## GBC Lancaster Charity Commission Annual Report submission for 2021 The Church promotes the Christian faith and spiritual contemplation and provides emotional and spiritual support for any who seek it. It holds public worship and other activities in the building that it uses, and distributes literature in the surrounding area and city centre. It advertises its services via its website and invites anybody who wishes to contact it. The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. The Church fulfils its objectives by holding two public worship services on Sundays, a midweek meeting, and children’s activities with a religious ethos. It also distributes literature and seeks to engage personally with members of the community, including students. It provides pastoral visits and support for the sick, bereaved, or those seeking help with spiritual matters for any who seek it, and not just its own members. The church also gives financial support to other Christian charities who promote the Christian gospel or engage in humanitarian activity in this country and overseas. The spiritual nature of the church’s objectives makes it difficult to quantify achievements. However in the past year we have undertaken the following:- - Holding public Sunday worship morning services in the morning and evening, in the building that it uses or digitally for those unable to attend - holding midweek meetings in the building that it uses - holding a weekly children’s club for primary school aged children during school term time in the building that it use, and a three-morning holiday club for children of primary school age - engaging with students and members of the community close to the building that the church uses and offering practical, emotional and physical support to those who seek it, by visits and by invitation to events in the building used by the church - distributing literature about the church and the Christian gospel to homes and in the city centre - providing support and encouragement to its members who have been in need - holding a special thanksgiving weekend conference to recognised the church’s fortieth anniversary The church also welcomed six new members into the church, although it was recognised that some of these were likely to be of brief duration due to relocation plans. The trustees have considered the Charity Commission guidance on the provision of public benefit and confirm that this benefit has been provided by: - Promoting the mission of the church to children through children’s clubs - Providing public worship open for all - Conducting pastoral work including visiting the sick, lonely and bereaved - Actively inviting (by literature and visitation) members of the community to services and special events at the church’s building - Providing friendship and support to the community by a free cafe one morning per week during winter - Providing a free toddler group one morning per week during school term times, open to any toddler accompanied by an adult family member, to offer friendship and support, as well as the opportunity to promote the church’s mission. - Allowing regular use of the building that it owns to a local slimming club CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGIAND AND WAiES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a 01A)Ird021 To 3111212021 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestrktsd fund5 Tot* fut)ts Lasty¢ar A1 R8C81 61606 1,256 U5eof Pteffdses k Irrt ity) 75 Sub (otal(Gftw Inunting teo)rds ￿ Th)t kept in artordance with section 130 of the Act or the xcounts do not ￿xd with the accounting records I have no concerns and hwie come across no other matters in ¢onnection with the exarninat￿n to vthrh attention shoukl be drawn in order to enable a proper Unde￿arKling of the accounts to b8 re&hed. ' Pleas8 delete the w0￿S in the brackets rfthey do not apply. Slgned: U&• Namo: Relevant professional qualtficatton{s) or body (if any): Address: IER October 2018