Ministers Report 2023124 If l am completely honest. it only seems like two minutes ago that I was standing here at the last AGM giving a minister's pOrt.we hwle had such a busyyearwith the usual mix of things to celebrate and challenges that we have been brought through. There definitely appears to be a paralleltrackthatwe walk inthe path of the church. The parallel tracks ofvictoryand battles. Our challenge is to focus on the victory's whilst not losing sight of the battles, knowingthatthe victory belongs to him. Since the last AGM we have launched our newvision-A Unified Communitywho: Proclaims Jesus. Raises Disciples. Equips the Saints and Sends into allthe vrtd. This is very much the direction the Lord has been leading us. The focus of Sundaygatherings and preaching has very much fallen in line with this vision. And l imagine itwiiicontinue to do so. Since our last AGM we have had two baptism services {due to have another one next month) where we had the priwlege of baptizing a number of ouryoung people. We also had the joy of holdinga joint baptism service with Faith Life Church. It was amazingto come together as two expressions of Gods family as siblings to celebrate what the Lord is doing in the life of different people. We are praying for many more baptisms overthe course ofthe nextyear. Outreach overthe last year has been both encouraging and challenging. We helped once again atthe Family Fun Day in Dysart Park. which was a brilliant time. Areasto improve on. but generally went welL It was great to have the retum of the puppets and was awesome to see Andy Masters doingwhat he is so gifted in. reteLlingthe stories of scripture in a real. dramatized and engagingway. We also had carols in the park. with a walking nativity, howeverthe bad weather had a real impact on thatday. and while a few people came and a local schoolchoir sang, it was very limited, but a bigthankyou to everyonewhowaswillingto get drenched and help. Our Christmas Carol service went well. However, it would have been good if more had attended. The pianningforthis year's carol service started prety much the next day. For the events we really need to develop an invtte culture. Ourfinal outreach of the Last 12 months was at Finkins. We united with StAnne's church. and itwas a brilliant night. with standing room only. Stories of fruit came in the next day. Conversations are being had about what we might be able to do next. and how manytimes a yearwe can do different things like this. Look out for different things this year. Please also note Mi7 is consistentlygoing out everyweek foroutreach. It has been disappointingto see the numbers of this group reduce. We are beginning to see fruit from this. Please continue to prayforthe team and consider being part of the team in the future.
As well as all the excitement of the outreach stuff that we have done, people will also have been noticingthat some people have decided itstime to move on. Whilstthis can be difficult and upsettingfor people. our hearts need to have a postu of blessing and release, we are still siblings. Afewyears a friend was prayingfor me as I stepped into a new ministryand he one of the things he prayed was-there are no wrong people in the Kingdom of God, but there are right people at the wrong the time. Bring the right people at the right time. Let us not get bogged down in those who have left but lift our eyes and let us get excited about the people the Lord is bringingto this expression of His family. Mostweeks now we are seeing new people come through those doors, and they are coming backl Let us be excited aboutwhatthe Lord is doing. Please let us also spend time gettingto know the new people who are comingthrough the door. Build relationships and friendships. invite people over for food. This is something that is massively important. and with all the great outreach we are seeing, we cannotforget about pastoral care. This is anything ranging from crisis situations that people find themselves into ongoingdiscipleship. Like safeguarding pastoralcare is everyone's responsibility. However. our modelfor pastoral c8re is done through our LifeGroups. Lifegroup leaders are responsible for the pastoral care of the group they lead. so initially the lifegroup leader is your first port of call. Lifegroup leaders will then collaborate closely with elders and deacons and myself. I would al50 say that pastoral care must be done relationally. kin Foroiard We 8re spendingthe nextfew months continuing our series on Acts. This has been a reaLly challenging series I feel. Therewill need to be a response from us as a church at the end of the series. l am currently prayingforwhatthat might look like. But as I started off at the beginningof the series. changes will need to be made as a resultof reading Acts so slowly. This is the same atthe end of anyseries (but I'm a bit slow on the uptake} because we are preaching from the livingword of God. It's time to make changes. Stwas these I words that I heard Jesus whisper at the start of 2024. Moving forward, it is time to build on the prophetic groupthatwas started a number of years ago. I will beworkingwith Susie. Malcolm. Jenny and Moira to figure out whatthis looks like. We need to be a prophetic church, not just a church that has a prophetic group. Linked with this is the foundational and fundamental need for us to be a church who prays and fasts together. I have to be honest the numberof people comingto times of corporate prayer is largelydisappointing. We have a greatturn outto the termly Wednesdayevening prayer, otherthan that attendance is disappointing. On the first Sunday of March. we are goingto have an evening called'Equipped to Pray.. from that
will have two Sunday evening gatherings where we come togetherwith the sole purpose of praying. This will take us through the next season for GBC. This year it is also importantthatwe build on the outreach of the last 12 months. We are slowly beginning to see trickles of fruit. this is the drip before the flood. We need to be thinking in terms of multipLication. Currentlywe are not set up for multiplication- so overthe nextfewweeks and monthswe will be seekingjesus on what this Looks like. Pleasejoin in as we pray into this. Also. we are wanting to increase ourfocus on discipleship. We cannot rely on Sunday morning gatherings and mid-week LifeGroups to be sufficientforour discipleship and growth in Christ. As well ourown time readingthe bible and prawng, we need to be spurring each other on in theirfaith in a deeper and more open way. We are wanting to launch triplets. So simply put. 3 (4 at stretch) people gathering monthly to go through some thought-provoking questions about our own faith and walk with Jesus and others.
Grantham Baptist Church NANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 Basls of a¢counts: These accounts have been prepared on a ReIpts and Payments. basis and in accordan wrth (cl 25. Part 811) Chanties Act 2011. GENERAL RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS Accoupir Recelpts: Note Offerings Iweekty & monthly) Donabons and other inD)me Income tsx recovered on gffts Contributions for use of premises Transfers (from Dep.alcl Interest Recei ts total - 2023 65.348 21.980 12.884 1.758 2022 60,454 4,247 10,858 1.107 40.000 101970 116665 aymen Ministry Mission Maintenan Administration Transfers (to Dep. alc) ote 34,023 20,C 17.764 10,468 78,513 19,672 10.762 11.813 120 760 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABLMES AT 31 DECEIABER 2023 Assets: Note." Bank and other balances: other diurch accounts.. 2023 17.656 26,457 44,112 2022 14,342 10,172 24,514 10. other monelary assets. Non monetsry assets.. 11. Held for Churches own use 3,635.507 2,981,258 3. Offerings:. Weekty offerings induding enYeioFes Standing orders 6,738 58.609 65,348 Donations and other Income:. Church work.. 18,493 18,493 Other charitable causes: Other church reasons" 987 21,980 5. Ministry: Pastorate- Rob McGibbon Stspend National Insuran & tax Representstion duty 20.915.92 2,984.20 200.00 24.100 Manse Council tayl Water rates Insuran Repairs 2.697 461 2,870 6.028 Teaching Teaching Page f
Training JAM Pulptt Communty outreach 1.173.80 593.04 150.00 1.977.40 3,894 34.023 6. Mission". Other cause$4aptist BMS Specffic - B Francis BMS General 4.500.IJO 2.200.00 6.700 Other causes4)ther Compassion Fund Passage donab.on Other 863.00 2.500.00 575.10 3,938 10,638 Support Moldovan MinBty {M Mccomick) Wycliffe Bible TransFators (M Pearce) Schools Ministy- jenn Fytche bible society 3,000.00 5,600.04 750.00 72.00 9.422 20.060 Malntenan¢e Utilities Cleaningl toiletries Insurance PAJAV Refvrbishment Servicing CareLqking Caleringl kttchen supplies Copyright CCLI 7.629 316 3.125 2.176 354 1.358 812 1,350 17.764 8. Adrninlstration: Statronarylprinting Office supplies Telephonelinlemevcomputers Advertising Subscriptions Worship Finance system Office Admin support 500.52 400.54 49J.68 968.62 38.93 25.00 8,044.12 10,468 Current Account reconcilialion Balance as per Dewsrt tk 01 Jan 2023 Re[pts in 2023 Transfer5 to Current alc Payments in 2023 Transfers to Deposit alc Debrt Balan 14,342 101.970 82,315 16,204 98,519 101.970 17,793 Receipts in 2024 belonging to 2023 (500034) Payments in 2024 belonging to 2023 Catculated Current account balance at 31 Dec 2023 Actual current account" balances 31 Dec 2023 137 17,656 17,656 Page 2
'Main & Credit Card acUnt 10. Other Church a¢counts Savings actounts - Lloyds Bank Balance at 01 Jan 2023 Receipts in 2023 Interest receNed Payments in 2023 Transfer from currerrt account Calculated deposrt account tsaran at 31 D¥ 2023 Actual deposf( account balan 31 Dec 2023 Credit Debit Balance 10,172 16,204 82 26A57 26A57 11. Non monetsry assets (a) Held for investment purposes.. Ibl Held for Church's own use The church ss the beneficial ¢)wner {sublt to the relevartt trusts} of the following assets, the legal b.tle to which is hehy the church's custodian trustee Ithe Baptist Union Corporabon Ltdl Church premises (insured value March 2024} Church Manse The church aL80 owns fixtu, fvrniture and equipment (insured value March 2024} 3,057,569 405,000 172.938 3,635.507 Annual Ststement of Accounts prepared by Abimbola Durodola. March 2024 Independontty Examined by Nicci Whittaker and corrections made, April 2024 Page 3
The accounts and Ststbrn ofass•ts and ¥rtout on pageB f&2 rE ID th• yeartnding 31 Dec. 2023 arp appft>ved by the 08acoM. Signod: Abtmbola Durodola Treasurnr April 2024 REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAIIINER TO THE DEACONS AP4D IVB18ERS OF GRANTHAM BAPTIST CHURCH (including Wharf Road) In accordarrcewrth the prow&ons ofSe(on 43 ofthÈ Cha[esA[1 I3.1 rertsd p3n8¢enfjts and Slatsmentof8stsel and IiaknlitEs of GFxntrM BaptL%t CtMJtth8et tOn page5 1 & 2 rel to ts yearenw 3t DeTn 1997. This independentex2Thin8tion did nolexterrd tt) a Uxnprehenveath[Qf wxJntscrst8menL I confirm Ihat the a¢xtsand slat8menl a(Lord the arcountino rds0fthe thutth and thatsucth re(ths fvx laFn MtW*8rE ofany TrtattsrtOthth atten needs lo be drawn in Swned". 71 obts41 UndsndIng 0ftheafxMts. D8t&' 10ffj7r2024
Independent examinerfs pOrt to the trustees of Grantham Baptist Church Registered Charity no: 1133324 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Grantham Baptist Church for the year ended 31st December 2023. Responsibilitle5 and basis of report As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charstie5 Act 2011 {'the ACV). I report in respect of my examination of the Trusys accounts carried out under settion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under settion 145{5llb) of the Att. Independent examinerfs statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to mv attention in connettion with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect-. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by sertion 130 of the Act; or 2. 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connettion with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 51gned: Name.. Mrs Nicola L Whittaker Date: Ilyh July 2024
Independent Examlners recommendations to the Trustees of Grantham Baptist Churth s per my independent examiners report states I have no concern5 With the accounts prepared for your financial year ending 31 December 2023 However. I do have a recommendation that I suggest you seriously tonsider implementing to ensure more fluidrty in how your accounting systems and processes run. The full transition to an accounting package will ensurethat accounts continue to be maintained to a high standard thus reducing risk goingforward and enabling better reporting for your Leadership & Trustees. That all expense paperwork is correctly labelled with the relevant payee details. If you would like any more information on the above recommendation. then do get in touch. Nicci Whittaker 10/0712024