MATTHEW NORRIS AGM REPORT FEB 2022
I write this report after another 12 months of disruption caused by COVID 19 lockdowns and restrictions. It has been a difficult environment to work within and have tried my best to navigate this context to the best of my abilities. It is hard to work with a remote community. It is hard to stay connected and begin the rebuilding process as the vast majority of the community have been protecting themselves and discovering new rhythms to their daily lives.
Personally it has reminded me how important it is for a faith tribe to gather together regularly, to worship together, to care for one another, to pray, too fast, too serve and too belong together. The gathering together is central to our coherence as a church. Hopefully moving forward wee can once again gather together in deeper and more significant ways.
A Museum or A Living Faith Community
One of the advantages of the last 2 years is that it has given us the ability to reflect on who we are, who we want to be and what the world around us needs us to be.
The world continues to change at a fast pace. Faith is not as celebrated as it once was. People are being stretched by new work practices and work place expectations. People are more focused on their immediate needs around events, holidays and leisure activities. There has been a massive shift from analog thinking to digital thinking. This area is changing. The people `re changing. The new development is coming and is going to have a huge impact on the area.
The old models of doing ‘church’ need to be thought about and reflected upon. Are they still relevant? Are they going to sustain us into the future. Of course there is goodness and beauty in the past and we never want to lose that but also there is a need to press forward into a new future.
As a faith leader I feel that this is a moment in time that we can’t miss. It seems to be that for the majority of people church has become a sort of museum - a familiar sentimental echo of the past. A familiar place but a place to just visit every now and then to satisfy some memory echo or to enhance another non faith event ie Christmas.
We need to adapt. We need to position ourselves in new and modern ways to welcome in the modern seeker of truth and love. We need to seek the life giver and truth speaker. We need to be a passionate connected Holy people
with Christ at the centre of all we are and do. We need to be authentic and active worshippers who proclaim Jesus is Lord.
Over the last 6 months we have been focussing on the theme ‘BELONGING” - to be an ACTS 2 people of GOD loving each other and worshipping together in the face of a hostile world outside our doors.
I recognise lots of different forces working against this over the last 6 months but hopefully as we move forward and away from COVID 19 restrictions we can truly seek the Holy Spirit together to connect us and empower us in new and exciting ways so that we become the living faith community that God wants us to be.
These beginnings of these adaptions can be seen in the practical changes to the church building, the cafe, the move to contactless and BACS tithing, a more social entrepreneurial approach to raising finances and different ways we promote the church in a digital age. These are pragmatic changes positioning the church to face a new future.
Crisis and Risk Management
We have survived 2 very troubled years in the life of the church. We have survived financially. We have been slowly recovering in numbers on a Sunday AM . The church is being used every day of the week by Toddler Groups, Slimming World and many other people who are hiring the space. We have ideas and plans to use the new cafe to reconnect with each other and the community outside.
This is all very positive but it is fragile.
As a Church we need to be thoughtful and conscious about this uncertain future. We are not in a crisis but we need to prepare now so we don’t fall into one. We need to be more intentional about using our resources better and in a more productive way to ensure the church has a long and impactful future.
As Trustees we are beginning to ask these questions and try and utilise the churches resources for the glory of God.
By seeking new revenue streams and creative fundraising ideas/events we can begin to use our resources better so that we can employ others to fill the gaps we require to build a better future.
I would value all your prayers as we seek Gods will within this process. The trustees want to make positive empowering decisions into the future that are saturated in the presence of God to bring abundance to our faith community.
Alongside this conversation we have also begun to formalise our policies to be more in line with the good practice demands by the charity commission. We are a church but we are also a faith charity. This has to be taken seriously. If we don’t conform to the charity commission standards then they have the power to act against us. We have begun a more formalised conversation and have begun to designate roles within the trustees to satisfy these needs.
Health and Safety : Helen Hayes Financial Accountability : Sonia Morrison and Colin Barclay Safeguarding : Karon Nicholl
We want to emerge from the previous two years stronger and more prepared for a positive future.
At this point I want to thank everyone who has continued to support the work of the church during these difficult times. We appreciate your continued support and values every good gift that you have given during these last few years.
THIS IS US!
Since September 2021 we have been tracking the churches progress - the people who have been attending are probably the people who are going to attend - the finances we have in the bank are the start up finances for our rebuild. This is who we are and probably who we will be for a little while. This is US!
I urge you to stop looking at empty seats and focus your hearts, minds and Christlikeness on those who are present. We all need each other. We need to take responsibility for each other. We need to be Acts 2 people filled with the presence and sharing our lives together. This is who God wants us to be! This is us!
A New Adventure.
As a church we need to start a new spiritual adventure. We need to be seeking new wine to fill new wine skins. We need to be pressing forward into a new and exciting time of Gods presence and Gods good gifts. I cannot walk this adventure alone. I am only responsible for my own adventure with GOD. We all need to find a new spiritual place in our hearts where recommit to seeking the way, the truth and the life of Christ. This is God’s church but we need to be connected belonging spiritual people. We need to become a
living spiritual faith community loving each other first and seeking how we invite others onto this adventure with us.
In Conclusion
This is US! Protect it. Cherish it. Work for each other. Worship. Gather. Pray together. Be creative. Serve one another. Belong. This is the way. This is who we are and who God wants us to become. Let’s start a new journey together and be present to the God who is present.
Submitted
Rev Matthew Norris 12.2.2022
Church of the Nazarene. Bristol Accounts for 2020- 2021 Church Income Slimming World Offerings Propety Rental Bookings Gift Aid Loan Repayment Asian Church JRS Grant Electricity Refund Transfer in Building Coffee Gift Church Security Hospitality £ 525.00 £ 16.00 £ 1650.00 £11615.00 £ 8500.00 £ 2644.00 £ 3307.00 £ 1635.00 300.00 £ 5067 00 Total £41521.00 Bank Balance OIB Credits Outgoings £14924.00 £39328.00 £41521.00 £ 4017.00 2ts i.ljo 65.00 Closing Balance £12731.00 Total £39328.00 Building Fund Opening Balance £22742.00 Credits £ 2400.00 Debits ffrans current ac) £ 4017.00 Church Outgoings British Telecom (Manse) £ 602.00 British Telecom (Church) £ 915.00 Salaries (MN) Gas Service £10207.00 Nazarene Head Office £ 547.00 EDF (church) £ 2652.00 Gas (church) £ 588.00 £ 1203.00 Cleaning Wessex Water £ 1820.00 £ 507.00 Council Tax (Manse) £ 1896.00 Manse Insurance £ 566.00 Kids ClublYOuthoddIerS £ 52.00 Jtilities (Manse) £ 1359.00 Tax l Nl / Pension (MN) £ 1420.00 Café £ 474.00 Office £ 108.00 Building Fund £ 2400.00 £ 264.00 £ 146.00 £ 972.00 £ 949.00 £ 463.00 £ 250.00 £ 560.00 £ 6215.00 £ 100.00 90.00 £ 2844.00 £ 650.00 Closlng Balance £21125.00 Anniversary Account Opening Balance £1670.00 Credrts 0.00 Debrts (Trans to current ac) £ 0.00 Closing Balance £1670.00 Business Waste Worship Online Crossways Insurance Training Covid Expenses Church Maintenance Gift Gift Aid Admin Church Insurance Wages {GNI
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts S•cllon A Indepfrndent ExamIr.$ R•port fOL IL Trl(JC c Report to the tru¥t•MI, Le---"" memb&rs of DQ On accounts foi the year •nd•d 2ts20 - Charlty no {If any) S•t out on pAge• I report to the twslees on my examinatv)n of the acuunts ofthe oLMy charrty Trusl'l for the year erk1ed R•8ponslbllltle8 and AS the charity tNste88 of the Trust, you are re$wlb1e for the pr8pgrgti¢)n of bails of report the accounts in accordance with th8 rtsJuiremnts of Chanb"esAct 2011 {IhgArf). I ret¥)rt in resFéd of my exarninatn of tho Tru$Vs accounts wied oul Ider sodhjn 145 of the 2011 Act ar in carying out my examinats'on. I have lollchved the applicable Dirndions given by the Chanty Commi88ion 8ection 145(511bl of the Ad. I have o)mpkled my examination. I confirni that no motgri01 mattèrs have come lo my attenti lolher than that disclosed below") in connection wilh the examination *thich g m8 cauee to believe that in. any maleri Independent examinerf8 8tatoment acthintsrvJ recwd8 we(e ke0 in accordanc4 with 8e¢tion 130 of IheAd or I have no Mncems have no other matters in connection the examination to lch attenlh?n Should be drawn in order to enable proper underslandiro of the accounts to be reached. ' H08se d81ele Ihe in Ihe br8ckets rfth&y do nol apply. sld. D•t•: li 2o2J Name: Relevant Pfofesslonal I qu•llfiudonl8) or body (If anyl- Esc IER OCtor 2018
Address: . Section 8 Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight matters ol concem (see CC32, IrKlependent examinats' of charity accounts.. direth'¢)ns and guKlan¢e for examiners). Givo hern brlef details of any items that th• examiner wish•s to dIs¢lo. IER October 2018