2022-11-30-accounts - Inglewhite Congregational Church

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Finance Annual Report 2022

2022 from a financial point of view has been another great year. As you can see from the attached figures, combined Offerings and Mission Income were £104394, which is £17548 up on the previous year. Offerings were £3841 up on the previous year but Mission Giving was an incredible £13707 up. Thank you all for your amazing generosity. Thank you to those of you who have signed up to give by standing order or internet banking, it really contributes and also saves time. Chapel House and Willow Cottage were both fully occupied, boosting rental income. The Gift Aid Refund this year was £17497 so thank you again to everybody for using the Gift Aid Scheme. Betty Thackeray, a loyal supporter and member of Inglewhite for many years, generously bequeathed a legacy of £27194. Coffee Stop, Toddle In and various trips all returning after Covid restrictions were lifted, contributed to a record Total income for 2022 of £177007.

The lifting of Covid restrictions led to significant increases in expenditure. Increased use of our building and inflationary price rises led to increased spending on electricity, fuel and water. Being able to run trips once again led to increased spending on youth and hospitality. Incredibly generous responses to Mission causes (particularly IAT and their continual aid efforts in the Ukraine) led to significant mission giving of £48213 to 16 different causes. Spending on repairs and renewals was again significantly reduced. Overall expenditure was £138476 resulting in an end of year surplus of £38531.

Nine years ago it was agreed at the AGM that any surplus at the end of the financial year over £30000 would be given away. We voted to discontinue this principle three years ago and so will commence the next financial year with £94755 in the bank, a great start for a new chapter.

Also attached to the accounts is the budget for 2023 to be agreed at the AGM. Mark Andrews, Paul Davies, Andy Wright, Andy McKinnell and Bill Hardman have worked through the figures and attempted to come up with a sensible budget. Repairs to the Church Hall floor, upgrading of the kitchen facilities, and 6 months salary for a new employee have all been included in the budget. A large increase in the cost of electricity has been allowed for and general inflationary pressures taken into account. We have budgeted for a loss of £24000 over the next 12 months which is manageable with our current bank balance but giving will need to increase in future years if a suitable new employee is found and costs continue to increase. We will probably have to re-budget during the year as new projects, employees and vision become apparent.

For those who are responsible for budgets within the Church we ask again that you confirm with the finance team any individual spending over £250 to allow us to plan cash flow efficiently.

The Deacons have recommended a salary increase for our Pastor and Administrator of 5% which needs to be agreed at the AGM.

Thank you once again to everyone who supports the work at Inglewhite so generously. Not many Churches will be able to produce such positive accounts in this difficult financial time. We believe God has really blessed our positive attitude to giving over the years and are in a great financial position to see God’s work continue to grow here at Inglewhite, and also support Mission. If you have any queries or require any clarification on either the accounts or future budget

then please don’t hesitate to ask any one of the Finance Committee before the AGM and we will do our best to help.

On behalf of the Finance Team,

Bill Hardman

CHURCH BUDGET DEC 2021/NOV 2022

30th November 2022

INCOME	2020/21 Actual	2021/22 Budget	2021/22 To Date	% of Budget
Offerings/ Gift Aids Mission Income Gift Aid Refund Rent Use of Hall/Weddings etc Legacy Interest/Investment Income Traidcraft Sundry Income	65704 21142 14971 15600 2540 0 696 408 3153	72000 14000 12800 13000 2000 0 700 500 2000	69545 34849 17497 15600 3708 27194 760 715 7139	97 249 137 120 185 N/A 109 143 357
Total	124214	117000	177007	151

EXPENDITURE	2020/21 Actual	2021/22 Budget	2021/22 To Date	% of Budget
Salary/Pension/ NI cont. Mission Gifts Repairs/Renewals Heat/ Light/ Fuel/Water Telephone Council Tax Stationary/Books etc. Gardening/Cleaning Preaching/Trav. Exp Affiliation Fees Pastoral Expenses Insurance Youthwork Training Worship Group/ Tech Supp. Traidcraft Outreach & Hospitality Sundry	37274 31884 3040 3102 623 946 954 3287 620 2551 4711 1654 1908 300 3711 353 1365 2354	52800 20000 10000 5000 1200 2300 1500 4000 1000 2700 2000 2000 3000 1000 3000 500 3000 2000	48885 48213 2470 6758 961 1520 1908 4999 230 2553 1189 1743 2804 899 7137 635 4457 1115	93 241 25 135 80 66 127 125 23 95 59 87 93 90 238 127 149 56
Total	100637	117000	138476	118

SURPLUS(-DEFICIT)	23577	0	38531

Accounts		12/1/2021	11/30/2022	Surplus
Treasurer		£2,132.78	£2,903.11
BMM		£54,092.11	£91,852.15
Total		£56,224.89	£94,755.26	£38,530.37

2021/22 Income			£177,006.82
2021/22 Expenditure			£138,476.45	£38,530.37

Annual Report:

Inglewhite Congregational Church 2022

1. Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors Charity No. 1158000

Charity Name & Address

Inglewhite Congregational Church, Silk Mill Lane, Inglewhite, Preston PR3 2LP (The Church is part of the Congregational Federation)

Charity Trustees

Trustees

The Holding Trustees are the Congregational Federation Limited of 4 Castle Gate, Nottingham NG1 7AS (registered charity number 267469)

The managing trustees are the Minister and deacons who report to the Church Meeting.

Bankers

Our current account and deposit account are held by HSBC

Auditors

Towers & Gornall Chartered Certified Accountants Abacus House The Ropewalk Garstang Preston PR3 1NS

Day to Day Management

Day to day management of the charity is delegated to the Minister in conjunction with the deacons and Church officers. At 31[st] December 2022, this team consisted of:

Minister: Paul Davies

Secretary: Vacant

Administrator: Louise Clark

Deacons: Stephen Hardman, Lisa Talbot, Stuart Holden, Lesley Hardman, Helen Lockley and Mark Andrews

Treasurer: Bill Hardman

2. Structure, governance and management

Governing Constitution

The declaration of the trust adopted by the Congregational Federation Limited on 13[th] June 2009, adopted by the Church from 23 October 2010.

Risk Management Assessment

In common with all other organisations, the Church is potentially at risk from a number of sources. The trustees are responsible, on behalf of the Church, with the advice of the Health and Safety Team, for ensuring that these risks are managed so as not to expose the Church to undue risk and that the Church is in a position to correctly deal with any situation that may arise. Risks have been assessed and mitigated. Examples of areas that are kept under review include:

Financial Strategy

Ensuring that we have sufficient reserves to meet expenditure and that income levels are maintained. Regular management accounts are supplied to the Church and deacon meetings.

Internal Financial Controls

Expenditure is reported against budget and monies received. Bank statements are reconciled monthly and two signatures are required on all cheques. Cash is banked promptly.

Budget Authority

The Church meeting sets agreed budgets for each financial year and Church groups have authority to work within these budgets. Any expenditure outside the budget must be brought before the treasurer and deacons for agreement.

Accounting Period

The accounting period is 12 months, December – November. The previous accounting period was the 12 months ending 30[th] November 2022.

Data and Copyright Protection

Ensuring that we comply with all current regulations.

Employment Regulations

Ensuring that current regulations are complied with and contracts are honoured.

Insurance

Insurance levels are reviewed annually.

Property

Buildings are managed and maintained through the maintenance team.

Child Abuse

A policy is in force for the protection of children in the care of the church and its volunteers which is overseen by the child protection team. The Child Protection Officers are appointed by the church meeting and are responsible to advise on the policy and be a point of contact for any issues arising.

Membership of External Bodies

The Church subscribes to the Evangelical Alliance and to the EA Basis of Faith Statement.

Trustee Appointment

Any person on the Church membership may stand for election to the leadership team, having been proposed and seconded by other members according to the rules of faith and practice of the Church. Currently there are up to 9 who serve as leaders where they serve as both a managing trustee and a Church leader for a period of 3 years. The minister is an ex-officio member of this group. Elections take place at the Annual General Meeting. Please see appendix 1 for thoughts on being a leader to help you consider people to nominate.

3. Objectives and activities

Vision

To be a Church that walks alongside one another and the wider community to make the love of God known to all.

Strap line (aim): Sharing Jesus with neighbours and nations

Values: Deuteronomy 5:33 Walk in the way that the Lord your God has commanded you

W – Worship and Word

A – All involved

L – Loving relationships, Learning together

K – Kingdom mentality

Explanation

W – We value worship which seeks to honour God and place Jesus at the centre of our community whilst reflecting the multi-generational nature of the Church.

We value the truth of God’s Word in the Bible and hold our beliefs as helpfully reflected in the creed we have adopted as a Church.

A – We value All being involved, the ministry and contribution of every member, believing all have gifts to bring for the wider good.

L – We value Learning and growing together, depending upon the Bible and the work of the Holy Spirit.

We value Loving Relationships ; the Church at Inglewhite has a loving, caring soul which is reflected in a strength of relationship and an acceptance of one another which makes all who come feel welcome.

K – We value having a Kingdom mentality, expecting God’s Church to grow as it serves the community around. Looking to spread Christ’s influence whether in the workplace, study environment, at home or in Church based activities through evangelism and other demonstrations of our faith. This is also reflected in our concern and support for the wider ministry of God through other local Churches and mission agencies.

Application

Membership review

We at present have 100 members and many more who are regular attenders.

Other Church Reports

Finance Annual Report 2022

For those who are responsible for budgets within the Church we ask again that you confirm with the finance team any individual spending over £250 to allow us to plan cash flow efficiently.

The Deacons have recommended a salary increase for our Pastor and Administrator of 5% which needs to be agreed at the AGM.

On behalf of the Finance Team,

Bill Hardman

CHURCH BUDGET DEC 2021/NOV 2022

30th November 2022

INCOME	2020/21 Actual	2021/22 Budget	2021/22 To Date	% of Budget
Offerings/ Gift Aids Mission Income Gift Aid Refund Rent Use of Hall/Weddings etc Legacy Interest/Investment Income Traidcraft Sundry Income	65704 21142 14971 15600 2540 0 696 408 3153	72000 14000 12800 13000 2000 0 700 500 2000	69545 34849 17497 15600 3708 27194 760 715 7139	97 249 137 120 185 N/A 109 143 357
Total	124214	117000	177007	151

EXPENDITURE	2020/21 Actual	2021/22 Budget	2021/22 To Date	% of Budget
Salary/Pension/ NI cont. Mission Gifts Repairs/Renewals Heat/ Light/ Fuel/Water Telephone Council Tax Stationary/Books etc. Gardening/Cleaning Preaching/Trav. Exp Affiliation Fees Pastoral Expenses Insurance Youthwork Training Worship Group/ Tech Supp. Traidcraft Outreach & Hospitality Sundry	37274 31884 3040 3102 623 946 954 3287 620 2551 4711 1654 1908 300 3711 353 1365 2354	52800 20000 10000 5000 1200 2300 1500 4000 1000 2700 2000 2000 3000 1000 3000 500 3000 2000	48885 48213 2470 6758 961 1520 1908 4999 230 2553 1189 1743 2804 899 7137 635 4457 1115	93 241 25 135 80 66 127 125 23 95 59 87 93 90 238 127 149 56
Total	100637	117000	138476	118

SURPLUS(-DEFICIT)	23577	0	38531

Accounts		01/12/2021	30/11/2022	Surplus
Treasurer		£2,132.78	£2,903.11
BMM		£54,092.11	£91,852.15

Total	£94,755.26	£38,530.37

2021/22 Income	£177,006.82
2021/22 Expenditure	£138,476.45	£38,530.37

CHURCH BUDGET DEC 2022/NOV 2023 1st December 2022

INCOME	2021/22 Actual	2022/23 Budget	2022/23 To Date	% of Budget
Offerings/ Gift Aids Mission Income Gift Aid Refund Rent Use of Hall/Weddings etc Legacy Interest/Investment Income Traidcraft Sundry Income	69545 34849 17497 15600 3708 27194 760 715 7139	72000 20000 16000 13000 3000 0 1000 500 8000		0 0 0 0 0 N/A 0 0 0
Total	177007	133500		0

EXPENDITURE	2021/22 Actual	2022/23 Budget	2022/23 To Date	% of Budget
Salary/Pension/ NI cont. Mission Gifts Repairs/Renewals Heat/ Light/ Fuel/Water Telephone Council Tax Stationary/Books etc. Gardening/Cleaning Preaching/Trav. Exp Affiliation Fees Pastoral Expenses Insurance Youthwork Training Worship Group/ Tech Supp. Traidcraft Outreach & Hospitality Sundry	48885 48213 2470 6758 961 1520 1908 4999 230 2553 1189 1743 2804 899 7137 635 4457 1115	67000 25000 20000 9000 1100 2300 2000 5500 500 2800 1700 1900 5000 2000 5000 400 5000 1300		0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total	138476	157500	0	0

SURPLUS(-DEFICIT)	38531	-24000	0

Accounts		01/12/2022	01/12/2022	Surplus
Treasurer		£2,903.11	£2,903.11
BMM		£91,852.15	£91,852.15
Total		£94,755.26	£94,755.26	£0.00

2022/23 Income			£0.00
2022/23 Expenditure			£0.00	£0.00

Health and Safety

Health and Safety Walk Round Tuesday 17[th] January 2023. Present: Stephen Hardman and Neil Singleton.

Stores

Improvements Made

Regular clear outs and reorganisation of items are being done
Covers put over the lights to prevent glass breaking when putting up step ladders
Sign up to store heavy stuff at the bottom of the shelves
The shelf is fixed to the wall to prevent toppling over
Tables moved to other end, and the door opens the other way to make getting tables out of the cupboard easier
The television, the OHP have now gone, so there is more space.
The tables have been rotated to prevent them sliding out and squashing someone – This arrangement is sufficient.
More shelving has been put in and this has helped to store the toys better.
3 heavy boxes have been removed from the top shelf
Hinge cover fitted on door into hall

Hall: Action done

Remove carpet by store door as this is a trip hazard
Emergency light should work when the lights are switched on.
Light flickering has been fixed.
Both doors fitted on the hinges with hinge protectors
Socket cover replaced. The dividers have been removed and replaced by 1 set of folding panels.
The dividing screen has been repaired.

Loft

Loft step: There have been several instances where the loft step has moved when someone has been on the in going up into the loft: No obvious solution was found, except to ensure that all users of the loft ladder are careful – continue to monitor.

Kitchen

Improvements made

-hatch installed in kitchen has made the serving of hot drinks much safer

-Knives and scissors are kept out of the children’s reach

Fridge temp monitored and checked weekly

Pipes are made of copper and are likely to corrode- Monitor and change to stainless when needed

A lot of condensation is causing damp under the sink – decided to leave this as not a food contact area

Cutlery stored in an open tray, currently covered by a tray – now stored in a cupboard.

Dishwasher chemical dispenser is working more effectively.

Temperature probe and fridge thermometer have been replaced

Corner cupboards smell mouldy – investigations suggest this is due to the storage of damp teapots and cafetiere. Monitor this and come back to maintenance team if issue

The trays are dropping through in the dishwasher -trays modified to prevent this.

The control for the window opening does not work – fixed.

Food safety and allergy awareness training – 4 people trained on level 2 NCASS training

No heavy items are stored on top of the cupboards.

Glasses have been replaced with polycarbonate glasses.

COSHH data for the dishwasher has been updated.

Missing door fronts issue has been resolved.

Entrance Hall

The hinge protectors are completed on the hall entrance door

The cupboard with the first aid box in now has a sign –

Mats have been removed –

Tables in the hallway are now not blocking fire escape access

Office

Extinguisher needs putting back up – done.

Chapel

Actions done

Procedure for fire evacuation has been redone

Issues with alarm points resolved -

2 more extinguishers put in place

A magnet is required to hold open the balcony door to enable people to exit quickly in the event of a fire - this has been resolved by removing the door shutter on the top of the door

Emergency lighting issues resolved by putting in more emergency lights.

Falling risk: The risk of tripping and falling over the balcony has been reduced by increasing the capacity of the church, and therefore reducing the usage of the balcony.

Still a risk of books falling over the side of the balcony – needs a small lip to prevent this happening – Currently the balcony is being used much less and books are also not being used. So, the risk of this happening is much lower than previously: Renew annually

Church door does not shut smoothly – Sourced ‘arm’ to resolve this problem

The carpet on the balcony has been changed and fitted.

Redecorating has been done.

Toilets: Actions complete

Hinge cover fitted

There have been issues with the plug being left in and the taps left on, resulting in considerable floods. The water pressure is to be reduced and if really necessary the plugs to be removed. No more flooding has occurred.

The timing on the lights has been altered as several people have been plunged into darkness whilst on the toilet in the ladies.

Duty Deacon or Leader to be responsible for medical emergencies.

Youth room

Hinge cover fitted to the door in the passageway

No further hazards identified

The old frame has been put into the shed.

Outside

Actions completed

The new shed that has been recently constructed is a big improvement

Improved lighting from the back carpark has been installed to easily see the path when they are entering the building from the car park.

Deacons need to make sure the back lights are switched on and off for evening meetings.

Drain cover covered and painted yellow following an accident

A step has been requested from the path to the field – This is difficult to do due to a water pipe running under the wall – and a step sticking out will cause a trip hazard and reduce access by vehicles round the back of church. However, parts of the stage which are stored in the shed could be used as a temporary step, and then stored back in the shed afterwards.

Slabs on the top of the wall are loose – done

Maintenance

Once again thanks to those who help with the maintenance jobs inside and outside in the Church grounds. Just a special mention to Neil Singleton and Gary MacMurchie for all their work with the weekly tests which need to be done. It is really appreciated, thank you.

All servicing and routine tests on properties completed (boiler, electricity, fire/smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, etc).

We are beginning building work on the Hall floor on Monday 30[th] January 2023 so this will be out of use of a while, plus general maintenance on all properties as and when needed, Stephen Hardman.

Missions

We have enjoyed another good year supporting various missions.

January - Bernard Cocker shared about the work of International Aid Trust, what an amazing work they continue to do particularly in Ukraine.

April - we had a visit from the Message Trust who are based in Manchester. It is wonderful to hear about their work among young people in schools, prisons and amongst struggling families at Community Groceries.

July - some of our own church folks are involved in the work of Street Pastors and it was great to have them share about this challenging work on the streets of Preston. Paul Blackett who leads Preston Street Pastors also spoke and gave an update about the work.

September- Abi Hardman visited Grahamstown South Africa in summer and she shared about the amazing work of LIV working with orphaned and vulnerable children. We also held an afternoon tea in August to support LIV.

November- Josh and Sarah Cowles came and shared about their plans to work with African Inland Mission, they will be based in Kenya and Josh is a pilot.

In December our Christmas offerings went towards the work of The Rosemere Cancer Unit and Open Doors.

Thank you for your generosity over the past twelve months, we are literally helping to spread the Christian message all over the world.

Ruth MacMurchie

Child Protection

We completed our annual safeguarding training in September 2022 with Mary-Jayne Carter, and I completed the Designated Safeguard Lead course in June 2022. Some of the Sticky Bun Church team are completing a free online safeguarding course with the Congregational Federation in January and February 2023. Paul Davies, Jacqui Clark and Louise Clark are booked onto the free Adult Safeguarding Course with the Congregational Federation in January 2023.

The team will meet in February 2023 to look at appropriate training for this year.

Louise Clark

Toddle In

The good news spread that we were restarting on Thursday 13[th] January 2022, many families, up to 15 regular parents attend each week and have joined us in 2022.

We changed the day to Thursday to accommodate more volunteer helpers and now have a strong team of support. It runs from 9-11am and we ask for a voluntary donation of £1 per child or £1.50 per family to cover the cost of snacks and art/craft materials.

We are hoping to move the focus towards God by providing a child friendly craft activity linked to the Sticky Bun Church Theme of the month and finishing with singing and a short prayer with Paul before they go home.

We will also ask all parents to leave contact details and provide information on any allergies on arrival before the snacks are served. Exciting times ahead, spreading the ‘word of God’ to as many families as we can.

Louise Clark.

Sticky Bun Church

When did you last attend a different church? How did you feel?

When you’ve got a small person with you who has the unknown potential to be (a) angelic, (b) partially wild or (c) outright explosive, no matter how intrigued you are about God & church, it’s not that difficult to find something else to do on a Sunday morning.

CHILD - Where’s my mummy? Why has she left me here (in JC) with other children I don’t know? Why does everyone else know the stories and I don’t? I feel silly. How many biscuits can I have?
GROWN UP - Who are these people? What will they say to little Jonny? Will he be alright? What will Jonny say about me? Where have the Bibles all gone and what am I reading on the screen? I have no idea what this man is on about or what that last song was about…. What if Jonny has eaten all the biscuits?

If you’ve always gone to church, going to a different one on your own or with little people, can be quite a facing.

If you’ve never been to a church, or not been for a long time, it can be even more daunting. Unfamiliar songs, sermons, people, communion, practises…

Post pandemic, we were increasingly aware that our friends and neighbours hadn’t been to church for a long time.

If ever.

Yet, at Rainbows, footie practice, on the school run, at work, in Aldi, knowing we went to church, people asked us about God’s response to the war / Covid / poverty / the environment / children etc. We’ve invited friends & family to church, and some have been once or twice. Others are yet to venture.

So we prayed. First and foremost, we prayed. Then we asked if anyone else felt the same. And you did. And you prayed. And then you said you’d help. And so Inglewhite Sticky Bun Church began.

Our aim is simple – to let our community know that God loves them.

There’s about 20 of us, organised in 4 teams;

Team Fishfinger – A light tea for the children, brew & cake for the grown ups is offered. This enables grown ups to talk, while children eat. Kids (& grown ups) go home happy, rather than cranky, and grown ups can chat about life.
Team Sequins – Craft activities or games around a Bible theme. Simple messages written on artwork, go into homes for families to look at and be reminded of in days and years to come and families spend quality time together.
Team TTM (tech, talk & music) – Paul offers a family friendly talk for the children & grown ups to listen to, together. Any songs we sing, try to be as familiar as possible (think school assembly).
The all important… Floaters – A really important role for people to get alongside others and chat / help.

We had our 1[st] SBC in Dec 2022. Approx 30 children, and 50 adults came. Parents, carers, grandparents, friends. Some had connections with Inglewhite toddlers (highly praised). Others had connections to Inglewhite, but many had seen an advert or had been asked, and thought they’d come along. For many, Dec 2022 SBC was their first time visiting Inglewhite, and a church setting. They were noticeably nervous on arrival, but Louise & others welcomed them warmly and they settled quickly with the aid of Team Sequin activities. We pray that these new friends return.

One feedback from a mum; Thank you so much for having us. We’ve really enjoyed it. xxx has loved it. I was really worried about xxx when we went into church, as he doesn’t sit still. But that man (Pastor Paul), just let him wander and he (Paul) didn’t mind and just carried on talking. Xxx really wanted to see baby Jesus.. And he (Paul) let him look into the crib, and see baby Jesus. And it was ok. Thankyou for having us. We’d love to come again.

We aim to run a SBC every 2 months. (Next one 5[th] Feb).

SBC isn’t a replacement for traditional church services and junior church, both of which are loved and enjoyed by all. We present the same message, just less formally than the 1045. In short, it’s a simple Messy Church.

We are praying as we walk, having lots of fun as we do so with a fantastic team.

The Sticky Bun Team

Junior Church

Junior Church report 2022

We have had another successful year teaching the children in Junior Church, thanks to some new additions to the leaders’ team from Helen McKinnell, Ling Lee, Wendy Layhe and Alexia Gargrave.

We had a very busy month in December when Dylanne helped us to put on an amazing Nativity play and Dance involving over 20 children, including a wonderful Christmas Party celebrating a great dress rehearsal.

In July we took 25 Youth to Quinta, a team of leaders, led by Bill Hardman spent the weekend with the youth and they all enjoyed the time together and exciting activities.

In October we celebrated the children of Junior Church with a Prize Giving Service, where all the children received a certificate from Pastor Paul and a Christian Book to keep.

We held a very well attended Easter Scavenger Hunt, looking for all the things that God had blessed us with around Beacon Fell.

We celebrated the Queen’s Jubilee with an afternoon garden party on Friday 3rd June, as a Church Family, providing games and activities for the children attending to be involved in.

We held our annual safeguarding training in September that was very well attended, and we have booked in free safeguarding training for the adults involved in the new Sticky Bun Church for January 2023, with the Congregation Federation.

A very big thank you to all the Leaders and volunteers that make all the above possible.

Louise Clark

2022 Youth Report

Inglewhite Youth met every fortnight on a Sunday evening during 2022. A solid group of approx 12 young people, aged 11-18, get together for games, fun, food and Bible messages. On some occasions we have seen about 18 gather together.

Spring saw 20 of us head to Quinta, where Abi Hardman, Lisa Talbot and Steve Cowles shared about the armour of God and some outdoor survival skills were practised. Times away like this really help to cement friendships and build faith.

In Autumn, we visited some members of the congregation in their homes who gave their life stories, and the youth enjoyed asking questions and building connections with them. We also had a good family night out at Blackpool lights.

Helen and Stephen have now handed over the youth to Andy and Susie Talbot who organise a rota of helpers to continue this vital work.

Music in me

‘Music in me’ restarted after the break for COVID, on May 20th, 2022. The number of service users that now attend is 19, which used to be 6 on a regular basis + now we have 19 + 19 Carers, nine of these service users are wheelchair users.

The people that come to help organise this on a regular basis are Colleen, Dennis & Linda, Tony & Denise and Julie . Also, thank you to Louise who steps in when we need her.

It would be very helpful if we could have a list of volunteers we could call on when we need them, i.e., Holidays, sickness etc.

Music in me plays a very important part in the lives of all the Service users because they have the freedom to express themselves in their own way, plus it meets a need in the Community. They love the music and dancing, some of the wheelchair users enjoy dancing also. We have the words up on the screen for those who want to join in, we do have some Christian songs in the mix. We also have a selection of percussion instruments which they can choose from. In the middle of each session, we have Cake & Break time, which everyone enjoys. It is a good time for the Carers to get together as they don’t see very much of each other.

At the end of each session, Paul comes in and has a chat with some of the Carers and service users, sometimes gets taken by the hand to join in with the dancing. Paul always finishes the session by praying over them and sharing God’s blessing.

The highlight of last year was the Christmas Party, which included a lovely buffet lunch, provided by Julie which we all enjoyed. Then Father Christmas arrived on the scene, all very exciting!

We decorated the hall with the help of Louise, this was for the enjoyment of everyone using the hall over the Christmas period. The cost of this was met by the Church, and the decorations have all been put away in the attic for next Christmas.

Inglewhite Friends

Inglewhite Friends meets the third Monday afternoon each month at 2pm.

We have a short devotional time followed by different speakers. Over the past twelve months we have enjoyed a good variety.

We always finish with a good afternoon tea and lots of chat. Everyone is welcome including men.

At Christmas we enjoyed a lovely Christmas meal at Longridge Golf Club.

It is a happy time when we all get together, please feel free to come along as everyone is welcome.

Thanks,

Let Hardman

Cofee Stop

Coffee Stop opened in Inglewhite Church Hall as a community cafe in 2005. In late 2013 it extended its contact and opened on a monthly basis in Catterall. 2022 has been a great year, perhaps as a result of the recent restrictions we have come to value our church family more than ever. It was wonderful to revert back to physical gatherings in September 21. Numbers attending at both Catterall & Inglewhite have been building again slowly. It’s been very encouraging to welcome new faces from both communities, building friendships & supporting each other through the ups & downs of life. We have experienced sadness, losing regular members & friends but are thankful for our many happy memories. At each Coffee Stop event we share an encouraging bible based thought. It’s good to hear individual short stories of personal faith experiences. Our highlights this year include an Easter craft event in Catterall & our summer trip to Grassington in July. Christmas was a special time when around seventy of us gathered for a church service and lunch. As a development in Catterall 'Church But Not On A Sunday' was launched in September 2016. This informal monthly event was developed as a way to explore what having a relationship with Jesus might mean for us & for others in our community. In September 21 we relaunched our gathering & met for supper at Garstang Fish & Chips where the owner shared some personal testimony with us. Throughout the year we’ve had discussion nights, visiting speakers from the hospital chaplaincy team & Lancashire constabulary as well as others. Our summer social was a treasure hunt & supper. It is such a privilege to connect with our local community in this way & we were delighted to be invited to share in the Catterall Christmas tree switch on. Singing carols & sharing a Christian message of Hope with adults & lots of children was wonderful. We look forward to the way forward for 2023. Since September 2016 Church But Not On A Sunday has run in parallel with a ‘connect group’ who gathered to share life & explore the bible together. This group has restarted under the leadership of Pastor Paul. A second Sunday evening group is established & meeting together every two weeks. It’s great to connect church members & friends in our own community so we can explore at our own pace & grow together. All of these community events are run by a fantastic group of enthusiastic volunteers. A huge thank you to everyone involved. All activities are overseen by our leadership team & underpinned by the prayer support of many. Come along to Coffee Stop during 2023, better still, invite a friend and meet in Catterall or Inglewhite for a Tuesday morning cuppa. It's a friendly meeting place & a nonthreatening introduction to our wonderful church family.

Conclusion

Thank you to all who contributed to this report, to all who participate in the life of the Church Community here and, with God’s help and guidance make it all happen.

Appendix 1 The Leaders

The Bible teaches the ‘priesthood of all believers’. All are equal before God and all are equally called to serve God in the local Church. However, we also believe that some are called to serve through leading, taking responsibility and giving oversight to the church in discovering and fulfilling its God-given mission to the world. We call this the leadership team, which at present fulfils the biblical roles of both elders and deacons.

Members of the leadership are by law the managing trustees of our church charity. They are expected to be willing and able to act as trustees, being responsible for the governance of the church under the authority of the church members meeting and giving spiritual and operational leadership generally.

In Scripture, one of the most important qualities to consider in a leader is character. Of course, no one is perfect, but 1 Timothy 3 has a helpful list of personal qualities that are appropriate for leaders including spiritual maturity. Acts 6:5 describes the church as choosing Stephen who was ‘a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit’. The church needs people in leadership who are able to get on well with other people and work as part of a team – something that strongly links with good character.

Competency is also important (i.e. spiritual gifting) and those nominated for the church leadership should understand their spiritual gifts. ‘We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If a person’s gift is ... leadership, let them govern diligently…’ (Romans 12:68).

We are looking for people who can grasp the ‘big picture’. Scripture also says ‘They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.’ (1 Timothy 3:10) This implies that someone nominated for leadership responsibility should already have demonstrated evidence of good leadership in a ministry of some kind.

Finally, there is the practical question of availability. Leadership meetings now take place every month for around 2 hours and sometimes more frequently if specific issues arise.

Members of the leadership also typically undertake church work outside of meetings overseeing various aspects of the wider Church’s ministry.

Becoming part of the leadership is not ‘being promoted’ in church life but fulfilling a vital function. There will be able, gifted and spiritual people who should not be part of the leadership because they are already in the right place and are doing a wonderful job ‘operationally’, actually delivering ministry that helps achieve our vision. The team should aim to have a good mix of age and gender.

In thinking about possible additions to the team there are probably two extremes to avoid. The first is to see the criteria for leadership as so demanding that no-one feels either able to nominate anyone else or be nominated themselves. The second extreme is to be too anxious to find candidates and so push someone who is either not a good fit or ready. The role of the church in nominating leaders is to discern whom God is calling to this work. It is something to be done prayerfully and thoughtfully.

Nominations and Appointments

There will normally be a maximum of 9 member of the leaders, excluding Ministerial staff, who join to form the full leadership team.

To be eligible for nomination to the leadership an individual must have been a Church Member for at least twelve months (this does not apply to Ministers), be over the age of 18 years, have character and ability (i.e. time, motivation and gifts) as set out above and be able to take responsibility for a specific ministry area or role.

Nominations for the leadership must be submitted in writing to the Church Secretary at least two weeks before the date of the Annual General Church Meeting. Nominations must be made by a church member in writing with the supporting signature of one other Church member and must have prior consent of the nominee.

Elections to the leadership is to be made at a Church Meeting by secret ballot and is usually for a fixed term of 3 years. Individuals may be re-appointed for further terms of office.

Current duties

This is a copy of how we are currently seeking for the leaders to operate in encouraging the Church

To clarify the role of oversight, this includes:

Meeting with the leaders of each ministry to:

a) Encourage the vision with the leader and all those involved. Use the annual reports as a starting place.
b) Discuss the resources needed: financial, equipment, people and help them to access anything required.
c) Consider the bigger picture of how this ministry fits in with the wider ministry of the Church:

‘To be a Church that walks alongside one another and the wider community to make the love of God known to all’

d) To represent the ministry to the other leaders.

Really the aim is to champion the ministry in the life of the Church.

To meet regularly to discern the Lord’s ongoing vision for the fellowship, to discuss current issues in the Church’s life and to make recommendations to the Church meeting.

To take responsibility as a ‘duty deacon’ for making sure that for Sunday services the buildings are properly organised, and any quest speakers receive welcome and attention.