Parish Church of St. John the Evangelist, Farsley Annual Parochial Church Meeting 12th May 2024
PARISH CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST, FARSLEY ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING_ 12th May 2024 Agenda El•ctlon of Churchward•ns Ag•nda Annu•l Parochlal Church Maetlng 1. Openlng prayer 1. Minutes Idr¢ulatedl 2. Appointment of Clark 2. Eloctoral Roll 3. Minutes (clrculated) 4. Electlon of Churchwardens Church Councll Att•ndanc• Meetings 2023-24 12 Monthly meeting$ were held R8vd. G. HovA8s Mr. A. Aedy Mrs. V. Bergln Mr. H. Bradley Ms L. Gibbens Mrs. C. Glover Mr. J. Isaacson Mr. A. Saxton Mrs E. Sheller Mrs L. Sykes Mrs B. Tuke Mrs S. Walker Mr. J. Webstèr Mrs J. Whitakèr 3. Annu81 Roport 202>2024 4. Fatjrk, Goods and Omaments Roport S. Audited Accounts for 202>2024 Electbon of Autjilor 12 11 11 fj. Reports from Chur¢h Committees and GfOUP$.' Bereavement Group The Churth ChoSr Churches Tog8ther In Farsley House and Siudy Groups Parish oifKg Parish Safeguarding Sunflower Café pdIX- A$Sad Repts.. Ffbgnd8 ol Sl. John's (2023) (2021). {2021)" {20231 12 {2021)" 10 Co-opt 11 12020) 12020)- 12021). 12019)- (3) 12018) 11 12023) (2023) 11 7. Elgction8 l Repr8ntatives ol Lalty IPCC) 11. Deanery Synr#J 8. Chalrn)an'8 remarks 'Ellglble fty second 3-y88r tenn. '"Second &year t8m7 C - Churc*wath? Questions and matter8 of parothlal and genèral churth intWe8t. 10. Ck)slng Prayor R:Road R-
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL Church of St John The Evan elist Farsle Minutes of the meeting of parishioners held on Sunday 16th Aprll at 11.50 am 2023. Meetlng to elect churchwardens. 1. Gareth opened the meeting with a prayer. 2. The minutes from the last meeting were approved. Gareth proposed that Jill Mulligan vrfould take the notes for the meeting and Howard seconded it. 3. Alan was elected as church warden for another year. Ideally. need another church warden to share the role. 4. Gareth expressed his thanks to Alan and also to Loma and Janet for providing Alan viith support. Minutes of the APCM held on Sunda 16th ri12023 at 11.55am 1.Tho minutes of last yearfs APCM were approved as an acGurate record of 8vents. 2.Tho electoral roll has stayed the same this year. 3. Annual ReF)Ort It has been good to hav8 a nomial year with plenty of activities after the previous two years with Covid restrictions. 4. Fabric, Goods and Omaments Report S. Finance: this is the third year of not paytng the full share, we nonnally pay about 70% by the end of the year. We need to discuss as a PCC how c2n we meet that requirement. The financ8s were approved. proposed by Janet arKI seconded by Aan. everyone was in favour. Gareth proposed the same independent examiner next year aThJ Audrey seconded it. 6. Groups: The Toddler group has restarted. there are about 4&50 children that have attended. There are a good team of helpers. Please continue to pray for them, that they will be a blessing to the community. Gareth expressed his thanks to The Friends of St John's- it is wonderful to have their support and dedication. They manage to raise lots of money for Ihe church. It is good to keep encouraging them as they do a lot for us and do a great job. 7. Electlons: Welcome to ArKlrew Aedy and James Webster on to the PCC. Val Bergin has become a deanery synod representative arKI Christine Glover will continue in the role. We no longer have sidespeople. VR tend to have welcomers instead. 8. Chalmian's remarks: Gareth thanked Alan for his role as chur¢h warden and he thanked the PCC for all the meetings and discussions that had taken pla throughout the year. He expressed his thanks to Eileen and the choir for all their hard work and dedication and samd that Eileen deserved a week off now and then. A big thanks go to Shirley for helping here and at Rodley, your support is invaluable. There are challenges ahead - Shirley will continue till the end of September. The last week in September we will celebRte Shirley and all she has done for St John's and Rodley. How Can we support Rodley with their sen4ices and continue wtih our own plus the tsvo evening services we now have once a month? Is there anyone else who could train as a lay readefl Are there any retired clergy we could ask for
help? Finances- we need to up our giving. rf possible in the current climate. The heating project- do we start it now? How do we fundraise for Some fundraising has already taken place and been very successfvl. Do we ask the Diocese for a loan? A Year of Proclamation - most people in the community know the church. How can we add proclamation to our presence in the village? We need to put events on offering the hope of Jesus, start courses. We need to find new ways of proclaiming the good news of Jesus. 9. No matters of general parochial interest were raised. 10. The meeting ended with the Grace at 12.20. The next PCC meeting is on Tuesday 2rKJ May at 7.30pm in church. Signed Date: 12.05.24
'Y 7.7 IWf7VTI-ryI' ITP'frTIvTry'":: FABRIC GOODS AND ORNAMENTS Church ard and Grounds Leeds City Council Parks & Cemeteries are responsible for the grass cutting, checking the condition of trees and general maintenance. A gardener cares for the memorial garden and makes good this area of the grounds. We also have the support of volunteers from the Friends of Farsley Church, who help keep the grounds looking tidy and colourful. Church SeNlce Ins ctlons The fire extinguishers and gas instalSation certificates are kept up to date, along with the electrical testing of fixed and portable appliance. Malntenance Volunteers from the Friends of St. John's, along with Tery Whitaker and Ray Sheller, continue to carry out routine maintenance and replacement tasks within the church. We hoped to replace the heating system with a modern green system but unfortunately the costs increased to such an extent that this was not viable. We approached the DAC to explain the situation and they approved our request to cary out a straight replacement of the heaters. This was fast tracked so we were able to install the new heaters in time for Christmas. Church Hall and Offices Service Ins ections The electriGal, fire and gas installation certificates are kept up to date, along with the electrical testing of fixed and portable appliance. Maintenance The meeting room, hall and kitchen are still being used regulady by MHA. groups and parties. The Baby and Toddler Group continues to flourish and has been well attended. Many thanks to Naomi and Gareth and their helpers for organising this. A Youth Group has recently been fomied and we hope this will expand and will become a rewarding and enjoyable activity for our young people. The hall has been repainted by a contractor and it now looks clean and bright. Many thanks also to Val Bergin who painted the toilets and doors in the hall. The Friends book shelves have been replaced with store bought shelving units which enhance the appearance of the hall. Many thanks to all those who installed them and for the donation which enabled the purchase of the shelves. We hope to c18an the floor shortly. We are grateful for a grant from Councillor Peter Cahill for the replacement of the ovens in the kitchen and we aim to install these in the Spring. The longer t8rm plan is to improve the hall which will include replacing the heating system. We hav8 been fortunate to find a roofing contractor who has finally repalred th8 leaking roof in the hall arKI has carried out some other roofing repairs. Old Vicara SeNice Ins ctlons The e18Ctrical, fire and gas installation certtficat8s are kept up to date. Lettin The flat continues to be let on an annu81 basls and we are fortunate to have a good tenant who appreciates the flat. Alan Saxton - Churchwardon March 2024 e Flat
THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, FARSLEY Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the year 2023-2024 Administratlve Inforniatlon St. John's is situated at the junction of Town Street and New Street. The correspondence address is: The Parish Office, The Old Vicarage, New Street, Farsley, Pudsey. LS28 5DJ. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) Is a charity excepted from registration with the Charity Commission. (1185811) PCC members who have seprfed from April 2023 until the date this report was approved are: Incumbent.. The Revd. Gareth Howles Churchwardens.. Mr. A. Saxton Reader.. Mrs. S. Walker retired November 2023 Elected members.. Miss L. Gibbens - Secretary (2023). Mr. A. Aedy (2023)" Mrs V. Bergin (2021)" Mr. H. Bradley (2021). Mrs. C. Glover (2021)" Mrs. E. Sheller (2020)- Mrs. L. Sykes (2021). Mrs. B. Tuke (2019)- Mr. J. Webster (2023). Mrs J. Whitaker (2023)" first >year temi second 3-year tenn C04)pt8d members.. Mr. J. Isaacson- Treasurer {COwOPted 2019) Bankers: HSBC, 88 Town Street, Horsforth. Leeds, West Yorkshire. LS18 4AR. Legal Adviser.. Peter Foskett. Lupton Fawcett Denison Till, Yorkshire House, East Parade, Leeds, West Yorkshire. LS158D. Independent Examiner: Olalekan Olutayo, Shepley Okl Hall. HD8 8DG. Structure, govornance and management The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and to stand for ele¢lion to the PCC. Elected
members may serve up to two consecutive terms of 3 years, prior to stsnding down for at least 1 year, before they may stand for reelection. The intentlon is to provide both continuity and a range of experience to create a fully active committee. In order to cary out its aims and objectives, the PCC operat8S through a number of smaller groups, which meet, when required, beeen fvll PCC meetings. Objectives and actlvltles The Revd. Gareth Howl8s is Priest-in-charge of St. John's. The PCC has the responsibility of co- operating with him in promoting the whole mission of th8 Church, pastoral, evangelical. social and ecumenical. (The PCC Powers Measure 1956). Together we are working to develop our objectives in procSaiming the Gospel and serving God, within the Church and the community. During the past year, the PCC has continued to work to develop and refin8 Ihe strategies by which our objectives may be achieved. Areas identified as priorities, including safeguarding, church growth, outreach. pastoral care, care, maintenance and development of the church building, ecological issues, community links, and generosity in serving the community, have been further explored In PCC meetings. 8ach month. Achievements and perfomianco Th8 number of parishioners on th8 Church Electoral Roll at the APCM 2023 was 63. Since then, two nam8s have been removed. bringing the Current total to 61.The average attendance at the main Sunday moming service is approximately 55 but this number increases at festivals and when Baptisms take place. Alan Saxton- Electoral Roll Officer Revlew of the Year There have been twelve full PCC meetings since the last APCM with the Revd. Gareth Howles Chairing them all. Gareth and Alan Saxton, our churchwarden, hava met regularly throughout this time to deal with a variety of church-related issues and keep things running smoothly on a day-to-day basis, with invaluable support from Helen Whitaker, our Parlsh Office Administrator. We continue to care for, maintain and develop th8 church and the church hall and flat and throughout the year. maintenance and repairs have been carried out, where necessary. The church balcony and church hall cellar have both benefitted from a big clearout and the hall itself has been transformed by its redecoration. Fresh paint, new curtains and bookcases. along with some lovely lighting effects. have made it a much more modern and appeallng place for our own use, as well as for external hire. Many thanks to everyone who was involved in this process- the results are fantastic. One of our most significant decisions thls year came with the recognition that the spiraling costs of plans to replace the heating sysl8m in the church building were prohibitive of actually being able to afford to cary out the work. For a number of years, the PCC heating working party. with the invaluable help and advice of Ray Sheller, has tried resiliently, to find a heating solution for church, which would be as environmentally friendly as possible and economically viable. Tireless efforts to secure grants and funding. and the fundraising efforts of both the congregation and the Friends of St. John's, have not been able to match the ever-increasing projected costs. As the old system continued to deteriorate. the PCC decided, with some regret. that in order to deal with the immediate prospect of another challenging winter in church, the heating would be replaced with an affordable. more efficient but like-
ft)r4ike system. which could be installed in a short time-frame. Heating was fully restored in good time for the Chrisknas season armj there have even been retKJrts of the church being 'too warm.! Many thanks to all those who have worked so hard and contribUtj so generously, over the years. to ensur8 that all possibilities were explored and an eventual solution could be implemented. Particular thanks to the Friends of St. John's for their sustained fundraising campaign. Church growth continues to be a focus, as explore new ways of getting the church presence Into the community and increased MmUnty involvement in church activities. Social events. including our regular quizzes, the Be811e Drive, Bonfire without Bangs. the Christmas Craft evening, Lights Night. Carols. Coffee and Cake. and carol singing at the nursing home and around the local pubs have all been very successful in sharing our presence in the village in an inviting and approachable way. Services such as the HaNest Festival. Remembrance service arKJ the Carols by Candl81ight service provide an excellent chance to welcome people into church. who may not be regular attenders. Initiatives for young people have also been important. A successful holKlay club, thriving Sunday morning groups. a youlh group. school visits, the Christingles and nativity service with donkeys, all offer opwrtunities to welcome young peoplè into church adiviti8s. Baptisms are now included in our normal services, so that thosè to be baptised can be prop8rly Welcom into their church family. In July, Shirley Walker atterKJed her final PCC meeting, having anmunced her intention to retir8 from her Readerfs role in October. We are very grateful to her for all hor commitment and hard work over many y8ars. and we wish her all the very best for the fijture. In the autumn. Gareth Introduced the PCC to the'Rhythm of Llfe, Inltiative, a new approach to 'tralning' to promote the growth of discipleship. Thls is interMYed to breathe fresh lrfe into our worshlp by looking anew at how w8 can best Incorporale it into our everyday rouline. The six headings, Pray, Read. Leam, Tell, Serve and Give will help us focus on how we could all refiect these values in our daily Ilves by developing personal reading and study. praying for each other and developing edIled time for prayer. and Infomal oonversatlons and discussions over ffee. for example. This would lead to personal spiritual growth, the splritual growth of our church, improvements In pastoral care and opportunities for sharing the good news wilh our local community. Small studylsupport groups are key to the structure and you'll be hearirKJ mor8 about this soon. October saw the Archdeacon's vlsitstlon. While he commended our work on Safeguarding, Mis$lon and Grovrth and found St. John's to be 'in good shape,, he queried the fact that we only have one churchwarden and the shortage of volunteers is a recurring theme in some of the reports, as you will read. The more people who can offer their time gifts, the more St. John's and its work will thrive. Whether it is attending an exlra service. offering some help with groups and activities or tsking on PCC role, please ask yourself, prayerfully. whether there is anhing you could do to help. Thanks to Alan. our churchward8n, and all our PCC members who have worke•J hard to support Gareth this y8ar. And finally, thank-you once again, on behaff of the PCC. to all those who yrk for the good of St. John's its family and its community. We appreciate all the help and support thai you give. Lesloy Glbbans - PCC Sgcrntary Flnanclal Rovlow 2023
Charity aco)unts are splti between 'Unrestricted' funds (of which some may be 'D8signated' for a specrfic cause} and 'Restricted' fijnds. Unrestricted funds relate to money the PCC can spend on anything that fijlfils the objectives of tt)e Ghurch. Restricted fiJnds record donations and expenditure for specific purposes or projects. This year w6 have seen an increase in regular giving and in collections at services. This has been mainly driven by increased regular giving via the Parish Grving Scheme. This is a scheme which is gives givers the freedom lo set up a direct debit to church grving, and the Grft Aid on donations is daimed by the Parish Giving Scheme, which saves us time. Gift Aid re(>Jvered is lower in 2023 du8 to the timing of Gift Ahj claims in 2022 including backdated parEntS. Our main axperKliture in 2023 is the Parish Share. We completed the heating project towards the end of 2023 which came in at a reduced cost armj. as such, we were able to use our total of desrgnated fijnds (which were legacies received from 2018 onwards) which had been earmarked for the heating nd towards paying the Parish Share for 2023. Using these funds (£11,721), accumulated interest (£434) and the main contribUtn from our unrestricled funds {£32,645), we were able to pay £44,800 on the total requested Parish Share (total requesta £59,255). We were not able to make the full Share payment due to our annual income or reserved ml beir¥J sufficient to cover the fijll cost. Thank you to all who donate to the church: be li by slanding order, online or by cash or card. St John's has been a beacon of hope to our community over many years and the money we have invested this year in our church for future generations of use could not have happened without your generous support. Reserv8s policy It is PCC policy to maintain a balance on Unrestrided fuThJs of roughty £1,500 at the end of each month. after pawng the Parish Share to the Di0se. We end the year wth £9,556 in r8serv8, which is in excess of the reserves policy (the 2024 share is £55.499 {arouTrJ £4.600 a month). Wè were not able to pay the full Parish Share to the Drocese as noted in the atx)ve commentary. We continue to look for ways to minimise our (xists and maximise income. Our major financial commitment for the coming year is in paying the Share to fund the Dlocese's work and ongoing support to the work of the church in our communty. This CmmitMent will require the generosity of church members, and our wider wmmunty. LK)th in temis of genèrosity of donations. and generosty of time and ideas. Joel Isaacson- Trnasurer
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Independent examiner's report I repJrt to the Injstees on my examinatlcm of acmunts of The ParochSal Churth cn¢11 of the Ecclesiasltsl Parish of Sl JOM the E%ngellst. FaleY (rjwrity no 1185811) fthe Trust") for the year ended 31 Decembu 2023. RMponslbllltl• •nd baxls of rnport 8 the charitys tiustees. yyj we for the WepalaiK of tr aC¢ts in c(dan wilh the requirements of the Charluts Acl 2011 (Ihe Actl. I wrt in resFed d my eXanatn (A the Trusfs xrxxmts crnie(l (xrt under seclKffi 145 of the 2011 Act aKI in cArrying out my examinalNM. I have fdknled al Ihe appli(xble Directiorts by the Chanty C(rnissKJn section 145(5Xb) of the Act. Indepond•nt •xamlnefs stat•m IhaL in material rwect . the OntIng records were not keO In lth sedion 130 or the Charities Art . the aca)unts did rK)t c4Nnrty aw>kable wequireirtiti (XXKXriry tt form and content of a(xXnts set in tr Charities {AccA)unts and RetM)rts) Regulations 2008 olher than any re(psirement that the a(xx)unts gi a and fairf vSew Is rKJt a matter nSIdered as part of kndependent examination to thtch attenti(xi shwld t dran in tr#s rewt in order lo enable a sxoper undwstaThJlng of tr axxuits to be rea(d. th66: Sh*y Old Hal HD8 8DG Dth: Aprll 18. 2024 1 17..11 1ST 15