2021-12-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2021

V 1.0 (Final)

	Contents	Page
1	Introduction	2
2	Governance	3
3	Report on the Proceedings of the PCC and the Activities of the Parish: Deeper, Wider, Further	8
4	Fabric, Goods and Ornaments Report	17
5	Financial Commentary and Accounts	18
	Appendices
A	Independent Examiner’s Report
B	Mission Action Plan 2021-2026

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1. Introduction

St Anne’s is a genuinely mixed East End church with a passion for . straightforward Bible teaching

At the 2021 Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), we adopted a new 5 year 1 Mission Action Plan (MAP) . In summary, as we approach our tercentenary in 2030, we want to go “deeper, wider and further”:

• a) Deeper relationships with God and one another

• growing more loving relationships with our heavenly Father and our brothers and sisters in Christ

• b) Wider outreach and diversity of ages and backgrounds

• especially teens and twenties, and non-white and non-middle class people

• c) Further growth in our capacity for ministry

• including training gospel workers and substantial progress towards the renewal of our building.

This Annual Report describes the progress we have made towards these goals during the year. At the same time, it is designed to meet the reporting requirements of both the Church of England and the Charity Commission.

Four sections follow this Introduction

• Section 2 contains obligatory information concerning the governance of the church.

• Section 3 reviews the progress made during the year towards our MAP objectives

• Section 4 focuses on the care and development of the church building and its contents

1 See Appendix B.

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2. Governance

2.1 Overview

The Parish of St Anne’s Limehouse is within the Church of England Diocese of London (Stepney Area). In January 2017, the PCC passed a resolution to request, on the grounds of theological conviction, that arrangements be made for it in accordance with the House of Bishops’ Declaration of Bishops and Priests. It is now under the extended episcopal oversight of the Bishop of Maidstone

The Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 defines the principal function, or purpose, of the PCC as “promoting in the parish the whole mission of the church”. As such, the PCC oversees the life of the Church at St Anne’s, supervises the accounts of the parish and the maintenance of the fabric of the building, and works with and supports the Rector in promoting the mission and ministry of the Church to be a “Genuinely mixed East End Church with a passion for straightforward Bible teaching”. It pursues its charitable objectives to the public benefit through the provision of Christian worship for those it serves in the parish, community events as described below, children’s education, the provision of space to orchestras and other local organisations, and charitable fundraising and donations.

Bankers

HSBC 69 Pall Mall London SW1Y 5EY

Independent Examiner

Alan Bright, BSc 22 Peridot Street Beckton London E6 5LZ

Charity Registration Number

1164249

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2.2 Parochial Church Council (PCC)

The governing documents of the PCC are:

• The Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended:

• www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/Eliz2/4-5/3/contents

• The Church Of England Representation Rules:

• www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/1969/2/schedule/3

It is also subject, as a registered charity, to the requirements of the Charities Commission. The principles of the Charities Governance Code are complied with as follows:

follows:
Charities Governance Code Principle	How St Anne’s Complies
1 Organisational purpose	The activities of the PCC and the church are given direction by a Mission Action Plan (MAP) that was approved at the 2021 APCM and is reviewed annually. The MAP is included as an Appendix to this Report. A full revision will be undertaken after 5 years (i.e. in 2026).
2 Leadership	The leadership structure of the parish, and its mode of operation, comply with Church of England regulations.
3 Integrity	The requirements for leaders and trustees (PCC members) comply with legal and Church of England requirements. Leaders and trustees are expected to pursue a godly lifestyle as set out in Scripture. In 2018, the PCC approved a conflict of interest policy.
4 Decision-making, risk and control	The Annual Report of the PCC to the APCM monitors progress and expenditure against the MAP. The accounts are independently examined. The PCC regularly reviews financial and non-financial risks and receives reports from the Safeguarding, Health and Safety and Data Protection Compliance Officers. There are no subcommittees apart from the mandatory Standing Committee. However, the PCC is represented by at least one member as well as the Rector on two joint subcommittees with the independent Care for St Anne’s charity, one concerned with fund-raising for building projects and the other with the building projects themselves.
5 Board effectiveness	The whole PCC is elected every year. This decision is reviewed at least every 6 years at the APCM. The size of the PCC is currently fixed at 9 members plus the incumbent. The decision on the size of the PCC is reviewed annually at the APCM, with the decision taking effect at the subsequent APCM. The PCC meets at least six times a year.
6 Diversity	All PCC members are confessing Christians pursuing a godly lifestyle as set out in Scripture. Within this, the membership of the PCC reflects, as far as possible, the diversity of the congregation and is committed to preserving the “genuinely mixed East End” character of St Anne’s.
7 Openness and accountability	Accountability and openness are ensured by adherence to Church of England regulations, including those governing the electoral roll and APCM. In 2018, the PCC approved a volunteer policy and complaints procedure.

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The PCC met 6 times during 2021. All PCC members are elected for a one year term but may stand for re-election at the following APCM. Membership of the PCC during the year was as follows:

		Member of PCC since:	Date of resignation
The Revd. Richard Bray	Rector and Chair	27 Jun 2009
Mr Alexander Kershaw	Churchwarden until 18 April 2021; Vice-chair; Deanery Synod Rep.	30 Apr 2002
Mr Arthur Wolstenholme	Treasurer	18 May 2020
Miss Sarah-Jane Austin	Secretary; Deanery Synod Rep. from 18 April 2021	10 Apr 2016
Mr Derrick Cutler	Sidesperson Co-coordinator	10 Apr 2011
Mr Gabriel Ezemah	Churchwarden from 18 April 2021	18 Oct 2020
Mr Paul King		2 Apr 2017
Dr Matthew Laube	Churchwarden and Deanery Synod Rep. from 18 April 2021	18 Oct 2020
Mrs Hazel Parker-Brown		7 Apr 2019	10 Jul 2021
Mrs Carol Tilbury		18 Oct 2020
Mrs Amy Endersby		22 Nov 2021

2.3 Relationship to Care for St Anne’s

Care for St Anne’s (CFSA) is an independent charity, During the year, the relationship between Care for St Anne’s and the PCC was clarified in a document agreed by both the PCC and the Management Committee of CFSA.

There are two joint sub-committees of representatives from both charities:

• the Project Group, which oversees work on the building

• The Fund-Raising Group, which prepares bids for grant funding and initiates other fund-raising activities.

Both these groups are chaired by the Rector. During the year, the Rector became interim Chair of the CFSA Management Committee.

2.4 Electoral Roll

The number of names on the Electoral Roll, compared with 2020, was:

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	Start of year	APCM	End of year
2020	101	103	103
2021	103	112	121

2.5 Staff, Volunteers and Training

The church employed one full-time senior staff member, Kate McNab, throughout the year.

At the start of the year there were two Ministry Trainees, Robin Emmanuel and Matthew Endersby. Trainees study part-time at the Cornhill Training Course and for the rest of the week undertake a variety of leadership and administrative roles at St Anne’s to gain ministry experience. St Anne’s provides a contribution to their fees and accommodation. A further member of the congregation studied at Cornhill at his own expense.

In the autumn, Robin Emmanuel became a part-time staff member with some of his time seconded to London Gospel Partnership in an administrative role. Matthew Endersby continued his traineeship.

Two retired members of the church volunteer their time for several days a week and attend team meetings twice a term. Over 60 other members of the church have been involved at some point on regular rotas or helped with specific tasks or special events.

2.6 Safeguarding

The PCC has adopted the safeguarding policy of the Diocese of London and reviews this annually. There is a link to it on the St Anne’s website.

Throughout 2021:

• the PCC complied with the duty to have “due regard” to the House of Bishops’ guidance in relation to safeguarding

• St Anne’s was registered with the independent safeguarding charity recommended by the Church of England, Thirtyone:eight.

• Dr Jay Buscombe continued as the Church Safeguarding Officer (CSO )and Alex Kershaw as the Children’s Advocate for St Anne’s

• Richard Bray and Jay Buscombe were Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Evidence Checkers.

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• members of the congregation and staff team were encouraged to be DBS checked (and re-checked) and to complete the online training required for their roles in service.

Prior to the 2021 APCM we completed and submitted all the required annual audit documentation to the diocese in line with their safeguarding policy. We have also completed all necessary steps highlighted in the Revised Parish Safeguarding Checklist including:

• appointment of Richard Bray as Lead Recruiter

• adoption of the Code of Safer Working Practice and other guidance at PSH 11.1-4 and 12 which was rolled out to all volunteers working with children, young people or vulnerable adults,

• adoption of a policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders

• a review of the parish procedures for responding to complaints and grievances

• a review of our Activity Risk Assessment for each activity associated with children or vulnerable adults run in the name of the church

• the creation of a DBS and Safeguarding tracker spreadsheet.

The PCC also carried out a review of safeguarding and healthy church culture.

2.7 Health and Safety

• Health & Safety is a standing item on the PCC agenda and the policy is reviewed and if necessary updated annually.

• Work was completed to instal a safety line and make safety improvements to roof access.

2.8 Data Protection

• Data Protection is a standing item on the PCC agenda and the policy is reviewed and if necessary updated annually.

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3. Report on the Proceedings of the PCC and the Activities of the Parish: Deeper, Wider, Further

3.1. Overview of 2021

The year began with the third lockdown of the CoVid 19 pandemic, with most people watching the live-streamed services from home. Church life gradually returned to something like normal, as it became safe first to attend in person again, then to sing and, by summer, to celebrate a modified version of the communion service. Our huge building and outside space were a great blessing as we always had enough room to distance, could serve coffee out of doors in fine weather and could use the churchyard for social events.

The church’s year was also impacted by the Rector’s three month study leave from June to August, during which Kate McNab ably led the Ministry Trainee team, supported by the wardens and other members of the core leadership. Most of the preaching was done by Ministry Trainees and church family members. The Rector used his study leave to research Anglican ecclesiology and plural eldership; his discoveries and conclusions were then fed back to the PCC in the autumn and will contribute to a topical sermon series in Spring 2022.

We were blessed by having Rev Phil Martin and his family continue with us for another half-year. Although Phil was not specifically licensed to St Anne’s, he and the family were members of St Anne’s and Phil was especially helpful in preaching and celebrating communion during the Rector’s study leave. He and the family have been sorely missed since they left to focus on their City ministry in the autumn.

Other highlights of the year have included:

• Continued healthy growth in the size and the depth of discipleship of the church family

• The increasingly international character of the church family, boosted by the arrival locally of asylum seekers from around the world. Some have become valued church members.

• Progress in the building project, in terms both of the architect’s Master Plan and plans for fund-raising.

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3.2. Deeper Relationships with God and one another

• We aimed to “grow in discipleship by more than we grow in overall attendance” . By the end of 2021, there were over 55 adults in regular small groups compared with 45-50 in 2020. There was also a small increase in attendance at monthly prayer meetings. The pandemic makes it difficult to compare overall attendance figures but an average of 92 people attended in the last four weeks of October 2021 (with 63 online views). compared with 79 (and 56 online) in 2020. Attendance in person is gradually building to the prepandemic levels when we regularly saw 100+ in church. The Sunday evening service did not re-start until November and remains small but is invaluable to those who cannot attend in the morning..

	Topics this year
Sunday sermons	Matthew 21-23, “God and money”, the story of Joseph, John 4-5, Psalms 84-89, the Servant Songs of Isaiah, 1 John
Evening Home Groups	The Generosity Project, 1 Kings, Titus, Matthew 1-4
Men’s daytime group	Genesis
Tuesday “Dig In” ladies’ daytime group	Mark, Bible Overview, 1 Peter, Exodus
Wednesday and Thursday ladies’ daytime groups	Romans, Bible Overview
Courses for beginners and enquirers	• Christianity Explored (2 courses with 2 attendees each) • Discipleship Explored with a follow-on series in Acts(6 attendees) • Life Explored (6 attendees)

• We aimed to “grow deep church family relationships across

• .

• demographic boundaries” The year has seen an increase in organised social gatherings, including three summer picnics in the churchyard (with music and football), Monday afternoon gatherings in a local cafe, ladies’ coffee and craft afternoons in the churchyard, men’s and women’s social evenings and the return of bring-and-share lunches. It has also become more common for diverse groups of church members to meet together or visit one another’s homes informally.

• . We aimed to “develop a culture of joyful service without undue burden”

• In 2021 we elected two new wardens, coped without a Rector during his threemonth sabbatical, started several new initiatives and welcomed many new

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people to the pool of those volunteering to serve in various capacities. We have been particularly blessed by the service of some of our teenagers in music, technology, welcoming and other roles.

• We aimed to “deepen practical and pastoral care both through small

groups and outside of them.” The small groups have strengthened in pastoral depth as well as numbers, and it is becoming more common to see or hear of church members supporting one another spiritually and praying together after church and in ad hoc contexts. The staff also meet one-to-one with individuals as need arises and resources permit.

• We aimed to “support families in Christian discipleship.”

• a) There is now a small but established Youth Group meeting on Sunday afternoons in the crypt.

• b) In Sunday Club, which meets during the morning service, the Trailblazers (years 6 to 9) have grown in number. However, the Scramblers and Climbers groups for younger children declined in number during the pandemic. Pre-recorded material was provided online during the spring lockdown and in-person lessons were socially distanced in the summer term. Lessons during the year were drawn from Luke, Acts, Daniel and Exodus.

• c) Bible Tots was suspended completely from the first lockdown until September 2021, when it re-started with a very small number of children. Prior to that, distanced “pods” were provided in the West porch where a parent could follow the service while toddlers played,

• d) Overall, there were on average 14 under-16s in church on the last four Sunday mornings in October 2021, compared with averages on the equivalent Sundays of 20 in 2020 and 25 in 2019.

3.3. Wider outreach and diversity of ages and backgrounds

• We aim to “grow in remarkable diversity, including amongst hard-to- . reach groups in our community”

• a) The biggest impact on our diversity in 2021 was from Christian asylum seekers coming to live in the parish. In the summer, the government set up an asylum seekers hostel in the parish and others have been settled nearby in more permanent accommodation. It is not unusual after church for conversations over coffee to be taking place in multiple

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languages as well as across generational and social backgrounds. We also belong to the Welcome Church Network.

• b) Prayers have been answered for better representation from 11-30 year olds, with more teenagers and 20-somethings. This is providing the older children with good role-models as well as giving teenagers and young adults a peer group to relate to.

• c) During the pandemic, however, the number of families with young children decreased markedly. We are praying for more such families, both believers and not-yet believers to join us soon.

• .

• We aim to “actively develop a diversity of leaders and role models”

• Neither of the two church wardens newly elected this year is British by birth and the PCC remains, as far as possible, representative of the range of ages and backgrounds in the congregation.

• We aim to “make our corporate life together accessible” but also “train .

• believers through our services” Sunday sermons are designed to strengthen believers and yet be accessible to newcomers. We use a variety of music styles, ranging from classical hymns with organ accompaniment to contemporary songs led by a growing music group of vocalists, guitars, piano and kagon. Until the evening service re-started in November, a Sunday evening Zoom call enabled church members and newcomers alike to discuss the sermon and ask any questions. The Sunday evening service continues to give an opportunity for questions after the sermon.

• We aim to “develop our outreach to identifiable groups, whether through .

• our own programmes… or through other networks” The normal cycle of outreach events gradually resumed as the year progressed and pandemic restrictions eased. Over the summer, we also discovered the potential of the inner churchyard for new events especially when using the gazebos, ice cream and slush machines and games equipment we were entrusted with by London City Mission’s Café Forever when it closed in the Spring. A summary of the year’s outreach events is on the next page.

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	Outreach events in 2021
Chatterbox	• Stay and play group for under 4s and their carers • “Chatterbox in the Sun” was held in the inner churchyard in the second half of the summer term • Normal Chatterbox restarted in the crypt in September after an 18 month gap and quickly developed a core of regular families
Who Let the Dads Out?!	• Stay and play group for under 4s and their male carers • Restarted with a new team in the autumn after a long gap
The Word	• After school Bible club for Years 3 to 6 at Stepney Greencoat School in term time • Restarted in September with record numbers attending
Other schools work	• Regular opportunities for members of the staff and congregation to lead assemblies, teach RE classes etc. • Visits to the church by groups from various schools and nurseries
GrowTH	• Tower Hamlets churches’ night shelter for the homeless • Located in a hotel rather than churches during the pandemic but members of the church family helped with hosting and meals
Quiz nights	• Community quizzes with fsh and chips and a talk or testimony • After Spring and Summer quiz nights online, the Autumn quiz was held in church with record attendance of about 50 people
Ladies’ craft events	• Afternoon “Coffee and Creativity” sessions held monthly in the summer in the churchyard • Christmas craft evening held in church in November
Easter Experience	• Interactive presentation of the Easter story for families in the churchyard on Good Friday
Crazy Golf	• Community outreach event in August in the inner churchyard
Sunday Funday	• Welcoming the community at the start of the new school year with a bouncy castle, games, stalls, entertainment and food • Bigger and better than ever in 2021, with about 400 attending
London Marathon	• Delayed until October this year due to the pandemic. • Open air service followed by provision of hot drinks and access to toilets for spectators and stewards all afternoon
The Great Rescue	• Activity day for reception to Year 9 during autumn half-term • Jonah, taught age-appropriately to three different age groups • The middle and youngest groups were fully booked
Carol singing	• Christmas outreach to housing developments, the housebound, a local women’s hostel and in public spaces around the parish

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• We aim to “harness the language and cross-cultural skills of church members” . While our aspiration is at some point to reach out to the Bengali community amongst whom we live, the Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Polish and Farsi skills of church members have been more relevant this year. However, many of the Bengali community come to the Funday and a few have came to Easter Experience and Chatterbox.

• We aim to “make the most of the opportunities afforded by a significant .

• and landmark building” The church now has a regular heritage open day every Thursday; staff and church family members in the building that day sometimes have opportunities to share the gospel with the regular stream of visitors. The church also hosted a meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings, regularly hosts the Limehouse Community Forum history night, and participates in the national Open House weekend.

• We aim to “be well-known in the wider community and… make the most of cultural points of contact such as Remembrance, Christmas and Easter, baptisms, weddings and funerals”.

• a) Easter this year was still under some pandemic restrictions. The Easter Experience had to be an outdoor community event rather than, as in pre-pandemic years, an indoor event for Year 4 school groups but was a great success. The usual Maundy Thursday meal was replaced by an online Virtual Tour of the Holy Land. We were also able to hold an openair sunrise service on Easter Day with Tower Hamlets Community Church. The subsequent Easter morning service was slightly better attended than in 2019 and also had viewings online (the 2020 service was only online).

• b) The Remembrance Day service was slightly less well attended than in 2019 but as usual attracted a number of people who do not otherwise attend St Anne’s.

• c) A full programme of Christmas services was possible this year:

• Family Carols

• Midweek Carols by Candlelight

• Stepney Greencoat School service.

• “All Together Christmas” (doubles as the Chatterbox Christmas party)

• Sunday Evening Carols by Candlelight

• Christmas Eve Christingle service

• Christmas Eve midnight service

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• Christmas morning service

It was particularly encouraging that, in spite of our generally low numbers of young children in the church family, there were 48 children at family carols and many more at All Together Christmas and Christingle.

• d) There were 2 weddings and 2 funerals in the church during the year, as well as 5 adult baptisms and 3 baptisms of children under 3. A highlight of 2021 was the baptism and confirmation service conducted by the Bishop of Maidstone in May at which 8 from the church and 2 from other churches were confirmed, baptised or reaffirmed their baptismal vows. It was the best attended service of the year.

3.4. Further growth in our capacity for ministry

• We aim to “grow to 150 adults at our main service and consider steps beyond that”. As described above, in-person attendance at the main service steadily built up towards pre-pandemic levels, with 74 adults on average in the last four weeks of October. It is difficult to estimate how many of the online views are from church members and how many from more distant friends of the church. The staff team and PCC regularly discuss ways to encourage further attendance at both services.

• We aim to “foster every-member ministry”, “develop new generations of leaders and deepen the quality of our Bible teaching in small groups and . Sunday Club” and “grow our staff team”

• a)Many church members volunteered in various capacities for the first time while others continued in faithful service.

• b)An online “Dig Deeper” course in the Spring trained small group leaders and potential future leaders in Bible handling skills.

• c)A number of members of the congregation attended the Cornhill Summer School.

• d)Matt Endersby continued his Cornhill studies while working aport-time as a Ministry Trainee while one other member fo the congregation studied at Cornhill alongside secular employment.

e)Robin Emmanuel joined the staff on completion of his Cornhill course.

• We aim to “train church members in confidence in the gospel and the .

• priority of mission” One purpose of the ladies’ craft sessions in the

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gospel and motivation for outreach has also grown through church family members seeing the change the gospel makes in the lives of new believers. Several people gave powerful testimonies online or in person during the year. Towards the end of the year, early preparation began for the Passion for Life outreach week in 2022.

• We aim “for our building to be fully realising its huge potential as a resource for gospel ministry by 2030” . This is discussed in detail in the

“Fabric and Ornaments” report below,

• .

• a)In the Spring, a sermon series on God and Money was accompanied by several of the home groups completing the Generosity Project study course.

• b)Soon after, our partner church in Ghana asked if we could provide any items for their Sunday school and Youth Group. The response exceeded all expectations; £545 was donated to buy 62 age-appropriate Bibles and we also sent gifts in kind of toys and craft supplies.

• c)As the Finance Report below shows, St Anne’s has also been blessed by a healthy increase in regular giving to church funds by the church family during the pandemic, despite losing some core families who moved away. Many also provided practical support to fellow-members of church family.

3.5. Partnerships and networks

The MAP also states that we, “seek mutual encouragement with other faithful churches and ministries, and pray and work towards greater faithfulness where needed”. The following table outlines our partnerships, many of which have already been mentioned in previous sections.

International partnerships	• Redeemer City Church, Accra, Ghana • Eglise Emmanuel, Etterbeek, Belgium • Portia Yiadom, Relite, Ghana
Local area partnerships	• GrowTH: the Rector is a Trustee • CrossTeach • London City Mission

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Schools • Stepney Greencoat: the Rector is a Governor and took over as Chair of Governors in autumn 2021. The church also nominates two further governors. • CrossTeach • University of Cumbria: the Rector is an Honorary Chaplain Church networks • Deanery Synod: we have three representatives • East End Gospel Network • East London Women in Ministry: Kate McNab is coordinator • London Gospel Partnership: the Rector is Committee Chair and Robin Emmanuel provides administrative support • Proclamation Trust: the Rector and Kate McNab assist with Cornhill training • ReNew

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4.Fabric, Goods and Ornaments

4.1. Regular Maintenance and Improvements

• John Bailey of Thomas Ford Associates was appointed as the new Quinquennial Inspector. The Quinquennial Inspection was completed and identified no major issues other than the east window.

• A new cheaper quote was obtained for the restoration of the east window; fund-raising for this continues.

• The work to instal a safety line and make other safety improvements to the roof, funded by external grants, was completed and billed on schedule.

• During the year, the broadband was upgraded to reach all areas of the building, including the crypt and west porch.

• The equipment used to livestream services was upgraded, funded by an external grant.

• The sound engineer corrected defects in the PA system.

• Towards the end of the year, the PCC approved expenditure on organ repairs and steeplejack works to repair masonry on the tower. It is expected that these works will be completed in the spring.

4.2. Vision 2030: The Tercentenary Project

• John Bailey of Thomas Ford Associates was commissioned to produce a Master Plan for the restoration and reordering of the entire site (all levels of the church plus the churchyard). The Master Plan is funded by an Area Finance Grant and contributions from the PCC and CFSA. Following a period of stakeholder consultation and the review, selection and refinement of options, an exciting plan was presented to the church family and CFSA in November. It provides lift access to all floors, removal of pews, flexible use of the whole crypt, and improved toilets, kitchen lighting and heating.

• Catherine Jackson of Compton Fundraising Associates was commissioned, as “future-shaping and fund-raising consultant”, to conduct a study into the feasibility of raising sufficient funds to complete the Master Plan. The ongoing Fund-raising Feasibility Study is jointly funded by the PCC and CFSA.

• Planning began for a new “restoration and history” website to replace the equivalent pages of the church website. This will be funded by CFSA.

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5. Financial Commentary

5.1. Summary

the bank, and an operating surplus of £2,123 (2020: £4,278 operating surplus 2019: £2,538 operating surplus, 2018: £53,468 operating deficit). This reflected a 52% year-on-year (YoY) increase in total expenditure in 2021 and a 49% YoY increase in income in 2021. The year-end position of £89,171 compares with the 2020 year-end balance of £87,048.

It should be noted that St Anne's has planned for an operating deficit for the 2022 financial year, in order to deliver its Mission Action Plan and other charitable activities. However, the planned deficit is consistent with the Church’s reserve policy. The PCC is conscious that it needs to be vigilant in monitoring its finances going forward, but is satisfied that on prudent assumptions, it can support commitments currently entered into.

5.2. Income

Total income in the period was £244,300 (2020: £163,985), representing a YoY increase of 49%.

Compared to 2020, the biggest differences came from:

1. Grants, legacies etc (2021: £45,345. 2020: £0)

2. Building hire (2021: £44,579. 2020: £31,758)

3. 3.Giving from the Church congregation, including regular giving, Church collections and other giving (2021: £144,228, 2020:£128,469)

Taking these in turn, the income from Grants, legacies etc came from one large grant to cover some safe access building work, and a couple of smaller but nonetheless sizeable grants/legacies.

Rental income includes both the ongoing contract with a mobile phone company, as well as the renting out of the building as one offs for film crews, weddings and other events.

Congregational giving has also increased at a healthy pace, approximately in line with the increase in members of the congregation.

5.3. Expenditure

Our 2021 total expenditure came to £242,177, which represents a 52% increase on

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2020

Compared to 2020, the biggest differences in expenditure came from

1. The building project (2021: £36,401. 2020: £0)

2. Mission support (2021: £19,722. 2020: £2,440)

3. 3.Utilities (2021: £22,240. 2020: £10,238)

4. 4.Parish support staff costs (2021: £50,721. 2020: £38,623)

5. 5.Hiring a fundraising consultant to help raise funds for our tercentenary building appeal (2021: £3,495. 2020: £0)

Taking these in turn, the building project expenditure of approximately £36k spent on safe access work for the building in April and May, was largely covered by a grant.

The increase in mission support is partly catching up from 2020 in which we gave less to our sister church Emmanuel Etterbeek than had been agreed (see 2020 annual report for more details) and partly from new partnerships we have developed with ministries both in the UK and around the world.

The increase in utility spending is due partly to ongoing energy cost prices and partly from more frequent use of the building.

The extra parish support costs are from increased number of full-time staff on the team.

Finally, we have spent £3,495 on hiring Compton fundraising, a fundraising consultant who the PCC are jointly employing with Care for St Anne’s in order to help raise funds for the tercentenary project mentioned above.

5.4. Outlook

been able to build up in prior years and the PCC focus on maintaining a healthy financial reserve. In 2022 the PCC will continue to consider carefully how best to balance its ambition with its available resources, while maintaining a prudent reserve, in line with its reserves policy. Our aim is to secure regular planned giving to match regular committed expenditure and we have been making good progress towards that.

In parallel, we are making good headway in securing funds for a major renovation project of the building. We are working in partnership with a separate charity, Care for St Anne, to ensure this happens.

The PCC is keenly aware of its obligations of stewardship to manage expenditure

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robustly and encourage increased regular giving. We are very thankful to be in a phase of growing the church within Limehouse and will continue to seek to use the funds that are available to us efficiently and effectively.

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Statement of Financial activities

1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021

Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds - for building work Endowment Funds Total Funds 2021 Total Funds Prior Year (2020)	Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds - for building work Endowment Funds Total Funds 2021 Total Funds Prior Year (2020)
Income and endowments from:
Donations, grants and legacies	£154,228 £35,345 - £189,573 £128,468 £1,312 - - £1,312 £1,575 £53,415 - - £53,415 £33,942 - - - - - £208,955 £35,345 £244,300 £163,985
Income from charitable activities
Other trading activities
Investments
Total Income
Expenditure on:
Raising funds	£3,495 £151,754 £34,345 £186,099 £114,150 £52,584 £52,584 £45,558 £207,832 £34,345 £242,177 £159,708
Charitable activities
Maintenance activities
Total expenditure
Surplus/(Defcit)	£2,123 £2,123 £4,278
Transfers between funds
Total funds brought forward	£87,048 £0 £82,819 £89,171 £0 £87,048
Total funds carried forward

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Analysis of Income and Expenditure

1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021

Incoming resources	2021	Prior Year (2020)
Giving
Regular giving, Parish Giving Scheme and Gift Aid	£109,932	£95,161
Church collections	£11,673	£3,960
Other giving	£22,623	£29,348
Grants, legacies etc.	£45,345	£0
Total giving	£189,573	£128,468
Other income
Hire of crypt/church/parking spaces	£44,579	£31,758
Income from charitable activities	£1,312	£1,575
VAT reclaim £2,184	£8,836	£2,184
Total other income	£54,727	£35,517
Total resources	£244,300	£163,985

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Expenditure	2021	Prior Year (2020)
Raising funds	£3,495	£0
Charitable activities
Diocesan Common Fund	£68,000	£68,000
Expenses	£7,709	£3,182
Mission support	£19,722	£2,440
Printing, website maintenance & technology costs	£998	£317
Church mission action plan activities	£1,605	£2,844
Quarterly fees to diocese	£943	£894
Building project*	£36,401	£0
Parish support staff costs**, expenses and Cornhill training support	£50,721	£38,623
Total expenditure on charitable activities	£186,099	£114,150
Maintenance activities
Insurance	£9,429	£9,783
Utilities	£22,240	£10,238
Building maintenance costs	£20,915	£23,387
Total expenditure on maintenance activities	£52,584	£45,558
Expenditure total	£242,178	£159,708

*Almost entirely covered by “restricted fund” grants as mentioned in the summary table

**Payroll services are provided by Stewardship and staff are enrolled in the Church of England Church Workers Pension Fund (Pension Builder 2014, which is a cash balance scheme that provides a lump sum that members use to provide benefits at retirement).

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Balancg Sheet ?12￿ 11111 ￿1￿/2020 Current occount £89.171 £87.048 (HSBC) Deposit account (HSBC) Total curr•nt £89.In £87.048 ass•ts Uabllltl•s Not ass•t surplus £89.In £87.048 Annual roport and accounts lor 2021 propar•d and approv•d by th• PCC on 28 Mareh 2021. Slgnod by Richard Bray Ractor and Chalr ol th• PCC s-f Sarah-Jan• Austln PCC S•cr•tary 24

Appendix A

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ Charity Name The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Anne’s members of Limehouse On accounts for the year 31 December 2021 Charity no 1164249 ended (if any) Set out on pages 18-24 of the attached (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 /12 / 2021

Responsibilities and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”) .

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matter has examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination that gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

• the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or

• the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or

• the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed: Alan Bright

Date: 25 March 2022

Name: ALAN BRIGHT Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 22 Peridot Street Beckton

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Oct 2018

IER

LONDON E6 5LZ

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

2

Oct 2018

IER

Appendix B

Mission Action Plan | 2021

• “A genuinely mixed East End church with a passion for straightforward Bible teaching.”

As we approach our tricentenary in 2030, we want to go deeper, wider and further:

• a) Deeper relationships with God and one another

growing more loving relationships with our heavenly Father and our brothers and sisters in Christ

• b) Wider outreach and diversity of ages and backgrounds

especially teens and twenties, and non-white and non-middle class people

• c) Further growth in our capacity for ministry

including training gospel workers and substantial progress towards the renewal of our building

1. Deeper relationships with God and one another

“… make disciples… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20

• We will pray and work for progress in discipleship and service for every individual we come into contact with. We aim to grow in discipleship[1] by more than we grow in overall Sunday attendance.

• We will grow deep church family relationships across demographic boundaries through social interaction and hospitality, ad hoc groups such as prayer triplets, and occasional trips and events, as well as regular services and small groups.

• We will develop a culture of joyful service without undue burden, and grow our resilient capacity as a church. We accept that this may mean a slower pace of new initiatives or stopping doing good things.

• We will deepen practical and pastoral care both through small groups and outside of them.

• We aim to support families in Christian discipleship, such that children develop a clear grasp of the gospel and strong Christian friendships from a young age. We aim to establish thriving cohorts of pre-teens, teenagers and beyond, who will encourage one another to deepen in radical discipleship and reach out to their peers.

2. Wider outreach and diversity of ages and background

“Go and make disciples of all nations….” Matthew 28:19

• We want to grow in remarkable diversity, including amongst hard-to-reach groups in our community. This diversity honours God, reflects our community and will be deeply attractive to outsiders as they see authentic gospel relationships.

• As people grow in discipleship we will prioritise unity amidst diversity. We will actively develop a diversity of leaders and role models. Our key leaders[2] will not be overwhelmingly white and middle-class. We will accept compromises on inessentials in order for our corporate life to be heterogeneous.

1 Measured approximately by numbers in regular discipleship groups and attending prayer. Benchmark: preCovid 19 (early 2020), there were three home groups, four daytime groups, Christianity Explored, and an occasional pre-teens group. Perhaps around 45-50 people regularly part of small group discipleship. The monthly prayer meeting was usually attended by 15-20 people.

2 E.g. staff, wardens, service leaders, preachers.

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• We will make our corporate life together accessible, attractive and explicitly Jesus-centred, so that church members have confidence to invite others. We will also aim to train believers through our services even if that means not everyone understands everything that is said.

• We will develop our outreach to identifiable groups, whether through our own programmes (such as Chatterbox) or through other networks (such as schools).

• We will harness the language and cross-cultural skills of church members, and pray for and reach out especially among hard-to-reach groups. We aspire to have Sylheti speakers and specific outreach among the Bengali community.

• We will make the most of the opportunities afforded by a significant and landmark building to share the Christian message with the wider community and those interested in heritage.

• St Anne’s will be well-known in the wider community and barriers to entry will be low. We will foster this through events at church, third party events, meeting community needs and through online engagement and witness. We will make the most of cultural points of contact such as Remembrance, Christmas and Easter; baptisms, weddings and funerals; and hospitality.

3. Further growth in our capacity for ministry

The work of ministry is the job of every Christian (Ephesians 4:12). We will need to pray for and grow many labourers for the harvest if we are to reach others (Matthew 9:37-38).

• We want to grow in number in order to reach our community better. We hope to grow to 150 adults at our main service and consider steps for growth beyond that, e.g. adding senior staff and/or planting another congregation. We will explore opportunities for other churches to send people to join our evening service.

• We will work to foster every member ministry, develop new generations of leaders and deepen the quality of our Bible teaching in small groups and Sunday Club. We will increase the size of our staff team in anticipation of growth, and invest in the development of staff and other leaders.

• We will train church members in confidence in the gospel and the priority of mission so that many are regularly sharing the gospel with outsiders in various ways.

• We aim for our building to be fully realising its huge potential as a resource for gospel ministry by 2030.[3] We will be alert to dangers of compromise, distraction from gospel ministry and burnout. We will strive to secure our building for long term gospel ministry, or re-direct our resources elsewhere.

• We will encourage joyful and sacrificial giving from every member of the church family, and we will model joyful and sacrificial giving in our commitment to outside partners.

Partnerships and networks

There can be no such thing as an ‘independent’ church – we are a local manifestation of the heavenly gathering (Hebrews 12:22-24). We seek mutual encouragement with other faithful churches and ministries, and pray and work towards greater faithfulness where needed.

• We will be a net contributor to the wider church in terms of sending leaders and resources, rather than a net receiver.

3 This may specifically involve lift access and developing space for shared working and increased capacity for children’s ministry, as well as restoring the existing fabric of the building.

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• We will develop a limited number of deep partnerships in our local area, such as GrowTH, London City Mission and CrossTeach; and internationally, such as in Brussels and Accra. We will engage a wide range of church members in these partnerships and extend partnership beyond prayer and financial giving. We will serve other churches and be served by them through East End Gospel Network, London Gospel Partnership, PT Cornhill and ReNew.

• We will pray for and work towards Stepney Greencoat school thriving as a place for Christian families to send their children and as part of our outreach. We will pray for and encourage Christian secondary schools in the area.

• We will be well informed and discerning regarding developments within the Church of England and Anglican Communion. Where necessary, we will take bold steps to distance ourselves from error and to safeguard future gospel ministry.

• We will show a healthy concern for wider events in the church and world, locally and internationally.

• We re-commit ourselves to God and to one another. We will pray boldly, specifically and frequently for these things, and preach and teach the gospel as plainly set out in the Bible.

• Our progress in fulfilling this Mission Action Plan (or deviation from it according to circumstances and God’s prompting) will be evaluated at each APCM, and it will be fully revised in 2026.

4. Why a Mission Action Plan?

Every Church of England church is expected to have a ‘Mission Action Plan’ setting out the church’s human ambitions under God and outlining a strategy for getting there.

There is a sense of course in which any ambitions other than to preach the gospel and live it out are worldly (James 4:13-15). However, even the apostle Paul had a Mission Action Plan (Romans 15:19-33) – although he needed to be flexible with his plans too (Acts 16:6-10).

With the right humility and prayer it can be very helpful to go through the process of thinking about what we aspire to do in Christ over the medium term, and the steps required to get there. Putting specific flesh onto the bones of the general priorities for every church may:

• Encourage us to pray prayers that are both bold and specific;

• Inspire and stretch the commitment of the whole congregation through a specific vision; and

• Inform strategic priorities and planning, for example concerning new initiatives, staffing, etc.

The ambitions set out below should be seen as a best attempt at this time to set out a godly direction of travel. They should not be rigidly adhered to regardless of the Lord opening and closing doors, and they should not be a source of pride if accomplished or of discouragement if not accomplished.

5. What do we believe?

We believe the Bible as the word of God, and we seek to put it into practice so that as a church we might grow to display the manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10). In particular:

• We believe in the sovereign God of the Bible, who is the creator and judge of the whole world;

• We believe in the historical miracle birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (e.g. 1 Corinthians 15:3ff.);

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• We believe that his death provided an atoning sacrifice for all who believe, which is our only hope for salvation (1 John 5:11-12);

• We believe and strive to live out the roles of men and women as given in scripture, in particular marriage as between one man and one woman, and complementary roles of men and women in marriage and in the church (Matthew 19:3-12; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:8-15);

• We believe that it is by the word of God and the power of God that lives are transformed by repentance and faith, and that he grows his church (e.g. 1 Thessalonians 1).

6. What’s our context?

Our context will help to inform our specific ambitions as a church.

Context

1. Very mixed local area

Possible implication

• Our church ought to be mixed

• Landmark, huge, formal We should consider the expectations of visitors when building planning service structure, welcome and programme

• Danger of distortion of priorities due to upkeep & redevelopment

• Surrounded by evangelical and charismatic churches

• Few active, able people who have much time (e.g. wives at home, emptynesters, early-retireds)

• Develop a distinctive vision (‘a genuinely mixed local church with a passion for straightforward Bible teaching’) We will need to keep growing the number of labourers in the harvest

• We may need to invest in paid staff to do jobs that might elsewhere be done by volunteers

• High turnover in local Need for quickly welcoming, integrating and investing in population newcomers

• The Church of England is moving away from its historic Biblical foundations

• Aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic

• Need to stay informed, be discerning, and take appropriate action to secure future gospel ministry

Be alert to changes in our local area (working patterns, economic & housing impact) and respond appropriately

• Develop resilient patterns of ministry in personal relationships, use of technology, etc.

Maintain healthy financial reserves in case of future events

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