPROVAL** This report has been approved by the PCC/ Charity Trustees and is signed on their behalf by the Reverend Carl Chambers, Chairman of the PCC. Signed copies will be displayed in the church and a digital copy is available on the church website. ## PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS ## **Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2022** |**Receipts and Payments Accounts**|||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |||Unrestricted|Restricted|TOTAL|TOTAL| ||Note|Funds|Funds|2022|2021| |||£|£|£|£| |RECEIPTS|||||| |Donations & Legacies||77,227|68,571|145,798|n/a| |Charitable Activities|6a|13,926|0|13,926|n/a| |Investments||363|0|363|n/a| |Trading Activities|6b|18,661|0|18,661|n/a| |Other|6f|0|5,217|5,217|n/a| |Total Receipts||110,177|73,788|183,965|n/a| |PAYMENTS|||||| |Charitable Activities|6c|42,800|54,123|96,923|n/a| |Raising Funds|6d|10,692|0|10,692|n/a| |Other Activities|6f|0|5,238|5,238|n/a| |Support|6e|52,085|0|52,085|n/a| |Total Payments||105,577|59,361|164,938|n/a| |Excess of receipts over payments||4,600|14,427|19,027|n/a| |Transfers between funds|4||||| |Fund Transfers In||33,545|14,828|48,373|0| |Fund Transfers Out||33,048|15,325|48,373|0| |Cash at bank & in hand at 1 January||29,130|45,798|74,928|61,351| |Cash at bank & in hand at 31 December||34,227|59,728|93,955|74,928| |**Statement of Assets & Liabilities**|||||| |||Unrestricted|Restricted|TOTAL|TOTAL| ||Note|Funds|Funds|2022|2021| |||£|£|£|£| |Cash funds|5|34,227|59,728|93,955|74,928| |Other monetary assets|||||| |Gift Aid recoverable||1,450|405|1,855|2,611| |Assets retained for church use|3|212,982|0|212,982|212,982| |Liabilities|||||| |Utilities December||2,869|0|2,869|1,050| |Diocese fees||416|0|416|1,400| |Awaygiving||2,480|0|2,480|150| |||5,765|0|5,765|2,600| Page 1 ## **Notes** 1 The financial statements of the PCC have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 using the Receipts and Payments basis, as agreed by the PCC in November 2021. The 2021 figures have been restated on this basis where possible, but in most cases the categorisation on the Expense Plus system does not show comparable figures. 2 2022 is the first year that Expense Plus has been used as an accounting package. 3 The assets retained for church use is the church hall, and the value shown is the value for insurance purposes in 1999 plus subsequent improvements at cost. Land in Whitehead Close currently rented to 1st Wilmington Scouts Group and owned by the Church is not valued above. The survey carried out on 9 March 2016 in accordance with section 119 of the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities (Qualified Surveyors' Report Regulations 1992) on this land stated "given the compact nature of the site and the lack of vehicular access, we are of the opinion that redevelopment of the site for any other purpose would be extremely difficult to achieve and therefore the continued use by the Scouts is recommended." The Scouts currently occupy the land, having signed a 50 year lease in 2017, and pay a rent to the PCC. This is currently £450 per annum, but the five yearly rent review is pending. 4 Funds The PCC's receipts and payments are allocated to a number of different funds depending on the purpose for which they are used. Unrestricted funds are available for spending on general purposes, including those within designated funds (D) which have been earmarked for particular projects. Restricted funds are only able to be used for the particular purpose for which they were established or monies donated. The PCC has to authorise any transfers from these funds if they are to be used for any other purpose. ## Unrestricted Funds General Fund Meets the day to day running costs of the Church External Organisation Holding Fund Monies intended for other organisations Youth Minister Support Fund (D) Monies intended for Youth Minister activities Church Repairs (D) Transferred to Repairs fund Hall Repairs (D) Transferred to Repairs fund Repairs (D) Set aside to meet repairs to the Church, Church Hall, and external property such as gates and walls. Funded from the previous separate funds. Three Churches Events Monies for events held jointly with Christchurch, Dartford and St Peter's, Hextable Vicarage Internal Maintenance (D) Monies allocated for the internal decoration of the vicarage Legacies (D) Monies from legacies to the Church Restricted Funds Youth Minister Meets the costs of employing a Youth Minister on a full-time basis using donations, gifts and grants Fees Not Retained Fees collected by the Church on behalf of Rochester Diocese for works undertaken Flower Donations Gifts given for floral displays in Church Repairs Donations Gifts given for specific repairs to the Church buildings Churchyard Donations Gifts given for the upkeep of the churchyard Page 2 Churchyard Wall Donations Gifts given to fund work on repairing the churchyard wall Local Support Holiday at Home Pat Iveson Memorial MA course Donations made to help local families Donations and grants to support the "Holiday at Home" events Donations made to help improve Church facilities Donations made to fund Rev. Carl Chambers' MA course Christmas Day Lunch Donations and grants to support the Christmas Day lunch Pastor Tito - Cornhill Kondoa Railway Exhibition Hall RTR Project Hall Disabled Toilet Donations and grants to support Pastor Tito (Kondoa) attend a training course Donations and grants to support the Diocese of Kondoa, Tanzania and Chemba Church Fundraising event to support the Railway Children charity and the Youth Minister Donations made towards the development of the Church Hall Donations made for the provision of a disabled WC in the Church Hall The movements in the funds during the year were:- ||Bal b/fwd|Receipts|Payments|Transfers|Bal c/fwd| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||£|£|£|£|£| |General|6,462|108,568|103,836|-5,332|5,862| |Youth Minister (see note (i))|29,783|37,790|37,116|0|30,457| |Fees Not Retained|0|5,217|5,238|0|-21| |Flower Donations|0|790|504|-286|0| |Repairs Donations|0|22,315|0|1,510|23,825| |Church Repairs|5,271|0|0|-5,271|0| |Churchyard Donations|0|675|30|0|645| |Hall Repairs|17,396|0|660|-16,736|0| |Churchyard Wall Donations|200|750|0|0|950| |Local Support|455|241|132|0|564| |Holiday at Home|866|310|0|0|1,176| |Pat Iveson Memorial|2,493|55|3,504|956|0| |MA course|312|1,500|7,344|5,959|427| |Christmas Day Lunch|805|462|350|0|917| |Pastor Tito - Cornhill|360|400|739|0|21| |Kondoa|125|0|1,000|875|0| |Railway Exhibition|0|2,515|1,497|-1,018|0| |Hall RTR Project|10,400|0|1,907|-8,493|0| |Repairs|0|0|0|22,007|22,007| |Hall Disabled Toilet|0|768|0|0|768| |External Organisation Holding Fund|0|952|463|0|489| |Youth Minister Support Fund|0|0|0|5,329|5,329| |Three Churches Events|0|657|618|0|39| |Vicarage Internal Maintenance|0|0|0|500|500| |Legacies|0|0|0|0|0| |TOTAL|74,928|183,965|164,938|0|93,955| (i) The Rochester Good Stewards Trust gave a grant of £20,000 (£24,000 in 2021) for any expenditure related to the Youth Minister position. The Church has added a further £5,000 to this. Page 3 |5|Cash funds||£|| |---|---|---|---|---| |||Short term deposits|60,403|| |||CAF bank|33,215|| |||Miscellaneous cash|337|| |||TOTAL|93,955|| |6|**Further analysis of Receipts and**|**Payments Accounts**||| |||Unrestricted|Restricted|TOTAL| |||Funds|Funds|2022| |||£|£|£| |**Receipts**||||| |a)|Charitable Activities|||| ||PCC Fees|9,027|0|9,027| ||Previous year income|3,091|0|3,091| ||Fundraising|1,808|0|1,808| |||13,926|0|13,926| |b)|Trading Activities|||| ||Premises Hire|16,396|0|16,396| ||Parish News|2,234|0|2,234| ||Bookstall|31|0|31| |||18,661|0|18,661| |**Payments**||||| |c)|Charitable Activities|||| ||Churchyard running costs|2,855|30|2,885| ||Church running costs|13,271|7,412|20,683| ||Church utilities|7,572|0|7,572| ||Ministry|5,138|30,464|35,602| ||Mission & Evangelism|2,229|351|2,580| ||Missionary & Charitable Giving|2,820|1,739|4,559| ||Office costs|3,573|0|3,573| ||Salaries & Honoraria|1,486|14,127|15,613| ||Youth & children|2,456|0|2,456| ||DBF fees|1,400|0|1,400| |||42,800|54,123|96,923| |d)|Raising Funds|||| ||Fund raising|235|0|235| ||Hall running costs|8,346|0|8,346| ||Parish News|2,111|0|2,111| |||10,692|0|10,692| e) This is the Diocesan Parish contribution plus £60 readers' fees f) These are fees, associated with activities including weddings and funerals, which are collected on behalf of several parties including the Diocese and subsequently paid out. Page 4 ## **Independent Examiner’s report to the Trustees of St Michael & All Angels Parochial Church Council** I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the church for the year ended 31 December 2022. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the church's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the church’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. ## **Independent examiner’s statement** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the church as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ## Signed: Nigel Bate Date: 10th May 2023 Nigel Bate 8 Gerdview Drive DARTFORD DA2 7BS