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Andrew M updates us with encouraging news from Chris and Suzie:

A Chance to Catch up with Leaders from the Refugee Camp Churches:
Chris has had an encouraging trip to Assosa where he spent a few days at the Diocesan Synod of the Anglican Church in the Horn of Africa. As more than half of the churches in the Diocese are in the two refugee camps that he teaches in, the Synod provided a great opportunity to spend time with leaders from both camps in a different setting. He also spent the weekend in one of the refugee camps, running the second block of an Arabic-language training course for church leaders.
His personal highlight was seeing Simon (a refugee and former student from their Gambella days) progress from working as a translator to teaching one of the classes himself. Chris is now thinking more about what steps he can take to shift from being the one who is teaching refugee church leaders to helping those churches that can to run their own training, and asks for prayer about this.
 
Equipping Ethiopian Missionary&nbsp;Families to Thrive
Suzy will be spending time over the next few months with 5-6 Ethiopian families and singles who will be sent to different parts of the world to work with churches there. She will be helping them to think through how to thrive as a family in their locations, and particularly consider educational options for their children. 
 
Prayer Requests:
<ul><li>Prayer has also been asked for the annual process of renewing work permits and residence IDs.</li><li>Pray for Suzy as she is travelling back to the UK for a few days as her stepfather has passed away.. It will be good for her to be with family at this difficult time, and to be able to attend the funeral.</li></ul>

St Denys Church, Southampton

Chris has been catching up with leaders of the refugee camp churches and Suzy has been equipping Ethiopian missionary families. Find out more about this and prayer requests.

Autumn Update from the Wilsons in Ethiopia

When people hear that our church needs to have some indicators to monitor how we're doing, they normally give me a sympathetic smile. And then when I&nbsp;tell them we have 31 indicators (yes, thirty one) they generally groan loudly.&nbsp;
But then when I tell them that I love having these indicators, they look at me bemused, but also slightly intrigued. And then if time allows for a longer conversation, they generally say to me: 'So why don't all churches have these kind of indicators!'
Whilst I can't tell you categorically whether your church should have them or not, I can tell you why they've been a good thing for our church.
 
<h4>In a nutshell:</h4>
&nbsp;Indicators...
<ul><li>help us to tell our story</li><li>allow for a fuller, broader understanding of doing well</li><li>honour the invisible stuff that goes on 
</li><li>equip us to be intentional and to prioritise&nbsp;</li><li>offer information in a format that is understandable at-a-glance as well as in greater depth.</li></ul>
 
<h4>In a bit more detail:</h4>
Why we started using indicators: Back in 2022 we were given a three-year window with a clergy post funded by a national church scheme. Within this time-frame we were&nbsp;to explore, develop and demonstrate the sustainable and flourishing ministry and mission of St Denys. We were to be accountable to the Diocese and to the national church and have a way of showing intentional change and healthiness. And we needed to do it succinctly. So we needed indicators
Why we established so many indicators: In order to tell our full story, we needed a range of indicators. Church life is varied and diverse, and just can't be captured in a single number or word. Indicators that paint this broad picture enable people to see how their aspect of ministry fits into something bigger.&nbsp;Visible, external changes are often the fruit of numerous behind-the-scenes changes and these needed capturing in our measurements. And we needed to include the things we were not currently good at, with the hope and impetus for change.&nbsp;
How the indicators help our decision-making: Each 6 months our PCC receives the latest update on indicators and prayerfully reviews them. We consider what we can be thankful for and what we need to be focusing in on next. The indicators lead to conversation and prayer where we&nbsp;identify specific areas to prioritise and&nbsp;to then see the impact of the decision-making.&nbsp;Presenting the information in two tables with three colours makes it understandable at a glance.&nbsp;
Does it take a lot of time to do?&nbsp;The process of setting up the indicators took involved a few initial hours of work over a few weeks, and open-mindedness to redrafting and tweaking things over the first 6 months. But then after that it has taken about 2-3 hours every six months to update the information and get it ready for bringing to the group for review and discussion. I believe it's time well spent, as it makes discussions so much more purposeful.&nbsp;
 
<h4>Conclusion:</h4>
Having these indicators in a presentable format has meant that when asked by the local, regional or national church organisations to demonstrate the impact of their investment, I&nbsp;have something at hand to show them, and don't need to spend a few frazzled hours trying to draw together some data. But more significantly, internally they give us as the PCC accountability, purpose and encouragement. And that is why I actually love having indicators as part of the way we do church.
 
<h4>Help to get your started:</h4>
I've drawn together a number of tips, templates and examples as a springboard to you establishing indicators that tell your story.
<ul><li>An editable&nbsp;template: A table with our 31 Indicators -&nbsp;click&nbsp;<a href="https://landing.churchdesk.com/en-gb/file/a0841933-6ee5-4088-890e-e0cc03612a37" target="_blank">here</a>
</li><li>An example: A document showing what an 18-month report looks like with our indicators -&nbsp;click&nbsp;<a href="https://landing.churchdesk.com/en-gb/file/215e6661-5f95-4fa1-b96c-e8fe24d166e4" target="_blank">here</a>
</li><li>An editable template: Containing two blank tables, one for reporting current status and one for showing change over time - click&nbsp;<a href="https://landing.churchdesk.com/en-gb/file/e4bd3961-c60f-4451-a682-b4616efb37d3" target="_blank">here</a>
</li><li>Blog with <a href="https://www.stdenys.church/b/examples-of-indicators-we-use-and-where-we-get-the-information-from-164217" target="_blank">'Examples of the Indicators We Use, and Where We Get the Information From'</a></li><li>Blog with tips for <a href="https://www.stdenys.church/b/indicators-some-tips-on-establishing-indicators-for-your-church-164216" target="_blank">'Getting Started with Indicators '</a>
</li><li>Blog about <a href="https://www.stdenys.church/b/indicators-monitoring-reporting-back-to-the-pcc-and-others-2-tables-3-colours-164222" target="_blank">'Monitoring Indicators&nbsp;and Reporting Back with them'</a></li></ul>

The thought of using indicators to monitor your church's ministry and mission might make you groan. But read why Sera has discovered that there is real value in establishing some that tell your church's story.

Introducing Indicators  -Why They Have Been A Good Thing For Our Church

Indicators need to be presented in ways that are&nbsp;accessible and meaningful. Over time, and with particular help from Rev'd Jean Burgess, we've established a reporting system with our indicators that allows the key information to be seen at a glance, with enough additional information for questions to be answered and trends to be spotted.&nbsp;
We use two tables and three colours.
 
<h4>Table A: The Current Situation</h4>
This table answers the question:&nbsp;'How are things now?' Alongside giving the key statistic or summary word, it also offers space for factual detail such as the names of groups and the amount of different aspects (see the image below). This helps add flesh to the key information and offers more understanding&nbsp;the PCC or leadership group. Thus their questions can then be 'why?' or 'where next?' rather then 'what?'&nbsp;
 
<figure style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://edge.churchdesk.com/non/ckeditorlarge/public/o/2354/indicator.-.current.png" data-image="2038977" style="width: 700px; height: 129px;"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
 
 
<h4>Table B: Change over Time</h4>
This table answers the question: 'How does this compare with where we were?' The Table has space for the indicators and colours for each 6 month check. No extra information is needed. Once two or three checks are done, it's possible to look back and see how things are changing.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
<figure style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://edge.churchdesk.com/non/ckeditorlarge/public/o/2354/indicator.-.change.png" data-image="2038976" style="width: 700px; height: 221px;"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
 
 
<h4>Three Colours: Red, Orange and Green</h4>
Every indicator is allocated a colour at every 6 month check. This means that&nbsp;at a glance it's possible to tell health of that indicator within your church context. It helps those who are not comfortable with numbers or words to get a sense of the situation.&nbsp;We experimented with various versions, but in the end&nbsp;settled on something really simple.
<ul><li>Green = thriving</li><li>Orange = basics are being competently covered</li><li>Red = struggling or quite limited</li></ul>
This might seem too simplistic. It certainly has limits and raises questions such as 'what are the standards for moving between colours?', 'who decides when something moves up or down a colour?' and 'how can such as wide range of indicators have the same description?'
We settled on a simple description and no stated threshold for two reasons. Firstly because the colours and descriptors are there to enhance what the factual numbers or statements say. Secondly because of the pragmatic decision that there is limited time and capacity to think through and define 31 thresholds. And thirdly because all the indicators are context specific, and therefore a threshold for one church will be inappropriate for another. These indicators are telling the story of one church.
Feel free to agree clear thresholds for your indicators. If it helps, do it.&nbsp;
For us at the moment though,&nbsp;the decision about what colour each indicator is allocated is decided by looking at the current number, comparing it with previous indicators and considering the context of the parish. It is based on the amount shown through the indicator, but also through the depth and quality that underpins that indicator.&nbsp;
I admit this is limited, but for us it is good enough to help us understand what is happening, to thank God and to plan ahead.&nbsp;
 
<figure style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://edge.churchdesk.com/non/ckeditorlarge/public/o/2354/indicator.-.colour.png" data-image="2038975" style="width: 368px; height: 108px;"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
<h4>Useful Resources</h4>
<ul><li>An editable&nbsp;template: A table with our 31 Indicators -&nbsp;click&nbsp;<a href="https://landing.churchdesk.com/en-gb/file/a0841933-6ee5-4088-890e-e0cc03612a37" target="_blank">here</a>
</li><li>An example: A document showing what an 18-month report looks like with our indicators -&nbsp;click&nbsp;<a href="https://landing.churchdesk.com/en-gb/file/215e6661-5f95-4fa1-b96c-e8fe24d166e4" target="_blank">here</a>
</li><li>An editable template: Containing two blank tables, one for reporting current status and one for showing change over time - click&nbsp;<a href="https://landing.churchdesk.com/en-gb/file/e4bd3961-c60f-4451-a682-b4616efb37d3" target="_blank">here</a>
</li><li>Blog with tips for <a href="https://www.stdenys.church/b/indicators-some-tips-on-establishing-indicators-for-your-church-164216" target="_blank">'Getting Started with Indicators '</a>
</li><li>Blog with '<a href="https://www.stdenys.church/b/examples-of-indicators-we-use-and-where-we-get-the-information-from-164217" target="_blank">Examples of the Indicators We Use'</a></li><li>Blog which tells our story of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stdenys.church/b/introducing-indicators" target="_blank">'Why we Value Indicators.'</a></li></ul>

Using two tables and three colours we have found we report back on our indicators and enable helpful reviews and hopeful decision-making. Find our more here.

Indicators - Monitoring & Reporting Back  to the PCC and Others- 2 Tables & 3 Colours

I'm including below a list of the indicators we currently use. Keeping in mind that indicators need to tell YOUR church's story, you probably won't find them all suitable for you. But hopefully they will inspire you and encourage you to think about possibilities in your context.
 
<h4>A few things to note:</h4>
<ul><li>The choice of indicators was shaped by the values of the church, the development priorities agreed with the Diocese and the current strengths and weaknesses of the church.</li><li>These indicators are arranged in three groupings to reflect our values as a church.&nbsp;</li><li>The second column gives a one line explanation of the indicator.</li><li>The third column explains where I get the information from.</li><li>Always number your indicators to make it easier to refer to</li></ul>
 
<h4>Our 31 Indicators</h4>
<table><tbody><tr><td>Indicator</td><td>Explanation</td><td>Source of information</td></tr><tr><td>Value 1: Growing Disciples of Jesus</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1.	Total number of Growth Groups (Small, Book, Faith Exp, Youth)</td><td>Includes any group emphasising discipleship, including youth and seasonal groups </td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>2.	No. of Small Groups&nbsp;</td><td>Sub-category of Growth Groups, identifying regular groups for adults. </td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>3.	No. of people in Faith Exploration Groups or being confirmed </td><td>Reflects engagement with people exploring faith </td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>4.	No. of regular or special prayer-focused initiatives </td><td>Includes a diverse range of initiatives online, in-person, one-to-one and group</td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>5.	No. of lay people on Sunday Morning Kids team </td><td>Reflects a priority to grow capacity for kids' discipleship ministry</td><td>Safer Recruitment records</td></tr><tr><td>6.	No. of Messy Church events </td><td>Reflects a priority to offer opportunities for community to connect with kids and faith</td><td>Church calendar</td></tr><tr><td>7.	No. of regular digital elements aiming to ‘Inspire Disciples’</td><td>Includes website, social media, E-news and YouTube that emphasise inspiring faith (there are two other digital priorities mentioned below) </td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>8.	Community of Worshippers</td><td>This is the number calculated and reported to the Diocese (not National records) each year </td><td>Record-keeping (Worshippers list)</td></tr><tr><td>9.	Attendance at the main seasonal services</td><td>For June report the numbers at Holy Week and Easter services are calculated, for&nbsp;December it is the Advent and Christmas services. </td><td>Record-keeping (Service Attendance)</td></tr><tr><td>Value 2: Enriching Communities Near And Far</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>10.	Amount given away through tithe or charity donations in 6 months&nbsp; </td><td>Including this ensures accountability for staying on top of payments</td><td>Record-keeping (Church accounts)</td></tr><tr><td>11.	No of services or events where music is a defining element&nbsp; </td><td>Reflects a recognition of music being significant in our context</td><td>Church Calendar</td></tr><tr><td>12.	No. of regular onsite church groups&nbsp; </td><td>Significant as our site includes a church building and community centre, and&nbsp;</td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>13.	Income from ‘External bookings’ over 6 month period </td><td>Acknowledges the value of our community hirings, and integrates them into the understanding of ministry and ministry</td><td>Record-keeping (Church Accounts)</td></tr><tr><td>14.	No. of life events over 6 months (onsite and elsewhere) </td><td>Includes weddings, funerals, baptisms, wedding vow renewals, affirming of baptism vows, burial of ashes</td><td>Record-keeping (Parochials)</td></tr><tr><td>15.	Two-way relationship with global mission location</td><td>This is described in one or two words rather than measured with a number. It reflects the desire for a healthy, formative&nbsp;relationship with a global mission partner </td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>16.	No. of regular digital elements aiming to ‘Invite Involvement’</td><td>Includes Church Near You, our website, social media and Enews elements that aim to invite people to things.&nbsp; </td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>17.	No of collaboration projects between church & community groups</td><td>Reflects the value we place on doing projects WITH others, and includes collaborations with charities, schools and other groups.&nbsp; </td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>18.	No. of regular events & projects partnering with other churches&nbsp;</td><td>Reflects one of our development targets of working WITH other churches, especially neighbouring churches on particular projects or groups. </td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>Value 3: Caring Well For Each Other and Our Resources</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>19.	No. of lay people in licensed ministry</td><td>Includes the breadth of lay licensing including lay readers, preachers and those licensed through short courses such as the BCM courses with Winchester Diocese. </td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>20.	No. of&nbsp; Ministry & Mission Areas led or co-led by lay people (not led by or co-led by Priest in Charge)</td><td>Reflects a priority of building up lay leaders to take on higher levels of responsibility. Everything that the church does is allocated to a Ministry and Mission Area (we have between 20 and 24: find out more here) </td><td>Record-keeping&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>21.	No. of Ministry &&nbsp;Mission&nbsp;Areas with priest-in-charge leading or co-leading with lay person</td><td>Links with the above indicator, and reflects a priority of distributing responsibility so that there is a balance between clergy and lay people holding responsibilities. </td><td>Record-keeping</td></tr><tr><td>22.	No. of households signed to Parish Giving Scheme</td><td>An indicator of people who are committed to regular giving to the church (this can also be seen through Standing Orders, and other monthly giving schemes) </td><td>Log into Parish Giving Scheme website</td></tr><tr><td>23.	Amount received through Parish Giving Scheme over 6 months</td><td>Links with the above indicator to show the amount being given as a regular commitment </td><td>Log into the Parish Giving Scheme website</td></tr><tr><td>24.	% Given to Common Mission Fund (of requested amount)</td><td>Each year the&nbsp;Diocese allocates a certain amount to be paid by each church based on number of worshippers and financial band of the parish. The PCC made a commitment to pay more than was asked for 3 years</td><td>Record keeping (Church Accounts)</td></tr><tr><td>25.	Monthly contribution to Common Mission Fund</td><td>Links with the above indicator. The amount asked for varies from year to year, so as well as seeing proportion it is helpful to see actual amount paid.</td><td>Record-keeping (Church Accounts)</td></tr><tr><td>26.	Accountable to appropriate financial policy & budget</td><td>This is described in a word or phrase. It reflects a priority of establishing good financial governance</td><td>Record-keeping (Policies and PCC records)</td></tr><tr><td>27.	6-month energy consumption (gas & electricity) in (KWH)</td><td>This is one of those behind-the-scenes indicators which impacts so much (environment, finances, hospitality) and links with national moves towards Net Zero</td><td>Gas and electricity bills</td></tr><tr><td>28.	Significant Initiatives for Environmental Stewardship (and Ecochurch award level)</td><td>Ecochurch Awards capture where a church is at a particular point in time, but we wanted to reflect the range of active initiatives at each 6 month period to ensure ongoing commitment to environmental initiatives </td><td>Observation</td></tr><tr><td>29.	No. of lay pastoral supporters in action </td><td>Reflects the importance of an intentional group of pastoral supporters </td><td>Record-keeping (Safer Recruitment)</td></tr><tr><td>30.	No. of volunteers with appropriate safeguarding training</td><td>Reflects the health of our Safer Recruitment process</td><td>Record-keeping (Safer Recruitment)</td></tr><tr><td>31.	No. of regular digital elements aiming to ‘Tell Our Story’</td><td>We identified three strands of our digital engagement so that we were intentional and balanced in our digital presence. This strands reflects the elements that aim to be informal and capture the vibe and essence of St Denys. </td><td>Observation</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<h4>Additional resources you might find helpful:</h4>
<ul><li>An editable&nbsp;template: A table with our 31 Indicators -&nbsp;click <a href="https://landing.churchdesk.com/en-gb/file/a0841933-6ee5-4088-890e-e0cc03612a37" target="_blank">here</a></li><li>An example: A document showing what an 18-month report looks like with our indicators -&nbsp;click <a href="https://landing.churchdesk.com/en-gb/file/215e6661-5f95-4fa1-b96c-e8fe24d166e4" target="_blank">here</a></li><li>An editable template: Containing two blank tables, one for reporting current status and one for showing change over time - click <a href="https://landing.churchdesk.com/en-gb/file/e4bd3961-c60f-4451-a682-b4616efb37d3" target="_blank">here</a></li><li>Blog with tips for <a href="https://www.stdenys.church/b/indicators-some-tips-on-establishing-indicators-for-your-church-164216" target="_blank">'Getting Started with Indicators '</a></li><li>Blog about <a href="https://www.stdenys.church/b/indicators-monitoring" target="_blank">'Monitoring Indicators&nbsp;and Reporting Back with them'</a></li><li>Blog that tells you a bit about our St Denys story and <a href="https://www.stdenys.church/b/introducing-indicators" target="_blank">'Why Indicators Have Been a Good Thing.'</a></li></ul>

This blog offers concrete examples of the indicators we have been using, as well as information on where we get the data. Read on to find out more.

Autumn Update from the Wilsons in Ethiopia

Introducing Indicators -Why They Have Been A Good Thing For Our Church

Indicators - Monitoring & Reporting Back to the PCC and Others- 2 Tables & 3 Colours

Examples of Indicators We Use, and Where We Get The Information From