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This is the first in a series of expanded summaries of the recent ACAT annual conference presentations beginning with Nigel Davies, ACAT Board member, former holder of senior positions at the Charity Commission for over twenty years and former joint chair of the charities SORP Committee.
Nigel’s presentation was entitled “Resources of time, talent, relationships, cash and buildings -being good and faithful stewards,” with reference to Matthew 25: 29 “To those who use well, what they are given, even more will be given.” NLT.
What it means to be a faithful Steward was explored in the context of five areas:
An example of a Christian ministry was given to illustrate thoughts on each area.
Few Christian ministries could operate without volunteers. Volunteering is both an act of service and of worship and so the importance of supporting and improving volunteers cannot be underestimated. There are organisations that can help, one of which is Investing in Volunteers .
Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the UK quality standard for good practice in volunteer management. The idea began in London in 1995 and from 2003 became a UK wide collaboration-the UK Volunteering Forum.
The aim of IiV is to improve the volunteer’s experience through assessment. The assessment covers six key areas: vision, planning, inclusion, recruiting, welcoming, supporting, valuing and developing volunteers.
The assessment award, once made, lasts 3 years. Investing in volunteers provides a useful framework to show volunteers they are valued and to improve their experience and contribution.
Formed 35 years ago, InHope is a Bristol based charity with a Christian ethos, which seeks to help and support the homeless and vulnerable in the Bristol area. The charity has over 300 volunteers and 38 staff. Their ministry could not operate without volunteers and they saw growing volunteers as essential to the future of their ministry.
The team approach to volunteering encourages volunteers to contribute to policy and decision making, demonstrating that they are valued by the organisation. They see volunteering as a witness of the Christian life to the charity’s clients.
The Woodlands Group of seven churches began as a single couple and location in 1983 and its ethos is in everyday life to continually reproduce the life of Jesus.
To underpin its future growth, the senior leadership team undertook an external review in 2022. Its recommendations h included reflections on leadership, concluding that,
As part of this they established Woodlands Leadership Academy seeks to foster leadership over five areas or schools.
Woodlands have chosen to recognise women as leaders across all ministries.
Leadership Tips & Challenges
The Chair of trustees shared some reflections for others in leadership from their experience:
Faithful stewardship involves good use of time and the developing fruitful relationships An example is ‘The Noise’.
The Noise was inspired by the example of Manchester in 2000 and grew from a single church engaging in community service in 2001 to a weekend of community service in Bristol to a collaboration between churches involving over 1500 volunteers in 2023. It’s vision is to encourage and equip Christians and churches to ‘show God’s love in practical ways’ to their communities and in so doing serves the vulnerable in various areas of the city.
Central to its success in reaching across church traditions is its five values: getting practical, serving community, building unity, showing generosity, engaging generations.
ACAT members benefit from access to the handbook, chapter 13 of which includes practical advice on gift and and tax reliefs
Cash Spending – spending funds well is important. Making the most of tax reliefs, getting quotes and learning about top tips on buying items. Having good internal financial controls ensures money is not wasted or lost. Also being transparent and managing
potential trustee related conflicts of interest on purchase related issues well.
Ebe Church Bristol looks to hold its resources lightly and part of this is sharing its building with other ministries, including The Noise and the largest foodbank in the South West of England. Although sharing can be “messy” and involve compromise, from their experience the benefits of sharing the building include.
If your church /charity is required to file its trustees’ annual report and accounts with the charity regulator, make sure it does so on time. Failure to do so is a bad witness.. Consider it an opportunity to witness your faithful stewardship.
A final question: is your annual report an exercise in compliance or the telling of your charity’s story of faith?
The ministries mentioned are keen to share their experience and would welcome your getting in touch:
