- Horfield Methodist Church Annual Report: September 2023 August 2024
Context
Horfield Methodist Church is part of the Bristol and South Gloucestershire Circuit, which includes over thirty churches across both local authority areas, led by a Superintendent Minister. This circuit is one of nine in the Bristol Methodist District, which also covers most of Gloucestershire and part of both Wiltshire and Somerset.
We utilise buildings on two sites in Horfield and Bishopston.
The minister appointed to Horfield has oversight of two other churches in the Circuit as well as Horfield and Bishopston, so about seventy percent of our acts of worship are led by one of his ordained colleagues or by a Methodist Local (lay) Preacher. We acknowledge the contribution that each of them makes to our core activity of Christian worship.
Year under review
A recent review of our membership has identified a number of people who no longer attend the church for various reasons. The membership list has been amended, and we now report a more accurate membership of 100 people, plus supporters who attend.
Regular worship activities continue with Sunday morning services. The service from the Horfield site is also available online via Zoom. Junior Church children have their own activities after a short time of family worship. A young peoples’ group is offered, but the take-up is limited.
Community and outreach activities continue with Messy Church, Little Fishes (our toddler group), Film Club and coffee mornings. While there is no shortage of ideas for expanding such activities there are limitations as to what can be achieved with the volunteer-power available. There are fewer people willing to take on roles/responsibilities within the church and those who already do are fully committed. All working groups and committees have been reviewed, looking at the current list of meetings (who attends, what the meeting purpose is, effectiveness etc) with the intention of trying to reduce the workload and see if any activities could be combined or streamlined. With the sad loss of one of our most dedicated and experienced church members and trustees, the church has grappled with succession planning for key roles. This remains an issue, but we are grateful to all those who take up any responsibilities.
Messy Church is run on a monthly basis and draws children and young families who do not otherwise attend the church. Messy Church in December 2023 coincided with our outreach activity, the ‘Christmas Journey’, giving everyone the opportunity to hear the bible story of God's reason for sending his Son to earth. On Christmas Eve we explored the idea that Jesus and his parents were homeless and needed to seek shelter, building a shelter out of cardboard boxes, as many of the homeless in Bristol have to do to try to keep safe and warm.
The church continues to be ecologically aware, and representatives from other Methodist churches in the area are part of the eco group, giving an opportunity to share best practice. The church offsets its emissions annually, has themed fund-raising events for eco projects and ensures that there are regular church services which focus on the environment and the climate crisis. The church has arranged litterpick events, collecting litter and rubbish from streets around one of the church buildings.
The church has continued to tighten up on its responses to GDPR, Safeguarding and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. This has included making use of electronic filing methods, the greater use of dedicated email addresses, helping in terms of GDPR and with the added benefit of providing some measure of resilience; as well as following up on individuals’ responses to training requirements.
Finances are reasonably healthy, but we maintain close control of our expenditure and use of resources. The medium to long term future of retaining both sites will inevitably come under review in the next few years.
The upkeep of ageing buildings, on both sites, after many years of just basic repairs has continued, and is likely to continue, to bring challenging decisions about prioritising expenditure. Major items addressed have been repair work to the porch, bay window and top fascia boards on the front gable at one site. External signage has been revamped and updated, giving a brighter, more impactful impression to passers-by on our main road positions. Other
redecoration and repairs have been ongoing. We are planning significant expenditure to replace the paths at the front of the Horfield building, to ensure health and safety for our visitors is maintained.
The congregation is very diverse and we are proud of offering a warm welcome to all comers. We are seeing new people attending which is testament to the welcome and demonstrates the ideals of the Inclusive Church movement.
Rev Martin Slocombe
on behalf of the Managing Trustees, 19 February 2025
AT$ FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Horfleld Methodlst Churth R•ltrf¢t•d Tot41• ¢N• Funth SECTION A Fun4¥ a1 RECEIPTS Nol• a2 Off9Dn s and TaxrprovgtBd BaDk CFB Intgrg81 $nd Inveslmem Incorne 46.562.46 48.401.95 83 2.962.86 76.056.50 7.929 48 133,511.30 2.962.ll6 76,0. 8,133.4S 1JJ,71S.27 1.464.04 65.914.98 7.290 03 123.160.91 Lgttin hpr receipts 203.97 203.97 TOTAL RECEIPTS b1 PAYMENTS Circuit A¥8wmont(Y Sh•re 06.226.00 228. 67.965.45 426.42 b3 Donations 8176 Re alrs and Maintena Uulltss Ilnsurances. water cha 30.799.93 20.735.13 bs 16.098.28 18.0&8.28 17,a19. b7 Oknerpaynn TOTAL PAYMENTS 3.594.76 118.802.7J 203.97 3,798.73 119,OD6.70 20.443.64 127,390.$9 b8 2QJ.97 Ib91 SECTION C IIET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS I8 14,708.57 14.700.$7 4.229.61 Total fiJndB broughlfowdrd trorn la51year 80,86121 eo,881.21 ¢6 5.090.82 Subtotsl ¢1+¢2 95,5e9.78 95 56J.7B 80 86121 TraTh5fersand a Tor FVP40S AT E140 OF YEAR Ic3rt41 94869.7B bS,$69.78 80,9$111 SECTION D FOR INFORMATION ONLY.. MONÈY IIÈCENeD AND PASSED ON TO EXTER14ALORGANI$ATION$ th•¥• amount• ar• ¢)OlW b• I11 In i+Yal r•col nt• d1 Ba&n¢tr br 125.05 d2 8fGffts. for8xiom anlgthns 3.974.01 4.4.73 d3 cxroringJG1ft8 - p80d toathmal OT9ÈnbHtknns 3.678 56 4.365.68 d4 BALANCE SnLL TO BE PWO dl*d2-d3 420.50 12S.OS
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Narne of Church Horfknld M•thodlst No 712 Indepondont E¥•mlner'8 St•tsm•nt I have completed my &xamination. I confirm that Tro matsrial matter8 havtr ¢x)m8 to my attonlion connettK)n with th8 oxamin8tbJn lother Ih8n IhatdB¢k)Bed belo) whh gNe me ¢auso to bel¥* that in, any matorial respect.. the accounllna records W8r8 nDt kept ITr accordance with tI)n 130 of Iha A¢t,' or thè accounts do not accord wth th8 aGcountino r8COtds. I have no con¢orns and have come acTOSS no other m8tt8rs in connethn with the examination to %sthich attentbn shoukl be drawn In report in ordorto enab a propel undarstandlng of Ih8 a¢¢ounts lo b& reached. ave nor obtained ind8p8nd&nt verfficatK>n of all inv8stm8nts %Mlh Ihe TNsleès for M8lhodbt Church Purpos95 or held In other trusts, bank balanc88 8nd funds at the C•ntral Finance Board of Ihtr Methodist Chur¢h whKh ara 1ndwaNY n 8xc•ss of £10,000 Itèn thousand poundsl at the balance sh801 date. SvJnature of Independent examiner Narne of nd8P8ndent exarnlnar Reknv&nt professK)nal qualffi¢atwJn of hd8Pondgnt examiner Name of ffm) (where approprtatel Address Post Code or cir¢b as apprcpriats 5ofS