## **WIGAN METHODIST MISSION Queens Hall** ## **TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] AUGUST 2021** ## **Management** Responsibility for management of Wigan Methodist Mission lies with its Church Council, in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Methodist Church. The membership of the Church Council is partly ex officio and partly elected. For example, the minister with pastoral responsibility, the church stewards (who are elected annually by the church members), and the treasurer are ex officio. Other members of the Church Council are elected annually by the church members. In the period of 12 months to the 31[st] August 2021 the Church Council met 4 times, to review the whole mission of the church, including its worship, the discipleship of its members, its financial position, the maintenance of the church premises, its pastoral care of both its members and adherents, and its social and evangelistic outreach. The church has a small Leadership Group which meets every 4 to 5 weeks, which has responsibility for the day to day running of the church, reviews its activities and prepares items for presentation to the Church Council. ## **Objectives** The mission statement of the church remains “In Jesus Christ, Growing up, Growing together, Growing out, Growth rooted in Love”. This statement summarises our mission of serving the community while deepening our fellowship, our relationship to God and Christian discipleship. ## **Premises** The church building is in one of the main streets in the Wigan Town Centre, close to the bus station. As well as the church sanctuary and ancillary rooms, it has a café. This provides a range of food and drink each morning Monday to Friday, in a safe and friendly environment where people, particularly elderly, can meet friends. Prayer and a listening ear are also offered. The café is also usually open fortnightly on Saturdays in co-operation with a Craft Fair held in the Lower Hall: some of those Saturdays are staffed by other churches, at a nominal charge. The café is now operating within the sanctuary and has been welcomed by everyone for its light airy feel and open space. It has also helped to promote prayer for customers and anyone needing help and support. The church building is open every day. As well as its use for church-based activities, it is used by a number of outside organisations each week. Some are charged a commercial fee. Others, for example Alcoholics Anonymous, pay only a nominal amount. ## **Activities** The activities of the church reflect its obligation to show that it exists for public benefit, with particular regard to the advancement of religion. The church enables ordinary people to live out their Christian faith through: - Worship and prayer, learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ and developing their - knowledge of and trust in Jesus - Opportunities for fellowship and the provision of pastoral care for its members and others connected with the church - Mission and outreach ## **Worship and Prayer** Our worship continues to be challenging due to the pandemic. We thank God for all the amazing ways we can continue our worship by whatever means we can. We have been using Zoom for the Sunday morning services. When we came out of lockdown, we again had physical worship, taking care by using the suggested safety precautions provided. The sanctuary was arranged in cafe-style to accommodate the restricted numbers for our worship, and this was also used as the cafe during the week. Our worship band (as it is a small group) was able to do the musical side as the congregation were not allowed to sing. Zoom has been continuing for those who are unable to attend Queens Hall. All are welcome to attend our services; the weekly adult attendance at the morning service was still good over Zoom but many of the children and youth have not attended and we are keen to rectify this. The sacraments of baptism and marriage were still available and funeral services were held within the recommended guidelines. Our prayer meetings, discipleship and bible study groups continued over Zoom and numbers were steady. Our monthly leadership meetings and pastoral meetings also continued over Zoom and as such we were able to keep the Church running and being a light in the Community. The prayer circle by email has been a real bonus for urgent prayer requests, and we have been able to contact people quickly with any new requests. ## **Fellowship and Pastoral Care** The pastoral care system is regularly reviewed and all the members and most of the non-members who attend regularly have a Pastoral Carer, who is responsible for keeping in touch and/or visiting them in their homes, particularly those who are house-bound or sick. ## **Mission** Mission has continued using the internet and the Hall. Here are some initiatives taken over the last year: - Little Angels were messaged regularly - The church was open for one hour per day for prayer. Rev Sheila has led this initiative and it has generated many fruitful conversations. - Regular contact with all members via phone, letter or email. - The youth were contacted regularly, prayed for and encouraged. - The Sunday School children had regular contact via their parents. The church is registered as a Fair-Trade church. ## **The Brick** The Brick began as a small outreach from the Church and has grown to be a charity in its own right, and it is still expanding thanks to our ongoing involvement in its success. See The Brick's Charity Commission page here ## **Finance** The church is subject to independent examination and a copy of its accounts, examined by a qualified accountant, is attached. We have lost several key members this year because of the Methodist decision on God in Love Unites us and therefore giving is down approximately £120 per week. A legacy of £3,000 from a member’s will, and a payment from the Coffee bar of £3,000 helped to shore up the bank account and Reserves are back up and are currently at 5/6 months. Our circuit assessment is just under £7,000 and we are still hoping this will be reassessed. During this time, we have tried initiatives to raise funds to keep our church going, through the tabletop sale, fundraising and the fortnightly craft stall. Our lettings remain consistent, and we hope to be able to increase them this year. 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