Lay Delegate Summary Report 2025
The annual Lay Delegate Report is structured around eight characteristics in the life of the Free Methodist Church which we believe make up a healthy church. These are approved by Conference and can be found in the Free Methodist Church Uk and Ireland Handbook.
A healthy church consists of:-
1) A church that worships in Spirit and Truth
2) A church that prays without ceasing
3) A church that constantly reaches the lost for Christ
4) A church that produces fully devoted disciples
5) A church that grows through multiplication
6) A church that ministers to the poor and disenfranchised
7) A church that engages in our World Missionary Movement
8) A church that is committed to placing mission ahead of method
God has called us together at Heysham FM to be a passionate & compassionate
family of believers who reach out into our community with the love of Jesus. Our church vision statement is “Helping people find & follow Jesus”
It has been a very fruitful year here at Heysham FM. We have journeyed through some sermon series’s in our morning and evening services:-
Journeying through the Gospel of Mark and Christmas and Easter series in the morning. A series in 1 John, ‘The Bible Course’ by Andrew Ollerton, the Seven Churches of Revelation series and the Book of Psalms series in the evening services.
Our weekly church outreach groups continue to thrive. Monday community coffee morning, Alpha courses and Friday mornings baby and toddler group (Little Fish) are all well attended.
The Heysham WhatsApp group helps people stay connected online. The prayer meetings continue to lead us close to God and many prayers have been answered this year. We are thankful to be able to pray for one another through the difficult times as well as the times of celebration.
The cafe area continues to provide a sanctuary and place for building friendships.
There are day time and evening Growth Groups. We meet together to study Gods Word, share together and support one another. We believe that life is done best when we are part of a smaller community within the larger community of the church.
We continue to be inspired by our growing HFM Youth Group. As they meet on a Sunday evening for fellowship and worship and as they serve in the church and help to lead the service on occasions and fellowship together in other social activities. As they discover a relationship with Jesus and grow in their walk with Him let us continue to pray from them and encourage them. We believe that young people are not just the ‘future’ of the church, they are an integral part of the church right now.
We are excited about the Ministry Sunday services that are getting underway to be a catalyst for encouraging people of all ages to discover their God given gifts and use them to serve the Lord and others.
We had a fruitful eight day outreach into our community. We were joined by several students from Capernwray Bible College for this. The week included visiting a local Care Home, Coffee Morning, Prayer Meetings & Devotionals, a Youth Service, Prayer Walking in our community, Litter Picking, a Community Car Wash and a Treasure Hunt in the neighbourhood. It didn’t stop there, we had a Children's Pancake Party, Ladies Bowling & Supper Night, a Mens Curry Night and a Movie Night for the young people. There was even an afternoon of ‘Giving of Gifts’ to Community Workers in our area to say thank you for all they do.
We continue to give 15% of our Church Income to our Mission Partners. We have regular updates online and sometimes in person from CAP (Christians against Poverty), Open Doors for the persecuted church worldwide, NISCU for the work of Christians in our schools, Stand By Me, Christian Concern, West End Impact and others. Our Harvest Sunday Offering went to the work of Tearfund in South Sudan. Over 20 bags of groceries, along with bags of fruit & veg from our Harvest display were taken down to West End Impact.
We continue to be Salt and Light to our community as we seek to share the Love of Jesus with everyone. This Church year we had a ‘Light Party’ which was our Halloween Alternative. It was a well attended outreach with 70-80 people there as we focussed on Jesus as ‘The Light Of The World”
The Leadership Team continues to meet fortnightly for Prayer and to seek Gods Vision for His Church. We have all benefited from the vision meetings we have had together in the social area. We are having an increasing number of people worshipping with us on Sundays. Let us seek God together as we see Him moving in our midst.
Being in church on Sunday continues to be a time of blessing. The Baptismal services have been an inspiration to all of us.
The Sunday School & Crèche Teams, the Prayer Groups, Stewards, Catering, Admin & Maintenance, Tech Teams, Worship Group, those who Counsel, Preach, Listen and the many who work behind the scenes! We are truly blessed to serve God together. It is good to be reminded at the end of our working church year just how much we need each other and how blessed we are to serve God together in our community.
We thank God for Pastor Marks faithful ministry and Pastoral Care in the last year. Let us continue to pray together as we seek Gods guidance for an Associate Pastor to come alongside Mark and help us see others finding and following Jesus.
Yours In Christ
Sandra Parker (Lay Delegate)
## **Morecambe & Heysham Free Methodist Church Income & Expenditure Account For the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**INCOME**
General Offerings
Gift Aid Offerings
Gift Aid (Refund)
**Other Income**
Pastor's Contingency (previously Acts 2 Fund)
Harvest
Love Christmas
Gift Day Fund
Ladies Dinner
Teen Challenge
Children's worker
Open Doors
Saltmine
Sunday School
Tear Fund
**Funds from Heart Church for their share of expenses:**
Faithlife
CCLI
Note 1
ThirtyOne Eight
Insurance
Note 1
Dan's Tax & NI
Dan's Pension
Dan's Death in service policy
Heart Church share of expenses netted off expenditure
**Total Operating Income**|47,324
53,335
19,970
2,200
1,289
-
-
530
423
11,777
327
61
151
-
-
-
26
-
5,870
3,343
-|**2024**
120,629
16,758
9,239
(9,239)
**137,387**|45,820
43,519
18,383
536
1,139
390
3,400
450
-
-
-
-
-
879
100
700
75
700
4,319
3,089
-|**2023**
107,721
6,794
8,983
(8,983)
**114,515**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## **Heart Church Income & Expenditure Account For the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**INCOME**
General Offerings
Gift Aid Offerings
Gift Aid (Refund)
**Restricted Funds**
**Other income**
Orchard conference
Alpha book donation
Love Christmas
Xcel conference
**Total Operating Income**
**EXPENDITURE**
**Church**
Rent & Room hire
Ministry Budgets
**Pastor**
Net Salary
Pension
Death in service
Tax and National Insurance
**Other Expenses:**
Publicity
New Equipment
Sundry expenses
Pastor Travel
Pastor Study
Ministry Learning
ThirtyOne Eight
Licences
Insurance
Visiting Preachers
Stationery
Pastoral
Gocardless Churchsuite
Evangelical Alliance
Tithe
Independent examination fees
Orchard conference
Community & fellowship events
Xcel conference
Be Still Course
Website & emails
Love Christmas
**Total operating expenditure**
**Operating (deficit)/surplus**|25,633
21,213
5,408
1,180
-
4,040
562
4,988
842
26,315
3,343
702
5,867
1,671
1,614
971
368
1,731
230
26
-
-
800
63
183
225
108
3,600
552
1,226
941
1,325
112
458
7,075|**2024**
28,670
29,315
2,895
52,254
1,680
21
5,258
-
5,782
**58,036**
4,853
979
**5,829**
24,200
3,089
747
4,294
**36,227**
1,668
299
1,082
584
313
450
87
700
700
977
338
500
178
108
2,500
600
1,632
1,357
-
-
350
7,488
**23,277**
**65,333**
**(7,297)**|**2023**
60,879
6,959
**67,838**
**5,832**
**32,330**
**21,911**
**60,073**
**7,766**|
|---|---|---|---|
1. General offerings includes £6,000 of funding from HFMC.
**Notes:**
## **HFMC Income and Expenditure: Page 2**
## **EXPENDITURE**
|**Church**
Water
Electricity
Fire/Gas Safety Testing
Gas
Gardening
Telephone & Broadband
Cleaning
General Maintainance
Window Cleaning
**Manse**
Rates
Telephone
Maintenance
Water
**Pastor**
Pension
Net Salary
Death in service policy
**Assistant Pastor**
Pension
Net Salary
Death in service policy
**Total Tax and National Insurance**
Note 2
**Groups**
Creche
Little Fish
Sunday School
HFM Youth/ Teens|255
2,674
986
4,482
1,491
935
3,395
5,058
212
**19,487**
1,998
689
981
282
**3,950**
3,453
24,190
681
(22)
-
-
**5,740**
**34,043**
250
-
777
312
**1,339**|333
2,108
1,159
4,127
1,283
877
3,174
1,386
212
**14,661**
1,910
757
280
792
**3,738**
3,268
23,901
721
-
-
-
**3,477**
**31,367**
11
320
711
159
**1,201**|
|---|---|---|
## **HFMC Income and Expenditure: Page 3**
## **Expenditure (continued)**
|**Other Expenses**
Child Protection (CCPAS)
Community/Fellowship Events
Conference
Licenses
External Mission Allocation (15%)
Insurance
Pastoral & Contingency
Printing & Stationery
Publicity
Sundry Expenses
Pastor Sabbatical
Gocardless Churchsuite
Evangelical Alliance
Discretionary funding of Heart Church
Iris Payroll
Mailchimp
Independent examination fees
**Restricted Funds**
Acts 2 Fund
Gift Day Fund
Harvest
Heart Church
Love Christmas
Tear Fund
Teen Challenge
**Total operating expenditure**
**Operating surplus**|229
3,275
4,618
1,418
16,372
3,485
1,782
719
299
2,449
-
318
126
6,000
209
200
840
-
2,174
1,289
5,408
-
-
423|**42,338**
**9,294**
**110,452**
**26,935**|259
2,355
4,728
807
12,045
2,748
533
501
115
2,149
613
318
126
5,625
193
206
840
778
2,993
1,139
7,466
500
879|**34,162**
**13,755**
**98,883**
**15,632**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
**Notes:**
1. No Licences or Insurance contributions deemed necessary from Heart Church this year. 2. Employment allowance claimed this year.
**Independent Examiners’ Report to the Members of**
## **Morecambe & Heysham Free Methodist Church**
I report on the income and expenditure account of the charity for the year ended 31[st] December 2024.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act)) and that an independent examination is required.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act
- to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under Section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act); and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent examiner’s report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanation from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a `true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
- (a) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: (i) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
- (ii) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act;
- have not been met; or
- (b) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
J V Beckett Taylor, Robertson & Willett Limited Accountants 95 King Street Lancaster Lancashire LA1 1RH
29 April 2025
## **Independent Examiners’ Report to the Members of**
## **Heart Church**
I report on the income and expenditure of the Heart Church bank account for the year ended 31[st] December 2024. This report is supplementary to my report on the income and expenditure account of Morecambe & Heysham Free Methodist Church.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act)) and that an independent examination is required.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act
- to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under Section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act); and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent examiner’s report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanation from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a `true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
- (a) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: (i) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
- (ii) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act;
- have not been met; or
- (b) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
J V Beckett Taylor, Robertson & Willett Limited Accountants 95 King Street Lancaster Lancashire LA1 1RH
29 April 2025