SAINT JAMES THE GREAT, BLENDON
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2019

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Saint James the Great Church is situated on the corner of Penhill Road and Bladindon Drive in Blendon, Bexley, Kent.  It is part of the Diocese of Rochester within the Church of England.  The correspondence address is 37 Bladindon Drive, Bexley, Kent, DA5 3BS.  The church’s website can be found at www.stjamesblendon.org.uk.  The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission, as charity number 1176355.

PCC members who have served from 1st January 2019 until the date this report was approved are:

Vicar:	Rev’d Ian Smith

Church Wardens:	Andy Laker 	     Pat Wright (until 12.6.19)	Mary Nunns (from 28.4.2019)

Deanery Synod Representatives:			Brenda Goulding	Mary Nunns

Elected Members:
Jenny Breen (to 28.4.19)	Mary Liverton	
Angela Davis	Timothy Nunns	
Harry Garland	Janine Peters (until 28.4.19)	
Nicky Garland	Linda Willmott (from 28.4.19)	
Beatrice Gilpin	Pat Wright (from 28.4.19)	
Joe Koudmani		

Co-opted Member:    	Crispin Walker-Buckton (until 28.4.19)

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The function and purpose of the PCC is outlined in the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956.  The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules.  All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and to stand for election to the PCC.  New PCC members are provided with background information to enable them quickly to understand the PCC’s business. 

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
St James’ PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.  It also has maintenance responsibilities for the Church Centre complex of St James in Penhill Road, Blendon.  The main activities of the PCC are provision of church services, baptisms, weddings, funerals, youth and children’s work, and prayer and teaching adults through meetings at church and in members’ homes, and overseeing development of outreach and mission.

When planning our activities for the year, we have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.  In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:
• 	Worship and prayer; learning about the gospel; and developing their knowledge and  trust in Jesus. 
	• 	Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish.
	• 	Missionary and outreach work.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Church attendance
The number on the Electoral Roll is reported separately, by the Electoral Roll Officer.  The average weekly attendance, counted during October 2019, was 74 adults and 8 children (2018: 63 adults and 8 children).  Larger numbers attended at festivals:  we were delighted, for example, to welcome around 640 (2018: 465) to our various Advent and Christmas services at the end of the year.

We offer a range of public acts of worship, including Holy Communion and Family Services on Sundays, a mid-week Holy Communion service, as well as an informal worship service and Messy Church (both bi-monthly).  In addition to regular worship services, we enable the wider community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of the journey through life.  Through baptism, we thank God for the gift of life.  Through funeral services, we have the privilege of helping friends and family to express their grief and give thanks for the life which is now complete in this world, commending the person into God’s keeping.  In 2019, we celebrated three baptisms (2018: four) and conducted ten funerals (2018: 16).
	
Review of the year
The full PCC met seven times during 2019, with an average attendance of 86% with the Standing Committee meeting as required in between meetings.  Other matters were discharged through the Fabric Committee and Social Committee.  Reports of the committees’ deliberations were received by the full PCC and were discussed where necessary.

The PCC continued with its policy of giving a tithe of its budgeted income to our Mission Partners.  In 2019, a total of £12,899 was sent to our four regular Mission Partners, divided between CPAS, CRIBS, Tearfund and CMS/Revive;  £3,693 (including Gift Aid) of this sum was sent from donations given at the Harvest Gift Day.  (2018 total £13,214; £3,292 from Harvest)

In the light of advice from the Charity Commission, the PCC has in place written contracts for the services of our organist & music group leader and for the regular cleaning of the church premises.  Nicky Garland’s musical contributions are greatly appreciated and we continue to be grateful for the hard work which both she and Colin Ashton have put in.

The Social Committee has again been busy planning our regular events (Plants Plus, Harvest Supper and Christmas Fair). 

Our “Messy Church”, for families, has been much appreciated, with growing numbers attending.  A new initiative during 2019 has been the start of “Stay & Play”, on Tuesday afternoons, offering those with young children the opportunity of chat and refreshment, while their youngsters are able to play for a while.  We also continue to value our links with the Uniformed Organisations based at St James. 

The weekly prayer meeting (commenced in February 2017) continues;  and we also meet regularly for prayer, shortly before the 10.30 service on a Sunday.  The church is normally open for prayer, two afternoons a week – a facility which is appreciated by both church members and visitors from the community.

SAFEGUARDING
The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults).  All members of the PCC have undertaken DBS checks and have received appropriate training. 

FINANCIAL REVIEW
Total receipts on ordinary unrestricted funds were £86,456 and are detailed in the Financial Statements.  We are grateful to so many members of St James, who give regularly to maintain its work.  Unrestricted expenditure of £81,252 was spent to provide the Christian ministry for St James Church, including our contribution to diocesan costs, for various centralised services.

Since 2015 (when the system of Diocesan funding changed), we have been asked for substantially more than under the previous “Parish Share” system.  For 2018, we maintained our “Pledge” at £60,000, matching the figure for 2017;  but had to reduce this to £53,100 for 2019.  For 2020, we have felt able to offer only £51,000.  We would like to increase this, as the Diocese expects much more of us;  but a higher figure would need a growth in our income from giving.

We are grateful for an unexpected donation of £7,000, during the year;  this enabled us to record net incoming resources of £3,004 for 2018, before transfers to designated funds.  The major sum transferred was £2,200 to the Church Repair Fund.  (This fund is held by the Diocese on our behalf.  It is intended for major repairs to the church building.)  After allowing for the various transfers, the net effect on the funds at the disposal of the PCC (in effect, the surplus for the year) was £5,028.  For our unrestricted funds, the balances brought forward at 1st January 2019 totalled £21,953;  and £24,957 was carried forward as at 31st  December 2019.

We are very grateful to all those who give generously to St James;  and especially to those who prayerfully review their giving.

RESERVES – and RESERVES POLICY
At the end of 2019, we had available unrestricted funds of a little over £21,900.  This figure is up on 1.1.19, though still below the January 2018 figure.

We review the Reserves policy annually;  our current policy is that, at the start of each year, the church will hold a reserve of unrestricted funds (in cash or short-term deposits) amounting to approximately three months’ income, to cover uneven cash-flow and as a buffer against unexpected loss of income.  On the basis of the budgeted income for 2020, this equates to a reserve of around £22,000.  The available reserves at the end of 2019 were therefore approximately “on target”.  Our reserves are invested in the Diocesan Loans Fund, which pays a small (albeit useful) amount of interest and allows us ready access to the money.

The PCC is confident in God’s faithfulness and considers that there are no material uncertainties about its ability to continue as a going concern.

Volunteers
We would like to thank our church members who work so hard to make our church the lively and vibrant community it is.  So many people give freely of their time that it would be impossible to calculate the financial value of their contributions; and it would be invidious in this report to mention names – but our thanks go to all.

Approved by the PCC 10th June 2020

and signed on their behalf by:    

Ian Smith, Chairman

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