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2023-12-31-accounts

Connect Southwater Community Church Trustees’ Annual Report:

For the period:

From 1[st] January 2023 Period start date To 31[st] December 2023 Period end date

Charity name: Connect Southwater Community Church

Charity registration number: 1193477

Objectives and Activities:

Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document: SORP Para 1.17

To advance the Christian faith in Southwater and the surrounding area in such ways as the trustees shall think fit including connecting people to others and to God, celebrating life, loving, serving, and creating community.

Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the

activities, projects or services identified in the accounts: SORP Para 1.17 & 1.19

The key public benefits offered by Connect:

1. The provision of time, space, events and activities through which people benefit by connecting with others and building up community.

2. The provision of social welfare support to help alleviate local and global need, giving financial, material, physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental health support.

3. The provision of Christian worship, education and learning opportunities to enable people to benefit from faith in Christ.

While there is inevitably some degree of overlap, our main activities and achievements in 2023 in relation to these purposes and the three areas of public benefit listed are as follows:

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1. Connecting with others and building up community: during the third year of our existence as a charity we have continued to seek to impact people and help transform our community through a range of local service initiatives and local partnerships, and by offering care, community resources, support and activities, aiming to grow relationships of trust and respect.

We continue to enable and equip members of Connect to be committed Christian disciples with an outward, community focus, engaged in God's Kingdom values of joy, justice, righteousness, peace, healing and hope, helping bring life in its fullness to our communities, an intentional Kingdom emphasis reflecting one of our four core values as a member church in the UK Pioneer Network.

Our growing community links continued to provide opportunities to offer pastoral support, care and prayer to members of the community as well as to our own members. For example, Café Connect, held at a local café, is a great social space for fellowship and support. It also helps church members build relationships with other church members and their friends, as well as other café customers and passers-by. As 2023 began we noted that people were growing in social confidence, as the impact of covid isolation weighed heavier than the fear, and so they were becoming more open to in-person social engagement. Our geographical and pastoral network of Connect members headed up by a small pastoral team is helping us build on this emerging reality – caring for others is part of our mission, hence growth through relationships matters to us, and reflects our commitment to being a relational church, another of Pioneer’s core values.

2. The provision of social welfare support to help alleviate local and global need, giving financial, material, physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental support continues to be a significant part of our mission. Groups/activities which help provide this second area of public benefit are often also delivering on the previous benefit of creating community.

In order to support those in need and promote healthy community both locally and globally, key priorities for us as a community church are the provision of human resources through volunteers, the provision of financial resources (raised from internal voluntary contributions and fundraising), underpinning all our mission activities through prayer. Social welfare activities include:

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3. The advancement of the Christian faith and the provision of Christian worship, education, and learning opportunities in order that people might benefit from faith in Christ remains central to our purposes. We continue to meet for worship in the local junior school, continuing to offer live zoom participation for a small minority of members – this enables us to continue to record services for wider publication on FB/YouTube. We continue to see new people join us, attracted by our vision and mission and seeking to grow in faith and fellowship. We support people’s faith through our pastor and preachers, LT, pastoral team and prayer team, as well as through worship, and in informal gatherings where mutual support and encouragement are offered. Small groups for discipleship, encouragement and fellowship are being encouraged, and this year we have one neighbourhood network group choosing to meet fortnightly.

Spiritual leadership and oversight is given by the senior pastor (p/t) who oversees the church’s vision and mission with the Leadership Team. Our assistant pastor (p/t) stepped down in the autumn, continuing in the role of Comms Officer (p/t). The Trustees work alongside the leadership team to provide financial, legal, HR, policy and charity governance and we submitted our first Annual Return in October 2023 which reported on the period January to December 2022. All those within Connect who are engaged in educational, children & youth work, pastoral care, and leadership including Trustees, are subject to due DBS processes, and trained in safeguarding to the appropriate level.

By the end of 2022 the set-up phase was weighing heavy - though it had been essential and unavoidable, there was a palpable weariness. The LT and senior pastor sensed that we were being led into a new season where our carefully crafted Vision and Mission statements would be more widely understood as vital in shaping our life together as a church. As we stepped into this second phase there has been a noticeable shift in emphasis in LT & trustee meetings, and an increasing openness and vitality in our worship, hence as the year ended we felt we were demonstrably beginning to “ thrive and come alive ”! There is an energy in our prayer life together, a growing willingness to meet in-person, the development of various activities such as Café Connect, Connect & Craft, Young @ Heart, and Connect & Play. And as a community church we have been pleased to reconnect with village events, old and new, e.g. the Village Remembrance service, Village Christmas, and the new Family Fun Day.

Church social/fellowship connections are growing. Our prayer team is very active with a new WhatsApp group and we made the decision to start a monthly in person prayer in January 2024. We now have an area Mission and Care network upon which we can build, and encourage three area groups to find ways to join

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in our mission. The desire to connect with God’s Word led almost half our regular worshippers to engage in Immerse, an innovative approach to connecting with scripture.

We continue to explore together what it means to pursue a vision of “Heaven touching earth”, and to have a mission to help “connect people to the love of God in Jesus by the Spirit”. Our agreed values, being a relational, Kingdom oriented, missional, and charismatic church, continue to help us in building up healthy disciples and a strong church community, and providing common purpose, especially as we have members from a wide range of church backgrounds. We recognise the challenge to grow in all these core values.

Our relationship with the wider Pioneer UK Network provides opportunities for Trustees, staff and volunteers from Connect to join various national and regional training events and conferences, online and in person, including Pioneer Core Values teaching weekends, the Pioneer Pathway leadership course, and Safeguarding for Trustees. We continue to value the support of a local Pioneer Hub and the wider southern regional group, and through Pioneer International we were enabled to make a link with a Pakistani pastor and his small network of churches in Pakistan, hosting him for several days in March. We also made a donation to enable some of their pastors to attend the Pioneer International Conference.

In reaching out to others, raising awareness of, and advancing the Christian faith our Soul Space tent aims to be a gentle and creative way to do Christian outreach and provides an interactive and reflective space for spiritual engagement at local events and festivals - we were pleased to once again be able to bring our tent the Village Christmas Festival at the end of November 2023, where we also led the carol singing, though reimagining this ministry in some way is being considered for next year. Café Connect at a local café remains well supported and enables meaningful spiritual and prayerful connection. We offer people the opportunity to chat about life, and faith, and to be ministered to in prayer, at the café and through other creative, prophetic activities. Our Mailchimp system, FB page, website, and YouTube channel enables talks and other resources and events to be shared, and faith conversations, prayer and encouragement happen on our various WhatsApp groups.

Because of our connection to the schools we have been asked to deliver specifically Christian content and ethical/moral Christian perspectives through RE lessons and whole school assemblies. These are very much welcomed, and this contact is slowly increasing. We also provide specifically Christian well-being and spiritual support for young people along with prayer when required &/or appropriate.

Working with other churches where possible is important to us and we continue to be a member church of Horsham Churches Together, with our senior pastor invited to lead interactive prayers at the summer Prayer & Worship event in Horsham park. We continue to work with the 3 local village churches in delivering the annual Village Remembrance service in 2023, and occasionally preachers on Sundays are drawn from other local churches.

Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit SORP Para 1.18

Connect Trustees confirm that we have not set up the CIO in order to benefit ourselves, either personally and/or corporately, and we have had due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit wherever relevant.

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Additional information:

Policy on grant making SORP Para 1.38

Trustee policy is to ring fence 10% of our income from general congregational giving as a mission fund, within approved Terms of Reference, and to ring fence any fundraising for our annual core costs grant to Southwater Youth Project.

Contribution made by volunteers SORP Para 1.38

We estimate an 80% input of time and energy from volunteers towards our aims and objectives, whether through specific or ongoing logistical support, admin, worship and music leading plus related techno, or through leading worship/activities/events, helping with our various activities, and praying. Connect’s mission is entirely funded by our worshipping members and it has been pleasing to see giving increase this year.

Achievements and Performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. SORP Para 1.20

Continuing to offer worship in person, and increasing our face to face meetings has enabled people to feel increasingly less isolated, supporting their faith, and helping re-establish vital social and in person support. Worshipping in person also helped attract others to our mission. Our wide range of activities has helped create and deepen our community connections and wider profile within the village of Southwater.

Gaining new members during the year whose range of church experiences, encouraging presence, financial support, prayers, gifts and talents will hopefully enrich what Connect offers to each other and to our local community.

Supporting Southwater Youth Project in its significant work with local children and young people by continuing to develop ongoing relationships with a core funder, the local Parish Council, has been essential. This support will continue to be vital as we seek to enable the Project to find further core cost funding. Relationships with other community groups is enhanced by our community focused reputation and our involvement and support of SYP. This also enables the public to experience receiving social benefit from a Christian ethos charity with no faith strings attached. SYP’s Christian ethos still enables Connect to be up front about who we are and why we do what we do, and as a church our various contributions to the local community within and alongside other community and public service organisations continue to be welcomed, respected and understood.

Having additional Trustees to manage our governance, policies, HR, and finance helps ensure charity commission compliance, enabling beneficiaries, members and wider contacts to continue to feel confident in our processes and procedures.

Activities/training opportunities offered by Pioneer and through HCT also continue to help members of Connect to grow in their faith and gifts, and connect them to other Christians.

Having pushed through what we have described elsewhere as a “strive and stay alive” phase, we believe we have laid sufficient foundations to enable the next 3 years of our life together as a church to be one where our people and our shared mission “thrive and come alive”! The task for the next phase of our existence is to mobilise all our members both to understand, and to own our shared vision and mission.

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Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against objectives set SORP Para 1.41

Primary objectives

To own and embed our vision, and build a secure basis for our leadership and mission activities, by exploring our mission and values through our worship, teaching, community activities and fellowship groups, and by maintaining ongoing connection with one another: this continues via

Other objectives

To encourage meeting together in homes, and as groups in shared public spaces:

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While we are clearly a young, and small church, and the objectives we have set for ourselves are very challenging, we were heartened to have had a prophetic word given us this year, that “ God sees our work and it is pleasing to Him, therefore we are to not lose heart because He is going to reveal that seeds sown are developing shoots – the ground is no longer hard but softening! ”

Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set SORP Para 1.41

No fundraising activity occurred during the financial year.

Investment performance against objectives SORP Para 1.41

None of the charity’s financial assets were invested during the financial year.

Financial Review

Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period SORP Para 1.21

For the General Fund (unrestricted), income exceeded expenditure by £2,758. In addition, there were internal transfers of £3,000 to the Youthworker Fundraising Fund and £750 to the Mission Fund, which resulted in an overall deficit of £992. This produced a reduction in the accumulated balance from £14,699 at the previous year end (2022) to £13,677 as at 31[st] December 2023. The main restricted fund, the Youthworker Fundraising Fund, had net receipts of £492 and a year end balance of £10,796 (£10,305 at 31.12.22), representing 1.5 years’ planned expenditure. The income to the Staffing Fund (restricted) is intended to be fully expended each year, and therefore had nil net receipts and a zero balance at the year end as planned. The other restricted funds, Soul Space and Open the Book had no income or financial outlays during the year so the year end balances remained at £1,923 and £321 respectively.

Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held SORP Para 1.22

The church’s policy for holding reserves is that an amount equating to 3 months’ budgeted expenditure should be held. This is intended to ensure that in the event of either unforeseen operational costs, or a significant reduction in income or the charity being wound up, there are sufficient funds available to meet the church’s financial commitments, particularly regarding payments that would be due to employees in those circumstances. Reserves are freely available to be spent for any purpose consistent with the church’s charitable purposes, and at any time. The policy is reviewed annually.

Amount of reserves held SORP Para 1.22 £11,009

Reasons for holding zero reserves SORP Para 1.22 Not applicable

Details of fund materially in deficit SORP Para 1.24 No fund was materially in deficit at the year-end.

Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern SORP Para 1.23 There are no uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern.

Structure, Governance and Management

Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) SORP Para 1.25 CIO Foundation Constitution

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How is the charity constituted? SORP Para 1.25 CIO

Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees SORP Para 1.25

In discussion with the Charity Commission we included clauses in our constitution Section 6: “Benefits and payments to charity trustees and connected persons”, sub clause (2) Scope and powers permitting trustees’ or connected persons’ benefits, in order to enable a charity trustee or connected person to receive payment for serving as a pastor of the CIO, provided that this does not lead to a majority of charity trustees being remunerated and provided that the following sub-clauses (i) to (v) are satisfied.

The trustees took the decision to approve this paid role, and in 2021 structured it into 2 p/t posts. We can affirm that the other charity trustees are satisfied i) that it is in the best interests of the CIO to pay a pastor rather than requiring the pastor to be self-supporting financially having considered the advantages of disadvantages of each approach; ii) that the details of the payment are set out in an agreement between the CIO and the pastor; iii) the remuneration package does not exceed what is reasonable in the circumstances taking into account regional variations; (iv) that the reasons for the decision of the charity trustees is recorded in their minute book; and (v) that the trustees concerned must be absent from the part of any meeting at which the level of payment is being discussed or determined and must not vote on any such matter or be counted in the quorum for the part of the meeting during which such matters are discussed. However in relation to discussions concerning the performance of duties of his or her office, the trustee in question shall have the opportunity to address the meeting and respond to any points of concern that are raised. The trustees can affirm that these sub clauses have been adhered to.

In appointing new trustees, Section 10 “Appointment of charity trustees” and sub clauses (1) and (2) have been followed in the appointment of new trustees in addition to the first charity trustees. Before being appointed at a duly constituted trustee meeting, new trustees are invited to submit a brief personal statement outlining any relevant experience and interests that they bring to their role.

Employment changes during the year

The church’s Assistant Pastor requested to step down from her role which was agreed and took effect at the end of August 2023. She remained in employment with Connect in a different capacity, as Communications Coordinator.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees SORP Para 1.51

In accordance with the constitution Section 11 “Information for new charity trustees” a copy of the current version of the constitution; and the CIO’s latest Trustees’ Annual Report and statement of accounts are made available to all new Trustees. Additionally all Trustees are required to have a DBS, avail themselves of training in Safeguarding for Trustees, and are given a copy of the current Safeguarding policy.

The charity’s organisational structure & wider network with which the charity works SORP Para 1.51 Governance, HR, and safeguarding, and the oversight of our aims, object, purposes and finances, is undertaken by our trustees in line with our constitution and Charity law requirements. Membership of the CIO is as detailed in Section 16, and consists of trustees only for the time being. Trustee responsibilities, decisions, delegated powers, meeting requirements, procedures and record keeping are as detailed in the

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constitution Sections 4 – 7; 9 - 15, 17, 20 - 28. In relations to Sections 26 – 28 there have been no new rules or byelaws created, no disputes, and there have been no amendments to the constitution.

The LT work with the pastor in the oversight of our missional activities, ensuring these are in line with our vision and values, and directed at those whom we consider to be beneficiaries.

In terms of wider networks we are a member church of the UK Pioneer Network, itself a member of Churches Together in England, and we are also a member church of Horsham Churches Together. The Statement of Faith and Mission as submitted originally to the Charity Commission has been slightly amended to take account of our being accepted into membership of the Pioneer Network.

Relationship with any related parties SORP Para 1.51

Connect became part of the UK Pioneer Network of churches in March 2022, following unanimous votes at the Leadership Team and Trustees meetings, and agreed unanimously by worshipping members. We were accepted as a member church of Horsham Churches Together in June 2022.

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name: Connect: Southwater Community Church Registered charity number: 1193477

Charity’s principal address: c/o 32 Sloughbrook Close, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 5JD

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity:

Trustee name Office (if any)
Dates acted		 Body entitled to appoint trustee
Rev Kathryn Jones Chair 10.2.2021 ongoing to Feb 2025 CSCC Trustee Board
Mrs Tina Andrews 10.2.2021 ongoing to Feb 2024 CSCC Trustee Board
Mrs Juliet Fuller 10.2.2021 to Feb 2023 CSCC Trustee Board
Mr Iain Jones 10.2.2021 reappointed to Feb 2026
CSCC Trustee Board
Mrs Fiona Lowther 10.2.2021 reappointed to Feb 2026
CSCC Trustee Board
Mr Ian Johnston 18.10.2022 ongoing to Oct 2025 CSCC Trustee Board
Mrs Rosemary Johnston 18.10.2022 ongoing to Oct 2025 CSCC Trustee Board

Corporate trustees: names of the directors at the date the report was approved: None/not applicable Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity: None/not applicable Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others: None/not applicable

Additional information (optional):

Name of Pastor, Kath Jones, (ongoing ) Assistant Pastor, Juliet Fuller (to August 2023)

Exemptions from disclosure: None/not applicable

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Annual Report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s): Full name(s): Kathryn Jones Tina Anne Andrews Position: Chair/Senior Pastor Trustee and Leadership Team Member Date: 24.9.2024 24.9.2024

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Connect Southwater Community Church RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2023 Registered Charlty- Rggislratlon nuM￿r 1193477 Minister and Chair of Trustees Rev Kath Jones Trustees Tlna Andrews Rosemary Johnston Fiona Lovrther lain Jones lan Johnston A proved by the Trustees on 24 Sept￿nber 2024 Chair.. Truslee.. IKd 1d5

CCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DeGember 2023 Unrnstrlcted Restricted Tots15 this Funds Totsls last ear SECTION A RECEIPTS Note Offerin s and Tax recover& 32,829 32.829 28,916 Bank interest other receipts TOTAL RECEIPTS 1,423 34,252 8,328 8,328 9,751 42,580 5,512 34,428 {a7 SECTION B PAYMENTS Salaries and bfj￿fits 26,497 450 2,700 2.204 29,187 250 Donations 2,654 Rent 1,841 207 1,537 206 Insurance 207 Loan re ments Other payments TOTAL PAYMENTS 2,499 31,494 6,454 11,358 8,953 42,852 9,385 40,565 (b9 SECTION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYPAENTS a6-b8 2.758 3,030 272 6,137 Total funds brought fO￿ard from last year 14,669 12.549 33,355 Sub total ¢1+c2 17,427 9,519 26,946 27,218 Transfers 8nd ad"ustments 3,750 3,750 TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR 1¢3+c4} 13,677 13,269 26,946 {c8) 27,218 {c61 SECTION D FOR INFORPIATION ONLY: MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS these amounts arn not to be Included Sn total rncoi ments fi ures abov• dl Balan￿ brou ht foThMrd from last ear 373 185 d2 Offerin sIGifts- r￿1Ved for extemal o njsab'ons d3 OfferingslGifts - passed to 8Xtemal organisations 373 185 d4 BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID (d1+d243) Chut¢h Rlnd P 2015.xls 2of5

SUMMARY OF CHURCH ACCOUNTS AND INTERPiAL ORGAIIISAMONS secMoN E Surnmaryofthe Church accoL￿fOrthe penod erMJed 31 De¢emtW2023 and ￿M81 Org8nabon6. NDts thatthetss oran Int¥n￿ Owisabon would ll¢mwNy Restricted funds Un￿SS il could becleaiw shovm iThattheycould be u59d fuany purposo. 4TERNAL ORf3ANISAmONS N8tReL Pg Adj'ustrnerts INJ b818rt85 C1051 balances ConnÈci and 220 136 m8 ClyanièalionB fund& 84 220 136 0121 Church wxounts Itota brO￿￿tIO￿ard from p 2- totsl$ ¢olumt)I 42,580 a71 42,852 1272 le71 28,946 BYCHURCH 43,576 43.932 3561 27,438 Conbnue separate sheit necekury and briry the lot81$ IoAY8rd TOTAL RECEIPTS TOTAL PAYMENTS seeMoN F ENT OPENING CL0$1tr40 CHUR¢M.CA8H FUNDS I￿LD4t34 D•¢•th•r2023 Ca8h kn hAnd Bank CuirtntA¢eount 26,946 Bank Dew811Aceount Oiherfunds SUB TOTAL- Church accounts c6 c8 Tolal fundg by Inlwn)l Qr9anlsotlon¥ Ilh8 do8 balancetstai frcm above)10121 220 e11 TOTAL CASH FLINDS HeLD BY CHURCH 27,438 27.082 SECTION G Al OTHER ASSETS and LNBILIT]ES 31-W22 31-Dec-23 hvestrfents Include EndOWm￿ts L￿￿ & B￿￿11 s￿￿0t￿5 rp In5urarKe vue - gh¢M amountLMtst4ndi énd ￿abIliti*