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$.'
Bereavement Group
The Churth ChoSr
Churches Tog8ther In Farsley
House and Siudy Groups
Parish oifKg
Parish Safeguarding
Sunflower Café
p￿dIX- A$S￿a￿d Rep￿ts..
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 Repr8￿ntatives 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, be￿een 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 contribUt￿j 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 ￿edI￿led 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 an￿hing 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 y￿rk 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 pa￿rEntS.
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 contribUt￿n 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 Di0￿se. 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 C￿mmitMent 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

2&1
2&1• *.777
•243 4,620
irn
irn
931
4A75
11J4
33.
33A
JX9J4 27rn1
1516461 D1.7211 144JIIO)
(smi
11S.13S)
14>41 fA401
(48781
17071 118mi iiJJ761
144
1•1
11
io

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND UABILMES
•515
41
9515
41
1Q403
41
Z4.$71
2.849
11
18T27 (JF *•rts ISF•)
202.(￿QF sh•Ya ICrmiTh F
4233 4233 3
1217
1?17
1J17
F•* Yr•Jth ICCLAI
11
11
I0.0￿[￿y1 112t¥ix
11

174
7.370
1313
215
6.148
(8.7(N))
4.818
1.678
fuTrJ
350
(￿)
1649
14767
7237
(11338)
the heaury In the t￿l￿r￿J& We ha¥t wlled £4.014 In ITh￿￿11
)athTh arKI £2.134 In IL¥)th*oty ac*Wes. Tl* e4)wrfllbn kn tt* (xrni year rnlates
12

s. *ithln C￿rth lo enable diffwent to uge the at swne tkne. ￿￿eY
tr* bu￿h¥a. The o)8t In the ￿ relate8 to trj equIp￿nt
(J)mrnunlty use.
martenan￿ to cjwrch f*Kic (l.e. arKI ffith'rys).
esented.
11.721
11,T21
(11,n1)
13

Im
1776
4.475
7251
1134
4.719
1.121
114
154
1754
11177
1754
111TI
Trn
1761
111n
8,7rn 7x03
7H15 7x15
1J16
9JJ8 18.se6
1137
101
141¥5
ZW1
14

Independent examiner's report
I repJrt to the Injstees on my examinatlcm of acmunts of The ParochSal Churth
c￿n¢11 of the Ecclesiasltsl Parish of Sl JOM the E%*ngellst. Fa￿leY (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 eXan￿at￿n (A the Trusfs xrxxmts c*rnie(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 O￿ntIng 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(xX￿nts 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* dra*n 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