2025-10-31-accounts

Grace Church North Norfolk

Incorporated as a CIO

Registration Number : 1203998

Affiliated to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC)

Location of Church services and activities:

East Runton Chapel High Street East Runton Norfolk NR27 9PB

Trustees

Jonathan Davies Ralph Corbett Derek Hann

Brief History and Afiliation

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, numbering between six and seven hundred. 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 prayer-meetings 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.

1. Holding weekly Sunday worship services and other meetings open to everyone

2. 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

3. Conducting pastoral work including visiting the needy, the sick, bereaved and elderly

4. Teaching and preaching Christianity through sermons, study and discussion groups

5. Promoting openly, Bible-based evangelical Christian moral standards

6. Using the premises for friendship, refreshments, and welcoming all

7. Promoting Christian understanding through leaflets, literature, and books

8. Visiting in the locality to forge friendship and introduce and explain Christian truth

9. 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 as leaders (elders and deacons) is to refer issues to the Church members, even when the rules permit them to act on their own authority. Church business is conducted through the Church Meetings, and in the nature of a small church, views are also 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 also 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. Along with a local Anglican Church, GCNN has been the means of this, so that the village still benefits from two churches, and GCNN welcomes 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 GCNN was established in the summer of 2023, the Church has taken steps with the owner’s agreement to make its building as welcoming and inclusive as possible. A traditional building has been altered so that the space is 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. Many are also included from further afield.

• 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 eight 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

• Home-based evening Bible Studies as needed, with attendance open to all

In addition, good communication and pastoral work on behalf of the Church includes: Home visits, pastoral visitation, hospital visits, sharing communion in the home, lifts to church, phone calls, emails, 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, many of which are unseen and not formally recorded. These acts are simply the outworking of Christian life and love which seek to exemplify what Christian living means, outworked 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 voluntarily 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

• Individual Christians engaged in evangelistic and Church work in the UK

• The needs of those in the UK or globally on society’s margins – the disadvantaged, mentally and physically impaired, those in poverty and those who have suffered abuse

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 align with the Constitution and Church Handbook. 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 prayer-groups

• 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 and maintained

• 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 European Mission Fellowship Middle East Reformed Fellowship Arab World Ministries: Magda Shaheed, London Slavic Gospel Association

) Ministry in South America ) Mission in Poland ) Christian training and Aid ) Work with Asian women ) 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 Open Air Mission (OAM) Evangelism in UK towns and cities Internation Mission to Jewish People Formerly CWI – evangelistic work Ono Ojogbane Orphanage in Nigeria Christian relief work and disability care

Other Christian societies and work supported in recent years :

• Wycliffe Bible Translators

• Christian people in China

• Good News for Everyone (formerly known as The Gideons)

• Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF)

• Barnabas Fund: Persecuted Christian people worldwide

• Open Doors: Suffering Christian believers across the world

• Soldiers/Aviators Scripture Readers Assoc. (SASRA) - ministry in the Army & Airforce

Grace Church North Norfolk

Summary of the ongoing work of the CIO: Church Life in 2025

2025 was a year of consolidation framed within our understanding that the work of the Church here should continue as long as possible, and particularly with a view to developing the strengths of the organisation and with a renewed vision for reaching out to others. Additionally, welcoming others with leadership potential was a deep-felt concern.

The Church maintains its emphasis on teaching and preaching the Bible as the absolute basis of bringing an understanding of humanity’s relationship with God though the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. To love God and to love our neighbour through exemplifying Christ remains paramount.

The main activities of the church were therefore the Sunday morning worship service, regular meeting and fellowship, Bible study, prayer, and joining in the Lord’s Supper (Communion). Our desire is to share these things as fully and widely as possible. To this end, the Church also publicised its activities, developed its website, made specific events known in the local press, and garnered more participants to its Livestreamed services. Invitations were delivered to each home in the village.

The Mission interest of the Church was demonstrated in these ways:

• Regular giving to the societies/charities detailed in the body of the report

• Meetings held when representatives of these organisations spoke and brought reports: Asialink; Slavic Gospel Association; Open Air Mission; International Mission to Jewish People. Mission literature was made available from these societies, together with information, magazines and/or audio/visual presentations from Caring for Life, Open Doors, Ono Ojogbane Orphanage and Middle East Reformed Fellowship.

The Church maintains its link with the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) through personal contact with its officers, visitors from affiliated churches, articles submitted, and an annual donation made to its work. Close links are in place with another smaller group of like-minded churches in Norfolk.

A feature of the Church’s life is its work of personal care and nurturing. A lot of this work takes place through the voluntary action of its members, and includes invitations to homes, gifts, personal contact and support, home-based mission groups, counselling through phone calls, and visiting the sick and those in hospital.

A recognised need within the Church over the last few years has been to call the next pastor to lead the work. Our particular location and profile meant that this had to be thought through carefully, and in conjunction with FIEC, our need was publicised nationally in the autumn. This brought some immediate responses, and the Church looks forward to this need being met soon, as we pray for God to guide us.

The Church has the following priorities for the coming twelve months:

• 1) The calling of a pastor to lead the work

• 2) Developing strategies for evangelism on a broader base

• 3) If possible, to redevelop a children’s work

• 4) Further increasing our vision for Church growth and revitalisation

• 5) Enhancing our links with churches of a like-minded evangelical standing

GRACE CHURCH NOR TH NORFOLK INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 October 2025 £69.411 34 E7tyB 17 OWn9S £4.01QUO T¥*o¢¢wy PA1551unBryOtknw £6.6O514 EO000 t34.40712 F.1p￿ ¥c5 Lewl&ln& £4WS0 £1789¥ Rw4 £￿￿.10 P￿￿$$11￿1 £14.6W STOOD t342JS Te￿￿ S￿r EOU EIUX51 £3.778 E3.77AthI £1Q4y34 1DJ676

Financial Review 2025

Total receipts were £41,229.26 including tax recovery via Gift Aid, interest on the deposit account and a legacy of £6,822.04, very kindly left to us by a previous member of the church.

£18,494.51 was spent on the Christian ministry of GCNN for its practical upkeep and the employment of a part time Pastor.

A further £3778 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 £23070.67. The net result was an excess of receipts over payments of £18158.59.

Reserve Policy

GCNN has increased the amount of the reserve to £65,000, to be used on the commencement of the employment of a new full time Pastor, which is due to occur in August 2026. The higher remuneration involved will likely necessitate accessing this money in due course.

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