NODDFA BAPTIST CHURCH Our Valley, Our Community, Your Church Church Rd, Abersychan, Torfaen NP4 7EF www.noddfachurch.com Charity no 1199103
Trustees Annual Report 2023
Aims and Purpose
Noddfa Baptist Church’s aim and purpose is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through preaching and teaching the word of God. Our Paster Rev John Funnell is employed by the Church to enable us to full this aim through pastoral care, evangelism and mission.
Objective and Activities
Noddfa Baptist Church provides a building where people are welcomed each week for Sunday services, prayer meeting, children’s work, ladies and men’s groups and local food share. We are open to the whole community and all are free to join us, we use social media to inform the local community. The commissions guidance on the public benefit and the specific advice for the advancement of religion has been considered when our activities are organized and planned. The objective of the church is also to support our members and visitors to enable them to live out their faith as part of the community in Abersychan and the surrounding area through
Preaching the Gospel through the Word of God Worship Prayer Meeting Youth Work Mission Outreach Food Share
To enable all of these services to be provided it is essential that we maintain the church building and surrounding grounds.
Achievements and Performance
Preaching the Gospel
Each week on Sunday at 11 the Church meets; it is a service of worship and preaching and everyone is welcome to attend. During the service a Sunday School and Creche is held and afterwards a time of fellowship over a cup of tea/coffee and a biscuit or cake. There are around 140 to 150 people attending this service from all walks of life and our aim as the bible says it to welcome all.
Sunday evening at 6 we hold another meeting again open to all but this tends to be smaller with around 20 people attending.
Monday Evening at 7 is our Ladies group called Bibles and Biscuits where the ladies study the word together and have a time of prayer. They all encourage one another having trips out together
Wednesday Morning is our Bible study and prayer meeting
Thursday Evening at 7 is our Mens meeting where the men study, sing and pray together – they also have trips
Friday at 6 is Noddfa Youth which is open to children from 8 to 13, there are activities and games a bible message and refreshments
Pastoral Care
The Pastor has been entirely responsible for the Pastoral Care of the members until very recently. We still have one Pastor but we also have four Life Groups led by the elders and deacons. This will enable everyone to have an extra layer of care and for the Pastor to be able to do everything that a growing congregation wants and needs.
Mission Outreach
In order for the church to fulfil its aims and purpose in spreading the gospel, we are expanding our work in schools through the provision of a singing teacher, Laura Robinson who is also one of our trustees, who is funded entirely by the church, and goes into many of the local schools. The music provision in schools has had to be cutback due to a lack of funding and so Laura Robinson goes in each week and runs music lessons for all pupils where they learn to sing. Some schools make this compulsory but others make it optional. The numbers that are taught each week are in the region of 1000 who are learning to sing Christian hymns and songs in harmony.
All schools in Wales are expected to have links to their local places of worship and to allow the Pastors and other leaders to put on assemblies for the children. Pastor John goes into all of the local schools and shares the gospel with them. Very often, this is the only time they get to hear it.
We run youth clubs on Friday evenings. Noddfa Juniors is just into its second year since the relaunch post-Covid and we now have around 40 or so 7 to 11 year old’s who come to be taught the gospel and to have fun. Noddfa Youth restarted this September and we currently have around 12 young people who come and the numbers are growing. Many of the children of Church members come to Juniors and Youth but there are many for whom the Friday nights are their first taste of doing something in a church.
We leaflet the whole of our community several times a year to inform them of what is going on and this leads to many positive conversations on doorsteps and lets everyone know what we are doing and if they can benefit from it. We make it clear that all are welcome at our events.
We have started the Valleys School of Theology for those who feel led to go into the ministry but who do not have the qualifications to get them into a seminary. It is a practical, hands-on course as well as one where they have to study and all aspects of it are designed to enable them to become Pastors in due course. One of our current students also runs the Foodshare. The funding for the VST comes from the Sycher Trust who partner with the church regular communication takes place to ensure that the governance of the grant is achieved.
Foodshare
The Foodshare was started in late 2019 in response to the observed need for parents, both working and not, to have help with feeding their children at lunchtimes. This was done entirely by Church members donating food for the families to collect. Very soon after this the pandemic struck with the accompanying lockdown which meant that many people were no longer able to have sufficient funds
each week to pay for food because they were not able to earn. Therefore, we worked with local supermarkets to collect their surplus food and enable those in need to come to the church and collect the food or, if they were unable to come to us, the food was delivered to them by church volunteers.
We have progressed from there to being part of a local food network which supplies some of our needs and the rest we buy with money regularly donated by Church members and others.
Church Building
The Church Building does require improvements and we are working on these. The problems include the need to replace the old boiler, which has been condemned for safety reasons, and removing old woodwork and putting in new. We are applied and have been awarded grant funding for some of this work from a number of different sources including Government and charities. We have also received gifts from other churches. This work which will take several years to complete will begin in January 2024.
Church
The church is made up of Christians from all different walks of life and we are more diverse than many would expect in the South Wales valleys. The membership continues to grow and we currently have approximately 80 members with a congregation in excess of 120 adults plus children who regularly attend.
Financial Review
Total income for the Church was £177,953, £68,000 was specific grants to support our Pastor, to support one of our Elders in Leadership training, the music ministry and the Valleys school of Theology (VST). It was encouraging during the year that the members offering increased by almost 50%, mainly related to individual donations, with the HMRC gift aid refund also showing an increase. The Church has also received support from other churches, grants from various bodies and individuals who are not member of the church.
The expenditure of the church of £91,698 which was used to support the ministry of the Church, the pastor’s stipend, the music ministry, the VST costs, the outreach of the church, the church running costs and donations.
There was a net surplus of £86,255 this includes the total annual support for the VST and grants and gifts for the improvements to the building which have not been spent yet and will be used in 2024.
The Church has a total cash balance of £278k, this is made up of some individual funds which have been set up as recommended by previous report to cover works that may need to be done on the church building and the manse and to support the music ministry and VST.
Volunteers
Noddfa Baptist Church would like to formally thank all of the volunteers who support the various ministries of the church, the band, the youth work, the food share, the leaflet posters, the gardeners, the tea and coffee makers, the cleaners and the many others tasks that are done that nobody realizes
but are essential – like putting the bins out. They support all aspects of the work and ensure that our church is open and welcoming to the local community. We are grateful to God for the time that you give to ensure that the works of the church is able to carry on.
Structure, governance and management
Noddfa Baptist Church is an independent church and it is not part of any other religious organisation. The Church’s constitution sets out the method and appointment details of our Church’s roles from Paster through to church members and this has been agreed by the church membership. The Annual General Meeting is held in the spring and the regular members meetings are held to discuss church business and make decisions on how the church is run, its various ministries and of course how the funds are spent. The Elders and Deacons also have regular meeting to discuss the ministries of the church and the Trustees meet regularly to fulfill their duties.
Administrative information
Noddfa Baptist Church is in Church Road, Abersychan, with the Manse also situated on site Noddfa Cottage
Pastor John Funnell is the church leader, he is supported by two church elders, two deacons and five trustees
Elders - Mr Jason Miller - Mr Mark Gregory - Rev Steve Foley Deacons - Mr Wayne Probert - Mr Kevin Cooper Trustees - Mrs Audrey Cullis - Mrs Susan Davies (Treasurer) - Mrs Liz Perez Powell - Miss Ellie Creighton - Mrs Laura Robinson
NODDFA CHURCH
2023
Summary of Accounts
| NODDFA CHURCH 2023 Summary of Accounts |
||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | RECEIPTS | 2023 |
| £ | £ | |
| 45,420.88 | Offering | 64,941.83 |
| 24,555.51 | Donations | 93,022.08 |
| 8,131.22 | Tax Refunds | 9,989.33 |
| 10,973.36 | Welsh Leadership | 10,000.00 |
| 89,080.97 | Total Receipts | 177,953.24 |
| PAYMENTS | ||
| 32,812.03 | Employees | 34,371.91 |
| 150.00 | Other Music | 9,788.93 |
| 9,768.37 | Premise - Revenue | 14,210.87 |
| 12,649.47 | Donations | 11,080.01 |
| 1,600.00 | Mission (JM & VST) | 15,973.84 |
| 1,655.25 | Youth Work | 929.27 |
| 5,615.56 | Church Supplies | 5,343.16 |
| 64,250.68 | Total Payments | 91,697.99 |
| 24,830.29 | Receipts Less Payments | 86,255.25 |
| LIST OF ASSETS AS AT 31 DEC 2023 | |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| Cash at Bank | 235,215.36 |
| Church Repair Fund | 32,058.74 |
| Manse Account | 10,771.60 |
| TOTAL | 278,045.70 |
Valuations of Buildings & Contents as per insurance details
£ Church 915,388.00 Manse 387,870.00
Independent examiner’s report on the accounts
Report to the trustees of Noddfa Church On accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2023
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirement of the Charities Act 2011.
I report in respect of my examination of the accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act
-
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with my examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached
Signed: Date: 29/10/2024 Name: Neil Jenkins Address: 66 Cedar Wood Drive, Newport NP10 9JR