## **Pastors Report 2021** 

As I look back on what has been an exceptionally challenging year, the words of Timothy Dudley-Smith’s great hymn come to mind 

_Lord, for the years, Your love has kept and guided, Urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way._ 

_……._ 

_Past put behind us, for the future take us, Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone._ 

Seldom has the truth of Deuteronomy 33:27 been more applicable: ‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.’ Surely Father has carried us through 2021 and he will continue to do so – ‘Great is your faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:23b) We hold on to the promise of Jesus at the end of Matthew [28:20b] “And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” Be encouraged, God is with us. 

The challenges brought on us by Covid are still with us and will be for a while yet. For some the virus has come a bit too close to home but hopefully the triad of vaccinations will be a better and more effective defence. In our small fellowship most have returned to face-to-face fellowship and we have kept safe and been responsible. Let us not drop our guard. 

Sadly, the biggest impact on our church family has been the loss of four regular members and two others connected with us. Averil, Joan, Pam and Maureen were all called home after periods of hospitalisation. Janet lost both Peter her son and Peter her husband this year. We miss them all dearly. I still hear ‘Morning dear’ and the enquiry ‘I’ve got  question.’ Precious memories. 

Joan was involved in so many areas of our church life and we have had to rethink several of them. Joan had even started to help at BB on some Tuesdays. CHAT has now moved to once a month as Ruth does not enjoy the best of health at the moment. We have gone very quickly from three keyboard players to one and Faith’s contribution will be balanced with on-screen videos. Next year’s activities and events will have to be very realistic with regards to who can help and what we can do. We can still do a great job with less if we continue to work well together and stay focused. 

You may recall the words from Jonathan Bond at our _Awayday_ – ‘A small church is not punishment, but a speciality, but it needs every member.’ He challenged us by stating ‘For a church to reach its full potential the number of gifts does not matter; it is the willingness to use them that is more important.’ 

My preaching programme with you was via YouTube until we re-gathered in church from Easter Sunday beginning of April. At the beginning of the year in a short series we looked at the early years of Jesus’ life. This was followed by a look at the _Servant Songs_ in Isaiah. We then began a journey saying _Goodbye to_ 



_Egypt_ as we touched on some milestones in Exodus. This series will take us up to nearly Easter 2022. In Homegroups we looked at David Platts studies on _Something needs to change_ but the material was complicated and difficult to reduce. Hopefully we nonetheless got the message. 

As I begin my tenth year with you, I am again deeply grateful for the love and support you show to Susanna and me. We too have not found the last year easy. A succession of funerals accompanied by our own personal sense of loss was particularly hard. My ongoing gratitude goes to Brian, Peter and Keith who share the leadership and have accepted a further term of office. BB & GA is often hard pressed for help but we do the best we can. 

Prayer is vital for any church and its mission. I long to see more at the prayer meeting. Nothing significant happens without prayer and certainly nothing comes down if nothing goes up! For sure we can pray at home, but the powerhouse of any church is the prayer meeting together. 

As we embark on a new year, we will need to continue to develop what we are already doing but also be willing to embrace any visionary challenges God gives us. Thank you for your continued financial support, this is again one of those areas needing a great deal of prayer. 

I close with the words of the writer to Hebrews [10:23 – 25], ‘Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.’ 

God bless you all 

and thank you. 

## Robin 



DUFFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH (CIO)
INCOME & EXPENDITURE AccouKr
28.6.21
31.12.21
cio
CUA
3,430.00
5,399.07
2,165.00
GIFT AIDED DONATIONS
OFFERINGS
3,570.00
5,143.27
HMRC GIFT AID TAX REfuRN
CHAT
84.73
ROOM HIRE
190.C(t
I1￿74.07
8,988.00
LESS.. EXPENSES
PASTOR'S SALARY
-7.600.00
-186.40
-7,800.00
-194.40
PASTOR'S PENSION FUND
MILEAGE
-208.$0
-120.00
-342.10
PULPIT
-205.00
-150.00
AWAY DAY
COVID 19 COSTS
WEB SITE
-646.90
LEGAL FEES
-2,284.20
-109.99
EQUIPMENT
-315.75
GAS AND ELECTRicrrY
-365.63
-70.31
-503.24
-250.OCI
-71.97
PRINTING & STATIONERY
-317.46
INSURANCE
-60.00
-1.350.00
AFFILIATIONS
MISSIONS
-675.00
HOUSE GROUPS
-19.93
POSTERS
-336.00
-5.10
POSTAGES
WATER
-68.48
-139.20
-113.13
REPAIRS & %IAIKfENANCE
BANK CHARGES
-406.78
-36.00
-36.00
-129.00
SUBSCRIPTIONS
-79.66
-11.379.88
494.19
-13,821.55
4,833.55
IC.191.53
5357.98
SURPLUSIDEFICIT
9,697.34
10,191.53
ACCUMMUUTED FUND 81F
Contin
ent Liobffl.
on Givin
IO% of TAthes ond Offerings
Less.. Pald to date
871.33
-675.00
19&33
BALANCE SHEET as at 31st December 2021
28.6.21
31.12.21
10,191.53
1,478.68
555.32
ACCUMMULATED FUND5
BUILDING FUND
BOYS BRIGADE
5.357.98
1,158.68
12,225.53
6,965.48
Represented By
BALANCE WttH BANK
-12,225.53
-6,965.48
-12,225.53
-6.965.48