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Whitburn Pentecostal Church Annual General Meeting May 2025

ontents
Trustees Annual Report	4
For the fnancial period ending 31st December 2024	9
Finance Report	10
Receipts & Payments	11
Statement of Balances	12
Notes to the Financial Statements	12

Trustees Annual Report

for the period 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024

The objects of the Assembly shall be:

to advance the Christian Faith in accordance with the statement of Faith of the Assemblies of God, as approved by the General Council of the Assemblies of God, from time to time and in such parts of the United Kingdom, or the world as the Assembly Council may, from time to time think fit.
to relieve sickness and financial hardship, and to promote and preserve good health, by the provision of funds, goods or services of any kind, through the provision of counselling and support in such parts of the United Kingdom or the world, as the Assembly Council, from time to time thinks fit, and to advance education in such ways and in such parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Church Council from time to time, thinks fit.
Such other charitable purposes as shall further the attainment of the above objects of the Assembly or any of them.

Trustees

Our Senior Leadership Team are also the trustees of the charity. We had five members on the team in 2024. We met regularly to discuss the ongoing work of the church, including the finances and governance. We met five times throughout the year. The SLT consisted of:

Church Services

As a church, we met weekly on Sundays throughout the year. These gatherings are full of life and engage those who attend. We have a strong emphasis on praise, worship and Bible teaching. Along with the pastor, five of our members also spoke on Sunday. We also hosted guest speakers from among the groups we support, as well as other church leaders.

We also have a diverse congregation representing multiple generations, ethnicities and backgrounds. At the last count, we had fourteen nationalities. This brings a wonderful diversity in church life.

Groups and Activities

We have a very active parent and toddler group which meets during term time, with around twenty children on our register. This is an invaluable point of contact, particularly for those who may feel a bit isolated at times.

Our kids’ programme Treasure Kids meets twice on a Wednesday evening and once on a Sunday during school term time. We have around fifty children on our register for Wednesday night, the majority of whom are from the surrounding community. We also have around twenty-five children who are part of the Sunday church community, though there are some overlaps. This group is intentionally free so that anyone in our community can access it.

Our youth meet on a Thursday night, with around thirty young people on the register. Again, there’s some overlap, but many are part of our Sunday church, too. There are around fourteen young people who engage with the church on a Sunday. They have their own teaching and discipleship slot every second Sunday, unless we have something special we need to keep them in for. The youth also have many social activities, some in the church and others wider afield in the Christian community. Again, this group is intentionally free so that anyone in our community can access it.

We also have around twenty young adults who engage with the young adult programme. Some of these are not part of the regular life of the church, but they still connect with the smaller group. Some have other church connections.

The pastor leads a team of local school chaplaincy, which serves in three primary schools. The pastor also serves as a chaplain in another primary school and the local secondary school. Collectively, we reach over 800 children each month with encouraging messages about faith, values, the Bible, and world issues. These are tremendous opportunities to build relationships and serve in the community. These relationships often allow us to get alongside and help people in need.

We have a programme for the older members of our community which meets on a quarterly basis, providing a hub for fellowship, support, encouragement and worship. There are around thirty adults who come along.

Through these contacts in the wider community (and other communities around the church), we have the opportunity to build relationships and support people in need, whether spiritual, emotional, physical or at times financial.

We also endeavour to ensure that those in need in the church are able to find prayer and pastoral support to navigate some of life’s greatest challenges. We grieve with those who grieve and we rejoice with those who are rejoicing.

Missions Support and Giving

We support mission work across the globe with a particular interest and focus on the Far East. We commit to giving 10% of our unrestricted income to global mission. We also give 3% of our unrestricted income to AOG GB, which goes to fund mission work in the UK as well as globally. We also invest in our local mission work, most of what we do being offered freely to the community. We aim to be a church that is generous with our resources.

We supported Bible translation for a group of people who are working towards having a translation in their native language. This is very complex work. The outcome will be amazing when it is completed, with not only a Bible, but a written language for their native tongue.

We supported outreach work among some of the poorest and persecuted people, offering skills training for young women, along with Bible training, which we pray helps them to avoid becoming victims of human trafficking. We also support skills training and Bible training for young men (and women) in mechanics.

We are also helping a couple who are church planting in a nation where the Christian population is very small. Their church is involved in disaster relief work, too. We must keep encouraging them in the challenging work they do.

We support another couple who work among some of the world’s poorest and marginalised people, offering hope, help and life-changing skills. Many of those they have helped are now the helpers. It is our privilege to support them, and when needed, offer pastoral support. Their work, along with the others, can be very lonely, and they can easily feel isolated.

We support a number of children financially through an organisation called Compassion, again with a specific focus on the Far East.

We have been supporting a couple doing outreach work throughout Europe for many decades now. This support is financial, but throughout the year, we also needed to offer pastoral support with their challenges.

Training and Development

This year, we increased our focus on leadership development. This coincided with some national initiatives for children and young people through our denomination Assemblies of God.

We started a programme called Young Lions Juniors, for P7-S1 children, where they can learn about discipleship and serving in the life of the local church. They can begin to learn about different areas of service, learn skills, and build relationships with those who already serve in these areas. This year, we had five children begin the programme.

We engaged with Young Lions Academy, which is for older young people. We had two young people sign up tot he programme. Again, they are learning about discipleship and

serving in the local church. There’s a bit of a gap for S2-3, so we are thinking about how to work with all ages.

We had one young person begin Young Lions, our AOG youth bootcamp weekend. This is a three-year programme of growth and discipleship where young leaders are challenged and learn about faith and how to put it into practice.

On top of this, we launched Aspire Leadership Training, which is for all leaders, helpers and aspiring leaders in the church. It’s open to young leaders and all leaders in the church. We had a good uptake for the first two sessions, where we covered Self-Leadership and The Development of a Leader. It was encouraging that many of the younger leaders were hungry to learn more.

Building Use

Our building is busy, and we have limited space due to the ongoig programme of activities, but we loved hosting the ANSWER Project’s Pantomime at Christmas. We also had an amazing time hosting a local primary school where we serve as chaplains for their nativity. It was amazing!

We have done a lot of work on the building throughout the year. Among the big jobs were the repair of the Baptismal tank and the installation of fresh insulation for the loft, and for the first time, underfloor insulation, which we hope will make us a bit more sustainable.

Conclusion

We trust this report illustrates how we are endeavouring to meet our charitable objectives, both locally and globally.

Chair) on behalf of the trustees

Trustee’s Annual Report, and Financial Statements

For the financial period ending 31[st] December 2024 Scottish Registered Charity SC008274

Finance Report

Independent Examiner’s Report For the Financial Period ended on 31st December 2024

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31st December 2024.

Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities

Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The charity trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of the 2006 Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1) (c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent Examiner’s Statement

My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiner’s statement

In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention

which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations

Have not been met, or

to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

May 2025 Fellow Certified Public Accountant UK 10227712A ~~=~~

Receipts & Payments

For the year ended 31st December 2024

Receipts Donations & Legacies Other Activities Total Receipts Payments Charitable Activities Total Payments Net Movement in Funds Transfer between funds Reconciliation of Funds Funds bought forward Funds carried forward	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds 2024 2023 Notes £ £ £ £ 140,874 140,874 135,135 2 3, 4 140,874 140,874 135,135 102,064 102,064 108,739 7 102,064 102,064 108,739 38,809 38,809 26,396 109,075 109,075 82,678 147,884 147,884 109,074 6, 7

Statement of Balances

At 31st December 2024

Cash funds Cash and Bank	2024 2023 £ £ 147,884 109,074	Notes 7
Net assets	147,884 109,074
The funds of the charity Unrestricted Restricted	147,884 109,074
Total Funds	147,884 109,074	6

These notes form part of the financial statements.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and were signed on its behalf by Trustee.

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Date: May 2025
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Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31st December 2024

1. Accounting Policies

The principal accounting policies are summarised below. The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the Year.

Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities.

Financial reporting standard number 1

Exemption has been taken from preparing a cash flow statement on the grounds that the charity qualifies as a small charity.

Basis of preparation

Accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis as per SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities) 2015.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included under the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount quantified with reasonable accuracy. No amounts are included in the financial statements for services donated by volunteers. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income;

Voluntary income is received by way of donations and is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable.

Investment income is included when receivable.

Resources expended

Expenditure is accounted for on the basis of payments made and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings, they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs directly incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries.

Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional in statutory requirements of the charity.

Other resources expended comprise support costs for central functions that you might be allocated directly to the individual charitable activities.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities under the Income Taxes Act 2007 and Corporation Tax Act 2010.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes, within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and other time and benefits

The charity operates the defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the Charity’s pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

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Legacies
Gift Aided
Giving
Other
Church
Income
Sources
General
Offering Gift Aid
Reclaimed
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Church Total Income & Expenditure

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150,000
130,000
Income Expenditure
110,000
90,000
70,000
2021 2022 2023 2024
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2. Receipts from donations and legacies

	Unrestricted	Restricted	2024	2023
	£	£	£	£
Covenant (Gift Aided Deposits)	50,921		50,921	58,550
Gift Aid returns (Tax reclaimed)	13,383		13,383	6,015
General	44,012		44,012	35,083
Designated Donations				32,303
Other	379		379	927
Legacies	30,550		30,550
	139,245		139,245	132,878

3. Receipts from Charitable Activities

4. Receipts from Groups

	2024 2023
Missions	£ £ 60 667
	60 667

	2024	2023
						2024	2023
	£	£				£	£
Missions	60	667		Flourish		367	635
	60	667		Men’s Ministry		104
				Oxygen		59
				Season Changers		632
				Treasure	Kids	398	955
						1,559	1,590
ent in Funds
		1/1/24	Income	Expenses	Transfers		31/12/24
			£	£		£	£
Unrestricted funds		109,075	140,874	102,064			147,884
Restricted funds
Total Funds		109,075	140,874	102,064			147,884

5. Movement in Funds

6. Cash and Bank Balances

	2024	2023
	£	£
Current Account	147,884	109,074
Cash on hand
	147,884	109,074

7. Receipts and Payments Account