Are you involved with church admin, management/ operations? UCAN will be at Spring Harvest this year.
News from Local Groups
Worcester Group
We last met on Wednesday 18th October, when we were hosted by Martyn Walley, at Wood Green Evangelical Church.
As we usually do, we shared lunch together, and enjoyed catching up with each other’s news, as well as welcoming a new member to the group. We had a helpful discussion about a number of issues we come up against, both locally and more widely, as well as starting to think about GDPR, which no doubt will come up again as a topic next time we meet! We finished with prayer, and as many of us hadn’t been to Wood Green before, with a tour around the church and its facilities.
We are next meeting on Wednesday 7th February, at Worcester Baptist Church, Sansome Walk, at 12.30pm. If any other administrators in the area would like to join us, we’d love to see you there – do get in touch!
Alison Moore and Liz Wilson
Oxfordshire Group
We held our very first local group meeting on 27th September 2017 at the Barn’s Café in Abingdon, which is part of Christ Church Abingdon. The location was accessible for most people with the added advantage that we could order delicious sandwiches! 13 administrators came to the lunch meeting and we had several apologies due to holidays etc, so it was a very encouraging start to the group.
We shared a little with each other about the work we do as administrators, which varied greatly in terms of hours worked and roles undertaken. Then we used John Truscott’s “Administrator Types”, based on Winnie the Pooh characters, to look at the different qualities and skills we bring to our jobs. It was a fun exercise but also helped us to recognise how unique we all are.
We also talked about what we would like to get from the group and made suggestions about topics that we could cover in future meetings as well as letting those who didn’t know about UCAN membership and the wealth of resources available to members.
Since our first meeting we have set up a closed Facebook Group for administrators to ask questions and share ideas. We are hoping to meet once a term and the next meeting is planned for March 2018.
Karen Stoddart and Vicky Johnston
The first official meeting of the South Yorkshire Group will take place on Tuesday 20th February at 12.30pm. Hosted by Sally Davies they will be meeting at the Wilson Carlile Centre, Cavendish Street, Sheffield S3 7RZ in the Café area. If you are in the area do come along and support the South Yorkshire group as it gets up and running.
The Surry + Senior Manager group will meet on 1st February at Christ Church Woking. For more details please contact Brian Howells.
Congratulations to our distant learning students
Five students on our distant learning module, The Work of a Church Administrator, have completed the whole course. Well done to:
Debbie Marsh, Administrator of the Minster Church of St. Andrew Plymouth
Cathy Walters, Church Administrator of St. Mary's Wythall, Birmingham
Angela Davies, Administrator of Mickleover Methodist Circuit
Linda Tudor, Parish Administrator of Holy Trinity, Chester
Val Simpkins, Development Worker for the Beakon Mission Partnership, Doncaster
Congratulations to them all 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.
What kind of Church Administrator are you anyway?
When I first started in church administration, lots of people, after the usual polite congratulations for the new job, paused and then asked me, ‘but what are you actually going to do?’ It was, as I was to find out, a good question! As most of the administrators reading this will know, no two days are the same and it is a rare week indeed when you do not find yourself doing something that most definitely is not on your job description.
In response to those enquiries, I found myself using analogies to describe my role and, over the years, have found these helpful when working with administrators, ministers and church congregations who are trying to understand the key aspects of their administrators’ job and purpose.
I now offer them to you and please consider whether any or several of the below describes your role, and if so, what you might need to watch out for. Maybe you could use this as the basis of a role review discussion with your minister or line manager?
The Bulldog
Your job is to protect the minister / other staff from those in the congregation, neighbourhood or elsewhere who are always clamouring for attention, answers etc.
Be careful that those you guard actually want and need to be protected. An overzealous bulldog can be a dangerous thing for both its owner and the public who meet it!
The Conductor
Your job is to make sure everything fits together, everyone knows their part, where they should be, when and what they should be doing.
Be careful that you give space for that special person who often plays flat and off the beat, but nonetheless has a tune God wants them to perform.
Oil can
Your job is keep the wheels of the church in motion, checking for places it may be getting stuck and applying a little judicious oil to get things started again
Be careful that you do not spend all your time fixing problems without also looking for why they may be occurring in the first place. Sometimes the church may actually need a mechanic.
Tea lady (or man)
Your job is to provide tea and a sympathetic ear to church and community members who pop into the office as a warm comfortable place to talk and sometimes moan
Be careful not to confuse accessibility with ability or gifting. Are you the best person for this and is this the best use of your time just because people know where to find you?
Jack of all trades
Your job is to be the church’s ‘go to’ fixer. You can be relied on to have a go, after all, who else will do it?
Be careful that you are not, by leaping to the rescue, getting distracted from the mundane, but important stuff that is waiting on your desk.
First mate
Your job feels like it is to be the minister’s ‘enforcer’. You make sure things get done and everything is ‘shipshape and Bristol fashion’ in the church.
Be careful to communicate really well with your minister about what is really essential and what would just be nice if it were possible. Messy church can also be good….
Scapegoat
Your job is basically to take the blame for everything that goes wrong, particularly when it is not your fault or it is out of anyone’s control.
Be careful of your own mental and physical wellbeing. Do this too often and it will take a toll on you and your family. Who is also praising and affirming you?
Spider
Your job is to know everything about everything and everyone. If in doubt, people know where to come for answers
Be careful of buses. If you fell under one would all that knowledge, experience and information disappear? Write it down!
UCAN Members dived in together!
We've teamed up with our friends at ChurchSuite to provide every member with online access straight into the heart of the UCAN network.
We sent a personal invitation to every member church across the network, to set up a password and be able to connect in.
(Did you miss your invite? - e-mail isabel.willerton@churchadministrators.net for a replacement)
You can log in direct via the link on the new website and download the ChurchSuite App direct to your Android or Apple device from your device's store. If you're already familiar with the ChurchSuite interface, your app will allow you to seamlessly switch between your own church's interface and ours.
Once inside, you'll find all sorts of goodies - like the details of events (and you can book online too!), recordings and resources from previous conferences, and our on-line database of articles. You can quickly search for contact details of someone else you may have met in the network, and see local groups who may be near you. At any time, you can update your account and communications preferences with us - and lots of administrators have already been eagerly uploading their profile pictures to help us recognize each other when we next meet.
We've received great feedback so far, and are always happy to hear from you as we serve the church together.
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
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
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
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.
- Beware! The job is almost certainly going to grow.
- 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.
- If it’s not too disruptive, keep your office door open – it seems more friendly and welcoming that way.
- 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.
- You have a pastoral role to play.
- 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*