**St Matthew’s Annual Report for 2023** 

During 2023, St Matthew’s has enjoyed continuing to listen to God’s Word and encouraging one another to keep walking on the path that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). During this past year we renewed our vision statement and have clarified that this is indeed our _raison d'être_ : helping people discover, and stay on, this narrow path. 

The past year was a particular time of renewal and refreshment for our vicar, with a _**sabbatical**_ during the months of May, June and July. As well as enjoying some overdue time with family, friends and godparents, he was able to set aside a good number of hours to read about the influence of Karl Marx, both past and present. From this he feels like he finally understands the world in which we live: rather than seeing everything through the Christian lens of sin and grace (‘we all mess up, but let’s be generous and try to work things through together’), the superceding Marxist lens through which life is viewed is one of conflict and struggle (‘their opposing view must not be tolerated!’). This seems to makes sense of so much of the bitterness and frustration that is evident in our society today. 

The movement in our national church away from biblical Christianity (towards a form of Marxism?) is one that the leadership of _**Sherford**_ Community Church (SCC) were particularly dismayed by last year. Ultimately, a lack of confidence in the senior leadership in the Church of England led to Tom Brassil deciding to resign, and the majority of SCC leaving the Church of England with him. St Matthew’s has sought to support both those who have left SCC and also those who have decided to stay. We are praying for our good relationship with SCC to continue into the future, as well as for new emerging partnerships to develop and flourish. 

On the subject of moving, we have also had some **staffing** changes. Last summer we said goodbye to John Price and his family. John accepted a role at a new church in Norwich as, while he very much enjoyed being part of St Matthew’s, he felt like it was time for a change. We wish John and his family well and still keep in touch with them, not least through CYFA Venture Holidays. We are delighted that we were able to source Chris MacKrill as a SWYM youth & children’s worker. Chris and his family have been a great blessing to us all already. 

Our thanks again go to everyone who has generously contributed to the life of St Matthew’s through the giving of time, energy and finances. We are so grateful for such partnership in the gospel, as together we continue to fix our eyes on the things unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18) – our God really is real! – and try to help those around us to do the same. 



sr. mA￿HEWs CHURCH. ELBURTON, PLYMoirrH
FINANCIAL STATEMErirs
31 DECEMBER 2023
copirEtirs
ststement of financlal actlvltles
Balan￿ sheet
Notes to the finanaal statements
Treasureffs statement
Independent examIn￿S rewt

FOR ThE YEAR eNDeD 31 DKEPIBER 202J
X122
Vduntsry I1￿
LY*342
21,732
129.456
2L732
147A64
7.723
Other15*thruJ r￿urCeS
114
&lJ4
Tatsl IncomlTrJ vesour
155A37
Owrth athiues
139524
9524
139,422
&620
313
313
147.782
Netln(omlnyl(thrtgothg)
3JOI
6&7
Yolal blfwd X123
355
395
31714
39.514

sr. MATTHEWS CHURCH, ELBURTON, PLYMoimi
BALANCE SHEET
ISAT 31 DECEMBER 2023
TOTAL
23
TOTAL
202Z
GenÈMI
Funds
ThnBlb*4$5ets
053
A65J
CURRQNT ASSE
Opbto
BaTrkand tssh bal•nces
14.743
35.216
£ ffjgyj
14,743
39,162
5J,905
8,575
36,003
£ 44578
uRR*r￿ UABILTfIES
Credlt¢fs payoble wllhln
13,988
7,895
NeTCiIRRENT ASSErs
£ 35971
£ 39917
TOTAL LESS CURRetir LfA•ILmes
CrethoTS payoble theron*yww
TOTAL NEfASSrrs1 (UA•lLmES>
£ 38,
É 41570
THE FUNDS OFTHE CHURCH
Unrestrlct¢d Inctsm•funds'.
GenErnI
gnat&J
3&624
35.$23
3&624
3S,523
R•Md¢¢•d IrKfyMfvnds.'
3,946
3,991
Apwoved bythochyrch Mw¢ln8 hekl
{d￿e1.
on Its beh•llby fteVJC￿JthQrl¢h•lTh￿￿l
Th• wgq• 3 10 4 forni pArtofthq••flfia￿￿ *•tth•n¢•

sr. MAThHEWS CHURCH, ELBURTON, PLYMOiml
NOTES TO THE STATEMEKf OF FINANCIAL AcrIvrriES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
ACCOUllllNG POUCIES
Basis of Aco)untlng
The flnanctsl statements have been prepared on the historical cost basls, as modified bythe revaluation of certa5n flnartcial
assets and Ilabllltle5 and investrnent properties measured at fairyaluethrough income orexpenditure.
Thé finartlal ￿atements have been prepared In accordancewlth AccountinB and Reporti￿ bycharltles.. St?ternent of
The accru?15 basis of accounting has been adopted, and thè prlnclpal 8ccoyNlng pollcies set out
below?re applled con5i5tentlv.
Ib Fund Accountln9
Unrestrlttedfund5 are avallabie for use atthe discretion of the thurch Sn furthernnce of It5C￿lltable
oblectlves.
Restricied fund5 are subjected to re5trfctions on thelr expenditure Imposed bythe donor, ortontained
In theterms ora 8rant.
Ic Tangibk rued A¥ets
Depieclatlon Is provldedatthefollowlng ann￿1 rates calculatsd towrite off assets o¥erthelr estlmated useful Ilves:
F￿lre$ & FlitinBs
5TEquiprnent
15% redudng balance
20% straight linè
Id Incomlng Res¢wrces
All voluntary6lvlnbt ts Induded In theflnandal statementsfor the period in whith it is received.
Dtsnatlons underGift Aid plus theassoclatedtax recovery ar• rKo8n15ed as Incorne when the
th)nation is recèived.
Legacies areaccounted forwhenthelr recelpt Iscertaln and can be Properly quantlfied.
All other Income is generally recognised when It Is receivable.
le Résourtls Exp¢nded
Resouftès Èxpended are recoBnised in the period to whkh theyare Incurred and include attributable
VATwhith tannot bt rec￿red. Thèy aré alJotatÈd to the particularactlvtyto whlth they relate.
Govemance w5ts represent direttexpendi¢ure on the govemance tsfthethur¢h. 5ncludlngthe produrtlon
and independènt scrutirw of thesefinar*ial statements.
As mostof the management and actlvltyof thechurch Is carried out by volunteer5, thi5 Intangible cost is
not induded in thefinancial statementsas this voluntarycontributionto the Ilfe of thechurch Is
incalcutsble.
If
Taxatton
The thurth i$4n eKepted charity withinthe meaningof the Taxes Att&
AccordlnBly It Is potentlally exempt from taxatlon In respect of incorneand rapital Bains recel¥ed
to the extent thatsuch income orBalns are applied to exdusivety charitable purp05e5. No provision for
taxation has been made In thesefinandal statements.

FORIHE YEAR E14DED 310E(IMeER 2025
Icmrd IJOn￿ry2O23
liJ2
719
its5
-$54
DeWed¥t￿l¢1V¢¥[
ftyward31Dtt•mber2013
-317
x£
-577
202J
2022
GItAdT¥ArecLwernb
1524
2&3$
£ 14.74Y
￿ed￿5 yyabTeWltNnc￿2s￿r
L3C
blerfly￿￿lreP￿lr5
Sun&y£redttors￿d￿ufU￿S
p￿￿aftermOftth•n￿1eW.
I￿1b￿an¢¢$iNdes1ANateI￿1*1**v*t￿srtNe￿
toGeneralSundin 2Qlll
Tml
B*￿ew￿ ii¥rwry1023
Tr4rthtDJ1f￿lGfrnOrn1FUAd
IntC4mel{E¥wdttwelknwr
ThprnC+4ernrt5￿Ihe ￿stIbled fvndsdurfn8thpy¥*ie'.
2022
2430
iyji
1430
5259
In¢￿8￿5*¥r
45
-3.143
U61

IREASURER% STATEMENT
I PHve Prepared ￿fin8nd
I to4 tr theywerthl 31 DKwts20
rAges I to 4.
Tequ[ran￿t ofsth 144 oftr* Qorftie$Art￿1 kt) does Tr)tath. It ts my ￿s￿￿￿tytrl
To a• rwds In actw(&rKe %130 ofthe 2011,. and
r•4thrmrtsrftr* 2011 P
trLJ Il¥d

. mA￿mEWs CHURCH, ELBURTON, PLYMOUTH
APPENDXX I TO THE sfATEMEt4T OF FINANCIAL AcrivrrIES
FOR THE YEARENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
GeneTrl
Fund•
2025
vowKrARY INCOME
8ank DAYS &SI(Ys
77.702
n894
7,222
9,131
6,715
13,QOO
5,408
5,210
Cath and don?
Glft Day
LegBde5
Famlly Mlrd#eT FUNI
Incm t¥1 refvnds urth Glft
knday Sthwl colknoon
P•Jller Fund
Acts 434 Fu
Malntmnce ol c*fiMllJtor
5,210
&831
2L191
2l191
20,274
220
£ 120•Z
£ 120A12
& 129H56
Acllvr￿THATSE￿IRATl WJNDS
Ccifee Momlr8s
L541
LS41
56$
520
1,349
1,610
519
531
Youth Incom
520
Tojdlers
)nadon (051for heatthg twlldlTra
Donattorb from Cfymmunlty tMrdsCC4t of
Useof eultdl
Gard￿ Palty
L316
1,316
14.230
L611
14,230
1,611
12,583
1.505
1977
4977
W{¥thIpar￿ othach
Hdlday aub
Men's le￿1, Hclzcrn. gJrth 7
390
670
Ytyjih & Sundty Sth&)l ￿b•￿1Pttth
Murrffj eabk5
Magazlntr, Prf￿r¥J & SpÉd* PrthTrJYty
19
279
279
Im
Grants
Lea?￿rt9

. MATThEWS CMUJtUL EtBuRTo￿ PLYMourH
APPENDIX 2TOTHESTATEMEF4foF FINAIILIAL Aellvzll
TQT
YDYAL
F4rA
coyrsoFqeMIHAII￿ IUIIDS
4S
4170
1176
9,670
75
243
elgn
117
245
Styff
67
L*¥*gYrt
740
757
(inaL￿N*￿TIn￿￿￿)
xi
443
162
134
4741
1,1
1741
I,IwJ
J55
4>2
911
19)
352
351
4Di
N￿G￿l

TREASURER% STATEMEiir
I hm Prepar￿
I to4 tr they*￿￿*1 31 DKts2023.
MrRNa
2fyt*
txton rAge8 I to4.
(rfsth 144 ofthe O*tskt2011 (ts dces rrtap*. It b my IW*￿￿ty10
rthrt4ken do r•)t ￿￿eaTh the be Iryul￿d Fn an l Lk) Tr)t
To keq) aca)uftth¥ recon15 &130 ofthe 2011,.
u1[￿nts oftr* 2011 P4
Mr LJ Hwdatrè