Christ Church Lisburn Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2022 The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2022. The trnstees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective l January 2019). OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectives and aims The chaiitable pUoSe of the Church of Ireland is the advancement of relIon. The principal function of Christ Church Lisburn is to support the advancement of the Christian religion by promoting, through the work of Christ Church, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Being open to and engaging with society as a whole and offering support for those needing help, is fundamental to the practical delivery of the benefits of Christianity. As a result of activity in the pursuit of the advancement of the Christian religion, Christ Church Lisburn has custody of property and of records, materials and artifacts of significance to the cultural and religious heritage, the maintenance of which is undertaken by the select vesty of Christ Church Lisbum. Community: Gathering as a community of faith continued post-covid with restrictions easing throughout the year, allowing more people to be present but also giving them confidence to meet in a building. We had a morning service each Sunday with at least one evening service each month. Technology enabled us to keep connected with people in their homes, hospital, care homes or on a staycation. The parish acknowledges the input from all on the AV tearn, our organist, choir and praise group in shaping the services as well as items for our worship services. Parishioners also contributed items for Sunday services even when we were together for worship. Our parish organisations are led by a great team of leaders and volunteers and allow people to gather in our halls but make connections into wider community life. There is the parish choir, praise group, men's choir, hospitality group, Bowling Club, Girl Guides, Tuesday coffee, Bible Study, Badminton Club, Prayer Fellowship, Tots Together, Craft Group, GFS, CLB, Acorn Club, Messy Church, KLIC, JAM, Wall(ing Group, and Pastoral Visitors. We are a community that encompasses people from birth to over 100 years old, with people living throughout the greater Lisburn area. The clergy team brought leadership to a faith community amidst a post covid world and the huge impact of the war in Ukraine and rising costs of living. They sought to support families who lost a loved one while also visiting those in hospital and nursing care with some visiting restrictions still evident. The partnership with the local Lisburn Foodbank continued as donations were gathered at diff¢rcnt times throughout the year. The Foodbank plays a vital role in supporting so many people in our city. We are grateful that some of our church family are volunteers at the Foodbank. We continued to support the work of Christians against Poverty and Habitat for Humanity with the PSNI Carol Service held in our church supporting this charity. We were delighted that two schools from the Council area sang at this service. Page I
Christ Church Lisburn Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2022 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Community- continued The rector is part of the city centre minister's fellowship and they organised the Good Friday Walk of Witness as well as services for the community for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and on her death. We worked with the local council on these services. The clergy team are part of the church leaders faith fonlln for the council area with a focus on supporting one another through wellbeing. A number of walks were organised as funding was received. The rector used the 'Take 5, steps to wellbeing for training events for men, volunteers and leaders with one evening in a local coffee shop where several people were invited by parishioners who do not belong to the parish. During Holy Week we had a display of 'Butterflies of Hope, at the church gate. The butterflies were coloured in by parish groups, Central & Old Warren PS and residents of Woodgrove NH. We were delighted with the response and our Mayor. Stephen Martin paid a visit as we reflected on the theme during holy week. The parish office is a place of connections for parishioners and the community. Lisburn Community Dementia Care group ieturned to its monthly meeting for people in the community supported by a family member in attendance. Marie Curie in Lisburn held a successful coffee morning and collection in June in our hall. The Wendy Gibson Ballet Academy uses our premises twice a week for girls throughout the community. Compliance with public benefit.. The Parish has given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's guidance on public benefIt, to ensure that the parish's objectives and activities have helped achieve the charity purpose, as w¢ll as providing public benefit to the beneficiaries. Charitable Activities: Regulai Sunday worship was back to being in the church building with each service also online. The hybrid nature allowed us to get the KLIC and JAM groups up and going during morning worship for children and teenagers. Holy Week included services mid-week with the Rev Bobbie Moore being OUT special preacher throughout the week. As churches in the city, we had our Good Friday Walk of Witness in the open air. Our parish organisations continued the process of re-opening through the early months of 2022 and this continued throughout the year, although two of our groups that work with children did not re-open. It was a wonderful witness to see our halls being used and full of noise and chat. The seasons of Lent, Easter, Harvest and Christmas gave us a clear focus amidst all the challenges of covid in our community, with technology again allowing the messages of Christ's death and resurrcctioll, creation, God's love and coming to us as SavÈour to be so powerful in a world of great uncertainty. The Select Vesty worked hard, meeting in person to navigate all the legislation and guidance to keep all safe. Our annual Easter General V¢stry again was held in the church to facilitate social distancing. The Tower project started in the spring and was completed in early September with Bishop George Davison re- dedicating it on I September when a number of vestry members. the rector, foreman and architect went to the top of the scaffolding for a short service. We again thank parishioners for their generosity and giving to the project, especially when we had no fundraising events. The good news was that the tower project has been paid for in total. We thank God. The parish gathered on Sunday 25 September for a servÈce of thanksgiving. Alongside this major work, the lighting in the church was also upgraded. Page 2
Christ Church Lisburn Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2022 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES The clergy team continued school assemblies in Central and Old Warren PS. A new initiative called Transforniing Lives for Good was started in conjunction with Lisburn Cathedral. We started with 2 coaches in Central PS. We welcomed the choir of Old Warren PS to sing at the Tuesday coffee moming with harvest songs in October. We recommenced a service in Old Manor home and worked with a few of our parishioners in pioviding a worship service in local care homes. The challenges for pastoral care were immense but the clergy team and pastoral visitors endeavowed to keep in contact with parishioners and support them in a variety of ways. We pay tribute to all our partsh staff and leaders for their commitment, faith and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances and their support in shaping worship and ministry. The Contact magazine was a means of communication and contact to the wider church family. The impact of the large number of deaths in recent years has been deeply felt in families, parish organisations and Sunday worship. One additional consequence has been the impact on giving to the life of the parish, as we saw the FWO declining in 2021, but the giving to the Tower Fund has been amazing and OUT FWO showed an increase in 2022. The use of standing orders by parishioners has meant that VIng has been more sustained, particularly over the summer months. Parishioners were generous to a number of projects and missions including Baby Basics, Lisburn Foodbank and Salvation Arniy. The Trustees have put in place strong policies to mitigate any potential hann to anyone partaking in Church activities and have a child protection policy in place under the control of our Safeguarding Trust panel. Our Trustees ensure that the buildings are well maintained and meet the required safety standards. Amidst all the challenges, community and the gathering together has been so important in a post-covid society allowing people to b¢ together. This was seen on Mothering Sunday when we had refreshments outside the church doors, when we gatbered to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June with a service and party in the hall, a sponsored walk in June for all ages, the first Messy Church in September to reach out to young families with a further one in early December. It was encouraging to see new people attending and valuing this worship in the hall. This complements our uniformed parish organisations working with children, Tots Together for pre-school children. (which again draws in people from the community), and our JAM group for P7-Y l O young people who went to the diocesan weekend at Castlewellan castle. Global connections: We continued to pray into the many partnerships, particularly in Uganda and BurundÉ. The church family gathered in February to celebrate l O years of partnership with St Apollo school and Fields of Life. The rector launched his book 'Never Lose Hope, in July, telling the story of this partnership. In early auiumn, we held a couple of meetings to explore a potential visit to Uganda in February 2023. Parishioners continue to sponsor children at St Apollo. Wc were delighted to host Bishop Aime Joseph and Mama Benigne from Gitega Diocese, Burundi in August for a couple of days as they shared in parish life. They joined with other churches in our city for a picnic in Wallace Park in the early afternoon. Our Harvest Appeal supported the local foodbank and clergy training in Uganda, as well as supporting charities and agencies locally and globally. Page 3
Christ Church Lisburn Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2022 FINANCIAL REVIEW Financial position We started the year with net current assets of £439,134. Our income for the year was £394,755 and our total expenses were £570,419. This gave us a net deficit of £175,961, after adjustments for depreciation and transfers between funds and leaves us with net current assets of £266,744 on 31 December 2022. You will see from the accounts that we are showing a deficit this year, and this is primarily due to completing the renovation to the Church Tower and restoring the church to a safe building for the promotion of our important message. Due to the overwhelming support of parishioners however, we have paid for all the work and have ended in a very strong fanCIal position going forward. Reserves policy The Trustees, are aware of the importance of keeping sufficient monetary reserves in our general account to enable good control on cash flow and to meet the demands of the day-to-day running of the church. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document Chapter I I l of the Constittition of the Church of Ireland governs Parishes and Parochial Organisations. The select Vesty members are the Charity Trustees. Going Concern: The trustees have reviewed the budgets for the year ahead and are satisfied that there are adequate funds in place to ensure that the parish can continue its activities and the financial statements for the year 2022 can be signed off as a going concern. Recruitment and appointment of select vestry (trustees) All members of the Church of Ireland who are over the age of 18 and are either resident within the parish or live elsewhere but have been accustomed members of the congregation for at least three months, may register as members of the general vesty of the parish, allowing them to attend and vote at meetings of the general vestry and to stand for election to the select vestry. Meetings of the general vesty are held at least once a year. The select vestry is elected as part of the General Vesty meeting. The Select Vestry will hold their positions foT a period of one year. Select Vesty membeis may be re-elected annually and there is no limit on the number of ternis that may be served. Organisational structure The select Vestry is responsible for the day-to-day management of the parish. The select vesty consists of the members of the clergy serving in the parish, any curate assistant. the chutchwardens and generally not more than twelve other members of the general vestry elected at the Easter Vestry meeting. The Select vestry is chaired by the incumbent or other member of the clergy officiating in the parish. Select vestry members are responsible for making decisions on matters of general concern and importance to the parish including how parish funds are to be applied. Tbe select vestry meets at times fixed by members or by the diocesan synod. Special meetings may be convened at any time by the chairperson or the churchwardens. In 2022 the select vesty met 12 times during the year Page 4
Christ Church Lisburn Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2022 REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Charity number 101245 Principal address Parish Offtce Hillsborough Road Lisbum Co. Antrim BT28 IJL Trustees Ven Paul Dundas - Chair Mrs Beth Harris Mr Stephen Long- Hon. Secretary Mr Ivan Anderson Mr David Bodell- Hon Treasurer Mr Johnston Boyle Mrs Valerie Christy Mr Thomas Ringland Mr Eric Thompson Mr Mervyn Dougherty Mr Jack Craig Rev Derek Harrington - Curate Mrs Janice Thompson Mr Kevin Thompson Mr Alex Henderson Mrs Vera Hewitt Independent Examiner Mccleary & Company Ltd Chartered Accountants Garvey Studi05 14 Longstone Street Lisburn Co. Antrim BT28 ITP Bankers Danskc Bank 62-66 Bow Street Lisburn Co. Antrim BT28 IYS Page 5
Christ Church Lisburn Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2022 Approved by order of the board of trustees on l O May 2023 and signed on its behalf by: Mr David Bodell - Trustee Page 6