#Church Life & Community, #Opinion, #Encouraged Action
Week 24 News Updates included a piece on the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in church life and the need for caution.
A recent discussion on AI at the Religion Media Centre Festival concluded that whilst the speed with which AI can perform basic functions and provide financial information is of real value, AI is no substitute for human judgement and thinking.
Reference was made to Pope Leo’s recent teaching document to the Roman Catholic Church warning that AI must serve humanity rather than concentrate power even more in the hands of the few.
This view was subsequently endorsed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, in the House of Lords.
It is all too easy in our very busy lives, with all the pressures which come with church financial administration, to look for fast, easy solutions when it comes to producing information in a clear, understandable format.
However, the warning to us is clear: technological advances are to be encouraged but embraced with caution and never at the expense of our own personal judgement.
#Church Life & Community, #News, #Encouraged Action.
Churches have become all too aware in recent years of the need to provide facilities that enable members and visitors with physical disabilities to feel welcome and part of our church fellowships.
A growing number of children, young people and adults in the UK now see themselves as neurodivergent. Neurodivergent people are defined by having experiences and reactions that differ from what is generally considered typical. Neurodiversity encompasses a wide spectrum of behaviour and challenges the idea that there is a single ‘normal’ or ‘correct’ way for the brain to function.
The seven main conditions considered to be neurodivergent are summarised as follows:
Data from the NHS highlights this trend, with over 200,000 people waiting for a diagnosis as of December last year – an 82% increase from two years ago.
This being the case, how should we respond to those in our churches who identify as neurodivergent?
A report which has been compiled for the Church of England General Synod entitled All Kinds of Minds will urge the church to do more to support neurodivergent clergy and members. The conclusions reached are that all too frequently churches create barriers for those with neurodivergent conditions because their focus is on what are considered to be behavioural norms.
A change of culture is needed in our churches which welcomes and enables all who perhaps don’t exhibit behavioural norms. In practice, what that may mean for worship is an open question.
As lay administrators and members of our church governing bodies, we have a responsibility to ensure that all who come through our doors feel part of our fellowships and find a home where their individual skills and personalities can be used in our wider ministry and mission to local communities.
#Faith & Theology in Action, #Opinion, #Encouraged Action
The current prolonged high summer temperatures have arguably reinforced the critical impact of climate change on our everyday lives.
In a new document entitled Hope for All Creation, produced by the Church of England’s Faith & Order Commission on behalf of the House of Bishops, argues that caring for the environment is “an essential part of following Jesus”,
The document, endorsed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, presents action on climate change as integral to Christian discipleship and evangelism.
It is argued that humanity has exceeded seven of the nine safe boundaries for life, first proposed by the environmental scientist Johan Rockström and his colleagues at the Stockholm Resilience Centre and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in 2009.
The boundaries that are claimed to have been exceeded are:
Whilst acknowledging that to a greater or lesser degree we all share some responsibility for the current state of the planet, the question is: What should our response be and how can we bring about change?
At the heart of the relationship between climate change and Christian discipleship lies the issue of how we regard and respect creation, which, however we view its origins, we believe to be God-given. If the planet is to avoid continuing degradation, it is ultimately human actions and behavioural change that will halt the process.
Whilst the report emphasises this need for change, it doesn’t specify the details of what is required.
It is probably an opportune time therefore to review the simple things we do or don’t do in our churches to, among other things:
#Church Life & Community, #News, #Encouraged Action
Sport has always been linked with the Church. Everton, Manchester City, Southampton and Aston Villa were all football teams founded by churches.
As part of the current FIFA World Cup, many churches are holding events in their local communities, screening matches and using the opportunities for outreach.
It is timely therefore that The Church of England will be using football as part of an outreach programme aimed particularly at low-income areas and housing estates.
Thirty parishes across the country will be offering free football sessions for children, thanks to a grant of £320,000 from the Church’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB).
The football sessions will be run by volunteers from the church and consist of training, matches, team talks and a closing prayer. Team talks will cover themes such as teamwork and sacrifice, Jesus’ teaching and how it applies to regular life as well as football.
With the final World Cup matches due in the next week, is your church contemplating a continuing football-based outreach or will the idea be shelved for another four years?
#Church Life & Community, #Opinion, #Encouraged Action
Personal experience with two charity accounting systems over the past 12 months, in addition to consideration of implementing an update to a third, has brought into sharp focus the need to undertake a periodic critical assessment of our financial administration systems and whether they are still fit for purpose.
If we take seriously, and I’m sure we do, our obligation to be businesslike in the way we oversee church management issues, then consideration of software updates, or investing in new, more efficient accounting systems may be appropriate.
If we consider the basic requirements from our financial management and accounting systems, they can probably be summarised as follows:
So, here’s the question: Is your current accounting software, whether a fully integrated charity-designed system, a set of Excel spreadsheets or a manual cash book, still fit for purpose?
None of us is a great fan of change, and there is always a tendency to resort to the time-honoured ‘We’ve done things this way for years without too much trouble, so why would we want to change?’
It might, however, be that by objectively reviewing your current systems and implementing some updates or even new software entirely, your work as church accountant or treasurer could be made less onerous, and the finances managed more effectively as a result of the improved level of information available.
ACAT doesn’t recommend specific accounting software products. However, among its Partners in Ministry are organisations offering accounting software specifically designed for charities and churches; links to these organisations are below.
Our responsibility is to ensure that our church accounting systems are fit for purpose.
Are they?
Liberty Accounts and Data Developments will both be at our annual conference; why not come along and chat to them to see how they might help?
