archdeacons visitation news The clash of personalities

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1 archdeacons visitation news Spring issue 12 The clash of personalities Susan Cain s best-selling book Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can t stop talking (Penguin 2012) is pitched at a wide audience, but has a lot to say to churches along the way. While encouraging introverts unashamedly to celebrate who they are, Quiet rightly appreciates the balance and harmony obtained when both are represented in a group. Introverts should value extroverts for their tireless ability to initiate and sustain conversation; extroverts should value introverts for being willing to listen more carefully than they sometimes do in return. Cain summarises the differences helpfully: Extroverts are the people who will add life to your dinner party and laugh generously at your jokes. They tend to be assertive, dominant, and in great need of company. Extroverts think out loud and on their feet; they prefer talking to listening, rarely find themselves at a loss for words, and occasionally blurt out things they never meant to say. They re comfortable with conflict, but not with solitude. Introverts, by contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pyjamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and often feel as if they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. They tend to dislike conflict. Many have a horror of small talk, but enjoy deep discussions. If you didn t know your personality type before, you may have a good idea after reading the above. Having a sensitivity to issues of faith which probably stems from being the grand-daughter of a rabbi, Cain looks at the extrovert ideal found in Rick Warren s Saddleback church through the eyes of an introverted evangelical minister who admires the energy with which mission is pursued, but finds himself ill at ease there in worship and fellowship. The interplay between ecclesiology and personality is rarely considered, but probably has a large impact on where people worship and whether they are comfortable with it or not. Flourishing Christian communities, like society, benefit from having a good mix of both kinds. They also do well to observe two rules. The first is to respect people for the personality they have, rather than trying to make them something else. If we believe God has made us as we are and accepts us as such, we should confer the same dignity on others. Both introverts and extroverts have great depths they can offer to their churches, but they will be inhibited if the subtle message is that they can t because they are too loud or too quiet. A broader understanding of what these personality types mean would also foster relationships. The second requirement is the more taxing. There are many times when both personality types have to act out of character for the benefit of others. To be stretched this way may be a function of costly discipleship. The introvert may need to lead or liven up others, to prevent introspection and build momentum; the extrovert may need to listen to others to meet a personal need or resolve a conflict, to cite a few examples of many. Like an elastic band, we may resort to our natural state at the first opportunity, but to be stretched this way for a time is to show we are thinking of other people s needs before our own, which is the essence of Christian community. Simon Burton-Jones Archdeacon of Rochester Produced and printed by

2 Good stewardship! The diocese has been effecting changes over the last year in seeking to move towards a more strategic, long-term approach in many areas, and my appointment last April represents another small part of that transition. Change is vital as society and church membership changes around us. However unwelcome it may be, we must accept and react to that change or become increasingly isolated and irrelevant. My previous role was with a large UK multinational where I looked at process design and how it could be improved to better meet the needs of customers and/ or save time and cost. So how does that fit with the Church? Like it or not, we are in business. Kingdom business may have quite different objectives from secular business, but it still operates in the same environment, it involves people, finance, communications, utilities and buildings, it has to balance its books, and it is subject to regulations. It is undeniably business. And while there is much best avoided from the secular business world, there is also a whole lot to learn. An analogy about babies and bathwater would fit well here, as would a reminder to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. Although not a topic mentioned by name, the theme of stewardship runs throughout the Bible and was particularly important in the early Church. My task is to take a holistic look at how it is currently handled and implement a strategy to take it forward. This necessarily involves engaging with a wide range of people across the Diocese and I really look forward to meeting and working with many of you. But let s be clear, stewardship is not about finance, it s not about campaigns, but it s about commitment and the very DNA of church life. The challenge to effect a culture change is huge, but it s a part of His Mission that I feel privileged to be working in. Brian Pull Diocesan Stewardship Adviser From the Archdeacon of Bromley & Bexley... I have never been particularly good at waiting, but on the other hand I have learned to be more patient! I am sure this is a challenge that faces most churchwardens and PCCs in the local church, knowing that certain things need to get done and wanting to get on and do them, but recognising you have to go through a formal process. Our grandson, William, will be a year old in June and over this last year it has been wonderful to see him develop. We knew what would happen: he would learn to roll over and then sit up, and he would find his voice, and of course eventually all these things have come to pass and have brought us all great joy. There has been no way of speeding this up, but on the flipside his sister, Amelie, is going to be starting at primary school in September. Here there is a kind of reluctance because we want her to stay as the cute, adorable, gorgeous thing she has been since the day she was born and not grow up too fast! So what might this have to do with the new faculty process? Well, the good news is there are a number of things you no longer have to wait for under the faculty process as a PCC (see List A). Furthermore there is a lot more scope for the Archdeacons to give permission (see List B) and I hope that in our Diocese the three Archdeacons will be able to give support, encouragement but also permission to the local churches in their endeavours, as they seek to work through what they know needs to be done or what their vision might look like in reality. Of course the Archdeacons have a responsibility for buildings, but I think I would want to say that we probably have a greater care for the development of individual Christians and the communities they are part of, so we will always do our very best to encourage clergy and lay people so that things can get sorted and you do not have to wait forever for this to happen. In all our endeavours, whether it is with our immediate family, the church family or the wider community, we are always in God s hands and that should be a reason for joy, even in those more challenging times. May God continue to bless you and the work you do. Paul Wright

3 St. Mary s, Radcliffe There when you need us The end of 2015 was a traumatic time for many of our customers in Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire. Extreme bad weather and floodwater caused by Storms Desmond, Eva, and Frank devastated many communities including their churches. In total, 70 churches we insure were badly affected by floodwater, often many feet deep. At times of major incidents like this, our claims team pull out all the stops to provide quick and effective support to affected customers. This includes sending out our specialist claims handlers to meet customers, assess their situation and help with any immediate needs, such as providing emergency funds or securing alternative accommodation. We also use the services of loss adjusters who work closely with us to help churches after major events. In this case we brought in our specialist restoration partners Richfords Fire & Flood who sent in an expert team from Cornwall, more than 400 miles from the affected areas! A sensitive response to Boxing Day misery St. Mary s, Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, is a Grade I listed building dating back to the 13th century. On the morning of 26 December 2015, the nearby River Irwell burst its banks, swamping the church along with hundreds of nearby properties. The flood water, at its peak, was waist high in the church so we sent in our specialist cleaning teams who started work to clear-up the devastation and with the help of our documentation specialists, we removed, for restoration, the delicate books, records and other artefacts that were damaged. According to Rev Hayden: Everyone (at Ecclesiastical) has been amazing; they ve taken away a huge amount of the pressure. Ecclesiastical and their partners have gone over and above what I would ever have expected they re so sensitive to working in a church building it s made our life much easier as a result. Flooding in your church and associated properties can cause inconvenience and heartache to your church community. It s impossible to fully flood-proof your church properties, but there are some simple actions you can take to reduce the damage a flood may cause on our website at Serving our customers We survey you, our church customers on a regular basis to make sure we are continuing to deliver the service you have come to expect from us. If you ve called Ecclesiastical with a church query you will have spoken to our friendly customer service team. The team only deal with church insurance and are on hand to give you expert support no matter what the question. Out of all the customers we surveyed, we were delighted that 98% (684 responses) were satisfied with our service. FAITH CLAIMS SURVEY % SATISFACTION Of course, how we handle claims is critical for our church customers and we were very pleased to see that satisfaction with our church claims handling in 2015 is now at 99% (393 responses) of all settled claims we surveyed. To back up our customer satisfaction scores, we were also delighted to be awarded Corporate Chartered Insurer status which means that we have been recognised for our professional commitment, service and ethical approach that places clients interests at the heart of the service we provide. Recovery after a flood If the worse happens and you are flooded make sure you: contact our claims team on: for specialist advice on drying out, cleaning up and repairs take photographs of flood damage be aware that flood water could be contaminated keep any damaged items until our claims team say it is ok to destroy them. We will work with you to get your building back in use as soon as possible.

4 The wisdom of crowds Situated in a beautiful rural setting on the Isle of Man, St. Mark s church needed to raise 9,000 to install an LPG gas boiler and convert an old WC into a disabled toilet and shower room. Looking for new fundraising ideas for your church? We were overwhelmed by the number 424 and quality of entries to our fundraising competition last year. There were so many great ideas that we wanted to share some of the most innovative with our customers. We are committed to supporting the churches that are at the heart of so many communities across the country and so we have made 25 of these ideas available to read or download on our website. The ideas include the winning entries but also those judged to be most helpful to churches looking for new ideas. Read just one of these ideas opposite. Plus, we have analysed all the entries and picked out the top tips for organising and publicising events. To see all the case studies, please visit fundraising Alongside traditional fundraising events, the PCC decided to turn to social media, using a crowdfunding website to invite people to pledge a donation. They were unaware just how successful the approach would be, as the crowdfunding not only quickly met its target, but led to a number of other benefits too. For a crowdfunding appeal, charities have to offer something in return to thank their supporters. St. Marks offered the ability to use a shared space that would be for everyone, not just the church. The idea caught on with people from beyond the congregation, and during the TT races, the vicar was even interviewed on local TV as the church offered the new space as a refuge for bikers visiting the island. The space is now used by a range of organisations beyond the church, including New fundraising ideas local cyclists and motorsports groups, as well as the Isle of Man Post Office, which uses the hall for business meetings. A social media campaign to promote the crowdfunding got St. Marks noticed further afield, and the parish is now forging a relationship with the Trustees of St. Omer s Trust in Liverpool who are keen to provide escape breaks for family groups. It has brought the local population together too, a priceless achievement in such a rural community. The World Wide Web has made all the difference to this global village. Find out about our 2016 Community use of Church Buildings competition and how to enter at churchcomp Peter Killey Emily Draper, Stonemason Emily originally trained in Fine Art and is an incredibly driven and interesting individual, who does not fit the stereotype of a traditional stonemason. Emily Draper She is a stonemason at Worcester Cathedral, where she is in year three of a five-year course. She is employed by the Cathedral and is on a degree course sponsored by Ecclesiastical under the auspices of the Cathedrals Workshop Fellowship (CWF). The partnership between nine cathedrals and the University of Gloucestershire has been supported for the last four years by Ecclesiastical. The students are nominated by their cathedrals and they study a range of work-based subjects, including ornamental carving, stone selection and geometry, architecture, archaeology, structural engineering and practical conservation techniques, for just less than two years. Also included is a tailored personal development programme, which the course graduates have all found highly valuable. With HRH The Prince of Wales as its patron, and Ecclesiastical s support, the Fellowship s immediate future looks positive and thanks to the CWF the nation will continue to produce master stonemasons whose traditions reach back over a thousand years, yet whose eyes are firmly on the future.

5 Allchurches Trust (ATL) Supporting the Church of England Baptism and Funeral projects ATL provides support to many churches and charities through its grant programmes and also helps support some large special projects. One example of a special grant is for the Church of England funerals and baptisms projects which are aimed at increasing the engagement of the church with these key life events. You can read more about these projects below. Let s talk about death GraveTalk, the Church of England s café space to talk about death, dying and funerals, was launched through the Funerals Project and is making a big impact across the country. It is organised by the local church and can be held in a hall, a home or a real café. At each event, a pack of GraveTalk questions are distributed there are no answers, just conversation. And it s open to people of all faiths and doubts. The Rev d Mark Salmon successfully introduced it in Harlescott and said: Marking space for people to remember loved ones and talk about death through GraveTalk is becoming part of the life of our parishes we look forward to making this a part of our long-term pastoral care plan. Sandra Millar added: The taboo of talking about death is coming under challenge and the Church of England is well-placed to be part of that momentum. If you d like to know more, visit article/gravetalk The birth of a child and the death of someone we love couldn t be more different in the spectrum of human life experience, yet they re both significant moments when the ministry of the Church of England can really make a difference. Baptism and funerals have been the focus of two major projects of the Archbishops Council, supported by a grant from Allchurches Trust. Extensive, independent research into these life events and offering specially produced resources to support ministry across Church of England parishes lies at the heart of the work. Every year the Church of England conducts over an average of 3,000 funeral ceremonies and 2,000 child baptisms every week. Together with weddings, this offers contact with half a million people each week a huge opportunity show the welcome of the church and God s grace and truth, in times of joy and celebration, as well as in moments of sadness and grief. The Rev d. Canon Dr Sandra Millar, Head of Projects & Developments, and her team have been presenting to dioceses all over the country, sharing all that s been learned through the research and explaining how the new resources can help. Sandra said: Being there for people at every stage of life is at the heart of parish ministry, whether it is discovering the good news of Jesus at the start of a life, or realising the comforting presence of God in times of sorrow. Reflecting on how we approach these core ministries can make a real difference to the local church. There are two new websites for the general public: christenings.org, and funerals.org which offer information and advice to those organising and/or attending a baptism or a funeral. And offers churches the research findings, access to customisable printed resources, plus shared ideas and articles, all in one place. There s even an online reminder system, to help churches keep track of services, related finances and to follow up with contacts already made a key driver of church growth. For more information, and to find an event near you, visit Keeping in touch Following a Baptism project presentation in the Diocese of Durham, Curate Bryony Taylor, from Houghton-le-Spring, wanted to share her experiences via the Church Support Hub website. She was inspired to learn that 9/10 people say they welcome contact from the church after their child s baptism but churches could do better with staying in touch over the longer term. She said: People do actually want what we re offering, they do want the good news, but we ve been hiding our light under a bushel for too long. Keeping in touch need not be complicated or time consuming, so I decided to share some really simple, low-cost things we d done to keep in touch with families in our parish. See Bryony s Article here: baptisms/articles To find out more about Allchurches Trust visit or call or atl@allchurches.co.uk

6 Don t Forget Keeping up to date Don t forget our Church Matters website has a wide range of information, guidance and tools you can use to help you look after your church. We can also insure your home! Just call us for a quote on or go online at churchworker Full of risk management guidance and useful information, you can quickly find out about important topics like health and safety. Many customers also now get regular updates by just let us have your address if you too would like to be updated in this way. For further information: Our website: Customer services: call or churches@ecclesiastical.com Claims: call (24-hour service) or churchclaims@ecclesiastical.com Our customer service lines are normally open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, except for bank holidays. However, claims can be registered at any time during the day or night. Building Works Made Simple Churches call us all the time for advice about works they are having planned so we have introduced another in our Made Simple guide series to provide help and advice about the insurance implications. Arson advice for churches from Loyd Grossman OBE The guide sets out when you need to contact us and the issues that might arise, such as different types of contract, hot works and scaffolding. Our website also includes simple forms to complete where you need to apply for confirmation of insurance cover to get faculty approval and for you to tell us about more significant building projects. Just visit where you can view this and the other guides in the series. website explains what clients need to do and you can find out more in our Building Works Made Simple Guide. We have enlisted the help of Loyd Grossman OBE, Chairman of The Churches Conservation Trust, to present a new video for us on the major disruption that arson can bring to churches and their communities. Arson poses a major security challenge for church communities. Fires can be started deliberately, either by arsonists or thieves concealing their crime and churches are often viewed as a soft target. In the event of a serious fire, a church may take 2-3 years or more to fully restore causing major disruption to services and other church activities. Loyd explores these issues and provides some practical tips to reduce the risk of arson affecting your church. Visit our website at to find out more and also download our arson checklist. The Construction (Design and Management) (CDM) Regulations 2015 Don t forget, if your church is employing a contractor you have duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations The Regulations aim to protect the health and safety of people working in construction and others who may be affected by their activities. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Independent Financial Advice Do you need help with your finances? Ecclesiastical Financial Advisory Services can offer you totally independent financial advice on investments, retirement and protection. They can also help parishes who have funds to invest. Please note, the value of investments can fall as well as rise and past performance is not a guide to future performance. For more information call: or getadvice@ecclesiastical.com

7 Serving our schools The Way Ahead, a report focusing on Church of England schools which was published in 2001, spoke about our Church schools as being at the heart of the Church s mission. However, if we take the term mission to be a holistic one, which involves more than proclamation, and apply it to all the schools in our parishes, we can build strong and lasting relationships with staff and with pupils. Churches and schools both want what is best for their local community and it is this that can bind them in a common purpose. Holistic mission in the school context involves telling the story of Jesus in a variety of ways, but this storytelling needs to start with the connection and trust between the local incumbent and the headteacher, from which other relationships can form and flourish. With those connections firmly in place, there are a number of immediate ways to be involved in the life of the school, not all of which require huge amounts of resources. Offer to pray for your school. As long as appropriate confidences are kept, it can be a source of joy and support to know that others are praying for you. In some Church schools, prayers from the children s prayer boxes are brought into church and offered during worship (not necessarily individually but as our prayers from this week ). Clergy, and other church members, often lead worship in their local school. Getting to know the school before leading worship, visiting acts of worship led by others, worshipping alongside first this will lay firm foundations for leading meaningful worship for that community. Baking a cake or sending a card when the school is facing a critical time to say we are thinking of you is much appreciated. You might be able to hear children read as a volunteer, be involved in the PTA or help at the Christmas fair or summer fete. Particular skills or hobbies can form the basis for an after-school club, providing the necessary safeguarding checks are made. As well as foundation governors in Church schools, community governors are needed in community schools. In all of these roles, you will be serving without expecting anything in return. This is quite rare in today s consumer society where we rarely get something for nothing! This surely is mission in its broadest sense telling the story of Jesus in a variety of ways, but primarily by living the story, the story of Jesus who came to serve and not to be served. Virginia Corbyn Assistant Diocesan Director of Education: Schools We have hope and a future... There is so much to be thankful for in the work of the Church right across the Diocese and wider did you know that 15 million people alive today went to a Church of England school? But there are also lots of challenges and opportunities, such as a general fall in numbers attending church on Sundays. Across the family of the Diocese, we want to make sure that we are using our resources, our talents and our energies in the best way to enable God s work amongst us. We need to be wise and intentional in planning for the future, thinking about what we need now while laying the foundations for future generations. Starting in the middle of 2016, we will be consulting as widely as possible across the Diocese to identify and agree our common heart, hopes, purposes and priorities. There will be many opportunities for parishes, staff, volunteers, groups and individuals to be involved in shaping a vision for mission and ministry in the localities that comprise the Diocese. We hope and pray that the whole process will be inspiring as well as informative, and that through it we will better understand what is needed to support, liberate and enable local work. By the time you read this, we will have appointed a part-time Project Manager to lead the project. S/he will be responsible for involving all the many and varied groups and people, and then for enabling the distillation of a clear Diocesan Strategic Framework and delivery plans. There is no grand master plan already written and waiting in the wings. The hopes and future plans for the Church across the Diocese will need all of us to think, to speak, to pray, to hear and to listen to each other and to God. Please be prepared to get involved. Matthew Girt Director of Strategy and Implementation

8 A word from the Archdeacon of Tonbridge... Thank you, once again, to all of you for all that you do in the life of your parishes. I am enormously grateful to churchwardens and other lay people working alongside their parish priests for all that they give to the furtherance of Christian ministry, mission, witness and worship across our many churches in the Archdeaconry. Over the course of the last few weeks, the first cuts of grass on lawns, gardens, parks and playing fields have taken place. For some of us, that smell of new-mown grass heralded the approach of the cricket season and, before long, the sound of leather on willow brought joy to our ears. I come from a cricketing family and cricket remains a delight to me. Just as the mowing of grass heralds the prospect of the cricket season, so the completion of the great season of Eastertide and moving through Ascensiontide to Pentecost and, ultimately, Trinity Sunday herald the season of those many Sundays after Trinity, which flow through the Christian calendar for the months ahead. In one sense, this is a long season for living out, as Trinity people, what it means to be those who enjoy faith in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In other ways, these many weeks in the seasons after Trinity Sunday offer us a time to be out and about, living out our faith in the open air of late spring, summer and early autumn in a way that our colder winter climate days do not permit. When I was in rural ministry, we often curtailed any study courses and home groups for the summer period, so that people could be out in their gardens and enjoying conversations with their neighbours across the hedge or the fence etc. They lived their faith out in the open air. I wonder whether your parishes might be able to see something of these many weeks after Trinity Sunday as an open air season, a time when people can be out and about, sharing their faith in some way or another, or just living out their faith in the life and companionship of those in their communities. Or perhaps it can be an occasion for open-air events, which can give some particular opportunity, where regular worshippers and never-worshippers can come together in enjoyment and, perhaps, in some exploration of spiritual things. The celebration of the Queen s 90th birthday, scheduled for early June, will offer some parishes one such occasion to do something that will draw people together and enable them to reflect upon the extraordinary reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, whose personal Christian faith has been one of her many abiding characteristics. Keeping our churches open, both physically and metaphorically, is something which I certainly would encourage. Sometimes common sense and practical wisdom needs to come into play and particular valuables within the church need to be locked away. Often having a sign outside the entrance to the church path saying Church open. Welcome can draw people in and there they can reflect, explore and perhaps pray. There, too, they may meet others who come into that building at the same time and conversations can flow. I do hope and pray that, over this summer season, you may in different ways be able to enable your parishes to have an open season, where faith, prayer and practical Christian living can be as much part of summer and autumn life as cricket has been traditionally part of the summer season of our land. Clive Mansell 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. For more information call churches@ecclesiastical.com visit Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc (EIO) Reg. No Ecclesiastical Insurance Group plc (EIG) Reg. No Ecclesiastical Life Ltd (ELL) Reg. No E.I.O. Trustees Ltd Reg. No All companies are registered in England at Beaufort House, Brunswick Road, Gloucester, GL1 1JZ, UK. EIO and ELL are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc /16