We are very grateful to Ecclesiastical forits help in producing this newsletter at nocost to the diocese.

Tools for the jobWhether you are a new churchwardenor one who feels a bit long in the tooth,learning some new skills and reflectingwith colleagues on the role can be reallyhelpful. So once again, there will be threetraining sessions for churchwardens:one in each archdeaconry.

Durham14 June 7.30pm – St. Cuthbert’s, Durham

Auckland18 June 7.30pm – All Saints, Blackwell

Sunderland2 July 7.30pm – St. Nicholas, Hedworth

You are free to attend any of the sessions,but please let the relevant archdeacon knowas soon as possible.

archdeacon.of.auckland@durham.anglican.orgTel: (01325) 480 444

archdeacon.of.durham@durham.anglican.orgTel: (0191) 384 7534

archdeacon.of.sunderland@durham.anglican.orgTel: (0191) 536 2300

archdeacons’visitation news

Diocese of Durham

As I get the opportunity tovisit more parishes acrossthe diocese in my firstyear, I look forward tomeeting as many of youas possible.

I am really grateful to youall for being prepared to

take on this really important role in the life ofyour church. Like your clergy, you are servantsof the people of God, and I know that withoutyour faithful service a great many things wouldsimply not happen in churches across thediocese. This is particularly true if your parish isin vacancy, so a particular thanks to you if youare bearing this particular burden. Be assuredthat we are working as hard as we can to makegood appointments.

To be an effective churchwarden relationshipsare key. First of all your relationship with yourclergy in the parish; be ready to work hard toget this right. You are lay leaders and you needto share that leadership with others who

exercise ministry in your parish. Secondly, it’simportant to be available to members of thecongregation. Keep your ears to the ground,know what’s going on and be ready to workwith others for the health and wellbeing ofyour church. Make sure you know your areadean, particularly if your church is in vacancy.Lastly of course, there is your archdeacon.They are always ready to help if they can andhappy to be consulted if you have questionsor if issues arise in your parish.

There is one relationship I haven’t mentionedand this is the most important of all: yourrelationship with God. Being a churchwardenis a spiritual service to God, and you have acanonical responsibility as bishop’s officersto encourage and help people to grow in theirfaith. In order to do this you need to tendcarefully your own relationship with God.I look forward as your bishop to helping youdo this.

The Rt Rev Justin WelbyThe Bishop of Durham

Dear churchwardensThis year I am delighted to have the opportunity to meet you all atthe visitation in Durham Cathedral and to pray with you as youbegin your new term of office as a churchwarden in your parish.

The Venerable Nick BarkerArchdeacon of Auckland

The Venerable Ian JaggerArchdeacon of Durham

The Venerable Stuart BainArchdeacon of Sunderland

Spring 2012 - issue 8

www.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters

These are really big but very importantquestions. Do they ever get on your PCCagenda? We may think a lot about gettingpeople through our doors and filling our pewsor raising money to pay our bills, but whatabout our outward-facing ministry?

Good News to our community

In terms of Kingdom and Mission, this is reallycrucial. Ask yourself: “How is our church goodnews to this local community?” To answer thiswe need to know our communities well andparticularly who we need to be working with toserve them better. This may be other churches,it may be existing projects or people. In missionterms this is remembering that God is active inmission and we need to get out there and joinhim.

This year in the diocese we will be launchingthe “Bridge Project”. We have been successfulin obtaining some external funding for this soit will not be a cost on the Parish Share – goodnews there then!

Engage in social action

A key aim of this five-year project is to enablethe Church to engage in local social actionacross the diocese by developing capacity atevery level. The project hopes to help parishes

develop a better understanding of theircontext and begin to think more about gospelaction on the ground. Helping churches makea difference at the local level is what theBridge Project will be all about.

It’s true that in some places many things arealready happening, but in others this isn’t true.How can we up our game? In doing this weneed to be asking some theological questionsabout why we are doing what we do. It is aboutmaking connections between the gospelmessage and the reality of deprivation, povertyand other forms of social injustice, and thentrying to do something about it. This is notnecessarily about doing it on our own, but inpartnership with others for the good of ourcommunities.

Answers from the articles

This year, the answers about what we are upto in our local communities from the visitationarticles will help us get an idea of what isalready going on and this information can alsoshape Bridge into the future. So thank you foryour help here.

Within the diocese we have been developing atool kit to help local churches accessinformation about their local communities anduse that to inform their priorities. There will beopportunities across all three archdeaconriesto learn about this soon.

There will be more about the Bridge Projectand the Bridge Project Officer throughout theyear. The project will be there to help you, sowe hope parishes will engage with what’sgoing on. At a time when many of ourcommunities face huge economic challenges,when local services are really under pressure,this is a moment for our churches to really begood news to those around them, buildingbridges for the Kingdom.

Stuart BainArchdeacon of Sunderland

Building bridges for the KingdomHow well do you think you know your parish? Are you aware of theissues faced by members of your community? What is going on, who arethe players in community action and is your church one of them? Whatshould your church be doing to serve the community in Christ’s name?

A word from theChancellorThe Diocesan Chancellor, Rupert Bursell,has asked the archdeacons to remindparishes that church silver and otheritems should not be removed from thechurch, even for safe keeping, withouteither a faculty or place of safety order.Without this, they are unlikely to be insuredand experience has also shown that there is areal danger of items getting mislaid and lost.So if you are thinking of removing items from

the church temporarily, please talk to yourarchdeacon. If this is about keeping somethingsafe in an emergency, matters can be dealtwith quickly. The key thing is to be in touch.

The DAC –What is itand what does it do?The DAC has two distinct roles.Its statutory role is to offer formaladvice to the Chancellor of theDiocese who decides whether togrant or decline a faculty. Its otherrole is to offer advice and assistanceto parishes and other applicants asthey explore options and prepareproposals to maintain or enhancetheir churches and churchyards.

If you are planning works to your church,you will need to be in touch with the DAC.

Early consultation with the DAC isalways advisable. Normally contact isbest made through the secretarywhose e-mail address is:churches@durham.anglican.orgIf you do not have e-mail, hard copiescan be sent to: Care of ChurchesSecretary Diocesan Office,Auckland Castle, Bishop AucklandDL14 7QJ – Tel: 01388 660001.

If you need legal advice about facultiesor permissions, do not go to the DAC butspeak to Richard Penrose (DiocesanRegistry Senior Clerk) on: 01388 603073or by email: rjp@smith-roddam.co.ukor Josie Jewitt (Secretary to the above):jj@smith-roddam.co.uk

Of course, you can always speak to yourarchdeacon as well.

When you are asking for material to beput on a DAC agenda and sending inpaperwork, please try to supply as muchdetail as you can about what you wouldlike to do – very sketchy specificationsusually just come back with questions.Please get your contractor to be asdetailed as possible about what they aregoing to do, materials, method etc.Always ask yourself whether you need toinvolve our church architect in this. Againa phone call may be really helpful andmay short circuit things in the long run.

It always helps to tell the DAC why youwant to take particular action bycompleting a Statement of Need. Youmay also need to write a Statement ofSignificance about your church building.For guidance on this, visit the diocesanwebsite:www.durham.anglican.org/resources/statement-of-significance-and-need.aspx

If in doubt, ask. Speak to the DACsecretary or speak to your archdeacon.Delays and frustration often occur whenthe DAC has to return proposals for lackof information. Speak to Bill Heslop, theDAC Secretary, and ask him exactly whatthe DAC will need to make decision. Youmay well be surprised at how smoothlythings go.

Last year was the worst on record for thenumber of claims for the theft of metalfrom churches, with claims exceeding2,500 by the end of the year. In fact, overthe past four years, metal theft claims fromchurches Ecclesiastical insure have nowexceeded £25m, with over 9,000 claims.

More than seven churches a day are fallingvictim to the attacks† and, unless action istaken now, the wave of metal theft raids canonly continue throughout 2012 causinguntold distress to our parish communities.

This is why Ecclesiastical has recentlylaunched the ‘Hands Off Our Church Roofs’anti-metal theft campaign, to deter criminalsand protect places of worship from this crime.

What is the ‘Hands Off Our ChurchRoofs’ campaign?

Ecclesiastical is determined to do all it can toreduce metal theft. Over the last two years,Ecclesiastical has been piloting the use ofelectronic roof security systems on churchesin metal theft hot spots. The systems haveproven to be very effective at preventingfurther losses and the insurer is now takingthis initiative to the next stage. To demonstrate

the effectiveness of roof alarms on awidespread basis, at a local level, and toencourage more churches to install alarms,Ecclesiastical is currently investing £500,000to install systems on selected ‘at risk’churches across dioceses in England,Wales and Scotland.

Once Ecclesiastical has protected theselected churches in a diocese by installingthe alarm systems, they will let all the otherchurches in the diocese know by sendingthem an information pack. The pack willcontain information about the alarm system,including details of where parishes can goto see a system in operation near them(Ecclesiastical recommends that you seefor yourself how effective the system is).It is expected that this will encourage manymore parishes to install alarms as a solutionto the church metal theft problem.

To help deter thieves further, the informationpacks will include two weather-resistant,glow-in-the-dark campaign posters (see pictureabove), which Ecclesiastical is encouraging allparishes to display prominently. You can alsodownload a copy of the poster atwww.ecclesiastical.com/handsoff

Roof alarms – key benefits

� Highly effective at deterring metal theftas demonstrated in recent trials in thefthot-spot areas.

� The system is specifically designed todetect and deter intruders before anydamage is caused.

� The technology used is virtually invisibleand reversible.

� Passive infrared (PIR) motion detectorsprevent false alarms.

� The system requires no userintervention and works for years.

� Large roof areas can be covered costeffectively.

� If the security system is activated, aplanned response based on yourspecific instructions is carried out – perfectfor buildings in remote or rural locations.

If you install an Ecclesiastical-approved roofsecurity system and have also complied withthe theft of external metal policy condition,Ecclesiastical may be able to increase yourmetal theft cover, depending on your individualcircumstances. The roof alarm FAQsmentionedbelow include more information about this.

More information

If you would like to arrange a free*no-obligation alarm survey for your church,or if you have any queries about the alarmsystem, please contact us on 0845 600 9659(9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday excludingbank holidays) or by email atroofalarms@ecclesiastical.com

For more information about the campaignincluding a video, roof alarm FAQs and a toolwhich will help you understand how at riskyour church is from metal theft, please visitwww.ecclesiastical.com/handsoff

Other ways toprotect your churchTop tips include:

� Applying a forensically basedsecurity marking product, such asSmartWater** to external metal,prominently displaying associatedsignage and registering the kit withthe supplier. For SmartWatersupplies (at a 40% discount),please call 01952 204 102.

� Engaging with your community –join the local Neighbourhood Watchscheme and urge the church’sneighbours to keep a watchful eyeout for anything suspicious aroundthe church.

� Make theft more difficult by removingany easy access onto building roofs,such as water butts, waste bins andtall trees located near to the building.Remember to get any necessaryapproval for tree cutting e.g. from thelocal authority, before work starts.

More advice and detailedguidance notes can be found atwww.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters

† In 2011, according to claims figures available up to theend of December. *UK mainland only – travel expensesmay be applicable offshore. **The registration and use ofSmartWater, or an alternative forensic marking systemapproved by us, is a policy condition on both ourParishguard and Hallguard policies.

Hands OffOur Church Roofs!Ecclesiastical launches a new campaignto fight metal theft...

Ecclesiastical is proud to reachits 125-year milestone in 2012.The anniversary is a greatopportunity to celebrate, butalso a time to look back andplan for the future.

During this important year,Ecclesiastical will be providing evengreater support to the Church,charities and the not-for-profit sector,both nationally and locally. For example,one of the initiatives the insurer isundertaking is to provide funds toenable the Church of England toproduce a new and improvedChurchcare website. The websiteis designed to help everyone involvedin caring for church buildings throughoffering practical advice, guidanceand links to other useful sourcesof information.

In a world that seems increasingly totake the short term view, 125 yearsis a long time in anyone’s book.Ecclesiastical is proud to have playeda part for such a long time in helpingchurches to make a difference in localcommunities and looks forward tocontinuing to do so for many yearsto come.

To visit the Churchcare website,please visit www.churchcare.co.uk

For more information aboutEcclesiastical’s 125 celebrations,please visitwww.ecclesiastical.com/125

Both the Church of England and theChurch in Wales aim to reduce carbonemissions by 80% by 2050 (in line withgovernment targets) to help meet theglobal challenge set by climate change.To that end, both Churches are runningenvironmental campaigns – in EnglandShrinking the Footprint and in Wales

CHASE (Church Action on Sustaining theEnvironment).

Churches nationwide are looking at ways theycan reduce their carbon impact and greentechnologies are being considered to save,or even generate, energy. One approach toenergy generation is to install a photovoltaic(PV) system. For any church consideringinstalling such a system, Ecclesiastical hasproduced a brief guide which is available atwww.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters

Ian Giles thoroughly enjoys visitingchurches – so much so that he chosea career which allows him to visit mostchurches within 100 miles or soof Bristol!

Ian is an InsuranceConsultant andSurveyor (IC&S),part of a team ofhighly respectedprofessionals whowork for Ecclesiasticaladvising PCCs on

health & safety risk management andthe insurance of their church premises.

With over 30 years in the insuranceindustry, Ian, like his colleagues acrossthe country, is qualified to tackle most riskmanagement issues churches raise with

them. “People usually want to know howI value their church and what impact it willhave on their premium. Rebuilding worksand repairs are other major issues.”

Ian and his colleagues have a rollingprogramme of church visits, howeverteam members are often called out morefrequently to inspect damage, the aftermathof a metal theft or building modifications.IC&S teams also deliver tailoredpresentations on topics including fire andsecurity, health & safety, metal theft andinsurance protection to supplementpublished guidance notes and are happyto undertake presentations on otherrelated topics.

To find out who your local IC&S is, visitwww.ecclesiastical.com/churchmattersand enter your postcode.

Like any other organisation, churches aresubject to health and safety legislation,risk assessments are required for a widerange of activities and there is always thegeneral issue of security to be addressed.

As part of its service to the Church,Ecclesiastical has set up a dedicated websitecalled ‘Church Matters’ where you can find awealth of advice and practical assistance onthese issues.

With spring now here, many churches will beturning their attention to essential buildingwork whether that involves carrying outgeneral repairs or undertaking majoralterations. If you are contemplating anysuch work, it is essential that you adviseEcclesiastical before any works start. This iseasy to do by using the on-line CommercialBuilding Works questionnaire that you willfind on the Church Matters website.

Church Matters also includes a range ofdownloadable guidance notes on topics suchas, security, health & safety and fire safety,together with a range of useful interactiveforms that you can personalise for yourchurch and save for your records.

To find out more, visitwww.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters

Support for you at‘Church Matters’...As well as addressing spiritual matters, today’s churches are facedwith what can seem like a maze of administrative and legislative issues.

New technologies –new challenges

A passion for churches

Interactiveforms

NEW

Are you headingfor a fall?It may have been just a small set ofsteps, but it was tall enough to sendEcclesiastical Insurance Consultantand Surveyor Peter Halden crashingto the concrete floor of a church,smacking his head on a radiatoras he fell.

“The steps Peter was given were tooweak for the job,” said Bob Johnson,Ecclesiastical’s Technical Risk ServicesManager. “He’s lucky not to have beenseriously injured.We recommend thatPCCs check our guidance notes onworking from heights. If the stepsPeter climbed had been of commercialstrength, they would have supported himproperly. If you need to use a ladder, forexample to change light bulbs high in theroof, these need attaching to an anchorpoint to ensure they are safe for use.”

Further advice is included in theHealth & Safety guidance notes atwww.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters

Chancel RepairLiability – a trusteeresponsibilityParishes have until October 2013 toinvestigate the position of their churchrelating to chancel repair liability and,if appropriate, note their interest withthe Land Registry.

Because of a well-publicised court case,Aston Cantlow PCC vWallbank (2001),the Government included provisions relatingto this liability under the Land RegistrationAct 2002. Under this order chancel repairliability needs to be registered as a notice(or caution in respect of unregistered land)before 13 October 2013. Failure to do thiscould risk losing the benefit of a traditionaland valuable gift.

Where a PCC is a charity, its trustees have aduty to safeguard its assets, which wouldinclude registering the chancel repair liability.Failure to register could render trusteespersonally liable for any shortfall in the costof repairs that would have otherwise beencovered by chancel repair liability.

To find out more about the insuranceimplications of chancel repair liability,please call 0845 777 3322.

The first requirement for electrical safety is toensure that wiring is up to date and thereafterthat it is inspected and tested at minimumintervals of five years. For additional safety,routine checks should be carried out on anannual basis.

While routine checks can be carried out bysomeone who is competent to understandthe electrical system, this person need not beelectrically skilled. For the five-year inspectionand test, however, the services of a suitablyqualified professional are required.Ecclesiastical recommends that this should bean NICEIC (National Inspection Council forElectrical Installation Contracting) registeredcontractor, a member of the ElectricalContractors Association (ECA) or a memberof The National Association of ProfessionalInspectors and Testers (NAPIT). Registrationor membership must be on a full scope basis.

For more information, please downloadthe Health & Safety policy with guidancedocument atwww.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters

Don’t trip up onhealth and safety...

Electrical safety matters...Faulty electrical wiring is the second biggest cause of fires in churchesafter arson and, according to Ecclesiastical, the full scale of theproblem is difficult to measure because in some cases the damage isso severe that the fire authorities are unable to pinpoint the specificcause of the fire.

Minor accidents can happen in any buildingto which the general public has access –and the older the building, the greater therisk of what the insurance industry terms‘slips, trips and falls’. In a litigious society,minor, sometimes spurious, accidents canexpose churches to potentially significantpublic liability claims.

With this in mind, the importance of havingup-to-date health & safety records becomesevident, as Bob Johnson of Ecclesiastical

explains: “It is vital to have a specificindividual responsible for health & safetywithin the PCC. It is their responsibility toensure the completion of the necessary riskassessment forms which will be the mainform of defence against any spuriousinsurance claim.”

Health & safety risk should be a regularagenda item at PCCmeetings and furtherguidance on this topic can be found atwww.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters

Do you have a charity linked to your church?If so, is it insured with Ecclesiastical? Youmight not know, but Ecclesiastical has been insuringchurch-related charities and voluntary organisations for many years. With a dedicated charitypolicy Ecclesiastical protects you, your property, your activities, your volunteers and your trustees.

For more information, please call 0845 777 3322 and quote ‘AV news’.

Home insurancefrom one of the best

It is widely acceptedthat endorsementfrom Which?, the UK’sleading consumerrights group,

recognises companies that offer thebest products and services. That iswhy Ecclesiastical is particularly proudto have been named again in January2012 as a Which? ‘RecommendedProvider’ for home insurance.

For members of the church communitythere is even more good news becauseyou can save over 30% on Ecclesiastical’sHome Insurance when buying a combinedbuilding and contents policy online(subject to minimum premiums and termsand conditions).

For your free no-obligation quote, pleasecall 0800 917 3345 and quote ‘AV news’(8.00am to 6.00pm weekdays) or visitwww.ecclesiastical.com/churchworker

Renewal date not due yet?Simply go towww.ecclesiastical.com/avnews and enter your details.Ecclesiastical will be in touch with aquote nearer the time.

Each PCC is the custodian of parish funds andmembers are charity trustees with a duty tomanage and use their financial resources toachieve their greatest potential. Part of atrustee’s role – indeed a legal obligation – is toperiodically review investments to ensure theyremain suitable according to the Council’sinvestment policy statement. Responsibilitiesalso include exercise of skill and care whenmaking investment decisions, deciding on theright investments, their suitability and diversity– and deciding when to take expert advice.

Ecclesiastical Financial Advisory Services (EFAS),part of Ecclesiastical, is a national company of

Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs) whospecialise in financial advice for the clergy andchurch people. EFAS advice takes into accountthe Church of England Ethical InvestmentAdvisory Group and the Church in Wales EthicalPolicy Statements and any key ethical criteriaset by individual investors.

For parishes with funds typically of £25,000 ormore available, EFAS can help review investmentpolicy and advise whether it may be possible toachieve better returns than existing depositarrangements. The aim is to help parishes buildan ethical investment approach, generatingincome while avoiding excessive or unnecessaryrisk. Because of its unique understanding,EFAS can also advise individuals on the legalresponsibilities of being a warden and treasurer inrelation to church finances. The aim is to build apartnership supporting treasurers in their financialstewardship responsibilities and help maximiseparish income. Please remember the value ofinvestments can fall as well as rise and you maynot get back the amount originally invested.

To find out more about EFAS, please call0800 107 0190 and quote ‘AV news’ orvisit www.ecclesiastical.com/getadvice

Ecclesiastical is continuing to provide ‘bagsfor life’ for use by collectors and volunteersduring the UK’s biggest house-to-housecharity collection. In addition to that, thecompany has introduced a scheme that couldsee Christian Aid benefiting from thousandsof pounds in additional donations.

The idea is very simple: Ecclesiastical isasking Christian Aid supporters to let themknow the month in which their householdinsurance policy is due for renewal. For everydate they receive, the company will donate50p to Christian Aid.

You too can get involved in supportingChristian Aid by letting Ecclesiastical knowyour home insurance renewal date and

encouraging your friends and family to dothe same.

Just call Ecclesiastical on 0800 917 4154 orvisit www.ecclesiastical.com/caw for moreinformation or to leave a renewal date.

Her Majesty QueenElizabeth ll DiamondJubileeGas beacons insurance cover

In June 2012, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth IIwill become only the second monarch in Britishhistory to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee. As partof the celebrations, 2,012 beacons will be litacross the country on 4th June, including somegas beacons on church and cathedral towers.The beacons are fuelled by liquid petroleum gas(LPG), which is extremely flammable and readilycombines with air to form an explosive mix.

Ecclesiastical would like to offer churchesassurance that insurance cover is in place butasks that if you are intending to use gasbeacons on your church building, please call0845 777 3322. Ecclesiastical can then talk toyou about your cover and offer you tailoredadvice in addition to the dedicated riskmanagement advice which can be found atwww.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters

Is it time to give yourparish funds a makeover?With interest rates remaining at record lows and costs rising, the needfor careful stewardship of parish funds has never been more critical.

Ecclesiastical supports Christian AidEcclesiastical is again working with Christian Aid in 2012 to support itswork in the fight against global poverty and has introduced a newmoney-raising initiative.

Now the national Church, in partnershipwith dioceses, has launched a new serviceto help you. The Parish Buying serviceaims to take the stress out of buying manyof the key products and services thatchurches use by offering you tips, adviceand national contracts to help you buy withconfidence and save time and money.

From the energy needed to heat and light thechurch through to paper for service sheets, theChurch as a whole spends around £200 millioneach year on these kinds of operational costs.Parishes usually make these purchasesindependently and don’t benefit from ouroverall combined purchasing power. The ParishBuying service is changing this by bringingthese spends together and negotiatingfavourable deals from approved suppliers.

This new service has been developed by twoNational Procurement Officers, Robert Kissickand Russell Stables, working with a NationalProcurement Group of diocesan and otherrepresentatives. The national contracts include:

� electricity and gas – as well as scanningthe market for the best price, the supplierwill check you are not overpaying VAT orCCL. You can also buy “green” for lessthan you may think

� heating oil – offering a guaranteed levelof service, high priority delivery, andtransparent daily pricing

� photocopiers – offering a range ofdevices, with carefully vetted contracts andvery competitive click charges covering allconsumables (except paper)

� stationery – free next day delivery with nominimum order. Demonstrated averagesavings of up to 35% when compared withstandard catalogue pricing

� IT software – giving access to the bestcharity pricing for Microsoft, Adobe andothers. Also specialist accounting and GiftAid software

� fire safety – a range of products, includingEcclesiastical-approved 10-year fireextinguishers which do not require annualmaintenance.

Parish Buying does not just offer nationalcontracts. The website includes a range ofbuying guides with helpful tips and advice tohelp parishes buy more effectively across arange of areas.

This service aims to support you in yourstewardship, releasing resource for yourmission and ministry!

To find out more, please register atwww.parishbuying.org.uk or email theprocurement team at:procurement@churchofengland.orgor telephone: 0800 368 0887.

Lost for words?Someone asks you a question and you gocompletely blank. You know there’s ananswer inside you somewhere. If you hadmore time to think about it you might workit out. But you don’t know what to say, andthe moment has passed.

Well, there is a simple solution to this problem.Prepare an answer in advance. That’s easy ifyou know the question. So what’s the question?Well, there are two actually and they arebrother and sister to one other.

“How come you’re a Christian?”

You can answer that in two ways.

1. You can tell a bit of your life story:

� “It started when I went to get my babychristened and met this friend in thetoddlers’ group...”

� “I grew up in a Christian house and Ican’t remember a time when I wasn’t aChristian...”

� “Just after my dad died, I was sitting onhis favourite seat looking at the seaand all of a sudden...”

2. You can give your reasons:

� “I think there has to be someone whomade the world – it is far too clever tobe an accident...”

� “I think love and forgiveness is theonly way to go through life withoutbitterness, and if you give it a chanceit can help to put things right...”

� “The people I admire most all happento be Christians and it seems to dosomething to them...”

It may seem strange, but it’s really worthgoing over it until you have got one sentencethat says the most important bit. The odds arethat if you can get that one sentence out,you won’t be lost for words at all – the restwill follow.

“So what do Christians believe?”

That’s harder to fit into one sentence butpeople don’t want a lecture or sermon.So you’ve got to start with something andit’s worth thinking about where you wouldlike to start. Probably with what you think ismost important.

� “We can’t see God, but Jesus showsus what he’s like...”

� “God loved the world so much that hegave his Son Jesus to save us...”

� “Church is where we get strength andinspiration to be the people Godwants us to be...”

These will probably leave you cold. So put ityour way.

My answers

Christians believe...

I am a Christian because. . .

If we can prepare our answers, God can berelied on to find people to ask the questions.Where congregations can answer thesequestions prayerfully, churches are growing.

How about setting a target to encourage andhelp each other. Members of the PCC all have tohave prepared their answers by the end of thisyear and 33% of the congregation by the end of2013? You could even arrange a deaneryworkshop to help each other do it.

“Always be prepared to give an answer toeveryone who asks you to give the reason forthe hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3: 15)

Ian JaggerArchdeacon of Durham

What if the Church couldpool its buying power?Now that is a bright idea!Buying together sounds great in theory but how do we start?

I was in my last parish for twenty years andgot to know David well. He was committedto his work. He was very helpful. He wasalways aware of cost, both of work heoversaw and the cost of employing him.With his help, we renewed the gutters,reordered the back of the church, restoredthe tower and built a new church. Hiskindness and enthusiasm were so helpful.

Even in small jobs his advice was useful.Some churches have ‘done it themselves’and come unstuck. They have used thewrong paint or mortar mix for pointing.Some churches ‘know a man who does...’but churches are not ordinary buildings.Clearing the gutters may be one thing, butoften the jobs do need overseeing by aspecialist. In the long run, proper advice cansave money.

What are the tips?

Trust is the key.

1. Get to know your architect.Communicate. Develop a relationshipwith them. Think about the work thatneeds to be done. Then talk to them andask their advice.

2. When you have a project in church,the DAC will ask for a ‘statement ofsignificance’ and a ‘statement of need’.The statement of significance outlinesthe nature of the church, its importantfeatures and the way it serves the localcommunity. A statement of needoutlines the problem that needs to besolved. A statement of need does not

give the solution. That is the third stage.A good statement of need will clearlytell the architect what is required.A good statement of need will answerobvious questions and save time andmoney. Clarity of direction should saveus from misunderstanding anddisappointment.

3. Do talk to your architect about moneyand what involving them will cost. Knowhow they plan their fees and on whatbasis you have agreed to work. Peopleoften find it hard to talk about money.This may be true for the church as wellas the architect. We may be fearful oftalking to an architect because we wantto keep costs to a minimum. If we are

clear about what is expected and whatis to be done, it helps to build up trustand avoid unexpected bills. Encouragethem to give you a detailed invoice.A global figure can look large but whenit is broken down into time spent andvisits made, hopefully it will be seen asmore reasonable.

4. Don’t be passive. We may feelintimidated because we are not experts,but we need to learn. Have thediscussion. Ask questions. Challengewhat you don’t understand or what youdon’t agree with. One guide says:‘Don't pretend that you can visualisesomething if you can't. If it doesn't makesense, keep asking questions until itdoes or until your architect comes upwith another solution.’

5. When the time comes for thequinquennial inspection, find out whatthe cost will be and what it will involve.It has to be done and will probably bebetween £550 and £1,050. This willdepend on whether the architectknows the building and has doneinspections before. It will depend onthe size and complexity of the building.After the report is completed, thearchitect will give you a copy. Do readit. You will learn a lot about your church.Usually there is a page which outlineswork which needs to be done, howurgent it is and what it might cost.The cost of the inspection includesthe opportunity for the architect tomeet the PCC or members of thechurch to present the report and talkit through. Many of us are unaware ofthis and few have done it. It is included.It does help to understand what needsto be done, and how the work might beprogrammed or phased.

Architects are there to serve. Do buildup a relationship with them.

Nick BarkerArchdeacon of Auckland

Get the best fromyour architect...Is your architect someone you cultivate or someone you hardly knowand see as little as possible? You will have an architect. Each churchwill have appointed someone to do a quinquennial inspection.

This advice and information is given in good faith and is based on our understanding of current law and practice. Neither Ecclesiastical Insurance Officeplc nor its subsidiaries accept any liability whatsoever for any errors or omissions which may result in injury, loss or damage, including consequential orfinancial loss. It is the responsibility of the insured or any other person to ensure that they comply with their statutory obligations. The interpretation orimplementation of the notes contained in this newsletter is at the sole discretion of the insured or any other party who may read these notes.

© Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc 2012 4/12

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