2022-12-31-accounts - Bidford Baptist Church

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BIDFORD BAPTIST CHURCH

Registered with the Charity Commission: 1153417

Annual Accounts for the Year 1[st] January 2022 to 31[st] December 2022

TheBarn Waterloo Road Bidford on Avon Warwickshire B50 4JN

Email: bidford@thebarn.org.uk Telephone: 01789 772615 www.thebarn.org.uk

TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2022

The Trustees of Bidford Baptist Church present their report and accounts for the year ending 31st December 2022

CONTACT

The Church can be contacted at:

The Barn Waterloo Road Bidford on Avon Warwickshire B50 4JN

Email: info@thebarn.org.uk Telephone: 01789 772615 www.thebarn.org.uk

OBJECTS

Bidford Baptist Church exists for the charitable objects set out in the constitution.

MISSION STATEMENT

“Meeting with God. Walking with God. Serving God.”

Our mission statement gives us our purpose, our process and our mission. This is what God wants us to do. This is how we’re going to do it. This is what we’re going to help others to do.

MEETING WITH GOD centres on our Sunday services and is about the personal revelation, spiritual refreshing and recharging we need to empower our Christian life.

WALKING WITH GOD is reflected in our relationship with Him through the week: learning, growing, connecting.

SERVING GOD and bearing fruit are our ultimate purpose: our commission, our compassion, our commitment.

All this is centred on our ongoing relationship with the Lord. MEETING WITH GOD is personal and intimate, and takes place as we encounter God’s presence and power together. WALKING WITH GOD is both personal and corporate as we journey with the Lord in devotion, in prayer and in connect groups. SERVING GOD is the outworking of all that He has deposited in us as we take His love to the world in diverse ways.

MEETING WITH GOD takes us deeper in our experience. WALKING WITH GOD makes us stronger in our relationship(s). SERVING GOD opens us wider in our influence.

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VISION STATEMENT

The church we see is ALIVE : vibrant, welcoming, joyful and fun; our services are bright, positive and celebratory.

The church we see is SPIRIT FILLED : passionate in worship, where His presence is tangible, where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are in operation, where those in need receive personal ministry, and where services are not religious rituals but encounters with God.

The church we see is GROWING : attractive to seekers, welcoming to guests, reaching out to the ostracised and the hurting, has multiple arms extending into our communities, and then challenges people to respond to the gospel such that confessions of salvation, baptisms and changed lives are the norm.

The church we see is TRANSFORMING : where broken lives, relationships and families are restored; where dead religion is replaced by dynamic relationship, unbelief by faith, hopelessness by joy, where sick people become healthy, the broken become whole, and new Christians become fully devoted followers of Jesus.

The church we see is a FAMILY : we started as a family and will continue to be a family. Our program will include large, weekly, communal meetings, but also small gatherings in people’s homes, where authentic friendship, honesty, trust, mutual support and accountability are cultivated.

The church we see is EQUIPPING : maturing people in their faith, encouraging them in their gifts, developing them in their leadership, and releasing them to be everything they can be for the Lord.

In pursuit of the Objects, Mission and Vision the trustees expend the charity's resources on:

i. employing Ministerial people and paying their expenses. (Ministry)
ii. paying for the organisation and hosting of events and projects that provide an opportunity for people to find out about Jesus. (Mission)
iii. hiring premises and providing equipment that provides a meeting place for members and visitors (Rooms and building hire)
iv. necessary administration incurred in the running of the church. (Administration)

In addition, the church, in recognition of Biblical principles, gives away at least 10% of its income in each year. These donations are made in response to local, national and world events and are usually made to organisations known to the charity.

The Church operates unrestricted general funds and the following restricted funds:

i. Mission Fund – This fund was established to support people connected with the church what wish to enter full time or part time ministry away from the church.
ii. Evangelism Fund – This fund was set up to reach people outside the church.
iii. Children and Youth Fund – This fund was set up to provide funds that could be used for the Church’s work with Children and Young People.
iv. PA Fund - This fund was set up to provide funds that could be used for the purchasing of new and maintenance of existing sound equipment as needed at the church.
v. Next Generation Fund – This fund was set up to provide for the next generation through the development, training and equipping of the next generation and church activity.

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CONSTITUTION

Bidford Baptist Church was planted in September 2005 from Chipping Campden Baptist Church (CCBC). It adopted a constitution in 2007 and became a separate entity in charge on 1 January 2008. Until then the Church ran its own bank account as a part of CCBC.

Bidford Baptist Church adopted its current constitution on 1 May 2013 and registered with The Charity Commission in August 2013 as “Bidford Baptist Church” with a working title of “theBarn” on 15th August 2013. The charity registration number is 1153417.

The Church is generally known as “theBarn”.

The Church is affiliated to the Baptist Union of Great Britain and a member of the Heart of England Baptist Association.

The Trustees of the Church are responsible for the general control and management of the charity and have significant ownership and oversight of the church’s vision and strategic development.

At the close of the year ended 31 December 2022 the following people were Trustees:

Rev J Cox (Senior Pastor) - Trustee & Minister (as P Johnson – Trustee & Secretary defined by the constitution) S Meek - Trustee M Keyte – Trustee M Scholefield – Trustee & Treasurer

The spiritual life of the church is delegated by the Trustees to a team of employed and volunteer Pastors who are recognised by the Church as exercising a particular calling and ministry. The team of Pastors is led by our Senior Pastor, Rev Jamie Cox.

The Pastors Team consists of:

Rev Jamie Cox – Senior Pastor Emma King – Teens and Family Pastor Mary Keyte – Head of Junior Ministry Claire Griffiths - Pre-school Children’s Pastor

*employees

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REVIEW OF 2022

This time last year, the annual report focussed on the post-pandemic health of the church. A year later, the state of the church’s health is extremely encouraging.

Measuring ‘health’ is not always easy, but theBarn does have its vision and culture statements against which to evaluate progress.

Is our church ALIVE? ‘Alive’ is so much better than ‘dead.’ People should be able to tell the atmosphere is alive just walking into the room, as much as anything, because people are pleased to be there.

Is our church SPIRIT-FILLED? As a Christian church, it should be more than just ‘what we can do.’ We are ever seeking to trust, instead, in what God can do. What we’re after is a genuine, authentic, unhyped attempt to open the door wide for God to work.

Is our church GROWING? Growth takes place in various directions. Larger: We’re grateful for plenty of great new people. Deeper: As our relationship with Lord, and indeed each other, becomes stronger and closer. Wider: Our ability to reach and impact people who need Jesus, as visitors come in, and as we, as the hands and feet of Jesus, go out.

Is it TRANSFORMING? The hope is that people feel they’re learning, stretching and maturing; becoming healthy and whole, secure, recharged and confident. The preaching series are intentionally targeted at taking everyone on a transforming journey.

Is it FAMILY? It is encouraging how long people stay chatting after the service. Connect Groups are a hugely significant part of that relational community and feedback from Connect Group Leaders is usually most encouraging.

Is it EQUIPPING? Ultimately, this is crucial, both for each individual’s effectiveness as a Holy Spirit filled believer and the church’s, collectively, as a Body on a mission. The aim is to equip people to handle God’s Word, become effective in their gifts, to serve in their sweet spots and know how to wield their spiritual weapons.

When we dream of church, this is what we ‘see.’ There are many things we could do, but we have chosen to concentrate on things that move us towards those six targets.

Some Quick HIGHLIGHTS

Café Barn: This is a great ministry, offering, tea, coffee and chat to anyone who wants to come to theBarn on Tuesday afternoons. Café Barn is just over a year old and doing some fabulous work.
The Light Party (Our Halloween alternative kids’ activity) was extremely well-attended – something in the region of 300 people.
Sunday morning Kids Church numbers, in general, are buoyant: We are particularly grateful to the volunteers who stepped up when our previous kids’ pastor moved on.
Our Youth Group, Fusion Friday, gone from strength to strength: Youth ministry took a considerable hit during Covid, but theBarn’s has bounced back very positively, with around 30 attending on a weekly basis.
Youth Camp 2022: This new initiative started on a small scale in 2022, with the expectation of building upon those foundations. Youth Camp 2023 will be bigger, better and bolder.
Stay & Play, our three weekly pre-school and parent/carer sessions, has been through its most fruitful season yet, at least in terms of introducing people to the wider church.
Summer Activities: Over the summer we ran an outdoor service, picnic and barbecue, to take advantage of the seasonal weather and give people the chance to mix and mingle socially.
Barn Global continues to use all sorts of imaginative ways to keep its missions’ prayer support fresh and relevant.

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MIX , our accessible church service, has reverted back to monthly meetings and is always creative and joyful, with such a sweet spirit.

There is so much going on; we must be careful that it doesn’t become too much. We need to make sure we stay balanced, fresh and focussed. All that activity shows, once again, how valuable is our most precious resource: our people, staff, leaders and volunteers.

At our AGM, held in May, Mary Keyte was appointed to serve a three-year term as Trustee. We also welcomed 23 new members, whilst acknowledging 22 had resigned their membership since Covid. The meeting also included a financial report from the Treasurer, a review of our Safeguarding procedures and a Special Members’ Meeting to approve minor constitutional changes to allow online meetings in the future.

In 2022, we had a renewed focus on safeguarding training, to bring us up to date following the pandemic. We appointed new Safeguarding Leads, Adam & Louise Perry, adopted the Baptist Union recommended Safeguarding Policy and held Level 2 and Level 3 Safeguarding training at theBarn, delivered by Keith Baldwin, Safeguarding Officer at the Heart of England Baptist Association (HEBA). In addition, hygiene training certificates were renewed, as appropriate, and we held our regular, rolling reviews on Health & Safety, Fire & Emergency, First Aid and Risk Assessment on a rolling basis.

As a Trustee body, we had to take stock financially, given the rent hikes agreed under the new lease and the increase in living costs and expenses, particularly for utilities and services. Advice was taken from the Baptist Union Corporation as to whether we should invoke the break-clause written into the lease, but after careful consideration, the Trustees felt that our best option was to see the current lease through, which would give us the time and space to consider buildings and facilities options going forward. Work was done, both to reduce costs and increase financial support, and this is reflected in the final accounts.

As a church, we commit to giving at least 10% of our income to supporting local, national and international organisations and charities, as well as individuals in need. We have continued to offer benevolence support where possible, as well as continuing to support our various missionary and ministry friends and partners. One way we do that is through Christmas hampers, and they were certainly well-received about a dozen of those were distributed this year. In 2022, we also held the annual Tearfund Quiz and supported Operation Christmas Child’s Christmas Shoebox Appeal.

So, as we review 2022, we are pleased to report that the church is in good health spiritually and growing numerically. It is stable financially, while we are not unaware of the potential challenges moving forward. We are hopeful that 2023 will see continued growth, as we consider the ways we can adapt and evolve our ministry to become more effective in meeting our aims, fulfilling our mission, realising our vision and extending our reach in the years to come.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The Trustees continue to be grateful for the generous support of the church for the gifts made in the weekly offerings and by standing orders. The Trustees are aware that there are a small number of significant donors who contribute sacrificially to the church’s resources and we value them enormously.

The Trustees recognise we hold in tension the need to use resources to fuel growth and the need to be prudent and careful stewards of our resources. We are determined to take appropriate risks that will see the growth of the church, but more importantly growth in the Kingdom of God and the transformation and renewal of His people, our communities and the nation.

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Our experience has always been that God will channel sufficient resources to accomplish our Mission if we place Jesus at the centre of all we do and follow His lead.

Our income for the year was £208 620. Overall, we showed a surplus of £14,308 for the year as we moved into 2023.

We have continued to set aside 10% of our income to give away for the work of God’s Kingdom through pastoral gifts and gifts to individuals, charities and other organisations engaged in kingdom business. There is a surplus on this fund at the end of the year.

The Trustees believe that Bidford Baptist Church was in a strong position at the end of 2022 and with God’s grace and His Resources, is in a good position to grow during 2023.

RISK REVIEW

The Leadership Team has conducted its own review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed and mechanisms have been established to mitigate those risks.

The charity has sufficient financial reserves to fund its activities for three months in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES

Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Church as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements the Trustees should follow best practice and

select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently
make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the Church will continue on that basis.

The Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose at any time the financial position of the Church and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with charity legislation.

The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Church and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES AND THE MEMBERS OF BIDFORD BAPTIST CHURCH IN RESPECT OF THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

J Till FMAAT ZEST ACCOUNTANCY LIMITED 23 September 2023

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Bidford Baptist Church Receipts and Payments Accounts

Year ended 31 December 2022

Note Receipts 3 Voluntary Donations Other Incoming Resources Investment Income Total Receipts Payments 4 Ministry Team Church Activities Premises Costs Administration Donations Made Audio and Video Total Payments Net Incoming Resources Transfers Net Resource Change Fund balances at beginning of period Fund balances at end of period	Unrestricted Funds 2022 £ 205,956 1,427 22 207,406 90,141 6,155 68,998 8,492 20,144 381 194,312 13,094 - 13,094 87,351 100,445	Restricted Funds 2022 £ 1,200 - 14 1,214 - - - - - - - 1,214 - 1,214 44,059 45,273	Total 2022 £ 207,156 1,427 36 208,620 90,141 6,155 68,998 8,492 20,144 381 194,312 14,308 - 14,308 131,410 145,718	Total 2021 £ 184,494 6,537 16
				191,047
				104,695 6,952 46,929 13,340 15,826 647
				188,389
				2,658 -
				2,658
				128,753 131,411

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Bidford Baptist Church

Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period At 31 December 2022

Note Cash Funds General Contingency General Funds Kids & Youth Fund Mission Fund Next Generation PA Fund Tithe Account Building Fund Other Assets Rent Deposit Liabilities Pensions Payable Accounts Payable Total Net Assets For and on behalf of the Trustees	Unrestricted Funds 2022 £ 24,104 65,858 - - - - 10,484 - 100,445 26,000 26,000 - - 126,445	Restricted Funds 2022 £ - 9,420 4,792 2,143 5,878 829 2,217 19,994 45,273 - - - 45,273	Total 2022 £ 24,104 75,278 4,792 2,143 5,878 829 12,701 19,994 145,718 26,000 26,000 - - - 171,718	Total 2021 £ 24,091 60,030 4,790 3,117 5,875 829 12,695 19,983
				131,411
				36,653
				36,653 - -
				-
				168,064

Treasurer

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

1.ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2005) and applicable accounting standards. The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows.

Incoming Resources

Income received from donations and grants is included in incoming resources when these are receivable. Interest is included when receivable by the Church.

Funds

The Church operates an unrestricted general fund that can be used for any purpose in line with the aims and objectives of the Church.

The Church also operates the following designated funds that have been set aside for specific projects but can at the discretion of the Trustees be reallocated to the general fund:

Contingency Fund – This is a fund set up to provide a reserve for future revenue or capital projects.
Tithe Fund – This is a fund set up to set aside 10% of the gifts received by the church to give away to other organisations, individuals and causes who hold the same values at TheBarn.

The Church also operated the following restricted funds during the year that have been set aside for specific purposes and should only be used for those purposes:

Mission Fund – This fund was established to support people connected with the church what wish to enter full time or part time ministry away from the church.
Evangelism Fund – This fund was set up to reach people outside the church and community projects.
Children and Youth Fund – This fund was set up to provide funds that could be used for the Church’s work with Children and Young People.
PA Fund - This fund was set up to provide funds that could be used for the purchasing of new and maintenance of existing sound equipment as needed at the church.
Next Generation Fund – This fund was set up to provide for the next generation through the development and training of the next generation and the equipping the next generation of church activity.
Building Fund – This fund was established to provide funds that could be used for the establishment, purchase, decoration and maintenance of a church building.

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MOVEMENTS IN 2. FUNDS

Receipts £ 189,386 12 18,008 207,406 1,201 - 13 - - - 1,214 208,620	Payments £ - 174,168 - - 20,144 - 194,312 - - - - - - - - 194,313	Transfers £ - - - - - - - - - - - -	At 31 Dec 2022 £ 68,000 24,100 8,342
			100,445
			6,892 978 24,077 4,738 2,614 5,973
			45,273

			145,718
Unrestricted Funds 2022 £ 180,020 25,936 1,449 207,406	Restricted Funds 2022 £ 1,200 - 14 1,214	Total 2022 £ 181,220 25,936 1,463 208,620	Total 2021 £ 155,504 29,291 6,253 191,047

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4. ANALYSIS OF PAYMENTS Ministry Team Gross Salaries & Taxes Pension Contributions Expenses of Ministry Team Church Activities Youth ministry Children ministry Catering Sunday worship Premises Costs Barn rental Light and heat Water Facilities staff, maintenance & insurance Security, Health and Safety Cleaning staff and materials Administration Costs Printing and stationery Telephone and postage IT Costs Professional fees Bank charges Insurance Books & Resources Sundry	Unrestricted Funds 2022 £ 86,986 2,780 376 90,141 1,631 2,555 1,289 680 6,155 51,500 8,813 866 4,598 2,711 511 68,998 428 942 1,588 661 204 2,962 1,062 645 8,492	Restricted Funds 2022 £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Total 2022 £ 86,986 2,780 376 90,141 1,631 2,555 1,289 680 6,155 51,500 8,813 866 4,598 2,711 511 68,998 428 942 1,588 661 204 2,962 1,062 645 8,492	Total 2021 £ 100,859 2,881 955
				104,695
				1,167 4,641 433 711
				6,952
				32,625 6,462 211 4,968 2,465 198
				46,929
				1,525 982 2,440 4,315 93 2,121 1,021 843 13,340

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4. ANALYSIS OF PAYMENTS Cont… Donations Made Baptist Missionary Society Home Mission Fund Stacey Speight Turners Other giving Agape India Open Doors J Lyons Audio & Video Sound & Vision	Unrestricted Funds 2022 £ 1,200 1,200 6,451 3,000 6,193 600 1,500 - 20,144 381 381	Restricted Funds 2022 £ - - - - - - - - - - -	Total 2022 £ 1,200 1,200 6,451 3,000 6,193 600 1,500 - 20,144 381 381	Total 2021 £ 1,300 1,100 5,182 3,000 1,344 600 1,500 1,800
				15,826
				647
				647

No employee received emoluments in excess of £50,000 during the year (2021 none).

The average number of employees in the year was four full-time equivalents.

No emoluments were paid to the Trustees with the exception of the Minister, Rev. Jamie Cox who was employed by the church and was remunerated on the same basis as other employees but has not received remuneration for his duties as Trustee.

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