Have you considered what a confidentiality policy from the perspective of the whole congregation might look like? John sets out the issues that need to be considered.
Planning for the Autumn ...
Summer is the time to encourage advanced planning and adequate preparation for the autumn. September will most likely bring increased activity and busy-ness as well as new visitors to your church. What a crucial time in the annual lifecycle of a church! To help you prepare, here are UCAN’s top 10 tips for your autumn planning, helping you be at your best for ‘game time’ in September…
A fistful of data
On 25 May this year GDPR legislation became law and many churches will have spent a good deal of time and energy trying to ensure that both their members and others had signed the appropriate forms and given the appropriate permissions to store and use their personal data. See our related paper on GDPR implementation here (link).
But now the deadline has come and gone, I wonder how much time and thought has gone into what happens next?
What do budgets actually tell us?
A church policy on hospitality
Cheque payments
With apologies to all those of you who have sent cheques to pay for subscriptions or other services. We are currently experiencing difficulties with our postal provider and you may find the cheque you have sent is returned to you. If you need to pay for your subscription by cheque please send it to the Treasurer, 2 Garridge Close, Albrighton, Nr. Wolverhampton WV7 3PZ. We hope to resolve this issue as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Only the Brave ... came to the UCAN Seminar at Spring Harvest
(Only the Brave – Determined Discipleship – was the overarching theme for Spring Harvest 2018, plumbing the depths of the book of James to discover some very real challenges and wisdom in this section of Scripture.)
Andy Bagwell and I were thrilled to meet up with a good number of church administrators and managers at both Minehead and Skegness …….. some of whom were UCAN members (thank you for coming!), and some of whom weren’t (quite!)
We took a look at the new UCAN – for the benefit of those who hadn’t come across the network before – and then broke into small groups to discuss the most usual feedback points from administrators about their role (‘Sundays are a nightmare’!), and from Ministers about administration (‘I lack administrative support’!)
Those attending found great comfort in knowing that their challenges were generally common to church administration itself, and in realising the benefit of sharing wisdom and practice with one another! Many stayed at the end of the designated time to discuss specific tasks which were challenging them at the time. Hopefully the name and potential of UCAN to support and strengthen practical church life around the nation is now a little more widely known and appreciated! UCAN members – please keep spreading the word!! (Oh, and see you next year at Spring Harvest!)
Your local group would love to see you!
When an annual conference, area training days, website, written resources, distance learning and forums still don’t meet all your needs…….then we have something right on your doorstep!
As church administrators, we spend much of our time at our desks and computers. We have a wealth of information at our fingertips, connectivity beyond our predecessors’ wildest dreams…..and yet nothing quite beats meeting up with others in similar roles nearby to exchange experiences, swap tips and solutions, and provide that very personal encouragement which only a meeting of local folk can achieve!
There are now 23 small groups on our list, located from Aberdeen to Bournemouth, from Manchester to Kent……and more in the pipeline. Interested? Then please do get in touch to see if we can put you in touch with an existing group in your area. If there isn’t (yet!), then please do let us help to identify other UCAN members in your area to see if we can get a new group up and running. We’re happy to put you in touch with others, help to shape or provide personal input into an initial meeting to get this off the ground, and be available to advise and support thereafter.
Stop press: Coventry and Reading have emerging groups…….contact Isabel or Joyce if you’re interested in knowing more, or helping to make this happen!