2023-03-31-accounts - Hopefield Evangelical Church

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HOPEFIELD EVANGELICAL CHURCH TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 2022/2023

AIMS AND PURPOSES

Hopefield Evangelical Church trust has the responsibility of co-operating with the church elders, Malcolm Allan, and Jeffrey Smith in promoting the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic and social.

The Trust is specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church building and its surrounding grounds. The trust oversees that due care is undertaken for public use of the building, and the people using it. This, for example, includes proper insurance policies, policies on fire prevention and protection, regular DBS checks on those in positions of responsibility and adhering to general health and safety requirements.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The Trust is committed to enabling, as many people as possible, to worship at our church and facilitate the growth in their Christian faith; and is committed to proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ to all who wish to listen. The Trust maintains an overview of activities within the framework of the church and is available to the church elders for advice, guidance, and encouragement.

When planning our activities for the year, the elders, and the Trust (of which they are part), have considered the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of faith. We try to enable ordinary people to live out their lives by faith in an extra-ordinary God.

We endeavor to do this by worship and prayer, learning of Bible truths through teaching and group studies, developing knowledge and trust in Jesus Christ, provision of pastoral care for both members, non-members, missionary, and outreach work. Our activities are fully inclusive of all ages within the church family.

To facilitate this work, it is imperative that we maintain the fabric of the church building and its surrounding area.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Worship and Prayer

The Trust is keen that we offer, a range of services during the year, and that our congregation, and visitors to our church, find it to be beneficial, spiritually fulfilling and uplifting. Our main Sunday service includes worship incorporating music, times of open prayer, the sharing of Christian experience, Bible teaching and communion. This is also enhanced by mid-week meetings for fellowship and prayer, both in the church building and within House-groups.

Bible teaching and study

The main Sunday service includes a Bible teaching session, delivered by invited speakers from both within the church fellowship and outside. Children have their own Junior Church during this time, led by an enthusiastic team of church member volunteers. Weekly Bible study groups are also held to develop members’ understanding of their Christian faith and develop application to everyday living. These groups include an evening bible study group on a Monday evening, a daytime bible study group provided on a Wednesday morning to include those members who find difficult to attend in the evening. A fortnightly evening meeting for Ladies to share in Bible

discussion and fellowship and a fortnightly coffee morning on Thursday mornings and a monthly prayer meeting held on a Thursday evening.

Pastoral Care

Both members and non-members of the church are welcomed to request pastoral care from the elders and/or their representatives. This sometimes takes the form of a phone calls or a home visit. Infirm members of the fellowship receive regular home visits from the elders, who also encourage visits from other members of the fellowship as well. Financial, social, and material help is provided as appropriate. This includes, for example, provision of meals for those who are unable to provide for themselves and financial help in times of material difficulty.

Missionary and outreach work

The church supports several individuals and organizations working abroad. During this year, gifts were sent to church communities, in the Ukraine via a member of the church who in the past visited them. We also support Bible translation work in Papua New Guinea. The church also supports the annual Christmas Shoebox appeal through Samaritan’s Purse.

We have also sent financial gifts to the following organisations: Bluebell wood hospice Heart newspaper Friends Of Israel Creation science movement Creation research Our daily bread ministries

Several social events are held during the year, to introduce friends and families to our church and activities. This year these included:

Gospel outreach services on Saturday evening

A Church treasure hunt afternoon and a buffet for those who attended.

Church Christmas meal for the congregation and any friends or family they wished to invite. Holiday club for the children

Information about our church and activities is also advertised via our website, Facebook, and WhatsApp groups.

Fabric of the church building

The Trust has encouraged members to get involved with the gardening work around the church, with outstanding results. Hymns and sermon information are projected onto a screen and relayed into our back room for those looking after young children. Television/video access is also available for Junior Church sessions.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Total income during the year amounted to £46,459.64. The balance at the end of the financial year amounted to £41,779.91. Gift Aid claimed during the year 2022/2023 amounted to £11,205.07 however this is not reflected in the figures above as it was not received until after the financial year end.

Please see the Pastoral and Outreach paragraph which outlines what gifts the Church has given to organisations. In addition to this the church made gifts to several individuals and visiting speakers (to offset expenses).

The church pays a salary (currently £12,804) to Jeff Smith for his work in leading the church congregation and £7,200 to his wife Christine Smith for her support in enabling that work to be done efficiently. A committee of four people (Trust Chairman, Trust secretary, Church treasurer and a Church member) reviews these salaries as to need and affordability.

Church members give by means of weekly collections and bank standing orders. An envelope scheme is available for those who wish to gift aid their gifts without using standing orders. This is the only source of income for the church.

RESERVES POLICY

There is always sufficient cash at the bank to meet at least one calendar month of expenses and the building is in the ownership of the Trust with significant equity.

VOLUNTEERS

Other than Jeff and Christine Smith, who receive partial salaries, all work carried out by members of the church is done on a voluntary basis. The church would cease to function were it not for the time and effort put in by many of its members. We believe the church to be an organization set up for the benefit of members and non-members.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The Trust appoints further trustees as the need arises. There are currently seven trustees. The Trust endeavors to maintain the numbers of trustees of at least seven.

The Trust is responsible for the fabric of the building and supporting the spiritual and pastoral guidance of the church through its eldership.

The Trust holds its AGM after the accounts for each financial year have been published and meets at other times if needed. It needs to be stressed that six of the trustees are regular, committed church members who meet each other on a weekly basis as a result. One is a regular visiting speaker on our teaching program.

APPROVAL OF REPORT

This report has been approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by the Chairman. Steven Broadhead (Trust Chairman)

Signature: S. Broadhead Date: 31/10/23

Hopefield Evangellcal Church (Charlty Number 1138773) Financlal Statement for the year •ndin8 31st Marth 2023 2022.2023 2021-2022 Income Regular & Sunday Collection5 Ministry (Special Collections} kraine'Fiver-a-month' Book sales 32,472.75 229.82 2.500.00 22.00 30.00 11,205.07 46,459.64 29.787. 249.00 2.640.(Q Gift Aid Total Income 32,676.00 Expenditure laries and Nl peakers / Mission 19,169.iJo 1.21)0.1)o 2.950.98 4,075.00 231.27 88.62 1.090.00 1,035.12 803.70 18.000.IXI 550.00 3,970.00 4,500.CQ Ukraine 'Fiver-a-month' lunlor Church ibles. Books & Tracts Repairs & Renewals Insurance ght, Heat & Water round Rent udio / Visual / IT cences, Fee5 & Subscriptions iscellaneous Expenses hristmas meal Refreshments tationery & Printin8 ccountancy fees Total Expenditure 1.463.30 2,234.20 963.06 4,687.31 io.( 782.59 688.58 1.717.75 320.75 95.48 674.04 338.61 157.21 240.00 32,585.13 643.86 38,492.90 Net Income 13,874.51 5,816.90 ccumulated Fund Balance brought forward dd income for the year Balance carried forward 27,905.40 13,874.51 41,779.91 33,722.30 5.816.90 27,905.40 epre5ented by: Uncleared amounts lance at Bank -IM.00 41,779.91 3,437.00 27,905.40 Approval of Account The above Income and Empenditure Account has been approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by Mr Steve Broadhead- Trust Chairman

HOPEFIELD EVANGEIICAL CHURCH (Charlty Number 11387731 Independent Examiners Report to the Trustees of Hopefield Evangelical Church I report to the trustees on my examlnation of the accounts of the Hopefield Evangelical Church for the year ended 31st March 2023. Re5pon5ibilitie5 and bas15 of report As the charity's trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charitie5 Act 2011 (the "Act") I report in respect of my examination of the Trust'5 accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act, and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given bv the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl of the Act. Independent examiner's Statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have cgme to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that any material respect.. accountin8 records were not kept in re5pert of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act.. or the accounts do not accord with those accounting records. I have no concerns and have come acros5 rio other matter5 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. 8((4Y Mr E l Mizler, FCCA Hawson Jefferies Chartered Certified Accountants Suite 4 164-170 Queens Road Sheffield S2 4DH Date: 10 May 2023