archdeacons’ visitation news Spring 2019 - issue 14
Dear Churchwardens Thank you for all that you do as Churchwardens. Our Churchwardens are the backbone of the parishes and both the Archdeacons and Bishops are immensely grateful for all that you do, working in partnership with your clergy and fellow church officers. We are always keen to support you in the task you have taken on and, as part of our offering of support, this year there will be the opportunity for some specific training aimed at Churchwardens and all PCC members. It is the kind of training that can be done in the evening or over a morning and so isn’t too demanding of your time. Entitled Keeping it Safe the session will examine how we look after people, finances and the particular role of being a member of the PCC. This will be a good refresher for many as well as introducing the latest thinking and ideas around these areas for those who are newer. We hope this training will be another tool to help parishes flourish and for each of us to understand a bit more about how we are stewards of the things entrusted to us. One of the reasons many people become a Churchwarden isn’t simply because there is no one else to do it (although that may be a factor!), but rather because it is a way of serving the God who in Jesus Christ comes amongst us not to be served but to serve. Being a Churchwarden is, first and foremost, an act of service – a response to the love
of God. For in Jesus Christ we see what the love of God looks like and how it treats people. It is a love that is so powerful that Jesus gives himself up to death on the cross so that death might be defeated for us. The reality of the resurrection demands nothing more than that we love God and try to do so in the way that he loves us so that this love is seen in the world. That is what we are doing when we offer our time, our skills, our gifts, and our talents to serve either as a Churchwarden or in one of the many, many other roles within the life of our churches. In this edition of Visitation News, you will find articles from those who offer their gifts to support you in this work. You will find pieces from our Church Building Team and from the newly formed Stewardship Team and much more. We hope this is useful and informative but as always your Archdeacons stand ready to help and support or point you in the right direction. Please do feel free to be in touch with us or with the office. As you embark on this year of service as a Churchwarden, please be assured of our prayers for you in this ministry.
The Venerable Dr Justine Allain Chapman Archdeacon of Boston
The Venerable Mark Steadman Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey
T: 01522 50 40 39 E: archdeacon.boston @lincoln.anglican.org
T: 01522 50 40 39 E: archdeacon.stow @lincoln.anglican.org
The Venerable Gavin Kirk Archdeacon of Lincoln T: 01522 50 40 39 E: archdeacon.lincoln @lincoln.anglican.org
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Caring for and sharing our church buildings If you need any help with anything relating to your church building, book an hour’s slot with the Church Building Team at one of our monthly surgeries. To book a slot, please contact: Fran Bell (Church Development Officer) on 01522 5040 18 or at fran.bell@lincoln.anglican.org or Matthew Godfrey (Historic Churches Support Officer) on 01522 50 4048 or at matthew.godfrey@lincoln.anglican.org
The dates for 2019 are: Tuesday, 14th May Tuesday, 11th June Thursday, 11th July Tuesday, 13th August Thursday, 12th September Tuesday, 15th October Thursday, 14th November Thursday, 12th December More people want to visit churches than you might think. The recent ‘Great Interpretations!’ project from the National Churches Trust included the use of digital counters at some churches in order to gain a better understanding of footfall through the door. The numbers who came through the door over a four-month period were into the thousands, even in remote places, and during the Lincoln Christmas Market in December 2018, visitors lit some 20,000 candles in Lincoln Cathedral. Two pilgrimage routes, entitled Journeys of Faith, are now in place from Louth to Lincoln Cathedral and from Epworth to Lincoln Cathedral. Another route from Boston to Lincoln Cathedral will be added later in 2019. Is your church able to welcome all people: pilgrim, tourist and local? If your church is locked, you are missing out! A rural church in this diocese leaves simple refreshments for visitors, who are often walkers using the nearby Viking Way. They had attracted over £300 in donations before the summer season last year. The use of online and text-giving services enables the visitor, who is more likely to have their smartphone with them than a £5 note, to send you a donation with the Gift Aid attached. There are various services available but unless you sign up, this option of additional income will not be available to you. More information is available from the Parish Resources website at www.parishresources. org.uk/digital-giving
Going for growth When was the last time you asked people to consider carefully what they give to the work of your parish? If it’s been a number of years since your church held any kind of Giving Review, it will not be the only one, by any means. This might be one of the factors if your church’s income from giving is declining, or has ‘flat-lined’ in recent years. If we are to be a healthy, vibrant and sustainable church, transforming lives in greater Lincolnshire, then we need to grow, and that growth will be in the parishes around the diocese. Growth, of course, is ultimately about people, but a parish’s ability to grow is limited by the resources we have, resources we need if we want to do all that we would like. If giving is not growing then our potential for growth in other ways is limited. It is encouraging, however, to know that one of the main factors that motivates people to give, be that to a church or any other charity for that matter, is growth. People like to see things grow and are moved to give in order to enable that to happen. So, if it is part of your church’s vision to grow, it is more likely that people are going to be willing to give towards that church growth.
It is with this in mind that the new Stewardship Officers, Jane Hodgson and Hugo Cobham, have been recruited, in order to help parishes to grow their giving. Part of the service that they offer to parishes is to help church congregations review their giving. They work alongside parish officers and incumbents to help prepare for the holding of a Parish Giving Review. This includes:
face-to-face meetings in the parish to plan the content and timetable of the Review creating a ‘giving profile’ to set current giving within context drafting, designing and printing information leaflets to inform people’s prayerful consideration of their Christian giving sign-posting teaching materials supporting the incumbent with preaching on Christian giving advice on how to introduce the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) to the congregation, for those churches that decide to join the PGS facilitating a lessons-learnt session in preparation for the next Giving Review.
The intention is that by encouraging generous giving, this will enable the local church to grow in its service of its communities. In doing so, this may result in not only the local church growing in numbers, but also in depth of faith, as we each learn to trust God with our finances, as we give generously and sacrificially to him and to his work locally. If you would like to give growing a go, why not contact Jane or Hugo? They will be delighted to help (Jane covers the north of the diocese, and Hugo covers the south). Their contact details are as follows: jane.hodgson@lincoln.anglican.org (M. 07701 36 4461) or hugo.cobham@ lincoln.anglican.org (M. 07885 96 8608).
This year, our church competition celebrates churches across the UK through photography. However, it is far from just a photography competition! We’ll be asking every church to send us a single photo showing what makes their church special, whether taken by a professional or a member of the congregation on a smartphone.
to the exceptional architecture of your church building. No two churches are the same, and we want to celebrate what makes your church special.
We know that every church, its congregation, and community is unique. From the volunteer who holds everything together, to the children’s groups who brighten up the Sunday services. From the beautiful flower gardens,
How would you show how unique and special your church is in just one photo? Find out more about the competition and how your church can enter at: www.ecclesiastical.com/parishpixels
ns l ai na nt tio l Co mo eria o t pr ma
Parish Pixels – show us what makes your church special
Insurance advice that’s right up your street Our Church Insurance Consultants offer a locally-based advisory service to churches up and down the country, either face-to-face or over the phone. Our five consultants are responsible for a particular region of the country, and are available to visit your church and parish to give on-the-spot advice, as well as scheduling seminars and training. This could include help with explaining your insurance policy, to giving risk management presentations, and providing churchwarden training. Each member of the team isn’t just an expert in insurance, they also have a deep involvement with the church themselves. Thanks to their background in the church, they appreciate and understand the concerns that PCCs and congregations have. Through support and guidance, and by giving our customers the reassurance that they are doing things safely and securely, our consultants can enable churches to focus on what really matters: worship, mission and outreach. With their support, we hope to help make our nation’s churches a vibrant, vital and exciting part of the community for the twenty-first century and beyond. Find out more about your Church Insurance Consultant in your area on our website: www.ecclesiastical.com/cic
Our specialist customer service team Our dedicated church customer service team have a deep understanding of the specialist needs of those who look after, and protect, churches. Our friendly team are ready to help you with any query, no matter how big or small, and are available by telephone, email or post.
Call: 0345 777 3322 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday except Bank Holidays) Email: churches@ecclesiastical.com Post: Church customer services, Beaufort House, Brunswick Road, Gloucester GL1 1JZ
SPRING 2019
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Home insurance
Unique research bolsters our advice for churches on slips and trips Although churches are generally low-risk environments, slips and trips remain the most common cause of injury. In some cases, these can be severe, so taking sensible and adequate precautions is essential. Sometimes, this is more difficult in church premises, usually because of design constraints or the heritage fabric of the building itself. Here, it is usually necessary to consider a wider range of precautions. We understand this challenge, and it’s why we have teamed up with leading health and safety researchers at the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) to look at the problem. We have conducted research across a range of historic buildings (including churches) with a view to developing practical advice in the prevention of slips and trips. This is in a way that is both sympathetic with the history of the building and is cost effective. Our new guidance looks at a range of topics identifying best practice and exploring a range of precautions. You can find out more and read the guidance on our website at: www.ecclesiastical.com/ churchslipsandtrips
Do we have up-to-date contact details for you? If you need to update us on changes to names, email addresses, phone numbers and changes to PCC members, you can do this by calling our team on:
0345 777 3322
We’ve donated over £285,000 to churches across the UK so far!
For every new home insurance policy taken out with us, we have donated £130 to the church of the policyholder’s choice, and so far these donations add up to over £285,000! We are delighted that this offer is now running until the end of 2019 and many more churches are set to benefit from our donations.
How your church can benefit For every new home insurance policy taken out where ‘Trust130’ is quoted, we will ask the customer what church they would like a donation of £130 to go to. So, by spreading the word around your church workers, volunteers and congregation, your church could benefit, and as there is no limit to the number of donations one church can receive; the donations could make a big difference to your church.
Has your church already received a donation?
for a large project or event, or just to buy biscuits for coffee mornings, we want to hear about it. You can either tell us by email at: Trust130@ecclesiastical.com or via facebook tagging us @churchmatters and we might share your story too!
If your church has received a donation, we’d love to hear how your church has used the money. Whether you’ve used it
Find out more about our home insurance at: www.ecclesiastical.com/ homeinsurance
Risk Management Advice Line We know that managing the risks of a church or church hall can be a demanding responsibility. That’s why we’ve introduced the Risk Management Advice Line. Whenever you need information about managing risk and can’t find what you are looking for on our website, our experts are here to help. Call our Risk Management Advice Line:
0345 600 7531
The line is open from 9:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays.
Rewarding the good work of others with our Movement for Good Awards At Ecclesiastical, we’ve always believed in supporting the causes that can make a positive difference to people’s lives. That’s why we work closely with the communities we serve to tackle the issues that are important to them.
Alternatively you can email us at: risk.advice@ecclesiastical.com and one of our experts will call you back within 24 hours. Our Risk Management Advice Line offers Ecclesiastical customers free risk advice. Please have your policy number to hand when you call.
Our new-look website Have you seen our newly refreshed website? We’ve changed our site to make it easier to use, but you will still find all our useful guides, information and videos available on the site.
On Tuesday 23rd April, we launched our Movement for Good Awards – a programme designed to give £1million to charities. Our Movement for Good Awards are a way of recognising and supporting the efforts of these dedicated men and women – people who devote their energies to changing people’s lives for the better.
500 charities will receive a £1,000 donation Anyone can get involved by simply nominating an eligible charity*. You can nominate between Tuesday 23 April and Friday 17 May.
So, if your church is a registered charity, you have a charity associated with your church, or there’s a charity anyone in your congregation is associated with, you can get involved.
10 charities will be awarded a £50,000 grant
You can find out more on our website at: www.ecclesiastical.com/ movementforgood
Eligible charities* can apply for a grant via a simple online application. Applications open on Monday 23 June and close Friday 26 July.
*Please note, anyone can nominate but you must be an eligible charity to win an award. Go to the website address above to view the full Terms and Conditions.
Taking a sabbatical in 2020? Ecclesiastical’s Ministry Bursary Awards provides financial support for members of the clergy taking extended study leave, and we are now accepting applications for sabbaticals taking place in 2020. You can find out more about the awards, check the eligibility criteria and apply on our website: www.ecclesiastical.com/mba
The website has a clean and fresh style, which makes it easier for you to find the information you need. If you have any trouble finding information on our new site you can always call our team who will be happy to direct you to the right place. Call us on: 0345 777 3322
www.ecclesiastical.com/ church We would like to hear what you think of our new website. You can email comments and feedback to: churches@ecclesiastical.com
Allchurches announces record giving and changes to grant programmes In 2019, Allchurches Trust, owners of Ecclesiastical, is making changes to its giving that will place even more of an emphasis on helping organisations in less-affluent areas. The changes have come about following a Strategic Grants Review, which set out to ensure that the Trust continues to meet the needs of its beneficiaries and make the greatest possible impact with the funds available. The aim is to improve effectiveness, transparency and reporting, including for annual grants to dioceses and cathedrals. These annual grants are now guaranteed until 2022, facilitating longer-term, strategic planning. At the same time, the Trust aims
to steadily make a greater amount of funding available to churches, charities, dioceses and cathedrals that apply for grants to fund projects in their communities. As well as giving a higher percentage of the total project cost, Allchurches has doubled the uplift on grants to projects in areas of greatest need. Annual grants are also now allocated based on population and the degree of deprivation of the area, and dioceses and cathedrals have been asked to provide more information about what they intend to spend their grant on and report back on the impact that the money is having. Chairman of Allchurches Trust, Sir Philip Mawer, said: “We’ve already heard about some great initiatives being funded by our annual grant, including a youth outreach partnership project called Growing Faith for Generations (GF4G) in the Isle of Man. We’re keen to work with dioceses to share these stories about the good work our funding is helping to enable in their parishes.” You can find out more about Allchurches Trust at: www.allchurches.co.uk
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A funeral plan from Ecclesiastical is an ideal way to make financial provision for your funeral, as well as reducing the worry for your loved ones at a difficult time. Making your funeral wishes known in advance and providing for the cost makes sound financial sense.
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Celebrating the first anniversary of our learning communities The diocesan strategy, from which the learning communities project stems, looks at 12 different areas of church life, with a focus on parish growth. This growth may be reflected in terms of numbers, but equally important is growth with regard to the depth of our faith, and the confidence with which we share it, and also the level of loving service that we offer in our local communities. In order to support and encourage one another in this, we encouraged all of our churches to be part of a learning community. These are groups from different parishes, or benefices, who come together several times a year to take part in a reflective forum, to exchange ideas, receive input and develop talent. “Everyone I have spoken to has been very positive about them,” Richard Steel (Mission Team Leader) has said. “There is an openness and an honesty about what has worked well and what has worked less well, but the attitude of all those I have spoken to can be summed up by one comment – ‘we’re very pleased to be a part of this’. All three groups going at the moment (Market Towns, Housing Developments and Rural) have opted for a Saturday morning meeting, three times a year. Two meet for breakfast, the other has met a little later and finished with lunch. Food, as in many situations, is clearly a key element.
The first meeting is always about the people getting to know one another and introducing their parishes/benefices. This helps to build trust. All the groups move around the different members of the community, each getting an opportunity to host and thus offer hospitality. This also means that no group has to do all the driving or incur all the hosting costs. The communities have found it helpful to build-in pauses for quiet reflection, certainly at the end of the morning, but perhaps elsewhere too. Not times of formal worship as such, although sometimes there is a short form of Morning Prayer, and perhaps simply silence. One group is encouraging every member to write down such things to take away and reflect on further: something they’ve learnt; something they’re going to do as an individual and something they’re going to explore further as a church. That people know what they are committed to is important. So are things like being strict on starting (and ending) on time and
keeping to time in each session, so someone is appointed who keeps people ‘on track’, on topic, and makes sure that people are asking the most helpful questions. People have found it helps to try and go beyond the ‘usual suspects’ as members, to increase the range of voices and topics. These have included: Messy Church; using the language of the monastery to identify different roles a church might take; celebration church; and making the most of church festivals organised by the local tourist group. Practical things learnt include ‘fixing dates well ahead’ and the benefit of a wider geographical spread, across different deaneries. Other practical things include how important it is to have a good proportion of laity, so usually three, four or, in at least one case, even five lay people, going along with their clergy. People have appreciated sharing stories of good news, good practice and learning with and from each other. One very interesting comment was “are we sharing ideas, or sharing learning?” What about the level of commitment? “Yes, to do it properly takes time,” said one participant, “but that is okay, we believe it will pay dividends in the long term.” “Overall, what we’ve done has been very positive,” they continued, “and we realise that we need to know more about each other and our communities, and the perceptions they have of us. In order to grow, we need to look at some barriers that prevent this, even if we don’t see them.” More churches are exploring joining this growing movement, with two more communities hopefully starting before too long. Might you like to join them?
Here to help you go for growth ‘Parish growth is at the heart of all we do’ – so says our current mission strategy, but that doesn’t mean that you are on your own in trying to achieve this. This is what ‘the diocese is all about’, a practical expression of being part of the wider ‘Body of Christ’ in greater Lincolnshire. And there are people in the Mission Team who can help you in many areas. Do you want, for example, help with setting up and resourcing work with children and young people? If so, contact Charlotte Bloom or Jonny Bell. For advice on developing a Fresh Expression of Church, it is David Bartlett. And when you have worked with
Fran Bell to find the best ways to keep your church open and to improve the experience visitors will find when they visit (see her article on page 2), why not contact John Leach to look at the material that you might want to offer people? This can help tell not just the building’s story but the story of faith, which is why the buildings are there at all. John can also help you think about deepening your individual and communal discipleship through a wide range of courses and materials, and, of course, our prayerful
Community of St Hugh. Our other Discipleship Officer, Sarah Spencer, can help with your community and social action work, and your work to enhance the environment or ‘go green’. We believe that generous giving is a central part of our discipleship. To see how our Stewardship Officers, Jane Hodgson and Hugo Cobham, can help you, see their article elsewhere. Many of you will already be working with other local churches, and Kathy Colwell, our Ecumenical Officer, can help to enhance this. You may have heard the phrase, ‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail’. That is true in church life as much as any other. We have people to help you think through plans that are relevant to your church and your community. Fran Jeffries is the person that you need to speak to about this. The process we follow is called Mission Action Planning, and each of those words is important. If you’re not quite sure yet where you want to focus your resources and time, then why not ask Richard Steel, Mission Team Leader, to join you for a few months? He will come along and help you to reflect on your mission by helping you to reflect on where you are and where you could be. Something else that Richard can help you with is a ‘Leading your Church into Growth’ course, a model that has proved effective in parishes of every size and type. Two deaneries this year have decided to do this together, supporting, encouraging and inspiring each other. Richard and Bishop David would be delighted to help you to run one of these. To support all of this, the team has a newly refreshed resource room with a wide range of books and course material. Why not drop in for a coffee, a chat and a browse? Our contact details are on the diocesan website (www.lincoln.anglican.org/ mission-team) or alternatively contact Marie Isaac, the Mission and Ministry Team Administrator, on 01522 50 40 22.
Whilst Ecclesiastical has used reasonable endeavours to ensure that the information in this newsletter is correct at the time of publication, please note: (a) the information is not intended to constitute a definitive or complete statement of the law on any subject, (b) the information may over the course of time become incorrect or out of date; and (c) neither Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc. nor its subsidiaries can accept any responsibility or liability for action taken or losses suffered as a result of reliance placed on the information provided in this newsletter.
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