an FIRST BALLYMENA CONGREGATION OFTHE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT The Trustees presont thptr Annitral Report and Fin3n¢ial Statements for the yoar ènded 31 December 2023 including a Balance Sheet as at that date. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS First Ballymena Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Church Office, Mp.p.tinghniJ£p l Hnp. Ballymena, Co. Antrim BT43 7BT Registered Charity in Northern Ireland INIC1053441 CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trusiees WIIV 5eJved during the year or who were iTUStees at the date of thls report were.. Rev Emerson McDowell Ilnstalled as minister on 21st April 20231 Rev Norman Cameron (vacancy Convenor until 201h April 20231 Rev Matthew Boyd Mr Hugh J3mÈ5 Cameron Mr James Donaghey Mr NorTnan Graham Mr Stephen Lamont Mrs Kay Lorimer MrAlan Montgomery Mr john McQuitty Mfs Diafte Russell Mr Rodney Wright Mr Rodney Bryans Mr Harry Clarke Mr Maurice Crabbe Mr Denni5 Hanna Mr Randal Hayes Mr Stewart Heaney Mr Tom Heanev Mr Robert Johnstone Mr Geoffrey Lamont Mcs Catherine Maybin Mr Ivan McNeill Mr Lyle McQuitty Mr Colin Russell Mr Roland Woods Mrjames Wylie PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS Minister Convenor Vacan¢y Minister Associate Minister Clerk of Session Treasurer Secretary Rev Emerson McDowell Ilnstalled as minister on 21st April 20231 Rev Norman Cameron Ifinished term as vacancy convenor on 20th April 20231 Rev Matthew Boyd Mr Tom Heaney Mrs JacquÉe Gilmore Mfs Huth tJib50n Presbyter an FIRST BALLYMENA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT Icont'd) INDEPENDENT EXAMINER John Finnegan Potter Finnegan Limited Unit 25 The Courtyard Business Park 190 Galgorm Road Ballymena 8T42 IHL BANKER5 Ulster Bank Limited 44 Welltngtor* Street, Ballymena iIT43 GAD First Trust Bank 78 Wellington Street 8allymena 8T43 GAF Natior)widt Buildirig Sociery 70 Wellington Street, 8311ymena BT43 6AF Cambrid8e & Countie$ 8ank. Chamwood Court, 5B Newwalk. Leicester, LEI 6TE Santander Customer Service Centre Bootle. Merseyside, L30 4GB United Trust Bank Limited l Ropemaker Street London EC2Y 9AW SOLICITORS Samvèl Cumming and Son 39 Lineiihall 5treeL Ballymena BT43 5AJ an FIRST BALLYMENA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBITERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {cont'dl STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT TheKirk Session The Charity Trustees of the congregation are the member5 of its Kirk Session. Under the congregation's Eoverning document, The Code, the book of the constitution arid government of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. the Kirk Session seeks to watch over and promote the spiritual interests of the congregation and of persons not connected with any congregation who are within its bounds. It ensures pastoral care is in place in the congreg3tTron and seeks to further the contribution of the Church to Christian witness and service in the local commLtnity. The Kirk Session ha5 delegated to its Congregational Commtrttee the temporal affairs of the congregation. incltjding administering all funds and Property belonging to the congregation. Members of the Kirk Session are ex-officio members of the iongregational Committee. The Kirk Session consists of two ordained ministers and the ruling elders of the congregation. All members are pntitlp.rl trb fbrnp059. speak. and èxèrci£È equal votes at meetirkgs, excgpt that the Moderator. the minister in active duty in the congregation, has no deliberative but only a casting vote. Stated meetings of the Kiik session are held sever31 times a year. To be chosen for the office of the eldership in the cor)gregation a person must be a voting member and a regular attendant at its ordinances. The selection of those r>roposed to be called to the office can be either by th congregation or by the Kirk Session. Members are elected if they obtain 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 sijperintends generally the spiritual and temporal affairs of the congregations assigned to it by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Irèland. First Ballymgna Prp£hytprian f.hiJreh has been assigned to the Ballymena Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of t he Pre=byter¥ consists mainly of the active mtnisters of £on8re8ation5 a55isned to it by the General Assemblyi min5ter5 who have retired from active duty and an elder appointed by the Kirk Session of each congregation. The GenerolAssembfy The Gener31 Asspmhly 14 thp %iJprpmp roiirt of the Church. roprosentinB in onÈ body thÈ whole Church and actinB as its supreme legislative. administration and judicial authority, in dealing with all matters brotJEht before it. The General Assembly is normally constituted during the first week in June for wol sliip aiid io cviiduil iLs buslTIE55. Tlie membership of the General Assembly consists mainly of the aclive minister of each congregation, retired ministers and 3 representative elder appointed by the Kirk SÈ55ion of each congregation. DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE The charitable purpose of tlie Luii¥re¥dlir)11 15 ilie ddv4JriiEwnent of religion. First Ballymena Is a congregatlon 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 mission to our world. The congreEation's mission purpose is to have a passion for Jesus Christ and a compassion for people. We aim. by the grace of God. to help people of all ages become disciples of Jesus Christ. an FIRST 8ALLYMENA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT Iconvd) The congregation aims to live out its Mission and Vision by being- A Family of God's people who care for each other and enable each other to grow as disciples of Jesus at whatever sta8e of life they are. Invitational- inviting people to follow Jesus Lliewi 5ervE Him His church and HIS world. Restorational acknowledgkng that in our church family and our wider community there are broken, hurting people, and broken. fractured relationships that can be restored and healed through JesL¢S Christ. and bv: Serving- acknowledging that as followers of Jesus we are to serve each other 3nd to serve our world. Telling the good news of Jesus to all whom we meet. AcfiviTIES AND OBJECTIVES Tl)e Lufi¥i¥¥i*Lruii wneet5 for worshlp every Sunday and visitors are welcome to join. Those who are contined to their home or to a hospital bed and those on holiday can join the morning service via the First B3llymen3 YouTube webcast. DVDS of the services are distributed to those who have no or Ibfflited access to the internet. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is observed on several occasions during the year and all those who have been baptised and who have made a profession of faiih in the Lord Jesus Christ are admitted to the Lord's Supper. The congregation holds regular 8ible Study meetings and has a wide range of organisations including= Flrst Klds and oTher children's programmes Presbyterian Women Sports club5 - Bowling Luncheon and Coffee clubs Youth and YoungAdult Programmes ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE On 21st April 2023. Rev Emerson McDowell was installed as Minister of First Ballymena Presbyterian Church. There was a large congregation made up of members of Bèllylinney Presbyterian Church. family and friends of the McDowell family and members of First Ballymena Congregation. Following the Servi￿ of installation, during which Rev Alistair Bates (Moderator of Presbyteryl, Rev Joseph Andrews Iclerk of Presbyteryl. Rev Norman Cameron, Rev Jeffrey Blue. Rev Richafd Morrison, and Rev Dairen Mccorriston took part. there were several speeches and presentations to the McDowell famlly and Rev Norman arKI Mrs Cameron. This was followeil by supper served by the ladies of First 63llymena Church. Rev Emer50n McDowell led morning worship for the first time as minister of First Ballymena on Sunday 23rd April 2023. Eleven new members took thetr tirst communion in 2023 over forty individuols attended an Alpha Course. All borrowings Irom the Building Project have now been completely repaid. We give thanks to God for the blessing of this early repayment with a total giving in excess of £1.9 million pounds. an FIRST BALLYMENA CONGREGATION OF THE PREs8￿ERlAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {conVd) Worshlp ondpr¢wyer The con8reEation normally meets for worship each Sunday at 11.00am with an evening service being held on the second and fourth Sunday of each month at 6.30pm. All Sunday Se￿iCe5 are streamed online with the morning service receivinE betweÈn 250-SOO views each week. Online stre3ming of services has proved inval*J3ble. enJbling the church to remain in contact with the housebound. those on holiday and those who have to work and are unable to atteiid iii peisUYI. During the week, discipleship groups provide an opportunity for members to meet for fellowship, to study the scriptures and for a time of prayei. As well as our regular services during the year we acknowledge God's gift of new life in the Sacrament of baptism. During 2023, 4 families brought their children for bapiFsm. We conducted I marriage service and gave thanks for the live5 of the 23 members of our congregaiion who have passed away during the year, seeking to comfort their grieving families. On 31st December 2023 there were 299 communitant members ar)d 306 families connected with the congregation. The average weekly attendance in person is 245 at morning worship with 60 attending in the evening- Family Pfoyer Time It is encouraging to see the commitment of members of the congregation who have been committed to 24-hour prayer on 8 Thursday once each month. Many of the members of this 8roup meet for prayer also in the church buildin8 on the Wednesday tmmediately prior to the 24-hour prayer day. A number of children are also involved in Wednesday prayer time, using creative crafts to communicate their prayefs. Pr3yef topics come from the Without Walls organisation and other5 from the Ministry team which are specifically focused on the church family and the local community. Pastonilcare Members of the congregation who 3re unable to attend church due to sickness, age or personal crisis are vi51ted on a regular basis by the ministry team. Pastoral Care Co-ordinator. elders or by one of the congregation's pastoral visitors. Pastoral care is also exercised in our discipleship communsties as people share and pray together. The Sunday morning service is also webcast and many who are confined to their homes join us through this facility. We d15u pJuvid¥ lidTIIPeVS. LlvLliiri¥. ¢lWiLI furiiiluie ILIF 5VITle Iii uur LLTrWl¥lg¥dEiLTrii wliv fiiid li LliifiLuIL Lu Iiidke ¥1id5 meet. Grants from the Presbyterian Children's Society and from the Guys School Trust are applied for on behalf of paients in our congregation who are strtJgEling financially. Mrs. Diane Russell is the Pastoral Care Co-ordinator. Outreoch At local level, the congregation run5 a programme entitled First Grace which provides a clothing bank for people in need. First Grace has supported more than SO families ¢n our commun¢ty and surrounding area in 2023. First Grace Ministry works on a referral basis. Sinte the onset of the cost-of-livin8 crisis. increasing referrals have been made by Social Setvices, Sure Start. Simon Community and Inter Ethnic fofum. First Grace greatly appreciates the support of the local food stores. which donate food which would otherwise go to waste. allowing it to be distributed amongst the community in need. Helplng Honds Httmper Ministry As a congregation we are passionate about meeting both the practical and spiritual needs of those both within our chuf£h family and those living in our local community. One of the ways we seek to do this is through our Helping Hands hamper ministry. We have è monthly food collection. Thanks to the generosity of those who have donated, we have been able to provide over 250 food hampers to families during 2023. an FIRST BALLYMENA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'dl Mi55ion The congregation supports the United Appeal for Mission which is a central lund of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. This enables congregations to support the wider mission ol the denomination and to do mission and outreach on a denomiriational basÉs 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. providès grant suppnrt fnr thp iipkppp of church premises. 3SSlSts with the running costs of Union Theological College Ithe Church's training college for ministry students). and financi311y supports congregations in the areas of worship, discipleship. global mission. outreach, leadership and pastoral care. The congregation also contiibutes to the denominattofb's Other special appeals. The congregation takes an interest in a wide range of Christian Missions arld organisations. They are prayed for. and financial support is given. In 2023 we supported the following.. Silk Road Ministries, Chiesa Battista (Florence), Majed and Anna finawi (Polandl, Saph3ra Ilndial, The Salvation Army, Belfast City Mission, Dublin Christian Mission. Glencairn City Mission, Jubilee Farm, Sarah Pederson, Care foi Cambodia. First Grace MinistrtÈs, Abel fikazi IHunEaryl. fiixnliJ¢A Imperitiira IAEape Italy). Coaching for Christ and Elisha Gufwan INigerial. We also provided funding to 5UPPOrt the creation of wells to provide dean water for villages in Ekwendeni. Through a charity appeal the congregation donates to some local charities. During 2023 we supported The Presbyterian Orphan Children's Society. Children's H05pice Northern Ireland. Ridin8 for Disabled Associalion and The Samaritans BalSymena Branch. Presbytery The congregation was repfesented at the ￿gUlar meetings of Presbytery by our two ministers and their representative elders. I his provides an Important link between the congregations and the wider structures of the church. GenemlA55embly The General Assembly took place in June 2023. as outlined earlier. The Rt. Rev. Dr. 5am Mawhinr)ey was installed as moderator on 21st June 2023. Sam Mawhinney is the minister of Adelaide Road Presbyterian Church in Dublin. ORGANISATIONS.. First Kids On a Sunday morning, our children of pre-school and primary school age go out half-way through our church service to be given age-appropriate bible te3chin& The programme each Sunday mornin& includes worship, prayer. craft work. interactivp. talks and disr￿££4an ha%pA rbn thp k&ytpArhin8point5 The aim of First Kids is to help our children to understand the big story of the Bible $0 that they might have a real and growing relationship with jesus Christ. Girls Brigade Gir15' Brigade Northern Ireland is recognised as a dynamic. relevant, Christ-centfed organisation effectively reaching out to all girls to value, nurture and equip them for life. The Bim of the Gir15' Brigade, being a Chrtstian organtsation. international and interdenominational. shall be.. To help girls to become followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. and through self-control. reverence, and a sense of responsibility. to tind true enrichment ol lite. As a group we meet weekly on Tuesday evenings between the months of September ihrough to the end of March. All our leaders and girls have really enjoyed our weeklv gatherings and full programme of activities. which has included favovrite activities such ès the kitthen for baking and the sports hall for physical activity. We continue to be thankful for the opportunities we have to work with our girls at First Ballymena GB. and pray th3t our woik will help them to"Seek. Serve and Follow Christ". Boys'Brigade The Boys, Brigade organisation was formed in 1883 and is a Christian Based organisation for boy5 aged from 4 to 18 years. The First Ballymena Company was formed in 1932 and is now in it5 91stye3r. The B8 meets each Friday night from the start of September through to the end of March. The company is split into 3 sections.. Anchor Boys IPI to P4 age group- meetin8 from 7pm to 8pm). Junior Section IPS to P7 age group- meetin8from 7pm to 8pm) and Company Section ISecond3ry school age group meeting from 7.30pm to 9.30pml. First Ballymena Boys Brigade has a variety of opportunities which ir)cludes games. crafts. and Bible teaching- thbs beingthe most important part of our organisation's an FIRST BALLYMENA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {cont'd) First Coffee We meet weekly for tea. coffee, scones. biscuits. and the occasional cake for special celebrattons. This provides the opportunity to socialise in a friendly. relhxed environment and to get to know our church family members and others who join us regularly. We hold an annual Macmillan Coffee Morning and donated £850 in 2023. On the Move aub This club is a ladies, walking group (aged 18 plusl. It meets on 3 Monday evening at 7.00pm. Septemberto May, weather permitting. The club walks approximately 3 miles within the town boundary which usually take51 hour. As well as exercise it is a good way to make friends. Tots First Meets each Tuesday from I0.￿- 11.30am during term time in the minor hall. It caters for Pfe-school children and their parents or carer5, and a healthy snack is provided each week. Members engage in play activities, artwork, singing and rhyme5 and have visits from Sure Stsrt twi￿ a year. This provides a safe environment for children and carers to relax and develop friendships. The Luncheon Club This club meet5 on the third Thursday of each month. October to March, providing a three-course meal at a very modest price to the Senior Cttizens of the congregation and their friends. This enables the Senior Citizens in our community to meet Én a safe comfortable environment and share fellowship together. First Touch FootbL711 Meets every Monday night from 6.15-7.15 pm. WÈ currerrtly have 23 child￿n attending Igirls and boys) made up from P5-P7 children. At First Touch we want to coach the kids, football through drills and playing lots of matches and have fun along the way. We also have the privilege of sharing the gospel through different talk 714 Club The 714 Club is open during term time for an hour and a half on Saturday nights for youth aged 7 - 14 years. It aims to provide activities that promote confidence. self-e5teern and to inspire a love for Christ. The normal format for each night includes football, dodgeball. basketball & netball in sports hall. Table tennis. pool, board game5. games consoles & tuck %hr)p xrp in x &tnAllpr hall, alon8 Wlth 3 chill out area for SC￿l31t&1ne_ A short opiloEuÈ is delivered at the ènd of the ni8ht. with up to 50 young people attending. The Cotering Group This group organises general catering for anyfunctions within the Church. We are blessed with a dedicated team of ladies who volunteer on a regular basis and on occa5ion5 at short notsce. Presbyterian Women IPW) Ftrst Ballymena PW meets on the second Tuesday of each month in the Minor Hall from September to March. We have speakers who come and share their experiences of life lived through their Christian faith. The PW continues to support boih prayerfully antt flnanclally the mission work of our church. The age group is beTween 40 and 70+ and an average of 35 members attending each night. an FIRST BALLYMENA CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND TRUSTEESANNUAL REPORT Iconvd) Music Ministry As a congregation we are blessed to have several musicians and singers who help to lead us in praise during our Sunday services. Some Sundays are choir led while others are led by members of our praise bands. Thanks to the dedication and creativity of our music ministry team, we have continued to find ways to engage our church family in the worship and prAi