Presbyter an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND Trustees Annual Report and Flnancial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 Registered Charlty In Northern Ireland (NIC1048511
Presbyter an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT The Trustee5 present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS First Donegore congregation of the Presbyterian Church In Ireland 30 Maln Street Parkgate Ballyclare Registered Charity In Northern Ireland (NIC104851) CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who served durlng the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were Mrs Susan Fletcher Mr Ivor Fletcher Mrs Marianne Howle Mrs Carolyn Mairs Mr John Mulholland Mr Chrls Mcclenaghan Mrs Grace McCulla8h Mr John Mccullagh Mr Mlchael McKinstry Mr Alan Mcwhirter Mrs Edith Nesbitt Mr Sam Pollock Rev Stephen Simpson PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Clerk of Session Treasurer Rev Stephen Simpson Mr John Mccullagh Mr Michael McKlnstry INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Simon Hopper FCA Hopper & Co 6 Doagh Road Ballyclare BT39 9BG
an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) BANKERS Danske Bank Limited 18 The Square Ballyclare BT39 98B SOLICITORS Boal Anderson 56 High Street Ballymena BT43 6UH STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT The Kirk Session The charlty trustee5 of the congregation are the members of Its Klrk session. Under the congregatlon's governing document, The Code, the book of the constitution and government of the Presbyterlan Church in Ireland, the Kirk Session seeks to watch over and promote the spSrltual Interest of the con8re8ation and of persons not connected with any congregatlon who are within its bounds. It ensures pastoral care is in place in the congregatlon and seek5 to further the contribution of the Church to Christian witne55 and service in the local community. The Kirk Sessions ha5 delegated to its Congregational Committee the temporal affairs of the congregation including administering all fund5 and property belonging to the congre8ation. Members of the Kirk Sesslon are ex-officio members of the Congregational Committee. The Kirk Session consi5t5 of the ordained minister and the rulin8 elders of the congregations. All members are entitled to propose, speak and exercise equal votes at meetings, except that the Moderator, the minister5 in active duty in the congregation, has no dellberative but only a casting vote. Stated meetings of the Kirk session are held bi-monthly and are normally held In-person, To be chosen for the office of the elder5hip in the congregation a person must be a voting member and a regular attendant on its ordinances. The selection of those proposed to be called to the office can be either by the congregatlon or by the Kirk Session. Members are elected if they obtaln two-thirds of those who vote.
an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {cont'dl Presbytery Under the Presbyterlan Church in Ireland form of governance the corporate oversight of a congregatlon 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. The First Donegore congregatlon of the Presbyterian Church has been assigned to the Templepatrick Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membershlp 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 the con8re8atlon, The General Assembly The General Assembly is the supreme court of the Church, representin8 in one body the whole Church and acting as its supreme legislative, admlnistration and judicial authorlty, in dealing with all matters brought before it. The General Assembly Is normally constituted during the first week in June for worship and to conduct its business. At the end of business it is dissolved. The membershlp of the General Assembly conslsts mainly of the active mlnisters of each congregation, retired minsters and a representative elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation. DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE The charitable purpose of the congregation is the advancement of rellgion. First Donegore is a congregatlon of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, as a Reformed Church within the wider body of Chrlst Is grounded in the Scriptures and exists to love and honor God through falth in His Son and by the power of His Spirit, and to enable her members to playtheir part in fulfillin8 God's mission to our world. First Donegore exist5 to replicate the Scripture model of Church to be a people and place that shares Jesus Christ and shows grace.
an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) Thls alm, fuels 7 priority areas of Church life, work and witness l. The Worshlp of Flrst Donegore exists to enable people to glorify God by meeting Him a5 Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Worship Services of differing type and content bring people of all ages to meet the Living God. 2. The Prayer Ilfe of First Donegore exists to create a variety of opportunlties for the members of our church family to engage wlth God for our world, our district and our church. 3. The Pastoral Care of Flrst Donegore exlsts to provide pastoral care for the whole person {spiritual, physical, mental and emotlonall. We wish to see this delivered through the work of The Minister, Assistant Minister, Elders, Pastoral Care Group and its members. 4. The Minlstry of Flrst Donegore exists to extend the Kingdom of God by making Christ known, and by equlpplng, enabllng and encouraging members to Ilve out the values of God's Kingdom where they Ilve, work, volunteer and worshlp 5. The Dlsclpleshlp of Flrst Donegore exists to make disclples of Jesus Chrlst, who make discSple5 of Jesus Christ. 6. The Evangellsm of Flrst Donegore exists to share the Gospel of Je5U5 and show His love wlth the prayer that people will come to and grow In a personal relationship with Him. 7. The 5ervlce of Flrst Donegore to the district beyond our gate5 is expressed through pastoral care; prayer for district, businesses, schools and rural community; friendship - seasonal gifts from church. deliverlng Communlty events. and meetin8 social needs of all ages ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES The congregation meets for worship every Sunday and visltor5 are welcome to join. The sacrament of the Lords Supper is observed on several occasions durlng the year and all those who have been baptised and who have made a profession of faith In the Lord Jesus Christ are admitted to the Lord's Supper. The congregation holds regular blble study meetin85 as well as providin8 re8ular opportunities to meet for prayer. With regard to worship services each Sunday, having established the technology during the pandemic to facilitate sharing services both live stream and on demand via the congregatlon's YouTube channel, First Donegore intend to continue to make use of such on-line facllStles in order to support those unable to attend in person.
an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) The congregatlon has a range of organlsatlons whlch minister to all ages including; Donegore Klds {Sunday School); Donegore Youth {Bible Class)," Donegore Tots (Crèchel. Parents and Toddlers,. Bowling & Badminton Clubs," Community Friendship Club; Community Drop-ln, Presbyterian Women; Boys Brigade and Girls Brigade. Many of the actlvitles of the congregation and Its organlsations which had to be curtailed during COVID have returned to normal durlng 2022 with the remalnder expected to do so during 2023. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Worshlp and prayer The congregation meets for worship every Sunday at 11am. As part of the weekly schedule of services organlsed across the year, the congregation dedlcates specific services to highlight its support for mission, both home and overseas, and to the highlight the work of mission partners such as Christian Ald, Kids4school and the JAM Store. In addition, First Donegore seeks to brlng comfort to famllies who have been bereaved by holdlng speclal services of thanksgiving for loved ones. A bi-monthly Divine Healing Service, normally organised by the Congregation for the dlstrlct and wider Templepatrlck Presbytery, were 5U5pended durin8 COVID and have yet to restart. A Mens and Ladies Bible Study forms an Integral part of a weekly programme of activities wlthln the Church Bulldlngs together wlth Prayer tlme on a Tuesday evening and Sunday morning at 10,30am. The Sunday morning prayer time has yet to restart slnce the pandemic but 15 expected to do sa in the comlng year. These prayer tlmes provlde opportunities for members to meet to pray for the world, district, church and for individuals as requested.
an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) At 31 December 2022 there were 106 communicant members and 180 families connected with the congregations. The average weekly attendance at mornlng worship either in-person or viewing on-llne is e5tlmated to be around 150. Pastoral care The congregation through the mlnlster, elders and pastoral care team provide support to members and other5 through personal visltation and prayer. Many church members also provlde Snvaluable Informal care and support. When members face particularly testing times, the level of pastoral care is increased further through hospltal, nursing home or home visitation. Durlng recent years, in light of COVID restrictions, greater use of text, telephone and email communlcation was deployed In order to stay in touch wlth the congregation together wlth re8ular postal deliveries of pastoral and devotlonal resources. In addltlon, First Donegore made use of Its internet slte, facebook and YouTube channels to support its on-line capability and try to keep connected wlth its members as well as the wider community. Mission and outreach The con8reBation supports the United Appeal for Mission whlch is a central fund of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. This fund enables congregations to SUPPOrt the wider mi55ion of the denomination and to do mi55ion and outreach on a denominational basis beyond what the congregation could do on Its own, The United Appeal Fund provides financial support for mi55ion personnel at home and overseas, a55i5ts congregations with the deployment of locally based staff, enables church planting, provides grant support for the upkeep of church premises, assist with the runnlng costs of Union Theologlcal College, the Church's tralnlng college for ministry students, and financially supports congregation in the areas of worship, discipleship, global mission, outreach, leadership and pastoral care. The congregation decided to nominate collections taken at Harvest once again thls year to sUPPOrt of the work of some of its main missional partners, the Presbyterian Children's Society, Kids4School, Christian Aid, Blythswood Care and JAM Randalstown together with United Appeal, this being in addition to any specific collections made by the congregation to such causes and to the general volunteering work undertaken by its members to these and other charitable vehicles.
an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) The congregation facilitates the hosting of events by Cleopas, a local par-church Christian ministry which provldes spiritual support to churches and Christian leaders. Prior to COVID, the congregation would have organized various missional events such as Alpha both wlthln church bullding5 and in locations within the local community, in order to seek to outreach to wlder community. In addition the church has used its facilities to organise various community events both Independently and In partnership with the local communlty assoclation to celebrate certain events including in 2022 an event to celebrate the late Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee and the Chrlstmas Tree Switch on In December. The congregatlon also serves the local district through the work of its organisations, many of those attending belng drawn from beyond the congregation itself. In addition the church glfts the use of its ha115 to organisations such as the Jon-jo 8right Foundation to support rehabllitation of people injured through serious accldent; to local families to SUPPOrt birthday and other celebrations and also to the local communlty association and the local indoor bowllng league to facilitate regular meetings. Presbytery The congregatlon was represented at the regular meetings (both face to face and virtuall of Presbytery through its mlnister and one of the elders. Thls provides an important link between the congregatlon5 and the wider structures of the church. General Assembly The minister and one of its elders are nominated to attend the meetlng of the General Assembly of the Presbyterlan Church in Ireland held in Assembly Building5, Belfast. Property Alongside the normal routine annual inspections of fire extinguishers, electrical and mechanlcal equlpment during the year the congregation undertook some more sl8nificant malntenance projects to repair and enhance church buildlngs, its halls and to maintain its grounds. The congregational committee, appointed to organize such works, expect to progress a slightly more extenslve programme in the coming year, havln8 had to delay some projects duringthe pandemic. Organlsatlons Church Property is used actively throughout the week by its organisations, with the majority of those attendin8 drawn from the local community and not dlrectly from withln the congregation itself.
an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) Around 70 children attend Boys Brigade & Girls Brigade on a regular basis and enjoy a full programme of events. Both these organisations have re-comrnenced meetlng in-person in 2022, returnin8 as far as P055ible to a full programme of badgework and other activities. The congregatSon also seeks to engage wlth Its young people in support the growth in their f3ith in Jesus Christ through Donegore Kids, Donegore Youth and Donegore Tots, which run alongside the church service each week. Flrst Donegore established a new Youth Leaders Forum during 2022 wlth the aim of coordlnating and developing activities across all its Youth organisations. Thls Forum was responsible for introduclng a new quarterly Youth Alive event during the year aimed at young people in year 8 to 14 both from within existing organlsations and beyond. Presbyterian Women {'PW') returned during the latter part of 2022 to meet monthly, thereby providin8 forum for the women in the congregation to meet for fellowshlp and to support of the wider missional aspects of our Church. The PW were able to organise Its annual church service once again prior to the end of 2022, thereby enabling it to donate £500 to missional work. The Community Friendship Club creates an envlronment for the 51i8htly older members of the church and local community to come together in a relaxed social environment on a monthly basis whi15t the Parent5 & Toddlers group provlde a support network for the very youn8 and their careers to meet weekly during term-tlme. Neither organization re-started during 2022 however it is hoped as activities return to normallty in the coming year that both return to provlde their normal programme of activitles. The Bowling Club provides a social environment for those wlth specific sporting intere5t5 in the local communlty. The Bowllng club competes regularly in a local league as well cup competitions with these actlvities re-commencing towards the end of 2022. The Bowling Club have a150 been the organising force behind an annual charltable bowlin8 tournament with fund5 being used to support a local nominated charity however In light of covid restrictions in recent years, this actlvity has ceased. Volunteer5 The Trustees wish to acknowledge their deep appreciatlon of those who glve freely of thelr time by serving on commlttees and helpSng wlth organisations and other church activitie5.
an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {cont'd) PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT The Presbyterian Church in Ireland meets the publlc beneflt 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 understandlng In Christian bellefs as set out in the Bible and in the Church's subordinate standards (the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Shorter and Larger Catechlsms) leadln8 to spiritual and moral development and opportunities for response to Bible teaching. In turn, this framework leads to practical expressions of Christian beliefs and standards in the local community such as through the care of those in need (including the sick, persons with disabilities and bereaved). Generallyi the above benefit5 are delivered locally by congregations and their members or are facilitated through presbyteries or or8anised and delivered centrally. Local dellvery Is facllitated by use of central resources in almost all cases. Public access Is made known through the use of noticeboards, prlnted materiali press advertisement, websites, and social media or in other ways. The benefits are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the servlces and Informal and ad-hoc feedback from members, their familles, and members of the public. The purpose does not lead to harm. The only private benefit flowing from our purpose is related to Ministers, mis5ionarie5, Deaconesses, Irish Mission workers and Lay Agents who receive benefits as a result of their holding office or employment, However, thls is incidental and necessary in order to further our charitable purpose. There are no other private benefits. The beneficlarles of this purpose are members, their families, other individuals that the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is in direct and indlrect contact with, the communlty In which pastoral services are provlded and other communities throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and worldwlde whlch benefit from our engagement with and 5UPPOrt for both Christian and other secular organisation5, charities and individual members of the public. The Klrk Session has had regard to the Charlty Commlsslons Publlc beneflt requirement statutory guidance. 10
an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) FINANCIAL REVIEW The congregation's main source of income is members, contrlbutions through the Weekly Offerin8. There were 128 families recorded as contributing durlng the year (115 in previous year, 2022) donating a total of £78,5801£70,274 in previou5 year. 2022). Total Income of the congregation durlng the year was £138,463 compared to £123,628 in the previous year, with donations benefitting from return to in-person activities. Total expenditure increased to £155,329 In 2022 compared to £127,094 in 2022, predorninantly as result of a return to normal levels of church activity post the pandemlc, inflationary pressures on costs particularly energy costs and greater levels of development and maintenance work Incurred on church property. RESERVES POLICY The policy of the trustees is not to accumulate reserves but to use reserves in the promotion of the Charity's objects, and maintain a balance on unrestricted funds that equates to at least six months, unrestricted payment5 £51,002 to cover unforeseen situatlons that may arise from time to time. In light of the main risks facing the Charlty the trustees consider the current level of reserves £472,028 and their use las requlred) Is above thls target. The trustees continue to monitor their reserves levels on periodlc basis. FUTURE PLANS With COVID restrlction5 easing during 2022, the church has sought accordingly to return as far as possible to normal in the year. This has enabled the church committee to progress some of the maintenance and enhancement project5 on church property which had to be deferred during the height of the pandemic. A wider review of church resources is expetted to be undertaken in the year ahead for conslderation by the congregation. STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial staternent5 of the congregation In accordance with applicable law and generally accepted accountlng practlce. 11
an FIRST DONEGORE CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd) As a consequence of the income of the congregation exceeding £250,000 during the prior year thereby requlring the 2018 accounts to be prepared on an accruals ba5iS, the trustees have decided to contlnue to prepare accounts on this basis subsequently, The Trustee5 are responsible for keepln8 adequate accountlng records that are sufficient to show and explain the congregation's transactlons and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any tlme its financial position. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the congregation and hence for taking reasonable 5tep5 for the preventlon and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Approved by the Kirk Session at a meeting on 15th May 2023 and signed on its behalf by: Nam John Mccullagh Name: Mlchael McKin Date." 15th May 2023 Date.. 15th May 2023 12