London Baptist Association

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London Baptist Association

• Welcome to our
• Home Mission Grants
• Training Events
• 2008

www.londonbaptist.org.uk/homemissiongrants www.bap
tist.org.uk/homemissiongrants
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Home Mission Grants Training Event

• 8.00 pm Start
• Welcome and introductions
• Applying for Home Mission Rev Paul Martin
• Being a Visitor Dr Colin Hicks
• What we look for in an application
• Mrs Rachel Tole
• Open discussion (with QA)
• 9.30 pm Close

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Applying for a Home Mission Grant

• Speaker
• Rev Paul Martin
• LBA Regional Minister for Administration
• email paul.martin_at_londonbaptist.org.uk
• email homemissiongrants_at_londonbaptist.org.uk
• www.londonbaptist.org.uk/homemissiongrants

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Home Mission Grants

• To assist churches to fulfil their mission
• Awarded by the Baptist Union of Great Britain
  (BUGB)
• Applications made through the regional
  association
• London Baptist Association (LBA)

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Eligibility for Home Mission Grants

• To member churches of BUGB LBA
• To support an accredited Minister or a
  minister-in-training
• or a recognised Minister of another denomination
  in an ecumenical church
• except when the application is for a special
  ministry which has different arrangements
• Where there is financial need

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Conditions for Home Mission Grants (1)

• The minister must
• be appointed on the nationally recommended BUGB
  terms
• be paid the HM stipend
• half stipend for a minister-in-training
• receive all legitimate expenses
• but not extra for heating and lighting

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Conditions for Home Mission Grants (2)

• The church should
• seek to reduce the grant requested by (at least)
  5 each year
• support HM at level recommended by regional
  association
• not be giving other causes more than 50 of its
  HM BMS World Mission giving
• demonstrate commitment to wider Baptist family

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The application process
Church completes application forms
Jan/Feb
LBA appointed visitors meet with church leaders
Mar/Apr
LBA Grants Committee considers application and
visitors report
May or July
Application considered by BU HM Grants Manager
July or Sept
BU Grants Committee makes decision
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Applying for Home Mission Grants

• LBA Office posts out application forms early
  January each year with a letter giving names and
  contacts details for your visitors
• A range of forms and advisory documents can be
  downloaded from the BUGB website (may need a
  password which will be provided by the LBA
  Office)
• Ask us by email, phone or letter if you want us
  to post or email you copies of any documents
• Also, ask us if you need any help or advice.
• homemissiongrants_at_londonbaptist.org.uk

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Applying for Home Mission Grants

• To apply for a Home Mission Grant, you usually
  have to fill out a form with the following
  sections
• Part 1 (usually GD1A)
• Section 1 - General Information Resolution
• Section 2 - Ministerial Information
• Section 3 - Statistics
• Section 4 - Church Life and Mission
• Section 5 - Sunday Services and Other Activities
• Section 6 - Contact Details
• Part 2 (usually GD1B)
• Section 7 - General Financial Information
• Section 8 - General Fund Receipts and Payments
• Note Guidance notes (GD4) model documents are
  available by download or from the LBA Office.

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Section 1 General Information Resolution

• We like to see the grant requested reducing by
  (at least) 5 each year
• The request for a grant should be discussed at a
  Church Meeting so the church understands its
  responsibilities
• The Church Meeting needs to pass a prescribed
  Resolution asking for the grant.

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Church Meeting Resolution

• Recognising the privilege of having a Minister,
  and that our first responsibility as Church
  Members is to support the ministry, we apply for
  a grant to help us pay our minister the Home
  Mission Standard Stipend.
• We therefore resolve
• To request a grant of .... as a contribution
  towards the stipend for 2009,
• To pay all legitimate expenses (including travel,
  telephone, postage, etc) incurred in the carrying
  out of the ministry
• .....

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Section 2 Ministerial Information

• In this section you give
• the name of your Minister
• the basis of appointment (full-time, part-time
  etc)
• The mansearrangements.

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Section 3 Statistics

• In this section you give basic statistical
  information over several years

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Section 4 Church Life and Mission

• This is a vital section about your church life
  and your plans/priorities yet sometimes people
  leave it virtually blank
• Describe what you have been doing in 2007
• Outline your plans and hopes for 2008 and 2009.

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Section 5 Sunday Services Other Activities

• Let us know what you are up to!
• Sunday services
• Mid-week activities
• Monthly clubs
• Other regular activities and events
• etc etc

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Section 6 Contact details

• We may have to follow-up your application with
  queries
• It helps us to have a day-time contact
• We know not everyone has email but we find that
  exchanging information by email helps aid
  clarity
• Equally, a quick chat on the phone can sometimes
  clear-up misunderstandings very quickly.

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Part 2 Financial Information

• Treasurers have a key role in filling out Part 2
  of the standard application form (GD1B)
• We need audited or independently examined
  accounts for 2007
• We need budgets for 2008 and forecasts for 2009
• Please give explanations for any oddities in the
  accounts or budgets it saves us having to come
  back and ask!

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Form GD1B Section 7
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Part 2 Financial Information

• The application form is available to download
  and will add up the columns for you!
• Please ensure lines 11 30 are completed
• Balance brought forward from previous year
• Balance carried forward to next year

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Form GD1B Section 8 (a)
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Form GD1B Section 8 (b)
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Form GD1B Section 8 (c)
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Being a Home Mission Visitor

• Speaker
• Dr Colin Hicks
• LBA Home Mission Grants Administrator
• email cphicks_at_btinternet.com
• email homemissiongrants_at_londonbaptist.org.uk
• www.londonbaptist.org.uk/homemissiongrants

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The Role of the Visitors

• The Visitors have three specific objectives
• To give encouragement to the leadership and
  membership of the church
• To sense and report on the spiritual life and
  mission-heart of the fellowship
• To assess and report on the financial situation
  of the church.
• Note There is a guidance note for Visitors (GD7)
  and a model report form (GD6)

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The Qualifications of the Visitors

• The Visitors will usually
• Have one ordained and one lay member
• Have at least one member able to understand and
  comment on accounts and related financial
  information
• Have experience of different church situations
  and the ability to apply their knowledge and
  experience to provide advice both to the church
  and to the LBA/BU.

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The Visiting Process

• Ideally the Visitors should
• Meet with the leadership (inc. Minister)
• Meet with representatives of the wider fellowship
  perhaps attending a service
• Have a separate conversation with the Minister
• Take account of the area in which the church is
  working perhaps walking around the area if they
  are not already familiar with it.

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The Visitors Report

• The Visitors Report should have the following
  headings
• The Community
• The Church (a) The People (b) The Building
• Mission
• Ministry
• Denominational Participation
• Finance
• Other Comments
• Conclusion and Recommendation

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The Visitors Report Circulation

• The Visitors Report will be used by the LBA and
  BUGB staff and HM grant groups to reach a
  decision on the grant request.
• It will not be sent to the church by the LBA or
  the BU.
• Note Some Visitors choose to show their report
  to the church before finalising it to ensure that
  it is accurate and fair but that is entirely up
  to the Visitors. The church has no right to see
  it.

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• What I look for in an application
• Mrs Rachel Tole
• (BUGB Home Mission Grants Manager)

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Why do we give grants?
Home Mission Grants are given to help churches
support a Minister who will lead them forward in
their mission by helping them to reach out to
their local community with the love of God in
whatever ways are appropriate.
A Baptist People United in Mission
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What are the key questions?

• If we give a grant to this church, is it
  going to enable mission to take place?
• What is the appropriate level of grant for
  this church at this time?

A Baptist People United in Mission
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What do I look at?

• Part One
• Visitors Report
• Association Recommendation
• The Finances
• End of year balances
• Offerings
• Giving to HM and BMS
• Unusual income/expenditure
• Check stipend etc

A Baptist People United in Mission
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An application should be
A Baptist People United in Mission
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A Baptist People United in Mission