2024-10-31-accounts - Grace Church North Norfolk

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Grace Church North Norfolk

Registration Number : 1203998

East Runton Chapel High Street East Runton Norfolk NR27 9PB

Trustees

Jonathan Davies Ralph Corbett Derek Hann

Brief History and Afliation

Grace Church North Norfolk (GCNN) was granted CIO status in July 2023. It was constituted on 14[th] June of that year by six founding members who had previously been members of Cromer Baptist Church, which had existed in the town of Cromer for over one hundred years and closed in 2018 when the building reverted to the responsibility of its owners.

Grace Church North Norfolk meets in the building of the former East Runton Methodist Church which closed in 2017. The building is owned by the North Norfolk Methodist Circuit from whom Grace Church rent it under the terms of a renewable annual licence. Grace Church expresses its gratitude to the representatives of the Methodist Circuit, and a cordial relationship continues to be maintained under what is a very helpful arrangement.

Grace Church North Norfolk (GCNN) is affiliated to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), founded in 1922, and which is a nationwide organisation of like-minded churches. GCNN has close working connections with the FIEC, receives many visitors from linked churches and others, and because of its seaside location, is able to offer a warm welcome to holiday-makers as well as continuing to include all who may choose to worship with us from the locality. Links are also fostered in particular with five churches in Norfolk who have shared evangelical beliefs, and these churches meet for twice-yearly prayermeetings and additional shared services and activities in person and by Zoom.

Grace Church North Norfolk

Charity Aims and Objectives

The objective of the charity is the advancement of religion according to Evangelical Christian Baptist principles in accordance with the Basis of Faith and Constitution. The Church furthers its objectives by maintaining weekly public religious worship services and other activities in North Norfolk as detailed below, and supporting Christian evangelism and mission worldwide.

Holding weekly Sunday worship services and other meetings open to everyone
Livestreaming Sunday morning services for those who cannot attend, and making them publicly available for those in the local area and at distance, who are known to us or not
Conducting pastoral work including visiting the needy, the sick, bereaved and elderly
Teaching and preaching Christianity through sermons, study and discussion groups
Promoting openly, Bible-based evangelical Christian moral standards
Using the premises for friendship, refreshments, and welcoming all
Promoting Christian understanding through leaflets, literature, and books
Visiting in the locality to forge friendship and introduce and explain Christian truth
Sharing hospitality in ways consistent with the Church Safeguarding Policy
10.Maintaining fellowship with other local Christian believers
11.Making financial and other gifts to organisations and individuals in line with all Church policies and biblical responsibilities
12.Supporting Christian charities in the UK and overseas in line with the Mission Policy
13.Planning for and solemnising weddings, and preparing for and conducting funerals
14.Arranging Sunday or other children’s activities with parental and guardian agreement, and in line with the Church Safeguarding Policy
15.Maintaining links with local schemes for distributing food and welfare for those who are in personal and/or financial difficulty
16.Holding coffee mornings and organising other ways of making refreshments available, including occasional lunches
17.Making Christian literature available at no cost through Church-based resources
18.Evangelising by talking about, making known, and living out Christian principles
19.Giving Christian counsel and guidance according to the Bible’s teaching to those seeking help in time of personal need
20.Forging, developing and maintaining links with other evangelical Christian Churches
21.Maintaining links with, and providing pastoral care, to holiday visitors to the Church
22.Affiliating to Christian organisations to increase and enhance Church connections

Grace Church North Norfolk

: Structure and Management

Grace Church North Norfolk is led by a pastor, elders and deacons who are elected by the members, and from whom the trustees must be appointed, with provision in the Constitution for the appointment of external trustees of similar standing from other churches if the required number of trustees should not be met. GCNN conducts its business through congregational decisions by the Church members, under the guidance of the pastor, elders and deacons. Voting rights are equal for all members.

The Church operates under the arrangements set out in its Constitution, and Handbook which contains the Church Rules and Basis of Faith. All business is conducted and decided under the principle of congregational government , by which the members have the right and authority to decide all matters. The preference of the trustees is to refer most issues to the Church members, even when they are permitted by the rules to act on their own authority.

Church business is conducted through the Church Meetings, and in the nature of a small church, views on issues are gleaned through regular conversation and pastoral discussion.

Church Activities :

The Aims and Objectives of the Church set out in detail the aspirations and involvements of the church in practice. By definition, every Christian church exists for the benefit of people and the public at large. That is its raison d’etre . It has been rightly suggested that the Church is the only organisation that exists for the benefit of its non-members!

Whilst that does not give a full or adequate explanation, it underlines the truth that Grace Church North Norfolk holds out a welcome to all who would like to

come and hear the Good News about Jesus and the Christian message, and has the desire to organise its life for public benefit, promoting lifestyles that acknowledge the dignity and value of all people, with a foundation of Bible teaching. The overriding aim of this is to make known a message that encourages all who wish to accept it, to live out their Christian life on two great Bible principles: loving God and loving our neighbours.

Local Christian witness :

An overriding desire of the Methodist Circuit Superintendent was that the village of East Runton should have a continuing Christian witness when the previous Methodist Church closed. Our Church has been the means of this, so that the village still benefits from two local churches, and GCNN is able to welcome village residents.

It has meant also that some links have been made with local caravan sites, and public notices of our services are displayed outside, in the village magazine, the local paper, and on our website. It has been encouraging when villagers have come to our Christmas services and teas that have been organised in relation to royal family anniversaries and to provide strawberry teas in the summer, and a ‘warm-space’ facility one winter.

Grace Church North Norfolk

Achievements and Performance

Since Grace Church North Norfolk was established in the summer of 2023, the Church has taken steps to make its building as welcoming and inclusive as possible. A traditional building has been altered so that the space is now friendly and adaptable for a range of activities.

Summary of developments :

Pews were removed and chairs purchased to allow for a range of activities
Other alterations provided more useable space
Colourful text posters were displayed, and new notice boards fitted
A large screen was fitted to help audio/visual presentations and display of hymns
Livestreaming of services has been introduced and local housebound people therefore included much more fully in Church life
In 2023, a more modern Bible version (ESV Bible) was adopted for use in all services
Children’s activities for under elevens were provided in the morning service
A new two-weekly home-based Bible-study group began
Church-family lunches started, to include everyone from all age groups
A monthly Saturday group for mums was started
The regular congregation has grown from about twelve to a current twenty
Membership has grown to ten from the initial six
Door-to-door deliveries take place twice a year to invite people to services and occasional events, especially through a Christmas card delivered around the village
BBQs and a Bank Holiday outing have involved the whole spectrum of attendees and made links with others from different churches

Regular Church Activities :

The Church conducts its regular pattern of worship in this way:

A Sunday morning service open to all who wish to come

Sunday Bible Study after sharing packed lunches to which all are welcome A regular Wednesday afternoon Bible Study and Prayer Meeting publicly announced

A fortnightly home-based evening Bible Study, with attendance open to all

In addition, pastoral work on behalf of the Church includes:

Home visits through pastoral visitation, hospital visits, sharing communion in the home, lifts to church, phone calls, meals provided in homes, personal care at many levels, including gifts.

Key to this, is the voluntary nature of contributions to the well-being of many, simply through acts of kindness and help, a lot of which are unseen and not formally recorded. These acts are simply the outworking of Christian life which seeks to exemplify what Christian life actually is, the evidence of the beliefs that the church preaches and promotes. It is this voluntary action, that serves to demonstrate publicly but unannounced, the truth of the Christian gospel.

Grace Church North Norfolk

Mission Policy

The Church is on earth to worship and witness. Corporate worship and fellowship are essential parts of its function. We believe that one aspect of the responsibility of making disciples (Matt.28:19) is to encourage interest and practical involvement in mission-evangelism both in the locality of the Church and world-wide (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). There is no Biblically recognised separation between mission and evangelism, but it is usual to use the term ‘mission’ when speaking of Christian work further afield across the country and the nations at large. In this context, the aim of the Mission Policy is to outline what is done to stimulate and encourage active awareness, interest, concern, prayer for, and involvement in many nations across the world to make the Gospel known. Financial giving is integral to this.

Object of Support

Interest will be directed towards work, societies, charities and persons whose doctrinal basis and beliefs are consistent with those of this local Church. Members may already financially support mission work of their choice in the UK and overseas, and this policy is not intended to influence that in any way. However, as a Church, decisions are made to offer specific and detailed support

to a defined number of causes on a regular basis so that focus, interest and understanding becomes more relevant to us and also more personally significant for those supported – we know them, and they get to know us. The present number of organisations and individuals supported financially in this way is five.

The kind of work supported

This will be founded in preaching the gospel, but also through a wide range of projects and approaches with the aim of making it known and accessible, including:

Training of pastors, teachers and lecturers and church leaders in different countries
Production/translation of evangelical literature for edification and/or evangelism
Translation and distribution of the Bible and Christian Scripture
Provision of educational facilities and resources
Practical relief in time of famine, poverty, war and natural disaster
Foundation, planting, and establishing of evangelical Churches across the globe
Appropriate Christian personal provision for those with illness or impairment
Practical and spiritual support for those persecuted as Christian minorities
Missionary welfare and travel, housing, and personal and financial need
Support of mission administration and communication in the UK
Evangelical Christian-charity work in home and community
Charitable work with children

Grace Church North Norfolk

Means to be used in Mission Support : There is a variety of ways deployed to stimulate interest and aid this. They will be consistent with Biblical teaching and practice, to include:

Sharing mission information, news and needs at Church services and meetings
Distribution of Mission-focused magazines, reports, literature, and updates
Utilising resources through audio-visual technologies
Inviting missionaries to the Church to speak, preach, and share news of their work
Prayer for mission and missionaries, linked organisations, charities, and people
Holding mission-themed events with like-minded Churches and organisations
Setting up regular funding mechanisms and other opportunities for giving
Regular financial giving to the agreed ‘core’ missions of the church
Supporting other home-based local mission-interest focus and prayergroups
Arranging and sharing mission meetings and conferences with other Churches
Regular prayer for persecuted Christians throughout the world
Reviewing annually at the Church AGM, gifts and donations made, in order to ensure support is appropriately directed
Contact with UK Mission HQs to enhance understanding, increase awareness and promote events

Mission societies, organisations, charities and individuals supported:

Supported as 5‘core’ missions annually :
Grace Baptist Mission		)	Ministry in
South America
European Mission Fellowship		)	Mission in
Poland
Middle East Reformed Fellowship		)	Christian
training and Aid
Arab World Ministries/Pioneers: London		)	Work with Asian
women
Slavic Gospel Association	)	E.	Europe & Central
Asia

Additional societies donated to in the last year:

Caring for Life	(Leeds UK)	Christian charity: complex
personal need
Asialink		Christian mission and relief work in
Asia
Barnabas Fund		Persecuted Christian people
worldwide
Open Doors		Sufering Christian believers
worldwide
Open Air Mission	(OAM)	Evangelism in UK towns and cities
Soldiers/Aviators	Scripture Readers Assoc.	(SASRA) Christian support in the Army
and Airforce
Middle East Reformed Fellowship (MERF)		Christian relief work in the
Middle East
Ono Ojogbane Orphanage in Nigeria		Christian relief work and
disability care

Other societies and work supported in recent years :

Christian Witness to Israel (now known as Internation Mission to Jewish People)
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Trinitarian Bible Society (TBS)
Christian people in China
Good News for Everyone (formerly known as The Gideons)
Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF)

Grace Church North Norfolk

Financial Review

As a newly founded Church, the assets of Grace Church North Norfolk represent sums from the previous Cromer Baptist Church. The two entities were legally merged in 2023, and the new accounting processes commenced with the transfer of funds to the new name on 1[st] April 2024.

Total receipts were £24,870.01 including tax recovery via Gift Aid and interest received on the deposit account. This is verified on the attached account.

Expenditure amounted to £14,669.47 on the Christian ministry of GCNN, including its practical upkeep, the part time employment of the Pastor and remuneration of visiting speakers.

A further £3447 was given to evangelistic outreach at home and abroad through our 5 ‘core mission’ societies and other established Christian charities.

Expenditure for the year thus totalled £18,116.47. The net result was an excess of receipts over payments of £6753.54.

Reserve Policy

GCNN has a notional designated amount within our reserves of £60,000 which has been set aside for the purpose of employing a future full time Pastor which would potentially require a higher wage than the amount currently paid with a part-time role. We are actively seeking and advertising this post and would foresee this occurring in the next year to 18 months.

	GRACE CHURCH NORTH NORFOLK	GRACE CHURCH NORTH NORFOLK	GRACE CHURCH NORTH NORFOLK	GRACE CHURCH NORTH NORFOLK
	INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
	FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31October 2024

Bal transf at 1st April 2		Current Account		£3,405.55
		Deposit Account		£60,409.08	£63,814.63


Income	Offerings		£2,725.00
	Gift aided		£14,503.00
	Tax Recovery (G Aid)		£7,104.75
	MissionaryOfferings		£35.00
	Interest		£502.26
				£24,870.01
	Miscellaneous		£0.00
	Legacy		£0.00
	Special Gifts		£0.00
				£0.00	£24,870.01

Expenditure
	Legal		£288.30
	Maintenance		£42.60
	Housekeeping		£96.95
	Insurance		£0.00

				£427.85

	Pastor's Stipend		£7,200.00
	HMRC Employer's N.I.		£0.00
	Preachers		£1,420.00
	Outreach/Advertising		£247.60
	Office/Tech Costs		£236.02
	Telephone		£0.00
	Sundries		£138.00
	Pastor's Expenses		£0.00
	Rent		£5,000.00
				£14,241.62
	Giving
	Missionary		£3,447.00
				£3,447.00	£18,116.47

		Balance at 31 October 2024


		Current Account		£1,969.83
		Cheque	103554	-£625.00
		Cheque	103561	-£250.00
		Deposit		£62.00
		Deposit Account		£69,411.34

					£70,568.17

Report to the trustees Gra Church North Norfolk On accounts for the year ended 31 October 2024 Charity no (If any) 120999 Set out on pages 1and2 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charty {"the Tru,) for the year ended 3111012024 Responslbllltles and basis of report As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan with the rUirements of the Charities Act 2011 {'the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out undef section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying OLrt my examination. I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5){b) of the Act. Independent examinerfs statement pp el no I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in conneth.on wth the examination (other than that disclosed below") which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act: or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the forn and content of accounts set out in the Charrties (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fairf view which is not a matter ¢onsidered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to vthich attention should te drawn in this report in order to enable a proFer understanding of the accounts to be reached. . Please delete the woffjs in the brackets rf they do not apply. Slgned: a£ Date: 6 Dec 2024 Name: Robert Gilbert

Section B Disclosure Only complete If the examiner needs lo highlight material matters of Conrn (see CC32, Independent examination of charty accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Glve here brlef detalls of any items that the examiner wishes to dlsclose.