CHRISTCHURCH METHODIST CHURCH
Trustees Report and Financial Report
1[st] September 2021 – 31[st] August 2022.
Charity Number 1129001
Aims and Purposes
Christchurch Methodist Church Council (CMCC) has the responsibility of working with the Loughborough Circuit Ministry Team; the Reverends Andrew Lomax, Martin Swan, Sandra Fletcher and Calvin Chung to promote the whole mission of the Church and manage the pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical work of the Church.
Rev. Martin Swan has a part time appointment to work with Christchurch specifically for all pastoral and ecumenical work at the church.
CMCC is specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church buildings known as Christchurch Methodist Church, Field Street, Shepshed, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 9AL.
Objectives and Activities
The Church Council is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church, and to become part of our church community. The CMCC maintains an overview of worship in the church and ensures that this worship is relevant to all sections of our community.
When planning our activities for the year the Minister and the CMCC have considered the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our church community through:
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Worship and prayer, learning about the Gospel, and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus
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Provision of pastoral care for people living in Shepshed, who are members of our community
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Missionary and outreach work.
To ensure all of this can happen we need to maintain the fabric of the Church buildings.
Achievements – Serving our community
Based in the heart of the town the CMCC work to ensuring that our buildings are available to all community groups, and we reach out to provide a welcoming space for the community to gather.
On Friday mornings, Church members provide an open coffee morning at which residents of the town can pop in for a chat, a cup of coffee and a piece of home-made cake. These coffee mornings help to keep people in touch and offer a chance for meeting friends from the town.
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Thankfully with the removal of Covid restrictions during this reporting period the Community use has resumed with the following groups now meeting in the premises.
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6th Shepshed Guides
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Shepshed Brownies
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Christchurch Gilbert and Sullivan Group
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Knit and Natter
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ACT 1 Youth Theatre Group
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Chera Voce
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Slimming World
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Shepshed Dance classes
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Serenade
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Senior Choir
Church members can also use the premises for celebrations with family and friends, for Birthdays, Wedding Anniversaries and personal celebrations.
Plans are underway to provide a warm hub space through the winter to ensure that people can have somewhere to meet and stay warm through the winter.
Pastoral Care
A number of our Church members are no longer actively able to attend church due to ill health or advancing years. During Covid we started new weekly electronic service sheet to keep members in touch with the church community and avoids them feeling isolated and lonely and this has been continued as members felt that it was helpful for people to keep in touch with friends within the church.
In addition, church members in need of particular visiting in either times of distress or loss are visited by the Minister as required. Our minister Rev. Martin Swan also has a pastoral role now in the town and is active in engaging with our community on pastoral matters.
Pastoral lay visitors visit those in need and a prayer chain is in place to support those within the Church family to pray for those in need. Even when members are isolated, the prayer chain helps them to remain in touch and care for the pastoral needs of others.
The Church also regularly collects food to support the food bank in the town and members volunteer there.
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Worship
Worship normally takes place on a Sunday morning at 10.45 am and a Sunday evening at 6 pm has resumed once a month. Ministers preach along with Lay Preachers, and Local Arrangement services occur once a month led by the Stewards.
Christchurch is a member of Churches Together in Shepshed (CTIS) and works with the other churches and denominations within the town on various ecumenical projects including Learning in Lent, the Easter Walk of Witness, the Remembrance Parade and Service and the Summer Bible School. Together we support the Passion youth drop-in Centre, which engages young people in the town and provides a safe place, keeping young people off the streets.
Members from Christchurch regularly attend circuit services where Methodists from around the circuit are able to gather and worship together, these are hosted by different churches within the circuit.
Members who are not able to attend church are able to follow worship online with the Circuit every Sunday.
A building fit for the Community
A quinquennial inspection of the property has taken place and recommendations for repairs and work to be carried out over the next 5 years has been received. The trustees have started working on this list of repairs, along with the routine maintenance which couldn’t be carried out during the lockdown periods.
In general the property was found to be in an excellent condition, with no major work required.
Financial Review and Reserves
For the period covered by this report the income on our unrestricted fund was £66500 and on the restricted renovation fund was £3200. During this period, we paid £35600 to the Loughborough Circuit as our proportion of the circuit share for ministerial costs, and other church expenditure amounted to £9100. This expenditure includes donations to other charities or organisations of £6100.
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Full details are given in the financial statements that were approved and signed by Church council in February 2023.
N.B. All accounts figures rounded to the nearest £100 in this report.
These figures show that income has recovered somewhat from the pandemic, however, if it wasn’t for two significant legacies the church would have made a substantial loss on the financial year.
The Church Council is aware of a risk to our income from loss of regular contributors and income from church donors has steadily reduced as church members have passed away.
Christchurch has always endevoured to hold a reasonable of level of reserves, ideally at £25,000 although this has not often been possible. However, the legacies and the levels of reserves held at present mean that the trustees have confidence that whilst we may have a negative budget in 22-23 we will have sufficient reserves to cover this.
However, the long-term future of the church will rely on either additional income being generated, or expenditure being reduced.
The potential for income being generated from additional lettings, is not high given that the Church is let every evening of the week. The only potential lettings would be during the daytime which is far less popular.
The Church has a fixed energy contract for Gas for a few years but the contract for electricity ends at the end of May, and this is likely to see a substantial increase in electricity bills.
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Administrative Information
Christchurch Methodist Church is in Shepshed, Leicestershire and is part of the Loughborough Methodist Circuit. This forms part of the Leicester and Northampton District.
Church Council members and trustees for the period of this report were:
| hurch Council members and | trustees for the per |
|---|---|
| Circuit Superintendent Minister | Rev Andrew Lomax |
| Circuit Minister | Rev Martin Swan |
| Senior Steward | Lynn Hobson |
| Steward | Lorraine Cutts |
| Steward | Jane Dobson |
| Steward | Steve Price |
| Steward | Gladys Watret |
| Steward | Rosemary Grimley |
| Steward | Victoria Merrill |
| Church Treasurer | Dawn Scott |
| Assistant Treasurer | Lynn Hobson |
| Church Secretary | Ian Scott |
| Chairman of F&P | Cynthia Popley |
| Secretary of F&P | Katie Brooks-Duncan |
| Safeguarding representative | Michelle Price |
| Elected from AGM | Alan Hobson |
| Circuit Steward | Les Longmire |
| Link/CTIS | Nicole Jordan |
The administrative address for the church is:
Field Street, Shepshed, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 9AL
The Church Council meets quarterly to discuss and approve church business and the trustees and members are elected yearly at the Church Annual General Meeting held in May or June. Authority may be delegated to subcommittees formed at the wish of the Church Council.
Report produced by Dawn Scott on behalf of Christchurch Methodist Church Council
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CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Christchurch Methodlst Church FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2022 Lou hborou Clrcult Clrcult no. 23110 Reglslered Charfty - Charlty Reglstratlon numb iot a regtered chariiy Her Majesty's Revonuo and Customs Glft Ald numb•r (The HMRC number Is eqUNant to a registered charfty number n terrrts of eV8nCe of charrtable status and may be us8d to glve to donors or grant funders wish*7g to see evwJence of th8 organisatK)n's charliable status. Methodist charit$ Engknd and Wa18S that are not registered charitss are excepted from regIstratn under Statutory Instrum8nt 2014 No.242) 1129001 Miiister.. Reverend Martin Swan Church Stewards.. Mrs Lynn Hobson Mrs Steve kne Mrs Gladys Watret Mrs Janè D¢Jbson Mrs Rosemary Griny Mrs Victorla Merri Mrs Lorrano Cutts Treasurer.. Mrs Dawn Scott ChJch R P3)15.xls 1d5
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022
Christchurch
Methodist
Church
SECTION A
Unre5trieted RÈ5trieted Total$ this
Funds
Funds
year
Totals last
year
al
RECEIPTS
a2
Offerin
s and Tax recovered
Bank and CFB interest and
Investment income
30,768
30,768
32,769
a3
97
97
42
a4
Lettin
8.059
27,541
66,467
8.059
30.725
69.6S1
a5
other receipts
TOTAL RECEIPTS
3,997
3,184
3,184
86
424
(a71
37,232
SECTION B
b1
PAYMENTS
Circuit Assessment or Share
nations
b2
35.642
35,642
b3
30,240
1.655
6,084
6.084
Christchurch Methodist TrIG TO CHURCH ¢OU14CL Chwch MhWIY CHURCH AC¢WF4TS ANDINTERP4AL(¥tG SECIION E Pa$t( tho GuklarKe Ncrtes SurnaY dtFEChLrch fc¢ the yw 31 2022 toth8Chwch CnrG Mry. Nde thefurth of wrJJbJ n[HlY be RÉ5th¢t furth Lnk5s l tAxthl be meth&81 pjr1. ttmjsl be A DIFFERENT FORM bettl torwrt 1h8xCIs l$ lIetr$t thel. pl rthe¢e trth iThtLecl& Dtht Orgari5KW. sund S¢h(l 351 351 Fellowsh Traldctlft e? Sub (rf Intwna 450 e11 52 tr12 rh accou$ Itota -. forrfiard Irryn pa 2 - totals column) 89.6S1 {a7 14105 31,257 c6 47.362 BY CHURCH 6P,651 15. 31.707 47.414 Ccthwe a 9We SW rf nBceS$8ry briig th8 t(W5 fLrw£rd TOTIL PAYMEIITS SECnON F MENT OF SÈTSAI40 U#&UmES CHURCH. CASH FUP4DS HELD at 31 2022 CLOSING hinh 100 CLmrt 1.473 B8nk Centra Fywce BLwd 31.033 45.788 Just8 f¢x m¢trth1 ChuTch Pulp) SUB TOTJL. Clmwch a¢¢0 Toi31 funds by Intorn (the b1¢ rr(vn le121 31 57 47,362 S2 812 TOTAL ¢A8H FUNOS HELD BYCHVRCH 31,707 47,414 8ECllC4 G OThER ASSETS LWNLrnES 31 Pwust 2W Investments 1320 000 f4 Funds IS ItlUde&ll¥ Funds W #rn146$ ClvJch PtWF<6¢6 )Jl5(IpJkaPUh 3d5
Name of Church Christchurch Mothodlst Church Charfty No. 1129001 Declarations and Scrutiny I confirm that these Receipt and PayTnent based accounts for the year to 31 August 2022 have been prepared from the records of the Church and that they include all funds under the control of Ihe Church trustees. Signature of treasurer . ! 7/11/2032 Date..... Name and address of treasurer . Post Cod Presentation to the Church trustees I confirm that the annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022 werelwill be. presented to the meeting of the Church trustees held on . Signalure of the Chair of the meeting Name of the Chair of the meeting 2015 t*ureh R and P.$ 4015
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the Christchurch Methodist Church Charity Number 1129001 Responsibilities and basis of report I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Christchurch Methodist Church for the year ended 31 August 2022 set out on pages 2 to 3. 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 A¢t'). I report in respect of my examination of the ChurGh's ac¢ounts carried out under section 145 of the "rt and, in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the %•harity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the AGL Independent Examin&rfs Statement I have completod my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which give me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with sects'on 130 of the Act., or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. I have no concems 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 Ihe accounts to be reached. have not obtained independent verification of all investments with the Trustees for Methodist Church Jrposes or held in other trusts, bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are individually in excess of £10.000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balanc8 sheet date. Signature of independent 8xaminer Name of independ8nt examiner: Andrew Thorpe Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner- ACA Address: 52 Priory Road, Loughborough. Lei¢estershir8. LE11 3PP. Date 2015 thurGh R P.>Js 5of5