## King’s Baptist Church, Stotfold Charity number 1136519 Annual report for 2022 Published 2023 King ’ s Baptist Church The Green, Stotfold Bedfordshire SG5 4AN _Page 1 of 21_ ## Contents |Opening report|3| |---|---| |Trustee’s personal report (1)|4| |Trustee’s personal report (2)|5| |Membership report|6| |Health and safety|6| |Safeguarding|8| |Property and fabric report|8| |1. Church building|8| |2. Manse|8| |Pastoral report|9| |Worship|10| |Encounter Worship|11| |Wednesday morning prayer|11| |Wednesday evening prayer|11| |Youth|12| |King's Kids|12| |Accelerate|**Error! Bookmark not defined.**| |KBC Men|13| |KBC Women|13| |Small groups (1)|14| |Small groups (2)|14| |Small groups (3)|14| |Connect|**Error! Bookmark not defined.**| |Works of Heart|15| |Balancing the Yoke (BTY)|16| |Warm Space|16| |Churches Together in Stotfold (CTS)|17| |Treasurer’s report|19| _Page 2 of 21_ Opening report Alistair Sanders During 2022 we explored what it means for us to be a church. We saw that that includes prioritising being both a _visionary_ and a _missional_ people. In terms of _vision_ , it is vital that we create a culture or atmosphere of hope, faith, optimism and expectation. God calls us to be a people of faith, who can see potential in every person, and opportunity in every situation. In terms of _mission_ , each of us must own the personal responsibility to find, befriend, engage, and walk alongside others outside our faith community. These may be people whom we already know, that we live with or work with, those who already are our neighbours. We need grace and patience to walk with them as true friends—quick to listen, slow to speak, being present when needed, never being judgmental and always showing Christian love. At the start of 2022, we were still having to manage with COVID-19 restrictions. One year later we can look back on a great deal of change in our nation and in the world, including much turmoil and upheaval. In many ways, 2022 has been a year of transition, transformation and consolidation. At the start of the year we asked what it means for us to be a church, and we began by acknowledging Christ as the head of the church. We saw that if Christ is the head of the church, then we are the body. As Christ ’ s body, we are to be completely surrendered to his authority. This theme of our new creation identity in Christ is one that we revisited several times throughout the year. We looked in some detail at what it means for us to be chosen, redeemed, and adopted by God. We saw that while this brings security, ’ comfort and blessing to all God s children, it also brings us duties and responsibilities—and the authority to pursue and advance the Kingdom of God. We explored what it meant for us to have the right mindset. We saw that with the wrong mindset we are a hindrance to Jesus, hostile to God, and living an incomplete life. We learned that the right mindset comes from pursuing the things of God over those of humanity, prioritising the Spirit over the flesh, and preferring the things of heaven above those of the earth. In terms of outreach and engagement with our community, we took some tentative steps towards determining sustainable and achievable goals. Many members of the church support and volunteer with the Need Project, and continued to do so. We opened our doors to welcome the community with our Light Party, Christingle service, nativity play and Christmas carol service, followed by a ‘ family feast. ’ In December we opened the church as a ‘ warm space ’ as part of a national and local concern for the most vulnerable people in our town. Among our church leaders we said goodbye to Jonny Whitmill and Theo Clark as they stepped down, having completed their terms of office. Tricia How also stepped down from her role as an elder when she and Kevin moved away. We welcomed Margaret Stanley (who was already treasurer) and Angie Clark as they were appointed as elders. As we look forward to all God has for us in 2023, I see us growing as a people of faithful, fervent prayer, open to the promptings of God ’ s Spirit, and becoming more confident in living in, and bearing witness to, the hope that we share. _Page 3 of 21_ I am delighted that we have seen our fellowship become more ethnically and culturally diverse, and going forward this is something I want us to celebrate and commemorate more and more. Several times I have mentioned these words by writer Edward Grinnen: “…tomorrow is always uncertain. The future is not ours to know.” But, as Corrie ten Boom said, “ Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Trustee’s personal report (1) Angela Clark When I was appointed as an elder by the membership in April 2022, I believed that there were already areas of growth that God wanted to develop further in the life of KBC. These areas fit with the calling on my life: To minister prophetically and pastorally. This is what brings me the deepest joy. Arising from this calling, my vision for 2022, and continuing into 2023 is four-fold: 1. That KBC would continue to be a safe place for all – for those of all ages who attend KBC; that whether we attend a social or outreach event, attend a church service, are involved in ministry or service, or are reaching out for pastoral input of any kind, that we can feel confident that we are safe and will not suffer abuse in any form. ‘ Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart. ’ (Zechariah 7:10) 2. That all who attend KBC would continue to develop relationships where they feel loved and cared for and feel able to reach out for help whenever they need – whether practical, emotional or spiritual. Where we can come alongside one another as we ask for, and receive the healing available to us as members of the Body of Christ, and the equipping of the Holy Spirit to fulfil the calling on each of our lives. If we do not have the expertise or capacity within our current structure, we will refer to an appropriate source. ‘ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. ’ (1 John 4:7) ‘ He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners… ’ (Isaiah 61:1) 3. To re-establish an opportunity for ‘ Encounter Worship ’ post-Covid where we can gather for an extended worship time in order to meet with God on a deeper level / soak in His presence. In this environment, ‘ space ’ will be facilitated for creative expressions of worship. Basic craft materials will be provided and those who wish to express their worship through artistic expression will be welcomed. Prophetic contributions will be welcomed and prayer will be available for healing. ‘ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.’ (James 4:8) 4. To encourage the congregation, as we came out of Covid restrictions, in their development and expression of prophetic gifts in a safe environment. We had already begun to explore this before we went into lockdown. Sessions will be programmed every few months where we can both learn more and also give space to prophesying in practice. ‘ Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy ’ (1 Corinthians 14:1) _Page 4 of 21_ Trustee’s personal report (2) Ian Tyler The life of an elder can sometimes be difficult and arduous, but it is very rewarding and a joy to see God’s work in our congregation and to watch people grow in their walk with the Lord. It has been a real pleasure to see how we have seen new people join our fellowship, the growth of our young people ’ s work, witnessed people taking on extra roles within the life of the Church, supporting each other through whatever life events have come our way, and providing for others – being in fellowship with each other and those around us. The recent Warm Spaces event held on Wednesday afternoons have not only been the “ gentle presence” of Jesus to those in our community who are struggling through the winter with high fuel bills, cost of living in general and loneliness - but a time where those from our fellowship who have attended - whether as a helper or a visitor - we have learnt even more about them during these sessions than we have done when we meet in fellowship after the service every Sunday morning! Whilst all of that was before the period that this report covers, the lasting effects on everyone are still being worked through – our new “ normal” is not the same as our previous “ normal”! Things are and will remain, to be different and we are still learning how we grow a Church under this “ new normality”. I am praying that God will share His vision with us as to how He wants us to respond in this new season – to serve Him and deepen our relationship with Him as we journey together. Finally, I am greatly indebted to the Trustees who recently gave me permission to temporarily stand back from my responsibilities as an Elder and Trustee for personal reasons. I am looking forward to being able to spend more time in God ’ s presence and seek what His will is for me moving forward. Please continue to pray for our Trustees and Eldership team as they lead our Church through these different, changing, and exciting times – It is a privilege to work and serve alongside them and the whole leadership team and they need your continuing prayerful, practical, spiritual, and emotional support. The blessing for me, is that we have a congregation that is deeply caring for others, they have a heart for God and His work in the community and beyond. I am excited about what God’s plan is for us as a Church and for us all individually as we continue to see His Spirit move and grow amongst us. I continue to personally give thanks to God for calling Alistair and the whole family to KBC – his arrival brought an end to a long interregnum – which, including the effects of lockdown due to Covid, was a tough time for everyone. _Page 5 of 21_ Membership report Alison Down During 2022 we welcomed Tracey Royle into membership. We received the resignation of church membership from Jane Baker, who will be joining Christopher at New Life Church. We also received resignations from Peter & Pauline Wade; they had re-joined KBC while they were waiting for God to show them where they were called to serve. They now believe they are called to come ’ alongside the congregation at King s Community Church in Letchworth. Our membership now stands at 64. If you are not currently a Church Member but are interested in taking this next step of formal commitment to a local church, please talk to Alistair or one of the Elders. Health and safety Ian Tyler The safety and wellbeing of anyone using the Church building is the responsibility of everyone who enters the building but ultimately, it is the overall responsibility and comes under the “ watchful eyes” of the Trustees – they have the overall duty of care both morally and legally for anyone using our facilities. We are pleased to report that the guidelines, policies, and procedures that have been put into place, whilst may sometimes seem onerous, are effective in making our Church a safer place to enter and be in. Covid of course, still presents issues and risks for everyone and it is important that whilst we have reduced some of the “ intensity” of some of the processes – the Trustees feel it is important at this time that we should remain diligent and maintain the current levels of procedures to reduce the risk of cross infection within the Church and it’s fellowship – e.g. CO2 monitors, ventilation, cleansing of surfaces (and logging the same) after each event etc. The risk of cross contamination remains a high priority for any event and especially where foodstuffs are involved and handled. Great attention will continue to be given to ensure that precautions and actions minimise these risks and are carefully considered for each event – these will be clearly documented in the event Risk Assessment that is approved by the trustees prior to the event. This highlights the need for the completion and review of a Risk Assessment for every event that is run in Church and it should be prepared in plenty of time prior to the event to _Page 6 of 21_ enable it to be fully reviewed by the Trustees. Together, let’s keep KBC a safe Church to be in. Sadly, we have had one significant incident this year which resulted in someone requiring hospital treatment. I am pleased to say that they are making a good recovery and that the processes we had in place in terms of Risk Assessment, First Aid provision etc meant that there was nothing more that we could have done to prevent the incident from occurring – however, we should remain vigilant in ensuring that we do not become complacent due to our previous “ good record” of no incidents. Our vision is to maintain the Church as a safe and healthy place for people to meet and we will continue to review, improve, create whatever processes and procedures are required for us to meet our legal obligations and more! However, our aim is that this will be done where possible, for us not to produce a mountain of paperwork! That said, it is a sad reality in this modern world, that we are obliged to provide some written assessment of our risk management and these documents are something we have to produce as required and requested. The Trustees are committed to being proactive, in investing and maintaining systems and procedures and will maintain our focus on our obligations - monitoring of any change in legislation for example, which may require changes in how and what we must implement. As it says on the London Underground and on British Rail trains – _See it, say it, sorted!_ If you see something which you think is a H&S issue, say something to one of the Trustees or the person responsible (e.g. Property Deacon, Worship Deacon etc), and they will ensure it is sorted. _Page 7 of 21_ Angela Clark ## Safeguarding Our _Designated Person for Safeguarding_ (DPS) is Dawn Addams; and our _Trustee for Safeguarding_ is Angela Clark The Core Sections of the Safeguarding Policy were updated, to be used against the other relevant Sections. This enables the policy to be more user-friendly. Any allegations will be appropriately addressed. We are all responsible to make sure that everyone in the church stays safe. Property and fabric report Matt Wheatley ## **1.** Church building The last year has mainly been general maintenance and ongoing upkeep of the buildings. The big things done this year was replacing locks and keys in main church. This was done as the locks were wearing out and gave us an opportunity to check and re-issue keys for security. The CCTV system at church was installed. Risk Assessments and Lone Working now come under Health & Safety. ## **2.** Manse Two concerns were reported in 2022. No further action was required at that time. Both Angie & Theo have stood down from being Trainers for Central Baptist Association for Levels 2 & 3 Safeguarding. Most of the trustees, and Dawn who is our Designated Person for Safeguarding, attended Level 3 Safeguarding training at Biggleswade Baptist church in November. We hope to host Level 2 training at KBC in 2023 for those who are due to have it. We want to say a big Thank You to Dawn Addams who has been willing to take on responsibility as Designated Person for Safeguarding. Manse refurbishment The manse had a lot of focus early in 2022 when we finally carried out the garage conversion, creating both a utility room and a study. At the same time we undertook the task to replace the kitchen. There were a few delays but in the end we completed the project under budget. Manse upkeep In 2022 we put up a new shed at the manse, with the help of Matt, Ian, Dave, and Alistair. DBS Verification is now separate from Safeguarding, so thanks to Kevin How and Theo Clark who have undertaken this role in 2022. DBS checks have now been extended to _five_ years in line with current BUGB guidance. _Page 8 of 21_ ## Pastoral report Angela Clark ## Bereavements We continue to pray for comfort for those who lost loved ones in 2022. In January, KBC hosted the Wake for Margaret P ’ s son-in-law, Ian. Jane S‘s mother and Kevin H ’ s brother passed away in the Spring. Jane B lost her mother in the summer and Ceri her sister. Ian T ’ s dad, Helen W ’ s brother, and Colin Pond died in the Autumn We also hosted the funeral service for Eunice Thompson, Eileen Condor ’ s sister, in October. Her family was very appreciative. Several previous and present members of KBC attended the funeral of Mick Racher at Biggleswade Baptist Church in December. Mick was previously a faithful and active member of KBC. ## Weddings We enjoyed celebrating the Wedding of Jonny and Alex on Saturday 5th November. It was a joyous time for all and we wish them both every blessing as they grow together. ## Birthdays Peter, Pauline and Roger have all celebrated 70th birthdays, Doug his 80th and Neil C his 50th ## House moves Priscilla and her family moved into their new home. Thanks to all who assisted with the move in any way, or with childcare or meals. This was a great example of the Body of Christ working together. Kevin & Tricia moved away to Ledbury and Kevin & Gill moved to Stratford Upon Avon. We will all miss them and thank them for all that they have contributed to life and ministry at KBC over many years. ## General news Angie prepared a list of current Housegroups, which was circulated. If you wish to attend a Housegroup, please speak to one of the Leadership Team. Our Pastoral Meetings always include a training element and the Pastoral Care List is updated. Alistair shared his vision for Pastoral Care at our March meeting. Thanks to everyone for your consistency in looking out for each other. ## Anniversaries Tricia & Kevin and Theo & Angie celebrated their Sapphire (45th) Wedding Anniversaries, Rick & Mari, Geoff & Lesley, Andrew & Pauline and Ian & Vicky all celebrated Ruby wedding anniversaries. Tony & Margaret, Michael & Alison and Pam & Bernard all celebrated Golden wedding anniversaries. We do not take the grace and provision of God for granted when it comes to our relationships and marriages, and continue to pray for protection and wisdom, especially for those relationships that are under pressure. Covid continues to be among us. People from church have been giving practical support to those who need it. Thank you. Thirteen people attended Ministry Team Training on 22 May and I am encouraged to see the increasing willingness of people to ask for prayer ministry following the services. If you would like specific prayer ministry at a deeper level than that available after the Sunday services, or anointing with oil for healing, please ask. The Prayer Chain continues to be effective in providing support for anyone who asks for prayer – either for themselves or at the request of others. If _Page 9 of 21_ you would like to join this WhatsApp group, please ask Angie to add you and let you know the guidelines. We praise God for reports of breakthrough in the lives of our church family. Hallelujah!! Several of our older members are becoming increasingly frail, have been in and out of hospital, or have entered residential care. Please continue to visit and pray for them. ‘ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.’ (1 John 4:7) ## Prophetic Development Prophetic Development sessions were held in April and October. We have seen at least a dozen people attend these sessions. A different group of people came in October. We are learning that God is always speaking, and wants to encourage us all. We all need to learn to ‘ tune in ’ to His voice and have confidence to share what we sense He is saying. The 2nd session included a re-cap as well as new training material, as a different group of people attended. We have all been encouraged as we have flexed our spiritual muscles and also received prophetic input. We have already noticed an increasing willingness to give prophetic input in our prayer meetings and Sunday services, which is exciting. ‘ The one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. ’ (1 Corinthians 14:3) ## Worship ## Helen Wightwick Our Worship Team has grown across 2022 to include another guitarist, more singers and several teenagers which has made it a truly inter-generational team and blessed us greatly. By the end of 2022 we had 3 guitarists, 2 bass guitarists, 1 drummer, 4 keyboard players, 5 singers and 7 people trained to operate the words/PA desk. Many of our team members have multiple roles within the team and other significant roles within the church, eg with the children and leading services, but we have always managed to have a small team available and sometimes a gloriously large one! I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks for all our team members ’ flexibility and willingness to serve. We have also lost several members during the year, including Tricia who moved away and Jonny who got married and stepped back. We wish them every blessing. We have had two main training events during the year, both involving Engage Worship, a Ministry led by Sam and Sara Hargreaves in Luton. In May Sam came to KBC and provided a bespoke training on Reliance on the Holy Spirit, while in November most of the team attended a conference in Luton where Sam and Sara explained the wider package of How Jesus would lead worship, which we all found inspiring. We have had several team meetings and New Songs Practices across the year, and a very successful bring and share Barbecue at the Rolfe’s home in August, followed by an extended jamming session when we all made a joyful noise to the Lord and learnt 6 new songs in the process! _Page 10 of 21_ ## Encounter Worship Angela Clark Our first Encounter Worship evening since Covid took place on 27th November 2022. We invited people to attend from other congregations through our links with the small churches network. We all appreciated the opportunity to worship in a non-rushed environment and praise God that His power was present to heal among us. ‘ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.’ (James 4:8) ## Wednesday morning prayer Helen Wightwick Every Wednesday morning we meet for 2 hours between 10 and 12 to offer prayers of thanksgiving and intercession. Attendance has been growing across 2022 to reach an average of about 12 people. Five people share the load of leading the group. The format is usually to start with a Bible passage and 2 or 3 worship songs, then the remainder of the first hour usually focuses on activities and needs at KBC, followed by a coffee break at 11. The second hour often broadens the focus to pray for mission partners, such as Judy Cook in Thailand, the Dalit schools in India, the Need Project, and Christian Initiative to Schools. Sometimes we focus on traumatic world events like the war in Ukraine, praying for our Christian brothers and sisters there. In 2022 we introduced a video series on prayer: _Moving mountains_ , by John Eldridge. ## Wednesday evening prayer Ian Tyler The beauty of the Wednesday evening prayer meetings is that they are fluid in terms of their format and content. We are grateful that there are a faithful number of people who volunteer to run the weekly meetings, and who bring to each gathering different perspectives to share with us. Dependent on what is going on in peoples’ lives, the Church, the world – the sessions focus on praying into the various situations. What is especially powerful in these meetings, is the way that God meets with us individually and as a Church. The ‘usual’ format is a time of worship, some sharing, and reflection based on what God has put on the heart of the person leading the session and those attending – followed of course by prayer! We say the ‘usual’ format because, ultimately, we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit as He directs! Since returning physically back in the Church building post Covid, there have been many times of just waiting and soaking in God ’ s presence which, with what is going on in everyone ’ s busy lives, has been a real blessing to us all. The level of attendance at the meeting has not returned to pre Covid numbers and those who regularly attend, find it a time of blessing and enrichment and it would be encouraging if people could prayerfully consider whether the evening session could be a powerful and important part of their prayer life and Church fellowship. There have been occasions where we have followed a “ theme” for a number of weeks, which has brought specific focus and teaching, but the evening is not _Page 11 of 21_ intended to be a time of in-depth teaching but as the previous name for the evening prayer meetings – it is a time of “ Going Deeper” with God. ## Youth Matt Wheatley It was a great privilege to restart youth after such an absence. In 2022 we met on the second and fourth Sundays each month. On average we have 8 young people each time, although we have had as many as 12. Over the last year we have been going through the _Youth Alpha Course_ to help encourage and grow the young people in the basics of their faith and walk. It has been a blessing to have leaders and members of the church come out each time to assist. This has been a great help for the youth to meet adults in the church and leadership, as well as the adults seeing who they are and what the youth can bring to a growing congregation. Our vision for the coming year would be to continue to grow and meet the youth where they need it, and possibly do the third Sunday too. For this to happen we need some more committed leaders to help. ## King's Kids Kathrin Sanders We have had another fruitful year at King ’ s Kids with a fantastic team seeking to bring the children of our church closer to God. It is also great to see the children getting to know each other better and we can see some friendships forming. Some of the children are more confident and outspoken, others prefer to sit quietly and take it all in. But all of them feel settled and safe enough to share their ups and downs with each other. We have 12 children attending fairly regularly, with an age range from 4 to 11 years of age. There are 7 more who attend occasionally. The numbers seem a bit lower than last year but that is because our 12+ youngsters have started going to their own youth group instead. It is a great joy and challenge in equal measures to have a group of children that come from varying degrees of church background. Some already have a personal relationship with Jesus whilst others are still exploring the Bible and its teachings from a safe distance. It is important to us as a team to understand this and gently and respectfully lead each child individually closer to God. Up until last Christmas we followed the _Urban Saints_ curriculum. Their material was great in many ways but when the subscription came to an end we decided to try something else. In 2023 we are using a new curriculum called _Connected Hearts_ . One of the most exciting aspects of this curriculum is that it allows the children to seek God and experience Him for themselves. What we want to avoid is to merely teach ‘ about ’ Christianity and God. We ’ d rather show the children how they can seek Him, talk to Him and hear from Him without us adults doing it on their behalf. Our prayer is that God would come, meet each one of the KK children, call them by name and show them how much they are loved. We are blessed to have a fantastic and committed team of helpers but going forward we need more people willing to plan and lead some of the sessions. Currently Kathrin is leading most of them with Fran leading occasionally too. _Page 12 of 21_ ## Accelerate Fran, Naomi, Lillian, Doug and Ceri Accelerate continues to meet on Zoom on Tuesday evenings during term time. Although, initially, this group catered for Youngsters aged ten to thirteen, we now have an age range of eight to sixteen years. We are always asking Father God to inspire us with fresh, lively and creative ideas which reflect His amazing love for us. All the Youngsters are encouraged to participate by choosing a worship song; designing a game or quiz, by reading from the Bible and by praying openly for one another. In the Summer term last year we explored new testament characters who had Encounters with Jesus, followed by old testament characters who were powerfully used by God. This was interspersed with our Bible Psalmathon! The Youngsters read the Psalms for about an hour non-stop. They were duly fed with pizza, salads and juice in massive amounts! The Congregation sponsored us and we donated half the money to Helimission and half to Transform Burkina. We concluded the term with a fabulous games night based on Taskmaster. The Autumn term was based on Christian Lifestyle. Topics included Courage, Setting Priorities and decision making, Influence and Contentment. Our Youngsters need our prayers as they represent Jesus in our modern-day world. We held our usual Christmas Travelling Supper. This had to be postponed, due to snow and ice, from Christmas to the New Year. We thank Helen and Steve, Pam and Bernard and Jane and Gary for their generous hospitality. This term we have been looking closely at the Lord ’ s Prayer our aim being that every Youngster will learn this by heart. Shrove Tuesday will be our annual Pancakes and Games night to which you are all invited. The rest of the term will be devoted to the Journey of Jesus leading up to Easter. We need, and appreciate, your prayers week by week. Please smile at us; chat to us, ask us how our week has been! Jesus is our Role Model and you are our Cheer Leaders. ## KBC Men ## Matt Wheatley Over the last year we have met most months, for fellowship. This has included breakfasts, films, a curry night, BBQs and Christmas meals. We get an average of 12 people attending. The Christmas meal was well attended and we joined together with the men from our sister Baptist churches in Letchworth and Fairfield. Going forward we would love to see more people attend, and we are aiming for people to feel open about bringing friends and neighbours along. ## KBC Women ## Dawn Addams We restarted the Ladies’ Breakfast in October 2022 and it has been going very well. We have around 8–12 people join us each time. We have a short talk and some fellowship time, along with our breakfast. We have been going to Wetherspoons in Letchworth. It ’ s not as private as our previous venue, but it gets us chatting to other customers as we let them know we will be having a small talk. And you never know, they may hear something that will start them on their journey to God! _Page 13 of 21_ Each talk has been thought provoking and we learn something new every time! In the New Year we will be trying different venues to try to accommodate different dietary requirements. It has been a joy to meet together again and we hope we have more new recruits in the New Year. ## Small groups (1) Doug and Ceri Deards The house group we attend is held fortnightly at the home of Gary and Jane. Their address is available on Church Suite. We meet on Tuesday evenings at 7:45 p.m. till 9:00 p.m. so that our friends are free to attend the Prayer Meeting on Wednesday evenings. We begin each evening with a time of fellowship over drinks and some of Jane ’ s excellent baking. During this time we share experiences in our lives in a safe place which enables us to pray for one another in a special way. We aim to support one another practically throughout the week, not just on a Tuesday evening. Doug opens in prayer and we open the Word of God. We have teaching and guided discussion on the passages for the evening and all are welcome to add their own insights or ask questions. Over the past year we have explored ‘ The Kingdom of God ’ and the person of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We conclude with a time of open prayer for the needs of our Church family and our own needs whether they be joys or sorrows. ## Small groups (2) Michael & Alison Down Although lock down prevented some of the scheduled meetings this year, we continued to meet on Monday mornings from 10am during school term times as soon as we were able. We enjoyed a time of catching up together over coffee and then moved on ’ to worship, prayer and Bible study. It s really good to hear everyone ’ s thoughts and perspective on the subject chosen and to be encouraged and challenged by this and by praying for one another. This year we have spent some time ’ looking at Nicky Gumbel s _Bible in One Year_ material and have enjoyed good fellowship in a small, safe, home environment. ## Small groups (3) Helen Wightwick A small KBC House Group meets on Thursday afternoons. We take it in turns to host the meeting and also to lead Lifebuilder Bible Studies on topics chosen by the group, both books of the Bible and various topics – like what the Bible says about Motherhood. We “ do life” together and provide a warm social space for those who perhaps live alone, and support one another pastorally through various difficult life events (relationship issues, anxiety etc). We also pray for one another and the wider church family. We would welcome new members. Our hope is to continue to grow in our faith, to support one another as we walk with Jesus through our lives. _Page 14 of 21_ ## Connect Helen Backhouse I set up the ‘ Connect ’ group in September 2017 with Zoe, a friend of mine who I first met at KBC Tiny Tots. There is very little support for parents of children with additional needs in this area, and at the time we knew that a support group for parents of autistic children in Biggleswade was closing down. We both know what it is like to feel isolated and overwhelmed and how much support groups had helped us, so we wanted to do something to help parents and carers in Stotfold and the surrounding area. We started with just the two of us and a few other parents, and now have 666 members in our private Facebook group. In it we share useful articles and information, parents can share their situation or struggles (anonymously if they wish), gain tips and ideas and ask other parents for advice. It ’ s great to see that people in the group are so supportive of each other, and it ’ s such a relief for everyone to have a safe place where they can let off steam with others who ‘ get it ’ . People are often referred to us by other agencies who are now getting to know that we exist. Our face to face meet up is held on the first Tuesday of each month in the church building during term time. We have up to 20 people attending this group, some regulars and often people who come for the first time. Occasionally we have representatives coming along from organisations such as Carers in Bedfordshire, Care for the Family etc. to offer advice and a listening ear. During the morning we chat, drink coffee, and eat homemade cake. Often people come along who just need to cry to let it all out. We offer a listening ear, tips and advice from our own experience and sources of help and information. Sometimes we even have a laugh too! We have organised a few evening meet ups too - we enjoyed a pottery painting evening and approximately once a term we meet at Box of Cakes Cafe, where Emma kindly allows us to have the place to ourselves. In the near future we will also be meeting once a month in the evening in the church building so that those who work during the day can attend, and are planning to organise some talks too. We also offer a lending library. When we started the group we wanted to meet somewhere that was a safe place for people to be themselves and to share ’ with others. I strongly believe that it s no accident we are meeting in God ’ s house and that he ’ s ministering through us and the group, even though it isn’t an outreach or Christian event. It enables me to share events that are happening in the church building as people are already familiar with it and they know that I attend KBC. I pray that God would use me and the Connect group to minister to these families in their difficult situations and bring many of them to know Him for themselves. Thank you to Alistair and the leadership team for allowing us the use of the building and for their continued invaluable support. ## Works of Heart ## Vicky Tyler Getting back to church was a gentle process in 2022, but regardless of the ‘ challenges ’ God kept our little flock of crafters connected. Everyone has been impacted for all the obvious reasons, but not only did we ‘craft’ things, but trust and care were crafted too… not only through conversations, but in acts of kindness between members of our group. _Page 15 of 21_ We are only a small group, but still feel that it is not yet time to cease. I pray God will continue to draw in those who seek a gentle presence of encouragement, space and fun with others. Father God, thank you for your inspiration and ideas, and for the simple gift of sharing our skills, and especially sharing our hearts for You through our actions. Bless us with Your guidance and wisdom in this year of 2023. ## Balancing the Yoke (BTY) ## Heather Chalmers & Jane O’Flanagan For those new to our fellowship, BTY is a group for those in our fellowship whose husband or wife are not yet believers. We have been running for around 8 years now and have enjoyed a close loving, supportive fellowship together and many, many answered prayers along our journey on this unique and often heart-breaking road together. That said, God has remained faithful and we have experienced his goodness time and time again! In 2022 we studied Joyce Meyer ’ s book _Unshakable Trust_ , meeting monthly to explore and go deeper into God’s word and the promises of hope and what true surrender & trust look like in each of our lives and very different home environments. We have remained supported and so encouraged by our church family in their prayerful interest in our husbands and wives, and in particular the powerful mountain moving, tearful requests brought before the Lord on Wednesday days of prayer for household salvation for all our families. Thank you, our dear prayer warriors—you know who you are. We meet monthly and have a core group of six women, two from other fellowships, but recently two new members from our own fellowship joining us, praise God. This year we are completing the _Lectio Divina_ course available online through the 24/7 prayer movement. Session 1, _How to hear from God through his word_ , has brought some interesting discussions and encouraging God revealing prayer. We look forward to growing in what God has for us in 2023 and in giving testimony to His greatness, while we continue to pray for the Lord to preserve the life of our loved ones and to reveal himself to them. ## Warm Space Kathrin Sanders The ‘ Warm Space ’ is a new country-wide initiative in response to the rising heating bills. The initial idea was that people who couldn’t afford to keep their heating on, would be invited to a weekly warm space, so they could enjoy the central heating there, along with some soup, bread, hot drinks and cake, all for free. The plan was to start at the beginning of December, when the temperatures dropped and have the last session at the end of February. Helen W. was instrumental in organising all the various Warm Spaces in Stotfold and with a bit of coordination we managed to have a Warm Space on offer somewhere pretty much every day of the week. KBC opened their doors on a Wednesday afternoon from 1-4pm. Apart from free central heating we were able to offer bread and soup (provided by the Need Project) as well as hot drinks, cake and biscuits. There was usually a Puzzle on the go as well as various board games, arts and crafts and toys for the little _Page 16 of 21_ ones. A group of ladies rediscovered their passion for knitting and started creating baby clothes for orphaned babies around the world. After a slow initial start the sessions got busier each week. It is hard to tell who was there because of financial difficulty. Some people simply needed a quick break from their caring duties at home, others needed a cheap afternoon out with the kids, but everyone appreciated the friendship and warm welcome they received. We had a wonderful and dedicated core team of KBC volunteers who were willing to help with setting up, serving food and drinks, and tidying up at the end. We also had lots of Church members who joined us as often as they could to mingle, extend their friendship and offer a listening ear. The official end of the Warm Space scheme came all too soon. Considering the friendships formed and the blessing this Wednesday space had become to everyone involved, we all agreed it needed to carry on. We were delighted when the Need Project offered to get more involved and work together with the KBC volunteers, continuing to provide this space on a Wednesday afternoon. So from the beginning of March 2023 the warm space became the ‘ Home from Home community space ’ headed up by Dawn. It has been a real joy to be part of this project. We have created an environment where people feel safe, friendships are formed and conversations are becoming more meaningful. ## Churches Together in Stotfold (CTS) Helen Wightwick and Clare Kilby represent us with CTS—the following report for 2022 is by Rev. Graham Clark, Chair of CTS. After two years of adapting our traditional Churches Together activities to the changing landscape of the pandemic, we were able to get back to a more normal pattern of events in 2022. Our first event of the year was the service of Christian Unity in January 2022. My thanks to Graham and to all at the Methodist Church who led the very successful and well-attended service as well as providing refreshments. In February, Churches Together hosted the Stotfold Town Council ’ s Civic Service at St Mary ’ s Church. The theme was “ Strength in community”. The service was very well received and the social time afterwards also provided valued community connection, with a positive witness from the churches. In April, we returned to holding an Easter Morning Sunrise Service. There was an excellent attendance, and we were blessed with a beautiful morning. The Salvation Army band sounded great outside. Father Benny came too, representing St Francis Catholic Church in Shefford. As a result, we determined to include him in our minutes circulation and have now welcomed Denise as a member of our committee. Open the Book (OtB) finally got back into schools in person shortly before Easter. I would like to pay tribute to the OtB team and particularly to Tricia who edited the 30 videos that were recorded and sent to schools during the pandemic. Both the Summer and Autumn terms saw OtB return to its normal pattern of 6 face to face sessions per term at St Mary ’ s and Roecroft Academies. At the end of the summer term, we sadly had to say _Page 17 of 21_ goodbye to Tricia who has moved to Herefordshire but were very fortunate in recruiting two new volunteers. Our collaboration with the OtB team serving the two Fairfield Lower School sites has also continued. Our two teams now work more closely together, sharing resources and planning. May saw Christian Aid week and this was another event that had largely returned to its normal pattern. Hazel reported that £2318 had been raised which was almost a £1000 increase on the previous year. The fundraising Committee will meet early in 2023 to formulate a plan of action for this year. In the Summer of 2022, we sadly had to say goodbye to Nicola who has moved to a new post with the Salvation Army in Southend. I would like to record our thanks for all of Nicola ’ s hard work for Churches Together over the past years. Given the departures of both Nicola and Tricia who had been such stalwarts of our Holiday Club we decided that we would not hold a Holiday Club this year but would look to holding one the following year. In September, the nation was saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Once again Churches Together were able to provide a focus for our local community by holding a memorial service on the afternoon of Sunday 18th September. I was very impressed by the rapid response made by all our churches to ensure that our local community had an opportunity to express their sadness and gratitude at this most unprecedented time. Later in September, we formally welcomed the new Salvation Army captains Adrian and Gemma to Churches Together and we look forward to continuing our mission to the people of Stotfold alongside them. In late October, given the cost-of-living crisis and in particular the spiraling energy costs, Churches Together convened a meeting at Kings Baptist Church with the Town Council, Stotfold Good Neighbours and the Need Project to discuss how we might coordinate a network of warm spaces in the town. As a result, from December we now have a network of warm spaces across Stotfold where people can keep warm and receive free refreshments. Another wonderful example of our churches leading a community initiative. In November the Town ’ s Remembrance service was led by Churches Together with the British Legion. The ceremony at the cenotaph was reimagined and Bill also updated the Remembrance Service in church. However, we were mindful that these are Civic events which also include those of other faiths. In December we held Carols by torchlight outside at St Mary ’ s Church with the Salvation Army band and the OtB drama group. We decided to go for an earlier, more family-friendly time. Once again this proved to be a very well attended and well received event despite the chilly conditions. Our collection this year was made in support of the Need Project and raised and excellent £266.78 which was £111 more than last year. I ’ m filled with a feeling of gratitude and pride for all we have achieved together to the glory of God in this past year. My thanks go to all the clergy and Churches Together representatives who have made this year such a success and we look forward to working together to continue to be a beacon of Christ ’ s light in our local community in the coming year. _Page 18 of 21_ ## Treasurer’s report ## Margaret Stanley I started my first year as Church Treasurer with enthusiasm, and some trepidation, looking forward to changes and challenges. I have ended the year in the same way but with some additional knowledge and definitely with added wisdom. The Lord has shown me it is time to hand over the baton to another as my calling is elsewhere. We started the financial year with the knowledge that our main challenge would be that of funding a new minister and with that, came the loss of income from renting out the manse. We were in the fortunate position of having a starting bank balance of £47,124 due mainly, I believe, to the two previous years of lockdown and not having a fulltime minister. We also had £87,486 in the deposit account, held by the Baptist Union, and £15,804 in a Restricted Fund (Manse), also held by the Baptist Union. The Manse needed some considerable refurbishment. The Trustees brought a £25,000 budget, for this work, to the Church Meeting, which voted in agreement. It was also agreed that £15,000 be put aside for repairs to the church spire. We came under budget on the manse refurbishment by £1,800 but then had to pay the council a sign off fee of close to £1000.We still came under budget by £800 for which we Praise God. At that time, it was decided to transfer £26,000 from the Deposit Account and £15,804 from the Restricted Fund (Manse) to the church current account, in order to have all the funds readily available when needed. (Arranging the transfers was a rather lengthy and complicated process). At the year end, there is still £15,000 designated for the church spire repair in the current account, as getting quotes for that work has been difficult due to the nature of the materials needed. Therefore, in April the Deposit Account held £61,486 and in June the Restricted Fund (Manse) was closed. The Budget for the year showed Minister & Manse Costs at £34,065 and Church Running Costs at £46,387, totally £80,452. The expected Income from donations was £45,240 and with Gift Aid of £11,310 we budgeted an expected income of £56,550. We underspent on the budget so our End of Year shows: _Page 19 of 21_ **KBC INCOME & EXPENDITURE SUMMARY 2022** ||||**Manse Fund**| |---|---|---|---| ||**General Fund**|**Reserves**|| ||||| |**_B/Forward: 1st Jan 2022_**|£
47,124|£
87,
486|£
15,804| |**_Interest Received_**||£
1,0
05|£
57| |**_Transfer for Spire_**|£
15,000|£
(15,
000)|| |**_Transfer for Manse_**|£
26,861|£
(11,
000)|£
(15,861)| ||||)| |**INCOME**|£
70,325||| |**EXPENDITURE**|£
(96,336)||£
27,267| |**Net Movement in Prepayments / Accruals**|£
(11,839)||| |**Cash in Bank**|**£**
**51,135**|**£**
**62,**
**491**|**Account Closed**| We also expect to receive around £14,500 in Gift Aid for 2021 and £11,000 in Gift Aid for this year. In the budget we allowed £500 for a (Designated) Hardship Fund, to help anyone in our church family who was in exceptional need. It soon became clear that £500 was not going to be enough and the Trustees decided that fundraising for a separate (Restricted) Hardship Fund was appropriate. A small fundraising effort was put in place and there is an end of year balance of £780 in the Restricted Hardship Fund. The Trustees are in the process of writing a policy for how the two Hardship Funds should be correctly accounted for and used. Near the beginning of the year we, as a country, saw the start of the war in Ukraine. We felt it right to give £1,000, from General Funds, to help with the work going on there and this was done through the Baptist Mission. Another fundraising effort took place, and we were able to give a further £1,900, (including the Gift Aid we are able to claim on the donations received). We have had other fundraising effort take place; the Young People in the church raised £500 (including the Gift Aid we are able to claim on the sponsorship received) by reading the Psalms. £250 of this went to missionary work in Burkina Faso and £250 to Helimission. We started up ‘ Warm Spaces ’ for the winter and received a grant of £500 towards the cost of running this, which has been gratefully received. We plan on _Page 20 of 21_ continuing what the Lord has started with this as He has shown us that there is a definite need for people to get together in a social setting. Although our Expenditure continues to exceed our Income, we Praise God for His faithfulness and provision. We trust in Him for the future of the work being undertaken at King ’ s Baptist Church in preaching the Gospel and making disciples of all people and in serving our community to the best of our ability. _Page 21 of 21_ King's Baptist Church The Green, Stotfold Registered Charity number: 1136519 Accounts for the Year Ended 31 December 2022 sl Klng's Baptist Church Ac¢ounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 Contents and Church Inforn)atlon Contents P•gg Report of the Trustees 1and2 Independent Examinerfs Repyt Statement of Financial Acbvit Balance Sheet Notes lo the Accounts 6t012 Trustees Theo Clark Angela Clafk ison t)own Patricia How Jane Sprittles Margaret Stanley lan Tyler Jonathan Whrtmill Stood down 28.04.2022 Appointed 28.04 2022 Resigned Imoved away) 21.07.2022 Appointed 12.02.2023 Stood down 28.04.2022 Mlnlster land TTusts¢) Rev Alistaif Sanders Address The Green Stotfold SG5 4AN Charity Registratlon Number 1136519 Independent Examlnef Geoff Mann FCIE Geoff Mann Limrted Dee House Highwoth Avenue Cambridge C84 28Q Bankers Barelays Custodian Trustee Bapbst Un￿n COrWrat￿n Ltd King's Baptist Church Page 1 Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 Report of the Trustees The trustees present their reFQrt and the accounts for Ihe year ended 31 December 2022. The accounts comply with the Chanbes Act 2011 and Accounb"ng and Rewrts"ng by CharitEs." Slalemenl of Recommended Practsce appIl￿ble to ¢haritses prepanng their accoun15 in accordan￿ with the Financial Rep)rting Standard applicab￿ in Ihe UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021 leffeclive 1 January 2019) Statgmgnt of Tn￿tee5. Responsibillties Charity law requires the tTU5tees lo p￿Pa￿ accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the stste of affairs of the Church and of the surplus or deficit of the Church for that year. In preparing those accounts, the Irustees are Tequired to. Select suitsble accounttng policies and apply them consislenuy. Make judgements and esb'males that a￿ reasonable and prudenL Prepare the accounts on the going concem basis unless tt is inappropriate lo presume that the Church will continue in business. Observe the meth¢JYs and principals of the Charitses SORP. {ivl The trustees are reswnsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any b"me. the financial posibon of the Chureh and tr) enable them to ensure that the accounts comply the Charrties Act 2011. They are also resF¥Jn$ible for safeguarding the assets of the Church and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevenb.on and Oetection of fraud and other rregLtlarilies. The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained In the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefft when revEwing the charity's aims and obiectives and In planning future activib'es. Strncture. Govemance and Management Governing document The Church's goveming document is a conststub.on adopted on 29 April 2010. It was registered as a chanty on 22 June 2010. Appoinlmenl of tnjstees New trustees are appointed by the membership and require 66% of elvib￿ voters present. King's Baptist Church Page 2 Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 Report of the Truslws Trustee induction and training The trustee5 regularty review the Procedures in place for trustee inductKH) and training by iefeience to 9uidance published by the Chanty CommissK)n. Organisational stTUCture The Iruslees set out the general policy of the Church. The day to day affairs of the charity are fun by the minister lor in the absence of a minister the trustees). Oblects and Aclivitie5 The principal purpose of the Church is the advancement of the christs.an faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination. The Church may also advan￿ education and carry out other chartsble purwses in Ihe Unrted Kingdom an(Vor other parts of the V*rJrld. Achievements and P•rforrnance, Financial Review and Future Developments These are covered by the Church's Annual Report. This report was approved by the trustees on 21st June 2023 and swJned on their behalf. 11. sg7-69 Margaret Stsnley Trustee and Treasurer to 31.12.2022 Jane SpritUe5 Trustee and Treasurer from 16.02.2023 King's Baptist Church Page 3 Accounts for the y••r ond•d 31 Dwmb•r 2022 Indopendent Examinerf8 Report To the Tru8t•es of Klng'8 8aptS8t Church I report to the Iruslees on my examination of the accounts of the Church for the year ended 31 December 2021, which are set out on pages 4 to 12. Rosponslbllltlgs and basls of rnport As the Church's trustees you are responsible for the preparatsjn of the accounts in accordance with the Wuifements of the Charities Act 2011 {'the h£t') I report in respect of my examination of the Church's accounts carried out under seth.on 145 01 the Act, ancl in earrying out my examination I have followed all the appl￿b￿ Direct￿nS gNen by the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl of the Act. Inde￿ndant Examinerf8 Statement I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come lo my attention in eonnecbon with the examination giving me any cause to believe that in any material respe¢l.' - accounting records were not kept in respect of the Church a5 required by sectKJn 130 of the Act.. or - the accounts do not accord with those records.. or - the accounts do not compty wlh the applicab￿ requirements conceming the fomi and Content of accounts sel out In the Charities (A¢￿Unts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fairf vthv wh￿tt is a matter considered as part of an independent examination I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connedion wrth the examination lo which attention Should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Geoff Mann FCIE Geoff Mann Lirniled Dee House Highworth Avenue Cambndge C84 28Q Klng's Bapt18t Church Accounts for ywr 31 Dg¢wnlw 2022 statom•nt of Flnancw Adfvlt X)22 2021 Total Funds FuTrJ5 Fur*ts Fund8 Furn1$ Incom• GNirB by Ch￿rth •knnt¢rs VLqitors Gfft Aid Tax Recover Investment Incoff Wami Spa Funemls Manse Rent Recwable 3.319 57,707 11,540 1.062 10.973 14.357 57 577 577 11.871 Totsl Incom 67.423 57 71,387 Expondltui• cha￿tab￿ Expendrture Ministy Costs Church runniThJ costs oUt￿a¢h Pastoral and training Grants to Mk%sDnary Orsan¢akn 32.Q)1 47,157 1.LK)5 3.036 32,001 47.157 1.005 3.742 16.440 S.￿27 38.fj63 512 3.028 15,240 7L 14.040 Total ExpeThJlturo 14.040 3.IL 1￿.316 65,470 Net Incom&llExpondfturel -15.776 .14.020 57 -28.959 20,810 -13.179 -15.861 Net Movement In Fund8 lorthg Ya .28.955 15,020 -15,804 .28.959 20.610 Rocon¢iliotion of Funds Total Funds Brought Forward 164.￿1• 87 245 705.PA)4 871,037 850,427 Total Funds Corrlod For*anl 135.946 15.107 1.025 6￿.{￿￿) 842.078 871,037 Statornent of Totsl RK