an FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH a Congregation of The Presbyterlan Church In Ireland Finaghy Lowe Memorial Presbyterian Church a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Trustees Annual Report and Flnanclal Statements forthe year ended 31 December 2023 Reglstered wlth the Charlty Commlsslon for Northern Ireland NIC104313 an FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH a Congregatlon of The Presbyterian Church In Ireland TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 including a Balance Sheet as at that date. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DEfAILS Finaghy Lowe Memorial congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 191- 193 Upper Lisburn Road Belfast BTIO OLL Registered Chartty in Northern Ireland {NIC1043131 CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charlty Trustees who senied during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were Mrs Audrey Alexander Mr Kyle Alexander Dr Moyna Bill Dr lan Carson Mr Cyril Cavan Mrs Evelyn Cavan Mr Alastair Craig Mrs Lisa Cralg Mrs Heather Currle Mr James Currie Mr Roger Davison Mrs Janet Ellames Dr Peter Elliott Mrs Nlcole Ford Mrjoe Furphy Dr Nan Hill Mr Bobby Keag Mr Roger Knipe Mr5 Pat Martin Mr Ricky Massey Mrs Isobel McAuley Rev Drjohn Mccracken (Moderator) appointed 18/6123 Mrs Helen Mlnford Mrs Clare Monington Mr David Savage Mrs Louise Smyth Mrs Jenny Stewart Mrjohn Whlte PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Clerk of Session Chair of Church Committee Church Secretary Treasurer Rev Dr John Mccracken Dr Moyna Bill Mr Alastair Craig Mr Alan Esdale Mrjohn White 21Page an FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH a Congregation of The Presbyterlan Church In Ireland TRusfEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Stuart M Lynn FCCA 5 Springhill Lisburn BT28 3QE BANKERS Danske Bank Ltd Donegall Square West Belfast BTI 6JS SOLICITORS Hewltt & Gilpin Sollcitors Limited Hlgh Street Holywood BT18 9AZ 31Page an FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH a Congregation of The Presbyterlan Church In Ireland TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT The Kirk Sesslon The charity trustees of the congregation are the members of its Kirk Session. Under the congregation's governing document, The Code, the book of the constitution and government of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Kirk Session seeks to watch over and promote the spiritual interest of the congregation and of persons not connected with any congregation who are within it5 bounds. It ensures pastoral care is in place in the congregation and seeks to further the contribution of the Church to Christian witness and service in the local community. The Kirk Session has delegated to its Congregational Committee the temporal affairs of the congregation including administering all funds and property belonging to the congregation. Members of the Kirk Session are ex-officio member5 of the Congregational Committee. The Kirk Sesslon consists of the ordained minister and the rullng elders of the congregations. All members are entitled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meetings, except that the Moderator, the minister in active duty In the congre8atlon, has no deliberative but only a casting Vote. Stated meetings of the Kirk session are held approximately 10 times a year. To be chosen for the office of the eldership in the congregation a person must be a voting member and a regular attendant on its ordlnances. The selection of those proposed to be called to the office can be either by the congregation or by the Klrk Session. Members are elected if they obtaln two-thirds of those who vote. Presbytery Under the Presbyterian Church in Ireland form of governance the corporate oversight of a congregation is the responsibility of a Presbytery which superintends generally the spiritual and temporal affairs of the congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Finaghy Lowe Memorial Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the South Belfast Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery consists mainly of the active ministers of congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly, minsters who have retired from active duty and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation. The General Assembly The General Assembly is the supreme court of the Church, representing in one body the whole Church and acting as its supreme legislative, administration and judicial authority, in dealing with all matters brought before it. The General Assembly is normally constituted 41Page an FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH a Congregation of The Presbyterlan Church In Ireland TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) during the first week In June for worship and to conduct Its business. At the end of buslness it is dissolved. The membership of the General Assembly consists mainly of the active ministers of each congregation, retired minsters and a representative elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation. DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE Finaghy Lowe Memorial Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, as a Reformed Church within the wider body of Christ is grounded in the Scriptures, and exists to love and honour God through faith in His Son and by the power of His Spirit, and to enable its members to play their part in fulfilling God's mlssion to our world. MISSION AND VISION sfATEMENT Finaghy Lowe Memorial Presbyterian Church has adopted the following statement to describe Its Mission and Purpose: OUR PURPOSE Is to serve Christ in the community by: Lovlng as Christ loved Offering ourselves in worship & service Welcoming everyone Encouraging all to faith & splrltual maturltv To underpin thls mission and purpose it has set out the followlng vislon for Lowe Memorial Church: OUR VISION Is to trust fjod, and do whal must be done In order to reach the whole communlty for Christ, by becoming.. a loving fellowship of Christ'5 people; worshipful and open. vibrant and relevant; expectant and helpful. A church for L711 the community 51Page an FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH a Congregatlon of The Presbyterlan Church In Ireland TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {conVd) Core Values We aim to achieve our Mission and Vision by the adoption of the following core values: OUR VALUES are: Christ centred Bible based Persistent in prayer Seeking God's will Sharing God's grace through faith Every member ministering through service Valuing everyone equally Its purpose and values are timeless whereas the vision set5 Out the key action areas for the next three years. Everything that it does needs to be assessed against these overall goals. It has adopted a number of key priorities and targets to enable the delivery of the mlssion and vision to be monitored. We also have a commitment to: work well together. Innovation. and be adaptable to change. ACTIVITIES AND OBJEcnvES The congregation meets for worship every Sunday and vlsltors are welcome to join. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is normally observed on three stated occasions during the year, together with a number of informal communion services. All those who have rnade a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are welcome to the Lord's Supper. The con8re8ation has a wide ran8e of organi5ations providins Spiritual, Social and Recreational activities for all ages within the congregation. Particular emphasis 15 given to Youth and Children's work with the church normally employing a Youth Associate, Childrens & Family Associate and a student intern to facilitate such work. The church has large BB, GB and Scout uniformed organisations and also provides more informal activities through its weekend youth activities. Details of the range of attivities that take place at the church are displayed on the church's web site lowe.church and in printed literature which is distributed to each house in the district {currently 4000 copies). 61Page Presbyter an FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Congregatlon of The Presbyterian Church In Ireland TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd) ACHIEVEMENTSAND PERFORMANCE Worshlp and prayer The congregatlon normally meets for worship each Sunday at Il".00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Except where children were involved in leading a service, the church streamed the morning service over the internet and members could log onto most Sunday evening services. During the week the church provides a wide range of small group ministries meeting a variety of needs. In particular, Contact Groups provides an opportunity for members to meet together for fellowship, to study the scriptures and for a time of prayer. Wth the easing of the pandemic many of the small groups resumed in person meetings while some continued to meet virtually using Zoom. Other group artivities have resumed meeting in person on the church premises. As well as our regular services durlng the year we acknowledged God's gift of new Ilfe at one baptlsm, gave thanks for faithful service and sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year. At 31 December 2023 there were 2361213 in 2022) communicant members and 282 families connected with the congre8ation. Although it is difficult to give accurate numbers, a significant extra number of people jolned our mornlng streamed serdlces. Attendance various Zoom meetings was also encouraging. Pastoral care The church places a high value on pastoral care for its members. Such care Is offered to all members of the congregation and to the local communlty if a person approaches the church for help. The church concentrates such provlsion in two areas; prayer minlstry and home vislts. The provision Is shared among the minister, a pastoral care associate, the elders and members of the congregation. As well as visits from the staff of the church, members of the congregation who are unable to attend church due to sickness or age are visited by other members of the congregation and by district elders. Recently bereaved members are invited to avail of the service provided by the "Bereavement Care Team" The church does not provide counselling seNices. If, durins a pastoral vislt, it 15 observed that coun5elllng might help, the pastoral vlsitor may encourage the recipient to seek help from an appropriate counsellor. Mlsslon and outreach The Session of the church actively encourages every member ministry. One strand of this outreach is facilitated by a link with the charity, Christians Against Poverty (CAP). The church is designated Belfast Finaghy CAP Debt Centre and provides support for those in need under four programmes: CAP Debt Counsellin& CAP Money (control of income and expenditure through budgeting and other financial techniques) and CAP Life Skills. The 71page an FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH Congregation of The Presbyterlan Church In Ireland TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {conVd) church also uses the Alpha outreach programmes to further its witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, The congregation supports the United Appeal for Mission1£15,888,. 2022 - £14,520) which is a central fund of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. This fund enables congregations to support the wider mission of the denomination and to do mission and outreach on a denominational basis beyond what the congregation could do on its own. The United Appeal Fund provides financial support for mission personnel at home and overseas, assists congregations with the deployment of locally based staff, enables church planting, provides grant support for the upkeep of church premises, assists with the running costs of Union Theological College, the Church's training college for ministry Students, and financially supports congregations in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care. Presbytery The congregation was represented at the regular meeting5 of Presbytery by our minister and one of the elders. This provides an important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church. General Assembly The Vacancy convenor and one of our elders attended the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland held in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in June. Minister During the vacancy, Presbytery requested Rev Dr Derek McKelvey to act as Vacanoi Convenor as we sought a new minister. Derek and his wife Helen endeared themselves to us as they supervised our church life and witness and guided Session in seeking a new minister. We thank them for all their hard work during this time. The congregation was delighted to call Rev Dr John Mccracken to become our minister. He took up office on 18 June 2023. It has been delightful to welcome his wife Justine and their three children to our fellowship. We wish them all God's richest blessing as John takes up his ministry among us. Property The Church Property Sub-committee regularly reviews the fabric of its suite of buildings and brings recommendations to the Church Committee for work required to the premises. The church undertake5 preventative maintenance and repairs any damaged property or equipment on a timely basis. Opportunlty was taken during the vacancy to refurbish the church manse. Al the necessary work was completed by the end of June 2023. During the I Page Presbyter an FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH a Congregatlon of The Pre$b￿rian Church In Ireland TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (conyd) year the church expended £3,512 on other repairs. The Committee has set a depreciation policy for its soft furnishings and fittings {usually 5 years) which enables it to renew such fittings when appropriate. Volunteers The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who give freely of their time by serving on committees and helping with organisations and other church activities. A recent count indicted that over 70 members were involved in leadership of youth activities. PUBLIC BENEFIT sfATEMENT The Presbyterian Church in Ireland meets the public benefit requirement by providing benefit to its members and the general public by making known the Christian Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through the advancement of religion. The direct benefits which flow from the purposes of the Church include the gaining of an understanding in Christian beliefs as set out in the Bible and in the Church's subordinate standards (the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Shorter and Larger Catechisms) leading to spiritual and moral development and opportunities for response to Bible teaching. In turn, this framework leads to practical expressions of Christian beliefs and stsndards in the local communtty such as through the care of those in need (including the sick, disabled and bereaved). Generally, the above benefits are delivered locally by congregations and their members, or are facilitated through presbyteries or are organised and delivered centrally. Local delivery is facilitated by central resources in almost all cases. Public access 15 made known through the use of noticeboards, printed material, press advertisement, websites. and social media or in other ways. The benefits are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the services and informal and ad-hoc feedback from members, their families, and members of the public. The purpose does not lead to harm. The only private benefit flowing from our purpose is related to Ministers, Missionaries, Deaconesses, Irish Mission workers and Lay Agents who receive benefits a5 a result of their holding office or employment. However, this is incidental and necessary in order to further our charitable purpose. There are no other private benefits. The beneficiaries of this purpose are members, their families, other individuals that the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is in direct and indirect contact with, the community in which pastoral services are provided and other communities throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and worldwide which benefit from our engagement with and support for both Christian and other secular organisations, charities and individual members of the public. 91Page FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH a Congregation of The Presbyterlan Church In Ireland TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {conVd) The Kirk Session has had regard to the Charity Commissions public benefit requirement statutory guidance. FINANCIAL REVIEW The congregation's main source of income is members, contributions through the Weekly Freewill Offering. There were 207 contributors during the year (214 in 20221 donatin8 to the work of the congregation as set out below. 2023 217,774 55,224 116,825 30,477 420,300 2022 225,372 57,162 123,563 30,571 436,668 Member donations to the church Gift aid thereon Member donatlons to other charitable work (mostly overseas) Other income Total Income Less endlture on church work Donatlons to other charitable work Imostl Total expendlture 317,265 113,781 431,046 308,835 124,569 433,404 overseas} RESPONSIBILITIES IN RESPECT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the flnancial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accountin8 Practice. The Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the congregations and the financial activltles for that year. In preparing the financial statements the Trustees are required to: select 5ultable accountlng Policies and then apply them consistently make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent prepare the financial statement5 on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Funds will continue in operation. The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the funds transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the congregation and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Statement of Recommended Practice "Accounting and Reporting by Charities11 January 2015)" They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the congregation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. IOIPage an FINAGHY LOWE MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH a Congregation of The Presbyterlan Church In Ireland TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {conVd) GOING CONCERN The activities of the congregation are dependent on ongoing contributions from its members. Approximately 62% of Freewill Offering giving by members is donated by bank standing order. Given the stability of this income source, the Trustees are of the opinion that, including reserves, the congregation has sufficient resources at the date of approval of these financial statements to meet commitments which will arise in the year from the date of signing this report and, subject to the continuing support from members, to fund on an ongoing basis the congregation's current activities and other financial commitments. RESERVES POLICY The Trustees have considered the level of unrestricted reserves that it is approprlate to hold taking account of current and ongoing commitments. It is the polioi of the Trustees to hold at least 3 month's normal expenditure. At the year end unrestricted reserves were £140,399 and more than sufficient to meet this policy. The Trustees wish to continue to hold thls level of unrestricted reserves through careful management of expenditure over the succeeding years. RISK REVIEW A review of major risks has been undertaken by the Trustees and systems and procedures implemented to manage identified risks. The principal risks are in relation to the likelihood of reputational damage and financial risk5 associated with the expectation of ongoing financial support from members. These risks are mitigated by the Trustees, and the Congregational Committee, regularly monitoring the various activities of the con8regation at stated meetings and by encouraging members in their regular giving. Approved by the Kirk Sesslon at a meeting on 20 February 2024 and signed on its behalf by Rev Dr J Mccracken Minister 20 February 2024 J White Hon Treasurer 20 February 2024 IIIPage