From the CEO
Each year at the TCN national conference, Richard Hammar updates his litigation matrix. Issues like sexual misconduct with a child, property disputes, personal injuries, zoning, and insurance move around the list of the top five reasons congregations were in court. Add to the list accounting fraud, HR violations, tax issues around clergy compensation, insurance compliance, security of property and people, and zoning and occupancy issues, … and the list grows.
Without a doubt, risk management has become a major factor in the administration of ministry. Insurance companies, property experts, HR specialists, accounting firms, and your association are all working to equip you to be proactive in reducing risk for your congregation. We pray you take these risks and resources seriously.
October 17th is National Church Administration Day. Each year The Church Network sets aside a day to focus on service to congregations and staffs not currently in TCN. Additionally, it gives active members a special day to focus on our commitments to lifelong learning. Our focus this year is risk management. Many of our local chapters will set aside as much as three hours for training. If you have access to one of those chapters, please be sure and make plans to attend. Most likely, wherever you are, it will require you to drive from your church to the host site.
Now unless you are hosting, or are the Episcopal church next door to the United Methodist group hosting, you will drive by one or more congregations on your way to the meeting. Here is a challenge: Immediately after you have finished reading this post, stop and pull up Google maps and plot your route. Now identify those churches you will pass. Do you know the leaders there? If so, call and see if you can pick them up on the way. If you don’t, jump over to their website and see if you can identify someone who might have an administrative role. It could be a solo pastor, a church secretary, a facility person, or perhaps an executive pastor. Now, stop and call that person. Invite him to NCAD and offer to pick him up. Who knows? – Because of this action, you may have just met your new BFF.
Are you not close to a chapter or NCAD meeting? Consider blocking some time on that day to do some self-study. Jump over to http://thechurchnetwork.com/elearning. Pick out a couple of courses that you think would be helpful. Now email me (phill@thechurchnetwork.com), and I’ll add them to your lab resources at no cost to you. What a deal!
Also, watch your inbox on October 1. For NCAD, the monthly free eLearning seminar is “Getting Serious about Church Risk Management” with Mike Batts. It is a great seminar, and you will not want to miss it. It will be worth sharing with your risk management team.
Phill Martin