Resources e-letter 16:5 - October 2016
In this issue there is news of two new sets of Training Notes covering exit interviews and the idea of courtesy in churches, plus news of the next UCAN Cutting Edge conference and Area Training Day.
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NEW: ‘Exit interviews for everyone’
These notes promote the idea of exit interviews as people leave your church in the hope that such sessions might become normal practice. We need to learn from what such interviews can tell us.
After a listing of general principles for how to set up and conduct such a session, three particular cases are taken, each with a limited number of possible questions to ask (an extended tick-box approach is far from the ideal).
- Paid staff - just what you would expect from the term 'exit interview'.
- The Minister - the first case is now extended to the (what for many will be new) idea of interviewing a departing Minister.
- Members of the congregation - why not have a conversation with those who leave, whether because they are moving away or because they are joining another local church or even dropping out of church membership altogether? Just don't call it an 'exit interview'!
Exit interviews for everyone is now available at TN95 on the Training Notes page of the website.
NEW: ‘Courtesy in church’
If you have a set of church values, why not include the idea of courtesy? The word may sound dated today, but the concept is clearly biblical.
The first section works from the idea of loving your neighbour as yourself and shows how Paul also taught the need to put others first. There are then three areas of practical application.
- Being thankful - with illustrations for service leaders, volunteer teams, the Minister, and everyone.
- Saying sorry - such as when we let others down, fail to keep a commitment, use inappropriate words or (controversial point) are late for church services.
- Generous behaviour - applied to hospitality, church visitors, visiting speakers, communication and the use of mobiles.
An old fashioned concept or a Kingdom value? You decide.
Courtesy in church is now available at TN96 on the Training Notes page of the website.
Events for church operational and administrative staff
UCAN’s 2017 Cutting Edge conference for Operations Managers and other Church Administrators is entitled Open heart ministry. Speakers: Trevor Stammers, Jez Barnes, Jules Morgan, John Tindall.
King’s Park, Northampton from 20th to 22nd March 2017. Not to be missed by any operations staff in churches! Email me to ask for a brochure.
UCAN’s next Area Training Day is at Hexham for Church Administrators in both the Carlisle and Newcastle/Teesside areas. Thursday 17th November. See the UCAN Events page.
Thank you for your interest in the Resources section of my website and with my warmest good wishes.