Station Hill Baptist Church Annual Report and Accounts
2023
Registered Charity number 1132165 2-4 Station Hill, Chippenham SN15 1EG
Annual Report for the year to 31 January 2023
The Trustees here present their report together with the accompanying independently examined financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 January 2023.
A) The Charity and its Governance
Station Hill Baptist Church was formed in 1854 and has occupied the site ever since. As part of the process of becoming a charity in 2009, the Church updated its governing document to conform to a standard approved governing document for Baptist Union of Great Britain churches. The Charity is governed with due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. The Church has started taking appropriate measures to becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, with decisions being taken with regard to Membership, Church Meetings and Trustees.
Objectives of the Church
The principal purpose of the Church is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. Station Hill Baptist Church has a vision to be the visible presence of Christ in Chippenham and North Wiltshire, and together with other churches to be active in society to minister to the whole community. Our task is that, by all means possible, we will bring people into contact with Christ and His good news, to enable them to develop a personal relationship and friendship with God, to be filled with the Holy Spirit and active in sharing their faith with other people.
Trustees
The Church Meeting appoints Charity Trustees from among the church members. These include the Elders and other officers by virtue of their roles within the church. The Church Meeting may appoint other Trustees from time to time by virtue of their qualifications for the role. The Charity Trustees who served during the year are:
Peter Whitby Sarah Loveridge (until 28[th] September 2022) Todd Nightingale Wayne Lawther (until 31[st] January 2023) David Brown Vicky Hempstead (from 8[th] May 2022) David Wright (from 22[nd] January 2023)
The current Chair is to be decided.
Church Council and Officers
The Church Council collectively takes the role of Managing Trustees. It consists of members, appointed by the Church Meeting, who meet bimonthly and comprises the officers listed below plus representatives of four different aspects of the life and work of the church, namely worship and word, mission and evangelism, lifestyle and discipleship, and stewardship of our assets. The Church is governed and regulated by its own members through bi-monthly Church Meetings; this is the ultimate authority for decisions under God. Changes have been made to the definitions of the roles of Elders and the Church Council to free Elders to prioritise the spiritual direction of the church, with the Church Council considering more day to day decisions regarding running the church.
The church officers who served during the year were:
| The church ofcers who served during the year were: | The church ofcers who served during the year were: |
|---|---|
| Representing Worship & WordRachel Lambert (until 16thJanuary 2023) | |
| Representing Worship & Word Erika Farrell (from 16thJanuary 2023) | |
| Representing Pastoral Care Paul Phillips | |
| Representing House Groups Claire Brown (until 16thJanuary 2023) | |
| Representing House Groups Caroline Hiorns (from 16thJanuary | |
| 2023) | |
| Representing Seniors | David Thompson |
| Elder | Rachel Lambert (throughout) |
| Elder | Peter Whitby |
| Elder | Sarah Loveridge (until 28thSeptember 2022) |
| Elder | David Brown |
| Elder | David Wright (from 22ndJanuary |
| 2023) | |
| Minister | Todd Nightingale |
| Community Minister | Wayne Lawther (until 31stJanuary 2023) |
| Treasurer | Vicky Hempstead (from 8thMay 2022) |
| Administrator | Steve Hardy |
Jenny Budgell ACME has been appointed as Independent Examiner of the Financial Statements.
Safe to Grow Policy
The Church is committed to the nurturing, protection and safeguarding of all, especially children, young people and adults at risk. It is the responsibility of each one of us to prevent the physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children and young people, and to report any abuse discovered or suspected. We recognise that our work with children and young people is the responsibility of the whole church. We undertake to exercise proper care in the selection and appointment of those working with children and young people, whether paid or volunteer.
The church is committed to supporting, resourcing and training those who work with children and young people and to providing supervision. The church is committed to following the Home Office Code of Practice Safe from Harm and adopts the principles published by the Baptist Union of Great Britain in its booklet Safe to Grow, putting alongside these a policy of good practice for youth and children’s work.
Each worker with children and young people must know the recommendations and undertake to observe them. Each is given a copy of the church’s agreed procedures and good practice guidelines and all are given safeguarding training. As part of our commitment to children and young people, the church has appointed Charmaine Elkerton as the Designated Person for Safeguarding, James Drewett as the Deputy Designated Person for Safeguarding, Sarah Loveridge as Safeguarding Trustee (until 28[th] September 2022), Peter Whitby as Safeguarding Trustee (from 29[th] September 2022), Natascha House as Secretary and Simona Baker as the Safe to Grow Administrator. The Designated Person for Safeguarding’s role is regularly explained to children and young people, and contact details are publicly displayed.
Baptist Affiliation
The Church is part of the wider national body, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and is also a member of the West of England Baptist Network (Webnet). The Church pays an annual subscription to the Baptist Union of Great Britain based upon its membership numbers. The Church also made donations to the Baptist Union Home Mission Fund and Baptist Missionary Society during the year.
Church Building Trustees
The Church Building Trustees are the West of England Baptist Network (Webnet).
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B) Church Review 2022/2023
Coronavirus Pandemic
Government Covid restrictions were largely lifted on 19[th] July 2021 but the church continues to broadcast church services, Church Meetings and other events on Zoom, which helps people to stay connected who are unable to come to the church building itself. The church will respond appropriately to any future Government guidelines and legislation regarding Covid restrictions.
Groups such as Toddlers and Prayer Café have continued unaffected since July 2021.
Ministry and leadership
Todd Nightingale was welcomed as Minister on 6 April 2019 and has continued in role through the year.
Wayne Lawther continued to be our Community Minister. His role has focussed on outreach to our local community and families, from within and outside the church, to complement Todd. This includes very active volunteer chaplaincy roles at a hostel for homeless people in Chippenham and the local Football Club. He continued to be instrumental in challenging the Church to be ‘multi-voiced’ in the local community. He started a three month sabbatical leave from 1[st] January 2023 and on 28[th] January advised the leadership that he had accepted a position as Minister at a Baptist Church in Leicestershire. [Subsequently he decided not to accept the offer from the Church in Leicestershire and left this Church's employment on 31st March.]
This year the Elders have experienced a further time of transition. Sarah Loveridge stepped down as a Trustee and an Elder at the Church Meeting on 28[th] September 2022. During 2022 the Elders invited David Wright to join their discussions over a period of months while he and they prayed and sought the Lord about his possible appointment as an Elder. A proposal was brought before the Church Meeting on 22 January 2023, where Members voted overwhelmingly for his appointment.
Worship
Our worship time is enabled and richly blessed with the musical gifts and talents of many members who lead, play, and sing, supported by those who quietly work to set up, and operate equipment. A multi-voiced style of Sunday morning worship has been encouraged to continue and develop further. We are grateful to all members who have contributed to the
worship, preaching and teaching ministry of the Church. Our monthly BIG Family Church service includes games, fun and food; it is growing in popularity and attracting families who do not feel comfortable at the more traditional style of church services.
A 5[th] Sunday Fellowship was introduced in May 2022 whereby when a month has five Sundays the church is open for fellowship but there is no actual service, giving team members a rest and also allowing people an opportunity to fellowship with other local churches at their services or to share a meal, for example, with people from SHBC, giving them a longer time together than the few minutes a usual Sunday morning service allows them afterwards.
A weekend Womens Retreat was held at Shipton-on-Stour in February. On 28 August the morning service was held, and followed by, a Church Barbecue in the grounds of St Barnabas Church in Beanacre, allowing fellowship with the St Barnabas congregation. This was followed by a Mens Breakfast there in January 2023. All these events were well attended and gave opportunities to invite people to church events without them needing to come into a church to take part.
Prayer
The Church is committed to the importance of prayer as a means to discern the will of God. We hold prayer events as an opportunity for the church to meet for corporate themed prayer. We hold weeks of prayer and fasting to coincide with important periods within the church calendar. The Prayer Café celebrated its 10[th] anniversary in June and continues to be an important established part of our outreach ministry to the Chippenham community, open every Saturday and well attended by people in the local community, many coming along on a regular basis for social contact and prayer.
PrayerNet enables and encourages individual prayer for the specific needs of our fellowship and those known to them at all times.
A day of Fasting and Prayer was held in October, focussing on situations at SHBC, in Chippenham, in our country and around the world.
Bible reading and Prayer sessions continue on Zoom two mornings a week. A monthly evening prayer meeting is also held, focussing principally on the Russia/Ukraine situation but covering other countries too.
We were privileged to hold two Baptism services and two weddings at the church during the year, especially as two of those getting married had
grown up attending SHBC, as had one Baptism candidate, while the other candidates have been attending activities run by the church.
Two people were admitted and welcomed into Membership, while two others who were admitted during the Covid lockdown were also able to be finally welcomed properly into Membership.
Pastoral care, teaching and discipleship
House Groups are a first line for pastoral care and teaching in small groups – the studies normally follow the theme of related sermons on preceding Sunday mornings. The church aims to include as many people as possible, providing groups that meet at different times and days throughout the week. One House Group even meets in a local Christian Care Home now, and has been joined by some of the residents. Our pastoral care team also offer support to those unwell or with needs at home or in hospital.
The Church recognises the importance of discipleship and development at all stages of people’s faith journey and this is often best done in small groups. Separate social groups for men and women in the church continue in person and online through WhatsApp, with many bringing non-SHBC friends into the groups too. Further similar WhatsApp groups are proving very useful too, both for issuing information quickly and encouraging friendships and conversations to continue outside of their actual sessions, for people outside of the church, such as the Toddlers parents.
Mission, evangelism and community service
Mission, both overseas and within our local community, is core to living out our faith – we support families working in mission organisations in Canada and in France as well as keeping close contact with interests in Senegal. Our local community work’s emphasis is on outward and visible community witness. Part of our service to the local community is the provision of food parcels to those in need, from donations provided by the congregation; we continued to see a growing need for this in the last year as many families are living in hardship.
Many of our members serve and witness individually to the wider community; this includes those supporting the homeless. Once again many shoeboxes full of useful personal items and gifts were made up by members and distributed to homeless people staying at Unity House. New toys were donated for the Salvation Army’s annual appeal too. We are also
members of the Chippenham Churches Together group and encourage our members to support and be involved in the wider church of Chippenham.
Children and young people
God has blessed us with a group of children and young people. Teaching, while giving them lifestyle examples of how to grow and to live in faith, is a dynamic work. We teach them in Church and in the “Eden Academy” format on Sundays; we are grateful that the redevelopment of our buildings has provided the suitable accommodation we need for all our work to continue under our own roof. A crèche is also provided during our Sunday morning services and a gazebo at the back of the church allows parents the option of staying in the service with their youngsters.
All age worship has been a growing aspect of our Sunday services, sometimes led by the young people themselves. We look to run clubs and activities during term time where we can that young people from within the church and from the wider community attend. We also participate in a Sunday evening programme run jointly with other local churches, notably St Paul’s Church, for young people from all the secondary schools in Chippenham. Happily, ‘Open the Book’ sessions in local schools, which Charmaine Elkerton coordinates, have been able to recommence postCovid, and are as popular as ever. We give special thanks to the many members of our fellowship who serve our children and young people.
In the absence of a Children and/or Youth Leader, Todd and Wayne continued to lead children and youth work in the church, jointly leading the 0-11 year olds, with Wayne continuing with the 11-18 year olds, both ably supported by others in the church. This is a key focus as we want to encourage our young people to commit their lives to God and then grow and develop in their faith. Sadly there has been no progress with appointing a Children and Families Leader and with their other duties to consider Todd and Wayne reluctantly felt that Eden groups couldn’t continue in September. Happily they were able to restart on 23 rd October after two church members came forward to lead it.
In October a local school invited us to host a Prayer Spaces in Schools event. The original date in December which the school put forward had to be postponed but is rescheduled for March 2023 and members from the church are very active in preparing for this.
Seniors
Work amongst the ‘seniors’ in our community continues to meet an important and growing need with Sunday Afternoon Fellowship (SAF) being
well attended. This ministry seeks to serve people in practical, emotional, social and spiritual ways as they lose friends and loved ones, become less mobile and risk greater isolation. The popular SAF Summer Garden Party was able to resume in 2022 with the lifting of Covid restrictions. Sadly, after running it for 28 years the Lunchtime Fellowship team felt led to retire after the Lunch in December 2021. It continued while a new leadership team was sought, but with none forthcoming it closed after the March 2022 Lunch.
Julian and Natascha House had no opportunity to continue co-ordinating and leading services regularly at Seymour House, a local residential home, during the Covid pandemic, and with them both having taken on further roles during that time, they decided to stand down from their Seymour House roles. With no-one else free to replace them, the church informed Seymour House during this year that sadly it would no longer be able to coordinate and lead services there.
Community organisations
In addition to all our Church activities, our facilities continue to be used by wider community organisations including a counselling support group for young people.
The church has run two very popular Toddler Groups, each with a waiting list for new joiners, and the majority of people attending all of these groups are not church attendees. It is core to our purpose that we should place our buildings and ourselves in service of the needs around us and this ability has been enhanced by the modernisation work. During the year another Toddler Group was started, so there are three each week during school terms. We continue to look to attract usage by more such community groups where we have the capacity to.
In January we opened the church on Thursday afternoons and again during Prayer Café on Saturday mornings as a “Warm Space”, in conjunction with other churches and organisations, so that across Chippenham places were available every day for people to go along to for company and to save on their domestic heating costs.
The church is also actively engaged with the Christians Against Poverty group run by Trinity Church in Chippenham, with CAP training courses, team meetings and confidential counselling sessions being held at the church.
Our Building
The redevelopment of the church building completed in March 2019 continues to pay dividends in terms of the extra use made of it by us and outside groups.
Work progresses with installing audio and video links in the Lounge so that people there can still join in with services in the main hall, for example. Zoom coverage of services has been enhanced as we have two camera positions in the hall.
The notice board outside the church is enlarged and is being developed to advertise services and activities more clearly.
Thanks
We particularly wish to note the hard work of many people, the many hours of service freely and willingly given, all the offerings brought to God for the work of his Kingdom, and the time people have given to prayer and working with others. Thank you. We are grateful to God.
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C) Church Financial Report
Financial Summary
Our accounts for 2022/2023 show that the church remains in a good financial position. We are grateful to many members who give generously to the work of the church during the period which has allowed us to carryon the activities noted above.
Whilst the accounts show a profit for the financial year, after factoring in loan repayments we have, however experienced a cash deficit in the year and we need to be mindful of the need to pay off the loans that we entered into to complete the church building work. Changes in staffing levels in the 2023/24 financial year mean that we expect to have a surplus on a cash basis in future years.
Principal Funding Sources
The main source of funding for the Church Revenue Account is offerings given by members of the congregation.
Reserves Policy
The Church has adopted a formal reserving policy in line with Charity Commission guidance.
General reserve: Liquid funds will be held to ensure that the committed running costs of the church (salary and manse costs plus essential church utility and insurance payments and loan repayments) could be met for 3 months in the unforeseen event of the need to wind up the charity. This would enable the Trustees to take appropriate action to stem the costs by giving notice to employees of the church and/or to liquidate other assets to meet liabilities.
Restricted funds : We will continue the practice of holding funds for mission work in restricted funds set apart from our general funds. The restricted mission funds include our mission tenth (10% of our general giving that is set aside for mission work including training people for mission), donations collected for missionaries that the church regularly supports, and our Fellowship Fund to meet the needs of those in our Church fellowship.
STATION HILL BAPTIST CHURCH (Registered Charity 11321651 Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 31 January 2023. Station Hill Baptist Church Independent Examiner's Report for the year ending 31 January 2023 Resperti%r responsibilltles ot trusr¥e5 and examiner The trusteÈs are responsible for the preparation of the èctounts. The charity's trustees COnerthat an avditis not required forthis year undersection 144 of theCharitlesAct 2011 (the Ch3rities Act) and th3t an independent exirnination is needed. The chaTity'5 gross nctsme exceeded £250.OCQ ènd l am qulified io undertake the eNamln3tion by being qualified member of CIMA. It Is tny respon5ibillty tts.. examine the accounts under 5ecbon 145 of the thar4tie5 Att. to follow the procèdures laid down in the general D1ctIons given by the Charity Commission (under section 14515llbll of the CharitiEs A£t, and to stste whether particular matters have wme to my attention B0515 of Independent examiner'sstat2mem My ÈxaminatlDn was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charitv Commi55ion. An examSnation Include5 a reQW of the accounting records kept bythe chBrity ènd a compari50n of the 3£counts presented with th05e rectsrd5. consideration of any unusual items or disc105ures in the a¢countS, and seeking explanations from the trustees conteming any such m3ttÈrs. The procedures undert8kÈn do noi prawde all the evidence that would be requifed an audit, and Eonsequently no opinion Isgiven ès to whether the accounts pre5tnt a 'true and falr, vlew and the report Is Ilmited to those matters sÈt out in the statement below. Independent examlner's statement In conne£tion with my examination, no maierial rnatters have come to my attention whlch 8ives me cause to believe that in, any materfèl respect.. actountinÉ records were not kept in acnCe with sertion 386 of the CompRnies A 2006,. or • the acrounts do not accord with such records,. or the a¢counts do not comply with relevant accounting requirements under section 396 of the CompanSes Art 2006 otherthan any reouifement that the ètcounts give a'true and fair, view which Is not a matter ronsidered a5 part of an lftdependent Èxamination- or •the accounts have ntst been prepared in actordhnce wlth the Charitles SORP IFP51021. I havÈ tome acr05S no other matters in connection wth the examination ie which attention should be drawn In thls report in order to enable a proper und2r5tandln8 of the attounts to be reached. .Sl8ned.. Jenny Budgell, AC Dated.. 28 September 2023
Statement of Rnandal Acttvltles as at 3110112023 MIsOn Unrestricted Funds Funds Irestrfctedl Note 2023 2022 Incomlng Resources Donations and legacies Gift aid Charitable activities Rental incomelother Total Expenditure on: Charltable activities Refurbishment Totsl Transfer Net Incomellexpenditure} 131,871 28,348 44.464 176,335 5.429 33,777 184,655 32,985 61 217,701 160,219 49,893 210,112 140.256 55.019 195,275 211,496 140,256 15,5041 14,459 55.019 195.675 5,504 378 211,496 14,837 6,205 Recon¢lllation of funds: Total funds brou8ht forward Total funds carried forward 289,634 304,093 9.450 299.084 9,828 313,921 292,879 299,084 Balance Sheet as at 3110112023 Note 20Z3 2022 Fijted a5set5 Tangible 355ets Total fixed a55ets 393.228 393.228 392,873 392,873 Current assets Debtors & Prepayments Cash at bank and in hand Total Current a5setS 9,732 51.201 60.933 8,941 61,081 70.022 Llabllltles Creditors.. Amounts fallin8 due within one vear Net assets le55 current Ilabllltles Creditors.. Amounts falllng due in greater than one year Total net a55ets {23,4911 123,8111 430.671 439,084 1116,7501 1140.() 313.921 299,084 The funds of the charfty: Unrestricted funds riestricted funds Total Charfty funds 304,093 9,828 313.921 289,634 9,450 299,084 Signed by one or more trLtstees: Name: ( Date 2o¢L
Note 1: Basis of preparation
Basis of accounting
These accounts have been prepared on the basis of historic cost in accordance with:
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Accounting and Reporting by Charities – Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP 2015)
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and with Section 1A “Small Entities” of Financial Reporting Standard 102 (FRS 102)
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and with the Charities Act.
Note 2: Accounting policies
Recognition of incoming resources
These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity becomes entitled to the resources and when the trustees are virtually certain they will receive the resources and when the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
Grants and donations (including gift aid)
Where incoming resources have related expenditure (as with fundraising or contract income) the incoming resources and related expenditure are reported gross in the SoFA. Incoming resources from tax reclaims are included in the SoFA at the same time as the gift to which they relate.
Donated services and facilities
These would only be included in incoming resources (with an equivalent amount in resources expended) where the benefit to the charity is reasonably quantifiable, measurable and material.
Volunteer help
The value of any voluntary help received is not included in the accounts but is described in the trustees’ annual report.
Liability recognition
Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources.
Tangible fixed assets for use by charity
These are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost at least £500. They are valued at cost or a reasonable value on receipt.
Note 3: Expenditure on charitable activity (Church Revenue Fund)
| Administration expenses Equipment Fabric Hall hire Insurance Manse Staf costs Sundries Training Visiting speakers Youth work ote 3b: Staf costs Salary Social security Pensions – defned beneft Pensions – defned contribution |
2023 2022 £ £ 3,984 12,610 3,648 3,554 9,327 24,349 - - 2,244 2,147 4,042 3,603 103,948 97,928 11,461 7,703 - 421 275 675 1,326 508 |
|---|---|
| 140,256 153,498 |
|
| 2023 2022 £ £ 70,320 66,008 19,300 17,982 2,610 3,700 11,718 10,238 |
|
| 103,948 97,928 |
Note 3b: Staff costs
Defined benefit pension payments relate to pension deficit payments on the Baptist Pension Scheme (“the scheme”). These costs relate to three past ministers who are retired pensioners and two past ministers who have dependent pensioners in the scheme. These payments ceased during the year following the implementation of a Buy In with Just on the scheme resulting in there being no debt shortfall on the Scheme.
Note 4: Details of certain items of expenditure
Trustee expenses
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of trustees who were paid expenses | None | None |
| Nature of the expenses | ||
| Total amount paid | £nil | £nil |
None of the trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits from Station Hill Baptist Church.
Fee for examination of the accounts
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent examiner’s fees | £nil | £nil |
Note 5: Movement in funds
| Church Revenue fund Mission Funds (restricted) ARM Becky fund Collected funds Fellowship fund Provis Fund Mission tenth Total |
Balance Incoming Resources Transfers Balance 31 January Resources Expended in/(out) 31 January 2022 2023 £ £ £ £ £ 289,634 160,219 (140,256) (5,504) 304,093 926 9,064 (9,075) - 915 403 2,226 (2,629) - - 2,475 9,119 (7,465) 863 4,992 4,193 2,428 (2,700) - 3,921 - 10,320 (11,440) 1,120 - 1,453 16,736 (21,710) 3,521 - |
|---|---|
| 9,450 49,893 (55,019) 5,504 9,828 |
|
| 299,084 210,112 (195,275) - 313,921 |
Note 6: Fixed Assets
| Cost At 1 February Additions Disposals At 31 January Depreciation At 1 February Depreciation Disposals At 31 January Opening net book value as at 1 February Closing net book value as at 31 January |
2023 2022 Property Equipment Property Equipment £ £ £ £ 390,000 6,836 390,000 4,377 3,171 2,459 - - |
|---|---|
| 390,000 10,007 390,000 6,836 - 3,963 - 1,889 - 2,816 - 2,074 - - - - |
|
| - 6,779 - 3,963 390,000 2,873 390,000 2,488 390,000 3,228 390,000 2,873 |
Equipment is depreciated over 3 years on a straight-line basis.
SHBC additionally owns the Baptist Church on Station Hill. This is not recognised on the balance sheet as there is no reliable valuation for the building available.
Note 7: Debtors and prepayments
The debtors and prepayments balance of £9,732 (2022: £8,941) includes £8,190 (2022: £7,606) relating to gift-aid receivable from HMRC. This is expected to be received within one year.
Note 8: Loans
During the year ended 31 January 2023, SHBC paid £3,000 (2022: £9,000) of the outstanding congregational loans leaving a balance of £38,000 outstanding (2022: £41,000). This is a long term loan which has no fixed date for settlement.
During the year, SHBC paid £20,250 (2022: £36,000) off the £180,000 10 year interest free loan leaving a balance of £96,750 outstanding (2022: £117,000). £18,000 of loan repayments are due to be paid within the next 12 months.
Note 9: Related party transactions
There has been no related party transactions during 2023 (2022: none).