Winchester Baptist Church M•artS l Open l OpenAr Winchester Baptist Church ANNUAL REPORT for the year ended 31 March 2024 Statutory Inforniatlon Charity Nam8 Winthester Baptist Church Principal Addre85 Swan Lane Winchester Hampshire S023 7AA Charity Registration Number 1130292 Charty Trustees Mr3 C Bartlett Mr M D￿'nson (Minister) Mrs J Jones Mr G Lcdhart Mrs K Plant (Treasurer) Mr A Reeves (Sècretary) Mr S Riddle Mrs H Taft Propety Trugtees The Bapttst UnTron Corporation Limited Baptist Hous8 129 Broadway Didcot Oxfordshire OX118RT Banker8 CAF Bank Ltd 25 ￿"ng5 Hll Avenue Kings Hill Wesl Malling Kent ME19 4JQ Independent Examiner Carole Taylor FCA of Smth Newmans, Chartered Accountants 2024 Winchestef Baptist Chuth Annual Report Page1of8 Winchester Baptist Church ogen ￿tarts i Ooen IIIA05 1 Open Ar ANNUAL REPORT for 2024 The Trustees present their Annual Report and financial statement for 2024. Charitable Objective The purpose of the Charty, as stated in the Constitution is 'The principal purp06e of the Church is the advancement of the Christian farth according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. Th8 Church may also athnce education and cary out other tharitable purpo383 in the United Kingdom and l or other parts of the world.. The Church occupies premises which are held by the Baptist Un￿n Corporation Ltd. on trust which is entirely Gompatible with the above objeGts've. Organisation Structure and Decision-making Process People are accepted into membership of the Church in accordance with the Constitution. which requires them to be or to have been bapts.sed after making their own decision to l)ecome a Christian, or othenvrse to have made their own publTC Statement of18ith Tn Jesu8 Christ. The Church Members, Meeting nomially takes place at least four times per year and has responsibility for the overall policy of the Church. In accordance with the Constrtution. the members appoint Ch8rty Trustees. collectively known a8 the Leadership Team. who are responsible for the day to day running of the Church's work and for t1￿ fir￿￿1 and legal aspects of the Church. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furtherance of the Church's charitable objects've. Rolevont matters may be submitted to the Chur¢h Meeting by the Lèadership Team for guidance or de¢ision or may be raised by members in the Church Meeting for further consideration by the Leadership Team. Though the Constitution pemits decisions to be made at Church Meetings by appropriate majorities. the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible. Objectives and Activities For most, rf not all, of our members as well as many of those who attend our SO￿lco8. Christianty gives meaning to our lives and contributes to our spiritual well-being as well as providing a moral or ethical framework to live by. We aim, as a Churth, to devebp members, spiritualty- strengthening our relationship with God. We also aim to serve our communty, purely tor the sake ol ser¥ing rt. We do not make receipt of the services we offer conditional upon people listening to the Christian message or accepting it. 2024 IMn¢hester Bapli¥t Churth Annual Report Page2ofB inchester Baptist Church Opert He•tU l Opert Mlfids l OKnArn5 Perfomiance and Risk Mini8torn Roport - 2024 AGM (April 2013￿arCh 2024) I give thanks that during this past year we have seen our new foyer and reception area take shape. Many will remember the dark damp toilets with an unusable kitchen and lounge area. Thanks to the hard work of many from within our congregation we have seen walls come down. floors come up, new doofs knocked through and a open plan area start to take shape. Wrth the wy gener gifts and loans from rnembers we have been ab￿ to transfom our entrance area into a warm, I￿ht and spacious welcome area. W8 have also be8n able to include thre8 toilets including a much- needed accessible toilet. This has truty been a communty project wthin our church and as such has become a real focal point for how we can work t<>gether within our fellow8hip 88 well 88 With those outside of ow fellowship. The new foyer and reception area has been named 'The Link- _ showing our desire to link our church activiti8S Wlth the communty of our cty centre and beyond. More than this the name The Link is also being proposed as a new social acth)n am of our church activities where we will seek to meet some of the many needs within our cty. The same graphic designer who helped us with our new church identrty has been commi55ioned ID deswn a new logo and strnp hne fur The Link: Connect. Collaborate. Create. This possible new social action branch of our faith communty coukl enable us to work alongside other communty agencies in serving those most in need and thus open up new opportunities and avenues for us to show God's love in action. We already have various actNlties that could be incorporated under The Link., Saturday Breakfast. Little Treasures. Wednesday Job Seeker Support and Welcome to Wednesday Games Moming - all of which have had a positive impact for those who attend and have opened up new links within our k)¢al communty. We have a group of people who have kindly agreed to be trustees of The Link and we are soon to register this as a CIO (Chantable Incorporated Organisationy. This past year also saw the calling of our long-awarted new Seniors Worker. We welcome Tony Biondi amongsl us as he takes up this new post. Let us pray that we will be as much a blessing lo him as he will be to us and the seniors of our church and communty. It was great to see and hear Tony joining in with the fun and spirit of our 2023 Holiday at Home. Over the $urnrner of 2023 it Was a joy to stmre Wbth our sisters arrfl brothern from North Wnchester Community Church as we shared breakfast church together and we look to continue forging stronger links wtth fellow churches localty. The elders along with Tony attended Fresh Streams in January 2024. which was a good time for fellowship, iefleclion and input from various leaders of differenl organisalions, including Lynn Green from Baptist Union of Great Britain who gave a very inspinng keynote talk. I have continued to be invofved in the placement supervision of one of Spurgeon's Baptist College's ministry students who is currently in his final year of training and is doing his placement at Whitchurch Baptist Church. l am grateful that part of my role here in Winchester can allow mo to help play a part in the fomaiion of new ministers. 2024 Winchester Bapt*t Church Annual Report Page3of8 inchester Baptist Church Outn Howls i OptA ¥lndi l OpenArms In March 2024 we had our Church Weekend away at Wokefield Estate when Rev'd Dr Rob Ellis, retired principal of Regent's Park Oxford, 18ad us in our thinking around God's Mission and our participation in it. Despite some room mix ups and dietary requirement issues thal the hotel got vKong - the weekend was an enjoyable experience attowing us time to refiect together, pray, worship and enjoy felli)wship - we ho￿ to do r•omething similar again in 2026. It has been and ¢onlinue8 to be a real joy to serve our church famity here at City Road. As afway8. l and the leadershlp are 8Xtremety grat8ful to th8 many volunteers who h8lp ke8p our church actNities nmning wrth theff ded￿tKM and hard and to our whole church famity whose k)ve and care are 60 evident in the way that you interact wrth each other and with others. l end with an adaptation of Paul's prayer for the church in Philippi but make it our prayer for our fellowship here in Winchester. {Philippians 1:&11) We thank God for every member of our fellowship. We pray withioy forourpartnership in the gospel from the first day until now. We are conf￿ent of this, that the clne who began a good work in us will continue to complete it until th8 day of Jesus Christ. It is light for us to think this way 8bout 88ch othèr, because we should hold one another in our hearts. for we arn 811 p8rtn8ts in God s grace. May our love overfiow nKJrn and morn knO￿dge and inswht to he￿ us to detennine ￿at really m8tt8rs, so th8t in Ihe day ol Christ we may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvestof rNJhteousn8ss that comes through Jesus Christ lor the glory 8nd pr8ise of G¢XI. Marcu• Dlckln•on, Mlnl•t•r 2024 Winthe5ter Baptst Churth Annual Report Page4of8 Winchester Baptist Church Opep. H••rts i Op£n Mlndi l OpenAr Socrotary'8 Report The highlight of the year was the very successful Church Weekend Away in March. Desprte a few issues with the accommodats'on and foc*J, the time spent at Wokefield Park was enjoyed by a large proportion of our church family, with infom)ats've and challenging sessions being led by Rev'd Dr Robert Ellis. Apart from our regular Sunday seNices the following groups meet on a regular basis, in person or virtually.. Wednesday Morning prayer meeting Welcome lo Wednesday (warm space) Job Seekers club IMPACT youth club Silver Service Little Treasures Saturday breakfast 8 discipleship groups in different location8 Mission In addition to these we have regular bookings from extemal users: Jiggy Wrigglers Winchester Wellbeing Lunch Club ABRSM There are however other tasks which happen both as part of our 8ervices and behind the scenes: sound desk projection livestream bible reading preparing for communion stewarding and duty person provision of refreshments. both as part of services and at other times setting up and putting away cleaning and tidying Making a SUC￿$$ of our mission takes a great deal of resoufce, both personal and financial. My thanks and blessings go to our minister. our staff and all the volunteers rnvotr¥ed in the mary grDUPS which meet throughout the week, both at the church and in people's homes The filling of the many rotas continues, however, to be a thallenge particularty for people to help wtth projection, sound and livestreaming on Sundays. The Church building has once again absottsd much in the way of resources. both time and money. generosity of our church family. We continue to have a vacancy for a Church Elder to SUPFQrt Marcus Dickinson. our Minister. and our 6XlSting Elders. Janet Jones and Gordon Lockhart. 2024 IMnthe51er Baptst Church Annual Report PageSof8 Winchester Baptist Church Open M•lrtS l l Open AIAII As a church we continue to offer prayer and practKal support for our church fami￿. communty and Ihe wider world. Adrian Ro•v••, Church Socrotary 2024 Winchester Baptist Church Annual Report Page6of8 Winchester Baptist Church Open i Qgen Mind5 1 QpenArm Financial Roview- Trea8urnrf8 Report Winchester Bapt15t Church {WBCI continues to Taise funds to cover both normal artivities and remalnlng building work5 from wr(hin its own membership and congregation. with uplift from hire of church premises. There were no wider public appeals for funds made durin8 the year. No 8rants or ald was requested from charitable foundations or the Government for the day-to4ay runnin8 of the Church. Winchester Council provided a grant of £600 toward W8C becomin8 a Warm Space and providin8 breakfast to visitors one mornin8 per week. Aprll 2023 started our financlal year wlth the WBC Membership agreeing a balanced budget base on increased 8ivin8 and reduced expenditure in¢ludin8 a significant feduction ift Mission spending from 15% to IO%. Thls allowed an Increase to staff wages and the hire of a replacement Seniors Worker. Leadefship re(ogni5ed the risk that the 8% InC￿aSe in gmry might not be ach**d due to tr* cost-of-living crisis., through God's provision we reached the givif¥J taf9rt I￿reaSed hall hire and reduced ¢)ur expendtrlu￿ so th•t we ended the year £16k ahead of budget on unrestricted fU￿lS with a fvrther £7k SLtrplus on restricted and designated funds. Some of this uplrft was also due to the reduction in wage bill while the new Seniors Worker was appointed. De518nated funds continued to be ralsed to support the bulldlng work sna88lng and flnal fltout. The loans have started to pay down and the Leadership are eternally grateful to one Member who converted their loan to a gift at the end of the year whlch ha5 alleviated both the risk of loans falling due earlier than expected due to congregational age and will allow us to return Mission giving to 15% of personal givin8. fleser¥es have not been reduced and have been kept wlthin our pollcy guldellnes. Smlth Newmans were retained as our Accountants and have prepared the annual statements in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reportln8 by Charlties, using historical cost conventlon and In accordance wlth the Flnanclal Reportln8 Standard appllcable In UK and Republlc of Ireland IFRS 1021 issued on 16 July 2014 and the Charitbes Art 2011. Kir•ty Plan& Chureh Tr•a•ur•r 2024 Winche51er 8apti$t Churth Annual Report Page7of8 Winchester Baptist Church Opell M•arts 1 09en Ilinth l Open Ar Approved by the Loadernhip Team on 141h November 2024 and signed on their behalf by: Marcus Dlcklnson Mlnlst•r Adrlan Ro•v Chur¢h S•crgtary and Tru•ts• 2024 Winchester Baptist Chur¢h Annual Report Page8of8 NCHESTER BAFllsT CHURCH FINANCIAL STATEMENrJ FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 •-10 17 4111 Oty ¥ -4X 51 &8¥ hJ Éi L* • 11 8 sl I i¥1. ¥.iiS5. 11151111 li!!11 i jill i {1 I Ill. I Ill li ! I.CAEW Cuol• T4lor F.CA Indwid•rt EJ•mlNr Smlth 2 TAl•￿X B￿11￿ Pth $021 IWP 17 NCHESTER BAFllsT CHURCH FINANCIAL STATEMENrJ FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 •-10 17 4111 Oty ¥ -4X 51 &8¥ hJ Éi L* • 11 8 sl I i¥1. ¥.iiS5. 11151111 li!!11 i jill i {1 I Ill. I Ill li ! I.CAEW Cuol• T4lor F.CA Indwid•rt EJ•mlNr Smlth 2 TAl•￿X B￿11￿ Pth $021 IWP 17