## GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH ST HELENS ## ANNUAL REPORT 2022 Trustees Report -2022 The activities covered in these financial statements relate to Grace Community Church St Helens (Grace Church) which is an Independent Anglican Evangelical Church meeting each Sunday. Our aim is to glorify God with lives shaped by His Word. We believe Scripture is the Word of God and therefore is at the heart of all we do. Our aim is to glorify God with lives shaped by His Word. We are: Bible-centred - in that we seek to proclaim the truth of God’s Word as revealed in the Bible and to shape what we do by what the Bible says. A family - because we are children together of the same Heavenly Father. Christ-centred - seeking to be built up together into Him, our Lord and Master. Grace-centred - because the saving work of Christ’s death is central to all we believe. ## Public Benefit Requirement The trustees of Grace Church have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission in compliance with its duties under section 17 of the Charities Act 2011. Everyone is welcome to our services where we aim to: 1. Increase awareness of God’s love and presence in our lives. 2. Help people through mutual support. 3. Meet together to share God’s love. ## Governance Oversight of Grace Church rests with the Trustees, who are also the Leaders of the Church. Regular meetings are held (at least 6 times per year) to review the activities of the Church, the requirements of the members and to plan a way forward. The Church has a Safeguarding Policy which is reviewed annually and has a set of financial regulations which support the management of income and expenditure. ## Overview of 2022 (starting in August 2021) Grace Church started in August 2021 following several months of praying, planning and advice from third parties. It was a major step away from the Church of England roots of the Leaders but, in the end, one that was felt necessary to ensure that we could remain true to the Word of God. For several months meetings were held in ethe Village Hall at Reeve Court in St Helens but a serious outbreak of Covid meant that a new location was necessary. This opened the possibility of meeting at a school which has proved very successful. In addition to our regular Sunday morning meetings we have held a Carol Concert for the residents of Reeve Court and also held services over Christmas and Easter in their Hall. Anyone is welcome to attend our services and we also invite visiting speakers to share the message with us. Risk Management Risk management In relation to the principal risks identified are managed on an on-going basis by the Leaders of the Church. Mitigating actions and risk scores are reviewed regularly at a meeting of the Leaders who are mainly all Trustees. Risk assessments of the meeting venues are presented to the controlling body of those organisations. Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity. To ensure that the Trustees carry out their duties, they: Follow the Charities SORP (FRS 102). Ensure accurate accounting records are kept and statements reviewed on a regular basis. Make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent. Ensure a system of recording receipts and payments is followed diligently and checked on an ad hoc basis. ## Finance ## GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH ST HELENS Finance Statement for 12 months to 31 December 2022 with comparison for 5 months to December 2021. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Income 202 2022 Expenditure 2021 2022
1
£ £ £ £
Donations 214 7131 Room Hire 232 628
8
Insurance 111 129
CCLI Licence 87
Visiting speaker 73 80
expenses
Amplifier 160
Zoom 72
Gifts/Donations 175
Others 13
Surplus 1719 5800
TOTAL 214 7131 TOTAL 2148 7131
8
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Balance Sheet £
Opening balance 1 Aug 0
2021
Surplus 2021 (5 months) 1719
Opening Balance:1 1719
January 2022
Surplus 2022 5800
Closing Balance:312 7519
December 2022
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Balance made up of: £
Bank 6605
Cash 914
Total 7519
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## Review of Income/Expenditure. During the period under review our members have been very generous and a bank balance of £7519 has been recorded. During the year the cost of building rental was relatively small but this has been increased significantly. A few small items of portable equipment have been bought and written off in the annual accounts due to their small value. We made a donation to the St Helens foodbank in 2022 and ensured we met our legal requirements by acquiring a CCLI licence and ensured we had sufficient Insurance cover to meet any unforeseen liabilities. ## Reserves Our need for reserves is minimal but the Trustees believe that the current level of £7519 is adequate to meet any future increase in expenditure which are not covered by donations. ## Going Concern The Trustees are confident that, from a financial viewpoint, the Church is a going concern. Signed: Date: