## **Background**
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of Christ Church Flackwell Heath has the responsibility, as stated in the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956, of co-operating with the Vicar, Revd James Dwyer, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church – pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the Church and Church Centre of Christ Church, Flackwell Heath. Christ Church is a Registered Charity, as required under Charity Law, with a Charity Registration number of 1132634.
## **Parochial Church Council Membership**
Members of the PCC are either ex officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. In addition, members may be co-opted as necessary. During 2022 the following served as PCC members:
_**Ex officio members:** Chair:_ Revd James Dwyer; _Curate_ : Revd Isaac Knight (until July 2022); _Associate Minister_ : Revd Martin Courtney; _Licensed Lay Ministers:_ Sue Simpson _(Vice Chair)_ and Debbie FoxWebb; _Churchwardens_ : Paul Churchouse and Phil Simpson; _Deanery Synod Representatives:_ Neil Bourhill (from APCM 2019 and on PCC from 2017), Neil Favager, Lesley Favager, Richard Chalmers (from APCM 2021).
_**Elected members:**_ It was agreed in the APCM in 2004 that the PCC should consist of seven elected members in addition to ex-officio and co-opted
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Annual Report
2022
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members and be elected on a three-year rolling retirement. During 2022 elected
members were Reg Jaycock (from April 2022), Meg Scullion (from 2021 APCM), Tim Franklin (from April 2022), Denise Herschel (from 2021 APCM), Sammy Simpson (from 2020 APCM), Sylvia Bourhill (from 2021 APCM), and Phil Bellamy (from APCM 2020). Tom Sullivan was co-opted at the 2021 APCM and finished his term in September 2022. James Wiseman was co-opted by PCC in November 2022.
## **The PCC has three committees:**
1. The Standing Committee is required by law and has the power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council.
2. The Missions Committee coordinates links with the five mission partners that the Church supports. It advises the PCC on mission giving.
3. The Fabric Committee oversees the maintenance of the Church, Church Centre, and grounds.
The PCC met 6 times during 2022. PCC Members were commissioned on 24[th] April and, apart from the normal business life of the Church, there was a regular focus on ‘Mission’, and agendas items on Safeguarding, Data Protection and GDPR compliance.
## **Church Attendance in 2022**
Church services during the early months of 2022 were still impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. A resurgence of covid in early 2022 meant numbers still fluctuated considerably. Public worship continued throughout, with the 10.30am service livestreamed for those
unable/uncomfortable to attend in person. As the year progressed and the impact of covid lessened, numbers began to stabilise and gradually increase. By the autumn of 2022, usual Sunday attendance was around 130. Over the summer holidays the 9am and 10.30am services were combined to one 10am service, to ease pressure on those involved. The weekly service of Holy Communion was moved from 10am to 11am in September 2022, with a regular soup lunch offered afterwards. This saw an increase in attendance at this service, with around 15 regularly coming by the end of 2022.
Numbers of Occasional Offices remained low – a combination of both the pandemic at the beginning of the year, and a wider trend at a national level. In 2022 we held:
- 1 baptism
- 2 weddings
- 20 funerals in which Christ Church clergy and LLMs were involved, either at Christ Church or local crematoriums
## **Electoral Roll**
The Electoral Roll declared at the Annual Meeting in 2022 was 192 people, a decrease of two compared with that declared in 2021 (194). The current Roll is made up of 134 resident in the parish and 61 non-resident. During 2022 1 addition was made and 2 people removed (deceased).
(Jackie Chalmers, Electoral Roll Officer)
## **Review of the Year**
In 2022, Christ Church began a journey of exploring what it looks like to ‘grow deeper.’ With new leadership in place, the reduced impact of covid as the year went on, and a renewed sense of God’s call on us as a church, the church family began a journey this year of seeking to grow deeper with God - to grow deeper ourselves, to grow deeper as a church
community, and to grow deeper with our wider village community.
Our vision continues to be “a welcoming community where everyone flourishes in life and grows in faith, equipped to show and share the goodness of God to all,” but the emphasis throughout 2022 was on ‘growing deeper’ that we might live out that vision.
The early weeks of 2022 were dominated by covid, which had come back with a surge over the winter. Pastoral support continued throughout, as did public worship, with appropriate safety measures in place.
In January and February, Revd Isaac Knight (then Curate) ran a four-week course called _Becoming a Race Aware Church_ . This course challenged us to look at the diversity within Christ Church, and whether we need to be actively thinking through whether we reflect the community around us.
In February Debbie Woods, Office Administrator, retired after almost 20 years working for Christ Church. She was thanked and bid a fond farewell, and the process of recruiting a new administrator began.
During Lent, Christ Church ran a Lent Course themed around prayer, welcoming a range of speakers to help us grow deeper in prayer. Food was provided by the inimitable Richard Chalmers and his team, and there was a real sense of coming together again after covid, which many appreciated. A Prayer Room in the Upper Room gave people space to pray and be with God, and was hugely appreciated by many within the church and elsewhere.
Two new members of the staff team were welcomed in April: Jackie Chalmers as Church Administrator, and Leonie
Cowlard as Family Support Worker. Both appointments were celebrated in the church and prayed for as they began their new roles.
As we prepared to celebrate Easter, we held our first Messy Church gathering on a Tuesday afternoon, with a good level of interest from the village. Holy Week and Easter services provided an opportunity for the church to gather to celebrate the passion and resurrection of Jesus, and a village Easter Trail organised in partnership with the Methodist church and Residents Association saw over 100 people join in.
PCC spent a morning together towards the end of April looking at our vision and developing our sense of growing deeper, which was a very valuable time.
In May, it was announced that Revd Isaac Knight had been appointed Associate Minister at St Mungo’s Church, Balerno & Livingston (Scotland), and would be leaving Christ Church in the summer following the completion of his curacy. The Christian Aid Plant Sale took place towards the end of May and was a huge success, thanks to the hard work of those organising it.
Along with other churches, Christ Church took a lead in the village in coordinating the arrival of refugees from Ukraine, with the Vicar acting as a local ‘lead.’ Gatherings for refugees were organised, as were collections of goods and money.
In June, the nation celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Christ Church had a stand at HeathFest, organised by the Residents Association, which was well received. We also helped support other events in the village, and hosted a Service of Thanksgiving attended by many from the community.
Christ Church was part of Love Wycombe, in the middle of June, seeing hundreds of Christians from local churches gather in High Wycombe for worship and prayer. The _Living in Love and Faith_ course was run, giving participants a chance to engage with questions about sexuality and marriage in light of the Church of England’s wider debate.
In July we said goodbye to Revd Isaac Knight and his wife Ruth as they moved to Scotland. A group of around 30 attended New Wine in the summer holidays, and morning services at Christ Church were combined to give regular teams a break. Regular picnic lunches in the Vicarage garden gave people a chance to catch up over the summer.
Towards the end of the summer, Christ Church members served at Lighthouse Loudwater, and helped organise Flackwell Festival, a series of free events for the community.
In September, we had a sermon series called _Growing Deeper_ , building on our journey over the last few months. September was then dominated by the death of the Queen, as the nation entered a period of mourning. Christ Church acted as a place of reflection for the village, hosting the condolences book and a Service of Thanksgiving for the community.
An Alpha Supper at the end of September launched our Autumn Alpha Course, and the new school year saw Messy Church become a monthly event, in response numbers growing rapidly. In partnership with St Peter’s Loudwater, Christ Church provided school starter packs to 30 children starting at local schools.
In October we received a grant from the Flackwell Heath Residents’ Association to buy slow cookers to give to the community, and we launched the
Community Pantry in response to the rising cost of living crisis. Christ Church was registered as a recognised warm space, providing comfort to those struggling.
In November we held our annual Memorial Service and led the village Remembrance Service, as well as leading the lighting of the Christmas lights at Christmas on the Heath. It was announced that Gill Taylor would be joining Christ Church as curate in Summer 2023, along with her family.
December saw the first normal Christmas for a number of years, with good attendance at our Christmas services. New for 2022 was a service for those with Dementia, which was positively received.
Throughout the year, the church Safeguarding Policy was kept up to date and overseen by the Parish Safeguarding Officer.
**The Fabric Committee:** The Church and Centre continued to benefit from a small but dedicated team of volunteers, led by the churchwardens, particularly the monthly Grounds Working Party. During 2022, new lighting was installed in the church to offer more flexibility and better control.
A new boiler was installed in the Church Centre to improve performance and costs. Rising energy bills in 2022 led to careful monitoring of usage in the Church and Centre.
The Church and Centre continued to be cleaned to a high standard, professionally and by volunteers.
**Worship:** Debbie Fox-Webb continued as Director of Worship, supported administratively by Ruth Dobson. Towards the end of 2022, Debbie felt it
right to step back from her role overseeing worship to focus on Mission and Outreach. Christ Church is blessed by a talented team of musicians, singers, and technical support teams, complemented by Bible Readers, intercessors, and the flower team. In person services were complemented by a livestream, managed by some superb volunteers. A decision was made by PCC to continue to offer livestreaming even though the risk of covid had become minimal. The livestream quality was reduced, but maintained to offer a missional and pastoral opportunity. Services at Christ Church continue to offer a variety of styles, both traditional and modern. Communion continued to be offered by intinction.
**Discipleship:** Growing deeper as disciples of Jesus continued to be a key part of Christ Church’s mission.
- Sue Simpson continued to coordinate the small groups at Christ Church, with home groups encouraged to follow a churchwide teaching pattern from September 2022. This was in response to our reflection on what it means to grow deeper as a church.
- Preaching continued to be a rich source of discipleship, led by Revd James Dwyer, Revd Isaac Knight (until July 2022), Revd Martin Courtney, Sue Simpson, Debbie Fox-Webb, as well as Sylvia Bourhill and Phil Bellamy (Authorised Preachers), and Cheryl Dwyer. Series included A Church that Shares, Colossians, Samuel, On the Road with Jesus, and the O Antiphons
- Sharon Howard and Bridget Wiseman oversaw Junior Church supported by a fantastic team of volunteers. Engagement within schools was maintained throughout the year, with
assemblies in school and visits to church from children. Junior Church used the Urban Saints ‘Energize’ material as well as following sermon series
- Revd Isaac Knight oversaw the youth work (Thrive) until his departure in July 2022; it was then taken over by Cheryl Dwyer. Members of Thrive are involved across church life, including PCC, the coffee rota, All Age Worship, and more
**Prayer:** Overseen by Jane Franklin, prayer continued to be a core value of Christ Church.
- Creative ways of praying were continued, including outdoor prayer stations
- A Prayer Room was hugely appreciated during Holy Week
- Daily Prayer (Mon-Fri) was held in the Rotunda, along with monthly parish prayers online and an emergency prayer chain and team of confidential intercessors
- Community Prayer regularly gathered leaders from nine local churches to pray for one another and our area
- Prayer takes place formally and informally during the week, in services, within prayer groups, and pastorally
## **Ministry:**
- The Pastoral Team, under the leadership of Sue Hill, continued to provide excellent pastoral support and develop pastoral care at Christ Church. The Bereavement Visiting Team continued to minister to those in the days after loss, and the Oasis self-help group kept in touch with many members when meeting together was not possible
- Prayer for Healing continued to be offered at the 9am service on third
Sundays, and prayer ministry at the end of the 10.30am service remained a key point of prayer and support
- Fellaship (men’s ministry) and Sister Act (women’s ministry) met regularly throughout the year, welcoming a range of speakers from both within and outside the church
## **Outreach and Evangelism:**
- Flackwell Heath Community Pantry was launched in October 2022 in response to the rising cost of living crisis. The Pantry is a nonreferral source of food and other domestic products, and is open to anyone in the village. The Pantry is resourced by donations from the church family and wider village, and during its first few weeks began to meet a need from those in the village struggling to obtain food
- We worked in partnership with St Peter’s Loudwater to provide 30 School Starter Packs to families with children starting at Carrington Schools in September
- We received a grant from the Flackwell Heath Residents Association to enable us to buy 25 slow cookers and recipe books to give to those in need; some were invited to a cooking class run by Richard Chalmers
- Coffee Stop became a registered Warm Space, providing a place of comfort for those struggling with the cost of living
- We worked with the local council and the Diocese to offer support to refugees arriving in the village from Ukraine, and helped coordinate the initial response to those moving here
- Play Café and You-Nique provided regular contact points for families
in the wider community, and offered a safe space
- An Alpha course was run in partnership with Flackwell Heath Methodist Church
- Coffee Stop remained a key part of Christ Church’s outreach in the community, running weekly during term time and on Wednesdays during school holidays. For the first time, Coffee Stop opened on Wednesdays over the Christmas holidays
- Christ Church members were involved with local ministries, including One Can Trust, Wycombe 24/7 Prayer, Wycombe Youth for Christ and Wycombe Homeless Connection. Christ Church continued to support Christian Aid through collection and the plant sale
- During 2022 Christ Church remained committed to five Mission Partners: Jubilee Society (Mongolia), the Albanian Christian Centre (with New Beginnings Children’s Home), London City Mission, Wycombe Youth for Christ, and a ministry in East Africa. A collection was held in December for London City Mission, and regular updates were sent out to the church family. Christ Church is a Fairtrade Church, using and promoting fairly traded products. A Mission noticeboard was maintained
## **Other community involvement:**
Christ Church continued to be an active presence in the life of the community, including:
a service of thanksgiving for the life of the Queen
- Holding the annual Memorial Service in November
- Holding a variety of Christmas services
- Leading the village Remembrance Service and turning on the lights at the Village Christmas Festival
- Being an active presence in village schools
- Welcoming the Girl Guides, Brownies, and Rainbows for their Christmas service, and hosting Girls Brigade events
**Financial Review:** With total incoming resources of £160,198 and expenditure of £202,132, the net financial result for the year was an excess of payments compared to receipts. The state of finances is a major area of focus for the Vicar, PCC, and church family, and towards the end for 2022 steps were being taken to address this in 2023. The major outgoings were the Diocesan Parish Share and the salary of the part-time Administrator. All general income was tithed and supported the work of our five mission partners.
**Reserves Policy:** In November 2022 the PCC reviewed the current level of reserves and were happy with the reserves held at around £48,000, which is designed to cover the equivalent of two months’ general running costs and other anticipated expenses.
Revd James Dwyer Chair of the Parochial Church Council 1[st] March 2023
- Welcoming the parish in for occasional offices
- Opening in response to the death of Her Majesty the Queen in September, hosting the village book of condolences, and offering
## **Parochial Church Council of Christ Church, Flackwell Heath Statement of Financial Activities**
**for the year ending 31 December 2022**
|Note
**INCOMING RESOURCES**
_Incoming resources from donors_
2(a)
_Other voluntary incoming resources_
2(b)
_Incoming resources from operating activities:_
to further the Council's objects
2(c)
to generate funds
2(d)
_Income from investment_
2(e)
_Other ordinary incoming resources_
2(f)
**TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES**
**RESOURCES EXPENDED**
_Grants_
3(a)
_Activities relating to the work of the Church_
3(b)
_Church Management and Administration_
3(c)
**TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED**
NET MOVEMENTS IN FUNDS
Balances brought forward at January 1
Balances carried forward at December 31|Unrestricted
Funds
£
115,695
3,628
9,378
283
320
25,837
**155,141**
15,901
167,025
14,601
**197,527**
**-42,386**
177,085
134,699|Restricted
Funds
£
23
5,754
**5,777**
4,512
93
**4,605**
**1,172**
44
1,216|2022
2021
£
£
115,718
107,212
3,628
3,598
9,378
17,571
283
89
320
29
31,591
6,101
**160,918**
**134,600**
20,413
16,026
167,118
119,875
14,601
16,380
**202,132**
**152,281**
**-41,214**
**-17,681**
177,129
194,810
135,915
177,129
TOTAL FUNDS|2022
2021
£
£
115,718
107,212
3,628
3,598
9,378
17,571
283
89
320
29
31,591
6,101
**160,918**
**134,600**
20,413
16,026
167,118
119,875
14,601
16,380
**202,132**
**152,281**
**-41,214**
**-17,681**
177,129
194,810
135,915
177,129
TOTAL FUNDS|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**134,600**|
|||||16,026
119,875
16,380|
|||||**152,281**|
||||||
|||||**-17,681**|
|||||194,810|
|||||177,129|
Page 1
**Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 December**
**2022**
|**Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 December**
**2022**||
|---|---|
|_Monetary Assets_
HSBC Current Account
6,689
5,424
2,500
Barclays Account
3,849
4,317
0
HSBC Deposit Account
20,216
CAF 90 day account
120,000
Cash (Floats)
94|**2022**
**2021**
£
£
4,056
2,402
33
0
46,660
148,785
85,000
85,000
166
115|
||135,915
236,302|
## _Debtors_
There are no debtors.
## _Creditors_
There are no creditors
## _Liabilities_
There are no liabilities (2021 funds included £59,173 held on behalf of the Jubilee Society of Mongolia
## _Moveable Church Furnishings_
Moveable church furnishings are valued at £0.00 for accounting purposes.
## _Non-Monetary Assets_
Assorted gardening implements and shed – valued at £0.00 for accounting purposes. The PCC owns assorted dvds, books and office equipment – valued at £0.00 for accounting purposes
||**Funds Statement**
**Balance**
**Restricted Funds**
Relief
490
Community Pantry
726
**Designated Funds**
Hardship Fund
540
Oasis
2,916
General Fund
49,284
Development Fund
81,959
Total
135,915
**Represented by :-**
HSBC Current Account
4,056
Barclays Account
33
CAF 90 day account
85,000
HSBC Deposit Account
46,660
Cash (Floats)
166
Total
135,915|0.00|
|---|---|---|
Page 2
**Parochial Church Council of Christ Church, Flackwell Heath Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2022**
In previous years Designated and Restricted Funds were shown in a combined column. As Designated Funds are unrestricted they are now shown in the Unrestricted column
|2 **INCOMING RESOURCES**
Unrestricted
Funds
2(a) _Incoming resources from donors_
£
Planned giving:
Gift Aid donations
72,425
Other planned giving
4,132
Income tax recoverable
20,677
Loose plate collections
3,083
Other Gift Aid donations
10,238
Other donations
5,140
115,695
2(b) _Other voluntary incoming resources_
Donations to costs/expenses
1,628
One off Grants
2,000
Legacies
-
3,628
2(c) _Incoming resources from operating activities:_
_to further the Council's objects_
Bible Notes & Events
2,064
Church Centre lettings
6,894
Fees for weddings etc
420
Other
-
9,378
2(d) _Incoming resources from operating activities:_
_to generate funds_
Other funds generated
283
283
2(e) _Income from investment_
Bank and deposit account interest
320
320
2(f) _Other ordinary incoming resources_
Special collections
-
Community Pantry
Use of photocopier
175
Oasis
20,589
Cash Floats (eg. Coffee Stop)
5,073
25,837
**Total Incoming Resources**
**155,141**|Restricted
Funds
£
23
23
-
4,935
819
-
5,754
**5,777**|2022
2021
72,425
73,918
4,132
4,390
20,677
19,966
3,106
1,548
10,238
5,610
5,140
1,780
115,718
107,212
1,628
3,598
2,000
-
-
-
3,628
3,598
2,064
10,896
6,894
5,581
420
1,094
-
-
9,378
17,571
283
89
283
89
320
29
320
29
4,935
759
819
175
197
20,589
3,112
5,073
2,033
30,772
6,101
**160,099**
**134,600**
TOTAL FUNDS|2022
2021
72,425
73,918
4,132
4,390
20,677
19,966
3,106
1,548
10,238
5,610
5,140
1,780
115,718
107,212
1,628
3,598
2,000
-
-
-
3,628
3,598
2,064
10,896
6,894
5,581
420
1,094
-
-
9,378
17,571
283
89
283
89
320
29
320
29
4,935
759
819
175
197
20,589
3,112
5,073
2,033
30,772
6,101
**160,099**
**134,600**
TOTAL FUNDS|
|---|---|---|---|
||||107,212|
||||3,598
-
-|
||||3,598|
||||10,896
5,581
1,094
-|
||||17,571|
||||89|
||||89|
||||29|
||||29|
||||759
197
3,112
2,033|
||||6,101|
|||||
||||**134,600**|
Page 3
|3 **RESOURCES EXPENDED**
3(a) _Grants_
Missionary societies
Relief and development
Home mission
Special collections
Other
3(b) _Activities relating to the work of the Church_
Ministry: Diocesan Parish Share
Clergy expenses
Sanctuary
Music
Junior Church/Youth
Materials/books/services
Church running expenses
Church repairs/maintenance
Church Centre costs
Bible Notes & Events
Cash Floats (eg. Coffee Stop)
Oasis
Community Pantry
Training
Families/Parenting
Improvements
3(c) _Church Management and Administration_
Printing and stationery
Administrator salary & related costs
Office/administration
**TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED**|Unrestricted
Funds
£
14,400
-
600
-
901
15,901
87,207
1,047
102
873
1,211
181
3,365
2,864
5,903
1,625
2,972
20,447
136
7,828
31,264
167,025
2,557
10,676
1,368
14,601
**197,527**|Restricted
Funds
£
-
-
4,512
4,512
93
93
**4,605**|0
2022
2021
14,400
14,400
-
-
600
600
4,512
759
901
267
20,413
16,026
87,207
79,524
1,047
798
102
63
873
899
1,211
781
181
308
3,365
4,132
2,864
1,684
5,903
3,090
1,625
11,373
2,972
2,807
20,447
3,112
93
-
136
471
7,828
-
31,264
10,833
167,025
119,875
2,557
2,811
10,676
12,105
1,368
1,464
14,601
16,380
**202,039**
**152,281**
TOTAL FUNDS|0
2022
2021
14,400
14,400
-
-
600
600
4,512
759
901
267
20,413
16,026
87,207
79,524
1,047
798
102
63
873
899
1,211
781
181
308
3,365
4,132
2,864
1,684
5,903
3,090
1,625
11,373
2,972
2,807
20,447
3,112
93
-
136
471
7,828
-
31,264
10,833
167,025
119,875
2,557
2,811
10,676
12,105
1,368
1,464
14,601
16,380
**202,039**
**152,281**
TOTAL FUNDS|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||16,026|
|||||79,524
798
63
899
781
308
4,132
1,684
3,090
11,373
2,807
3,112
-
471
-
10,833|
|||||119,875|
|||||2,811
12,105
1,464|
|||||16,380|
||||||
|||||**152,281**|
Page 4
## **Independent examiner's report to the PCC of Christ Church, Flackwell Heath**
This report on the financial statements of the PCC for the year ended 31st December 2022 which are set out on pages 1 to 4 is in respect of an examination carried out in accordance with the Church Account Regulations 2006 ("the regulations") and section 43 of the Charities Act 1993 ("the act").
## **Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the Independent Examiner**
The PCC is responsible for the preparation of the accounts and considers that an audit is not required for this year and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to issue this report on those financial statements in accordance with the terms of the regulations
## **Basis of this Independent Examiner's Statement**
This examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. It includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the PCC concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts
## **Independent Examiner's Statement**
In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention:
1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements • to keep accounting records
- to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met;
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached
Mr Ian Bickerstaffe 17 Ash Close Walters Ash High Wycombe HP14 4TR
Page 5