Directors Report 3
REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2015
INTRODUCTION
Ipswich Vineyard Church is a small church plant sent out as a team from West Suffolk Vineyard Church in Bury St Edmunds Suffolk in July 2012. The church started as a midweek meeting in September 2012 in a coffee shop in Ipswich and moved to Sundays in May 2013 at the Holiday Inn, London Road. The move to Sundays has allowed us to start our children's ministry. In May 2013 the church became an independent charity and company, appointing trustees.
Aims
The objects of the charity are to
advance the Christian faith further Christian education relieve sickness and hardship improve the social welfare and quality of life for those in need
Our Mission Statement
To be a community of people who passionately love Jesus, enjoy friendship with one another and desire to reach out in love and kindness to those around us.
Based on the truth of the Bible and the transforming power of God, we aim to gather people into the Kingdom of God; to grow and train disciples and leaders; to make a difference in our local community and to plant churches.
CORE ACTIVITIES
We meet together on a weekly basis on Sundays and in midweek groups. Our main meeting is at the Holiday Inn, London Road in IOSWich whilst smaller groups meet in peoples homes. Throughout the year we have held an Alpha Course, Newcomers Lunches, monthly prayer and intercession meetings, leadership training for Small Group Facilitators, Team Leaders, Worship Leaders and Kid's Vineyard Leaders.
We have offered various social events for people to attend and bring their friends including our Annual Celebration in September, BBQ's, a Jazz evening, Hotdog and soup evenings, a quiz and chips event, the Christmas Nativity, the beer festival and trips to the local parks.
We have also participated in National Training Events, Area Meetings for Pastors and Church Planting, in the National Leaders Conference and in Leadership Development called HUB.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing Document
Ipswich Vineyard Church (IVC) is a registered charity, charity number 1152231, duly constituted by means of a Memorandum and Articles of Association and operating as a church. IVC is affiliated to the Association of Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland (VCUKI).
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IPSWICH VINEYARD CHURCH (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2015
Organisational Structure
Ipswich Vineyard Church is a company limited by guarantee registered at Companies House, company number 08520839. The company directors also form the Board of Trustees. The oversight is led by the Senior Pastors, Paul Finn and Penny Finn, both of whom are also trustees. The Senior Pastors lead through other leaders and they themselves receive oversight in their role through the system as arranged by VCUKI.
Ipswich Vineyard had the opportunity to employ a Ministry Support Facilitator for nearly eight months until she moved away.
Trustees
P 3 Finn (Senior Pastor) P S Finn (Senior Pastor) A Moss-Eccardt C Minnican M Bevan (non IVC member)
Trustees serve for a three year period and may serve for a further three years if invited to do so and are in agreement. Suitable candidates are generally selected from the regular attendees of Ipswich Vineyard Church taking into account their experience, skills and support of the aims of the charity. M Bevan resigned as a Trustee in May 2014 and was reinstated to serve for a further three years. The balance and number of trustees is under review by the Senior Pastor and includes a trustee who, is not a member of IVC.
Trustees attended training events run by Vineyard Churches UKI and external organisations including Equality and Diversity Training. This year several of the trustees attended the National Leaders Conference specifically attending meetings around Trustee business and the development of further support for Trustees within the church. One of the trustees has a liason role with the wider Vineyard Movement and keeps the trustees up to date with developments nationally and shares best practice.
Trustees give advice and counsel to the Senior Pastors in financial, legal and administrative areas of the life of the church as well as fulfilling their legal responsibilities for administration of the trust. Decisions are recorded in the minutes and kept by the charity. The Senior Pastors sit as permanent Trustees.
Trustee Meetings
20th May 2014 AGM and Trustees Meeting 22nd July 2014 Trustees Meeting 14th October 2014 Trustees Meeting 19th January 2015 Trustees Meeting 9th March 2015 Trustees Meeting
Leadership
Pastoral care is shared by the Senior Pastors and Small Group Facilitators.
The church runs several ministries, teams and small groups. Larger teams have a coordinator who reports to the Senior Pastors. The coordinator works with weekly team leaders.
Ministry teams include Sunday Service Manager and Teams, Worship and PA, Projection, Children's Ministry, Prayer and Intercession, Giving and Tithing, Communion and Compassion.
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REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2015
Risk Management
The following are in place to give reasonable assurance to minimise risk to the charity: Annual budget setting and approval by Trustees; Regular consideration of financial reports by Trustees; Identification and management of risks; Safeguarding; Regular review of policies The trustees consider the key risks to IVC to be financial, safeguarding, health and safety and human resources. Whilst all trustees make any decisions jointly, we delegate a trustee to identify and manage the risk in each of these areas and we take advice from experts as required.
Our internal financial controls are in keeping with guidance as issued by the Charity Commission. The trustees have considered the process that would need to occur should the church have to close for any reason. ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Performance against Objectives
The work of the charity reflects the commitment of the volunteers who give their time, energy and resources because of their faith. The church appointed a paid part time Ministry Support Coordinator to support the various objectives of the charity. The objectives of the charity are to advance the Christian faith further Christian education relieve sickness and hardship improve the social welfare and quality of life for those in need
Advance the Christian Faith
Ipswich Vineyard Church aims to draw people into a deepening relationship with Jesus and to advance the Gospel of Jesus in Ipswich and the surrounding area in East Suffolk. Through our midweek meetings, training events and Sunday Services we hope to engage adults, young people and children in practical application of their faith and to be mobilised to serve the wider community.
Many people who are intrigued about Jesus from East Suffolk and Ipswich come to investigate our church. We have an open door policy welcoming people from all faiths, or no faith and from every background.
Volunteers in the church have continued with their witness in the town of Ipswich in praying for the sick, giveaways on the street, acts of kindness, men's and women's events and meeting in small groups to encourage one another.
We continue to arrange and run gathering events to highlight the presence of the church in Ipswich.
In addition to Sunday Morning Services and Small Group Meetings we have run numerous events for gathering people together and inviting new people. These have included Women's events, Men's events, Social evenings and Family Sunday Lunches for newcomers.
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IPSWICH VINEYARD CHURCH (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2015
In the autumn term leading up to Christmas we ran an Alpha Course where four new people attended. They enjoyed the experience and dicussions, some have since joined the church.
Further Christian Education
Every Sunday we have run a meeting in the morning at a hotel, the Holiday Inn, London Road, Ipswich. This is an informal event with a relaxed atmosphere. We teach from the Bible giving practical ways to help people engage with real life issues.
People are welcome and encouraged to join one of our Small Groups which meet in the week where they can be supported and trained for ministry.
We hold regular team and leaders meetings for equipping and support.
Kid's Vineyard meets on Sunday mornings where they are in a safe and fun environment to explore their own relationship with God.
We have run training courses on: worship, leading small groups, Kid's Vineyard Team Leaders and helpers, to include safeguarding and undertaken Welcome Team training.
Some of our leaders have attended further training on Theology, Leadership Training and more specialised training run either within our area or run by VCUKI centrally.
The Senior Pastors attend regular updates and training sessions locally and centrally and spend a week with other leaders of the Vineyard at the National Leaders Conference.
Relieving sickness and hardship, improving social welfare
As a small church plant we aim to bless the town of Ipswich and to make a difference. We have established connections with other charities in Ipswich which we have served throughout the year. We collect food items on Sundays which are gathered and sorted to be taken to a local food bank. We have connections with a local women's refuge for which we provide welcome packs, coats and presents at Christmas.
This year we have made a connection with a charity that helps homeless people overnight and also helps them transition toward independent living. We have been exploring how we might help with food provision and storage for their clients.
Many members of the church are involved in cross church mission in Ipswich including Town Pastors, Night Shelter and Prayer.
In addition we have held events in Ipswich Town Centre including a Doughnut Giveaway, Christmas Giveaway and Street Treasure Hunting.
STATISTICS
The church database held 65 adults and 27 children in March 2015. Monthly Sunday attendance from April 2014 to end of March 2015 was between 237 on the highest month (June 2014) and 134 on the lowest (August 2014).
Kid's Vineyard has on average 29 children attending a month.
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IPSWICH VINEYARD CHURCH (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2015
PASTORAL CARE
Those who attend IVC are welcome to participate in our Small Groups. Small groups are where pastoral support is given and received. Small Group leaders may contact the Senior Pastors for advice as necessary and they also meet on a regular basis for training, encouragement and discussion of any difficult areas or issues that may have arisen.
ASSOCIATION'S
We are associated with Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland (VCUKI) which connects churches with common values and practices, provides spiritual guidance and oversight to Vineyard church leaders and facilitates new church planting. Ipswich Vineyard Church uses the name Vineyard with their permission and gives 5% of its income to VCUKI.
RESERVES POLICY
We maintain to cover fluctuations in income and to cover any unexpected expense. We have reserved the equivalent of three months of operational costs of ?12,000. Reserves are reviewed formally on an annual basis.
Statement of Directors' Responsibilities: The Charities Act and the Companies Act require the Board of Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity as at the end of the financial year and of the surplus or deficit of the charity. In preparing those financial statements the Board is required to :- a)..select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
b). make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; c)prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that
d)state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been
The Directors are also responsible for maintaining adequate accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006 and comply with regulations made under the Charities Act. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The Directors are also responsible for the contents of the Directors' report, and the responsibility of the independent examiner in relation to the Directors' report is limited to examining the report and ensuring that, on the face of the report there are no inconsistencies with the figures disclosed in the financial statements.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
I approve the attached statement of financial activities and balance sheet for the year ended 31 March 2015, and confirm that I have made available all information necessary for its preparation. Approved by the Directors on the 5VC:319C:,
Signed on their behalf by Director
Name Printed: N3K3
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IPSWICH VINEYARD CHURCH (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2015
(Incorporating Income and Expenditure Account) Sheet1 Movements on all reserves and all recognised gains and losses are shown above. All of the organisation's operations are classed as continuing.
The notes on pages 11 to 17 form part of these financial statements.
9.0 IPSWICH VINEYARD CHURCH (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
