At a venue near you!

A grand total of 21 local  groups of administrators/church managers are now officially listed with UCAN, spanning the country from Bournemouth to Aberdeen, from Northern Ireland to the M11!

Group sizes range from a handful to 40 (on the mailing list!), with each group meeting with timing, location and frequency to suit the constituent members.

Most meetings involve food and drink to a greater or lesser extent, and vitally provide a link with others who share the same joys and frustrations, and find that their burdens are lightened in this knowledge! Groups tend to include a mix of pre-arranged content, and informal opportunity to ask questions and benefit from each others’ wisdom and experience: hot topics seem to be databases and GDPR…but the range of discussions is as broad-ranging as our roles!

The newest group is in South Yorkshire – welcome to Sally Davies and her  members.  Take a look at ChurchSuite and see if there is already a group near you.  If not, why not get in touch with other UCAN members near you (search the membership database) and see if you could start one.  Just let us know if we can help you get this started – making contacts, working out formats, providing materials.  Any questions, please feel free to contact Isabel Willerton or I’m on the end of an email: joyce.gledhill@churchadministrators.net

Book early to avoid disappointment!

Senior Manager Church Administrators are warmly invited to join us on Tuesday 27th February 2018, 11.00am-5.30pm at Bloomsbury Baptist Church in London. 

Our guest speaker will be Richard Steel and together we will look at how we create a culture that values volunteers and assists with their recruitment.  You'll receive a free copy of his book 'Building up the Body' on the day.

Places are limited and we are initially opening bookings to Senior Manager Church Administrators across our network.  So, for more information, to download a copy of the brochure and to book click here. You may also bring one paying guest from your church - just add a second ticket when you book online.

Congratulations to our distant learning students

Two students on our distant learning module, The Work of a Church Administrator,  have completed the whole course.  Well done to Liz Leaman, Administrator Dustan Parish, Northampton and Sally-Ann Hamilton, Administrator at Finaghy Baptist Church, Belfast.  Congratulations to them both on a great achievement!

If you are interested in taking the course please do get in touch.  John Truscott continues to oversee the course which is run in association with St. John's School of Mission, Nottingham. More details are available from www.john-truscott.co.uk

There are currently over 30 students and four tutors involved in the course.   

News from local groups

The Taunton Group met on 11th October and five administrators attended.

We discussed several topics including copyright reporting and Qualifying Connection requirements for weddings.   It was clear that we are all very busy at the moment with a succession of special services for Harvest, All Soulstide, Remembrance Sunday and then on to Advent and Christmas.

It is good to meet up and share experiences and also to discover different areas of expertise among the group and I personally, came away feeling very much supported and encouraged.

Ruth Cook, Taunton Group

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Woking Group

The Woking group gathering was very ably hosted by Jess McNutt at Trinity Methodist and we ate our lunch and treated ourselves to doughnuts and cookies whilst chatting about various hot topics including next year’s General Data Protection Regulation and Church Management systems. It was so good to benefit from other people’s expertise and experience, and I, for one, have returned to my office very motivated to organise some local training from Church Suite.  Watch this space Woking!  Our next local group meeting will be on Monday 29 January at 12noon at St Andrew’s Church, Goldsworth Park.

Caroline Bowen, Woking Group

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Bucks/ Herts Border

The Bucks/Herts Border local group was only established officially a few months ago, although administrators in our area had met more or less once per year prior to this.

We are about to meet again in November, with around 40 folk now on our mailing list.  We aim to meet over lunchtime and get to know one another over a buffet lunch.  We usually also have a short message of encouragement brought by one of the group leaders, and then opportunity to ask questions of each other to conclude.

A list of contact details for attendees is circulated to enable those discussions to continue.  Judging by the speed with which administrators respond to the invitation, this is increasingly viewed as a valuable use of time.   Title for our next meet is –‘Hooray for Administrators’!

Joyce Gledhill, Bucks/Herts Border Group

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Farnborough Area

Five members of the UCAN local group for the Farnborough Area met in Fleet Parish Community Centre on Wednesday 20th September.

We talked about life in general rather than any specific items this time and propose the next time we meet to look at the John Truscott article on Christian Administration https://www.john-truscott.co.uk/content/download/607/10936/file/A15%20-%20Christian%20administration.pdf  – so if you’re able to come to the next meeting (and new members are always welcome) please bring a Bible so that we can spend some of the time looking at this together.

We closed the meeting in prayer, and will look to meet again in January.

Chantelle Gardner, Farnborough Group

UCAN News Update 17:5

Appointment of Isabel Willerton

Julian Mander is one of the Directors of the new UCAN.  With Kevin Lawrence and Jules Morgan he served on the interview panel in July for the new staff member.  He updates us with some great news.

“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Isabel Willerton as UCAN’s new Administrator & Network Co-ordinator.  We had 28 applicants for the post and, at interviews earlier this summer, Isabel was the clear choice for us all.

Isabel has been on the staff of the Trinity Churches in Shrewsbury since 2009, latterly as Office Manager.  She has been a UCAN member for five-and-a-half years. Isabel started work for UCAN in September ahead of the launch of a new website and completely new back-office systems in October.  Planning and implementation meetings involving Directors, John and Isabel are taking place in earnest.

Once we're ready to fly, you'll get a personal invitation from the team to activate your new UCAN account.  So you’ll be hearing more from Isabel and the team before long.  Please pray God’s blessing on Isabel as she takes on this new work from her home in Shrewsbury, and for the Directors as we oversee what we trust will be a smooth transition.  In the meantime UCAN will function as normal and John will continue to handle day-to-day administration for the next month or so.”

Bishop cries, ‘Hurrah for administrators’

It’s not often we read something from a national church leader directly about our work.  So, with his kind permission, I am delighted to reproduce this letter from the Rt Revd Peter Hancock, Bishop of Bath and Wells, uploaded to his diocesan website on 9th August.

“In a magazine recently I read about a distance learning course being offered by St. John’s College in Nottingham specifically for Church Administrators. (That’s the UCAN module.)  It combines study alongside working, takes about 18 months, and leads to a Certificate in Christian Studies.  Those who have completed the course speak of how not only has it transformed their way of working, but how it changed the way others within the church perceived them and the work that they do.  I found that really encouraging.

All churches are dependent on the skills, gifts and talents of church members offering their time and expertise to help build up the Church.  Valuing, appreciating and developing those God-given gifts is so important.  When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth he said; ‘Now to each one has been given the Spirit’s gifts for the good of all.’ (1 Corinthians Chapter 12) He then goes on to give examples of those gifts.  He mentions prophecy and healing, preaching and teaching, leadership and tongues and many others.  But tucked away in that list of gifts and ministries we read that God has appointed people with the ability ‘to help others and those with gifts of administration’.  Administrators are mentioned in the same list as apostles, miracle workers and prophets.

Although as anyone who has ever been involved in church work knows administrators often are ‘miracle workers’ ensuring that all the necessary administrative tasks of the church are done efficiently and effectively. The word Paul uses for ‘administrator’ is the same word that is used for a pilot of a ship, whose task it is to steer the ship safely through the rocks and the shoals to the harbour.  Administrators seldom stand in the limelight, they work in the background and shoulder the routine but essential work on which everything else depends.

We don’t always know who counts the collection, produces the service sheets, takes the minutes, or staples the church magazine together.  But God knows and without all those people the mission of the church would not go forward as it does.  Hurrah for administrators.”

The Right Reverend Peter Hancock

Bishop of Bath and Wells

Looking back on five years as a Church Administrator

Ann Atkin was Administrator for the Northampton Methodist Circuit for five years until last December and is now a UCAN Associate.  John asked her what were the key lessons she had learnt in that time.

 “From my five years’ experience the following are what I feel I have learnt.  I pass them on to others fulfilling similar roles.

1. Beware!  The job is almost certainly going to grow.
2. Don’t be afraid to give your opinion.  The chances are you have a better idea of what is going on than others around you.
3. If it’s not too disruptive, keep your office door open – it seems more friendly and welcoming that way.
4. Don’t be afraid to readily admit when you get something wrong – after all we work in a forgiving environment (or we should do!).  This may also encourage others to do the same.
5. You have a pastoral role to play.
6. It is a great privilege to pray with your fellow colleagues and Ministers.

This was probably the most rewarding and fulfilling job I have had.”

Employment advice on offer

I have followed Mark Mason’s business enterprise for a few years now and have asked him to tell us what he can offer members of UCAN.  He puts out a (free) monthly e-letter of legal advice which is well worth receiving.

Mark Mason is an employment lawyer based in Belfast, with clients across the UK in a wide range of sectors.  Mark has a keen interest in serving the Church, mission agencies and other charitable organisations with a Christian ethos.

Mark’s desire is to equip the Church to deal with employment law matters in a way that is both legally compliant and reflective of how Christians should relate to each other in the workplace.  He regularly advises churches on the following matters:

-        recruitment exercises (including advising on when a church can say that a role must be undertaken by a Christian);

-        drafting contracts of employment;

-        drafting / updating HR policies that are reflective of the Christian ethos of the church;

-        advising on issues of employment status and entitlement to minimum wage.

For more information on how Mark may be able to assist you, please feel free to get in touch with him (tel 028 9084 8899, email mark@markmasonlaw.co.uk, web www.markmasonlaw.co.uk).

Local Group news

These items are included in each issue to give all groups ideas for their meetings and to encourage others to form new groups.  They are very much appreciated by those who belong to one!

Two new groups:

We are delighted to welcome two new UCAN local groups that have joined over the summer to bring out total to 20.  The new Oxfordshire Group which is just forming is led by Vicky Johnston and Karen Stoddart.  The Bucks/Herts Border Group has been meeting already and is led by Joyce Gledhill.

See https://www.john-truscott.co.uk/Administrators/UCAN-local-groups for a listing of all groups and their Co-ordinators.  The new UCAN website will also have details of all our groups.

Taunton Group

Ruth Cook from St Andrew’s, Taunton writes:

“The Taunton Area group met on 12th July.  Four Administrators attended.

We discussed a variety of topics including workplace pensions, the Parish Buying Scheme and safeguarding.  We also chatted about the roles of paid Administrators and volunteers in the church and where the boundaries can sometimes seem blurred.  A helpful afternoon and it was good to meet up again.”    

BH Postcode Group

Gillian Mannouch, Senior Administrator at St John’s, Wimborne, sent us this contribution from their meeting in July:

“Only five of us managed to meet at St Mary’s Longfleet (SML) in Poole, but we had a really informative and encouraging time.  Gillian shared a couple of key points from a seminar on ‘Intimacy with God in the busyness of life & ministry’ which she had attended the previous week.  A core principle was: God does not expect you to do more than you can do.  God created a day to have 24 hours, so there is enough time. We are just trying to do too much (more than God expects of us).

The main part of the meeting was given over to Paul Eaton, Director of Operations at SML who did a presentation on volunteer management: How do we create an effective and infectious ethos of volunteering?  There was plenty of time to discuss the issues that each of us are facing and we went away challenged to improve the volunteer management at our own churches.

Quick news, reminders and updates

Cutting Edge date for 2018 announced

The UCAN Cutting Edge conference next year will be a one-day event in central London on Tuesday 27th February.  The theme is volunteering.  The speaker is Richard Steel.  Book the date now!  Details will be on the new website this autumn.

Resourcing Gospel Ministry Conference

The next conference run by a group of Administrators working through the Good Book Company will be held at Dundonald Church in Raynes Park, South-West London on Monday 6th November.  Details when available from http://churchadministratorsconference.org/.

Christian Resources Exhibition

The various Christian Resources Exhibitions have always been tailor-made for Church Administrators.  The main CRE has now been taken over by some of its original organisers and is back at Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey but with an autumn date this year from 17th to 19th October.

For full details go to http://www.creonline.co.uk.  Advance tickets cost just £4 for individuals (£8 on the day) or £3 each for groups of three or more.  Tickets are valid for all days and parking is free at Sandown Park.  If you come by train Esher is on a direct line from London Waterloo.

Fraud warning

More of you have been telling me that you were targeted for the sophisticated fraud when you get involved in email correspondence supposedly with your Minister or other leaders which leads to them asking for a CHAPS payment to be made.  All the names will be correct.  Check the sending email address and be very suspicious.

Congratulations to distance learning students

Three students on our distance learning module, The work of a Church Administrator, run in association with St John’s School of Mission in Nottingham, have recently completed the whole course.  They are Gillian Thomson, Administrator at St Paul’s, South Harrow, Ethne Whitlock, Parish Administration Assistant at St John the Baptist, Newport IOW, and Elizabeth Hill, Parish Administrator at Christ Church, New Malden.  Congratulations to them all on a great achievement!

If you are interested in taking the course, do get in touch.  I shall continue to oversee this after I have handed over the running of UCAN to the new team.  We currently have over 30 students and four tutors.

Finally, farewell from me

This will be the final UCAN News Update that I prepare – at No. 49 I’ve just failed to make my 50!

UCAN’s roots go back to 1981 when I set up Administry and, as one small part of that, started a mailing list for the few Church Administrators who were around in those early days.  The first day conferences took place in 1983 when such appointments really were cutting-edge stuff (don’t laugh!).  That grew to several hundred members by the time I left Administry in 1999 though others on the team were running that ministry by then.

Sadly, Administry folded a few years later and after requests I started UCAN in 2009 as an add-on to my church consultancy and training work.  In just over eight years that has grown to over 1,350 members now with specialised resources and events.  But it is only supposed to be a small extra to my professional work.  Handling this size of membership with all the changes each week was proving too much even five years ago when I started a process of succession planning which reaches its conclusion this autumn.

I am thrilled to be handing over to a team of six highly gifted and passionate Directors who will take UCAN forward in ways I have not been able to do.  And the appointment of Isabel Willerton as UCAN’s Administrator & Network Co-ordinator is an added joy.  She will be great!

The handover date is not quite fixed yet – probably in October.  Pray for us all as we meet on 14th September to plan the final details.  Some have asked if I am retiring.  Er, no, but I will be getting back to my core work of championing God’s gifts of organisation to his Church as a consultant, trainer and writer.  UCAN members will continue to receive my bimonthly Resources e-letter.

Thank you so much for all your support, your encouragement, your many emails, and your own passion for this work.  I want to go on supporting you all but from a distance.  Please give Isabel and the new team your prayers and your backing.  It will be a massive job to handle a smooth transition and change over to digital systems at the same time, but the future for UCAN is just about to get a great deal brighter!

Looking back, I thank God for the privilege of sharing in this work of his.  If I had one prayer for the future it would be that, if I have laid a foundation, others will now build on it with care.  But the true foundation for both UCAN and its members’ ministry must be Jesus Christ and his gospel – see 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.  May UCAN prosper on this solid base!

Welcome to new members

Here are our new joiners for July and August.  A really warm welcome to all.

The lists each time are in order of joining.  If I seem to have missed you out or shown anything that is incorrect, please let me know so I can put it right.  Additions and changes after 31st August will be given in the November 2017 Update.  * indicates there is at least one other UCAN member at this church.

Welcome to new UCAN members for July and August

Andrea Forbes, Church Administrator at Hillsborough Parish, NI

Colette Patterson, Church Administrator at Woodlands Evangelical, Derby

Joanne Davids, Finance Office at St Mary’s, Cheadle*

Ali Cook, Church Centre Co-ordinator at Worle Baptist, Weston-super-Mare

Gillian Taylor, Parish Administrator at St Paul’s, Mill Hill, London

Noel Fryer, Administrator at St Luke’s, Market Drayton

Liz Howard, Church Administrator at St Mary’s, Ferndown*

Adele Bouckley, Administrator at Emmanuel, Leftwich, Northwich

Helen Ludkin, PA to Vicar/Parish Administrator at St Saviour’s, Church Harden, Bingley

Ruth Ballantyne, Administrator at Sheffield Methodist Circuit

Sarah Hayes, Operations Leader at Altrincham Baptist*

Sally Jones, Church Administrator at St George’s, Holborn, London

Caroline Dennis, Administrator at St Paul’s, Kingston Hill, Kingston upon Thames

Sarah Westmore, Lay Worker (Administrative Assistant) at Trinity Methodist, Penarth

Julie Firminger, Church Administrator at West Leigh Baptist, Leigh on Sea

Hazel Pullan, Benefice Administrator at Washburn & Mid-Wharfe Benefice, near Otley

Karl Parkes, Centre Manager at St Philip’s, Cambridge

Vanessa Bronnert, Parish Administrator at Holy Trinity, Northwood

Rhiane Horsfall, Events Co-ordinator at Mosaic Church, Leeds*

Chis Lavin, Church Administrator at Rock & Redeemer Vineyard, Dunstable

Those who have taken over from another UCAN member at their church

not always in the same post or with the same responsibilities and some changes may have taken place some time ago but the UCAN transfer has just been effected or there has been a vacancy for some months.

Karen Tabner, Communications Officer at FaithLife Centre, Manchester (replacing Anna Beckwith)

Sonam Langdon, Administrator at St Jude’s, Southsea (replacing Andy Gilbert)

Fiona Forth, Parish Assistant at St Andrew’s, Much Hadham (replacing Angela Kenny)

Julie Haworth, Finance & Operations Manager at St Stephen’s, East Twickenham* (replacing Clare Jeffery)

Mariava Philipps, Central Support Manager at Ivy Church, Manchester* (replacing Dave Challis)

Catherine Proudman, Central Support Team Leader at Ivy Church, Manchester* (replacing Jo Spurling)

Lesley White, Area Co-ordinator at Uttoxeter Area of Parishes (replacing Della Laflin)

Stevey Cater, Operations Minister at Westwood Church, Coventry (replacing Mike Knight)

Rachel Rowell, Administrator at St John the Baptist, Wimbledon, London (replacing Julie Haynes)

Gill Margetts, Office Administrator at St Mary’s, Chard (replacing Anne Plested)

Olivia Cox, Church Administrator at St Andrew’s, Psalter Lane, Sheffield (replacing Tina Powell-Whiffen)

Sian Smith-Keary, Administrator at Barton Church Canterbury (replacing Rob Marfleet)

Amy Kelly, Parish Manager at St Michael & All Angels, Bedford Park, London* (replacing Paloma Sielski)

Catherine Peacock, Administrator & Office Manager at Mosaic Church, Leeds* (replacing Sarah Halpin)

Lynn Graseman, Church Administrator at Bishop’s Stortford Methodist (replacing Richard Ling)

Carole Markham, Parish Administrator at Trinity Churches, Shrewsbury* (replacing Isabel Willerton)

Olly Barker, Operations Manager at King’s Church, Loughborough (replacing Leigh McGough)

Alison Walters, Parish Administrator at All Saints’ & St Andrew’s, Huntington, York (replacing Amanda Lawson)

Bill Murphy, Church Manager at St James’, Clerkenwell, London (replacing Julie Haworth)

Joanna di Somma, HR Advisor at Carmel City Church, Bristol (replacing Steve Lewis)

Claire Boot has moved from St George’s, Southall to be PA at Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff

Members who have moved on from their posts and who are not being replaced or where their successor does not wish to continue the membership

We have lost a total of 115 members in eight years when appointments are not renewed, posts are made redundant, or we are asked to cancel the membership.

Janet Sowter, Parish Administrator at All Saints’, Kirby in Ashfield

Sarah Wilson, Administrator at Witham URC

Next issue

Isabel will put the next Update out in November.  Keep checking the website for up-to-date news as this is the main hub of information.  You will be informed about the switchover to the new website in (probably) October.  Breaking news is given through the daily Twitter feed @UCANnews, our Facebook page and automatic notification emails which come out about once a fortnight or so on a Monday.

This comes with my warmest greetings for all your work this autumn and in the future.

John Truscott

UCAN News Update 17:4

Latest news on the UCAN handover this autumn

Colin Rye, one of the Directors for the new UCAN, updates us all.

“In November 2016, in the light of John’s desire to step back from direct involvement in the running of UCAN, I wrote a brief article detailing plans to set up UCAN as an independent organisation.  Those who attended Cutting Edge in March this year will have heard some of the ‘new-UCAN’ Directors provide an update on what has happened since and what is planned next.  What follows, God-willing, will fill in the gaps and get everyone on the same page!

Six Directors, all current or previous UCAN members who share a belief in the spiritual gifts of administration and a passion for church administration, have been appointed (Joyce Gledhill, Jules Morgan, Andy Bagwell, Julian Mander, Kevin Lawrence and myself).

Importantly, all passionately agreed that the future ambition is to maintain everything that UCAN already does so well - conferences, Area Training Days (ATDs), access to resources, etc. - and, when possible, to scale up, for instance, by strengthening Local Groups; exploring new relationships and partnerships with church and para-church networks; finding new facilitators and offering increased consultancy.

In January this year, UCAN was incorporated as a legal entity - a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee that now has a bank account, a registered office (with a phone number and a virtual registered address!), and a web domain which will become the new entry point for UCAN.

Also, in January, Andy and Julian met with John to understand more of the practicalities of the handover and this, in large part, has set the agenda for the coming months which will include:

·         Recruitment of the ‘Administrator and Network Co-ordinator’ (shortlisting from a large field of applicants at the Board meeting on 13th July, interviews 20th July).  This is a critical appointment as this individual will support the network by taking over the back-end functions that John has so diligently performed.

·   Launch of the new website focused initially on promoting UCAN but hotly pursued by the online management system which will permit the transfer of membership records from John’s database, online ATD and conference bookings, ‘Update’ mail-outs from new-UCAN and access to the rich library of existing resources.

·  Fathoming the challenges of a virtual organisation - post, email, phone calls, book-keeping, etc.

·  Strategising a transition to an appropriate paid-membership structure that recognizes that, as the network builds, we cannot rely purely on voluntary donations.  We don’t want to alienate any existing members but, going forwards, churches will need to make a financial contribution to the running of UCAN that is relative to their size.

The transition, in the next few months, will be challenging - there is much to do; so please pray for the Board, for voluntary help and for the right ‘Administrator and Network Co-ordinator’ appointment.  We’ll keep you posted on progress!”

Key lessons for Church Administrators

 Gary Pattimore was the Administrator at Emmanuel Christian Centre in Walthamstow, East London.  This is a large Assemblies of God Pentecostal church.  He retired earlier this year.  Here are his key (sometimes light-hearted) lessons he learnt in his time there.

1.       You are not the Pastor so don't act as if you are and don't expect to be treated as if you are.

2.       Don't expect everyone to understand your role – but see if you can publish your job description in the church newsletter .... in every issue.

3.       Remember that you should not try to read other peoples’ minds.  But it’s probably OK to let some people think you can.

4.       Receive encouragement whenever it’s offered –  simultaneously working on the theory and practice of genuine humility. 

5.       Give and show encouragement whenever you can.

6.       Learn to say ‘No’ with a smile that doesn't look too gleeful – remembering that it’s not always what you say but the way that you say it that matters.

7.       When you start to see every request as a problem rather than an opportunity, it’s time for a short break/sabbatical/new job/retirement.  (circle as applicable)

8.       You shall not go into the job unless you receive specific assurance that it is what God wants you to do.  So when things get on top of you, learn to remind yourself of that assurance.  Expect to need to do so about once a week.

9.       Get yourself a hobby – you can't be the Administrator seven days a week.

10.   Carry a small notebook/tablet, android phone or pen with a secret recording device .... and never loan your pen.

ChurchApp rebranded as ChurchSuite

The church management system formerly known as ChurchApp has a new name:ChurchSuite (https://churchsuite.com).  ChurchSuite is used by many UCAN member churches and more than 700 churches in the UK (800+ worldwide) to aid the smooth-running of churches with features for people communication, event organisation, online giving and rota management.

Writing on their blog about the name change (https://churchsuite.com/blog/2017/06/12/churchapp-is-now-churchsuite) they reassured customers of their continued focus to build software that "supports your church and extends God's Kingdom".

For those interested in the product, ChurchSuite have an extensive website outlining their product and run monthly training days throughout the UK helping administrators get the most from their software.  They offer a free 30 day trial which gives full access to the entire software package, with email and telephone support available throughout.

Local Group news

These items are included in each issue to give all groups ideas for their meetings and to encourage others to form new groups.  They are very much appreciated by those who belong to one!

Bristol Region Group

Lindsey Mansfield, from Woodlands Church, Bristol, writes:

“The Bristol Region group meets termly and it was encouraging to meet in the newly refurbished Redland Parish Church and see their stunning new facilities.  We heard about the opportunities that the new building development has opened up with the community as well as some of the challenges of having a state-of-the-art facility to manage.

Other topics covered included the size of PCCs etc. and how they relate to leadership teams and other bodies; forthcoming GDPR data protection legislation and how it may affect us, particularly in relation to our databases; training courses; and graveyard management.

As always, we took time to pray for one another at the end of our time together.  It’s encouraging that one member of the Bristol group who currently drives in from North Somerset plans to start a new local group in that area.  UCAN continues to expand in the West Country!”    

Taunton Group

Ruth Cook, from St Andrew’s, Taunton, reports:

“The Taunton Deane and Area group met in May and seven members attended.  We welcomed three new members.

The topics discussed included security issues in the office, wedding regulations including organist fees, funeral fees administration and hours worked (and if extra time was paid for).

The group felt they would like to meet more often so that if someone misses a meeting, it isn’t too long before we meet again.  The next meeting was then booked for July.

Although the group was originally based in and around Taunton, it is now spread more geographically across Somerset.  We are gaining new members, largely through word of mouth, which is great.”

West Midlands Plus Group

 John Williams at Sutton Coldfield Baptist co-ordinates this group of senior manager members.

“Our June meeting was held in Coventry.  Here’s what a couple of the group members say:

‘I find the sessions great in that it helps build me up, (selfishly) when I realise that some of the issues I am facing are not just affecting myself in isolation, and there is some commonality between us all.’

‘Since starting my job as Operations Director of a largish church three years ago, I have found the local group that I'm part of a real help.  It is so helpful to spend time with others who know the sort of issues I'm facing first-hand and to be able to share some of the challenges in a confidential and sympathetic circle. 

It's also been great to visit other churches and I've been inspired by the things they are doing and picked up some great ideas along the way.  In between meetings, it's often been really helpful to send out a quick email to see if anyone has any advice or experience on a whole range of things.  All in all, the group has been a huge support.’”

Snippets from other groups

Welcome to a new group for Cheltenham, led by Andy Sawers.  They had their first meeting in June with eight Administrators attending.  This was a chance for everyone to get to know each other, share the issues that concerned them and they agreed to meet again in six months’ time.

The Lancashire Methodists group next meet in July but three members gathered with other lay employees from the Methodist District for a 24-hour retreat.  This was the first time Administrators have been invited and all felt it was a valuable experience.  Lei Young mentions that they are encouraged that the District is now recognising the work that Church Administrators do.

The Woking group is getting off the ground.  Caroline Bowen reports that six of them met for lunch in June and then had a quick walk-through of the host church buildings and a chat about their different roles and key issues.  They are planning to meet termly.

Dave Challis has handed over as leader of the Greater Manchester Plus group to David Rolles of LifeChurch Manchester.

Nine members of the Surrey Plus group met on 25th May.  There was prayer and updates on news from everyone.  This was followed by discussion on the size of the group, Performing Rights Society (PRS), ECO church, Safeguarding record keeping, dealing with conflict, Contact Management Systems and various points relating to staff contracts. 

The Farnborough Area group are still finding Administrators in their area who don’t know UCAN exists and are busy spreading the word!  Their next meeting is planned for the autumn term and they would love to hear from any Administrators in their area, even if they don’t feel that they can commit to meetings.

UCAN Accounts for 2016/2017

Each year we publish UCAN accounts to show how your voluntary contributions have been spent and how our events have been financed.  The 2016/17 accounts, part of my own business accounts, have been approved by the UCAN Directors.

This year these accounts are shown on the website version of this edition of Update which is on the UCAN News page, but are omitted in the email as we appreciate that not everyone will be interested in them.  Here however are the headlines:

1.       We made a £1,591 surplus on all events run during the year, largely because of increased numbers at the Cutting Edge residential conference.

2.       Total office, website, travel, etc. costs for the year came to £3,398.

3.       We therefore took £1,807 out of the members’ contributions fund to balance the books.

4.       With contributions received and the amount brought forward from the previous year this meant we still have £3,336 to take forward to 2017/18.

5.       In this current year we shall have significant extra costs to finance: governance costs for planning the handover, legal fees for setting up the new company etc., and from September the salary for a part-time Administrator & Network Co-ordinator.

Quick news, reminders and updates

Beware - fraud

Back in May the UCAN News webpage carried the following warning from Nick Baker, Director of Operations at St Paul’s, Salisbury.

"Yesterday we had a relatively sophisticated attempt made to defraud the church via email, and although this was caught by the strong processes we have around financial transactions, it was alarming that an initial email which purported to be from our church leader deceived our Finance Officer.

This was an attempt to use social engineering to trick our Finance Officer into thinking that she was exchanging emails with our church leader. Clearly the fraudster had used our website to identify who has these roles and then set up a spoof email account purporting to be from our church leader.

S/he then started with a fairly innocuous question to build up confidence in the email exchange before requesting a large transfer should be made to a particular bank account. This was not a blanket 'phishing' email but a targeted attempt to defraud by someone with a good grasp of English.  Apart from the fact that internal processes were not followed, the key clue is that the email address displayed after the name in the email is not one of our usual email addresses."

As a result of this piece three other members emailed me to say they had had the same experience.  Churches targeted including those in Exeter, Leeds and Woking.  So if your Minister or an elder or senior office-holder asks strangely for a CHAPS payment or similar to be made, be very careful.  The names may all be correct for your church but check the email addresses.

Mastering Kingdom Administration (repeat notice)

Sharon Clark is Operations Manager of New Covenant Church in Milton Keynes where they hold the ‘Spirit led administration’ event most years.  This year there is something a bit different.  She writes:

“Paul Manwaring is running a four-day ‘Mastering Kingdom Administration’ school in Milton Keynes in September.   As I think you know, we have run a one-day Spirit-led Administration workshop each year for the past four years or so.  This year we are excited to offer this longer event to Administrators.

Booking details and more information is here: https://kingdomadministration.eventbrite.co.uk”

Christian Resources Exhibition

The various Christian Resources Exhibitions have always been tailor-made for Church Administrators.

The main CRE has now been taken over by some of its original organisers and is back at Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey but with an autumn date this year from 17th to 19thOctober.

For full details go to http://www.creonline.co.uk.  Advance tickets cost just £4 for individuals (£8 on the day) or £3 each for groups of three or more.  Tickets are valid for all days and parking is free at Sandown Park.  If you come by train Esher is on a direct line from London Waterloo.

Time sheets

Karen Coleman, Church Life and Operations Manager at Broadmead Baptist, Northampton has a spreadsheet she uses as a time management aid.  You fill it in by putting in the actual times worked and it adds it up for you.  She is happy for others to see it if interested.  Email Karen if so (details on the UCAN online database).

Latest resources added to the website

We have added to the sample resources supplied by UCAN members on the UCAN resources page:

MR35Appraisal policy and sample forms

MR36Health and Safety Policy (complete)

MR37Policy on policies

MR38Data Protection Policy and GDPR news.

Welcome to new members

Here are our new joiners for May and June.  A really warm welcome to all.

The lists each time are in order of joining.  If I seem to have missed you out or shown anything that is incorrect, please let me know so I can put it right.  Additions and changes after 30th June will be given in the September 2017 Update.  * indicates there is at least one other UCAN member at this church.

Welcome to new UCAN members for May and June

Julie Griffin, Administrator at Holy Trinity, Barnstaple*

Ruth Haywood, Administrator at City Road Baptist, Edgbaston, Birmingham

Robert Bowker, Parish Secretary at St Mark’s, Pensnett, Brierley Hill

Saira Final, Ministry Support Assistant at Christ Church Fulwood, Sheffield*

Leah East, Operations Assistant at Centrepoint Church, Guildford*

Rachel Waits, Office Manager & PA to the Vicar at St Saviour’s, Sunbury-on-Thames

Susie Brown, Operations Administrator at Grosvenor Church, Barnstaple

Tina Dixon, Parish Administrator at St Peter’s, Cleethorpes

Joanna Dunn, Elders’ Assistant at Stapleford Baptist, Nottingham

Ian Naismith, Church Manager at Bruntsfield Evangelical, Edinburgh

Susan Ball, Church Manager at St Ann’s, Manchester

Alison Bates, Parish Administrator at Gt Leighs, Lt Leighs, Lt Waltham, Gt Waltham w Ford End &Chignalls, Chelmsford

Sheelagh Steadman, Church Administrator at The Salvation Army Lakeside Community Church, Doncaster

Rachel Merritt, Office Manager at The Parish of Winchcombe

Vicky Linford, Church Administrator at Church of the Holy Spirit, Aylesbury

Mark Betteridge, Operations Manager at Frinton Free

Eve Kendrick, Office Manager at New Life Church, Derby

Rosie Hayes, Operations Manager at Buckingham Parish*

Pauline Steadman, Ministerial Administrator / Church Secretary at Ministry of Restoration Church, Nottingham

Emma Leggett, Church Operations Manager at Eastleigh Baptist

Tracy Dixon, Parish Administrator at St Mary the Virgin, Battle

Claire Dagwell, Benefice Administrator at St Mary’s, Kelvedon, Colchester

Mark Stuckey, Operations Manager at Redland Parish, Bristol*

Those who have taken over from another UCAN member at their church

not always in the same post or with the same responsibilities and some changes may have taken place some time ago but the UCAN transfer has just been effected or there has been a vacancy for some months.

Gary Paul, Finance Office at Holy Trinity, Combe Down, Bath* (replacing Judith Wade)

Helen Duke, Parish Administrator at All Saints’, Burton on Trent + (replacing Ann Marie Wilson)

Elaine Owsley, Church Administrator at St Peter’s, Harold Wood* (replacing Lynn Marston)

Libby Kelsey, Administrator at St Mark’s, Haydock, St Helens (replacing Sharon Boden)

Paloma Sielski, Parish Manager at St Michael & All Angels, Bedford Park, London* (replacing Sarah Cullen)

Jess McNutt, Administrator at Trinity Methodist, Woking (replacing Katy Thomas)

Mel Mullen, Church Secretary at St Leonard’s, Exeter (replacing Sarah Lenton)

Sue Rogers, Church Administrator at Abington Avenue URC, Northampton (replacing Marion Green)

Marion Mahan, Office Manager at Bretton Baptist, Peterborough (replacing Pam Lee)

Jacky Faria, Office Manager at St Mary’s, Watford (replacing Kay Rees)

Catherine Levack, Centre & Finance Administrator at Warwick Gates Community Church, Warwick (replacing Hannah Fletcher)

Karen Johnson, Senior Administrator at Christ Church, Selly Park, Birmingham (replacing Jane Jackman)

Katharine Pidwell, Operations Manager at St Mary Magdalene, Torquay (replacing Nikki Lannon)

Joanne Jackson, Parish Administrator at Holy Trinity, Rayleigh (replacing Susan Mumby)

Jen Webb, Parish Administrator at St Mary’s, Ilminster (replacing Betty Viggers)

Hannah Harrison, Church Support Officer at St James’ Fletchamstead, Coventry (replacing Amber Fitzpatrick)

Ellie Latham, Administration Assistant at St James’, Styvechale, Coventry (replacing Claire Bradshaw)

Sue Richardson, Assistant Administrator at Leeds Vineyard (replacing Molly Ovenden)

Members who have moved on from their posts and who are not being replaced or where their successor does not wish to continue the membership

We have lost a total of 113 members in eight years when appointments are not renewed, posts are made redundant, or we are asked to cancel the membership.

Albert Danquah, Head of Administration & Operations at Word of Faith Mission, West Norwood, London  

Pat Hicks, Administrator at St Stephen’s, Tonbridge*

Angie Kateley, Youth & Children’s Administrator at St Stephen’s, Tonbridge*

Leila Hyde, Office Manager (maternity cover) at Above Bar Church, Southampton*

UCAN News Update 17:3

Looking back on the Cutting Edge conference

We had the largest number of delegates ever at our fourth Cutting Edge residential conference in March entitled ‘Open heart ministry’.  Three of them offered to share their experiences.

Jill Govier is the Centre Manager of Tees Valley Community Church in Stockton-on-Tees.

“The thing about open heart surgery is the need for experts, a great team to support and it can get very messy when the operation is being performed!

Well apart from the mess, I know I was blessed by having access to the expertise of Trevor Stammers who gave some useful background and practical information on stress, anxiety, depression and fear.  With the demands of my role as a senior Church Administrator I know this is something we are all subject to at some time, and we need to be responsible employers in looking for signs within our teams and our senior leaders.  His perspective was refreshing and biblically based, and I came away with some insightful tips to ensure the balance in work is realistic.

And the team – what can I say… from the organising team who did such a great job in pulling the event together and hosting the sessions, to all those who contributed (especially Jules Morgan and Pastor John and Pauline Tindall), to the staff at Kings Park conference centre and most of all to who attended and shared their own experiences and expertise through networking at break times – THANK YOU!”

Melvyn Tweed is the Finance and Facilities Administrator at St Paul’s, Leamington Spa.  He writes:

“I loved the conference.  It was very affirming, gave practical ideas and help, and provided a great opportunity to network with a hundred other people in my shoes.  Inspiring worship, excellent venue, good food and great fellowship.  The sessions were relevant, witty and at times raw and challenging.  There was plenty of time for reflection and processing.  This was another splendidly organised event from UCAN, it was fitting that we concluded by commissioning the new UCAN team.  An excellent investment of my time, to come away with a truly healthy heart for serving The Kingdom.”

Caroline Abbott is the Parish Administrator at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow in Essex.

 “This was my first UCAN residential conference and I can only praise the event.  The venue, food and company were all great and the topics and worship at the conference provided me with great food for thought.

The opportunity to network and share experiences with like-minded people was invaluable, and I was able to poach some ideas to take back to the office.  I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed the style of worship.  I come from a fairly traditional background, worshiping in a church with a formal choir and all the trappings that go with that and I always held the view that was the style of worship I preferred.  The joyful singing and passion for worship I experienced at the conference has opened my eyes!

On a personal level, much of what was talked about on the first day was a great source of help and comfort due to family issues I am currently facing, so I came away feeling more able to understand those issues and face them head on.”

The response sheets have all been analysed and the Organising Group will be studying the digest that has been prepared at their next meeting in early June.  Next year’s conference will be a one-day event in London on the theme of volunteers.

Top tips for Church Administrators

Antonia Jackson was Church Administrator at St Nicholas’, Tooting in South London for some years.  She is still much involved in the life of the church more in an operations role.  Here is her considered advice to all who work as their church’s Administrator.

1. Godliness is vital: maintaining a close personal walk with the Lord Jesus is key.
2. Administration is a gift from God (1 Cor 12); it’s really important, even though it's often unseen and rarely upfront.
3. In church life, admin is a means to an end - the spread of the gospel and the expansion of the kingdom.  It's important to maintain that focus.
4. It's a job wherein it's easy to make mistakes that lots of people notice and not be noticed when things go well.  Being aware of that makes it’s easier to take when people ‘notice’! 
5. It's important to have a balanced sense of responsibility - not under-developed ('It's gone wrong? I don't care') or over-developed ('I must do everything, myself, perfectly, even if I’m working 24/7').
6. Ministers aren't given very much training in managing people, so help them to manage you well (suggest an annual review, ask for crits, take crits/suggs well).  I was fortunate to have an awesome boss!
7. There is much to do in church life…don’t be afraid to focus on the admin.  It’s why you’re there.  For an Administrator, caring for people often means caring about the paperwork.
8. Be aware that volunteers are a (delightfully) special breed and will behave in unexpected ways!
9. Be prepared to say ‘No’!  Have your role as fully defined as possible.  People will always try to push the boundaries of what you're there for (I was once asked to do someone's typing for their job).
10. Be prepared to say ‘Yes’!  Willingness to be flexible is crucial. Keep praying!

Resources to help you in your work

There are two types of resources on the website.

1:  Specialist Church Administrator resources

The UCAN resources page has been growing steadily for the past 18 months and now has a wide range of helps for everyone who works in Church Administration.  Log in first as these are ONLY available to UCAN members and those you want to share them with in your church.

The page has three sections:

Members’ questions and responses

If you click on MWR2 you can ask questions and see what responses you receive from other UCAN members.  This is a brilliant way of seeing how others can help you within the network – but do use it too to help other members with your experience and expertise.

Resources from UCAN members

Every two or three weeks we add another item to the growing list.  These are sample statements, policies, documents, ideas that fellow-members are happy to share to save you time and effort in reinventing wheels.  We now have a truly valuable set of items and it grows all the time.

Resources from UCAN sources, events and surveys

The most recent additions here have been notes and slides from the Cutting Edge conference plus recordings of the workshops.  The UCAN recordings (public domain) page has the main conference addresses.  If you could not make it to Northampton this is where you can benefit from all we learnt there.

2:  General church administration resources

There are over 140 items in the general Resources section of John Truscott’s website with new items added every other month (and which you hear about through the mailing of ‘Resources e-letter’).  These cover a wide range of issues to do with church leadership, management, structures, planning, communication and administration.  Please share these round your churches to the people who can use them – some of them may not be so relevant for your own particular role.  See the introductory page.

Articles

Items of up to 10,000 words helping you think through issues or guiding you through tasks.  There is detailed advice on office work, handling meetings, staff selection, letting rooms, organising a church weekend away, appointing an Operations Manager and much more.

Training Notes

These are no more than 2,000 words so a five minute read.  There are now 100 of these covering a wide range of very practical issues in organising church life.  If you want to see those specially written for Administrators try the Administration index page.

Health-checks

Detailed assessment tools for the health of your church or the effectiveness of a mission agency.

Local Group news

These items are included in each issue to give all groups ideas for their meetings and to encourage others to form new groups.  They are very much appreciated by those who belong to one!

Worcester Group

Alison Moore, from City Church, Worcester, writes:

“The Worcester local group last met on 22nd March, at Lindisfarne House, the home of City Church.  As has become our custom, we met over lunch and enjoyed the opportunity to spend time together and to encourage one another.  The discussion covered a wide range of topics, both local and more general, and this time particularly focused on IT issues, and also how to have a healthy balance between work and home life.

Our next meeting is planned for 21st June and we are expecting two new UCAN members to join us then.  Anyone else in the Worcester area is very welcome to come along too – contact Liz Wilson or Alison Moore for more details.”

Bath Group

Jane Bradby reports:

“We last met on 7th February when the major item under discussion was safeguarding.  We noted in particular that:

• All policies need to be looked at carefully and updated on a regular basis. Churches need a robust policy, both for staff and volunteers, not just on paper but throughout the whole congregation.  For Church of England churches the Safer recruitment practice guidance must now be adhered to, and there are training courses available.
• The local diocesan policy is very demanding, with references needed for every volunteer. They will lay on ‘train the trainer’ courses.”

Quick news, reminders and updates

Third series of Area Training Days launches this month

This week we have the first at Birmingham with Guildford to follow, and then Nottingham in July.  Book on the pdfs on the UCAN events page of the website.  There is still time for Guildford on 17th May and plenty of time for Nottingham.

Mastering Kingdom Administration

Sharon Clark is Operations Manager of New Covenant Church in Milton Keynes where they hold the ‘Spirit led administration’ event most years.  This year there is something a bit different.  She writes:

“Paul Manwaring is running a four-day ‘Mastering Kingdom Administration’ school in Milton Keynes in September.   As I think you know, we have run a one-day Spirit-led Administration workshop each year for the past four years or so.  This year we are excited to offer this longer event to Administrators.

Booking details and more information is here:  https://kingdomadministration.eventbrite.co.uk”

Plans for new-UCAN progress

The Directors of new-UCAN meet on 11th May.  There is already a company and a bank account.  They now turn their attention to employing a half-time staff member to run the day-to-day work of the network.  If you are in any way interested in being informed once details become available, email Jules Morgan on julesmorgan@st-stephens.org.uk.

If you want to hear the presentation at Cutting Edge, go to the UCAN resources page of the website and scroll down to item UR10 where there is an audio recording of this session.  The offering at the final Communion service raised the wonderful total of almost £1,450 for new-UCAN.

The expectation is a handover from John to the new team sometime in the autumn.  This is all being planned very carefully.  More next time.

Welcome to new members

Here are our new joiners for March and April.  A really warm welcome to all.

The lists each time are in order of joining.  If I seem to have missed you out or shown anything that is incorrect, please let me know so I can put it right.  Additions and changes after 30th April will be given in the July 2017 Update.  * indicates there is at least one other UCAN member at this church.

Jessica Lawrence, Parish Administrator at Egloshayle & Breoke Churches, Wadebridge

Sarah Postlewhite, Finance Administrator at CRE8/St Barnabas’. Macclesfield*

Sue MacDonald, Team Administrator at Harborough Anglican Team, Market Harborough

Jenny Duncan, Administrator at Christ Church, Guildford

Beth Howard, Administrator & Building Manager at Gateway Church, Leeds*

Eleanor Wilson, Administrator at All Saints’ w St Philip & James, Fleet*

Rachel McLafferty, Operations Manager at All Saints’, Ecclesall, Sheffield*

Helen Stephens, Vicar’s PA at All Souls’, St Margarets, Twickenham*

Jill Webb, Administration & Communications Assistant at St Edmund’s w St James’, Whalley Range, Manchester

Lisa Scott, Church Manager at Burpham Church, Guildford

Sally Williams, Church Administrator/Vicar’s PA at St Mary’s, Radcliffe on Trent

Elizabeth Lees, Development Worker at St Matthew’s, Carver Street, Sheffield

Sarah Smith, Administrative Assistant at Chessington Evangelical*

Salome Noah, Office Manager at Lozells Methodist, Birmingham

Phil Lee, Operations Manager at Open Heaven Church, Loughborough*

Joe Braker, Office & Events Administrator at Holy Trinity, Leicester*

Alex Herrick, Finance Assistant at Holy Trinity, Leicester*

Stephanie Johnson, Ministry Support Manager at Christ Church Fulwood, Sheffield*

Tracey Nash, Administrative Officer at South Street Baptist, Greenwich, London*

Adam Brown, Ministerial Assistant at CLM Church, Coventry

Louise Yusuf, Parish Administrator at St Francis’. Luton

Helen Bennett, Benefice Administrator at St Peter & St Paul’s, Shepton Mallet

Christina Phiri, Administrator at Liberation Church, Newham, London

John Furley, Operations Manager at St Mary’s, Maidenhead*

Margaret Aust, Human Resources Manager at Open Heaven Church, Loughborough*

Dave Wright, Administrator at St Barnabas’, Beckenham

UCAN members transferring to a new church …

Emily Fowler, Communications Administrator at Liphook Church Centre* (from Shottermill)

Peter Troup, Operations Manager at St Barnabas’, Woodside Park, London* (from Everyday Church)

...and those who have taken over from another UCAN member at their church

not always in the same post or with the same responsibilities and some changes may have taken place some time ago but the UCAN transfer has just been effected or there has been a vacancy for some months.

Alice Carr, Parish Administrator at All Saints’, Ilkley (replacing Rachel Boggs)

Claude Lobo, Finance & Operations Manager at Parish of Brentford* (replacing Matt Roy)

Mary Barnes, Administrator at Holy Trinity, Hotwells, Bristol (replacing Helena Whitwell)

Louise Sampaio, Parish Administrator at St Paul’s, Addlestone* (replacing Lisa Tugwell)

Juliet Edwards, Parish Administrator at St Michael’, Mottram in Longdendale (replacing Tony Kershaw)

Ann Banner, Parish Administrator at St Mary’s, Bathwick, Bath (replacing Julia Brownbridge)

Gillian Rutherford, Vicar’s PA at St Mary’s, Longfleet, Poole* (replacing Karin Freshwater)

Chris Porter, Office Administrator at Worcester Baptist (replacing Peter Wood)

Matthew Jones, Operations Team Leader at St Barnabas’, Cambridge (replacing Rachel Cresswell)

Jessica Fellows, Media & Communications Administrator at Holy Trinity, Leicester* (replacing Hannah Lewis)

Andy Wilson, Operations Manager at St Mark’s, Harrogate* (replacing Mike Coles)

Janice Yelland-Sutcliffe, Church Administrator at St Mary’s, Arnold, Nottingham (replacing Victoria Hickman)

Hayley Shah, Parish Administrator at St Nicholas’, Chiswick, London (replacing Ian Stephenson)

Sam Porter, Administrator at Redeemer, Croydon* (replacing William Law)

Julie Fox, Parish Administrator at St Stephen’s, Shottermill, Haslemere (replacing Emily Fowler)

Members who have moved on but where there is now a medium-term vacancy

Diana Hallett, Operations Manager at Kea Church, Truro*

Jenny Hopley, Administrator at Aldridge Parish*

Mark Mulley, Church Administrator at Cambray Baptist, Cheltenham

Members who have moved on from their posts and who are not being replaced or where their successor does not wish to continue the membership

We have lost a total of 110 members in eight years when appointments are not renewed, posts are made redundant, or we are asked to cancel the membership.

Mary Garnet, Administrator at Emmanuel, Leftwich, Northwich

Sarah White, Administration Assistant at St Andrew’s, Chorleywood*

Mark Jeffery, Church Administrator at King’s Church, Catford, London

UCAN News Update 17:2

Area Training Days series 3 currently booking for May

Jules Morgan, Director of Operations and Development at St Stephen’s, Twickenham and one of the UCAN Directors for the new organisation now being set up, writes:

“We decided to focus UCAN’s third series of Area Training Days on the biblical and creative nature of our work.  We could all do with some encouraging teaching in these areas and John will provide that at five venues this year.  We’ve also asked him to be the trainer for this material in other venues next year when he will no longer be running UCAN himself.

Three of the new UCAN Directors will be hosting the May events.

·                Birmingham on Thursday 4th May – come and hear our exciting new plans for UCAN from Julian Mander and receive training input from John to give you fresh insights into the value of your work.

·                St Albans on Tuesday 9th May – I shall be hosting this event and telling you about our future plans with training from John.

·                Guildford on Wednesday 17th May – when Andy Bagwell will be explaining the future and John again providing the training.

There are details and booking forms at http://www.bit.ly/UCANevents.  These will then be followed by Nottingham on Thursday 6th July (details to go on the website in early April) and Belfast, probably in September.

2018’s likely venues include: Edinburgh/Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol/Bath, Kent area, Leeds, Southampton, Plymouth, Hexham, central London.

If you work solo, these days are great encouragements.  If you work in an administrative team, they are great to come to together for a really worthwhile team day out.  We hope to meet you at one!”

What I learned in ten years as a Church Administrator….

Sarah Burdett has just moved to a new post from being the Church Administration Manager at Holy Apostles’ Church in Cheltenham.   We asked her to share her experience.

“None of this is rocket science but I did find that some of it can get lost in the busyness of work. 

·                Embrace your gifting - Administration is a spiritual gift and you are called to exercise all your gifts in whatever circumstances you find yourself.  So remember administrative skills are a gift from God which is valued by him.

·                Give a positive impression - As an Administrator you may be the only contact that someone has with your church.  Always try to be warm, welcoming and as helpful as possible.  You never know where it might lead.

·                Know your colleagues - Whatever size church you work in, you will work with others, whether paid staff teams or unpaid volunteers.  Recognising differences (and similarities) with individuals helps to understand how they work and, hopefully, how you can work effectively together.

·                Find other Administrators – Church administration can be a lonely job.  Try to meet up locally with other Administrators, if only for coffee.  Also use the UCAN website to ask questions of other Church Administrators.  There is a wealth of experience and knowledge out there.

 ·                Know your limits - Many Administrators end up doing lots of small jobs which they may or may not be qualified for.  Where possible engage others from the congregation who have experience in these areas – or, when necessary, pay for professional expertise.

·                Realise your impact - Not everyone is gifted as an Administrator and not everyone realises the impact of a good Administrator (sometimes even ourselves!).  However, in using your gifts effectively, you can become an enabler, assisting and releasing others to exercise and develop their ministries and gifts; through which God can work bringing more people into his kingdom.”

A great sense of accomplishment

Leisa Young, Circuit Administrator for the Preston Ribble Methodist Circuit in Lancashire, has just completed the UCAN / St John’s Nottingham distance learning course, ‘The work of a Church Administrator’.  We asked her to tell us about the module.

“It had been almost two decades since I had taken on any kind of academic endeavour – as such, it was not without trepidation and a slightly shaky start that I began ‘The work of a Church Administrator’ distance learning course through St. John’s College, Nottingham.

My fears were quickly diminished when I received the coursework, which was easily broken up in to ten manageable units with clear guidelines.  The first of many emails and phone calls from my wonderful course tutor (UCAN member Simon Jones) also put my mind at ease, that the course could be completed at my own pace and that I would have support whenever I needed it.

As a Methodist Circuit Administrator I had some concerns that the course might not quite fit my needs but to my delight I discovered that it was adaptable to my denomination and a slightly different office environment and therefore entirely relevant to my role.

The coursework was challenging and practical.  Everything I studied proved a helpful reflection on how I manage things both in the office and theologically.  The three marked assignments in particular required a good deal of personal reflection and I found that I spent at least twice as long as the recommended amount of time on each of them.

The course has encouraged further learning, improved my work environment and communication channels, helped me make some valuable ecumenical contacts and completing it has given me a great sense of accomplishment.”  

For details of what the course involves and how to apply, see https://www.john-truscott.co.uk/Administrators/UCAN-distance-learning.

Local Group news

These items are included in each issue to give all groups ideas for their meetings and to encourage others to form new groups.  They are very much appreciated by those who belong to one!

Greater Manchester Group

Fran Townsend, Church Administrator at Elmwood Church, Salford, writes:

“Every term our group meets at a different member’s church so we can share hosting responsibilities, and see and learn from other churches’ ways of operating.

We recently met at the LifeCentre, the relatively new home of LifeChurch Manchester, south of the city.  We had several new attendees though some regulars couldn’t make this one - an inevitable consequence of covering such a large area.

We had two very useful presentations by Andy and David from LifeChurch; one on safety and another on how they use the church management system, ChurchApp, to facilitate the integration of new people arriving at their church. 

Both presentations were based on methods created by the church to meet their needs, so we knew they were practical tools we could use too.  They also generated a number of questions and gave us inspiration for addressing and developing better ways of working in our own contexts.

We always share documentation on Dropbox. So a wider audience can benefit from the presentation on safety.”

BH Postcode Group

Gillian Mannouch, Senior Administrator at St John’s, Wimborne, sent us this contribution from their meeting this week:

“Twelve of us met at Poulner Baptist Chapel in Ringwood and we covered a wide range of issues sharing what our churches currently do on each.  These included

·                Easter leaflets and booklets – with the idea of being able to put in combined orders

·                Use of Facebook and Mail Chimp for churches that use social media and email information to members

·                Producing printed reports for annual meetings

·                Giving and stewardship reviews – plus fund raising ideas

·                Use of Alpha, Discipleship Explored and other home-produced courses.

We had a visit from a photocopying firm to demonstrate what they could provide for churches, with specific advice on the production of banners.  We found time for an opening Bible verse and for prayer.  We meet again in July when we move round to another church venue.”

We have several members in the process of getting new local groups off the ground.  If this includes you, do get in touch to see how we can help and support you.  Local Groups are the main bottom-up part of UCAN and we long to see the number grow and the groups flourish.

 If you have indicated a desire to be part of a Local Group in your area but have heard nothing more this will be because no one was prepared to start a group, or someone hoped to do so but found they had no time.  Please get in touch with John if you would be interested in getting a new group off the ground, perhaps working with someone else.

Quick news, reminders and updates

Cutting Edge conference completely full!

The biannual residential conference at King’s Park, Northampton from 20th to 22ndMarch is completely full with a waiting list.  We have never had so many booking for this event and will report on it in the next issue of Update.

New Risk Toolkit, and other new items on the UCAN resources page

New items on the UCAN resources page of the website include:

·                MR31: Running a church pre-school

·                MR32: Organising music events at church

·                MR33: Fire and safety PowerPoint presentation

·                UR8: A new complete and updated version of the Risk Toolkit.

The Risk Toolkit was written by Daryl Martin for UCAN’s 2016 Cutting Edgeconference.  It has been available to all UCAN members since then and costs £20 for the pdf.  After a number of updates, a new version has now been produced and we have put this on the UCAN resources page.

If you were at the 2016 conference or have purchased a copy since, please download the new version or print it out free of charge.  If you have not had the earlier version, you are asked to send £20 in payment.  Half goes to the author and half to UCAN.

The Administrators’ version of Daryl’s Risk Toolkit is only available to UCAN members and for use in their churches.

Help with mortgages for churches

Simon Shefford is an independent mortgage broker with 28 years’ experience.  He helps churches and Christian charities obtain competitive mortgages and insurance for church buildings.

If you are looking for help in these areas see http:///www.churchmortgages.co.uk andhttp://www.cpmc.org.uk.

Plans for new-UCAN progress

There are six Directors for the new UCAN organisation being set up to take the network forward after John hands it over later this year.  Four are current UCAN members: Andy Bagwell, Joyce Gledhill, Julian Mander and Jules Morgan.  Two are former UCAN members now involved in charitable and church consultancy work and leadership: Kevin Lawrence and Colin Rye.

They are meeting regularly (next on 9th March and 11th May) to plan the running of new-UCAN and will be making presentations on the final morning of Cutting Edge in March and at the three Area Training Days in May.

They would value your prayers as they consider transfer plans, the effective use of website and IT in running UCAN, and future staffing.

John will then be able to focus all his energies back again on his core work of consultancy, training and writing.

Welcome to new members

Here are our new joiners for January and February.  A really warm welcome to all.

The lists each time are in order of joining.  If I seem to have missed you out or shown anything that is incorrect, please let me know so I can put it right.  Additions and changes after 28th February will be given in the May 2017 Update.  * indicates there is at least one other UCAN member at this church.

Welcome to new UCAN members for January and February

Sarah Gosling, Parish Administrator at St James’, Rowledge, Farnham

Christine Hobson, Administrative Assistant at Gateway Church, York*

Debbie Beville, Circuit Administrator at Staffordshire Moorlands Methodist Circuit, Stoke-on-Trent

Sue Humphries, Church Administrator at Holy Trinity, Takeley & All Saints’, Little Canfield, near Bishop’s Stortford

Angharad Broughton, Administrator at St John’s, Hinckley

Janet Nicholson, PA to Vicar at St John’s, Great Horton, Bradford

Kate Slater, Church Administrator at Moortown Baptist, Leeds

Linda Buesnel, Administrator at St John’s, Long Eaton

Samm Richards, Benefice Administrator at St John the Baptist, Pilton, near Shepton Mallet

Judith Jones, Church Administrator at St Sebastian’s, Great Gonerby, Grantham

Graham Ball, Church Centre Manager at Guildford Baptist*

Jana Phillips, Parish Administrator at St Nicolas’, Guildford*

Elizabeth Gaulton, Parish Administrator at B&A Church, Bristol

Sarah Bradley, Church Administrator at Portswood Church, Southampton

Alison Stuttard, Parish Co-ordinator at Mid-Wyedean Churches, Coleford

Carolyn Ford, Parish Administrator at Christ Church, Crookham, Fleet

Tassy Russell, Parish Manager at St Peter’s, Acton Green, London

...and those who have taken over from another UCAN member at their church

not always in the same post or with the same responsibilities and some changes may have taken place some time ago but the UCAN transfer has just been effected or there has been a vacancy for some months.

Sarah Eason, Circuit Administrator at Northampton Methodist Circuit (replacing Ann Atkin)

Lynne Lee-Diep, Parish Administrator at St Peter’s, Stevenage (replacing Barbara Blackwell)

Wendy Neary, Centre Operations Manager at Gateway Church, York* (replacing Caleb Ellwood)

Amy Wright, Church Administration Manager at Holy Apostles’, Cheltenham (replacing Sarah Burdett)

Becki Whitlock, Parish Administrator at St James’ Church Centre, Woodley, Reading (replacing Janice Parker)

Katie Urban, Operations Manager at St Michael the Archangel, Warfield, Bracknell (replacing Lucy Vitale)

Rebecca Willows, Parish Administrator at St Alban’s,  Hindhead (replacing Kay Young)

Patricia Rogers, Church Administrator at the Gospel Centre, London (replacing Sandra Berry)

Elizabeth Harris, Conferencing & Events Administrator at ChristChurch, Woking* (replacing Esther Harrison)

Helena Tarrant, Church Co-ordinator at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London* (replacing Elinor Newman)

Andy Neale, Parish Administrator at Parish of High Ongar (replacing Lynne Neale)

Fiona Hedges, Director of Ministry at All Saints’, Crowborough (replacing Andrew Drummond-Smith)

Karen Moore, Operations Director at Everyday Church, Wimbledon, London* (replacing Peter Troup)

Sarah Godwin, Office Administrator at Hereford Baptist (replacing Maggie Johnson)

Jane Foster, Church Secretary at St Clement’s, Poole* (replacing Tom Reiblein)

Annette Ross, Church Administrator at Christ Church, Virginia Water* (replacing Lesley Dumbleton)

Gaynor Robertson, Parish Administrator at St Luke’s, Great Crosby (replacing Shirley Wallin)

Members who have moved on from their posts and who are not being replaced

We have lost a total of 107 members in seven and a half years when appointments are not renewed, posts are made redundant, or we are asked to cancel the membership.

Helen Walter, Church Administrator at St Mark’s, Wyke, Normandy

Jenny Rote, Church Office Manager at Highfields Church, Cardiff

Deaths

Angela Anderson, PA to the Vicar at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London has, sadly, died.