I was turned down for funding by a trust the other day….. As a regular trust fundraiser this is nothing very remarkable, it happens all too often, with even the best written applications. However, why this one sticks in my mind is because of the nature of the ‘no’. Rather…
Articles by Kevin Lawrence
As I write this it hardly feels like high summer outside but the date on the post would suggest otherwise. So, in a time where traditionally the living is slightly easier (to misquote the song) how do we use the free time that may be coming 0our way well? Firstly,…
How do you respond to the prospect of a new project in your church or small charity? Running a project well, particularly in smaller organisations without the backing of specialist project managers or other resources can be a challenge. There are books and ‘how to’ guides in abundance but they…
There is an election where I live this Thursday, Who knew? For you Anglicans out there, don’t be fooled by the headline, we are being invited to select our Police and Crime Commissioner, but I suspect most people know nothing about it, who the candidates are, or the issues they…
Does your church, charity or group have one of those ‘impossible’ dreams? Would you love to have a new building, develop a new service, ministry or service, or employ a member a new of staff? So many of these dreams never seem come to fruition; but why? Sometimes it is…
I recently ran a one day workshop for church administrators. During the day we spent some time reflecting on how they might best describe the main elements of their role. If you are a church administrator or work with someone who is, I wonder of any of the below descriptions…
If you are involved in a small charity, it can be all too easy to feel no-one is listening or interested. After all, big charities seem to get all the attention (and cash!) and it can be a struggle to get your message, or even your existence noticed. However, the…
I have recently returned from a few days away from my desk with predictable results. The post pile and the inbox loomed and the temptation was to commence battle immediately! We so often see our inbox as the enemy (see ‘too much information‘). Either we surrender, leaving messages unanswered or…
When is too much information actually too much? We get so much information yet, if what we often hear is to believed, we want even more. However ‘no-one told me’ and ‘the communication around here is terrible’ are not so much calls for m0re of the stuff but for better….
As I am just back from holiday, the title should not be a surprise. Holidays are often a time when we step back and reflect, a time to dream bigger dreams about what the future for our organisations might look like – to build sand castles of possibilities if you…