Sanderstead Evangelical Church Hearing God, trusting Christ, loving people
Report and Accounts For the year ending 31[st] December 2023
Registered Charity Number 1197194
Annual Accounts 2023
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Reference and administrative information
Sanderstead Evangelical Church,
82 Limpsfield Road, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 9EB.
Charity registration number: 1197194
Trustees
The trustees at the date of this report, and during the year under review were James Hill, Alison Wilson, Heather Mann.
Bankers
Lloyds TSB Bank plc, George Street, Croydon
CAF Bank plc, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ
Independent Examiner
CE Thomson ACA ICAEW, 124 Ranby Road, Sheffield, S11 7AL
Structure, governance and management
The Charity was established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 17[th] November 2021. On 1[st] April 2022 it assumed, by way of transfer, all the assets and liabilities of the UK charity registered number 1117042 “Sanderstead Evangelical Church” and began operating on that date.
The Charity is registered with the Charity Commission and is accepted by HM Revenue & Customs as being exempt from tax under the provisions of section 505(1) Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.
Under the church constitution, the managing trustees, who are responsible for the management and administration of the church, are the persons who have been elected by the church members as elders and any other persons elected specifically as trustees. The church does not have a pastor at present.
The church is self-governing and independent of any external ruling body. However, unity with other evangelical churches is expressed through informal links with other churches in the area and with Christian organisations and Christian workers, both in this country and overseas.
The freehold of the premises occupied by the church is held by the Western Counties and South Wales Evangelisation Trust, from whom the church leases them at a nominal annual rent of £10. The Trust has decided to abolish the nominal rent, and it has not been payable from 2013. The lease is subject to renewal every 5 years.
Objectives and activities
The purposes of the church, according to its constitution, are the advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with its basis of faith, and the provision of relief and help to persons who are in need or hardship or who are aged and sick. The trustees are aware of, and have complied with, the guidance regarding public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
Our aim is to worship and glorify God in our personal lives and as a church, to increase in faith and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to grow in holiness of life and conduct, to promote fellowship and harmony between ourselves, and to become increasingly useful as members of society. We are very conscious of the needs of those outside our church. So it is also
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our aim to take the Christian gospel to adults and children beyond our membership, to defend the faith, to support evangelism and mission both within and beyond our locality, and to help any who are in need, whatever their beliefs.
The principal activities undertaken by the church to achieve its objectives are:
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the provision of a regular biblical teaching and preaching ministry, open to all;
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regular services of public worship, and public meetings for prayer and fellowship;
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the teaching of children – both the children of church members and other local children;
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the provision and maintenance of premises and facilities for worship, teaching and preaching;
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the distribution of Christian literature;
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events and activities providing a community service and encouraging people to meet with us;
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pastoral care and support for individuals in need, both within and beyond the church;
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financial support for Christian evangelism and mission elsewhere; and
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gifts for relief and development work.
The church is entirely dependent on the voluntary unpaid service and active participation of its members and supporters. They are involved in a wide range of activities, including the operation, and staffing of Sunday services and other meetings, the teaching of children and young people, support for the sick and elderly, the maintenance of the premises and its facilities, catering services, prayerful support for the work of the church, and not least the provision of most of its income. There was no pastor in 2023. The church employs a cleaner for 4 hours a week.
Achievements and performance
“Follow Me!” - Jesus
This year, on the billboards outside of the Sanderstead Evangelical Church (SEC) building, we have continued to share ‘soundbites’ from the ministry of Jesus - as recorded in the Gospels. One of these posters simply quoted Jesus’ invitation, “Follow Me!”
Our prayer as a church is that this call of Jesus Christ would be the message shared through all that we are involved with at SEC.
At the heart of the historical Christian faith is the claim that God has come and made Himself known to a broken humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ death on a cross was in our place - bringing forgiveness to those who put their trust in Him. His resurrection - verifiable historically - was the event that caused the explosive beginnings of the global church that continues to grow around the world - of which, SEC is just one very small local expression.
A Year of Growth
We are very grateful that SEC continues to grow with new individuals and families joining us. We currently have a weekly congregation of about 50.
The church seems to be growing in three particular ways:
- through people coming to faith in Jesus Christ for the first time;
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Annual Accounts 2023
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-
through those who have a Christian faith but have not been attending a church, choosing to become a part of SEC;
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through some who live close by, but have been travelling a long way to a church, deciding to come to SEC as it is local to them.
A Community that Serves
We are grateful for the way that this growing community is able to support one another and serve together. No one in the church family currently draws a salary from the church, rather, all work together to live out and share Jesus’ call, “Follow Me!”
Teams include those serving with hospitality, music, children’s work, caring for seniors, gardening, maintenance and administration.
Sunday Mornings
For our Sunday 11am meetings, after a warm welcome and news shared, we sing and pray before continuing to explore the Bible with a 25-30 minute talk from a Bible passage. Approximately half of these talks have been given by one of our leadership team, Andy Mayo, and half by visiting speakers.
On Sunday mornings this year we have studied the following Bible series:
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Psalms - ‘Stories & Songs to Start a Year’
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Genesis - ‘The Beginning’
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John 18-21 - ‘To the Empty Tomb’
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1 Samuel - ‘Prophets & Kings’
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Hebrews - ‘The Radiant Son’
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Ezra - ‘Homecomings’
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Philemon - ‘Lost Property?’
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Matthew - ‘The Nazarene King’
Further Developments
Other highlights of our year include:
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our growing children’s ‘Sanderstead Sessions’ with ages ranging from 3-9 years;
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a second home group started in November;
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the popular fortnightly women’s study series;
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the growth of our monthly men’s breakfast and studies;
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ongoing links with local schools as we are involved with assemblies;
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on 14th May, we held a cafe-style, guest event when the Evangelist Michael Ots spoke on ‘What Kind of God?’;
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on 19th July, we enjoyed our first ‘Pizza in the Park’ event together;
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on 22nd July we filled a coach with friends and families to visit Whitstable;
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in September, we held a series of five weekly studies on the Beatitudes, led by Dan Hubbard;
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in November, a new initiative, ‘Memory Lane’ was launched for seniors from the local community: this is monthly lunch facilitates conversations around the biggest themes;
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in December, we held our annual Carols by Candlelight and various other Christmas events.
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In all of these areas, we frequently see many more joining us than was expected - we are grateful for all that has happened during this year.
Looking beyond SEC
We would like to be an outward-looking church and so regularly give financially to five Christian charities: representing work locally and abroad. In December, we held a well attended breakfast where we invited a pastor from Kenya to speak about the work of the charity International Needs in his country.
Looking forward
With our building having been owned and looked after by another charity for a number of years, we are very grateful that the ownership is being transferred to SEC. We hope that this transfer will complete in 2024 enabling us to look at ways to renovate the building and make it more fit-forpurpose for this growing church family.
In the year ahead, we hope to launch various new initiatives. Through it all, our prayer is that we would see the teams among us grow and most of all that we would be personally - and corporately - faithful to the call of Jesus, “Follow Me!”
Financial review
Income
The church was financially dependent during the period on the voluntary support of its members and other supporters. No fund-raising activities or events were undertaken.
Total Income for the period was £46,369, of which £46,222 was from offerings and donations to the General Fund.
The statement of financial activities shows a surplus of £29,577 in unrestricted funds.
Expenditure
Total expenditure in the period was £16,792, including payments to visiting preachers of £400 and payments to Mission organisation of £1,785
Reserves & Going Concern
Unrestricted reserves at the end of the period were £108,362. Restricted reserves were £861 in the building fund.
There are no material uncertainties of which the Trustees are aware that affect the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
There were no guarantees given by the CIO or net debt at the end of the period.
The trustees are satisfied with the position of reserves at year end.
Trustees’ responsibilities
Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting period which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the period.
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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.
Approved by the managing trustees:
James Hill, Chair of Trustees Date: 13[th] May 2024
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Annual Accounts 2023
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Sanderstead Evangelical Church RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT For the year ending 31.12.23
| Notes | Unrestricted | Restricted | 31.12.23 | 31.12.22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts | General | Funds | £ | £ | |
| Voluntary receipts | |||||
| Grants and gifts received | 41,972 | - | 41,972 | 19,310 | |
| Tax refunds under Gift Aid | 4,250 | - | 4,250 | - | |
| Other receipts | |||||
| Interest received | 147 | - | 147 | 12 | |
| Total Receipts | 46,369 | - | 46,369 | 19,322 | |
| Payments | |||||
| Payments in furtherance of the church's objectives | |||||
| Direct costs | 2 | 3,883 | - | 3,883 | 4,273 |
| Indirect Costs | 3 | 12,909 | - | 12,909 | 7,793 |
| Total Payments | 16,792 | - | 16,792 | 12,066 | |
| Net Receipts before transfers | 29,577 | - | 29,577 | 7,255 | |
| Assets from transfer | 72,391 | ||||
| Net Movement in Funds | 29,577 | - | 29,577 |
79,646 |
|
| Balances B'fwd | 78,785 | 861 | 79,646 | - | |
| Balances C'fwd | 6 | 108,362 | 861 | 109,223 | 79,646 |
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Annual Accounts 2023
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Sanderstead Evangelical Church STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES For the year ending 31.12.23
1. Fixed Assets - historic cost
| Kitchen Other furniture & Equipment |
2023 2022 £ 6,717 6,717 8,077 8,077 |
|---|---|
| 14,794 14,794 |
The church also has use of the premises of 82 Limsfield Road, CR2 9EB
2. Bank & Cash Balances
| 2. Bank & Cash Balances | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Bank and Cash | 109,223 | 79,646 |
| 109,223 | 79,646 | |
| 3. Other Assets & Liabilities | ||
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Assets | £ | |
| Gift aid tax recovery not yet received | 2,721 |
2,007 |
| Other monetary assets | - 2,721 |
- 2,007 |
| Liabilities | ||
| Unbilled fee for Accountancy & Independent Examination | 730 | 690 |
| PAYE & NIC | - | 104 |
| 730 | 794 |
3. Other Assets & Liabilities
The notes on pages 9 &10 form part of these accounts.
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf on the 13[th] May 2024
by:
James Hill, Chair of trustees
Registered Charity Number 1197194
Annual Accounts 2023
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Sanderstead Evangelical Church NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS For the year ending 31.12.23
1. Accounting Policies
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis with a statement of assets and liabilities. Fund types are Unrestricted and Restricted. There is no endownment fund.
| 2. Direct costs | General | Restricted | Total | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | 2023 | 2022 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| - | ||||
| Visiting Speakers | 400 | - | 400 | 480 |
| Evangelism | - | - | - | - |
| Children and Young People | - | - | - | - |
| Mission (Note 3) | 1,785 | - | 1,785 | 2,300 |
| Fellowship | 1,698 |
- |
1,698 | 1,493 |
| 3,883 | - | 3,883 | 4,273 | |
| 3. Indirect costs | ||||
| Premises (including cleaning) | 9,144 | - | 9,144 | 6,708 |
| Governance & Support costs | 3,765 | - | 3,765 | 1,085 |
| 12,909 |
- |
12,909 | 7,793 | |
| 4. Mission | ||||
| International Needs | 285 | - | 285 | 300 |
| Piper-Mann Israel Fund | 500 | - | 500 | 500 |
| Zambia | 500 | - | 500 | - |
| London City Mission | 500 | - | 500 | 500 |
| Eastons | - | - | - | 500 |
| SIM | - | - | - | 500 |
| 1,785 | - | 1,785 | 2,300 |
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5. Employee & Trustee Benefits
There was no pastor employed during 2023 or 2022. The church employs a cleaner 4 hours per week.
There were no payments to trustees or related parties during the year.
| 6. Movement in Funds General Fund Mission - Church Building Fund |
01.01.23 Receipts Payments 31.12.23 £ £ £ £ 78,785 46,369 16,792 108,362 - - - 861 - - 861 |
|---|---|
| 79,646 46,369 16,792 109,223 |
The building fund is held for the purpose of maintenance and improvements on the church building.
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Independent Examiner's Report
To the Trustees of Sanderstead Evangelical Church
I report on the accounts and notes to the accounts for Sanderstead Evangelical Church, Charity number 1197194, for the year ending 31st December 2023. These accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
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 which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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• 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.
Carol Thomson ACA ICAEW 124 Ranby Road Sheffield S11 7AL
Date: 13[th] May 2024
Registered Charity Number 1197194
Annual Accounts 2023
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