Resources e-letter 15:4 - August 2015
Another two sets of Training Notes have been uploaded to the website. TN88 offers advice to everyone who serves on any church decision-making body: Advice to a new committee member. TN89 makes a plea for churches to engage confidently with their local media and shows you how to do this: Hold the front page!
NEW: ‘Advice to a new committee member’
Most churches expect people to become Trustees / Deacons / PCC members or serve on some kind of committee without any training in how to do this well.
These notes are written for a new committee member, but should prove useful reading for all who serve on any church decision-making body. They advise:
PLEAD
The vital need for prayer whether it’s a Finance Sub-Committee or an Eldership.
LISTEN
Listen to others more than you speak and help form the group into a team.
ENTHUSE
See the possibilities of what God could do through this group.
ASK
Learn the art of asking the right questions for meetings and for yourself.
DECIDE
Help the meeting make clear decisions and take firm action.
Training Notes TN88, Advice to a new committee member, are available now on the Training Notes page of the Resources section of the website.
NEW: ‘Hold the front page!’
Most churches are guilty of ignoring the mission opportunity that confident engagement with the local media offers. These notes call on churches to put aside their fear of having no control over the final outcome and write regular and well-crafted media releases.
There are eight steps suggested to get started including to appoint a media champion and, if necessary, to close some other mission activity down.
News stories are those that are people-centred, visual, colourful, topical and relevant. But many church events can be written up with a news slant.
This is followed by clear advice on how to prepare a cracking media release including the first sentence, the way to write, the need for someone to be quoted, adding photographs and getting it in fast.
Training Notes TN89, Hold the front page!, are available now on the Training Notes page of the Resources section of the website.
Passion for administration network
I co-ordinate a very small network of people who are passionate about church administration on a national or global scale rather than just in their own church.
Those who belong commit to pray around this area. In future they will receive prayer information for the UCAN Oversight Group’s meetings on succession planning so that when I retire the vision that I stand for will be taken forward by new people.
We would love to see more joining this network. If you would like to investigate whether this might be for you, please get in touch and I will send you a short explanatory paper. You will also find details on my website at the Future development page.
Church Administrator days: Tonbridge/Leeds/Southampton
If your church employs any kind of Administrator and you are within reach of one of these three venues, please ensure they book for these UCAN Area Training Days.
- Tonbridge – Wednesday 18th November
- Leeds – Tuesday 24th November
- Southampton – Monday 30th November
Booking opens next week on the UCAN Events page of my website.