The Church of Scotland Boghall Parish Church of Scotland, Bathgate Congregation No= 020137 Scottish ChAritv No: SC 001881 Receipts 2nd Payments Accounts for Year ended 31 December 2024 Reference Administrative Information Charity Name.. Lloghall Parish Church of Scotland, Bathgate Charity Registration Number: SC(K>l 881 Congregalion Reference No: 020137 Conta¢1 Address: Trustees Kirk Session ALlive Eldcrs li¢lClii'e b_IdL-rs C.fiii¢Frc IioiiAI Bodrd Principal C)trice-bearers Interim Moderator Session Clerks= (Joint) Clerk to Ihe Board: Church Tr&￿Uyer. Inde ndent ExatniD Bankers Bank of Scotland 50 Hopetoun Street Bathgate EH48 4EU Page I Trustees, Annual Report Year ended 31 December 2024 Structure, Governance and Management Governing Document The Church was administered in accordance with the ternis of the Model Deed of Constitution. This changed on the 21st April 2024 when we mov¢d to a Unitary Constituiion. Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees Members of the Kirk Session are the charity trustees. The Kirk Session consists of the Minister. or Interim Moderator, and the Elders. The Minister is elected by the Congregation and inducted by Presbytery. The EldeTS are chosen from those Members of the Church who are consideTed to have the appropriate gifts and skills. Organisational Strneture The Kirk Session is moderated by the Minister and is responsible for all affairs within the Church and. nonnally, meets ten times in a year. Certain responsibilities are delegatcd to the Finance and Property Committees and the Worship. Outreach and P&storal T&￿ns. Reports are submitt¢d to Session as appropriate. Objectives and Activities Th¢ ChuTch of Scotland is Trinitarian in doctrin¢. Refomied in tradition and Prcsbyterian in polity. It exists to glorify God and to work for thc advancement of Christ-'s Kingdom throughout the world. As a national Church, it acknowledges a distinctii'e call and duty to bring the ordinances of religion to the people in every, parish of Scotland through a tenitorial ministy. It co-operates with other Churchcs in various ecumenical bodies in Scotland and beyond. The following information delailing Objeetives and Activities of the Congregation of Boghall Parish Church of Scotland, Bathgate has been broken down into relevant headings and there may be a slight overlap with some items. Mission Statement The Mission Statement of Boghall Parlsh Church of Scotland, Bathgate. reads "By Godls Grace, we seek 10 Serve Him in our conununity ond elsewhere, by sharing the love of Jes￿, and to grow in ourfoith andfellowship through Ihe reading andpreacliing ofHis Gospel, andproyer." Pag¢ 2 Trustees, Annual Report (cont.) Year ended 31 December 2024 The biggest change this year has bcen the decision by the Church of Scotland to allow us to call a Minister. A group prepared an excellent Parish Profile. The nominating committee of nine was selected and after advertising. eight people applied to be our Minister. All eight were inlerviewed and the decision to appoint a sole nominee w&s unanxmous. This decision was approved by the Kirk Session and we look forward to exciting times ahead. Our Interim Moderator gives invaluable advice and support for which we are very grateful. W¢ continue to provide worship every Sunday, led bv a number of visiting Ministers and Worship leaders. We are very grateful for their contributions and view this &s a positive cxperience. hearing different voices leading Worship and introducing new thoughts on scripture. Throughout all this change, we continue to worship, prdy, and provide pastoral ￿e and outreach. making Boghall Church a ¢entr¢ of Worship at the heart of our Community. We have w¢l¢om¢d new people to the church from other churches and from other countries. We had a requcst from two members of the Congregation to allow a single sex marriage ceremony. This led to a KiTk Session discussion and a subsequent Congregational m¢cting and vote to -'depart from the tradition of Church of Scotland ' and approve the pern]ission of single sex marriages within the Church. The discussion w&s ￿sItive and supportive of the motion and was passed unanimously by the Congregation present for the vote. The Church and hall buildings aTe used throughout the week for several all-age activtties, including the vatious youth organisations, the many sub-groups and committees forn]ing the Kirk Session within the Unitary Constitution. We also offer Hall Lets for birthday parties. Reoular community groups arc the Tae KThon-Do. Gamblers Anon)Tnous and Artlink - a charity hclping people Mith mental health needs. Last }'ear Artlink were given a substantial grant to develop a Boghall Community Growing and Cooking GTOUP" along th¢ Church, Boghall DTOP in Centre Imd schools. The plan was to enable vegetables to be grown in raised beds and then to Use the produce to provide meals and cookery classes. Raised beds hav¢ been completed and planting is taking place . Much of this work was undertaken by Asylum Seekers from th¢ Cairn Hotel. Our Friendship Cafe continues to tske place on Wednesday mornings during school tenn time, when pupils from Boghall Primary School come and serve tea and coffee, play games and chat with those members of the Congregation who come along. This is an experienc¢ enjo}'ed by all. The activities of the Congregation rquire the generous giving of time, talents, and money on the part of members and a(Iherents. Thanks are due to our Tr¢asuTer, who does a wonderful job overseeing our finances and to our two Session cler￿ who work tirelessly for the Church. Achievements and Performance Our cu￿ent roll of Church membcrship is 175 communicants and 38 a(Iherents. The average attendance at Sunday morning services is approx. 60 members. In addition, worship is streamed via OUT liacebook Èn order that anyone can view and take part throuohout the week. A recording of worship is also posted on our YouTube channel. DVD recordings are issued to those with no access to the internet. "IThis ensures that Boghall Church reaches out to the m￿LMu￿ numbeT of people possible. in accordance with our Mission Statement. Most of our organisations. under the supervision of the Kirk sessio￿ also continue to be well attended. and adequately staffed. The Church h&s its own Facebook pag¢ and website to advertkse ¢v¢nts. Page 3 Trustees, Annual Report (cont.) Year ended 31 December 2024 Worship Sunday morning worship continues although. we have no Minister. We have built up a rota of mainly Tetired Ministers and Readers. Many are already knowTL to the Congr¢gation. They cornment on how much they enjoy coming to Boghall and the warn] welcomc they receive. Members of the Conoregation take an active part in worship every week contributing with readings and prayers. During the year, SeThices have been led by the Girls Brigade, the Outreach Group and the Worship group. We have occasional Cafe Churches" during the year. These take place in the hall, sitting at tables and enjoying te(i and coffee before Worship. This slightly Icss fornial Worship h&s seen u5 having speakers from various organisations. We also held a United Servic¢ on Christmas Day. We held our annual Cllllstmas Celebration in December with choirs from the Girls Brigade. St Columba's RC School, Boghall Primary School and musicians from Bathgat¢ Academy taking part. Their joyful singing along with readings, prayers, music and congregational singing was enjoyed bv a large Congr¢gation. An inforn]al forni of Worship takes place on Tuesday afternoons &s a "House Group.. It m¢¢ts in th¢ Church as this suits most people and also encourages some m¢mbers to attend who otherwise might not have been able to. NTumbers have increascd with around 15 participants. A typical meeting lasts about an hour, in which there is sO￿e Bible reading, hymns, chat and a bit of laughterl Everyone is free to chip-in and aIl views are respected. Somelimes theTe is a cup of tea and occasionally the Group ventUTes out; the GTOUP enjoyed a lunch at the Fairway in the summeT. New faces are always welcome. At Boghall, worship continues to be an inclusive and sl]ared ¢xperience, utilising a variety of forniats and the tslents of th¢ Congregation. Outreaeh We have an active Outreach CoTnmittee working on behalf of the Church to engage with the local community and bring wider issues to the Congregation for action. We delivered various all age Worships including a Sundae Sunday Scrvice where ice cream was served and funds were raised for the HtV/AtDs charity. We also led the Harvest Senrice where a substantial amount was raised for Bethany Christian Trust. Finally we led the Toy service wher¢ many toys were donated to kids across West Lothian via the charity River Kids and where we w¢re able to deli￿er messages of hope across the wider world via the EMMS charity. We continue our work and links with many organisations including. Christian Aid. Bli¢hswood Care shoebox appeal and Scottish Bible Society. We supported the VIVA Boghall Fun Day which promoted the openkng of the Garden projecL by holding a craft table for the younger visitors. We continue our support of Dr Graham's Homes, Kalimpong in India and the Mulanje Mission Hospital either directly or through EMMS. Our links with the schools in Boghall continu¢ to thriv¢. Scripture Union "It's Your Move" booklets were donated to every Primary 7 pupil io help prepa￿ them for life at the Academy and Advent calendars were also donated at Christmas. Boghall Primary again held their Christmas and Easter Service in the Church. Th¢ w¢¢kly Friendship cafe l¢d by pupils of Boghall Primary and held in the church continues to be a success where all ages meet for a cup of tea and a chat. The two primary schools and the high school were actively involved in the Christmas celebration service which was enjoyed by all. We continue to V151t the local high school on a regular basis offering support and Mission where we can. There are many other Outreach activities that take place across the Congregation including the Memory Cafe and work wlth the Asylum seekers. Pag¢ 4 Trustees, Annual Report (cont.) Year ended 31 December 2024 Youth Girls Brigade conttnues with dedicated Officers under their Captain and a group of helpful parents. Thcy once again delivered the Christmas post raising vaIuable funds for their organis2tion and Kalimpong. Th¢ Youth group continue to meet monthly on Sunday nights during Tem] time with J ncw mcmbers joining. Activities include games and Crafts, netball, table tennis,cake decorating and pizza nights ￿ere among their favourit¢s. One of the members has joined the Worship group. The group also took part in the Harvest Service and this was well received. For the December meeting they were pleased to decorate the c￿lSmaS tree in the Hall of Fellowship and welcomed their visiting Elder then too. New faces would be welcome. Ecumenical Bathgate Churches Together meets regularly. This comprises Bathgat¢ Parish Church, Boghall Parish Church, the EU-UR Church and St Columba's Scottish Episcopal Church. We hope that Centrepoint Church may join us when they mov¢ into the town centre. Uniicd services for Christian Unity were held in various churches as were Aavcnt Services and the World Day of Prayer Service. Chtistm&s Day SeTh'ices were held in Boghall Church and St Columba's. The Street Pastors continue their Work in Bathgate at weekends helping vulnerable people and are sponsored by the various Churches. Bathgate Churches Together once again took a stall at Bathgate Market to raise money lor Cl]ristian Aid. Th¢y sponsor a Flower Planter in George Street- a visible example of working together. Pastoral There are five people on the Pastoral Support Group. The Group and Church Elders stay in contact ￿ryth members in their districts by visits and telephone calls &8 well as at Services at the Church, especially when we have tea and coffee after Sunday Worship. The Prayer Shawl Ministy continues to give cornfort to those who need it and a card is delivered to members on the first anniversary of a bereavement. We haN'¢ an activc PraycT Circle with fifteen people lighting a candle in their ovm homes on a Wednesday night at 8prn to join together in prayer with a prepared liturgy. Prayers for all situations, either worldwide or personal aTe added and can be requested by anyone. MeJnbers of the Congregation make up the majorilv of Trolunteers at the Memory Cafe held monthly in R05emount Gardens. The cafe provides activities aThd SUPPOTL in a safe environment, for people living ￿7th dementia along with their carers. Pastoral lunches continue and afford another time of fellowship. Page 5 Trustees, Annual Report (cont.) Year ended 31 December 2024 Stewardship Aetiviti¢s We continue to make best us¢ of all elements of Stewardship &s we can - time, talents and money. The Church in Boghall would not function without the generous amount of time given by many pcople. Likewise their talents are essential in so many ways. both spiritual and practical. Last November we held our extremcly success￿1 Christmas Fayre. It rdised over £2,000. Il'e welcomed a large number of faJnilies tnto OUT buildings - Santa Claus was kept busy and the l¢as and coffccs afforded people a seat and a chat. We are very grateful to the large number of people N%ho h¢lpcd raise this marvellous amount and gave our community such a happy evening. Two joint fundraising concerts were held with performances by Bathgate Concert Orchestra and Kirkton Brass Bands. These concerts wcre well attended and provided a source of income. When added to our income from Easyfijndraising and other fundraising activities, the total for the year is £J,321. We support Bethany Christian Trust both financially (including sponsoring a mcmber of the Congregation for th¢ Bcthany Sleepout) and in kind with clothing, sleeping bags and blankets also being donated. We continue to support the Asylum Seekers at the Cairn Hotel, by donating Christmas gifts, clothing and shoes. Regular donations for the Foodbank and Women's Aid also have been gratefully received. Page 6 Trustees, Annual Report (cont.) Year ended 31 December 2024 Financial Review The principal Source of income is from bank Standing Orders. Open Plate and weekly offerings via envelopes. although the numbeT of envelopes issued have vastly Teduced as the majority of Members now make their offering by bank Standing Order. We are very grate￿1 for the continued financial support from OUT Congregation. Offerings receKved in 2024 were £61.034, a decrease of £411 from 2023. The other main source of income is from Gift Aid a￿d the amount due from offerings in 2024 is £13.8J9. The various fimdraising events raised £3,321 and incotne from users of Church premises came to £4.590. We received Investment Income of £6.193 M4)ich is an incre&Y ol £1.768 from 2023. The laTgest single payment was the Giving to Grow Contribution of £41.050. Other significant payments during the year were Presbytery Dues - £949: Pulpit Suppl}, . £J:8i6, staffing costs - £17.843, fabric maintenance - £12,246, insurance - £2,372 gas and electricity - £4:955, an increase of £1,896 from 2023. This is due to a change in the General Trustees energy contrncts. with tsriffs costing around double the previous Contracts. The total unrestricted income for the year was £96,808: expenditure £87,548, giving a surplus for th¢ )'ear of £9.260. Due to Boghall being a Vacant Charge. we received a reduction in our Giving to Grow Contribution of £11,196. We have also received extra income from a ProbationeT Minister. who is living in the manse, which amounted to £6,000 for the year. If no reduction had bt*n receiited, and no income from the manse, we would have ended the year with a deficit of £7,936. With regard to thc Gcneral Congregational Purposes Investment, the Trustees aTe aware of the significant d¢cr¢ase in value due to current maTk¢t trends and are continuing to monitor this on a monthly basis. There has been a small increase in the iralue of the investments, however the dividend income has Ancreased as previously mentioned. Other Receipts With regaTd to M2nse Incorne, this is a donation received from a Probationer Minister at Livingston Oldlst Andrews Parish Church. "Ihey required accommodation and moved irLto Boghall manse in October 2023 and will remain there until the manse is required for our new Minister. This is an agreement with Church of Scotland Legal Department using a Caretaker's Agreement. They are responsible for all expenses relating to the manse. Reserves Policy It is the Trustees, policy to hold reserves of approximately 3 months expenditure including designated funds. At the year ¢nd the Church h¢ld unrestricted funds of £61.586 of which £24.513 has been designated for the General Congregational Puryx)ses Fund: £12.226 for Fabric Fund. £7.335 for Roof ReplacementlGeneral Repair Fund, £1,775 for Congregational PuryKJses, £0.00 for Guild and £15.737 for General Fund. The Church also held £2.071 of restricted fund5 which have been provided for the PUTpose5 specified in Note 2. Page 7 Trustees, Annual Report (cont.) Year ended 31 December 2024 Statemellt of Trustees, Responsibilities The members of the Kirk Session must prepare flnancial statements which give sufficient detail to enable an appreciation of the transactions of the Church during the financial }ear. The members of the Kirk Session are responsibl¢ for Leeping proper accounting records whiclL on requcsL must rcflcct the financial posiiion of the Church at thal time. This tnu51 be donc to cnsurc that ihe fU￿]cIal statements comply V4ith the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005: thc Charirics Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and ti]e Regulations Anent Congregational Finance approvcd th¢ Gcn¢ral Assemblv of thc ChuTch ot Scotland in 2007. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Church and tnu5t takc rcasonable steps for the prevention andlor detection of fraud and other iTregulaTities. AppTOI'ed ￿ the Trustees and signed on their behalf, Date . oa Page 8 Independent F.xaminer's Report to the Trustees of Boghall Parisb Church I report on thc accounts of the ch1￿￿tY for the year ended 31st December 2024 which are set out on pages 10 to 15. Respeclive responsibilities of trllste￿ and examincr The chaTity's trustees are Tesponsiblc for thc preparation of the accounts in accordancc with the terms of thc Charities and TTUStcc InN"csttncnt (Scotland) Act 200) and thc ChaFiti&s Acc(JunLs (8cotland) Rcgulation 2006. The charity ITUStees consideT that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of thc Accounts Rcgulations does not apply. It is my responsibilkty, to exarnine the accounls as requircd undcr scction 44(1) (c) of the Acl and to state ii,hether particular rnatteis haTre come to my attention. Basis, of independent exydminer's statement An examin