AGM Report 2023
Rev Matthew Norris
26th February 2023
Introduction
We have survived two very uncertain post-covid years in the life of the church. Many churches and community groups have struggled to survive post-covid. Sadly (tragically) some churches have even had too close.
Many churches up and down the country are experiencing the same things. We are not unique.
We have survived financially and we have been slowly recovering in numbers on a Sunday AM . The church is being used most days of the week for worship and community action. The church building is being hired and used by many groups through out the year. Our community profile is high and in good standing.
We have survived. We are still actively a worshipping community with the presence of God being glorified in the life of the church in Knowle.
Lat year I wrote ‘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 feel that this has started within the life of the church but it is fragile but we continually need to be aware of the pressures all around us for the church to continue to slowly grow and survive.
A ‘Faith’ Charity
Over the last 8 years Nazarene churches, alongside many other independent churches, have had to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
This means we are no longer just held accountable locally or nationally by
BISD. The CIO status now means we are accountable to The Charity Commission.
This was a big change in how we think and account for ourselves as a faith charity. We are no longer a small informal church but a faith charity that has to conform to robust legal requirements.
This shift has been a challenging one as our procedures and processes were informal and not robust enough. We have had to take on board a new way of thinking and start to speak in another language different from the language of previous decades.
One of the big positives of 2022/2023 is that the new trustees have definitely embraced this newness and have begun to shape and mould our faith charity into a more robust organisation.
We have begun to work through and implement(ed) required policies and will continue to work on this over the coming months. Our priority has been creating more robust financial recording and management procedures to ensure we are fully accountable to the Charity Commission, but also to members of our church, who trust us to spend money wisely in order to fulfil church objectives. We are being more diligent around health/safety. We are hiring the building for competitive hire rates and invoicing accordingly. We are making decisions on behalf of the church with a more keen eye on our legal responsibilities.
As trustees we appreciate the huge responsibility we have to look after our church both now and for future generations and we are all taking this responsibility very seriously.
In order to extend our knowledge and skills we have attended Trustee Training sessions and will continue to develop all areas of the trustee board into 2023. If anyone would like to know more about what we do or would like to join the team please let us know, we are working on your behalf and welcome any additional ideas or support.
A good foundation is a strong foundation for the future.
We feel as trustees that it is imperative to a strong spiritual future that we get our faith charity foundations right.
An example : Financial Management and Accountability : One of the hardest jobs in the current context is Treasurer. The role demands much more responsibility than ever before responsible for PAYE, Pension, Recording accounts, ensuring policies are up to date and being adhered too and much more.
In many churches across the BISD they don’t even have a treasurer.
This year we moved away from a single treasurer model and embraced a new Financial Accountability Committee. This has proved a very welcome move. Whereas there was one person with overall responsibility now we have three people actively acting as treasurer for the church. Each person brings their own skills to the table and shares the load of a very complicated modern role with a faith charity.
This change is creating a solid transparent robust financial foundation.
I want to say a big thank you to Sonia Morrison and Don Nichol for being part of this team. It is so encouraging to be part of this team.
This change is representative of other changes at a trustee level. Karon/ Sonia have been working on trustee and pastoral roles, so we have a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities and ensure people working for our church feel valued and supported. Helen is working with myself on Health/Safety. Lee has generously become part of the team by taking on secretary role. Esther continues to be a solid voice in all decisions made and brings a wealth of experience to the team.
There is still work to be done but together we are gradually speaking with a new voice and making intentional decisions to benefit our new tomorrow’s and secure the future of our church.
Risks
One of the responsibilities of the CIO is to make the members aware of risk.
What is a ‘RISK’? The Charity Commission definition is
‘A risk is any event that could prevent a charity achieving its aims or carrying out its strategies.’
Firstly the question needs to be asked ‘What are our aims? Do you know them? Simply put we can look at our mission statement
‘Loving God, Loving Each Other and Loving Our Community’
A risk can be anything that puts this mission statement under threat. What risks are before us? And can we mitigate against them?
Financial : We are ok. We broke even last year. We have savings. We doing ok. But is ok good enough? We need to be mindful of growing costs, looking after an ageing building, a smaller congregation, a different attitude towards giving/tithing, stresses and strains on personal finances and other considerations.
New Community Members : We are welcoming. We care for each other, We reach out. However, do we see the people growing in our congregation/ are we an invitational church? Recently I saw a statistic that people come to church 85% of the time because they were asked by a friend. Are we asking? Or do we think people will just magically appear in our midst?
Building and Properties : At present we are responsible for three buildings. (Praise the Lord) We are blessed but with this blessing comes continued financial responsibility. We need to ask the ‘What if?” Questions. What is the manse needs a new roof? What if Crossways needs a new boiler? What if the church building needs substantial repairs - its nearly 100 years old?
The question is how we can best ensure and empower our main objectives as a church? Do we need to start asking new questions
and having realistic conversations about future giving and how we maintain our buildings?
There are other risks as well. I only mention these three as an example. As trustees we are beginning to face these risks together. As members we all need to open our eyes to our present context and challenge ourselves how we can mitigate the risks too.
Awareness into Presence
We have an excellent Knowle profile. We partner regularly with different groups. We are an established part of our local community. How then do we grow? The age old question.
In our area many people are doing good things for people. Organisations are promising great projects around health and well being. There are groups doing children work and youth work. And yet they don’t do it in the name of God.
What about us? What should we do? What’s are next step?
Personally over this year I would love to see our community engaging in the spiritual adventure of our faith. This is what sets us apart! A holy people trying our best to engage with our Holy God by creating Holy sabbath spaces.
I want our church to be know to be a spiritually adventurous church in Knowle. Not only known for our God works but for our deep active relationship with the God who loves us.
Gratitude
I want to express my heartfelt thank you for everyone who has attended the church over the last 12 months. It is an
encouragement and a blessing to worship with you, commune with you and grow as a community together.
Your presence is a joy. Thank you.
At the start of last year we wanted to create a ‘Loving God, Loving Each Other and Loving Our Community’ church. Your presence has
brought this to fruition. There is a lovely community atmosphere on Sunday and during the week.
I want to say thank you to Dr Ken Baker and Val for coming to Bristol. They have been a deeply encouraging addition to our church family. We would love them to stay with us longer and we are trying to make it happen together.
As always I want to thank Heather, Gabe, Daisy and Bee for being such a support to me. I am blessed.
In Conclusion
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.
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.
What are our new needs as a faith community? What are the new needs of people who live around the church? Are we thinking in the present or are we living in the past? Are we head in sand or current context aware so we can worship and mission into the lives of people all around us?
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.
Your Faithfully
Rev Matthew Norris
23.2.2023
Redcatch Community Church, Bristol Accounts for 2021- 2022 Church Income Slimming World £ 5050.00 Offerings £12380.00 Property Rental £ 8364.00 Bookings £ 2732.00 Gift Aid £ 4451.00 Loan Repayment £ 600.00 Asian Church £ 1970.00 JRS Grant £ 540.00 Transfer from Anniversary £ 250.00 Transfer in from Building £ 3787.00 Coffee £ 2810.00 Gift £ 100.00 GAFGYE Loan £ 1800.00 £ 6000.00 Church Loan Safeguarding Manse maintenance Manse Boiler Travel Projector Oven Licences Church Sign Jubilee Celebrations Miscellaneous £ 1050.00 £ 44.00 £ 1163.00 £ 2700.00 £ 181.00 £ 3247.00 £ 200.00 £ 506.00 £ 1080.00 £ 110.op £1522.00 Total £45625.00 Total Bank Balance O/B Credits Outgoings £50834.00 £12731.00 £50834.00 £45625.00 Church Outgoings British Telecom (Manse) £ 598.00 British Telecom (Church) £ 942.00 Salaries (MN) £10207.00 Gas Serrfice £ 588.00 Nazarene Head Office £ 2652.00 1 EDF (church) £ 1842.00 Gas (church) £ 1310.00 Cleaning £ 1968.00 Wessex Water £ 534.00 Council Tax (Manse) £ 1964.00 Manse Insurance £ 434.00 Kids Club/Youthrroddlers £ 36.00 Utilities (Manse) £ 1956.00 Tax / Nl I Pension (MN) £ 875.00 Cafe £ 769.00 Office £ 154.00 Building Fund £ 2400.00 £ 991.00 0.00 £ 329.00 £ 494.00 23.00 £ 374.00 £ 920.00 52.00 0.00 £ 600.00 £ 800.00 Closing Balance £17940.00 Building Fund Opening Balance Credits Debits (Trans current ac) £21125.00 £ 2400.00 £ 3787.00 Closing Balance £197 8.00 Anniversary Account Opening Balance Credits Debits (Trans to current ac £167 Business Waste Worship Crossways Insurance Covid Expenses Church Maintenance Gift Gift Aid Admin Church Insurance Wages (GN) Church Security& Fire £ 25 Closing Balance £1420.00
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