Alderman’s Green Free Methodist Church Trustees Report for the period 1[st] November 2020 to 31[st] October 2021
We believe ……
In Christ crucified, dead and buried;
raised from the dead on the third day, who sits at the right of God the Father in heaven.
We worship and serve the risen Christ!
Administrative Information
Alderman’s Green Church is situated on Alderman’s Green Road, Coventry.
The church is governed by the Board of Trustees which abides by the Trust Deed set up on 5[th] January 1909. The Trustees are the guardians of the doctrine and have a legal responsibility to ensure the church complies with the prevailing laws in England and Wales.
The Trustees are the employers of all paid employees.
Every Trustee is a church member.
Objectives
The Trustees and Church Members are committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship the living God, through the Scriptures, prayer, the Sacrament, and music, at the church, and for the church to be known in our locality.
We seek to serve the living Creator God, his Son Jesus – the Saviour of the World, - and through the Holy Spirit.
Wesleyan Reform Union
The Church is a member of the Wesleyan Reform Union of Churches, based at Church Street, Jump, Barnsley. The Church adheres to the doctrine of the Union as set out in their publication ‘Faith and Practice’ .
Governance and Management
Trustee’s responsibilities are shown above. The Church Members are responsible for decision making on matters of general concern and decide how the church funds are to be used. Church meetings are held quarterly.
Covid-19
During the Covid-19 pandemic the trustees have ensured that church has complied with the prevailing UK Government rules and guidelines for communal worship, funerals and marriages.
Church Membership
Anyone who desires, through the profession of their faith in the One Creator God and his Son Jesus Christ, as Saviour of the world, will have their name presented to the church meeting. Once accepted the nominee will be welcomed into full church membership at the next available service of Holy Communion. The new member takes on the full responsibility of financial support, attendance at worship, to use their God-given gifts and talents to further the work of the church and to ensure that it continues to serve the needs of the people of Alderman’s Green and beyond.
Worship
Our services of worship are normally held on Sundays at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. where the truth of God’s Word is preached at all our services. These services are open to all. Additional services at Easter, Harvest-time, Advent, Christmas and as announced.
The Church Anniversary is celebrated on the last Sunday in October every year.
During the period of the Covid-19 pandemic the church adhered to the UK Government rules governing this situation. The Sunday services were conducted via Zoom in order to continue our commitment to ensure that God’s word is preached on a regular basis and that no-one should miss out with their walk with the Lord. Anyone not having access to Zoom was able to join by telephone. The services have been well supported.
When permitted, the church was opened for worship, following government guidelines with attendees recorded, pre-booked, and numbers restricted.
Children and Youth Work
We have an active Sunday school with some ten pupils and four Sunday School Staff. We welcome children to the Sunday School from the age of a few months to sixteen years of age.
The aim of the Sunday School is to bring to life the Bible stories, to know Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world and to prepare the young people for church membership.
During the Covid-19 pandemic we have not held any Sunday School sessions on the church premises. The Sunday School staff however did set up sessions on Zoom for any child who wished to join on Sunday mornings. This has worked very well.
The Sunday School name was changed in February 2021 to that of ‘Worship Warriors’.
Church Safeguarding
We use the services of Thirty-one eight (formerly CCPAS), an organisation which provides support and guidance for our Church Safeguarding. We have appointed a Lead Recruiter for the Church Safeguarding process and appointed two Child Protection Officers.
A Child Protection Policy is in place.
All the Church Trustees, Sunday School staff, and everyone who has regular contact with children and vulnerable adults have undergone DBS checks – all of whom have clear records. The DBS checking process is now automatic for the specified periods and personnel.
Messy Church
Due to Covid -19 Messy Church has been curtailed until government regulations allow.
Prayer Meetings
These meetings have been held weekly on Wednesday evenings during the Covid-19 pandemic with the meetings taking place via Zoom. Newcomers are always welcome.
Home Group
This group meets fortnightly for informal bible study and discussions at the homes of church members. These sessions have been curtailed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Worship Group
Practices are held fortnightly and the aim is to introduce the congregation to new hymns, songs, and choruses, during our Sunday services.
No worship group practices were conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Missions Work
The work of home and overseas missions is actively encouraged and well-supported with regular gifts and specific fund-raising activities. We thank everyone who supports this work in so many ways.
During the Covid-19 pandemic we have not held any fund-raising activities in the church. We have received contributions from our church members who are in isolation so that we have been able to make a gift of £150.00 to the work of the Wesleyan Reform Home Missions.
There have been no meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Trustees
The Trustees holding office for the period of this report are shown in section A8/A9.
Alan Paul Standell resigned from the Board of Trustees and we thank Paul for his long service in this office.
Finance
The church accounts are shown elsewhere in this report. The church members are part of the HMRC Gift Aid Scheme covering their weekly gifts for the work of the church. We acknowledge the weekly giving of all those who attend our worship services.
General Data Protection Compliance
We have a GDRP Officer who ensures that we are fully compliant with the guidelines of this issue.
The Minister
Our Minister, David Bracken, leads our worship services on Sundays, and also plays a full part in our prayer meetings, home groups and other church activities.
The services of worship have been transmitted via Zoom, and telephone, on Sunday mornings during the Covid-19 pandemic.
We opened the church for communal worship in September 2021, following the prevailing UK government rules and guidelines.
Our minister has recorded sermons available via the church website.
Craft Group
Our Craft Group meets every Friday from 10 a.m. until 12 noon where experience and skills are passed onto other members of the group with the aim producing items for our Summer Fayre in July and our Christmas Fayre in December. Anyone is welcome to join the group to learn the skills and bring their own ideas.
No meetings have taken place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Volunteers
We thank all the volunteers who have worked hard to make our church vibrant, lively and welcoming, and also for fulfilling maintenance tasks to keep our property in good order. Our volunteers do so knowing that they are fulfilling God’s calling for them and our church.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge -
-
The work of our accountant for processing the monthly payroll and the preparation of our annual accounts
-
Those who have continued to donate remotely to support the work of our church during the Covid-19 pandemic.
-
The support of our church members and adherents week by week
-
The work undertaken by our volunteers
-
Those who take on responsibility, behind the scenes, to further the Lord’s work in our church
-
Those who lend their unfailing support for Coffee Mornings and the provision of drinks following our morning services
-
The work of the Board of Trustees
ALDERMANS GREEN FREE METHODIST CHURCH
REGISTERED CHARITY: 502436
ANNUAL ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST OCTOBER 2021
Aldermans Green Free Methodist Church
Receipts and Payments account for the year ended 31st October 2021
| RECEIPTS Weekly offerings Income tax claim Government incentive - Employers NI refund Church funerals - fees Use of hall Craft Club Sunday School Donations - Donation Donation - Organ Donation - Percy King Estate Donation - Ron Woodward Donation - Projector Fund Building Fund Christingle Donation - Paul Howard Donation - Gift D Bracken WRU Hosting Interest Total Receipts |
2021 £ 21,953.00 9,512.37 1,117.29 340.00 400.00 - - 148.81 465.00 5,000.00 35,000.00 - 2,368.00 - - 280.00 - 70.60 76,655.07 |
2020 £ 20,953.91 - 1,123.43 - 335.00 1,145.00 - 2,600.00 370.00 - - 400.00 - 201.50 500.00 - 25.00 393.84 |
|---|---|---|
| 28,047.68 |
| Total Payments Net receipts/(payments) for the year Cash in Hand at 31st October 2020 Cash at Building Society at 31st October 2020 Balance Lloyds Bank at 31st October 2021 Cash at Building Society at 31st October 2021 Total Cash at 31st October 2021 PAYMENTS £ Church maintenance (A) Manse maintenance (B) Minster's stipend Minitster's communication allowance Church NI contributions Church pension contributions Pension contributions owed for last year PAYE/NI contributions paid for previous year PAYE/NI contributions owed for this year Funeral expenses (stewards/organist) Pulpit Supplies Minister's travelling expenses Membership subscriptions Gift to independent auditor Offerings envelopes Christian Copyright licencing Donations - CESA - Ministers P - Pastoral aid - Housing for - Macmillan - Food for events Aldermans Green Free 0 |
- 76,655.07 - 43,175.32 119,830.39 3,345.99 69,327.95 - 72,673.94 2021 £ £ - - 16,914.96 300.00 1,117.29 676.56 - 147.71 145.91 - - 70.00 - 1,350.50 200.00 88.36 370.56 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 - 220.00 Methodist Church |
34,493.83 |
|---|---|---|
| 6,446.15 - - 49,621.47 |
||
| 43,175.32 | ||
| - 43,175.32 - |
||
| 43,175.32 | ||
| 2020 £ 8,636.66 2,935.61 16,883.64 300.00 1,123.43 674.36 410.06 147.55 147.71 - 60.00 120.00 113.40 1,359.75 200.00 87.14 284.05 420.00 103.10 |
| Stationery/postage/ink cartridges Contact magazine Church website Safeguarding Organ tuning Gift - D Bracken Zoom Delivering piano Fire Extinguishers Service Area Association - WRU Presidents Visit Digital Recorder Total Payments |
- - 175.00 181.25 168.00 280.00 129.51 192.00 - - - 22,215.79 |
63.00 17.05 193.00 120.00 168.00 - - - 49.75 10.00 161.99 |
|---|---|---|
| 34,493.83 |
Aldermans Green Free Methodist Church
Schedule to Receipts and Payments Account - Year ended 31st Octobe
| A Church Maintenance Insurance Electricity Water rates Piano tuning General building repairs Cleaning Roof repairs Organ repairs Covid 19 expenses B Manse Maintenance Insurance Council tax Water rates Manse repairs |
2021 £ 1,964.32 551.94 67.90 59.00 30.00 19.30 18,829.20 - - 21,521.66 349.65 1,975.41 1,015.94 78.00 3,419.00 |
2020 £ 1,917.23 2,380.20 207.81 - 136.00 90.60 1,020.00 2,204.16 680.66 |
|---|---|---|
| 8,636.66 | ||
| 332.11 1,887.88 715.62 - |
||
| 2,935.61 |
Alderman's Green Free Methodist Church Church Accounts - 1st November 2020 to 31st October 2021
| Building Fund | Debits | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/11/2020 | Balance Brought Forward | |||
| 19,129.20 | 41,563.60 | |||
| 31/10/2021 | Closing Balance | |||
| Craft Club | ||||
| 01/11/2020 | Debits | Credits | ||
| Balance Brought Forward | ||||
| 0.00 | 0.00 | |||
| 31/10/2021 | Closing Balance | |||
| Sunday School | ||||
| 01/11/2020 | Debits | Credits | ||
| Balance Brought Forward | ||||
| 0.00 | 0.00 | |||
| 31/10/2021 | ClosingBalance | |||
| Organ Fund | ||||
| 01/11/2020 | Debits | Credits | ||
| Balance Brought Forward | ||||
| 168.00 | 465.00 | |||
| 31/10/2021 | Closing Balance | |||
| Church Gifts | ||||
| 01/11/2020 | Debits | Credits | ||
| Balance Brought Forward | ||||
| 03/07/2021 | Percy King Estate | 5000.00 | ||
| 31/10/2021 | Closing Balanc | 0.00 | 5000.00 | |
| Closing Balance | ||||
| CBS | Book | |||
| Difference |
| Church Projector Fund | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/11/2020 | Debits | Credits | |
| Balance Brought Forward | |||
| 31/10/2021 | Closing Balanc 0.00 |
1.97 | |
| Church Accounts | |||
| Coventry Building Society | |||
| Lloyds Bank Limited | |||
| Total General Church Accounts |
fkr 2021
| Balance | |
|---|---|
| 11,786.79 | |
| 34,221.19 | 34,221.19 |
| Balance | |
|---|---|
| 1,855.60 | |
| 1,855.60 | 1,855.60 |
| Balance | |
| 1,420.17 | |
| 1,420.17 | 1,420.17 |
| Balance | |
| 762.55 | |
| 1,059.55 | 1,059.55 |
| Balance | |
| 500.00 | |
| 5500.00 | 5,500.00 |
| 44,056.51 | |
| 44,056.51 | |
| 0.00 |
| Balance | |
|---|---|
| 1355.87 | |
| 1357.84 | 1,357.84 |
| CBS Book | 1,357.84 |
| Difference | 0.00 |
23,913.60 3,345.99 27,259.59
Accountants Report
I have prepared, without audit, the enclosed Revenue Account for the year ended 31st October 2021 from the books, records and other information supplied.
A E Ashton
37 Gibson Crescent Bedworth Warwickshire CV12 8RP
9th Februrary 2022