Hemel Hempstead Methodist Church (HHMC) Registered Charity Number 1164741 Trustees Annual Report for the year 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023
Hemel Hempstead Methodist Church (HHMC) exists to worship God, as we grow in faith, fellowship and love for one another, to seek to serve God and the community, and through our lives and witness, help people to come to a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ.
HHMC is a member of the West Hertfordshire and Borders Methodist Circuit and therefore part of the Methodist Church of Great Britain. The Trustees are Managing Trustees of the church building at 270 Northridge Way, Hemel Hempstead HP1 2AU which was completed and opened in 2015. All Trustees are members of HHMC and are either elected by the Annual General Meeting in April or May of each year or appointed to a specific role by the Church Council. The Trustees are listed elsewhere on the Charity Commission website.
Accounts for the year 2022-23 will be attached to the report when it is submitted to the Charity Commission . The accounts show a deficit of just under £16,000. This is because income from the Gift Aid claim for the year 2022-3 was not received until September 2023 and also because there were major repairs in the church building to the church lift and to the rainwater gathering system. Giving to the church was also lower than before the pandemic and church members have been asked to prayerfully consider this.
HHMC had 77 members at end of the year (31[st] August 2023) plus a considerably larger ‘pastoral list’ of people associated with the church but not formally members. The number of members was lower compared to the previous year due mainly to the death of older members, but HHMC has welcomed new members during the year.
A service of worship is held in the church building every Sunday morning and is live streamed online on Facebook and a recording is uploaded to YouTube after the service each week. Additional services are held in the afternoons and the majority of these are not live streamed or recorded. Messy Church is held in the afternoon once a month, is aimed particularly at families with children and is our main focus for work with children. Other afternoon services include a Songs of Praise service approximately once a quarter, the Christmas Carol Service, and the annual Memorial Service for those who have lost loved ones.
Weekly mailings to everyone in the church have continued by email where possible and by post to those not on email. The mailings include a weekly notices sheet, an HHMC newsletter once every 6 weeks, plus an occasional newsletter from the local Methodist Circuit. A written version of the service is sent every week to those who have requested it, to enable the housebound without online access to share in the worship.
Following on from a Church Mission Day in March 2022, there have been occasional meetings on a Saturday morning, open to all, in which people gather to discuss ideas for the future mission of the church.
A new venture during this year was Community Coffee which was started in November 2022 and set up be a ‘Warm Space’ for use by the Church and local communities. The venue is one of the meeting rooms, which has been converted to
a lounge with comfortable seating and soft lighting. In each 2½ hour session, hot and cold drinks and biscuits are offered to all visitors together with conversation, and other activities, including jigsaw puzzles which are popular. Community Coffee started with 3 sessions per week and changed to 2 sessions per week during the summer.
Coffee mornings in the church hall restarted in September 2022 and are now held monthly on Saturday mornings. Funds are raised for charities chosen by the members organising the event and attendees have been very generous in donating to these charities and also to special appeals held from time to time often in response to world events.
HHMC organises various other activities in the building, open to members and others alike, as follows:
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Community Lunch is held once a fortnight and provides a good home cooked meal and company in a warm building. There is no fixed cost, attendees are told they can pay what they can or nothing at all.
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Dinner Church is a relaxed social gathering aimed at those who might not fit into traditional church and attracts younger adults. It meets approximately once a month on Sunday evenings and undertakes a range of activities all of them including food.
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Lent Lectures were a series of lectures from different speakers held weekly during Lent. This year the theme was prayer
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Oyster Club is a Christian social club for adults held on Thursday mornings, providing talks, services of worship and other activities.
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Thursday Fellowship meets weekly for fellowship, Bible study and prayer.
There were three fellowship groups which met offsite. Wednesday Fellowship and Reflection meets twice a month and were meeting in members’ homes during 20223. A Wednesday house group meets once a month. A Wednesday Bible Study group meets jointly on Zoom with another local Methodist Church
HHMC also sponsors a Guide Company, Brownie Pack and Rainbows, who meet in the building during school term time.
When not required for HHMC activities, the building is made available for local community groups and others to use in return for a fee designed to cover a due proportion of related costs. Several organisations related to health and wellbeing have used the building in this way.
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Members of HHMC have volunteered in various activities in the local community. • A team from HHMC provided a Christian assembly at a local primary school approximately once per month in term time using the Open the Book materials supplied by the Bible Society.
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One member from HHMC serves as a Street Pastor and is supported by prayer partners from HHMC.
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Members from HHMC volunteer at the Liberty Tea Rooms and Community Hub, which provide a meeting place and services for anyone in the local community needing help in a time of need.
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HHMC supports DENS, the local charity for the homeless, through donations to their Foodbank, and other activities.
CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS
THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS
| Circuit Circuit no If not a registered charityHer Majesty's Revenue and Customs Gift Aid number Registered Charity - Charity Registration number Hemel Hempstead Methodist FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2023 West Herts & Borders |
Church XR93992 1164741 34/14 |
|---|---|
(The HMRC number is equivalent to a registered charity number in terms of evidence of charitable status and may be used to give to donors or grant funders wishing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable status. Methodist charities in England and Wales that are not registered charities are excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.242)
| Minister: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Brazier | ||
| Church Stewards: | ||
| Sue Whyte | Shalini Parke | |
| Jill Walker | Graham Burton | |
| Sheila Daly | Margaret Thorn |
Treasurer: Jackie de Bourcier
Church R and P 2015.xls
1 of 5
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023 Homel Hempstsad Mothodl•t Church Unrn8triet•d RtriCt#d T¢)tals th1• Fund• Funds y•ar Totals la•t ygor SECTION A a1 RECEIPTS a2 Offerin s and Tax recovered 8ank and CFB interest and Investment income 44,321 44,321 53,557 a3 2,354 6.039 6,887 59.601 2,354 8,039 6.887 59,601 233 Lettln 1,929 24,679 80,398 a5 Othef receipts TOTAL RECEIPTS 1•7) SECTION b1 PAYMENTS b2 Circuit Assessment or Share 41.628 41,635 1,813 11,357 43.668 b3 Donation3 1.813 3.447 Re airs and Maintenance Ulililies Ilnsurances. water cha es, heab"n 11.357 3.445 b5 9.373 9.373 8.478 b7 Other payment8 TOTAL PAYMENTS 11.417 75.588 11.417 75,595 9.068 b8 Ib91 68,106 SECTION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR c1 15,987 12,292 Total funds brought forward from last year c2 ¢6 86,607 c3 Sub total c1+c2 15,987 15,994 98.899 Transfers and ad. ustments c7 CS TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR Ic3+c4) 115,9871 115.9941 Ic81 98,899 Ic61 SECTION D FOR INFORMATION ONLY: MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS Ith•80 amounts arn not to be Includ•d In totsl r•c¢lptsl monts fl d1 Balan¢e brou ht fomard frcrfn last 85 d2 Offerin sIGifts - received for extemal o anisations 4,527 3,175 d3 OfferingslGifts - passed lo extemal Organisatn$ 4,542 2,978 d4 BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID Id1 +d2-d3) 267 282 Chw¢h R I$ P 2QlS.xls 2ofS
SECTION E Sumtnary oflh2 Churth ac¢oun15 for the year eTthtt 31 2022 arf Infemal OrganisaS twbr¥to the Chuth nC1vchurth Wing No th•t me funos ot an InMal Orgasa be 14estncted fvn&5 tede•ty 51w that t arrrf Mety>JBt rNsl be ANDA DIFFERENT FORM mu81 té Us b) repyt P•8e relwk)tr guwJ rEgJrthr#J tr$f5 betYen the IP4TERIIAL ORGMI5ATIOI4S Th• t•r Club 745 049 e2 Fr e3 e5 e7 eB 2.331 2.345 14 •t2 brovght Irom p•0• 2 lot•l• ¢olumni 59.001 76.616 115.gml 1¢71 98.899 82,90S BY CHURCH 99,762 83.763 rf wt•$68ty and iot41s fowrd TOTAL RECEIPTS TOTNL PAYIAEIITS SECTION F L081MG 8ALANCES CHURCH.CA8H FUNOS 31 Cwh In h•# 8ank ¢urrfAr% 36.558 IA1 r4 C•ntr•l Fln•roJ 8wrd 17.aS0 SUB TOTAL. Churth •ctoun .8 13,179 Ic81 Tot81 fu by lrttwNI Org•nbW• larKe totsltrtffi abov•l le121 849 TOTNL CASH FUNDS HELD BY CIKCH 99.762 64,028 SEcnoN G Al Al 31 Wsl 2023 OTFIER A88ÉTS•nd LILE8 Land fy BU1 3 305 972 Lo#n f4 tn&udè onty fRld at Finwth Bcd 3ATS
Name of Church . .Hemel Hempstead Methodist........................ No...34114........ Declarations and Scrutiny I confirm that these Receipt and Payment based accounts for the year to 31 August 2023 have been prepared from the records of the Church and that they include all funds under the control of the Church trustees. Signalure of Ireasurer . Date.. ! Name and address oftreasurer . .Jackie de Bourcier................ 88 Dunlin Road Hemel Hempstead........................................ PostCode...HP2 6LX............... Presentation to the Church trustoes l ¢onfirm that the annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2023 werelwlll be. presented to the meeting ofthe Church trustees held on .X.{¢lLF. Signature of the Chair of the meeting Name ofthe Chair ofthe meeting Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of the Hemel Hempstead Methodist Church Charity Number.........1164741..... Responsibilities and basis of report I report to Ihe trustees on my examinalion of the accounts of the Hemel Hempstead Methodist Church for the year ended 31 August 2023 set out on pages 1 to 3. As the Church's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounls in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 20111'the Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the Church's accounts carried out under seclion 145 of the Act and. in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145151(b} of the Act. delete or circle as appropriate 2015thurth R and PxL% 40fS
Name of Church......Hemd Hempstead Methodist..................... No...34114.... Indopendent Examinerf• Slatement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination { ") which give m8 cause to believe Ihat in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act,. or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. I have no concems and hav8 come across no other matters in conn8ctbon the examination to which attention shoukl be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper urKlerstarKling of th8 accounts to be reached. I havelhp¥trRet" obtsined independent verification of all investments with the Trustees for M8thodi8t Church Purposes or held in other trusls, bank balances and funds at the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church which are individually in excess of £10,000 (ten thousand pounds) at the balan¢e sheet dale. Signature of independent examiner Name of independent examiner ..Colin J Stacey............. ................ ......... Relevant professional qualification of independent examiner ..8FP FCA... Name of finn {where appropriate) ...Sta¢8ys Chartered Accountants ............... Address ........ Post Code ..s Date del8t8 or cirde as appropriate Sep22 2015 R MI P.AI& 5thf5