2023-12-31-accounts

Trustees’ report April 2024

2023 marked the end of Jim’s studies at Spurgeon’s College, his graduation and then his ordination in October as a Nationally Recognised Lay Baptist Pastor. The ordination service was a joyful occasion with a packed church.

We are very grateful to Peter Nodding for his continued help with preaching and teaching, and also supporting Jim and Fran on the diaconate after Michael retired as a deacon. It is good that going forward from March 2024 the diaconate will be up to strength following the election of Carole and Paul as deacons.

Our church vision for 2023 was to be ‘passionate for God, for the world and for each other’. We have sought to fulfil the first of these aims particularly through our worship and teaching on Sundays and at the weekly Bible studies, and also through the quarterly healing services, monthly prayer mornings and day retreats at Wicken Bonhunt and Pleshey.

To fulfil the second aim we have continued our engagement with the local community and further afield through the weekly coffee mornings, the monthly men’s breakfasts and Coffee & Company for those who have been bereaved. The seated exercise class has started again and is very well attended each week. The Ladies’ Community Choir continues to meet and took part in the Carols by Candlelight service. Regular services in Humfrey Lodge care home are much appreciated by the residents and staff and it was a joy to welcome some of the residents and their carers to a special carol service in the church at Christmas. A special Easter service was held in the home but we hope to have future services in the church. Classes from the Primary School visited at Easter and Harvest, and following a meeting with the Headteacher we are strengthening the links with the school as Jim takes occasional assemblies and acts as chaplain to the staff.

The new website is active and information regarding the church activities is noted there and on Facebook. Jim also posts a monthly reflection on the website which is aimed not only at church members but also the wider community via local websites. Information about church activities and an outreach article from Jim are included in the ABC&U Community magazine which is distributed to every house in Thaxted three times a year.

Following approval by the church membership the Fabric Group is proceeding with plans for the front entrance of the church to make it more welcoming and also for improving the heating and flooring. We want to maintain the building in good condition and also make sure that it can serve the needs of the church family and local community in future generations.

The quarterly cluster services with the Baptist Churches in Saffron Walden, Ashdon and Gt Sampford continue as do our joint services with the URC. We participate in Thaxted Churches Together events such as the Good Friday walk of witness, the Christian Aid Big Brekkie and Messy Church, including a Messy Church holiday club for children for a week during the summer holidays.

We continue to support the local Foodbank especially at harvest with a large quantity of supplies; the fresh produce was used for community lunches at Pam’s Place. In addition to our regular giving to support other causes we have also made donations to the appeals for aid following the earthquakes in Turkey & Syria and in Nepal.

We endeavour to fulfil the third aim of the church vision by caring for each other, sharing the joys and sorrows. We are delighted to have welcomed new friends to the Sunday services and other activities and our regular congregation has increased over the past year.

The trustees would like to thank you all for the way you contribute to the life of the church; everyone plays a part, some in an obvious up-front role and others behind the scenes.

We look forward to seeing where and how God will lead us in the coming year.

Jim Ford & Frances Griffiths

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€|to the nearest€|||to the nearest€||to the nearestf||to|the nearest€| |A|||||||||||| |Regular Offerings||16.570|||||||16.570||16,355| |Donatrons & Other lncome||2,366|||||||2,366||1 445| |lvlanse Rent||10.247|||||||10.247||11.232| |Raised for other Causes|||||790||||790||1,010| |GiftAid||2,364|||||||2,364||4.940| |Wednesday Fellowship|||||||||||| |total(Grossincomefor
AR)||31,547|||790||||32,337||35,022| |A2Asset andinvestmentsales,|||||||||||| ||||I||Lt||-li||.lf----rl||| |rotatreceiprsl-ffi||||l--rrI|||l-]||I|gz,sazIl---oir|||| |A3|||||||||||| |Ministry||4,389|||||||4,389||3,011| |Mission||4,210|||790||||s,000||5,746| |lhurchRunning Costs||7.563|||||||7,563||6,967| |Manse||3,997|||||||3,997||2.256| |qdministraion||3,167|||||||3.167||2,368| |f,utreach/Evangelism||230|||||||230||| |lhurchRepairs/lmprovements||3,602|||||||3,602||13.719| |Aiednesday Fellowship|||||||||||| |Subtotal||27,157|||790||||27,947||34,068| |rotatpayme"t"|EIEI||l-t6ill|||I-1||l------ni4||f-----rr-p-6tl|| |,yetu,recetp^,ttpayments)l-Gi
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85 Liabilities
Signedbyone ortwotrusteeson behalf ofallthe trustees	Signature		Print	Name
			Frances Griffiths

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent ExaMine￿S Report Report to the trustèesl members of THAXTED BAPTIST CHURCH On accounts for the year ended 31st DECEMBER 2023 Charity no lif any) 1182813 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Twst") for the year ended 3111212023. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities AGt 2011 ('the Act.). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's aGGounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(51{b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I Confi￿ that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ') in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examin•r's ¥tatement I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection wrth the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ' Please delete the words in the brackets rfthey do not apply. Signed: Date: 2610312024 Name: Ann Forsyth Relevant professional qualificationls) or body {if any): FCCA (Non-practising) Address: The Lea The Chase, Park Street Thaxted, Essex, CM6 2NE IER October 2018

Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brlef details of any items that the examinerwlshes to disclose. IER October 2018