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2024-12-31-accounts

People’s Hall Evangelical Church Bridgnorth

Annual Reports For 2024

Annual Meeting Wednesday 26[th] March 2025

Ministers Report, AGM, 2025

So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word , Psalm 119:42.

There are times in our lives when people will reproach us, that is, who will defame or attack us – in particular because we are Christians who seek to live in accordance with God’s Word. It may be because we will not behave as they do, we do not blaspheme, swear, get drunk – or even tipsy, our humour is clean and not rude, we don’t gossip and slander people and then the part they can really hate – we follow our saviour and worship Him!

As Shedd expressed it: “Holiness in a fellow creator sometimes makes wicked human anger hotter and more deadly. The Jews gnashed their teeth in rage at the meekness and innocence of Christ.”[1] Believers should not expect any better.

Yet, we are encouraged to be holy for I am holy ,[2] which will lead to people reproaching us – to not follow our saviour as we aught, to loosen up, to partake in their lifestyles and so on. But our calling is not to be like the world, but to be in the world but not of the world. A Christian life will stand out: If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.[3] And Jesus goes on to say that we are not greater than our master.

But if our life outside of Sunday and church activities is simply the same as the world then where is our obedience to Jesus Christ? We do not look for trouble, but our simply having a different lifestyle will lead to an effect – if we can carry on with our lives without any difference between ourselves and the world then what does that say about our faith?

But when we are reproached then we have an answer, it is in God’s Word! But that implies we need to know God’s Word to be able to make use of it! Therefore, we are not only to live a right life before God we need to know His word to firstly, know how to live, secondly, to know how to answer those who reproach us!

Let us be encouraged in the year ahead to move forward in our Lord. For some 2024 has been a very hard year between bereavements, illness and other concerns. As a fellowship we need to continue to pray and look out for and help each other. May the Lord strengthen us, for we can only do so with His help.

As a church our work continues, with the children’s works, Wednesday people, ladies’ meetings, special events and evangelism events, baptisms, new members, and all our general church life and activities, including what is often called the mundane . Our seeking to honour our Lord in every part of our church and personal life. May the Lord continue to be our strength and help in all these endeavours.

Indeed, who cannot still say, as my report in 2023: Hitherto has Yehweh helped us. 1 Samuel 7:12.

1 WGT Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, 1888-1894, one volume ed, 2024, p.707.

2 Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:18; 1 Peter 1:16.

3 John 15:19.

Elders Report 2024

How quickly 2024 seemed to fly by but when we reflect on that year, we can see God’s hand has been guiding us and protecting us.

On a practical sense we saw No 6 restored after the previous year’s accident and large-scale repairs and refurbishments to the Manse.

We give great thanks to the church maintenance team for arranging this and to the treasury team for keeping their hands on the finances and gaining a large grant from EFCC towards the cost of the Manse repairs.

Colin’s ministry throughout the year has been strong and biblically sound and we thank him for his hard work in preparing sermons on most weeks of the year.

We have been blessed with quite a few new people joining us particularly on Sunday mornings due to them finding Colin’s sermons on the internet and wanting to come and have fellowship. We regularly get around 40 people on a Sunday morning now, but numbers in an evening are usually around midteens or lower. Please pray for evening services as long, cold, wet winter months mean people not coming out, particularly if they have distances to travel.

Children’s work (Little Treasures on Wednesday, and Friday Children’s Club) continue to be well attended and our thanks go to all involved. Sunday School/Bible class numbers are lower, but we thank the teachers who weekly prepare lessons and please everyone keep praying for families and children to come.

As elders we say thank you for the love and fellowship you show each other and visitors each week.

Thank you, Lord, for your tender mercy and love to us as a Fellowship of Christian Believers.

Paul, Steve and Geoff.

Outreach Report for 2024

Friday Children’s Club, Food bank, Wednesday People, Little Treasures, Good News Papers, cakes made, refreshments made, singing outside the Co-op at Christmas, invitations and tracts given out. Many other activities.

Who are the people planning and working to make all these things happen?

They don’t get paid and many times items are given free of charge.

The question in the world would by “Why?”

We are all God’s servants. To serve God in any way, big or small, is a blessing. The Bible tells about a Master that went away giving three of his servants talents of money. Two servants worked and doubled their money, but the third servant buried his talents in the ground, which produced nothing. (Matthew 25 v14-30)

We all have gifts, big or small, if we use our gifts for the Lord, it is treasure in heaven.

It says on our notice sheet “To Know Christ, to Show Christ, to Share Christ”. When we serve the Lord, we are showing Christ and sharing Christ.

When we come face to face with the Lord, will the words be “good and faithful servant”?

We press on to fulfil all that God wants us to do.

Paul Wanklin

Fabric Report 2024

Our major project in 2024 must surely have been the replacement of threequarters of the roof on the manse. Occasional water ingress and damp problems had made this work essential and although expensive, God blessed us with a considerable gift from the EFCC. It soon revealed that the wooden dormer window and structure on the top floor was also completely rotten and had to be replaced at the same time. Other work in the manse was a partial bathroom refit and replacement shower, as well as modifications to the kitchen plumbing.

For the first time we have had to employ a contractor for all of our gas safety work in the church, manse and no 6 consisting of four heating boilers, two gas fires and a gas-cooker. This threw up several issues so as to comply with current standards, particularly with both fires and one cooker being condemned. Consequently a new electric cooker has been installed in no 6 and the two fires will be replaced shortly.

Our thanks to Alastair & Karen for their efforts on the no 6 garden makeover which has really improved the appearance

Another church work–day took place in the summer, mainly concerned with tidying up and our thanks to all those who took part. These prove to be a mix of fellowship and good-natured banter.

At last we were able to complete the strengthening of the car-park fence. By using concrete buttresses we were able to retain the timber posts which were perfectly ok above ground level and only patch repairs needed on the fence panels.

Many other routine jobs were carried out throughout the year as needs arose and thanks to all who were involved, no matter how small a contribution, also not forgetting those on the regular cleaning rota.

God has given areas of service to us all, but he is the great provider of the necessary means and resources but once again He has not failed us.

Steve

The Friday Children’s Club Annual Report April 2024 to March 2025

We are so pleased that we have now been running for 16 months since starting on November 3, 2023. We are very grateful for all the prayer, supporters, and contributions given to enable the children’s club to run.

We began with 2 children and have grown to 9 with a steady 5 some weeks up to 11, as some children have brought friends along and have gone on to continue coming.

We are grateful to those who have come to help with setting up and helping the kids with the crafts, doing a bible story, and providing meals for the leaders groups every week to enable us to be able to run from 6-7pm. It has been heartening to see the children's excitement to return each week and missing the club over the holidays.

We do know that the majority age of the group are 10 years old so we have raised the age range to 12, but please pray for us to have guidance to look at how we can support this change with year 7’s starting high school we will need to accommodate those changes, and continue to pray for the ability to start up a youth club.

Lord Bless, The Friday Children's Club Team

Ladies Fellowship Annual Report March 2025

April 2024 to March 2025

The Ladies Bible Study this last year has been blessed with a new group starting. Jan was conscious of the struggles of getting to evening meetings and thought the times might prevent some ladies from attending and felt led to start an afternoon or late morning ladies’ study. A questionnaire was passed around to find who was interested and what would be the best day and time, and quite a few were very interested, and the time all lined up for 2:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month. First meeting took place 16[th] May and numbers varying from 5 to 9 ladies and the meeting is open to all.

The Ladies Evening Bible study group has continued to meet once a month on the fourth Tuesday of the month starting a bit earlier at 7pm. We are very thankful to all those who volunteered to lead a bible study and open to all.

What are the aims and benefits of attending the ladies Bible study:

Focus in the daytime group has been on the fruits of the spirit; how we have been blessed with gifts and talents to serve God and others. The evening bible group chose to do a study book on Philippians for women, which takes

us through Philippians slowly opening us to dig deeper in our understanding and to know the joy of knowing what God has called us to do and think as His children: after 7 studies we are at Philippians 1 v18 (turning into Bob on Exodus ). Overall, both groups are helping us to think on the Lord and not ourselves.

Social events: This year we held several social events. They were all lovely:

November. We finished the year with our Christmas meal at the Down on 19[th] We were so pleased to have visitors coming along to all 3 events.

Conferences: A group of ladies attended EFCC’s Women’s Conference Living sacrificially in a Self-Centred World on 26th-27th April, open to all attenders of our church. We were all challenged!

We are looking forward to the EFFC’s 2025 women’s conference on Building a Life of Godliness with speaker Linda Allcock 21[st] -22[nd] March.

Please pray for the Ladies Bible study groups, to know how we can best encourage each other as women of the church. Proverbs 31 v30 “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised”

Jan & Vicky

Sunday School Report 2024

2 Chronicles 15 v 7 But as for you be strong and do not give up for your work will be rewarded.

This year has been much the same as previous years, but week by week we teach the children about who God is, what he has done for us and how we should live, Everything is taught from God’s word.

Please pray for the teachers as they study ready to teach. Please pray for the children to know more and more about our Lord and Saviour.

We did have our Christmas Party last year and great fun was had by all. Thanks are given to Dave Wilmot who spoke to us.

Ruth Garbett

Media & Communications Report for 2024

Over the past year we have had issues with one of the microphones we use regularly. It has managed to be fixed. We have had two microphones donated for use also. We have purchased more toner for the photocopier.

Over the past year 1916 people have played sermons on Sermon Audio reaching 18 countries including United Kingdom, United States of America, Martinique, Taiwan and Spain. The most listened to sermon is “Listen to God” from the 25[th] February with 57 plays. The day with the most plays was March 10[th] with the most listened to sermon being “God will have His way” from the same day.

Andi Garbett

Little Treasures Baby and Toddler Group

Well, it has been another busy year for our toddler group.

We have been blessed by having someone new join our team, Esther Fisher. Her help and support have been a real blessing.

Week after week, God has continued to bless us in so many ways:

How wonderful it has been to see so many of our families attend other church events : The Easter Outreach and also the family services…..Praise God!

For some of our families, stepping into a church service is incredibly daunting. But because, as a church, we continue to do outreach events, this has made the move from the back hall into church itself a really positive experience. All have said they have felt so welcomed.

Our Christmas celebrations were particularly busy…. The session before our family service in church, was very well attended and each activity and craft was Nativity based, which gave us many opportunities to share the true meaning of Christmas with both adults and children.

The following week was our Christmas party where we had so many children we didn’t have enough chairs (what a fantastic problem to have), so party food was done ‘picnic style’. Each child went home with a book (The Christmas Story) and each family had a gift bag which contained A Good News Paper, a bible tract, a Christian book mark and a candy cane with a poem attached about God’s love.

New families arriving are hearing about our group by either Facebook, word of mouth or the posters they see around town. We continue to pop fresh messages out on Facebook most weeks, to give session details or as a reminder we are closed for a school holiday, which seems to be appreciated.

We would like to say how grateful we are for everyone who continues to pray for toddlers or help in any way. God hears our prayers and is ever faithful.

Thanks to Alastair who has stepped in to help when we need it….he is a massive hit in the play kitchen area with the children. And Paul….our most talented resident Father Christmas!

Little Treasures has been running for about 18months now, and from the very beginning we have seen God’s love and faithfulness week after week. As a team we feel incredibly blessed and privileged to be able to serve our Heavenly Father in this way.

Please continue to pray for each family represented in toddlers, that they will see Christ in all we do and say and that they will want to know Him more and know Him as their personal saviour.

John 13:34-45

A new command I give you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Little Treasures Team:

Anne Lloyd, Mary Tull, Esther Fisher & Nina Waterhouse

Good-News Papers

Circulating the Good-News papers remains an important part of our church’s outreach. A decision was taken to increase the number of papers to 150 each month, which has allowed us to have some spare copies to offer to folks attending Wednesday People and to parents bringing children to the clubs. Members and friends have also been able to give them to friends and neighbours. These are people who might not otherwise have been reached.

Another use for them is to leave a copy in waiting areas such as a take-away (with the owner’s permission!) They are usually pleased to receive some free reading material to amuse their customers.

The spare copies are left at the back of church, so please help yourself if you feel you can use them.

We would like to further extend the number of homes receiving them, by perhaps creating a new round. However, we currently have just a few people delivering them, so more helpers would be welcome.

But just giving them out is not enough. We must also pray that God will challenge and encourage what is being read.

Our thanks to Anne, Mary and Marlyn, currently helping to distribute and to Geoff for travelling to Shrewsbury to collect them.

Wednesday People Report for 2024

We meet twice each month, the first and third Wednesday, and we are now in our 9[th] year, having started in 2016.

Our aim, as always, is to provide a safe space for anyone to drop in for friendship and a chat. We have our regulars, some occasional visitors, and others who have just dropped by when passing. All age groups have been warmly welcomed during 2024, from babies to those in their nineties. We’ve been visited by a homeless man, and a traffic warden. Everyone is welcome.

Once the room is set up, we have a short prayer time before visitors arrive, always acknowledging that this is God’s work and praying for opportunities to share the Gospel with those who come in. We always have some Christian literature on the tables for people to read or take away and a few books available free of charge.

Our team consists of Derek & Ruth Garbett, Steve & Mary Tull, Paul Wanklin and Terri Childs, and we have sometimes been helped by Esther Fisher and Anne Lloyd. We are also very grateful to Margaret Cox for her delicious baked goods, cheesy puffs being a firm favourite. If anyone is interested in joining our team, even on an occasional basis, please have a chat with Terri or Mary. Even if you’re not able to join the team, come along and have a cuppa with us!

At Christmas we gave out gift bags which included invitations to our Christmas services, a Christmas card and a Gospel tract, together with a small gift for each recipient.

We look forward to another year of welcoming local people in and pray that we will see people coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through this ministry.

Wednesday People Team

The Peoples Hall Evangelical Church Accounts 31 De￿mber 2024 Millard and Co Charter•d Accountants st￿ House Fam. Bin6 Nr Lud Strryshwg. SY8 3HQ

The Peoplos Hall Evang•llcal Church Ac¢ountants' roport on the unaudlted accounts to Th• Pooples Hall Evangellcal Church In accordance with your Inslru¢tions, we have compiled these unaudited accounts for the yea ended 31 December 2024 from the accounting records and infomiation antj explanats'on5 supplied to us. A J Millard and Co Chartered Acwuntsnts Stone House Fami Bittedey Nr Ludlow Shropshire SY8 3HQ Oate

The Peoples Hall Evangelical Church Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 December 2024 2024 2023 Incom8 41.986 39.480 Other Income 19.259 5,974 Expendlture Employee Costs Premises costs Repairs General adminislralive expenses Legal and professional costs Interest 19,051 11,445 28,567 13.571 320 1509) 17,325 13.691 3,730 11,724 310 200 72,445 46,982 Deflclt for the year 111.200} 11.526}

The Peoples Hall Evangèlical Church Balance Sheet as at 31 Decembor 2024 Notes 2024 2023 Flxed assets Fixed assets 13,676 13,676 Current assets Bank current account Bank deposit account Missionary account 19.627 15,000 510 35.137 12.043 35.139 116 47.298 Current Ilabllltles Accruals 320 310 Net current assets 34.817 46,988 Loans due after more than one year 19711 Net assets 48,493 59.693 General fund Balance at start of period Deficit for the year 59,693 {11.200) 61,219 {1,5261 48.493 59.693

The Peoples Hall Evangelical Church Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024 1 Proflt and loss account analysls 2024 2023 Income Collections at services and subscriptions Covenants 11.610 30,376 41,986 12,094 27,386 39.480 Other Income Grants Interèst Gifts and donations Rental income 12.000 664 1.795 4,800 19,259 77 1,897 4.000 5,974 Employee costs Salaries Pensions 18,144 907 16.500 825 19.051 17.325 Premlses costs Light and heal- Church Light and heat- Manse Rates and insurance Cleaning 2.004 4,547 4,804 90 2,764 5,724 5.113 11,445 13.691 Repalrs Propetty repairs General repairs and renewals 28.135 432 28,567 3,730 3.370 General admlnlstratlve expenses Telephone Stationery and advertising Conference expenses Gift allocation Outreach Subscriptions Sundry expenses Intemel Costs 1,333 1,242 1,947 450 5.145 975 1,981 746 6,402 2,503 587 720 13.571 11.724 Legal and professlonal costs AccoLbntants fees 320 310 Interest Interest {509} 200

The Peoples Hall Evangellcal Church Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024 2 Other flxad assets 2024 2023 Freehold property Church extensK)ns Investments £628.18 2½% Consolidated Stock- at cost 2.500 10,548 628 2,500 10,548 628 13,676 13.676

Thè Ptoples Hall Evangelical Church Aceountants. report on the tsnaudited accounts to The Peoples Hall Evangèlical Churth In accrjidance wth yC￿r InsirudtyJn5. have cornpAed thÈse unaudiiQQ accounts kn the ycar nded 31 Dec¢m￿r 2024 Irom the aCtr￿n￿rg recud$ ￿lOrM￿•)n and explar)au(s suppbed to A J MilkrTJ Und Co Chart(:red AcC￿nI￿n St￿0 House Farn 8iuerley Nf LLJdltsW Shrop%nir SY8 3Ha Oare