2023-12-31-accounts

Arbury Road Baptist Church Cambridge, CB4 2JE

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‘Knowing, and making known, the hope and life of Jesus’

Arbury Road Baptist Church – Annual Report 2023

References and administrative details

Registered address

20 Arbury Road, Cambridge CB4 2JE

Charity Registration Number 1175114

Trustees

The Revd Matt Rowe (Minister/Secretary) Susanne Lyle (Operations Strategic Leader/Secretary) (Resigned March 2023) Richard Green (Treasurer) John Watts Sue Brignell Lauren Haywood (appointed March 2023) Neil Armstrong (Resigned September 2023) Ian Farr (Co-opted September 2023)

Property Trustees

The Baptist Union Corporation Limited Baptist House, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 8RT

Bankers

Barclays Bank, Leicester LE87 2BB

Independent Examiner

Mr Richard Law

Annual Report for 2023

The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2023.

Structure, Governance and Management

The Charity is governed by an Approved Governing Document. Members of the Church are accepted in accordance with the Constitution which requires them to be or to have been publicly baptised on the profession of faith in Jesus Christ, or following other modes of baptism to renew their public profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

The members’ meeting normally takes place six times per year and has responsibility for the overall policy of the church. In accordance with the Constitution, the members appoint four Trustees, who together with the Minister, Operations Strategic Leader (previously Church Secretary) and Treasurer (who are also appointed by the Members), are responsible for the day-to-day running of the church’s work and witness, and the financial and legal aspects of the charity. All members are encouraged to take an appropriate part in the spiritual and practical tasks involved in the furtherance of the charitable objective.

www.arburyroadbaptist.org

Arbury Road Baptist Church is a registered charity number: 1175114

Relevant matters may be submitted to the Church meeting by the Trustees for guidance, or may be raised by members in the Church meeting for further consideration by the Trustees. Though the Constitution permits decisions to be made at Church meetings by appropriate majorities, the Church seeks to work by consensus wherever possible.

Objectives and activities

The principal purpose of the charity is the advancement of the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination to include the advancement of education, community service and such other general charitable purposes in such parts of the United Kingdom and the world as the Church shall determine.

One of the significant changes this year has been the increased international contingent within our church. Cambridge is an international city and it has been great to be able to welcome and include increasingly diverse worshippers from around the world as we gather to worship together. This year has also been a time of transition in our leadership with a number of key roles either in vacancy, or with long standing members intending to stand down in March. We continue to pray for these leadership vacancies and look forward to appropriate people being appointed to these roles in due course. Yet throughout the last year we have continued to know and make known the hope and life of Jesus, both through our services, as well as in the community around our church. Over the year, we have had a particular focus on spiritual growth, and have been blessed in seeing a number of new faces join our church family and congregation.

In order to achieve the principal objective, which is set out above, the church provides a variety of activities both to its membership and to the community generally. The aim is that as a church we help people to know, and make known, the hope and life of Jesus.

Central to the work and witness of the Church is the provision of regular public services of Christian worship, which this year which is now a hybrid service making the service accessible for those online as well as those gathering with us in person. Our services take place each Sunday at 10.30am, as well as a prayer meeting twice a month at 7.00pm. There are also occasional additional services at other times such as at Christmas and Easter, which are advertised appropriately, including through the church website at arburyroadbaptist.org. We continue to delight in the privilege of being a family church, with representation across the age demographics. We continue to see a blossoming number of children and young people joining us for ARK Sundays (Arbury Road Kids).

The Church runs a series of house groups for the growth of faith and discipleship, which this year have continued to run. We have seen new groups start over the past year and the leadership team have been reflecting on how we can best utilise our home groups to help and support members of our church to grow in their faith and as disciples of Jesus.

The Church runs a range of activities in our local community, which have flourished during the last year. These include ‘Wonderfully made’ (a safe place for those dealing with mental health challenges) and ‘Faithful friends’ (a community group helping people to explore the Christian faith). In addition this year we have been able to offer a holiday lunch for those in our community who would usually depend on free school meals, or who would just like to come and join in with what is happening in their local community. All our community events aim to demonstrate the love, hope and life of Jesus Christ to all in our local community.

The Church operates systems to ensure that all people working with children and vulnerable adults are appropriately vetted with regard to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

The Church has read the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit, and is satisfied that the activities outlined above clearly demonstrate that the charity is providing a benefit to the public.

Achievements and Performance

The Church does not measure the success of its programmes only in numbers, including financial numbers, but also in less tangible areas such as fellowship and encouragement. The Trustees recognise that these are difficult to measure, but believe that 2023 has been a positive year in the life of the church, and that it will be able to pursue its mission purposes in 2024 with continued enthusiasm.

Over the last year, we were delighted to welcome seven new members into our church family and were sad to see three members leave our membership to worship elsewhere. It has been a privilege to walk alongside others who are exploring Jesus throughout their life and we have had the joy of seeing two people baptised in our church over the last year. We have also had the privilege of serving three families in conducting a funeral and service of thanksgiving for a loved one who died. At 31 December 2022, the membership stood at 47.

This year we have continued to serve our community and work towards the fulfilment of our community dream which can be found on our church website (arburyroadbaptist.org/dream). Our community pioneer role has continued to thrive, and we are thrilled to see this work continuing to bear fruit in the life of the church.

Financial Review

The Church continues to raise the funds it needs to carry on its activities from within its own membership and congregation. We currently operate at a deficit but we have now stepped out in faith that we might see God’s provision for his people and have a balanced budget next year. The financial climate continues to be a challenging one and we continue to explore ways of funding all that happens in the life of our church so we might be able to serve and support those around us.

The most significant expense relates to the employment of our church staff team, the Revd Matt Rowe as Minister of the Church, to lead and co-ordinate the church’s activities including the Sunday services, to provide pastoral care for the congregation and other people, and to equip and encourage the membership in their life, Christian witness and service. Alongside Matt, Kimberley Rayson serves as our community pioneer, taking the life and hope of Jesus out into the community around our church.

The Church expressed its part in the life of the wider church by making grants to national and international Christian organisations and societies with Christian aims and objectives compatible with the Church’s own charitable purpose.

The Church is grateful for all the volunteers who give of their time to support the activities of our church. These volunteers come both from within the membership of the church, as well as volunteers from other churches and members of the community. We continue to be grateful for all who contribute to the life of our church in such a wide variety of different ways.

The financial results for the year, together with a summary of the accounting policies adopted are set out in the accompanying financial statements.

The Church is a participating employer within the Defined Benefit section of the Baptist Pension Scheme and has been making ongoing deficit payments to cover the costs of past service of its employees within the scheme under a recovery plan. The Church understands that if it had left the scheme at the year-end, it would have to have made a one-off payment estimated to be £67,600 to meet its statutory obligations to the scheme. The Church has no plan to leave the scheme and expects to continue to make payments to the scheme in line with the recovery plan.

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Arbury Road Baptist Church 1175114
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period 01-Jan 31-Dec
To
from 2023 2023
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Offerings 36,592 525 - 37,117 39,493
Gift Aid (Inland Revenue) 9,718 2,516 - 12,235 11,491
Other / Donations 14,978 21,174 - 36,152 49,918
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) [ 61,288 ] 24,215 - 85,503 100,902
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 61,288 24,215 - 85,503 100,902
A3 Payments
Employee Related 32,893 24,733 - 57,626 59,164
Manse 11,789 - - 11,789 6,243
Premises 19,215 6,161 - 25,376 15,761
Supplies & Services 3,110 266 - 3,376 3,510
Church Activities 1,016 57 - 1,072 606
Missions / Support 8,151 1,563 - 9,714 10,021
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ 76,173 ] 32,779 - 108,953 95,305
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 76,173 32,779 - 108,953 95,305
Net of receipts/(payments) - 14,885 - 8,564 - - 23,449 5,597
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 63,546 46,221 - 109,767 104,170
Cash funds this year end 48,661 37,657 - 86,318 109,767
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

24/03/2024

1

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities	(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Current accounts Deposit account Petty cash - lunch Total cash funds Details Details Details Details Signature	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 10,143 - 38,419 37,657 99 - 48,661 37,657 OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name	Endowment funds to nearest £ - - -
			-
			OK
			Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - - - - - When due (optional) Date of approval

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

24/03/2024

2

Balances and Reconciliation Balances: 8aTdays Current Account Baptist Union Deposit Account Welcome Lunch Pety Cash Nel Liabilities 3111212023 10,723 76,076 99 -580 86.317 3111212022 Chang•1£) 33,906 -23.183 75,St8 558 478 -379 -135 445 109,766 -23.449 3111212023 3111212022 Ch•ng• (£1 UnrestrictedlDesi General Fund Roserve Fund Ark Kids Lunch Break Kitchen Fund Go Fund Pioneer Fund TOTAL nated 1.293 44.052 17.902 43,7SS 19 478 1.196 350 1,482 66.182 -16,810 297 -19 161 -119 1,250 -1,482 -16.522 638 1,077 1.600 48.660 Restricted Outreach in Cambridge Fellowship Fund Looking Fo￿ard Building Fund 8ursary Wonderfully Madè Minister in the Community M.Harris Investment TOTAL 3,234 1,118 14,439 1,000 4,586 11,298 1,980 37,667 3,205 1.434 14,462 1,000 1,601 18,285 4,596 44,583 29 -316 -22 2.986 ,987 -2,618 4,927 TOTAL FUNDS 86,317 109,766 -37,355 1. £580 owed to 8MS Independent •xamlner's statement I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. 1. accounting records werè not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of ihe Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord wth those records. I have no concerns and have comé across no other matters in connection wilh the examination lo which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed.. Name.. Relevant professional qualrficatton or membership of professional bodies Irf any) Address Z £• Date.. Arbury Road Baptist Church - Accounts