2023-09-30-annual-report

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Charity Registration Number: NIC 108336

The Church of God at Ballymoney

Trustee’s Report

October 2022 to September 2023

Trustee’s Report

Administrative Details	Page 3
Structure and Governance	Page 4
Purposes	Page 4
Activities and Public Benefit	Page 4-5
Achievements and Performance	Page 5-7
Financial Review	Page 7-8
Future Plans	Page 8
Trustee Responsibilities Statement	Page 9

The Trustees present their report and the financial statements for the period October 2022 to September 2023.

Administrative details

Charity Name:	The Church of God at Ballymoney
Charity Registration Number:	NI108336
Charity address:	14 Garryduff Road
	Ballymoney
	BT53 7AF
Trustees:	Pastor Jonathan Payne – Senior Minister
	Pastor Yvonne Payne – Senior Minister
	Pastor Jon Ogle – Minister (resigned August 2023)
	Pastor Ken McAlees
	Ivor Patterson
	John McCrellis
	Tom McKeown
	Hilary Kyle
Bank:	Danske Bank
	520 Upper Newtownards Road
	Belfast
	BT4 3HD
Auditor:	FEB Chartered Accountants
	Linenhall Exchange
	26 Linenhall Street
	Belfast
	BT2 4BG

Structure and Governance

The Church of God at Ballymoney was first established in 1946 and is now governed by a new Constitution adopted on 26[th] July 2021.

The Church was first registered with the NI Charity Commission on 18[th] October 2021.

The Trustees manage the business of the Charity in line with the adopted Constitution, including our Guiding Principles and also in line with Charity Law. New trustees are appointed when appropriate. Suitable candidates are selected from within the membership of the Church and are considered on the basis of their skills, experience and commitment to the aims and vision of the Church.

Purposes

Our Charity’s purposes are set out in the objects clause contained in the Constitution as follows:

to proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by every scriptural and legitimate means, including preaching, publishing and the distribution of literature;
to teach Believers the whole counsel of God as contained in the Holy Scriptures;
to help and support those in need both spiritually and practically;
to adhere to the Guiding Principles.

Nothing in the Constitution authorises an application of the property of the Charity for purposes which are not charitable in accordance with s.2 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.

Activities and Public Benefit

In planning our activities for the year the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity’s purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries. We carry out our purpose by the following means:

(A) Organise weekly services and other gathering of members and non-members, to present the teachings of the Bible and to provide opportunities for Christian response, including but not limited to prayer and worship. The meetings are free of charge and open to all, and the public benefit of such meetings is expected to be through the promotion of family stability and wellbeing and increased ability to contribute positively to society for those attending. Provide support and guidance to those activities of its members that seek to promote in Northern Ireland and understanding of the Christian beliefs as set out in the Church’s basis of faith through practical expression of Christian beliefs and ideals in the community. The benefit of

such support and guidance is to enable those members to be better able to serve in the community.

The Church provides teaching and training opportunities for members, using the resources of the staff employed by the Church and also external courses and events.

(B) Assist the work of individual Christians and Christian organisations, insofar as the work, whether in Northern Ireland or abroad accords with the Church’s aims.

The public benefit of providing donations to such charitable organisations is in accordance with their aims and purposes. We make donations as agreed by the leadership of the Church. The purpose of these donations includes the promotion of religious activity, relief of poverty, training and equipping, work with youth and the elderly, homeless and other local and national charities.

There is no harm flowing from our purposes. Our beneficiaries are the general public and our services and programmes are open to all sections of the community.

Any private benefit is incidental and necessary in order to further our charitable purposes.

Achievements and Performance

Our Church’s Vision:

A place where lost souls find salvation and restoration.
A house of prayer and healing, where hurting people feel embraced.
A fellowship that is outward looking with open arms as well as open hearts to everyone, irrespective of colour, class or creed.
A Church where families young and old are nurtured and discipled in a safe environment, enabling them to fulfil their God given destinies
A body of believers who are motivated and inspired to find a need and meet it.
To remain a Spirit filled people moving forward in unity, shining the Light of Christ throughout our Community and beyond

During 2022/2023 we continued to be a very busy Church with regular weekly activities and special events which proved to be popular with our Congregation and the local community.

We used social media to promote Church activities and events and also operated a Church WhatsApp group to facilitate those who do not use social media. We provided regular Church Newsletters which were also made available on our website ensuring the widest possible audience. The Pastoral Team continued to provide Pastoral Care to members of the Congregation through one-to-one support, counselling and hospital/home visits.

During 2022/2023 we held Church Services every Sunday morning and Sunday evening and

we also held weekly Prayer Meetings. Between September and May there was a weekly Bible Study and in June 2023 we held a special Evangelistic Crusade.

Throughout the year, extensive work was undertaken to benefit children and young people.

From September to June, our Sunday School operated each Sunday morning catering for toddlers to young people in year 12. A highlight of the Sunday School year was Super Sunday when the children were encouraged to bring a friend. During July and August, we provided Summer Sunday school for toddlers to children age seven. Our Sunday School Bus Ministry provided transport for some of the children who attended these sessions.

Between September and June, our Youth Fellowship and SOURCE for young people aged 11 to 25, met on a monthly basis. Special Youth Weekends were held in November, February and August. The programmes included fun activities, worship and Bible teaching and culminated in the Young People taking part in the Sunday Services.

We are blessed to have 244[th] NI Company of Girls Brigade and 3[rd] Ballymoney Boys’ Brigade in our Church and they met weekly between September and March. Our very own the Little Beacons provides for families with boys who are not yet old enough to attend Boys’ Brigade. Both Brigades celebrated their 50[th] anniversaries during the year with a combined Annual display.

Our weekly Happitots Parent and Toddler Group is attended by parents/carers and babies, toddlers and preschool children; the group is one of the busiest in the area. During the year a Facebook page was established which proved to be an effective tool in attracting new families.

During 2022/2023 we saw an increase in children attending Kidzone, our junior youth club. Leaflets promoting this had been shared in local primary schools and were also distributed through other areas of children’s ministry within the Church.

Our well-established Kids of Promise Summer Fun Week was attended by children aged 4 to 11. Each day was filled with crafts, fun, games and Bible stories. Young people attended our M.E.R.G.E Summer Fun Week which included lots of fun activities as well as time for worship and teaching.

In terms of specific Women’s Ministry, there were three very successful W.O.W! Women of Worth events held. In January 2023, the team hosted a wonderful family night complete with a play brought by the Church drama team. In May, women of all ages took part in a coastal walk and then enjoyed some fellowship and refreshments together in a local hotel. In September, ladies from right across the community came together for a night of worship and spiritual encouragement.

We held a Men’s Breakfast in June, which was attended by young and old alike. As well as having the opportunity to share informal fun and fellowship, there was a time of worship and teaching.

We are blessed to have a large team of volunteers who give of their time so willingly and during 2022/2023, this equated to over 10,700 hours donated. If this is conservatively valued at the minimum wage of £10.43 per hour, the voluntary efforts equate to £111,601 for the year. All volunteers serving in Children’s/Youth Ministry are vetted in line with, and operate under, our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

Our Church has a heart for mission and has always placed great emphasis on demonstrating God’s love in a practical way both locally and overseas. During 2022/2023, we supported the work of Reach the Unreached Ministries, we touched lives in Burkina Faso, Ukraine and Turkey in addition to responding to needs in our local community.

At our Harvest services £1,600 was raised to provide a Christmas dinner for hundreds of orphans living in Burkina Faso. The Sunday School children also gave £1,000 through their weekly offerings to help the orphans. In response to the devastating earthquake in Turkey, a special offering was collected and our Congregation donated £3,000 to help needy families.

We have a long-standing partnership with Drop Inn Ministries and provided 300 Shoeboxes, which benefitted very needy children who were impacted by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In our local community we helped 51 families in crisis, including 124 needy children through our Cherish a Child initiative. This project enables local statutory agencies to refer vulnerable families for assistance, this ensures that we make a real difference in homes where help is most needed.

Throughout the year, there were also opportunities for inter church fellowship with other Churches of God in Ireland.

Financial review

Good governance practice is embedded in day-to-day financial management and we operate robust controls in order to fulfil all our obligations. We always seek suppliers that offer the best value for money and detailed financial records are maintained.

Our Church is funded by voluntary tithes, gifts and donations; we also avail of the HMRC Gift Aid and Gift Aid Small Donations scheme.

During 2022/2023, we undertook a number of Church fundraising activities such as our monthly Car Boot Sales, Autumn Fair and ‘Maud’s Pennies’ collections.

Accounts for the year were independently examined by FEB Chartered Accountants in accordance with the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.

Reserve Policy

The trustees are satisfied that a figure equating to three months planned expenditure is an appropriate level of reserves at present. Balances at end of year exceed this. In the event of an unexpected financial need the Trustees are confident that the Congregation would respond accordingly.

In summary, the Trustees are confident that the Church’s financial position remains sound. Generous ongoing giving from our Congregation will allow us to continue with a wide programme of services, activities, outreach and events. We will be cognizant of the financial position when agreeing spending plans for the incoming year, thus ensuring financial stability.

Future Plans

In planning our activities and events for the next year, the trustees will again give careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit, to ensure that the activities help achieve our charity’s purposes, and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries.

During the next financial year, we plan to refurbish our existing Church Sanctuary which will enhance both comfort and practicality, as well as giving a fresh appearance to a building that has served us well for over 50 years. We intend to worship in the Fellowship Hall while the work takes place.

Trustee Res onsibilities Statsment The trustees are responsible for: the preparation of the Trustee's report for the Church of God at Ballymoney the preparation of Annual Accounts in accordance with the Charities Act (Northem Ireland) 2008 and relevant accepted accounting practi. the preparation of financial statements which give a true and fair view of the financial affairs and activities of the Church for the relevant period. adopting suitable accounting policies and applying them consistently. maintaining proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity. safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Approved by the Trusteennd signed on their behalf: Pastor Jonathan Payne Date: 14th June 2024 John Mccrellis Date: 14th June 2024

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