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LBA – London Baptist Association
London Baptist Association
Welcome to our
Home Mission Grants
Training Events
2008
www.londonbaptist.org.uk/homemissiongrants
www.baptist.org.uk/homemissiongrants
LBA – London Baptist Association
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 Q&A)
9.30 pm Close
LBA – London Baptist Association
Applying for a Home Mission Grant
Speaker
Paul Martin
Rev Paul Martin
LBA Regional Minister for Administration
email: paul.martin@londonbaptist.org.uk
email: homemissiongrants@londonbaptist.org.uk
www.londonbaptist.org.uk/homemissiongrants
LBA – London Baptist Association
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)
LBA – London Baptist Association
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
Conditions for Home Mission Grants (1)
LBA – London Baptist Association
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
Conditions for Home Mission Grants (2)
LBA – London Baptist Association
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
LBA – London Baptist Association
The application process
Church completes Jan/Feb
application forms
LBA appointed visitors meet Mar/Apr
with church leaders
LBA Grants Committee May
considers application and or
visitors report July
Application considered by BU
HM Grants Manager
BU Grants Committee July
or
makes decision
Sept
Applying for Home Mission Grants
LBA – London Baptist Association
• 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@londonbaptist.org.uk
LBA – London Baptist Association
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.
Section 1: General Information & Resolution
LBA – London Baptist Association
• 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.
LBA – London Baptist Association
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:
(a) To request a grant of £.... as a contribution
towards the stipend for 2009,
(b) To pay all legitimate expenses (including
travel, telephone, postage, etc) incurred in
the carrying out of the ministry
.....
LBA – London Baptist Association
Section 2: Ministerial Information
In this section you give
• the name of your Minister;
• the basis of appointment (full-time, part-time
etc);
• The manse
arrangements.
LBA – London Baptist Association
Section 3: Statistics
In this section you give basic statistical
information over several years:
Section 4: Church Life and Mission
• This is a vital section about your church life
LBA – London Baptist Association
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.
Section 5: Sunday Services & Other Activities
LBA – London Baptist Association
Let us know what you
are up to!
• Sunday services;
• Mid-week activities;
• Monthly clubs;
• Other regular
activities and events;
• etc etc
LBA – London Baptist Association
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.
LBA – London Baptist Association
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!
LBA – London Baptist Association
Form GD1B: Section 7
LBA – London Baptist Association
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
LBA – London Baptist Association
Form GD1B: Section 8 (a)
LBA – London Baptist Association
Form GD1B: Section 8 (b)
LBA – London Baptist Association
Form GD1B: Section 8 (c)
LBA – London Baptist Association
Being a Home Mission Visitor
Speaker
Dr Colin Hicks
LBA Home Mission Grants Administrator
email: cphicks@btinternet.com
email: homemissiongrants@londonbaptist.org.uk
www.londonbaptist.org.uk/homemissiongrants
LBA – London Baptist Association
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)
LBA – London Baptist Association
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.
LBA – London Baptist Association
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.
LBA – London Baptist Association
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
LBA – London Baptist Association
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.
What I look for in an application
Mrs Rachel Tole
(BUGB Home Mission Grants Manager)
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
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
What do I look at?
1. Part One
2. Visitors’ Report
3. Association Recommendation
4. The Finances
• End of year balances
• Offerings
• Giving to HM and BMS
• Unusual income/expenditure
• Check stipend etc
A Baptist People United in Mission
An application should be…
A Baptist People United in Mission
A Baptist People United in Mission
