2024-12-31-accounts

Trustees’ report April 2025

At the AGM we look back on the past year in the life of the church and also look forward to how God might be at work in the coming year.

Looking back we can give thanks for many blessings: for the worship on Sunday mornings and the systematic teaching through sermons and the two Bible study groups; for the regular monthly prayer mornings and the occasional Healing service; for new friends joining the church and for greater contact with the local community. It was a special joy to witness the baptism of James and to share the occasion with so many of his family and friends.

As well as the joys there have inevitably been difficulties and sadness too. Many of the church family have experienced ill health and some are struggling with ongoing illness and pain. We have mourned the passing of John Parkin, Anne Berresford’s son Robert, and Molly Laver. The love and care shown by the church family counts for a lot in these difficult situations.

Our engagement with the community has continued through our regular ministries: the coffee morning, men’s breakfast and Coffee & Company for those who have been bereaved. Each of these has seen an increase in numbers attending; and an additional activity has been the occasional ladies’ craft sessions which have been much enjoyed and appreciated. The regular monthly services at Humfrey Lodge have continued but we have also welcomed residents with their families and carers to a Christmas and an Easter service at the church.

Our link with the Primary School is flourishing. Jim is regularly taking assemblies and over the year many of the pupils have visited the church for Christmas, Easter and Harvest input and activities. We hope to run a craft morning for the children during the summer holidays.

Sermons from Sunday mornings are now posted on the website together with a monthly reflection from Jim. We contribute to the Thaxted Community Magazine which is delivered to every home in Thaxted, and Jim and others make frequent contact with the shopkeepers and businesses in the town.

Joint events with the other churches in the town have been the Good Friday Walk of Witness, the Christian Aid ‘Big Brekkie’ and the Harvest service and supper. A new venture for 2024 was a summer picnic for everyone in the Clarance House Conservation Garden and it will be repeated this summer. Some members of our church help with the monthly Messy Church sessions at the URC and also with the summer holiday Bible club.

The proposed changes to the church building to make it more welcoming and efficient are progressing, albeit more slowly than we would like.

We are blessed to have a church family where everybody plays a part in the life of the church in some way or another, many in more ways than one! The deacons are grateful for your support and prayers. We are grateful too for the generous giving which enables the church not only to run smoothly but also to support other ministries in the UK and abroad such as BMS World Mission, the Bible Society and Carmel Ministries.

The reserves policy of Thaxted Baptist Church is to hold £10,000 from the free cash reserves to cover church running costs and the cost of ministry for six months. This policy will be reviewed annually.

The TBC website states that our aim as a church is ‘To follow Jesus, love people and serve our community’. May we, in the coming year, with God’s help fulfil each of these more effectively.

Jim Ford, Carole Marchant, Paul Tingey and Frances Griffiths

1

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	to the nearest f			to the nearest€		to the nearestI			to the nearestt		to the nearest€
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Resular Offerinqs		16,275							16,275			16,570
Donations & Other Inconre		1.842							1,842			2,366
Manse Rent		12,135							't2.'t35			10.247
Raised for other Causes					555				555			790
Gift Aid												2,364
Buiidinq & Repair Fund		387							387
Sub
	,4R)	30,639			555				31,194			32,337
A2Asset andinvestmentsales,
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rota!receiprsl--@l			l-;A		l-1			l	:lfol	frel
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tulinistrv		5,525							5,625			4,389
Mission		4,715			400				5.{15			s,000
Church Runnrnq Costs		9,422							9,422			7,563
Manse		9,422							9,422			3,997
Administraion		2,173							2,173			3,167
Outreach I Evanqelism		425							425			230
Church Repairs / lmprovements		8,59S							8,599			3,602
	Subtotal	40,381			400				40,781			27,947
A4Asset andinvestment
Netofreceipts/(payffiens)[-ffirl A5rransfersbetweenfundsf- .,[ A6Cashfundslaslvearend i 84.4191 CashfundsthisyearerdL__.,1g)			l-,T;l f--j i I		f -i i tssl		- -	1 ll -l	F---,s8il l-;:ffiI I --]f-] _tjt-qf l Bno?ei I t+atzII aa+rsl
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*r!:i'i',i,1.rl		funds	funds		funds
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		Unrestricted	Restrlcted		Endowment
		funds	funds		funds
	*etails	to nearest €	tonearest	€	to nearest€
82Other monetary assets	Unclaimed Gift Aid Tax 2023/24	2,825
	mqltaiis	Fund towhich	Cost(optionali
B3lnvestment assets
	*ei'tails	Fund towhich	Cost {optional}		Current value
84Assetsretainedforthe	Church Buiibing
charity'sownuse	Manse
	Fixtures, Fittings & Equipmemt (Church)
	Furniture & Furnishings (Manse)
		Fund towhich	Arnount due		Whendue
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85 Liabilities	BMS World Mission
Signedbyone ortwotrustees0n behalfof allthe trustees		Print Narne
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