## Anchor Church
Report and Accounts Year ended 31 December 2021
1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk
## **ANCHOR CHURCH**
## **LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE c/o The C of E Birmingham 1 Colmore Row Birmingham B3 2BJ GOVERNING DOCUMENT Constitution dated 20th August 2019 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1186793 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR Rev Chris Mitton MANAGING THE CHARITY Joshua Barber (appointed April 2022) Taylor Batte (resigned September 2022) Charis Fergusson (resigned February 2021) Helena Kittle Joel Lines (appointed April 2022) Patrick Masih (appointed April 2022) Sebrina Miller (resigned April 2022) Miriam Sadler Kenny Smith (resigned June 2022)
BANKERS
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Co-operative Bank Archie McDowall BA, CA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
## **INDEX**
Page 1 Legal and Administrative Details Page 2 Summary Trustees' Report Page 3 Independent Examiner's Report Page 4 Receipts and Payments Account Page 5 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Pages 6-7 Notes to the Accounts Appendix Full Trustees' Report
Page 1
## **ANCHOR CHURCH**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021.
## **Objects of the charity**
The charity, which is a church, is governed by a constitution and is constituted as a charitable incorporated organisation. The charity's principal object, as set out in its governing document, is to advance the Christian faith.
## **Review of the charity's main activities and achievements**
_Please see appendix for full Trustees' report._
In planning the activities the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
## **Financial review**
During the year income increased by £14,600, to £68,300, and expenditure increased by £33,100, to £42,700. As a result the cash held by the charity increased by £25,600, to £69,700, of which £64,500 is unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purpose.
## **Reserves policy**
The trustees have determined that the charity should aim to hold unrestricted cash of no less than £7,250 (which equates to about 3 months of necessary unrestricted expenditure) so that the charity could continue to operate should income and / or expenditure vary adversely. At the year end, the charity held unrestricted cash of £64,500 and the charity is complying with its reserves policy.
## **Governance**
Responsibility for setting policy and for making operating decisions rest with the trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity. New trustees are recruited and appointed by the existing trustees.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.
We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
## **Approval**
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Chris Mitton
____________________________ Chris Mitton
Date: 21 October 2022
Page 2
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT**
## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF**
## **ANCHOR CHURCH**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Anchor Church ('the charity') for the year ended 31 December 2021 on pages 4 to 7 following.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## Archie McDowall
Archie McDowall BA, CA
Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
Date: 31 October 2022
Page 3
## **ANCHOR CHURCH**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
|Notes
**_Income receipts_**
Donations
Gift aid receipts
Other grants
**_Total receipts_**
**_Payments_**
2
3
**_Total payments_**
Transfers between funds
5
**Net movement in funds**
Cash funds as at last year end
**Cash funds at this year end**
A
Net
of
receipts
/
(payments)
before
transfers
Grants
paid
in
relation
to
charitable
activities undertaken by others
Payments
in
relation
to
charitable
activities undertaken directly||General
Designated
Funds
Funds
£
£
53,477
-
11,655
-
2,000
-
67,131
-
34,359
-
5,444
-
39,803
-
27,328
-
-
-
27,328
-
37,148
-
64,477
-
Unrestricted Funds|Restricted
Funds
£
1,136
-
-
1,136
2,885
-
2,885
(1,749)
-
(1,749)
7,000
5,251|Total
2021
£
54,613
11,655
2,000
68,267
37,244
5,444
42,688
25,579
-
25,579
44,148
69,727|Total
2020
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||General
Funds
£
53,477
11,655
2,000
67,131
34,359
5,444
39,803
27,328
-
27,328
37,148
64,477||||
||||||6,995
-
46,716|
||||||53,711|
||||||7,357
2,206|
||||||9,563|
||||||44,148
-|
||||||44,148
-|
||||||44,148|
The notes on pages 6 - 7 form part of these accounts.
Page 4
## **ANCHOR CHURCH**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
|**A**
**Cash funds**
Cash at bank with immediate access
**B**
**Other monetary assets**
Gift aid due to charity
Other debtors
**C**
**Liabilities**
**Falling due within one year:**
Trade creditors
Taxes due
Fee for Independent Examination|General
Designated
funds
funds
£
£
64,477
-
**64,477**
**-**
375
-
-
-
**375**
**-**
500
-
199
-
840
-
**1,539**
**-**
Unrestricted Funds|Restricted
funds
£
5,251
**5,251**
133
-
**133**
-
-
-
**-**|Total
2021
£
69,727
**69,727**
508
-
**508**
500
199
840
**1,539**|Total
2020
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||44,148|
|||||**44,148**|
|||||944
385|
|||||**1,329**|
|||||-
35
840|
|||||**875**|
|**D**
**Assets retained for charity's own use**
Contents and equipment|Value
2021
£|
|---|---|
||2,000|
||**2,000**|
The trustees have used insurance values as the trustees are unable to reliably estimate current values; insurance values may differ materially from current values.
## **E Guarantees and secured debts**
The charity has not given any guarantees and has not provided its assets as security for any liabilities.
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf
> by Chris Mitton _____________________________Chris Mitton
date 21 October 2022
The notes on pages 6 - 7 form part of these accounts.
Page 5
## **ANCHOR CHURCH**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
## **1 Accounting policies**
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
|**2**
**Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly**
Employment costs
Note 4
Ministry expenses
Equipment
Events and outreach
Rent
Insurance
Governance
Administration and support
**3**
**Grants and gifts paid to others**
Organisations:
Slavlands Christian Fellowship
Organisations < £1k
Individuals||Unrestrict|Designated
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
ed Funds|Restricted
Funds
£
2,193
-
-
692
-
-
-
-
2,885
-
-
-
-|Total
2021
£
18,439
5,911
4,918
2,346
2,100
561
890
2,079
37,244
2,014
680
2,750
5,444|Total
2020
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||General
funds
£
16,247
5,911
4,918
1,653
2,100
561
890
2,079
34,359
2,014
680
2,750
5,444|||||
|||||||6,222
400
-
265
-
413
-
58|
|||||||7,357|
|||||||-
-
2,206|
|||||||2,206|
Page 6
## **ANCHOR CHURCH**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021**
## **4 Transactions with related parties**
Lydia Mitton, spouse of a trustee, received £1,096 in her position co-running an outreach program; these payments are permitted by the charity's governing document.
Two other trustees were in receipt of a grant each of £500 which related to ministry support. The two trustees were not part of the decision-making for these grants, which are permitted by the charity's governing document.
|**5**
**Movement of funds**
General funds
Restricted funds
Meals and Music
Church has left the building
Total funds|Opening
balance
£
37,148
37,148
7,000
-
7,000
44,148|Receipts
£
67,131
67,131
480
656
1,136
68,267|Payments
£
(39,803)
(39,803)
(2,531)
(354)
(2,885)
(42,688)|Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-|Closing
balance
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||64,477|
||||||64,477|
||||||4,949
302|
||||||5,251|
|||||||
||||||69,727|
The Meals and Music fund relates to a grant provided for work with refugees and unaccompanied asylum seekers. The Church has left the building fund relates to various outreach projects across the city (see trustees' report).
Page 7
## **Anchor Church - Trustees report.**
2021 was a year of massive change across our world, with Covid-19 hugely impacting many aspects of society, individual wellbeing, and how we all think about the world. In other words, Covid changed the story. Standing in this moment, we’ve drawn our gaze back again and again to the story of God, allowing Him to lead us on a path of depth and devotion, and looking to inhabit both His perspective and pace. To those of us used to greater busyness, it was a year of learning to be slowed down, and of putting our trust increasingly in His power and timing rather than our strategies, activity, and ability. Our way forward will not imitate the exhaustion or self-dependence of the world but will seek ever more deeply to inhabit the rhythms of the Father. In this way we’ve become more simple, again and again feeling the draw back to the exclusive pursuit of the living Jesus. He is our one thing, our vision, our strategy, our leader, and our Lord. And a rising undercurrent through this season of slowdown has been a growing conviction, that in this wilderness moment He has been preparing a people ready to move in His power and in His holiness, and that He has extraordinary plans in our city. The way forward is simple: It is Jesus. To Him we look, in Him we trust, with Him we go. To Him be the glory. And we grow in the joy that He is a Lord worth leaving everything to follow.
## Ministry Updates:
## BUILDING
Looking at longer term building space has been an ongoing question for us since we started, with our mobility both an enormous blessing (the flexibility and emphasis away from the Sunday Gathering it’s afforded us, plus maintaining a wider vision for the whole city) and a limitation to be worked around. This year we’ve explored two specific building options, including an existing church building at risk of closure, and a former gym, neither of which proved to be financially viable. At the end of this year, we’ve begun a new conversation around a further building option. We’re holding the whole conversation very much in prayer and trust as to the Lord’s timing and provision and will communicate further as more information is appropriate to share.
1
## THE CHURCH HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
On the first weekend in December, we scattered across the city to serve various projects, including a Christmas event with asylum seekers in hostel accommodation, partnership with the ongoing outreach of the Open Door Friendship Centre in Small Heath, and outreach with students in Selly Oak.
## CONNECT
With a significant number joining Anchor for the first time online (January to June), or since we began gathering again in person in July, helping newcomers find out more and find ways to join community and begin to participate has been a key part of 2021.
Connection as a ministry at Anchor is all about making sure people feel seen, known and a part almost as soon as they walk through the door (or enter the Zoom room as was the case for much of our time so far). This means meeting up with newcomers for "Connection Coffees" where someone from the team meets up with them to hear their stories, what they're passionate about in church and how we can better connect them to tables, teams, and other individuals in Anchor who share their interests, goals, and passions. We also launched a team of people available on a Sunday to keep an eye out for newcomers to be able to welcome them in. This has gone a long way in creating a culture of welcome without it being someone that is done based on a rota.
## HOMELESS OUTREACH
In January, partly due to ongoing Covid restrictions, we put our streets outreach work with the homeless on hold, while we look at the longer-term vision for ministry with rough sleepers in the city centre. We are continuing to join in planning with three other key churches in central Birmingham (Carrs Lane Methodist Church, Birmingham cathedral, and St Martin in the Bullring) to coordinate a united response, building ministry around food and working towards a discipling community for adults on the margins.
MARRIAGE
We began running the Pre-Marriage Course in the Spring of 2021, as preparation for couples getting married later in the year. We are exploring development of this ministry into 2022.
2
## MEALS&MUSIC
In the autumn we launched Meals&Music, a weekly gathering of unaccompanied asylum-seeking young adults, who gather for a meal, song, and sharing stories on Wednesday evenings. Seeing God’s provision of meeting space, and the beginnings of a beautiful community starting to form has been enormously special. As a team we’re looking into how to develop this ministry in 2022.
## MISSION PARTNERSHIPS
This year we sent three missionaries overseas (two for a discipleship training programme with YWAM, starting in Norway, and one to the Democratic Republic of the Congo). We continued to support existing mission partnerships, including a church planting network in India. We’ve been particularly impacted by the stories in India, where pastors are working in communities that have been ravaged by Covid-19, including some significant personal losses, as well as ministering in a climate increasingly hostile to Christianity. We’ve continued to support and be blessed by those ministering alongside and through Anchor in Birmingham, supporting financially and being built by their many gifts. Missionaries are supported by the Giving Subcommittee, who distribute our tithe and provide personal connection for each missionary we are connected with.
## PAGA
‘Paga ’is the Hebrew word for ‘intercession’, meaning a combination of _encounter_ and _striking a mark with accuracy_ . When we gather to pray, we are surrendering all parts of the church to the lead of God, looking to pray specifically where He leads us. Prayer is thus central to our rhythms, and we gather as a church to worship, listen and pray monthly. Largely Paga has been on Zoom, working around Covid restrictions during this year. We set aside September as a month of prayer and fasting, with rhythms of prayer thought out the week. It was a significant month, taking us deeper into dependence on the lead of the Spirit, and a more simplified pursuit for His power and presence.
## PASTORAL
Every believer is constantly called to more deeply abide in the healing heart of the Father, which is aided through our pastoral culture as a church. This past year has seen many struggling with an uncertain and changing world, with struggles with health, mental health, isolation, and a lack of confidence. Thus, our structures of connection and wholeness have been of high importance. This
3
year this has focused around the importance of community, rest, vulnerability, and staying firm in hope. Companions (which offers 1:1 prayer support for individuals) and table remain important parts of this culture.
## RELAY
In a relay, a baton is handed from one runner to the next. The Anchor Relay team has a heart to see the Way of Jesus passed on to the next generations. We want to model a way of living in the rhythms of grace: **seeking justice** , **pursuing holiness** , **developing character** and **living a life of worship** and **discovering our identity as children of the King** . The Anchor Church vision for children and families is **missional and discipling** , it’s **inward and outward** , it’s **relational and authentic** . Our vision is to serve the families and children who join us at **weekly gatherings** and tables, and to **reach out** to children across Birmingham who don’t know the Good News of Jesus yet!
Families and children have continued to be central in our community, with the kids gathering online and in person as we’ve moved back to physical gatherings. We disciple our kids into both understanding and experience of God, unto vision for their own participation in the mission of God, and thus these themes have been crucial in how we’ve continued to nurture disciples among our kids and learn through what God is teaching them. Visitors have been prayed for by our children, they’ve participated in our gatherings, and it has been wonderful to hear stories of encountering the Holy Spirit and hearing His voice. Online Relay sessions strengthened our vision to see family homes becoming places of intentional discipleship for parents and children alike.
## STUDENTS
2021 was a challenging year for students in Birmingham, and thus our student community was crucial in sustaining community and discipleship among our students. In September, we shifted our strategy, from running a bespoke student programme, to integrating students into wider community in Anchor, including tables and their ongoing contribution to various teams. During the autumn term, we’ve loved welcoming new students to our Sunday gatherings and table communities, and students remain a key part of our community.
## SUNDAY GATHERINGS
It’s been a year of ongoing change in our Sunday gatherings, meeting online (January-June), both indoors and outdoors at St Hilda’s Warley (June), St George’s Newtown (July-October), and Christ Church Selly Park (NovemberDecember). In January, we moved our online gatherings to Zoom, looking to
4
deepen community and connection after a season of growing numbers from our Youtube livestream. Meeting up again in person in the summer, in the warm June sunshine (with resultant sunburn!) was amazing, and a chance for those who’d joined us online during the previous 15months to meet longer term members of the community, and for many of us to catch up again in person. Over the summer we kept a strong focus on rebuilding community, and resting teams, as we prepared for the autumn. We’ve been so grateful to partner alongside the three churches who’ve hosted us in this year.
## TABLE
Tables have continued to be a key point of connection, laughter, and depth for many of us through the first six months of the year, as we continued to connect weekly online. We encouraged all of our table hosts to rest their table over the summer, as many of us felt a deep level of fatigue as we came out of the more severe phases of restrictions, instead walking, climbing, playing badminton, and spontaneously eating together. We then relaunched tables in October in person. As always, table has been central to our connection to each other and vision to draw in the city to the people of God, and it’s been beautiful to see joyful and real community growing again, and newcomers being welcomed to our communities again. Into 2022, we’re praying for new tables to plant, as we look to increase our capacity to host each other and our friends and neighbours.
## TEACHING
Teaching continues to be a high priority. This year a key emphasis has been looking at how we grow a resilient faith and determined hope in the midst of a rapidly changing and uncertain world. We’ve taught on identity, spiritual practices, the missional potential of table, and navigating times where God feels absent. Behind the scenes, we’re working on developing courses to increase our discipline resource as a church, including filming and redesigning the His:Story course and plotting an outline for two further courses.
## WORSHIP TEAM
We’ve a phenomenally gifted group of worshippers and musicians, gathering around a vision for authentic, deep, beautiful song to God, that prioritises meeting Him every time we gather. The team is led by Matt, Beki, and Bo, and we’ve loved seeing newcomers become family and builders of culture as a part of this team. We feel we’re on the start of a journey in worship here and are so excited to see what comes next.
5
## WHAT NEXT?
2022 brings huge amounts of potential, as we continue to grow in numbers and expectation of what we can do with God next. We’re planning a summer mission trip to South Africa, launching the Alpha course, exploring a new building option, looking at staffing increase, praying into potential for how we develop Meals&Music further, looking into teaching English as a means of serving refugee communities, keen to dive deeper into rhythms of prayer for revival, planning to start running the marriage course, and no doubt much more. 2021 in many ways felt a year of quiet deepening, healing, and regathering of focus as we look forward. Our prayer into the coming years is that God leads us in building on these foundations into extraordinary exploits with Him.
6