# Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement 1 January to 31 December 2022
Cornerstone Church Portsmouth (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
Immanuel Baptist Church 109 Victoria Road North Southsea Portsmouth PO5 1PS
Registered Charity Number: 1178431
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## **Contents**
|**Contents**||
|---|---|
|1.Trustees|Page 3|
|2.Employees|Page 3|
|3.Bankers|Page 3|
|4.Legal Advisers|Page 3|
|5.Independent Examiners|Page 3|
|6.Structure, Governance and Management|Page 3|
|7.Charitable Objects|Page 4|
|8.Review of activities and impact for Public Benefit|Page 4|
|9.Financial Review|Page 6|
|10.Plans for future periods|Page 6|
|11.Declaration|Page 6|
|12.Appendices|Page 8|
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## **1. Trustees**
Trustees who served during the year are set out below:
- J.P. Shulver (Pastor, Elder)
- D.I. Shaw (Assistant Pastor, Elder)
- A.J. Pontin (Elder)
- T.J. Beaumont (Trustee)
## **2. Employees**
Employees who served during the year are set out below:
- J.P. Shulver (Pastor)
- D.I. Shaw (Assistant Pastor)
- C.L. Pontin (Part-time Administrator)
## **3. Bankers**
CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA
## **4. Legal Advisers**
FIEC Practical Services, 39 The Point, Market Harborough, LE16 7QU
## **5. Independent Examiners**
Lydia Evans. FCCA.
## **6. Structure, Governance and Management**
The Church as a legal entity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, affiliated to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC).
Registered Charity status was granted on 18 May 2018 under Registration Number 1178431.
The Charity is governed by a board of Trustees, all of whom also constitute the members of the Charity and the leadership of the Church. They meet at least once a year to set policy and review the activities of the Church. The elders generally meet twice monthly to oversee activity and pray for attendees. Decisions deemed critical to the running of the Charity are subject to the scrutiny of the partners of the Church body (normally three times a year), with ad hoc correspondence between the bi-annual meetings, where necessary. Significant financial decisions are taken with the approval of the partners of the Church body through a formal vote.
Trustees are appointed by existing trustees where they have satisfied themselves – – of the need of further trustees and the qualifications spiritual and otherwise of the person proposed for the role, through consultation with the Church body.
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All Trustees served without remuneration in their capacity as Trustees between January and December 2022. Two Trustees, who are the Pastor and Assistant Pastor, received remuneration in that capacity at levels determined by non-Pastor Trustees, as well as rent payments in connection with the Church Manse agreement at levels determined by the non-Pastor Trustees, meeting separately, at or below the appropriate market levels for the relevant property. The Pastor and Assistant Pastor do not participate in any determination of the remuneration they receive. Similarly, Trustee Andrew Pontin has no involvement in the discussion of remuneration for part-time Administrator Christel Pontin. No other Trustees had a beneficial interest in the Church.
The Charity has a close relationship with Christ Church Southampton CIO, from whom it was started, Redeemer Church Winchester CIO and Trinity Church Salisbury CIO. The four independent Churches form a partnership called Reach South, with the aim to train God’s people, share expertise and reach the places in which they reside with the good news of Jesus.
## **7. Charitable Objects**
The objects of the church are:
1. The advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with the basis of faith primarily, but not exclusively, in the Portsmouth and neighbouring areas.
2. Such other charitable purposes as shall, in the opinion of the charity trustees, facilitate the work of the church. This is provided that such purposes must first be approved by a resolution of the partners of the church and must be carried out in a manner consistent with the basis of faith set out by the FIEC.
## **8. Review of activities and impact for Public Benefit**
In the period between January and December 2022, Cornerstone Church weekly gatherings and activities resumed as normal. Sunday gatherings saw around 90-100 people in attendance by the end of the year, including adults and children. The children’s Sunday School welcomed around 11 children and crèche saw around five children under three on a weekly basis. The youth group began once a month as an opportunity for teenagers to connect, learn from the Bible and socialise. Group leaders of the relevant groups are DBS checked and support the groups on a roster system. The Church ran midweek groups and prayer meetings to enable church attendees to explore their faith in more depth, as part of the object of the advancement of the Christian faith. Partners were also encouraged to meet for 1-2-1 Bible study in the same vein. The Church saw many newcomers in 2022 so there was an emphasis on ways of welcoming them and integrating them into the church community; through lunches and a new Bible study group which led to some people joining the Partnership course and becoming Partners of the Church. The
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weekly Baby and Toddler group ran successfully during term-time with around 40 parents/carers attending regularly.
There is a strong training ethos in the Church, and opportunities are provided for self-funded, full-time volunteers, known as ‘Ministry trainees’(MT), to learn about Christian ministry in the context of the church. One MT served for the entirety of 2022 and a second started from September 2022. Both were able to link with other MTs weekly through our Reach South partnership whilst receiving practical ministry training. They were also encouraged to take on responsibility within the life of the church and to put the training they received into practice.
Cornerstone Church is committed to supporting students of the University of Portsmouth as they start, and/or continue, their studies in the city. The student group was made up of roughly 10 students and 5 leaders. September saw a busy welcome period for new and returning students to the Church, with meals on Sundays and the beginning of a weekly Bible study. There was also a BBQ and other welcome events in Freshers week as a means of raising the profile of the church, in order to share the Christian faith with those who are looking to learn more about it, as set out in our charitable object. Those who requested it, were given the opportunity to meet with individuals in the Church for 1-2-1 Bible study. As well as internal support for students, the church supported the local Christian Union; the Assistant Pastor undertook a talk in the CU’s formal meetings and attended a panel discussion, and the MTs offered pastoral support to those who required it. The student group also enjoyed a weekend away together where they studied the Bible and socialised to build community together.
As stated above, the Church is part of a partnership called Reach South. This is made up of four Churches on the South coast with the mutual aim to train God’s people, share expertise and reach locals with the good news of Jesus. As well as a spiritual connection, the group shares practical help in these areas. Each year the four churches join together to share in fellowship and look back on the year. This year around 500 people from the four churches were able to meet at Thornden School, Chandlers Ford for this event. The Equip Course ran for the first time from September 2022, with the aim to grow in faith and knowledge of the Bible and train attendees to share with those wanting to know more. Both the Pastor and Assistant Pastor taught and mentored around 15 people enrolled on the course at various points throughout the year.
Other events the church arranged during the year included two Hope Explored courses, a Men’s breakfast and five ‘A Passion for life’ events which was part of a national campaign. Our version included a curry evening and evangelistic talk, three seminars and an evening in a local Fish and Chips restaurant hearing about the life story of Jason Marriner. The bi-annual church weekend away saw 70 people travel to the West Brook Center on the Isle of Wight to share the weekend, enjoy each other’s company and deepen their faith in God. Finally, the church ran Christmas events to engage with the local community as part of the first charitable object. These included a Ladies’ craft evening and Carol Service.
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## **9. Financial Review**
Please see Appendix 1 for detail of the Charity’s financials and see Appendix 2 for the independent examination.
A reserves policy exists whereby, in normal circumstances, cash reserves should be retained amounting to 3 months’ basic operating costs (such costs being estimated at a nominal 80% of the full current-year charity budget).
The Charity’s funding principally comes from gifts and donations made by members of the congregation together with associated Gift Aid. In this financial year there was restricted external income of £300 from FatFace, with sole use for expenditure linked to the Baby and Toddler group. This was used accordingly and can be seen in Appendix 1. All other income was unrestricted and has been used in accordance with the 2022 budget, set out by the Trustees and approved by Partners.
The financial outgoings of the Church were back to a level consistent with the Charity’s standard activity. Said activities are described in section 8 of this document. **As such, b** udgeting for the coming year has been done with the expectation that the Church, and associated groups, would resume as per the usual activity.
Three explanations are required for variability in the financials. Firstly, the gift-aid received in 2022 is claimed retrospectively i.e. quarter 1, 2, 3 and quarter 1 from the previous year. This will be reflected in the 2023 report as well. Secondly, the building in which the Church has met since its launch in 2016 was forced to close and therefore a new location was found for charitable activities. As such, the negotiations led to the Church receiving a disturbance payment of £2,721.74 and a lease difference payment of £3,087.50 which was not expected when the budget was agreed in January 2022. Thirdly, on the 2021 income the Church received £15,000 from a Christian Charitable Trust which has supported Cornerstone since its launch. Their support has decreased year-on-year and after six years they considered the Church financially viable without their ongoing support.
## **10. Plans for future periods**
The Charity anticipates continuing activities in its pre-Covid capacity with a budget that reflects the appropriate expenditure.
## **11. Declaration**
The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the Charity’s Trustees
|**Full name(s)**|Jonathan Philip
Shulver|David Ian Shaw|Andrew James Pontin|
|---|---|---|---|
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|**Signature(s)**
**Position held**
**Date**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Pastor, Elder|Assistant Pastor, Elder|Elder|
|||11.10.2023|11.10.2023|11.10.2023|
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## **12. Appendices**
## **– Appendix 1 Receipts and payments accounts**
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Section 8 Statetnent of assets and Iiabiircies at the end of the period
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– – Appendix 2 Independent Examiner’s Report Lydia Evans. FCCA.
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Section B
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