Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland

Transcription

1 B lantyre St Andrew s P arish Church of Scotland Annual Report and Accounts for year ending 31st December 2008 Charity Number: SC Congregation Number: Page 1 Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland

2 Introduction The trustees present the annual report and accounts for Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland for the year ended 31st December 2008 Reference and Administrative Information Charity Name: Charity Registration Number: Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland SC Congregation Reference No: Contact Address: Website: Trustees Kirk Session Miss May Shaw 88 Morris Crescent Blantyre Glasgow G72 0BZ Elsie Balneaves Janice Brewster James Brown Lorraine Brown John Brownlie Maureen Cochrane Margaret Crookston Louise Darling Sandra Goodall George Greenhorn Jack Hamilton Alistair Jamieson Peter Johnston Malcolm McCormack Christina MacLeod Isabelle Menzies Robert Menzies Jean Murray May Shaw Allan Walker Andrew Williamson Catherine Williamson Tom Willis Office Bearers Minister: Church Treasurer: Session Clerk: Independent Examiner: Bankers: Rev Peter Johnston May Shaw Andrew Williamson Ian Mackenzie 12 Cedar Court Hallside Cambuslang G72 7ZB Royal Bank of Scotland plc 20 Clydeview Shopping Centre Blantyre Glasgow G72 0QD Page 2

3 Structure, Governance and Management Governing Document Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland is administered in accordance with the terms of the Deed of Constitution (Unitary Form). Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees Members of the Kirk Session are the charity trustees. The Kirk Session members are the elders of the church and are chosen from those members of the church who are considered to have the appropriate gifts and skills. The Minister, who is a member of the Kirk Session, is elected by the congregation and inducted by Presbytery. Organisational Structure The Kirk Session is moderated by the Minister. It meets four times a year, and has overall responsibility for all matters within the church, temporal and spiritual. The work of the Kirk Session is delegated to seven Action Groups comprising elders and members of the congregation. The remits of each Action Group is agreed by the Kirk Session. These comprise the Magnification, Membership, Maturity, Ministry, Mission, Money and Material Action Groups. The Action Groups meet regularly between Kirk Session meetings (with the exception of the Mission Action Group, which did not meet in 2008) and report to a Coordinating Group, comprising Convenors of the Action Groups, Session Clerk, Assistant to Session Clerk and Minister, and thereafter to the Kirk Session. Coordinating Group Kirk Session Magnification Action Group Membership Action Group Maturity Action Group Ministry Action Group Mission Action Group Money Action Group Material Action Group Objectives and Activities The Church of Scotland is Trinitarian in doctrine, Reformed in tradition and Presbyterian in polity. It exists to glorify God and to work for the advancement of Christ s Kingdom throughout the world. As a national Church, it acknowledges a distinctive call and duty to bring the ordinances of religion to the people in every parish of Scotland through a territorial ministry. It co-operates with other Churches in various ecumenical bodies in Scotland and beyond. Purpose Statement The following Purpose Statement was adopted by the Kirk Session in St Andrew s Parish Church s purpose is to magnify God s name by bringing people to Jesus and membership in his family, by leading them to Christ-like maturity, and by equipping them for their ministry in the church and their mission in the world. Page 3

4 Worship Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland meets for worship each Sunday at 11 a.m. During 2008 the church completed an 18 month long journey through Matthew s gospel. A further series of ten services during 2008 concentrated on looking at different aspects of what makes a healthy church in order to think about the situation in St Andrew s Parish Church and to keep in mind the ways that the church can best serve God and the community. For the latter part of 2008, Willie Paul started a placement with Blantyre St Andrew s as part of the Enquiry Process in the Church of Scotland. Communion is celebrated 4 times a year on the first Sundays of March, June, September and December. The September Communion is allage oriented and children are invited to participate fully. Monthly evening services, Magnify Praise Services, are held on a periodic basis (usually during Spring and Autumn) with Blantyre Livingstone Memorial Parish Church of Scotland and Hamilton Hillhouse Parish Church of Scotland. The services are held at 7 p.m. and rotate from church to church. Services of worship are held at the local Victoria Nursing Home, Victoria Street, Blantyre on a monthly basis led by the Minister and with support from church members. Young People A Sunday Crèche is available for children up to three years old during morning worship. This is organised and run by church members. If families would prefer to keep their babies and young children with them during worship they are welcome to do so. Children and young people of all ages are an integral, important and valued group within our worship. After the first 25 minutes of worship together, the Sunday Funday Club meets for children from age 3 to primary 7 in the Nazarene Hall. During 2008 the Sunday Funday Club used Scripture Union materials to assist in the preparation of each Sunday. The Sunday Funday Club also organise other events for all ages, such as the church outing during the summer, and a Christian Aid Lunch following the Christian Aid Week Service, which emphasise that the young people are an integral part of the church family. A dedicated team of volunteers ensure that these activities, both on a Sunday and at other times, provide a relevant learning experience for those who come along. A number of the young people from Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland have also participated in a new event organised for local churches in Hamilton and Blantyre: Megamix. This is in part a showcase for young people s leaders to pick up ideas and resources to assist them in their work with young people in their own church. This was well received with the young people who were keen to take part in a future event. Page 4

5 Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland has a group of enthusiastic teenagers who play an important role within the life of our congregation as members of the IQ Group. On a Sunday, as well as attending worship, many have a role to play within worship, from audiovisual operation to involvement in the Puppet Ministry. The young people of the IQ Group participate in the first part of the service before going to their own Upper Room. They have been using a variety of different discussion materials during 2008, including Youth Emmaus. The Youth Fellowship has continued during 2008 on the request of members of the IQ Group and others who are unable to come to the church on a Sunday morning. It meets fortnightly throughout the year (except during holidays) and provides a safe space for teens to meet, to talk, and to play games such as badminton, pool, table tennis, computer games, and other activities. During the Spring Holiday, a Holiday Club based on an Egyptian theme, Pyramid Rock, following the story of Joseph was held in Blantyre St Andrew s. This was open to children of primary-age across Blantyre. The Holiday Club is promoted within Auchinraith Primary School, which resides in the parish of Blantyre St Andrew s and to a lesser extent in the other primary schools within Blantyre. The Pyramid Rock Holiday Club took place from Monday 14 Friday 18 April, running between 10 a.m. 12:30 p.m. and was a great success. Around thirty children were involved over the course of the week. The club included songs, stories, video, music, drama, games, and arts & crafts. Pyramid Rock was the fourth Holiday Club organised in Blantyre St Andrew s with the assistance of members from Blantyre Old Parish Church of Scotland. All of the activities that are provided for children and young people are carried out in accordance with the Church of Scotland s policy on the protection of children and young people, with a Safeguarding Coordinator, Catherine Williamson, to ensure this policy is maintained. School Chaplaincy Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland maintains healthy links to the local schools within its parish. Predominantly these links are through the Minister as Chaplain, but it should also be recognised that many parents who are members of the church are also active participants in supporting the local schools. Rev Peter Johnston visits Auchinraith Primary School on a regular basis to lead and be present during school-led Assemblies. Blantyre St Andrew s has hosted the Christmas and Easter services and the award ceremony for pupils at the end of the academic year. For the 2008/9 academic year a plan of assembly dates and themes was organised at the start of the year in coordination with the Depute Head Teacher in order to best fit with the Religious Observance criteria. With the merging of Earnock and Blantyre High Schools to form Calderside Academy, the new building Page 5

6 was opened in early A new team, Calderside Learning Community Chaplaincy Team, comprising Rev Peter Johnston, Rev David Burt (Hamilton Hillhouse Parish Church of Scotland), Rev Karen Harbison (Hamilton Trinity Parish Church of Scotland), Rev Steve Younger (High Blantyre Baptist Church) was formed during 2007 and has flourished in 2008 with the addition of Rev Fiona Wilson (Blantyre Livingstone Memorial Parish Church of Scotland). Rev Peter Johnston was chaplain for the S2 year group during , and continued with these young people into S3. The chaplaincy team meets regularly and has responsibility for leading religious assemblies and involvement in Christmas and Easter preparations. In addition to these responsibilities, Calderside Learning Community Chaplaincy Team, with the assistance of Jen Robertson (the Schools and Churches Youth Development Worker with Hamilton Presbytery and Scripture Union Scotland) planned an innovative event, Bubblegum n Fluff, for Christmas Recognising that all of the associated primary schools for Calderside Academy were represented in the chaplaincy team, this event was organised for Primary 6 children in all of the primary schools, eight in total. The event was designed to remove the fluff of Christmas to get at the real story. Over a period of two weeks approximately 350 children came to Bubblegum n Fluff which was hosted in each of the churches represented by the chaplaincy team. The event was a great success with extremely positive feedback from both the young people and the teaching staff. Spurred on by this success, Calderside Learning Community Chaplaincy Team has produced a Resource Booklet to enable other churches and chaplaincy teams to organise a similar event in their area, and has started making arrangements for a 2009 Easter event for Primary 7 classes. Fellowship and Friendship Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland believes that as well as worshipping and learning together as a congregation, fellowship and growing in friendship is also a vital element of its work and is represented in the church s Purpose Statement. The Membership Action Group has primary responsibility for encouraging fellowship and friendship. After worship on a Sunday people join together in the church hall for coffee and fellowship. This time provides a good opportunity for people to catch up with news and many have commented that this time has enabled them to deepen relationships with other church members, which is particularly helpful for those who are new to the church family. A Traidcraft Stall which sells fairly-traded goods is also available during this fellowship time each week and the tea and coffee served after morning worship is fairly-traded. On an occasional basis the refreshments are replaced with a light lunch on Christian Aid Sunday or on a communion Sunday, and in 2008 included a Cream Tea held in August. Church members are encouraged to stay behind to share in lunch. Page 6

7 The Tuesday Tea Room provides a friendly atmosphere for people to enjoy each other s company with a cup of tea/coffee and homebakes. The hall is filled with the buzz of conversation and often young children playing. With the generosity of many helpers and bakers, the Tea Room raised 2,500 for the church. The Tea Room continued its sponsorship of Zaninka Anna through Compassion ( 18/month), and financially donated to Marie Curie Cancer Care during the course of Following the reintroduction in 2007 of a Cradle Roll Service, another was held in April To this service were invited all the families of those who had been baptised in Blantyre St Andrew s during the previous year. This helps to encourage a continuing relationship between the church and those families whose children have been recently baptised. One of the members of the Membership Action Group also follows up on infant baptisms that take place in the church by visiting the families. The Bereavement Care Group (and availability of GriefShare Support Groups) also makes contact with families following a funeral service to offer support and to show the congregation s pastoral concern towards the grieving families. The Magnification Action Group proposed and introduced two afternoon communion services in March and September that give a particular welcome to members of the church who are unable to come to the church regularly, perhaps for health reasons. This includes a short service followed by an afternoon tea. Transport is arranged by the church with the assistance of Blantyre Volunteer Group. These services have been very well received, and provide a touching point with the church for members who may not get out of their own homes regularly any longer. A Christmas Fayre held in November was attended by many who joined in the fun of games for the children, browsed the variety of stalls, and enjoyed time together. A total of 1,830 was raised for church funds. A Pensioner s Christmas Lunch held at the Parkville was much appreciated by members in the congregation who are over-60. This is particularly the case for those who are not so able to get out and about, but who on special occasions can make it to events such as this. A Ladies Group continued in 2008 with a mixture of guests and fun activities from quizes to relaxation nights. This has been well supported and much appreciated. Blantyre St Andrew s Guild, affiliated to the national Church of Scotland Guild, meets weekly between September and March and each year has a varied programme of speakers and entertainment on offer for their members. On average around 30 attend each meeting. This provides a valuable opportunity for fellowship, worship and service. The Guild also organised a Coffee Morning, Guest Afternoon and various outings during The Guild has good links with the Guilds in both Blantyre Old Parish Church of Scotland and Livingstone Memorial Parish Church of Scotland. Fulfilling a need both for fellowship and for growing discipleship, the Maturity Action Group continued to use Emmaus materials to run two discussion courses including gatherings for food. During 2007 Rev Peter Johnston adapted Emmaus materials to develop a new introduction to Church membership course. This course ran from the end of 2007 into Five people joined the membership of Blantyre St Andrew s as a result of this. Page 7

8 In partnership with Rev David Burt of Hamilton Hillhouse Parish Church of Scotland a Sunday evening group using Living the Questions material was held rotating between Hillhouse and Blantyre St Andrew s churches. These proved stimulating and successful, and attracted members from other churches giving an opportunity for new friendships between congregations to grow. The group expressed a desire to continue meeting in Support for Other Groups Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland has a commitment to help its members find ways to support other groups and organisations, particularly those that aid and support people in need. For Christian Aid Week 719 was raised through dedicated Christian Aid envelopes and a Christian Aid lunch organised by the Sunday Funday Club. The Sunday Funday Club also gifted a cheque of 200 from money raised by the young people of Blantyre St Andrew s over the course of 2008 to Lanarkshire Cancer Care Trust. A special service was held during the Spring themed around Scottish Bible Society and a contribution of 300 was given to the charity following one of two special Jars of Grace offerings collected during the course of the year. In the autumn of 2008 in combination with both Harvest Thanksgiving and the Autumn Jars of Grace collection 150 Christmas shoe boxes filled with gifts and a financial contribution of 365 was donated to Blythswood Care for distribution around the world in countries such as Romania or India. A Community Resource The Kirk Session of Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland take the view that the church premises are a valuable asset not only for the congregation but also for the wider community of Blantyre. For instance in December 2008 Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland hosted a concert by Stonehouse Male Voice Choir. This concert raised 742 for The Haven (a drop-in centre based in Blantyre Health Centre helping people with life-limiting illnesses). Many other groups use the premises during the week. This ensures that the premises are busy and used for the wider benefit of the community. Other organisations that have used these include 6th Blantyre Girl Guides, 3rd Blantyre Brownies & Rainbows, Sequence Dancing Groups, Tai-Chi, Weight-Watchers, 3-D Découpage, Loyal Orange Lodge 147, Cecilian Orchestra, We Care Club, Blantyre Swimming Club, The Haven, Calderside Learning Community Chaplaincy Team, Little Lambs Nursery, and Auchinraith Primary School. Resourcing the National Church A member of Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland, Fiona Ogg, is an accepted candidate for the full-time Ministry of Word and Sacrament and is currently studying at Glasgow University, and another member is currently involved in the Enquiry Process of the Church of Scotland. Page 8

9 Achievements and Performance Leadership While there were no major changes to the leadership structure of Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland during 2008, a new post was created by the Kirk Session to facilitate the work of the leadership. Gill Fraser was appointed as Church Administrator and has settled well into her role providing administrative assistance to the church for nine hours per week. This has been of great benefit to the leadership of the church with responsibilities expanding as Gill Fraser grows into the role. The Action Groups continued to develop their areas of work, becoming more confident in using the powers delegated to them, under the oversight of the Kirk Session. The greater involvement of other church members in that work has been good to see and reflects the desire of the Kirk Session to encourage greater involvement when the Action Groups were first started. The new Pastoral Areas and Teams set up in 2007 have been variably successful and throughout 2008 it was recognised that these need continued support as the different Pastoral Teams find their confidence under this new structure. They are regularly reviewed by the Kirk Session. As a part of ongoing review of the work of the church leadership it was recognised during 2008 that the meeting schedule that had operated since 2006 should be adapted by adopting a bi-monthly pattern of Kirk Session meetings, this would be implemented in Rev Peter Johnston has served as Minister of Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland since April 2001 and comments: It is my great privilege to be Minister at Blantyre St Andrew s. We continue to provide a place of warm welcome, and, in the words of our new website, to provide a worshipping, loving and serving community within Blantyre. That is possible by the service and support of many dedicated members of the congregation. The past year has seen some new innovations in St Andrew s that increase the opportunity for others to worship and serve Christ - which is ultimately our purpose. Property The Material Action Group has delegated responsibility for the maintenance and development of property used by Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland. During 2008 there were two main projects undertaken by the Material Action Group. The first was to oversee the replacement of all the windows and two of the fire exit doorways on the north and east elevations of the main church building. This was a considerable project, although one that was timely as the condition of the existing wooden frames was poor. With consultation from the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland, it was agreed to replace the existing wooden frames with upvc units. The cost of this project was 12,976. The other main project was the ongoing renovation of the Nazarene Hall to create a multi-use space. In 2008 new vinyl flooring replaced the carpeting, the interior space was replastered and decorated, and wiring was fitted to allow the safe use of multimedia equipment in the hall. The cost during 2008 was 7,528. Page 9

10 The Nazarene Hall has been used during 2008 by a number of groups, for instance by the 3rd Blantyre Brownies who have used it for a sleepover including a special show by Steve Price, the Christian Illusionist. However, the renovations of the Nazarene will not be completed until 2009 with the addition of a disabled toilet and a new roller shutter to replace the difficult to use and unsightly metal doors. In consultation with the Money Action Group it was hoped to secure grant funding to assist with this project. Once the building is fully compliant with disability regulations, it can be fully promoted as a resource to the community. In addition to this, a new Church Office was created for the Church Administrator ( 2,489) in the previous Vestry and the remaining single-glazed windows in the Manse were replaced with double-glazed units ( 1,280). Worship The Magnification Action Group with the Minister has delegated responsibility for exploring ways to help church members and adherents to develop worship both within the setting of traditional Sunday morning worship, and at other times and in other places. Rev Peter Johnston says, We try to listen and learn from the experiences of others as we explore ways to enable people to worship. That process resulted in new mid-week communion services in the summer and winter, and an afternoon communion service for elderly and housebound members with transport provided to the church in the spring and autumn. For the third year a Good Friday Labyrinth was constructed in the Church Hall in This saw another increased attendance with people also visiting from neighbouring churches to experience walking the labyrinth. A wide range of ages, from young children to elderly members all participated. A new innovation for 2008 was the creation of podcasts of the Sunday morning service which are available for download from the church website and the itunes store. These recordings are also readily made into CDs for housebound members. This has proved popular and some church members who have been unwell and have missed a service have spoken gratefully about this new way to participate in worship. We continue to be blessed with the musical skills of our pianist and organist, Susan Mathieson, and during 2008 also benefitted from Karyn Fleming and Amanda Larcombe leading our worship on occasions. The Magnification Action Group continues to support the Puppet Ministry and was delighted that many of the young people from the IQ Group took the opportunity to attend a training session led by Oneway UK and held in Lanark Greyfriars Parish Church of Scotland. This was financially supported through the Magnification Action Group. The Puppet Ministry has been used regularly during the course of the year and the puppets and staging were also used for the Bubblegum n Fluff Christmas event held for local primary schools. Page 10

11 Administration The Kirk Session agreed in 2007 to employ a part-time Church Administrator in order to assist in the growing adminstrative demands upon the Minister and other Office Bearers. These plans bore fruit in 2008 with the employment of Gill Fraser. The previous Vestry has been converted into a Church Office with suitable equipment for the purpose including desks, computer, phone, internet connection and so on. The Church Administrator works closely with the Minister, but also undertakes work for the Kirk Session and Action Groups as required. Church members also have a new contact point with the church through the Church Office. On 2 September 2008 a new church website replaced the previous six year old site ( The new site is much easier to navigate than the old site, and is more attractively designed. It provides an easy way to gather information about Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland. It also contains new features like a weekly podcast of the worship service and a regular blog (akin to an online diary) by the Minister. The new website is also built as a Content Management System, which means that it is possible for multiple users to have access to the site in order to keep their pages on the site updated. The new website has grown from an average of around 40 visitors per day in September 2008 to an average of 142 visitors per day at the time of writing this report. It is proving a valuable means to keep church members, the local community and people across the world updated on what is happening at Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland. Connections Locally and Nationally Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland continues to play a full part in the local community and in partnership with the other churches in Blantyre. The Minister is a member of the local Minister s Fellowship, and services are jointly held for all the community at Christmas, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and on Remembrance Day. Joint services are also held periodically between Hamilton Hillhouse Parish Church of Scotland and Blantyre Livingstone Memorial Parish Church of Scotland. The members of the congregation are kept up-to-date with news about events within the Church of Scotland, this is aided by Rev Peter Johnston s involvement in the Church Without Walls Planning Group, Church of Scotland Publishing Committee, Church of Scotland Communication Committee, and Presbytery Parish Development Committee. In May 2008 Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland played a part in the Church Without Walls National Gathering held at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston. In total over 7,500 people attended this event from across Scotland. In the Blantyre St Andrew s storytelling tent our pastoral work, bereavement groups and Puppet Ministry were showcased and led to many helpful conversations with visitors to the National Gathering. Page 11

12 Statistics At the beginning of 2008 Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland had 270 members on the Communicant Roll. During 2008 five new members joined by profession of faith, two by transference certificate, and two by resolution of the Kirk Session. Eight members were removed from the roll due to death and two by transfer certificate. At the end of 2008, the Communicant Roll contained 269 members. Baptisms: 6 (including 2 adult baptisms) Weddings: 1 Funerals: 43 Throughout a typical week it is estimated that Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland welcomes around 350 people to worship, church activities and community groups. Financial Review Income In 2008 the total income from the congregation increased by over 4.5% from the giving in Gratifyingly, this came from an increase in the number of people giving through Gift Aid donations, which increased by more than 8% from This gave a corresponding increase in the tax recovered from the government which supplements the collections received. The trustees noted that it has been four years since 40,000 the Building on God s Generosity programme encouraged church members to reconsider their Christian Giving. While the Money Action Group do regularly update church members via The Grapevine Church Magazine and posters about the current level of income, and about ways to make voluntary income more effective, for instance through the use of Gift Aid, the trustees are aware that a Stewardship Review is due for With the refurbishment of the Nazarene Hall nearing completion, it is hoped that as well as providing an excellent resource for the community, it will also provice a source of income for the Church. The trustees are very thankful for the work that is done during the year to raise money for the work of the Church, and particular mention is due to the team who operate the Tuesday Tea Room and to those who organise the Christmas Fayre. Expenditure 50,000 48,000 46,000 44,000 42,000 Total Collections The biggest expenditure item in the accounts is the Ministries and Mission Allocation. It decreased by more than 8% in 2008 to 36,332 as part of a Church of Scotland plan for However this was a one-off reduction in allocation. This payment is made to the central funds of the Church of Scotland and is split between the Parish Ministries Fund to pay for Charitable Activities Ministries & Mission Allocation Buildings Fabric Repairs Building Costs Staffing Costs & Expenses Organisation Expenses Printing & Stationary Other Action Groups Page 12

13 ministers (not only our own) and the Mission and Renewal Fund to support other church work (mission, education, legal, worship, and so on) carried out by the Church of Scotland across the country and world. This figure is based on the income of a congregation averaged over the previous 3 year period. Although the contribution to Ministries and Mission may seem high and a burden to some, it is part of a congregation s responsibility within a presbyterian church to help fund the ongoing work and development of the wider Church. It is worth noting that the allocation paid by Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland is still below the threshold which would make the congregation a net contributor to the central funds, and thus we are, to a small degree, supported by other congregations. The largest single expenditure on the church s property during 2008 was the replacement of many of the windows in the church building. The total cost of approximately 13,000 was met through the use of funds held locally. While a large expenditure, it was a necessary one. The Money Action Group and Material Action Group have been working together to seek grant assistance to complete the refurbishment of the Nazarene Hall and are hopeful that this will prove successful in order to complete the work without further draining church finances. It is recognised that the Nazarene Hall may provide a useful further income in the future as it is used more widely by community groups. Reserves Policy It is the trustees policy to hold reserves of approximately six months expenditure including designated funds. At the year end the Church held unrestricted funds of 26,081. Although this is still the policy of the trustees, a temporary exception was made this year to facilitate the replacement of the church windows and refurbishment of the Nazarene Hall. As has been the practise of this congregation, 26,068 was transferred to the designated fabric fund while recognising that as an unrestricted fund these monies can be used for other purposes as required for the ministry of the church. Statement of Trustees Responsibilities The members of the Kirk Session must prepare financial statements which give sufficient detail to enable an appreciation of the transactions of the Church during the financial year. The members of the Kirk Session are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which, on request, must reflect the financial position of the Church at that time. This must be done to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and the Regulations Anent Congregational Finance approved by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Church and must take reasonable steps for the prevention and/or detection of fraud and other irregularities. Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf, Andrew Williamson Session Clerk 1 March 2009 Page 13

14 Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland SC Report of the Independent Examiner Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity trustees consider that an independent examination is needed under section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act It is my responsibility to examine the accounts 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 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 seeking 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 accounts. Independent examiner s statement In the course of my examination of the statement of account for the year ended 31 December 2008, no matter has come to my attention 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect: accounting records have not been kept in accordance with Section 44 (1)(a) of the Charities and Trustee Investments (Scotland) Act 2005 and Regulation 4 of The Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 the accounts do not accord with those records the statement of account do not comply with any of the requirements of Regulation 8 of The Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Ian Mackenzie 12 Cedar Court Hallside Cambuslang G72 7ZB 10 February 2009 Page 14

15 Receipts and Payments Account Year ended 31 December 2008 Receipts Note Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Funds Funds Funds Total Total Donations Legacies Activities for Generating Funds Bank & Deposit Interest Contributions from Uniformed Organisations Investment Income Use of Premises Receipts from General Trustees Receipts by Organisations Total Receipts Payments 4 Costs of Generating Funds Charitable Activities Governance Costs Total Payments Excess of Receipts over Payments for the year (14563) (14563) (597) Page 15

16 Statement of Balances at 31 December 2008 Note Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Funds Funds Funds Total Total Bank and Deposit Balances Bank & Deposit balances brought forward Movement in Year: Excess of Receipts over Payments for the year (14563) (14563) (597) Bank & Deposit balances carried forward Investments at Market Value Assets Gift Aid Receivable Liabilities Costs of Repair Not Yet Billed The accounts were approved by the Kirk Session on 1 March For and on behalf of the Kirk Session Andrew Williamson Session Clerk May Shaw Treasurer Page 16

17 Notes to the Accounts 1. Trustee Remuneration and Related Party Transactions During the year three trustees received reimbursement of expenses incurred totalling 6,649. Rev Peter Johnston who is the Minister received 3,386 as reimbursement of expenses (including travel expenses and phone expenses). In addition Council Tax of 1,809 was paid for the Manse in George Greenhorn who is a member of the Kirk Session received 832 for providing his services as Church Officer during the year, and May Shaw who is a member of the Kirk Session received 622 for providing her services as Treasurer during the year. 2. Movement in Funds At 1 January At 31 December 2008 Receipts Payments Transfers 2008 Unrestricted Funds General Fund (6212) 13 Designated Fabric Fund Catering Fund (380) 35 Guild (365) 491 Tea Room (2500) 32 Sunday Funday Club (200) 63 IQ Group (100) 314 Ladies Group (100) 116 Total Funds Analysis of Donations 1 The Designated Fabric Fund has been created by the Trustees in order to set aside funds for the future maintenance of the Church property. This includes plans to complete refurbishment of the Nazarene Hall, and to enact the Manse upkeep programme during Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Funds Funds Funds Total Total WFO Scheme (non Gift Aid) Gift Aid Donations Tax Recovered on Gift Aid Donations Ordinary Offerings (Open Plate) Other Offerings, Donations, etc Page 17

18 Notes to the Accounts (continued) 4. Analysis of Payments Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Funds Funds Funds Total Total Costs of Generating Funds Offering Envelopes Charitable Activities Ministries & Mission Allocation Presbytery Dues Action Groups Minister s Expenses Pulpit Supply Other Staffing Costs Church Office Telephone & Internet Buildings Upkeep & Decoration Buildings Fabric Repairs Council Tax Heat and Light Insurance Other Building Costs Printing, Stationery & Postage Other Expenses Organisation Expenses Water Rates for the Nazarene Hall. 5. Minister s Stipend All Church of Scotland congregations contribute to the Parish Ministries Fund which bears the costs of all ministers stipends and employer s contributions for national insurance, pension and housing and loan fund. Ministers stipends are paid in accordance with the national stipend scale, which is related to years of service. For the year under review the minimum stipend was 22,239 and the maximum stipend (in the tenth and subsequent years) 29, Collections for Third Parties Christian Aid Scottish Bible Society Blythswood Care Anthony Nolan Trust Childline Page 18

19 Appendix to the Accounts Funds Held on Behalf of the Congregation by the Church of Scotland General Trustees Capital Account Opening Balance 4252 Gain on Shares Sold 614 Manse Roof Replacement (4866) Credit Balances held at 31 December at cost 0 Market Value of Balances at 31 December 0 Revenue Account Opening Balance Interest 1 66 Interest from Capital Account 0 0 Manse Roof Replacement 0 (3457) Credit Balance at 31 December Investment Account Credit Balance at 31 December Page 19

20 Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland Church Street Blantyre G72 0NY Page 20