2021-12-31-accounts - The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Marks Forest Gate

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St Mark’s Church, Forest Gate – Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the Year Ended 31 December 2021

Administrative Information

St Mark’s Church is situated in Lorne Road, Forest Gate. It is part of the Diocese of Chelmsford within the Church of England. The correspondence address is: 41A Tylney Road, Forest Gate, London, E7 0LS. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956 and Church Representation Rules 2006) and a charity registered with the Charity Commission as charity number 1132240.

PCC members who have served from 1 January 2021 until the date this report was approved are:

Ex Officio Members Vicar: Ben King Chair Churchwardens: Mike Richardson Sharon Yates Elected Members Ann Arnold Vice-Chair Peter Arnold Treasurer Janet Bone Deanery Synod Representative David Dale Resigned 11 April 2022 Ellen Kemp Parish Safeguarding Officer, Deanery Synod Representative Barbara Lumsden Resigned 13 September 2021 Charlotte Mouzer Judith Nyabango Elected 17 May 2021 Jackie Randall Jane Ridout Secretary Michael Semuguruka Yvonne Tiley Deanery Synod Representative Bethany Yates Parish Worker Co-opted 15 November 2021

Structure, Governance and Management

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. At St Mark’s the membership of the PCC consists of the incumbent (vicar), the churchwardens, and members who are elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the church. All members of the congregation who regularly attend St Mark’s Church are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll.

The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish, including deciding how the PCC funds are to be spent. The PCC met seven times during the year, with an average attendance level of over 90%. The January and February meetings were face to face, but thereafter meetings were held online due to the pandemic.

Aims and Purposes

The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the vicar in promoting the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, and social, in the parish. The PCC is also responsible for maintenance of the church building of St Mark’s, Lorne Road, Forest Gate.

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Objectives and Activities

The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of the parish community at St Mark’s. The PCC maintains an overview of worship, and aims that our worship and services put our faith into practice through prayer, scripture, music and sacrament. We try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:

Worship and prayer, learning about the gospel, and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus.
Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish.
Missionary and outreach work.

To facilitate this work it is important that we maintain the fabric of the St Mark’s church building.

Achievements and Performance

Worship and Prayer

Whilst the church building remained closed, we continued to provide pre-recorded weekly services via our YouTube channel. When the church re-opened, distancing, sanitising, and face covering measures were put in place as before. Congregational singing was limited to two songs and initially took place in the church car park. When the weather cooled, we sang inside but ensured services did not exceed 75 minutes.

'Zoom' additionally provided opportunities for us to host Monday to Friday evening prayer, a mid-week prayer gathering, and a weekly coffee morning. After some weeks of prayer walking in the summer, the mid-week prayer gathering returned to church in the autumn.

Deanery Synod

The vicar and three lay members of the PCC sit on the Newham Deanery Synod and provide a report on Deanery Synod meetings to PCC meetings. This provides the PCC with a link between the parish and the wider structures of the Church of England.

The Church Building

Since resuming services and activities in the building in April 2021 the safety and wellbeing of those using it have been our highest priority. We have achieved this by:

Ensuring everyone wears face masks over their mouth and nose in the building at all times
Distancing measures
Increased ventilation in all areas
Enhanced cleaning and sanitisation of areas used
Quarantining of equipment used prior to cleaning and sanitisation
Safe maximum numbers of people allowed in small areas at any one time
Limiting the amount of time people can spend in the building to 90 minutes

Regular inspections of the fabric of the building and its contents have taken place, including after the storms of February 2022.

Maintenance and other work undertaken:

Annual inspection of fire alarm, emergency lighting and fire extinguishers and blankets
Clearance of items no longer used
Re-purposing of noticeboard on outside front wall of building
Replacement of seals around skylights on south-facing roof pitch
Electrical work regarding interior and exterior lights
Portable appliance testing and microwave emission test
Boiler and heating service

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Pastoral Care

Pastoral support has continued, mainly through telephone contact and email. Communication across the whole church family has been maintained through regular email updates (with paper copies delivered to those without internet access).

Two PCC members underwent Pastoral training during the year.

Mission and Evangelism

Ministry to the children and youth continued through telephone calls, letters, texts, and specific services including Messy Church.

Easter and Christmas were celebrated with services in church when possible and also online. Community engagement also formed part of our worship at Christmas and Easter and as well as the Nativity Float, the Advent Trail and Easter Egg hunt were well-received.

We also started a series of community ‘pick-ups’ – a simple means of reaching out to the parish and of raising the profile of Jesus and of His church. Over the summer, we involved a number of church members in our outreach programme to help engage our community further.

From 1[st] October Bethany Yates was employed as part time parish worker. This has had a positive impact on our church life and on our mission and outreach.

Ecumenical Relationships

Due to the pandemic it was not possible to hold the usual Good Friday March of Witness in conjunction with the other Forest Gate churches.

Financial Review

Total receipts on ordinary unrestricted funds were £145,203, and total receipts for restricted funds were £6,710. These are detailed in the financial statements.

Annual income in 2020 was much higher than usual due to receipt of a large legacy; consequently income in 2021 was significantly down compared to 2020, despite the receipt of two more legacies totalling £70,022 this year. Whilst the annual accounts for 2020 had to be compiled using accruals accounting, total income in 2021 was well below the £250,000 threshold above which the Charity Commission requires charities to use accruals accounting. The 2021 annual accounts therefore use the receipts and payments format, as the diocesan office confirmed that this was permissible as annual income was below the £250,000 threshold.

£69,932 was spent from the ordinary unrestricted funds, and £3,514 from the restricted funds, to provide the Christian ministry from St Mark’s Church. This includes the PCC’s contribution to the Chelmsford diocesan parish share, which contributes to the cost of stipends, pensions, training, and housing for clergy in the diocese.

The PCC continued with its agreed policy to give away 10% of its net income (i.e. income excluding grants and money given for specific causes) each year to support Christian ministry at home and overseas. A total of £8,170 was given to support 16 Christian ministries at home and abroad. In addition, £1,827 was given by members for specific causes and charities, and this was passed on to those causes and charities.

The net result was an excess of receipts over expenditure of £77,860. On 31 December 2021 the balance of ordinary unrestricted funds carried forward was £55,126; the balance of restricted funds carried forward was £6,875; and the balance of the legacy designated fund carried forward was £212,836.

During the year £240,000 was added to our investment in the CCLA Church of England Investment Fund.

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Investment assets as at 31 December 2021 were £304,089 in the CCLA Church of England Investment Fund, plus £352 in shares in Banco Santander.

A Stewardship Sunday was held in May to encourage personal revision of church giving.

Reserves Policy

It is the PCC’s policy to invest short term funds balances in the CCLA Church of England Deposit Fund. This is used to smooth out fluctuations in cash flow and to meet emergencies. As at 31[st] December 2021 the PCC had £251,240 invested with the CCLA Church of England Deposit Fund.

In previous years the PCC has invested part of some legacies received in the CCLA Church of England Investment Fund, and as at 31[st] December 2021 the PCC had £304,089 invested with the CCLA Church of England Investment Fund.

Church Attendance

There were 107 people on the electoral roll as of December 2021, of whom 53 live outside the parish. The equivalent figure for December 2020 was 108 people, of whom 51 lived outside the parish.

The number of people of any age worshipping regularly at St Mark’s (not necessarily on the electoral roll) is currently 164, covering 79 households.

Review of the Year

Until July 2021 PCC meetings were conducted over 'Zoom', as was the APCM in May. The September and November PCC meetings were held face to face.

Items discussed by the PCC included the following:

The annual accounts for 2020. Kim Lee was appointed to compile the accrual accounts for 2020.
The budget for 2021.
Our planned and adhoc financial giving to support God’s work at home and abroad.
Reports from the Race Steering Group covering Representation, Leadership, Worship Style and Belonging. It was mentioned that Diversity may now be a better term to use than Bame.
How the roadmap out of lockdown might proceed, whilst obviously there was uncertainty throughout the whole year. Ideas were presented as to how the building might be used in future as restrictions eased.
Community outreach: a daffodil drop was discussed in March 2021 and implemented in April at various points throughout the parish, then later followed by a lolly hand out in July, a fruit hand out at Harvest and a Christmas Bag of Joy in December. Lent boxes were also given out to church family members at Easter time.
The Summer Programme of events.
Planning for Christmas, including Bags of Joy, the Nativity float, the Slate Yard carols, the Knitivity service on 24th Dec and the Christmas Day service.
The PCC members voted to employ Bethany Yates as a Parish Worker from October 2021 until September 2022 when the post will be reviewed.
Peter Arnold presented the completed Energy Audit.
Restarting the Guide unit and a possible Eco Group.

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Safeguarding

Ellen Kemp, the PCC’s safeguarding officer, is assisted by a local parish safeguarding advisory group.

As required, the PCC and all church members who work with children and vulnerable adults have up to date DBS checks, in line with current renewal times, and the majority have undertaken appropriate training.

The PCC ensure that all on-line activities comply to the House of Bishop’s safeguarding guidance.

The Parish Safeguarding Officer has informed PCC members of the new guidance which was published in 2021 and the requirement to undertake the relevant level(s) of online training. In order to implement the new guidance and online training, a three-month plan representing the first steps to be completed to further embed safeguarding into the culture of St Marks, has been approved by the PCC.

There were no safeguarding incidents relating to St Marks church, reported this year.

Data Protection

All names and contact details are held securely. They are used solely to keep in touch with church members and are never shared with third parties.

Signed on behalf of the PCC

Rev’d Ben King (Vicar and PCC Chair)

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