As we look ahead to our gift days in March 2024, we wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on our generosity and stewardship as a church in the last financial year, and how we have done so far this year.
It has been a year in which we’ve seen amazing provision! In March 2023 our gift days raised a record £120,000 (including gift aid) towards our mission in Bristol. Also the number of people giving monthly to our mission is the highest it has ever been. Thank you for being such a generous church!
From our gift day we were able to employ a trainee pastor (Christian Cunningham) on a two year placement, as well as set aside significant funds to achieve our goal of owning buildings in Bristol.
2022-2023 Financial Year
In our last financial year (September 2022-August 2023) City Church gave a total of £495,000 (not including gift aid). This included £395,000 of regular giving (a 10% increase on the previous year), and an incredible £99,000 in our March 2023 gift days. In total we received £615,000 and spent £530,000 against a budget of £522,000, meaning we ended the year with a surplus.
The chart below gives an overview of our income and expenditure between September 2022 and August 2023.
WHAT HAVE WE RECEIVED?
£494,000 was given last year, which is more than a 20% increase on the previous year! Alongside £105,000 of gift aid and £15,000 of other income the total received was over £615,000. Throughout the year, giving has stayed high and was 13% more than we expected to receive.
WHAT HAVE WE SPENT THIS YEAR?
We spent £530,000 in the last financial year, which is 1% more than our budget!
Below we have a breakdown of our expenditure through the year, with some commentary on how the monies were spent.
Staff Team (inc. salaries): As planned, we have spent £310,000 (58% of total expenditure) on employing, training and equipping our staff team. Staff costs will always account for the majority of our outgoings, as all we do relates to people, and they are the primary method by which we enable our vision to be fulfilled.
Sunday Meetings: This year we’ve spent £89,000 (17% of total expenditure) on venues, supplies & equipment to facilitate our Sunday services. The bulk of these costs have been hiring the venues that we meet in.
Children, Youth, Students & Families: £14,000 was spent to support our work with young people and families, including in our Sunday meetings as well as initiatives such as the Little Elms toddler group.
Giving Away: 11% of our expenditure was on giving to other churches and organisations. We have supported the Anthem Church plant in Leicester, led by Jamie and Debbie Finlay, with a gift of £30,000.
In Bristol we have also given money towards Asylum Seeker response in Bristol, the work of Beloved with indoor sex workers in Bristol. Beyond Bristol we were able to support Encounter Camp, other church plants we support, as well as continuing to give regularly to our Commission family of churches.
Mission & Discipleship: We have spent around £10,000 on direct mission and discipleship costs. Although direct spending on mission and discipleship, and ministry to children and young adults is a small slice of overall expenditure, much of our investment is in employing people and equipping the church to reach others with the gospel. This is expressed through the witness of the church, preaching of the gospel on Sundays and through Alpha, plus our numerous social action initiatives and community activities.
Office, Insurance & Governance: We have spent 9% towards our administrative costs. This includes our office space at Fenton Court, ensuring we resource our teams well, and making sure that all we do is safe, accountable to others and well governed.
LOOKING AHEAD
In the current year we have set an ambitious budget to keep stretching forward in our vision of Helping Bristol Believe.. As we are in a good reserves position, our staff team & trustees were able to set a budget expecting to receive 13% less than we will spend. Since September we’re glad to report we’ve received 6% more in giving that we anticipated, so we’re really grateful for your ongoing generosity!
PLAY YOUR PART
If you are new to City Church and would call this your church family, but aren't yet giving, please consider how you could play a part.
We encourage everyone who calls City Church their home to give as part of following Jesus. This isn't so much about the amount that you give but about your heart for God, and a desire for other people to come to know him.
You can find out how to give at citychurch.org.uk/give or by coming to the Welcome Desk on a Sunday morning.
If you have any questions about finance, or giving, please get in touch with our finance team:
Sarah Todd sarah.todd@citychurch.org.uk John Cooper john.cooper@citychurch.org.uk
City Church Bristol is a registered charity, encompassing the three sites of City Church (Bradley Stoke, Cotham and Fishponds). Our financial year runs in line with the academic year; from the beginning of September to the end of August. Please note that this report is based on our unaudited accounts. A full audited report will be available later in 2024 when submitted to the Charity Commission.