Parish of St John the Baptist, Heathfield, with Cotford St Luke Annual churchwardens report 2024 – Cotford St Luke ## **PCC & ELECTORAL ROLL** PCC members are appointed in the manner set out in the Church Representation rules. All who attend church are encouraged to register on the church Electoral Roll and may stand for election to the PCC. The full body has eleven voting members including the clergy, the treasurer and the two churchwardens, who represent the Bishop. (The PCC Secretary is a non-voting member of the PCC). The Electoral Roll was fully revised in 2019, is reviewed annually, and decreased from 68 members at the beginning of the year to 67 by the end of the year. However, the active adult membership increased slightly to about 50. Activities other than worship which take place at St Luke’s Centre (e.g., community activities and upkeep of the premises) are the responsibility of the St Luke’s Centre Management Committee which reports to the PCC but which also includes representatives of the wider community. A regular “Benefice Churchwardens’ Meeting” also allows the Rector and the churchwardens of all five parishes in the benefice to co-ordinate services and other activities. In 2024, the PCC met six times, including after the APCM. All meetings were held in person. Objectives: The PCC has the responsibility of supporting and working with our Rector to promote the whole mission of the church: worship [prayer and praise, through liturgy]; discipleship [fellowship and teaching]; ministry [service and evangelism]. It also maintains the buildings – St John’s in Heathfield and (through the SLC Management Committee) St Luke’s Centre in Cotford St. Luke. Our aims, set out in our entry on the Charities Commission website, are: - To celebrate God’s love through worship in a variety of styles and settings for all ages. - To care for and serve all people in our church, our community, and the wider world. - To grow, spiritually, through teaching, listening, prayer, fellowship, and service. - To make known the Good News of the love of God in Jesus. - To provide a centre in the village of Cotford St Luke, as well as in the ancient building in Heathfield, where everyone is welcomed. **SERVICES & ACTIVITIES** St Luke’s Centre Services were held at St Luke’s Centre almost every Sunday, with communion services being held as follows: - 1[st] Sunday- All in Family Communion service - 2[nd] Sunday- Morning Worship ( lay led) with the children going out to Powerhouse Kids group. - 3[rd] Sunday- New fresh expression ‘FRESH’ breakfast all age service around tables started in March - 4[th] Sunday – Morning worship with the children going out to Powerhouse Kids. With thanks to David R, David B & Ant R for leading the 2[nd] Sunday services. Thanks to Louise, Clare and Rebecca for the wonderful work they do with the children and to all involved in setting up, welcoming and hospitality for these services. On the fifth Sunday of each month one main morning service of Holy Communion was held for the whole Benefice, the six places of worship (Cotford, Heathfield, Bradford, Nynehead, Oake and Hillfarrance) taking it in turns to host the service. In addition, our informal Fresh Expression “Ignite” services were held once a month on Sunday evenings. Additional Messy Easter and Christmas services were held for children and their families from Toddler group and the local Schools. We also ran a Family Light Party for All souls' night in October which was well attended. All services at St Luke’s Centre have a Worship band which is able to lead singing in contemporary worship songs and traditional hymns. In various combinations, Katy, David and Toby Stirzaker, Ant Reyre, Derrick Reid and David Rhodes provide the music. Wilf Stirzaker prepares PowerPoint slides for songs, prayers and Bible readings for most services. Thanks to all concerned! Two weekly small groups run in Cotford with others running in other villages and we hope to develop more. A Benefice Alpha course was also run at Cotford during the autumn. As a church and a benefice want to underpin all we do in prayer, so a monthly Priority prayer day has been running since May on the 1[st] Thursday of the month, meeting on Zoom at 8 am, a Traditional church at 2pm, and at The Hub at 7.30 pm. This has been a wonderful chance to get together and to pray for our churches, our local communities and our ministries, and although the year has been challenging, we have seen God answering prayers. Blaze Youth Club continues to meet on Friday evenings, providing a safe space for the young people of the village to meet and interact. The youth club is a wonderful place for valuable outreach for young people, who otherwise have no activity place in the village. Thanks go to all those involved in Blaze, in particular to Tom and his team of volunteers. The Hub Café in the centre opens for three mornings each week, run by a team of volunteers, led by Roberta Winterson and Jane Durrant. A mother and baby group meets every Monday morning and there is a parent and toddler session every Friday. The centre is also open for a Breakfast Café on the first Saturday of each month (thanks again, Roberta) and for a Farmers’ and Crafts Market on the second Saturday (thanks to Laura Hills). Quiz & Supper evenings have become a regular activity, normally taking place every two months. (thanks to Louise, Claire R, Claire Comer & Dearbhla & their teams). The Talking Cafe was rebooted with a new team in December, and the Bereavement Support café continues to run on Monday afternoons and has grown in members and team. The hall at St Luke’s Centre is also used by many other organisations in the village for exercise classes. And as a educational venue for the charity 5 Rivers and others on a regular basis and for one-off events such as children’s birthday parties. Our other big fund-raising event was the ever-popular fun dog show. Thanks are due to many people, but especially to Derrick Reid and Dawn Mitford-Slade. Thanks to Lydia and those that took part in the Bell tower climb at Bishops Lydeard Taken together, the café and these other “community” events raised significant contributions to the parish funds. Throughout the year, Rev Suzy has provided both spiritual and practical leadership to both the congregation and Cotford St Luke, but also to the wider community. The aim of St Lukes Centre was to provide a focus for the village to meet in praise, but also in friendship and by connecting with each other. Through Suzy’s dedicated hard work, the vision of the centre is being refreshed and seen by many in Cotford and beyond. Thank you Suzy for all that you do. ## **"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)** Charles Barrowman Churchwarden, Cotford St Luke Heathfield with Codord St Luke's Receipt5 & Payment5 Accounc ror the yeor ended 31 December 2024 2024 2023 Receipts DonaiiODS LogAcies'. Plannod %iving Colleclion5. dDnXions & Dthcr givin& Income tsx recov¢rod 21154 2?,66• 15.898 5m9 IfA9 7,?1• 8.448 LeKacii'5 MaK￿l￿e/80￿¢S13llSaIeSll￿l1 Leiiiny tti 8.325 8JiS 0.078 Annuil For*lovonrs i Jo• 8.933 Receipts (rom Inve5tments'. 2.207 L207 Rcccipts (rom Chariiablc 4ctiviDe5.' 7Z• 1.220 Othcr Rcccipts Sil* prDcv•di Irrjm Iix•d a55et5 Oih¥i 10.552 IOJ52 9.089 Tot￿ RK•Spts 69.911 466 Ilh03 73J38 Payments 12641 1264) Cl¢rKY oxponsos Churth runninA trxptnsts 13.4461 13.0461 14401 Cosc ol raising tunds 113.8081 1716) 19.0541 GoYerTrance C05ES OihEI 11.3771 iijjo) 1509J MAior cxpenditure 16,637) Repair5 lo other property Loan repayTneDts 114.3601 {Is.ooD) Tot￿ paym•nts {oi.u (3.312) (15.513} 180.110) 1747831 Surplu51(Deficit) ol R*t*ipts o¥*r p*ym*ts 617 {1846) (3.910) 13.445J 8.627 12.8461 9.575 47.616 51.070 J., i..¢'C 11.667 31165 5.665 4?.4?7 47.025 Heathfield with Cotford St Luke PCC - Receipts to 31 December 2024 Heathf￿ld MernoryWood101. £446 Church youfids. £500 Youth workers. salaries, ind. Grft Aid IRI, £10,94 5LC malntenance l absellln8 sponsorship, £5,372 St Luke's Centre loans IRI. £660 Natwest Bankline thar8es and refunds,. dcnations, £614 Hall bookings, £8.325 F••s. Ineludln8 r•lmburs•m•nL_ f cl•rBy •xp•n5•5, £728 Int•r•st, £2.207 Glft ASd r4cov•r•d (excl. fo youth workl. £5,829 Ong-gff g1ft5, Includln PGS. £1,651 Hub Café. £9,640 5•rvlc• coll•ctions, SncludSni •nv•lop•s. £1,797 Events- breakfasts, qulz niihts, murder mystery eveninis, do4 show, eto £7.210 Farrners. market5. £4,298 Regular Eivin& including PGS lexcl. for vouth workl, £21.275 Heathfield with Cotford St Luke PCC - Payments to 31 December 2024 Youth workers. Mlarie5, incl. Grft Aid IRI. £9.656 St Lukè's Ctntre loans IRI. £15.000 Natwest &an￿lne ¢harRes and refunds.. donatlons, £301 H•athfi•ld fabr1¢ IRI, £5.217 Mlse exp•ndltur•. E652_ Benefice expenses, É716_ H*¥thfi*ld m4intÈn*nt• IDI, £1,820 He•thfield Memory Wood IDI, £1.377 Hub Caté, £6.842 Fun•r*l Ofts IPCC'S dlser•tlonl IDI, £115 Church Krounds. £440 8hze expenses, £264 SLC malnt•nanc• / abs•i1Sni sponsorship. £1.735 Runnini Costs- in5ur¥nc•, •ner8y. ¢leanin8, printin8. •tt. £8,6C6 Parish Share. £27.298 A¢count Attount NamelDÈscrlpt6on Oponlng Balar￿e Openlng Unr•strkted £348.33 £1.205.12 Op•nlng Des*nated El.938_51 Openlng R•strlcted E3,647.10 Closing Balan £1.622.27 É420.12 £47,0(K).00 E3(M). Closing Unrestri£ted EI,602 27 Closing Designated Closing Restricted E20 NatWe5t 40881989 Igenerall Natwest 75149303 (special funds) CCLA C63126952 Idepositl Petty cash - Hub Café Cash In hand at year-end Totals £5,933.94 £1.205.12 £39.0(￿.(￿l £3LK).LK) £420 12 £5,224.09 £33.072.53 £5.927.47 £9,610.99 £3(K).00 £32,164 92 £3￿.( £1,187.04 £47.62&10 £1.187.04 £3.040A9 É154.87 £154.87 £35.OIL04 £9574.57 49,497.26 £11,668.13 £32.164.92 £5,664.21 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner s Report R•port to th• trust•KI m•mb•rs of 14EAI klFI£w if u tsf4v£ P cc On Ieeounts for th• y•ir •nd•d 31 C￿rIty no 111 any) I re￿ to the trusteos my •xamination rf th8 acGounts of the above harity (Ihe Tntsn for the year ended R•sponslbllltl•• and As the charlty trust888 T￿￿1. you afe respMsltAe for the preparatlon basls ol r•port of the amnts in acccKdanc• wilh tho requirements of Charities Act 2011 rthe￿. I report In r8SPeCt crf my examination of the Trust's accounts carried oul under section 145 of the 2011 Act and In carrying (xrt my examination, I have follo￿￿ the applicaLle Directi(Th given by ts Charlty Commission under section 145(5){b) of the Act. Ind•p•nd•nt I have compknled my examlnation. I corffm that material mattern have •xamln•rf8 statsm•nt com8 to my attentim (other than that disdosed bekm") in cMne¢tion wlth the examlnatlon whlch glws m• cau* to bakn that In. any mat8rlal aCc(￿nI*￿ record8 nc* k•pt in aCc￿danCe wlth $8ction 130 of the Act or I have no concems and have come aLYOSS no other matters in conne(aion wlth the examination to which attention should be drawn In order to enable prop•r urwJerstarKlirvJ of the accounts to be reached. ' Hease delete the ￿l￿ts in Ihe brnckets rfthey not appty. S*n•d: 8 Ae2iL ]015 La4EATi£y R•l•vant prof•ssl¥)nal gualifi¢allon(s) or body (If any): . r 8DA4) ST I rtL)nrDa TALk l Tr IER Octob•r 2018 Section B Disclosure Onty complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charrty 8(X￿rrts. directions and guidance for examin8rs). Glv• h•r• brl•f dotalls of any Itoms that th• •xamln•r wlshos to dl•¢loM. IER October 2018