The Church Office: Recent Episodes
Gavin Smith
The Church Office exists to support the work of ministry that happens behind the scenes. Bringing helpful and encouraging content to equip and support those involved in Church Administration, Church Leadership and Structuring Church Life.
What does it take to build a healthy ministry behind the scenes? In this episode, Gavin Smith is joined by Zach Cochran, Vice President for Operations at The Gospel Coalition, to explore the often-overlooked role of operations in advancing gospel ministry.
The conversation explores the unique calling of the "number two" leader, the importance of trust, integrity and consistency, and why operational leaders are often called to absorb pressure while enabling others to flourish.
Whether you're a church leader, operations manager, administrator or volunteer, this episode offers practical wisdom on building healthy teams, leading through change, and creating the structures that help churches faithfully fulfil their mission.
In this episode you'll discover:
- The story behind The Gospel Coalition
- Why healthy organisations focus on sustainability, not just growth
- The vital role of the church operations leader
- How trust, integrity and consistency shape effective leadership
- Why youth ministry is one of the best leadership training grounds
- Leading through disappointment and organisational change
- How operational excellence supports gospel ministry
A thoughtful conversation for anyone passionate about strengthening the local church through faithful leadership and healthy organisational culture.
A church's online presence is often the very first welcome someone receives, long before they ever walk through its doors. In this episode, Jon Wright, Trustee of The Church Office, and Adrian Semerene, church pastor, explore how churches can make the most of their digital presence. Together they discuss websites, social media, live-streamed services, and digital communication, sharing practical ideas to help churches engage their communities, strengthen relationships, and faithfully reflect the life and mission of the church online.
Martyn's Law is bringing new responsibilities for many churches and Christian organisations. In this episode, Anna Wood, one of The Church Office Trustees, and Becky Thomas, Director of Governance at the FIEC, join us to unpack what the legislation means, who it applies to, and the practical steps churches can take now to improve safety, prepare their teams, and respond well in an emergency. Whether your church falls within the scope of the legislation or not, this conversation will help you think proactively about protecting people and being prepared.
In our latest The Church Office podcast, Jon Wright is joined by Penny Clarke, one of the Directors of the UK Church Administrators Network (UCAN).
Listen in as they discuss what UCAN is, their experiences of being part of UCAN and how you can get involved!
In this episode, Gavin is joined by Rachel Slough to explore the important subject of managing change in churches. Rachel shares practical wisdom and honest insight into why change can feel challenging, how leaders can guide people well through transition, and the importance of communication, culture, and trust along the way. Together they discuss the realities churches face when navigating growth, vision, and new seasons of ministry. This conversation offers encouragement and practical tools for church leaders, administrators, and teams seeking to lead change with wisdom, care, and confidence.
In this episode, Gavin is joined by Mark Jones from Edward Connor Solicitors to discuss some of the key employment law changes coming in April and October 2026. Mark explains what these updates could mean for churches, including changes to statutory sick pay, family leave, redundancy consultation, tribunal time limits, and wider workplace responsibilities. This conversation offers a clear and practical overview for church leaders, trustees, operations managers, and administrators who want to serve their staff teams well, review their policies, and prepare wisely for the changes ahead.
In this podcast, Gavin speaks with Andy Laws, the new Operations Manager at Slade Evangelical Church in London. Andy shares their church’s experience of undergoing a Back Office Review with The Church Office and the impact it has had on their operations. If you’d like to find out more about booking a Back Office Review for your church, please e-mail us at info@thechurchoffice.co.uk
What does it take to support a network of churches reaching a city like London with the gospel?
In this episode, Gavin Smith is joined by Matthew Dalton, Chief Operations Officer at Co-Mission, a growing network of churches across London. Together, they explore how a relational network, supported by a strong central team, can enable local churches to thrive in their mission. Matthew shares insights on the importance of systems that serve people, fostering unity across diverse congregations, and the challenges of church planting.
A thoughtful and practical conversation for anyone involved in church leadership, operations, or network ministry.
In this episode, we’re joined by James Brumwell, Executive Lead at Gas Street Church in Birmingham, as we explore the operational side of mission and ministry. Together, we dig into what it really takes behind the scenes to help bring light to a city. James shares practical insights on building systems, leading teams, and creating structures that support meaningful, lasting impact in the community.
https://gasstreet.church/theengineroom
Finding funding for your church building or ministry can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, we’re joined by Andrew Clark from Church Grants, a platform dedicated to helping churches discover relevant funding opportunities.
We explore how churches can access grants, where to start, and what funders are really looking for. If you’ve ever wondered how to fund a building project, expand your ministry, or simply navigate the world of church funding, this episode is packed with practical insight.
🔗 Learn more: www.churchgrants.co.uk
Building a team is one of the most rewarding parts of church leadership. In this episode with Ray Evans, we explore the joy of bringing people together around a shared vision.
Discover how trust, encouragement, and clear purpose can help teams grow stronger, work better together, and make a lasting impact for the gospel in our churches and communities.
What does an Operations Director in a church actually do all day?
In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the real, behind-the-scenes work that keeps a church moving forward. From managing teams and troubleshooting unexpected problems to balancing budgets, safeguarding compliance, and supporting the vision of senior leadership, no two days are ever the same.
Whether you’re an Operations Director, Church Manager, Administrator, or exploring this kind of role, this episode gives an honest look at the challenges, pressures, and rewards of operational leadership in the local church.
If you’ve ever wondered who keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes, this episode is for you.
If you are part of a church team, whether you are the leader, the treasurer or
the one holding everything together in the office, you will know how much time and energy the practical side of ministry can take.
Gavin talks to Daniel Jones from Stewardship who offer real, hands on support with the financial responsibilities that keep a church running. They can help you grow and manage your giving, they can also take care of the more complicated pieces like payroll, accounts, charity registration, governance and they also offer loans for building projects.
Everything they do is designed to free you up to focus on your people and ministry. If that sounds like something your church could use, take a look at Stewardship at stewardship.org.uk.
In this episode, Gavin explores with Pete Greasley the value of a team retreat — not as a “nice extra,” but as a practical and spiritual opportunity to slow down, seek God together, and realign. When the pace is relentless, it’s easy for teams to drift and simply go through the motions. A well-shaped retreat creates space to reconnect as leaders, clarify vision, and shape a plan that’s grounded in prayer.
In this episode, we take a practical look at reviewing our Systems, Policies, and Procedures. Whether your church office feels overcomplicated, under-documented, or overly dependent on a few key people, this conversation will help you step back and assess what’s really working. We unpack why regular reviews matter, how to spot gaps and risks, and simple ways to ensure your systems support your mission rather than slow it down.
Gavin talks Christmas with his friend Mark Parsons, Operations Director at Christchurch Clifton. Together, they reflect on why the Christmas programme is often one of the most meaningful and exhausting moments in the church calendar. Expectations are high, diaries are full, and fatigue is real for leaders, volunteers, and congregations alike. They explore how surviving Christmas well isn’t about chasing perfection, but about preparation, clarity, and grace: setting realistic expectations, caring for teams, and remembering what truly matters when the pressure is on.
Welcome back Tim Wyatt!
It was an absolute delight for us to have Tim back on The Church Office podcast to discuss cash flows and reserves. So if you're wondering how much a church should in reserves, or if they should even have them, this is an episode for you!
At The Church Office we love catching up with old friends and that's exactly what Gavin did when he spoke to Graham Daniels from Christian in Sport!
How many sports clubs are within a 5 mile radius of your church? Praying for people, playing with people and telling them about Jesus is how Christians in Sport roll. Listen in as Gavin and Graham talk about working as a team, the importance of administration but most of all the importance of keeping the gospel central.
Did someone say a church management course??
Join Gavin and Anna Wood, one of our Trustees, as they talk about a project that has been months in the making....our brand new Good Church Management Course!
We're so excited to announce that The Church Office's Good Church Management Course will be available from 10th November covering topics such as:
-
legal and practical responsibilities of managing staff, volunteers, finances and buildings
-
practical support for ministry, including developing a team culture, strategy and operational plan
-
helps leaders identify and address gaps in their church's administration and operations
Introducing.....James Lawrence! Gavin had the joy of sitting down with James to talk about the work of the Church Pastoral Aid Society (CPAS) and how we can support Church Leaders in their roles in our churches. To find out more about CPAS, head to: https://www.cpas.org.uk/
In this week's episode, Chris talks to Gavin Smith of the Church Office, where they discuss administration, church management, and how to set up your church to succeed.
www.aoggb.com
Listen in as Gavin is joined by Scott Sanders from Reach Ministries Australia to talk through the leadership needed to navigate through the unique challenges of church growth.
We had some great discussion around the leadership challenge, people and change challenge and getting the right systems and structures in place.
If you’re a church leader seeking clarity and encouragement to lead well through the next stage of growth, this episode is for you.
In our latest episode Gavin sits down with a good friend of The Church Office, Dave Harvey, to discuss his new book 'The Clay Pot Conspiracy'.
Listen in as Gavin and Dave talk through the clay pot conspiracy, the joys and struggles of working in ministry and how God uses us in our weakness.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Clay Pot Conspiracy, you can grab your own copy now on Amazon, Eden and 10ofThose.
As churches should we collect data? What difference does it make?
Listen in to our latest The Church Office podcast episode as John Truscott, a good friend of The Church Office, joins Gavin to discuss the strengths of data collection when making decisions about mission.
From top tips to consider when collecting data to what we can learn from the recent Quiet Revival report, a far bit of ground has been covered! For more wisdom from John, check out his website:
Andy Geers is back!
Gavin had the delight of chatting to Andy last year about PrayerMate and this time we invited him back to share about the exciting The Serpent & The Seed app that's just launched. With a real heart to reach people who don't know the Bible, here's how they would describe it:
"Walk through the pages of scripture, take in the beautiful sights and sounds, and along the way you may just discover your own place in the universe and the only source of lasting hope."
Listen in to find out more! You can find out more here:
Join Gavin and Jon Wright, Operations Manager at Frinton Free Church, as they reflect on their experience at the recent UCAN National Conference. In this episode, they share highlights from the main teaching sessions, personal takeaways, and the encouragement they found in gathering with fellow church administrators and managers from across the UK.
It was a real joy to connect with others in similar roles, share stories, and be reminded of the value and impact of church administration. Whether you attended the conference or not, this conversation offers insight, inspiration, and a glimpse into the heart behind church administration.
Gavin was thrilled to recently speak with Pelé Ling, Communications and Creative Director at All Souls, Langham Place.
Listen in as Pelé talks about relaunching free English classes at their church a few years ago and shares the success this rebranding has had in creating opportunities to tell people about Jesus. (He also talked about their Christmas plans which Gavin LOVED- only 23 weeks to go!!)
Christian Safeguarding Services' Paul Harrison joins Gavin to talk through 5 common challenges with safeguarding in churches:
-
Poor governance
-
Low standards
-
Conflicts of interest
-
Not raising low level concerns
-
Lack of professional curiosity
We absolutely loved learning from Paul and are so grateful for his time and expertise. This is definitely an hour well spent!
If you'd like to learn more about Christian Safeguarding Services, head to: https://thecss.co.uk/
Meet Emma! Emma is the Operations Manager at The Globe Church in London and she recently sat down with Gavin to talk about her role, how she creates sustainable rhythms of church life and the variety of tasks that come across her desk in any one week.
Listen in for ideas and to see how the role of a Church Administrator fits into the life of a church!
Listen in to the latest episode of The Church Office podcast with special guest, Manny Kemp! Manny is part of the team at ACAT (the Association of Church Accountants And Treasurers), a charity that exists to support the work of those in church finance.
He recently sat down with Gavin to discuss the challenges and joys of serving a church in an accountancy/treasury role and shares some insights from his own experiences.
To find out more about the work of ACAT, head over to: https://www.acat.uk.com/
We were thrilled to have Mark Jones from Edward Connors join us on the latest episode of The Church Office podcast. Listen in as Mark and Gavin discuss key areas of employment that churches can struggle with. They recommend a number of resources that might serve you in this area of church life.
To find out more about the work of Edward Connor or get further support, head to: https://www.edwardconnor.com/
Gavin recently had the joy of sitting down with Dan Peters and Andy Ferrett from Joyned.
Joyned is a secure internal communication platform designed to grow and strengthen in-person communities.
Joyned offers churches a great alternative to WhatsApp. Listen in as they discuss the benefits of partnering with them to better serve your church.
To find out more information please check out their website. https://www.joynedapp.com
Welcome to The Church Office podcast, Richard Coekin! Richard Coekin has recently joined Reach Ministries UK as their Director. Listen in as he discusses Reach Ministries' heart to serve and support church leaders as they shepherd their churches in godly and effective gospel ministry. The team helps church leaders to reflect on their current situation, clarify their vision, and structure their teams effectively. They provide mentoring, diagnostic tools, and conversations to explore churches' needs. To find out more about their work, head to: https://reachministries.uk/
Gavin recently sat down with Evangelical Alliance's Director of Advocacy Danny Webster to talk about one thing- Martyn's Law.
Listen in as Gavin and Danny discuss some of the changes this new law could bring for our churches. Thanks again to Danny for giving up his time.
If you'd like to find out more, here's an article from the Evangelical Alliance on the topic:
https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/martyns-law-where-does-this-leave-my-church-and-christian-events
Following on from his time with Joe and Hannah from Gourds and Pomegranates, Gavin returned the favour and visited their podcast!
Catch up on this bonus episode now!
https://gppodcast.uk/
Gavin teamed up with Joe and Hannah from the Gourds and Pomegranate Podcast. Joe and Hannah have a wonderful heart to serve churches by breaking down practical, no-nonsense strategies to help churches communicate with clarity. It was great to get to know them and find out a little bit more about their stories.
To find out more about Joe and Hannah's podcast please check out the link below:
https://gppodcast.uk
Do reviews have a place in church? Are they of benefit? Or are they too managerial for church life?
We were thrilled to be able to open up this topic with John Truscott, a good friend of The Church Office.
Listen in as John and Gavin discuss why we often don't like the topic of reviews and consider the benefits. To hear more from John, head over to his website: https://www.john-truscott.co.uk/
Dan Steel is a former market researcher who transitioned into pastoral ministry and has been involved in church planting for over twenty-five years. In this podcast Dan and Gavin talk about his new book "Wise Church Planting: Twelve Pitfalls to Avoid in Starting New Churches,"
In the book Dan examines the common challenges that cause nearly a third of new churches to falter within four years. Drawing from interviews with 80 church planters across 27 countries, he identifies internal issues such as character flaws, disunity, and misaligned priorities, as well as external obstacles like opposition and unmet needs. Hope you enjoy the podcast.
In this podcast Gavin interviews Pete Greasley one of the founding Elders at Christchurch in Newport. Pete has served in Pastoral Ministry for 40 years and has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Gavin and Pete talk about enjoying the gospel, not taking your self too seriously and finish their discussion by talking about building teams and having a diversity of different gifting. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
To find out more about Christchurch please check out their website: www.christchurchnewport.co.uk
To find out more about the church office please check out www.thechurchoffice.co.uk
Working out the renumeration of your Pastor can be a challenging job for any Trustee or Church Officer. 'How much should we pay our Pastor or Church Leader?' is a very common question that we get asked at The Church Office.
Gavin talks to Pete and draws on his 40 years of ministry experience to try and answer that question.
If you would like more information or would benefit from a conversation with Pete, please feel free to get in touch at: info@thechurchoffice.co.uk
"One of the things that struck me about Matt during our conversation was his wonderful heart to serve leaders in Christian Ministry."
Gavin recently had the joy of sitting down with Matt Waldock, co-pastor of City Church Manchester and UK Gospel Coaching Director.
If you have not heard of Gospel Coaching then this is a really good introduction into what it is and the benefits of having a gospel coach.
https://www.cmmnet.org/pages/uk
Join Gavin and John wright, the Operations Manager at Frinton Free Church, as they talk through the first part of the 2024 Check-in survey. They enjoyed talking through the results that related to the pressure points that admin and Ops roles faced this year and where people had experience grace at work in their churches.
During the podcast John also shares a little bit about his experience of partnering with UCAN (UK Church Administrators Network). We hope you enjoy the podcast.
In this Episode Gavin talks to Lourens Du Plessis from Stewardship who leads the team that guide and strengthen churches and Christian charities with their governance and finances.
It was great to talk to Lourens about the challenges that churches are facing in the area of good governance. It was also a joy to talk about the gift of administration and how effective it can be in a local church. We hope you enjoy todays podcast.
www.stewardship.org.uk
ExpensePlus are back! Listen in as Gavin is joined by Sam and Dan to talk through the most common pitfalls in church finance.
From not having the right people in the room to spending too much on everyday costs, these are areas that we can all do with a hand figuring through.
In this podcast, Phil Swann, the Pastor at Llanelli Free Evangelical Church in West Wales, shares a little bit about his experience of buying a new church building in just three weeks! It's a wonderful story of adventurous faith and God's wonderful provision. We absolutely love having Phil on the podcast and enjoy his passion for the gospel and reaching the lost.
To find out more about the church please check out their website:
https://www.lfec.org/about/building-project
Introducing...Owen Gilham!
After working in education (and a brief stint in theatre) Owen now works for Danbury Mission as the Operations Manager. Listen in as he and Gavin talk about the diverse work that Church Managers complete on a weekly basis. They cover the importance of getting appropriate policies and procedures for your church in place as well as the challenges around adding a new Sunday service and the co-ordination of all the service teams to make that happen. It's an interesting job, we hope you enjoy the episode.
https://www.danburymission.org.uk/
How do we make best use of our buildings for the gospel? Rich Spens has spent many years working behind the scenes at Kings Cross Church in London trying to think this through and put it into action.
Listen in as he chats with Gavin about how he's managing and developing his church, including an idea to take the church roof off!
Hot off the press- Churchsuite have very kindly agreed to sponsor The Church Office podcast! We're really grateful for all the support from Gavin and the team at ChurchSuite and can't wait to work alongside them.
Listen into this special episode as Gavin Courtney joins us to talk about why the team wanted to sponsor the podcast and everything that's new at ChurchSuite.
Data protection can often feel like a minefield, especially in a church context where sensitive data is handled frequently. We recently asked our followers to submit any questions they had about data and privacy for us to pass on to the experts.
Listen in to this Church Office special as Gavin brings your questions to Harry and Leanne from the ICO.
Gavin recently had the joy of sitting down with Ashley Ellis, CEO of ACAT, the Association of Church Accountants and Treasurers.
Listen in as they discuss what ACAT has to offer and why no church accountant or treasurer should feel alone.
The ACAT Team have a wonderful heart to serve local churches and those serving in the area of church finances.
For more information please visit https://www.acat.uk.com
Would you describe your church as being an awkward size?
Listen in as Gavin and Ray talk about overcoming some of the barriers to gospel growth that are faced in our churches. Ray serves as the Leadership Consultant for the FIEC and is also the author of Ready, Steady, Grow.
In the video Gavin got the opportunity to chat to Steffan Job the General Secretary for the Evangelical Movement of Wales. It was great to find out more about all the different ways that the EMW are serving churches across Wales and beyond. You will pick up Steffan's heart straight away to serve churches with fewer members.
The EMW have a rich and wonderful history of reaching out to young people with the gospel through their summer camps and they've very kindly provided us with some of their risk assessments as document templates. You will find these at www.thechurchoffice.co.uk
In this podcast, Gavin got the chance to sit down with David Anderson from Face2Face Scotland. David is an experienced Pastor who provides mentoring, coaching and discipleship to pastors in their early years of ministry. It doesn't take long to pick up David's lovely heart and desire to care for leaders. In the video David makes reference to a short survey he would love listeners to complete.
Please follow this link to complete it:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/CoMissionChurchesTrust/MentoringAndCoachingPresentAndFuture
For more information please visit
www.facetofacescotland.org
Gavin recently got to sit down with a good friend, Steve Robinson and talk to him about his new book 'Serve'.
Serve is a really encouraging read about what it looks like to follow Jesus' example when serving the church and what it means to serve sacrificially.
Listen in as Gavin and Steve talk through serving with purpose and joy.
Gavin recently caught up with Andy Weatherly from Grace Church, Stirchley about what prompted him to hire a Church Administrator and the difference having one has made.
It was great to meet him and listen in to his thoughts on the gift of administration, church deacons and strengthening the local church.
In this podcast, Gavin sits down with Phil Topham, the Executive Director of the FIEC, to share their passion to better support churches in the area of policy and governance. The Church Office is grateful for the support and funding it has received from the FIEC to enable The Church Office to continue to be a free resource for churches.
https://fiec.org.uk
https://fiec.org.uk/resources/how-to-do-nothing
https://fiec.org.uk/resources/the-ministry-of-administration
In this podcast, Gavin sits down with John Truscott to discuss whether churches should be setting targets and goals. Is it going to help grow and move a church forward? How would you answer that question?
Listen in as Gavin and John share their experience about setting vision, developing aims and organising the next steps.
Please check out John's training notes exploring this area in greater detail on his website: https://www.john-truscott.co.uk/Resources/Training-Notes-index/Should-a-church-set-targets
In this podcast, Gavin got the opportunity to talk to Andy Gears who leads a charity called Disciple Tech. His passion is to create technology that helps people grow in their walk with Jesus. Listen in now as Andy and Gavin talk through Andy's projects from PrayerMate, a brilliant app that supports individuals and churches to pray more consistently, a Bible reading app called Redeeming Time and a new game called the 'Serpent and the Seed'!
To find out more information please check out the following links and check out the podcast!
https://www.prayermate.net/app
https://discipleship.tech
https://redeemingtime.app
https://www.thechurchoffice.co.uk/blog/prayer-mate--technology-and-faith-working-together
Gavin sits down with Paul and Sue Harrison from Christian Safeguarding Services to chat about the services that they provide churches and christian charities.
During the podcast Gavin asks Paul to answer some questions from listeners. Together they open up the discussion about safeguarding vulnerable adults in the church context.
To find out more about Christian Safeguarding Services please check out their website
The Church Office team would firstly like to wish all our listeners a happy new year, we hope the Christmas season has been a much needed rest for many of you serving in Administration and Operations.
In this podcast, Gavin sits down with Sharon Clarke to talk through their hectic starts to 2024. Gavin has been navigating a long list of jobs, dismantling Christmas decorations, finalising year end accounts and preparing for a pastoral team retreat as well as the many other tasks that are needed to restart the new year. Add to that list a leaking church roof and a telephone system that decided to stop working and you get a pretty good idea of how January 2024 is panning out!
In the last video of 2023, Gavin sits down with Anna Hodgson the Operation Director at Mosaic Church in Basingstoke. Gavin and Anna spend some time reflecting on the diverse roles in Church Administration and Operations. From caring for staff and volunteers, being creative, enabling others to serve, releasing gifting and being strategic with resources, there's a lot to cover. It was a joy to get to know Anna and team up with the Commission Sphere of New Frontiers.
In this podcast Gavin get the opportunity to sit down with Gavin Courtney the founder of ChurchSuite and discuss all the latest from ChurchSuite.
They caught up on new features to come, using ChurchSuite for holiday clubs and using flows for welcoming more people into your church family. Listen in now!
In this podcast Gavin talks to Karen Coleman a Church Administrator from Fuller Baptist Church in Kettering. Karen shares life as a part time administrator giving us an insight into some of her responsibilities, highlights and challenges. Gavin and Karen also start the conversation around listed church buildings. Karen is also a member of UCAN and highlights some of the benefits of being involved in the network.
In this podcast Gavin had the opportunity to chat with 5 guests and find out what they enjoyed about the Terry Virgo Podcast. Loads of really good practical advice and reflections. If you missed the podcast with Terry Virgo then please check out the link below.
https://www.thechurchoffice.co.uk/blog/an-interview-with-terry-virgo
It was an absolute pleasure to sit down and chat with Terry Virgo about the role church administration and our good friend Nigel Ring played in enabling his work and ministry to take place.
Listen in as we touch on church planting, prophecy, developing and building teams and ways to work well together.
A quick pod! Gav and Lew travelled to East Sussex this week (you’ll have to listen in to find out why). On the way home they took a few moments to look back over the first two years of The Church Office.
Almost every church we know has faced a shortage of volunteers over the past few years. Gavin takes the opportunity to chat to John Truscott about his 12 recommendations that help support people in church to serve. I love the fact that John challenges our thinking and helps us to build a culture of serving and discipleship.
In the video John references two training notes on his website.
Serving in a Post-Covid Church
Every member on active service
Join Gavin and Anna Wood, the Operations Director for Cornerstone Liverpool, as they talk through the third part of our results for the Check-in survey, the Bad Habits of a Church Administrator.
Thank you for everyone who took part in the survey and shared their Bad habits with us.
Join Gavin and Anna Wood, the Operations Director for Cornerstone Liverpool, as they talk through the second part of our results for the Check-in survey, the Good Habits of a Church Administrator.
Thank you for everyone who took part in the survey and shared their Good habits with us. The result were so encouraging and inspiring.
Join Gavin and Lewis Roderick, one of the pastors at Christchurch Newport, as they talk through the first part of our results for the Check-in survey.
They talk through the struggles they faced early on in their working relationship, where people were experiencing grace in their work currently and verses that are encouraging us this year.
In this podcast Gavin and Penny share their thoughts and takeaway points from the recent UCAN Cutting Edge Conference. The theme this year was all about Doing More with Less. With fewer financial resources, fewer staff and fewer volunteers delivering “business as usual” has never been more challenging.
Gavin had the opportunity this week to chat to Joel Morris the Executive Director of Union. Joel serves behind the scenes co-ordinating and leading administration and operations. He has a very interesting back ground in engineering and nuclear power, as he shares a little bit about his story. It was lovely to hear his heart to serve and equip the church in all the aspects of their work.
If you have not hear of Union they exists to grow leaders through their School of Theology, supporting church planting through their Mission network, as well as helping believers delight in Christ through their Publishing initiative.
You can find out more about their work by visiting www.ust.ac.uk
Ever wondered what a Church Administrator gets up to in the week? Gavin and Becky share their to do lists on the podcast, encouraging each other and enjoying the huge diversity of the tasks ahead.
On the podcast Gavin and Becky mentioned two UCAN events for those in the UK to get involved in.
PLEASE SEE THE LINKS BELOW.
Cutting Edge Conference
Bench Marking Survey
This week we had the opportunity to speak to Jonathan Carswell, the Founder and CEO of 10ofThose.
10ofThose is a book ministry that hand picks the best books from across a wide range of publishers; ensures that they hold to the Bible; and then discounts them so that more can go out. Their profits are then used to support missions around the world.
We loved Jonathan's heart to help everyone in the church to read books that excite them about Jesus and to give away books that point others to Jesus.
There are numerous ways that churches can partner with them- check out their website for more information at www.10ofthose.com
In this Podcast Phil Swann the Pastor at Llanelli Free Evangelical Church in West Wales, shares a little bit about his experience of partnering with the church office. Gavin completed what he calls a " Back Office Review" looking at the work that happens behind the scenes and hopefully offering some support and advice to improve the running of the church which we pray will ultimately serve the gospel.
The second half of the podcast focussed on caring for our Pastors or Church Leaders. It was great to talk to Phil and learn more about some of these pressures and how we as deacons and operational staff can serve and care for our leaders better.
We hope this video is a blessing to you and your Pastor.
To find out more about what a back office review looks like please click here www.thechurchoffice.co.uk/services
During the Podcast Phil mentioned a conference that he is involved in to find out more please follow the link below.
The Affinity book link is https://www.affinity.org.uk/challengingleaders/
The Affinity conference link is https://www.affinity.org.uk/challengingleaders/events/
Gavin had the opportunity this week to chat to Gaz Sim's one of the staff members behind Newday, tasked with organising this brilliant event for young people. We love his passion for the local church and the gift of administration.
In the podcast he talks about his calling and describes it as "facilitating people to meet with Jesus.' Love that Gaz!
If you have not heard of Newday it is one of the largest Christian events for young people that takes place in the UK every year. Thousands of young people aged 12-18 descend on Norfolk Showground, near Norwich to join hundreds of churches from all over the UK and Europe to learn about and worship God, camp out together and soak in the summer festival feeling, leaving Newday further along in their relationship with Jesus.
Newday take place this year between Monday 31 July - Friday 4 August 2023. For more information please check out the following links below.
Website: newdaygeneration.org
Bookings: bookings.newdaygeneration.org
Be on team: newdaygeneration.org/be-on-team
Contact: bookings@newdaygeneration.org 020 3488 5241
In this podcast Gavin talks to Andy Bagwell one of the Executive Director of UCAN who has helped launch a new HR Support Service for Churches in the UK. Andy is passionate about creating healthly church cultures and wants our churches to be excellent employers. To find out more about the HR Support Service that UCAN offer please check out the link below.
www.churchworkers.net
In this video Gavin got the opportunity to talk to Tim Wyatt about Managing Church Finances and provided some practical examples around budgeting and forecasting. Gavin and Tim also discussed deficit budgets and the challenges that some churches are facing over the next couple of years . A big thank you too Wyatt and Co for giving the time for Tim to share his experience and wisdom with our viewers.
Here is a link to a helpful Finance Procedure Document and further videos that Tim has recorded to support churches in the area of finances.
https://www.thechurchoffice.co.uk/blog/church-finance-procedure-document
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqpRatRvipg
Whether documented or not, we all likely follow some type of work flow. Sometimes they can be a bit random or inefficient, other times they can work really well. But in order to effectively carry out the vision of our churches, we need to be reviewing them- from our newcomer welcome process to how we process our orders and deliveries.
Join us as Gavin talks to Mark Parsons from Christchurch Bristol about a really helpful seminar he did on work flows behind the scenes.
Gavin recently sat down with John Truscott to discuss the opportunity January presents to look through how things are going in your church. John has developed a fantastic tool on his website that supports leadership teams to review the health of their church. He has cleverly broken it down in to 5 key themes with 9 questions to work through under each theme. John is passionate about the local church and offers loads of great tips and insights. Very helpful tool
Here is the link to the church office website where you can download the tool for free.
https://www.thechurchoffice.co.uk/blog/church-health-review-part-1
https://www.thechurchoffice.co.uk/blog/church-health-review-part-2
Listen in as Gavin chats with Neil Tallamy from Baglan Community Church about why and how we can be making the most of christmas events in our churches.
Christmas can be the start of people having exposure to the gospel and to the church so we want to be maximising the opportunity to meet as many different people as possible. This starts with good hospitality and care, so that they're in the best disposition possible to listen the gospel.
In this video Gavin had the wonderful opportunity to interview Nigel Ring who has served Terry Virgo and Newfrontiers leadership team behind the scenes for over 40 years. I loved hearing his heart and encouragement for church administrators. A great opportunity to learn from the best!
A big thank you to our listeners for sending in their questions.
-
Do you have any tips on recruiting volunteers? This is a really challenging part of my job at the minute.
-
Do you have any suggestions of how we can better recognise volunteers contribution and thank them?
-
How do you sustain a long service in Christian Ministry?
-
How do you know when it is time to stop your involvement in a christian activity and how do you explain this to your friends who are still very much involved with and committed to that activity?
-
What kind of gifting do you need on a church planting team?
-
From your experience is there a link between good church management and a church successfully growing?
-
What advice do you have for churches who face financial challenges over the next few months and years? Any practical application?
-
When it comes to church finances and budgeting there can be a tension between faith and finances, how did you navigated that tension?
I loved every minute of this interview with Nigel, grateful for him and his faithful service to the wider church.
In this podcast Gavin got the opportunity to interview Nick Coles the Uk Director for Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest children's Christmas Project that sends shoe boxes filled with gifts to children all over the world.
As church administrators we love a good statistic and since Operation Christmas Child started they have delivered 198 millions shoe boxes to children in 100 different countries. What an incredible achievement and a wonderful demonstration of God's Love in Action.
It was great to hear Nick's passion for the project but we loved his heart to reach out with the gospel Locally, Nationally and Internationally. The shoe boxes provide the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus! There is nothing better!
To Find out more please check out their website. There are so many ways to get involved!
https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/
In this podcast Gavin got the opportunity to interview Fran Richley the Operations Director for a Homeless Charity in Newport called Eden Gate. The Church Office loves to make the connection between the practical and the gospel. Fran is doing both of these, He is both passionate about sharing Jesus and caring for the needs of some of the most vulnerable folk in our communities. We loved hearing about Eden Gate and the opportunities that the church has to get alongside projects working with the homeless in our area.
In this podcast Gavin got the opportunity to interview Naomi Hodges from Renewal Church in Solihull. Naomi leads the brilliant Toy Offering Project in her church. Last year they blessed over 600 children with Christmas gifts and food parcels. Community projects like this are a wonderful way to reach out to our local community, become more visible and create opportunities where we were able to express kindness and share Jesus.
In this podcast Gavin got the opportunity to talk to Jenny Herrera. Jenny is Acts 435's Executive Director and has been involved in the charity since operations began in October 2009.
Acts 435 is a giving website that allows people to give money directly to others, and 100% of what is donated via Acts 435 goes directly to those in need. They work through a network of churches and local charities who nominate an Acts 435 representative, called the Advocate, who is trained by Acts 435 and posts requests directly onto our website for people in their community who are in need.
As a local church we have hugely benefited from our partnership with Acts 435, we would highly recommend every Uk church partner with them.
In this podcast Gavin got the opportunity to interview Becky Thomas the Operations Manager at Beeston Free Church in Nottingham. Becky has loads of experience in running conferences and events for her church. In her spare time she also serves as the conference director for UCAN running their national conference called 'Cutting Edge'. She loves her local church and has a heart to serve others for the gospel. If you are thinking about running a conference then this podcast is full of top tips and a helpful step by step guide of what to do next.
In this podcast Gavin got the opportunity to chat with Jo Roach a Church Manager for St Andrew's, Histon & St Andrew's, Impington in Cambridge.
Jo is passionate about serving her local community and clearly loves people and church administration. She has an infectious personality, she was an absolute delight to learn from and talk with, we hope you enjoy this episode.
At the end Jo talked about the UCAN ILM course "Managing Church Well" For more information please use the following link.
https://www.churchadministrators.net/managingchurchwell
Gavin got the opportunity to sit and talk to Sam Lewis one of the Co Founders of Expense Plus at the UCAN Conference 2022. It was a joy to spend time with Sam and hear his heart to serve local churches. Expense Plus is a brilliant piece of software that I would recommend for churches to use. Having the right tools in place to manage your church finances will save you time and money. Worth checking out www.expenseplus.co.uk
ExpensePlus is an easy to use, cloud-based fund accounting package that is specifically designed for Churches and Charities. It’s customisable, it's scalable, it's affordable, and designed for teams.
As well as saving lots of time, it provides users with up-to-date, accurate, drillable financial reports, that help inform decisions.
www.expenseplus.co.uk
In this podcast Gavin got the opportunity to interview Justin Humphreys the CEO of Thirtyone:eight who have been serving churches in the area of safeguarding for decades. It was lovely and inspiring to hear Justins heart to care for the voiceless and the vulnerable in our churches and communities. Their discussion around creating safer environments by reviewing and investing into our culture was very helpful. We all play a part in creating a safe environment and it was lovely to hear about the resources and services ThirtyOne: Eight are producing to support the church and wider Christian community.
In this podcast Gavin got the opportunity to interview Robin Vincent the CEO of Care for the Family. Robin has had a career in working with people. It was great to listen to his wisdom relating to organisational structure, communication and leadership. He talks about the tension between caring for staff while at the same time driving them to be the best that they can be. His thoughts about developing healthly cultures in organisations was excellent. At the end of the interview they briefly talk about staff capacity and burnout. Hopefully both helpful and practical!
The Church Office podcast took a road trip this week to Cardiff to hear more about a local church that is running a community cafe. It was lovely to meet Paul and Alyson to learn from there experience and hear all about what God has being doing through the cafe to grow the church. Paul and Aly are Husband and wife duo, Paul serves as a Deacon for Ararat Baptist Church and Aly is the manager of the church cafe called The Ark.
In this podcast Gavin got the opportunity to talk to Tim Wyatt about some of the financial challenges churches have faced during the pandemic. They also have a very interesting discussion around the important of charity governance and provide some practical examples and application points for UK churches. Gavin and Tim also discuss some of the implication for church budgets and some useful tips to consider over the next few years. A big thank you too Wyatt and Co for giving the time for Tim to share his experience and wisdom.
In this podcast Gavin got the opportunity to interview and learn from David Norbury the chair of the Evangelical Movement of Wales. David had a very successful career in education and shares what he has learnt about Leadership and how it relates to the church. David identifies three models of leadership and explores their benefit in the church context.
In this podcast Gavin connects with Lewis Roderick, they are chatting about the up and coming Rebuild Conference. It captures their heart behind the conference and an opportunity to hear about what is planned.
Venue: Christchurch Centre, Newport, UK
Date: 20th and 21st June 2022
To attend the conference please book here www.rebuldthechurch.co.uk
In this podcast Gavin is talking to Penny Clarke about the latest UCAN roundtable event on Church Finances with Tim Wyatt from Wyatt & Co Chartered Accountants. Their discussion covers the main points from the training session as well as encouragement to those serving behind the scenes overseeing church finances. A very interesting discussion about the tension between faith and stewardship or faith and operations. We hope you enjoy the video.
In this video Gavin talks to Verity Yeates a Parish administrator from St George and St Paul about the weird and wonderful world of church administration. They share stories, highlights and encouragement for those serving behind the scenes in their churches.
In this podcast Gavin had the wonderful opportunity to interview Nigel Ring who has served Terry Virgo and Newfrontiers leadership team behind the scenes for over 40 years. I loved hearing his heart and encouragement for church administrators. During the interview Nigel gives great examples of how to work with a senior church leader. I don't know if you can tell but I loved every minute of this interview with Nigel, grateful for him and his faithful service to the wider church.
Gavin connects with Anna Wood, the Operations Director for Cornerstone Collective in Liverpool. They are reflecting on how they are approaching the new year. Lots of encouragement for Church Administrator to look out and enjoy the grace of God around them. As well as an encouragement to be faithful in everything they are doing for the Glory of God.
In this podcast Gavin asks John Truscott some of the questions that listeners have sent in to The Church Office over the last few months.
-
How do you protect yourself from Burnout?
-
My senior leader is gracious with me but I find it hard to deal with my own mistakes and failures? Can you help?
-
How do you train the next generation for church administration?
-
Do you think there is a recommended length of time someone should stay in post?
-
Aren't church administrators really church deacons? Why do people use a different name?
-
I always feel like I am the person saying No to everything? It creates tension and I don’t know what to do different?
-
Is there a recognised pay scale for church administrators and operation jobs for churches?
-
I need help chairing meetings, what are your top three recommendations?
-
Help, I have challenges with my senior leader/ manager who interrupts governance and policy differently to me. We can’t agree!
-
We don’t have enough volunteers to run a church project, nobody wants to close it down but the burden is falling on me? I can’t keep going!
It has been a brilliant first year for the church office, God has been so Kind and gracious to the team. In this podcast Jonathan Thomas interviews Gavin and asks him what's been happening in the background. They review some of the stats and churches that have been helped in 2021. It's a great opportunity to celebrate the success of the website and podcast in its first year. Thank you everyone who has supported the church office both financially and through prayer. Much Appreciated!
Here at The Church Office, we appreciate that one of the best ways to learn can be to read. And I love passing on a great book recommendation!
Our good friend Sharon Clark has recently written a book for Church Leaders offering a personal account and exploration of the Spiritual gift of administration. In this 184 page paperback, Sharon shares her insight and wisdom regarding the challenges, joys and opportunities of being a church administrator, negotiating spreadsheets and prophecy…
Available here
In this podcast Gavin links up with John Truscott a church consultant to discuss the topic of Capacity. Your capacity and ability to achieve any task is impacted by a number of external factors and personal issues. The podcast offers lots of practical help and encouragement as we think about this topic.
Gavin teamed up with Julian Mander from Riverside in Birmingham to hear more about their Community Money Advice Centre. As we approach Christmas, levels of debt are on the rise. It is wonderful that the church is making a massive difference in supporting people to be completely debt free. Julian previously served as the Operations Director at his church and is now taking a full time position to manage and lead this initiative at Riverside. Julian is very passionate about his work, it was a joy to interview him.
Gavin teamed up with Becca Staniforth from STC Sheffield to discuss the work that goes on behind the scenes to deliver a Sunday Morning week in week out. They discuss some of the challenges running church events post covid-19. The podcast offers lots of practical help and encouragement.
Gavin teamed up with Penny Clarke from Kings Church in Bolton to discuss some of the challenges that they face with volunteer levels being low in our churches. How do we recruit and care for new and existing volunteers serving in our churches. Lots of great stuff!
In this podcast Gavin talks to Jon Slocombe the manager for the Newport Food Bank. We hear Jon shares his heart to serve those in our community that are in the midst of crisis. I love Jon' desire to serve people not just with food but with the message of the gospel.
Lovely to speak with Dave Taylor and hear his perspective on church administration. I love Dave's heart to invest into people and how a church administrator can serve the core leadership team.
Find out more about Dave's church here
https://www.sovgrace.org.au
Gavin teamed up with Ben Elliott Head of Communications at The Well Church in Sheffield. Ben has a wealth of experience and it was a joy to sit and learn from him. In his spare time Ben also heads up his own design agency as well as running a network to support those serving in Church Communications roles called 'The Church Comms Collective Uk'.
Gavin teamed up with Jules and Andy from UCAN to discuss some of the challenges that church administrator and operation directors are facing today.
Gavin wonderfully got the opportunity this week to talk to Dai Hankey a pastor from Cardiff who in his spare time manages a not for profit company called 'Manumit Coffee'.
Manumit Coffee Roasters offers dignity and hope to survivors of modern slavery through training & employment. Our coffee is roasted by men and women who have suffered horrendous exploitation at the hands of modern slave traders but are now rebuilding their lives.
In this episode Gavin got the opportunity to talk too Jules Morgan and Andy Bagwell, two of the UCAN Directors. Andy serves as one of the Executive Directors running the day-to-day operations of the network. Jules Morgan is the Executive Director for New Wine England serving thousands of churches across the UK. A really interesting podcast and opportunity to learn about the important work of UCAN. I loved hearing Jules and Andy's heart to serve church administrators with a desire to strengthen local churches.
In this episode Gavin got the opportunity to talk to Dai Hankey, a church planter from Cardiff who would describe himself as a 'Administratively Challenged Pastor'. A helpful insight into the importance of church administration and what pastors need on the ground to run their churches. Thank you for your humility and helpful tips Dai!
It has long been recognised that volunteering has many benefits, not just for the church, but also for young people themselves. However, there are things to consider when it comes to safeguarding the young people while they serve. Gavin chats with Anna Wood from Cornerstone Collective to discuss this topic and provide some helpful points for your consideration.
God is the ultimate communicator who sent his only son down from Heaven to minister to us in ways we could understand. As church communicators we need to ensure our communications are up to scratch. I love the fact that our day to day social media posts might be the start of someones salvation story.
This week Gavin got the opportunity to talk with the Operations Director from the Cornerstone Collective, a group of churches based in Liverpool. Anna plays a significant role in serving these churches behind the scenes. Cornerstone Collective are passionate about reaching people with the gospel in Merseyside area and have adopted a different church planting model to what we have seen before. Really Interesting Stuff!
What's more encouraging than hearing other's stories? This week, Gavin talked to Tony Graham about the challenges he faced and the lessons he learned whilst helping plant a church in Merthyr Tydfil.
Creativity and excellence are two key ingredients in delivering quality church administration. Gavin takes the opportunity to explore the topic of excellence with Gareth and Lois Hillier.
A wonderful opportunity to hear and learn from John Truscott who has served churches behind the scenes for over 40 years. John seeks to resource and encourage Christian leaders, managers, trustees, planners, communicators and administrators. He is passionate about helping the Church to become effective for Christ in all it seeks to be and do.
Questions about safeguarding and security in churches? Then give this episode a listen as Gavin talks to Tola Munro, safeguarding lead at our church and the church administrator before Gavin!
The torch has been lit and preparations for the Tokyo Olympics are ramping up so what better time to sit down with Jennifer Reed, a Project Manager who helped organise the 2012 London Olympics!
He's back! By popular demand we invited Gaz back to our podcast to talk with Gavin about things they wish they knew before they started and examples of when things didn't exactly go to plan!
Employment Policies and Procedures can get complicated, fast. Join Gavin as he sits down on Zoom with James Moss, Managing Partner of Slate Legal, to ask him about the essentials we need to have in place in our churches.
(N.B. The law covered in this video relates to Great Britain only. The information in this video is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. You should seek specific legal advice in relation to any particular matter.)
In this podcast The Church Office gets the opportunity to interview Gavin, the man behind ChurchSuite. Gavin started the company in 2011 and his software is now being used by 2200 churches across the world. The Church Office wanted to get to find out more about the heart behind the software and desire to serve local churches.
An episode full of gems for those who are balancing the role of church administration on a voluntary basis, alongside work and family life. Meet Gaz from Liberty Church, Newport
This is part of our Mercy Multiplied Project idea which can be adapted to any church size and any church budget. This idea is a great practical way to display the love of Jesus to your local community. We hope these stories encourage you and inspire you to think of practical ways your church could be reaching out with the gospel to people in your area. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more at www.thechurchoffice.co.uk
Peter and Gavin give some suggestions on how best to train a new church administrator or a new pastor in the workings of the church office and church management.
A Pastor’s Perspective on Church Administration is a mini-series offering listeners the opportunity to engage with key issues surrounding the role of the church administrator in church leadership with Gavin and special guest, Peter Greasley, the senior pastor of Christchurch, Newport.
Please check out 'www.thechurchoffice.co.uk' to find more resources to support church work behind the scenes.
Join Gavin as he and Peter Greasley discuss how different roles in church leadership work together.
A Pastor’s Perspective on Church Administration is a mini-series offering listeners the opportunity to engage with key issues surrounding the role of the church administrator in church leadership.
In this podcast Gavin takes the opportunity to interview Peter Greasley about a Pastors perspective on church administration. Peter Greasley has been serving as the senior pastor of Christchurch in Newport for the last 25 years. Part 2 and Part 3 of the interview will be available in the next few weeks.
In this episode Gavin and Jack discuss what they love about church administration. We hope you find this podcast encouraging and inspiring, particularly if you work behind the scenes in the church office.
A short introduction to a brand new podcast from the church office, talking about all the work that happens behind the scenes in church life. Check out www.thechurcoffice.co.uk