## **Activities** The Trustees, the elders of the Church of God in Swindon, with the church members, aim to achieve the objects through a variety of activities requiring personal, social and spiritual skills. Our aim is to reach out, engage with and support those who live in the community. We do this by offering to the community, services that manifest our Christian faith, together with a variety of innovative activities and events. As we share with the local community, we also provide financial support to those in need by working together with local charities. We recognised, as we approached April 2023, that although our freedoms have continued to increase we need to remain vigilant as far as hygiene & contact is concerned and we would retain agreed aspects of good practise together with commonsense. These would be evident in our activities. We would retain the best aspects of technology to offer a range of online events and activities. The combination of meeting in-person and online would continue to broaden our programme. We would continue to produce a fresh programme that could be adapted and improved. As previously acknowledged, broadening our provision must go hand in glove with our continuing responsibility to provide safe environments for everyone. We were very pleased to look forward to a full range of events, including those with large numbers and proximity, in the coming year, such as **Light Lunches, Carols by Candlelight,** the **Charity Craft Fayre** and our **2 Camps** for children and young people. With this continued freedom we will maintain our engagement, locally, with those who have particular needs. We would do this in partnership with local charities who have like ambitions. The **personal support** for individuals and families, that has proved valuable and rewarding, would continue to be provided. We will develop our involvement with local support groups, such as the **Rise Trust** , as well as **Operation Christmas Child** and develop and broaden. Our Sunday Morning Services ( **SMS** ) would continue to provide opportunities for families to celebrate together with the local praise band and, group activities for both children and adults. We recognise that a structured programme is needed to provide for development for everyone. Live streaming the weekly activities - the **Remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ** and the **Wednesday Prayer & Teaching time** - is important to those who have still not been able to attend because of health issues or those who are distant from us. **Honeycomb** continues each Sunday evening, providing a benefit for people who cannot travel or who are members of small churches. The short talk, broad prayer focus and social time should continue to maintain and develop friendships between the members of 3 churches. Our monthly **Bible Studies** and our **Thursday morning prayer** time will also remained on-line. We are aware that to some degree the long term effects of lockdown, and COVID itself, remain with us. The wellbeing of many will need continued care and home visits to those unable to get out easily will remain priorities. The church’s Phase 2 Working Group will continue their work on behalf of the church members. Resources from central church funds are being pursued in order to enhance and improve the provision for future growth in all areas of church activities. ## **Achievements** In a year of opportunity to re-establish more of our valued practises, we were also able to breathe life into new enterprises and develop our personal relationships through good practice and healthy new options. Having learned the need for care we have held true to our core objectives and deepened our relationships with recent new friends. Our practices remained under review and, guided by our safety officers, we have remained consistent in our ways of working. We have not relaxed the careful arrangements for the Remembrance, our weekly communion ( **Bread & Wine** ) service – sprayed surfaces, use of hand cleanser, personal selection of bread, use of individual disposable cups, removal of items after the service – and have rejoiced in the singing of hymns. **SMS** (Sunday Morning Service) is well established once more with adult and children’s groups, together with the Praise Band. The new friends – adults and children – have, in the main, been regular attenders through the year. From January we began a year long study of the book of Acts. The first Sunday of each month began with an AllAge Light Lunch service. The ‘middle’ Sundays focussed on a chapter and, on the last Sunday, we discussed the chapters in groups. This has provided variety and so far has been a good way for all of to share and improve our understanding. We continuing our involvement with groups such as the Rise Trust, Julia’s House, Operation Christmas Child and Boxes of Hope, and maintain our involvement in local events in Royal Wootton Bassett. We are very pleased that the South East **KIDS’CAMP** chose to return to Flaxlands for their week with younger ones, together with **ELEVATE,** for teens and twenties. It is encouraging that a good number of our local young people, and camp workers from the church, attended and helped run these successful annual events. The **Christmas Charity Craft Fayre** was again well attended and enabled us to support a local charity. We continue to meet for our weekly **Wednesday Prayer & Teaching** time in our homes and in the Piggery. We live stream this and the Sunday **Remembrance** , our communion service. This enables more people to be part of the activity. Some are caring for children; others are housebound adults or are unable to make the journey. We recognise that some activities require us to meet online. Our Sunday evening **Honeycomb** draws people, from three churches, who live some way from each other, the **Thursday morning prayer** times work well, and the monthly **Bible Studies** is convenient for most of those who attend. We continue to have the opportunity to affect the lives of some - in the church and in contact with us - who need regular support; financially, emotionally as well as spiritually. Nobody has all the personal or professional skills required but working sensitively together we are gaining strength and are providing present and longer term care and support. The Phase 2 Working Group continued their work, as we move closer to our goal of building a new church hall. THE CHURCH OF GOD IN SWINDON CHARITY REGISTRATION NO.1156833 Receipts & Payments Account for the period 6 April 2023 to 5 April 2024 SECTION A Receipts & Payments Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds Total funds Last funds A1 Receipts General expenses Lord's servants Building fund Youth work Local outreach District funds Folloivship funds Care fund Faith Welfare Trust Local charities S.E.England District 9546 9546 21492 14419 1100 260 660 .21 b7 3629 437 11231 19892 8179 690 645 1235 134 3251 984 a3.9 5321 21492 14419 1100 260 660 3167 3629 437 5725 5725 9546 50889 60435 55995 A3 PAYMENTS General expenses Lnrd's servants Building fund Youth work Local outreach District funds Fellowship funds Qare fund Faith Welfare Trust Local charities S.E.England District 11531 11531 21010 9084 2416 267 9434 ?oooo 2525 2996 916 1185 3809 2084 1834 433 6zL26 21010 9084 2416 267 1665 3036 1665 3036 9956 9956 11531 47434 58965 51651 Net of receipts, payments (1985) 3453 1470 4344 A5 Transfers A6 Cash funds last year end 8692 59661 59353 55009 Cash funds this year end 6707 54116 60823 59353 on the accounts (rf any) Ire ire ct 2011 (-t Act, ) I re rryi 5(5)(b) of the let th the teri (rf any):