2024-12-31-accounts - Watchet Baptist Church

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Trustee’s Report for 2024

These are just some of the things that Watchet Baptist Church did during 2024:

We have held our Big Church service every 2[nd] and 4[th] Sunday throughout the year
We have helped our local community celebrate Christmas with a range of services from the Blue Christmas (for those who are mourning), to Carols by Candlelight
We have celebrated 200 years of being a church in Watchet – and discovered that it’s actually a good deal longer than that
We have had the opportunity to support churches in our region, including Devonport Baptist in Plymouth, with a gift of £5,000
We have continued to explore what it means to be a church that welcomes all kinds of people to our various activities
We have learned about what it means when the pastor takes a sabbatical,
We have faced the reality of our financial circumstances
We have welcomed in some regulars and said goodbye to others
We have continued to run our usual small church groups and other activities, reports of which can be found below

Report about the 5 Small Church groups

Salt & Light Report

Has only been together since August and most weeks they meet on a Wednesday evening. They are a group of 7 and have recently welcomed one or two younger folks into their meeting. They usually use the online teaching and questions as a basis for discussion, then pray for each other and their community. They have also been meeting for coffee and chat, on small church Sundays, aiming to develop a consistent group presence and, hopefully in time, some tentative relationships and witness, at Blue Anchor.

Gatherers Report

How many people involved? 5 – 9 people. Blessings, highlights and challenges over the past 12 months:

2024 saw changes not only in the makeup of small groups but the times and places some of them meet. Gatherers became smaller and the established leader moved away so new leadership was identified. Gatherers began a new era, whilst the characteristic of “being small church”; still meeting in the Sanctuary on Sunday mornings and witnessing to the local community remained.

Grow Report

Grow has again changed quite a lot in this past year. This time last year there were 9 in the group, after some changes over the summer this became 12, then in the autumn grew again to 17, which can become even more with extra children and young adults at home for

holidays! There is a mix of ages and 8 of the group are under 18. Grow has always been made up of predominately families with children, so it is important that they meet in a way that facilitates this. This has led to meeting for breakfast in each other’s homes as well as meeting at the beach or park.

Despite the changes in the group, the group feels settled and at ease, the same family feel remains and everyone is encouraged to grow in faith and encourage one another to live it out. It is a space where we are able to pray for and support each other.

Members of Grow have often been able to support the Plastic Free Beach Cleans and it was great joy that in February all of the families were represented and enjoyed engaging with our community in this event.

Wave Report

How many people involved? 8

How often do you meet? 1st and 3rd Sundays 12-2pm. Meet for lunch together, with the ‘guide to smaller gatherings’ as a basis for how we structure our time together. Blessings, highlights and challenges over the past 12 months: Wave was restructured in summer 2024, so we have needed time to get to know each other. They are quite a diverse bunch, but all share the same determination to be a discipleship community with mission and prayer as a priority.

Wellspring Report

How many people involved? 6

Description or summary of what you do: Wednesday evenings they meet at one of their houses, watch and discuss the you tube video talk from Mike. They then discuss issues around the world, the church, and our own lives and pray for all the situations discussed. Alternate Sundays they have been meeting for breakfast followed by a short Bible talk by whoever is hosting and pray and discussion. They also talk about their personal outreach which takes place in the week with different organisations or friends that they meet up with and they pray for those to bear fruit.

They also hosted a Tear Fund Quiz in the Autumn, which was well supported by Salt and Light and Wellspring and they have ongoing friendships with the dozen or guests that came to join us. Sometimes they go out for walks on a Sunday and invite friends to join them or have a Sunday lunch together, usually in the summer months.

Reports Regarding Groups that use the Sanctuary

Community Meal Report

It's been another successful year for our ever popular weekly community meal. We regularly feed between twenty five and forty five guests every Friday evening. This has seen some important changes in how we provide the meal. We had a gas safety inspection and were informed that due to ventilation problems, we could no longer cook with gas. This resulted

in a frantic search for a suitable electric cooker. After consulting a local electrician we eventually installed a replacement. During this period we had to suspend the provision of a hot meal for a few weeks. The community response to the pause, resulted in offers of funding from several concerned regular attenders. To our delight, we were gifted from an anonymous donor, all the money required to buy and install a new cooker. It was heartwarming to receive such a warm response from so many people who were keen to ensure that we could continue to deliver such a popular service to all hungry souls who needed a hot meal and a chance to catch up with friends and indeed, make new ones. This facility remains our main point of contact with our local community and we are pleased to be able to still offer a tasty two course meal for the very low price of a £3.00 suggested donation, with children getting their meals for half that. Plus we are happy to offer free meals for anyone who might be struggling to afford a donation.

Our volunteer numbers waxes and wanes and we are always pleased to welcome new helpers but we are blessed to have four committed cooks who do all the shopping, prepare and serve the meal and supervise the helpers.

Open House Report

Open house reopened on 8th January. We have a regular attendance of 10 most weeks sometimes more. A regular 3 travel from Minehead every week which is fantastic. It’s a really lovely atmosphere. I’ve had a few conversations where I have been able to share how God’s worked in my life to inspire others, which has started some lovely conversations and I’ve been able to give a Bible out. The firm favourite is Rummikub and most weeks everyone has a game which is fantastic.

Plastic Free Watchet

It’s been good for WBC to continue as a Community Ally of Plastic Free Watchet this year and support the Beach Clean and Litter Pick events in June, September and February. We’ve had around 60 local volunteers at each of the events including Knights Templar School’ Eco Warriors and The Sanctuary has been a base for sorting what’s been collected as well as well as serving free drinks and homemade cakes to all those involved. Always great to see The Sanctuary full of people of all ages enjoying themselves and a helpful challenge to all of us to consider how we reduce our dependence on single use plastic at home and as church.

Snappers

Snappers has 3 WBC members as part of the group, 2 from other churches and 1 non church as regular attendees. A few other people have popped their heads in from time to time but don’t have the same commitment as those previously mentioned. Ian and Lynne provided comparative photos of old and new Watchet as part of the 200 year celebrations which will be donated to the museum when it reopens. We didn’t take the opportunity to produce cards for the market stall but there is a plan to do this moving forward.

Thursday Morning Prayer at The Sanctuary

Thursday morning prayer runs from 8.30-9am through most of the year (sometimes stopping for school holidays). It meets in the Prayer room at the Sanctuary and follows the pattern of The Book of Common Prayer for Ordinary Radicals, which

gives us a focus but also the opportunity to pray about situations that our on our hearts. 5 of us regularly meet to pray.

Write Away

At the request of the members Write Away returned to meeting twice a month on the first and third Saturdays of every month. While there are 21 members on our closed Facebook page, some people rarely attend. There are usually between 9-11 members at our Write Away meeting on the first Saturday, where we undertake writing challenges, and between 4-6 members at our Write In meeting on the third Saturday when we simply meet together to work on our own projects. The group is a very supportive, welcoming and encouraging one and is now made up of roughly ¾ Christians from many denominations and ¼ nonChristians; this means the topic of Jesus comes up fairly frequently.

Reports about Other Groups Connected to WBC

Book Club

How many people involved? 11

Description or summary of what you do: We read a book each month and discuss it when we meet. We enjoy each others company and share cake! How often do you meet? Monthly

The group is made up half and half of WBC members and members of the wider community and has been a good way to get to know people.

Lighthouse Counselling Service

Lighthouse counselling has been helping local people for 11years now. We have just completed our 7th Anxiety Course (funded mostly from being the Methodist Church coffee morning's charity of the month) and hope to continue to run them annually. Tracey Hughes and Sally Bowcock work 5 days a week between them, giving all an opportunity to receive professional counselling at a fee they can afford. In 2024 we were blessed to work with and make a difference to over 60 people in 800+ sessions. We also inherited over 400 paintings from a client who died in 2023. He wanted us to sell them to raise funds for subsidies so that others could receive the therapy he so valued. This has been a real blessing but also a challenge as we seek to become art dealers and find buyers for his paintings!

Croft House Service

We have continued to lead monthly services at Croft house throughout the year as well as a well-attended Carol service in December. We follow a simple format of worship, prayers and Bible readings, endeavouring to make it as familiar as possible for the residents. It is great having memebers to lead the worship on the piano, live music is a great blessing. We have developed a really good relationship with the two activities organisers over the past year and feel they value our ministry. Usually, we have 12 to 15 residents taking part along with the occasional visitor it is always interesting to see other staff members joining in with the hymns while they go about their work. It is a real privilege to worship with the residents and to see them joining in with prayers especially as, for some, verbal communication is very limited.

Market Stall

The point of the market stall was to increase our visibility in the town and to give people who, by definition, would not be at church on a Sunday morning, some where to meet Christians, have any conversations they would like and to receive prayer, either in person or through our anonymous prayer box. To facilitate this we sold second hand Christian books, cards and bookmarks as well as having free Bibles available to give away. Molly Quint, who is in charge of the Market was very supportive of the stall and allowed us to rent it, together with a canopy, at the rate of £10 a month rather than the more usual £25 a month. This meant we were able to cover our costs each month. A dedicated and very hardworking team quickly built up around the market stall and because of them we were able to have many encouraging conversations. We did receive prayer requests in the prayer box, and gave away almost all the free Bibles we had. We also build relationships with returning visitors to the stall.

WATCHET BAPTIST CHURCH FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEI.P " GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS AIID PAYI!fKI" PtrlBER 2024 These accounis have beer, prepared on a "rfr-= - :: ' .1 Tep.. > )ailS. Receipts 2023 £35.784.68 £779.61 £6.753.00 £6,878.64 Weekl Offerin Donations and other incorye Income tax recovered on Investment Income fJ1,640.03 , £688.50 £8.271.97. £6,797.36 Sna ers - ,"estricted use Bibles for Schools - restribted use £40.00 £10.00 £50,245.93 £47,441.86 Payments £024 '3.509.08 2023 £39,225.36 £9,240.30 £1.250.77 £2,550.49 1 £52,266.92 Minist Mission Insuran and rem.ises rer.tal AdminlstratlonlmisllaneuS £1.549.88 .-2.164.85 £54,127.65 2023 -£2 020.99 £192.43< 14 £190,414.15 lus deficit) for the Balance brou ht forward Balance carried forward ear -£6.685.79 i-,40,44.,, É1,83,728.36 DESIGNATEDIRESTRICTED ACCOUYT.'> {-.IC. . 2023 Sna pers Funds Bibles for School<

SWAIN STREET RECEIPTS ANfi p4YI7:: Receipts 2024 2023 £2,012.95 £12,015.00 £6,106.92 £20,134.87 i Donations Lettin sIFlat rental Misceiianeous Rece .363.00 £ 1'..299.46 £17,c07.29 Payments 2023 £20,568.25 £20,568.25 Miscellaneous ExpenorLure 64.89 2C.24 2023 -f_432 38 £5,549.61 £5,116.23 SurplJus deficit for theear Balance brou ht forward Balance carried forward r5.115.23 £5,958.63 DESIGNATEDIRESTRICTED AK*44C Li4 'i"-"' liiires above) 024 t739.55 2023 £1,500 Warm S aces Donation

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABIL.- ASSETS: Bank and other cash balaryi ce> 11 B-R 2024 £189,686.99 REPRESENTING BALANCE ON THE F,=:, . -,NTS: 2024 £731.47 7,727.36 | r2,899.17 £3,059.46 £1?8,419.34 £&ts.850.19 £18Q,686.99 2023 £714.62 £11,142.10 £2.093.09 £3,023.14 £132.751.04 £45 806.39 £195,530.38 Llo ds Current Accoiint Cener¢il FJnd', Llo ds Business ReservcA Ace,.P,t.,IJe.1C Llo ds Treasurer AccoL'nt (Si¥aiii Srj Llo ds Business Ca l Ac-- Baptist Unioi 3 month notice ancouiit Baptist Unioi Trust Fund OTHER MONETARY ASSFTS: 2024 --215,OOC.00 ££9",OuC,.00 2023 £275.000 00 £29a,000.00 Buildin Held for ChLrch s own tsse IC:-IL,'ci r.ara- Road 2022 actual valLiaiion} NOTE. The money held al BIJ ip I.. following purpooes 10111 lal The payme41 of the ex:ense= of a": ' pulling down and ".eSJild'":g os £'e h2", t - Ibl The purchas- or acqL'lillion ior rtf.e c."ur)O>eo th- tenure and the erect.on Ib.ere0 *: JLIj.- . Icl The defraying of any expe-. .u.'e 0:- 3 ¢G"'liai r'"-- charitable purpose of the Baptisi Defjory..in3u"- -si a,Id only be used for the on iTorcvemenl enlargement addition trer prapei..e< of a freeholQ or leasekijld "'Lr."ea in connection with aiy olner LIABILITIES

NG I ES= Ncles to the fiian.ciai Sio Thi5 figuT> includes all QuD.kn¢'. Donations and other incovr.e 2024 2023 Refuncs ', li- 1r.suran&: 2x1 I Va iods Donatiois received IT>arf.. l Qffe., £396.12 5000 £383.49 £888.50 £779.61 Investment Income 2024 2023 .ryiares'. froni. deposit accoJ.-. £5,797.36 £6,878.64 Other Causes 2023 liciie Mission £1,500.00 £1,500.00 £300.00 £300.00 £984.90 £4.OOD.00 BMS SI,1I8A To ether Strop. Bristol Bible Colle Blessin er -4CD r!0 S;-ke Sl Gr- BC D?naTICP, Vokuls minlst in Nenal l Tear..u1 t*uiz ni ht f211.50 0890 £211.50 Pancake Da £108.90 | School 8ibies CTinWW Failh Da £":o.00 £100.00 £EO W.J £9.005.30 Ministry The Min sler ac15 as one of the c?br=-: services as Miiisler. inc'.ucin .1 u.-e?t?: are. OL -er beriefrts In respect of his gYK-.ec. oL-.ie church. 2023 Mii,'sters S:ipendlAdministra Pensioi Contribdlion £24,756.73 £6,066 12 £4,094.74 £108.00 ional InsUranCe3X i Min,slers Travel molnar rr.'.n1Ster expensesftelephone Manse u kee counci! t2x. wvr Vi51-.In reachei Co-..ferences ministers - A'¥- ¢516.09 £452.68 .?7732 £3,426.36 £320.73 coo -£43.59.08 £39.225.36 Mission 2924 2023 Given lo other causes Iper r,ote 4". l Tr2inin CourseslCoUe rr.ate", £9.005.30 £235 00 £6.903.84 £9.240.30

Insurance and Premises Renial 2024 2023 InsuranTr- The Manse 0288 1.":47 00 £1549.88 £200.77 £96G.00 Rental - Kni jar Sctto-l £1,250.77 Administration 24 2022 Adverbsin inn website & em8.'Is ryei, ionolcoo ri *t LiCep.3 .66 Subscri Church E -. 685.72 | mer.t Miscellaneous Sna pers Ex 2001h Anniver3&1 £444 C.0 £825.49 n¢iiture £41.74 £i.4 64.85 , £2,550.49 miscellanus in¢ome Swain St 2024 2023 Refreshment Do-. aL'on.s RefundslRetmbJeMents £4Ci.41 .92 Interest Comtnuni Meal Takin £4 733.03 £5.680 07 £4,950.83 £6.106.g2 10. Ex enditurè Swairt St 024 2023 Buildsn Insu.'ar. .25:. £3.531.23 Aarm S stems Cleanin 088C80 £3.12? 75 Communi fv'.eal Ex ndilJre £4.789.37 Misc food ex en.eitu,"e 376.40 £332 02 General u 189. J3 £418D7 Fixtures and "ittin Mssc. office su L43?.80 £4 J6.QO Subscri ions jwacet £88 00 £lf,,764.89 £20,568.25 The accounts 2nd s:alemen=, o.. a=s-'_.¢ 3p.0 Ib- 2024 are as apprjved bi +he dè=ccrs. '. rc :Th t-.:c lear eiding 31 December Signed.. 1'20?5

WATCHET BAPTIST CHURCH Report of the Independent Examinerlsl to the Trustees Watchet Baptist Church On the accounts for the year ended 31. December 2024 Respective responsibilities o# Tr'stee$ ¢,- The Church's Trustees are respJ1s..Ie f= that an audit io not requireii far Ills g-a". and that an independent exaniva:'Jn is neEi'.- cc.Its. Ttrbe church's trustees co-..s,.der L.-arities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) It is my responsibility to.. examine the accci, to follow-.he proknedures1-".4 -cvn i:- Lli sectiori 145(5)101 of tie Chs"'l es P.- to state'iJelher oarticu'ai- rrid'-:ers by th.e Chanty Commission (under Basis of independent examinirfs >tateFne:-- My examination ¥vas carrie,, e t In apx?.'Y2n-: An examination i.YelL.des 2 .-evievi o- tke ar.- accounts preser.ted WIT* t,a$ -.ecvLas ..1 a in the accounts, and seek:"ng exiia,-ai.cr.:: procedures UTrortake. consequently no opin.10? is giier.. c> Ic wr¥.k.::- is limited lo those marters >et 0( in, rne . . cp% given by the Charrty Commission. chLirci and a comparison of the ary unusual items or disclosures c.-rcerDiig any such matr.ers. The o rid De required in an audit, and

i-. a 'troe 2nd fair, view and the report Independent examinels st2tene-. t In connection Vilth exatr.Inat". to believe that in an J materi2. accounting recordi &'4er&% tr.ct ke-l the accounts do ict gc" the accot&'P,ts do nc-_ %*ts,-,10 y .'Il": accoun:s set o..t requirew.ap,t + ial ti of an ip.deFenden; e%=-:- ..l. i.e et Jr c LO aYL en.ion whicn gives me case 30 of the Charrties Act or -oncerning the form and content of .1 7egu a:ions 20J8 otner than any -18 m.atter coneidei'ed a< oart I have come across no othèr fiai#ro j.. drawn in order to enaD.'r a Jrc--- -E.r-.tG". IL tio:- LO wlich attenTion should be S -'.) reached. Signed by or c• k4epialf -f t'".e - D2; Name Relevant Proiessioiial QL,?.,. Address