Minister’s Report April 2025
‘As I reflect on the last 12 months since the AGM in 2024, I cannot help but rejoice and give thanks to the Lord for all that he is doing in our midst. I can’t help but give thanks for the amazing things He is doing in the lives of those who call this place their home. Over the last 12 months we have had the privilege of watching as the Holy Spirit invades hearts and starts an incredible transforming work in them.
I think one of the key indicators of determining whether a church is moving forward and gaining momentum is that it looks different when you look back and reflect. A church that is the same as it was 12 months ago shows that the church has been shackled by scaffolding that has prevented and restricted any movement. I thank God that as I look back to around this time 12 months ago and compare it with where we are now, we now look very different. The Lord has added new people to us, some brand-new Disciples (although not as many as I would like) but we have many new people who have joined us in the last 12 months, and those who have been here for many years have mostly strapped themselves in and joined the journey the Lord has taken us on. Whilst there is much for us to rejoice, this year has been clearer than perhaps previous ones that Church leadership usually runs on parallel tracks of blessing/or victories and battles. This last year there were different battles that were required to be negotiated with compassion, love, honesty and integrity. Praise the Lord, he has led us through those battles.
When we look back through the teaching series of the last 12 months - the second half of the Acts, looking at and thinking about the early Church and how it operated, Names of God - knowing God, Ezra and Nehemiah, thinking about how we build differently, Knowing Jesus as we have gone through John - and one of the unexpected outcomes I believe of this series on John, is that it has revealed why we need to build, particularly the earlier chapters and we thought about Jesus and the pharisees and how Jesus challenged the institutions of the day. So, when we look through these series as a whole, it becomes very clear that we the Lord has us on a very specific journey that I think can be summed up in one phrase…. ‘Becoming an organic reproducing family’ and that is most definitely the direction I fully believe the Lord is leading in. However, for us to get to that point, it is going to mean, and dare I say it, more change!
So, I want to begin to unpack what that might look like going forward, and I would say there are several areas that we need to investigate as we move forward over the next couple of months.
A. Spiritual Environment
We need to have a focus on Discipleship and enabling people to go on a journey of daily knowing Jesus better. We need people to take responsibility for their own discipleship as well. We need to be a community who multiplies what the Lord is doing in us. We need to be a church who looks outwards. We are only going to be able to multiply what is within us. Discipleship must be a priority for us now. Growth in understanding and practice of spiritual gifts needs to be a focus of ours. Providing safe places for those to be practiced. Understanding the gifts and anointing we have, and each person has is so important as we seek to grow the Kingdom of God has to be a focus.
We really believe the Lord is saying now is the time to begin sending out teams of missionaries to kick start teams of people to plant churches around the villages. The Lord is calling us to multiply.
We also need to love each other like we are family, we need to take that new command of Christ in Johns gospel to love each other like he has loved us.
B. Physical Environment
We need an environment that promotes that family feel, that allows relationships to be built, but also facilities encounter with the Holy Spirit. Right now, there isn’t a family feeling in this church. There needs to be a warmer environment for people to be invited into. So, what needs to change? Well first off, where else would we go as family and sit in rows. The only places we go to sit in rows are when we go somewhere to be entertained. Church should not be and will not become a place of entertainment. So, what’s the proposal? Well, it would be great to get rid of the rows, repurpose the tiered seating to being a more stable stage and buy tables. If you look at the screen, we believe we can fit 16 x 5ft tables, with 8 chairs around each table, meaning that we will have space for around 128 people. Yes, there is a cost that would be involved in this. BUT we have had anonymous donors come to us and say that the cost of these tables would be covered. We would also like to do something about the entrance foyer to make it look more welcoming and to the lower school room to make it look more inviting and more welcoming, this will include a change of flooring, potentially lowering the ceiling, painting and more. We would also love to invest in the Loft, or the upstairs room to make that more young people friendly. We have made an application to DIY SOS to see if they would be interested in helping us out.
C. Leading Environment
I am not yet convinced that we have the right leaders in the right place, I do believe that a greater shift needs to happen here. If we want to be an organic reproducing family, we desperately need the right leaders in the teams. This may mean needing to have serious conversation with people asking them to step down, it will mean asking unexpected leaders to step up. I would love to be in the position where I can say I believe the leaders we have now are the right leaders for this season, but I’m not quite there yet. I believe the new leaders we are about to vote on, those who haven’t stood before today will take us one step closer.
Rob McGibbon April 2025
Grantham Baptist Church Income & Expenditure Summary (by Fund) - Quarterly Fund.. General Fund | Financial Year: 20241 Date: 3111212024 | Transaction Group: No h"Itering I Prgjections: Shov4n | Categories Displayed: Category Groups Only Income oi 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 Q4 Antiiipated VoanCe 8udgetReC¥ed ProiectedTotal 2,6Q6 IS.ODQ hei |n(QmE 4.ODQ TOI 18.825 20.721 27.iD8 9L,QIZ .24. 115.D76 Expenditure 74% 16.fj98 thurth CauSÈa 23 r 87 Othercauses 2.866 L06 91% .2,467 Ql.131 26.167 18.D36 2&6Z4 .915 93,e45 115m6 115.076 93.845 Budgeted Summary Totals Q2 2024 1 Q3 2024 2024 2024 Tfjtalty Date .7.442 closi 8alae thount 5urplu51TrDe Powered by Expen5ePIus Generated 8t L5..03 on 1210412025 Pagelof2
Independent examinerfs report to the trustees of Grantham Baptist Church Registered Charity no: 1133324 I report to the trustee5 on my examination of the accounts of the Faith Life Church for the year ended 31S1 December 2024. Responsibllities 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 Charities Att 20111.the ACVI. I report In respect of my examination of the Trusvs 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 section 145{51{bl of the Act. Independent examinerfs Statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connertion with the examination gtwng me cause to believe that in any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 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 connection 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. Signed: Name: Mrs Nicola Lwhittaker Date: 9 June 2025