Cleckheaton Methodist Church Annual Report: September 2024 - August 2025 Minister: Revd M. Olsen; Treasurer: Mrs M. Brancken. At the end of the year our church membership was 71 and the average congregational attendance at services was 48. We continue to hold weekly Sunday morning services with holy communion and all age worship each held monthly. Junior church meets with engaging activities provided to help young people and leaders explore the Christian faith. Throughout the year we include several own arrangement services and benefit from the gifts in leading worship which members of the congregation bring. During the year we have welcomed new people into our congregation. Most of our services have been live-streamed and available to watch afterwards via Facebook. This provision has been very much appreciated by those not able to attend worship in person. At Christmas, Easter and the end of the summer term, we welcomed Yvonne from the Zephaniah Trust into our building to work with school groups through ‘Rewind’ and ‘Fast Forward’. Church volunteers help out in this positive way of sharing the gospel and making connections with young people from the surrounding area. We have been involved with Churches together in Cleckheaton and District and have held special services to mark the Christian festivals. During Advent and Lent we met together for fellowship and to discuss the Bible, sharing with members from St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Liversedge and other churches. The church has a good network of pastoral visitors and pastoral support is a very important part of what we do. We held a memorial service to which we invited the families and friends of those whose loved ones had their funeral services in the church during the previous year. The Breakfast club which runs on Thursday mornings during school holidays continues to attract new families and has been appreciated by parents and carers. This offers a free breakfast and drinks alongside a space for families to come and meet, to play games, do crafts and share together at the end of the morning in a short act of worship suitable for children. Church volunteers have been busy working in partnership with Acts 435 to support people in need locally. We have also continued to support and host Cleckheaton Foodbank. There is an awareness of the level of need in the community around us: the church community fund is maintained to enable further support to be made as appropriate. The Wednesday lunch club continues to gain new members, providing food, company and entertainment to older people. The weekly Friday coffee morning helps us to engage with people from the surrounding community. The monthly Meeting Place continues to be popular, providing a space for people to gather for food and company, jigsaws, games and table tennis are on offer. Both the coffee morning and Meeting Place offer a warm space with no charge made for refreshments other than if people choose to make donations. Table tennis and snooker groups also provide the opportunity for people to play, socialise and offer mutual support. Each of these church-run activities has been well received by the local community, we continue to form new relationships and appreciate these opportunities to show God’s welcome and love to our neighbours. Our knitters continue to ensure there are plenty of prayer bears available to be given out as part of caring for those needing some comfort. Christmas angels have also been knitted and shared in partnership with Churches together. We are glad to be able to let our premises to a variety of user groups and, in particular, to support the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides, all of whom meet weekly. Our user groups also include MHA who offer lunch and activities to older people, and Paddock who provide the ‘Step by step’ advice service to people in relation to benefits and getting back into work. We feel that these user groups fit with our aim to support our community. During the year, we have set up an ‘eco group’ with the aim of exploring how we can best respond to the climate crisis through our worship, community engagement and premises. Mission statement: Our vision is to be a Church that welcomes all, who meet for worship, prayer and fellowship. We exist to share the light of Christ with our community, by our service and sharing of the good news of Jesus. Priorities: To offer opportunities for worship which are welcoming and accessible to all who seek God through Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit: - offer an active welcome to any who join us and take the time to get to know them - ensure the worship space is as accessible as possible - encourage a range of worship styles and themes to be as inclusive as possible - provide a variety of worship resources including continuing to stream worship - To be a community centred on Christ for people of all ages and grow in discipleship together: - continue to develop Bible study/fellowship groups and prayer group - support and encourage the involvement of families and young people - create further opportunities to explore and live out the word of God together - explore ways of evangelism and outreach around the Christian festivals and, where appropriate, as part of Churches Together in Cleckheaton and District To serve the community of Cleckheaton and the surrounding area: - offer a welcoming space within the church building for people to meet for fellowship and to combat social isolation - host Cleckheaton Foodbank and provide a venue for other community initiatives - support people in need in practical ways through the community fund and Acts 435 and speak out on behalf of those who find it hard for their voices to be heard - to be aware of our impact on the environment, to encourage and where possible provide opportunities for recycling ## To be a good neighbour globally: - pray for global issues as well as national and local issues - support charities locally and globally which promote social justice - develop and promote understanding of how God’s call to love our neighbour leads us to respond to global issues including climate change - work towards achieving net zero as a church community in line with Methodist Church policy CHURCH O RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Cleckheaton Mèthodist Church FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2025 Clrcult Clrcult no. 27136 Registered Charlty- Charlty Rogl8trallon nUrn￿r If r￿1 a registered charity HI• MaJe8ty8 Revenue and Cu8torns Glft Ald number (The HMRC number is equivalent to a registered charlty number in terns of evidencé of charitable stalus and may be used to giv8 lo donors or grant funders wishing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable status. M8lhodSsl tharilies in England and Wales that are not registsred charllles are excepted from registrallon under Statutory Instnjmenl 2014 No.242) 1163144 Minister. Rev. M8ri8n Olsen Church Sieward$'. Ruth Cole Tim Overend Eddie Bary Andrew Santry Treasurer. Marsia Brancken Church-receipts-aThJ-pawnenls-2025_NO￿ 1of5 Cleckheaton Methodist ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGusf 2025 Clwr¢h SECTION A Fund¥ Funds 81 RECEIPTS a2 Offerin s and Tax recthered Bank and CFB inlefest and Investsnent income 39.118 293 6.844 Letts"n 19,614 75,239 141,815 Other rg¢elpts TOTAL RECEIPTS 12.835 75.518 9.842 10,134 22,676 85,052 la7) SECTION b1 b2 PAYMENTS Clrcult Assessment or Share b3 Donalbons 2,734 b4 Re Irs and Maintenance Utilities Ilnsurances, wat•r char s healin htin 7,307 b5 b8 b7 Other p8 ments TOTAL PAYMENTS 10.353 70AS0 13.984 13,M4 24.337 77.713 149,408 b8 Ib9} SECTION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS c1 1218 7,793 Total lunds bfought forward from 18s1 year 13067S c8 138,468 Sub tolal c1+c2 131,893 130,675 Transfers and a uslm¢nls c7 TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR 02.189 69.704 131￿93 Ic8 130.675 Ic61 SECTION D FOR INFORMATION ONLY: MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERNAL ORGANIPJATIONS the$• *mounts oro not to b• Inelud•d In total r•c•l ur•• •bo d1 Balanco brou ht I￿ard from last d2 Offerln sIGlfts- recelved for extemal o nisalh)n9 d3 Offerin sIGIfts assed io exteml o anisaJons 3.428 5.976 d4 BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID d1+d243 138 2015 cleCk￿ton Methothsl SECTION e Lynmgry&th0 ￿￿￿tarth8 kgai en￿ 31 A￿U$l2025 reFrfty ty)theCMVthC