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!