PARISH ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE ENEWS
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This Just In! News from Parochial Reports!!!
ECCT has received Parochial Reports from 155 of 161 parishes and, rather than making snarky comments about the 6 parishes that are still holding out on us, here are some interesting “news you can use” from parishes that have reported.
Did you know that in 2017…
- Than on the widely acclaimed “average Sunday,” over 12,500 of us attended worship services in throughout ECCT?
- That over 32,000 of us attended services on Easter?
- That over 600 baptisms, 325 confirmations and 180 marriages were performed?
All these things are worth celebrating!
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Here are some other interesting learnings from the Parochial Reports:
- ECCT parishes overall received 83 pledges for every 100 average Sunday attendees
- Total contributions from parishioners (including loose plate and contributions from non-pledging families and individuals) was 117% of the amount pledged
- The financial circumstances of different ECCT parishes vary so widely, based on difference in community income levels, historical giving patterns and even on the generosity of a handful of a small number of large donors, that the average pledge amount across all ECCT parishes* is a number that will only make you crazy, so you shouldn’t pay any attention to it. It’s irrelevant given the unique characteristics of your parish. Pay it no mind
- ECCT parishes had financial assets of almost $220 million, including almost $200 in investment assets (both record highs)
- ECCT parishes’ draws from investment holdings averaged 3.9% (of reported investment balances at the end of 2016)
One last note. By popular demand, there will be another installment of last year’s “Fun with Parochial Reports” in the next issue. Why the delay, you’re asking? Why not now? Go talk to the 6 parishes that haven’t yet submitted their Parochial Reports!
*You just had to look, didn’t you? $2,577. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
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Can news about audits and financial reviews be exciting???
Well, the following is likely to be exciting and important for a number of parishes.
At its last two quarterly meetings, our Mission Council approved recommendations from ECCT’s Finance Committee:
- To increase the total revenue threshold for parishes that must have full audits performed from $500,000 to $750,000 (approved at the March Mission Council meeting)
- To expand the scope of both full audits and financial reviews to include an assessment of parishes compliance with their completion of the financial portion of their Parochial Reports.
The increase in the total revenue threshold for full audits from $500,000 to $750,000 reflects a simple cost-of-living adjustment from the threshold originally established in 2001. Bureau of Labor statistics data would bring the limit to $731,000, but the limit has been bumped up to $750,000 to give a few years at a nice round number before the need to revise the threshold.
This assessment of Parochial Reporting consists of eight questions concerning portions of page 3 of the Parochial Report and is similar in format to the Review of Agreed-Upon Procedures questionnaire, with “No exceptions noted (or list findings)” responses required by the independent auditor. The Mission Council approved this expansion in scope because due to observation that the quality and rigor with which parishes are reporting their financial data has been (put diplomatically) decidedly mixed. Parochial Report data is our primary window into the financial health of our parishes, and an independent assessment of how fully and appropriately parishes make these reports, with feedback to parish clergy and vestries, can improve our understanding of parish financials.
The Finance Committee is in the process of updating the Parish Financial Reporting Requirements segment on the ECCT website and hope to have these revisions in place by June 19. Please direct question on these changes to Karolyn Nicolaides (
[email protected]
).
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HR Matters: Annual Review Process
by Kayla Tubolino
The review process is beneficial for both the employee and employer. It is a chance to recognize great performance, provide feedback, and discuss future goals and objectives. The staff working at The Commons adopted an annual review that is accommodating for the wide variety of the work we do here.
The annual review process that we use is one that allows both sides to participate. The employee has the first chance to share their voice regarding the work they have contributed to all year followed by the supervisor's comments. The process concludes with a life giving conversation about expectations and moving forward.
There are some benefits to having the employee participate in a self-review first:
- By asking the employee to highlight the projects or task for their year you are giving them the opportunity for self-reflection. Often in this time of self-reflection of the whole year in a snap shot will give the employee a new perspective on how well they did.
- It also gives the supervisor a break because the document is already half filled out with observations and projects thus making it easier to contribute meaningful feedback back to the employee.
- Another benefit to having the employee begin filling out the review document is an ability to test your communication. If you have an employee who consistently rates themselves as exceeds expectation and you think this person is at best at the improvement needed level this affirms that somewhere over the year your employee is not hearing your message on expectations.
I will caution you that an annual review can also be harmful to staff if used the wrong way. I suggest that the annual review is not a place for new news. If you have put off having a particularly difficult performance conversation, the annual review is not the place to do it. The annual review conversation is a place for assumptions to be checked, recognition to be given, and hopes and goals for the coming year be reviewed.
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Audit/Financial Review Nudge from Louis Fuertes, Canon for Mission Finance and Operations
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Stop me if you have got things rolling along on this, but audits (for parishes with total revenues over $750,000) and financial reviews for 2017 are due on September 1 per ECCT canons. While compliance with this reporting requirement is improving thanks in part to all these annoying nudges, but it is still unacceptably low (we have received audits/financial reviews for 2016 from less than 70% of parishes as of now). Parishes benefit from having independent reviews of financial reporting and management practices in many ways, and they are well worth the time and expense it takes to get them performed.
Did we mention that they are CANONICALLY REQUIRED? Well, they are. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge, time to get to it!
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ECCT Gun Free Zones, having a conversation with your community
The 232nd Convention of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut affirmed and endorsed Resolution 2012-D003 of the 77th General Convention of The Episcopal Church. For ECCT, as of November 2016 all properties owned by the Missionary Society of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut will be
Gun Free Zones (Resolution #7)
. These properties are: Camp Washington, The Commons, the Berg Home, Shephard Meadows, and any properties held for sale.
The resolution included a request that all parishes, worshipping communities, and affiliated organizations of ECCT that hold legal title to property declare their properties Gun Free Zones. The Mission Council invites these bodies, parishes and other properties, to have conversations among its leadership and members to discuss what the meaning and scope of being a Gun Free Zone entails.
Those communities who have chosen to be designated a Gun Free Zone please contact the Secretary of the Diocese,
the Rev. Sandra Cosman
if you would like to be listed in the Journal of Convention.
Here are some helpful resources to aid these conversations:
Decals for home or parish use:
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Related Event this weekend
This coming Saturday, June 16, there will be a pastoral conversation with the bishops and Episcopalian members of the National Rifle Association from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford.
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Industry Appraisals for 2018
Industrial Appraisals has started work on performing appraisals of all parish real estate and valuable contents. IA has started work throughout Connecticut and will continue to work through 2018 to ensure all parishes have been appraised by the end of the year.
The following parishes have had their appraisals completed:
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St. Paul, Plainfield; St. Paul, Bantam; St. Thomas, Bethel; Christ Church, Bethlehem; St. Stephen, Bloomfield; St. George, Bolton; St. Luke-St. Paul, Bridgeport; St. John's, Bridgeport; St. Mark, Bridgeport; St. John, Bristol; Grace, Broadbrook; Trinity, Brooklyn; Church of the Holy Advent, Clinton; Trinity, Collinsville; St. Alban, Danielson; St. Paul, Darien; Church of the Epiphany, Durham; St. Gabriel, East Berlin; Christ Church, Easton; St. Stephen, East Haddam; Holy Trinity, Enfield; St. John, Essex; St. Timothy, Fairfield; St. James, Farmington; St. David, Gales Ferry; St. James, Glastonbury; St. Barnabas, Greenwich ;Grace, Hartford; St. Martin, Hartford; Church of the Good Shepherd, Hartford; Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford; St. Monica, Hartford; George Beach House, Hartford; STM Elderly House, Hartford; St. Peter, Hebron; The Middlesex Cluster Ministry, Higganum; St. James, Higganum; All Saints, Ivoryton; St. Andrew, Kent; Emmanuel, Killingworth; Camp Washington, Lakeside; Trinity, Lakeville; Trinity, Litchfield; St. Michael, Litchfield; Christ Church, Middle Haddam; Holy Trinity, Middletown; St. Mark, Mystic; Episcopal Church at Yale, New Haven; St. James, New London; St. John, New Milford; Trinity, Newtown; St. John, Niantic; St. Paul, Norwalk; Christ Church, Norwich; All Saints,
Oakville; St. Ann, Old Lyme;
Grace, Old Saybrook; St. Mary's by the Sea, Old Saybrook; St. John, Pine Meadow; St. Paul, Plainfield;
Church of Our Savior, Plainville; St. James, Poquetanuck; Trinity, Portland; St. Philip, Putnam; Christ Church, Redding Ridge; St. Paul, Riverside; St. Andrew the Apostle, Rocky Hill;
St. John, Salisbury; Christ Church, Sharon; Berg Home, Southport; St. Peter, South Windsor; Grace, Stafford Springs; St. Andrew, Stamford; Calvary, Stonington; St. Mark, Storrs; Christ Church, Stratford; St. Peter - Trinity, Thomaston; Trinity, Torrington; Grace, Trumbull;
St. John, Vernon; St. John, Washington; Christ Church, Waterbury; St. Paul, Westbrook; Emmanuel, Weston; Trinity, Wethersfield; St. Paul, Willimantic; St. Matthew, Wilton; St. Paul, Windham;
St. Paul, Woodbury; The Glebe House, Woodbury; Grace, Yantic
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Please contact
Matt Handi
at 203-639-3501, x107 with any questions
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Ongoing Parish/worshiping community surveys
Thank you to the 75 parishes that have completed their 2017 “summer project" from ECCT - the parish/worshiping community surveys. (And a reminder and advance thank you to those still working on them!)
ECCT published a special eNewsletter (link
here
to read) and mailed out print information packets about the survey over the summer. You can also read more
here
.
We believe the information will help by documenting the ministries that are active at ECCT parishes, and identifying parish leaders. This will help you and all of us participate more fully and more collaboratively in God's mission. We encourage other parishes to join this list so they, too, can gain access to the information from participating parishes!
If you have your login information, please click
HERE
to access the survey welcome page.
If you have any questions about completing the survey, please email or call our Operations Manager, Matt Handi, at 203-639-3501, ext. 107, or
[email protected]
.
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Thank you to the following parishes and worshiping communities:
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Christ Church, Ansonia; St. Paul's, Bantam; Christ Church, Bethany; St. Thomas', Bethel; Old Saint Andrew's, Bloomfield; St. George's, Bolton; St. Mark's, Bridgewater; Grace, Broad Brook; St. Paul's, Brookfield; Trinity, Brooklyn; Trinity, Collinsville; St. James', Danbury; St. Alban's, Danielson; St. Luke's, Darien; Church of the Epiphany, Durham; St. Stephen's, East Haddam;
All Saints, East Hartford;
St. John's,
East Windsor;
Christ's Church, Easton; Holy Trinity, Enfield; St. John's, Essex;
St. Paul's,
Fairfield;
St. Timothy's, Fairfield; St. James', Farmington;
St. David's, Gales Ferry;
St. James', Glastonbury; Christ Church, Greenwich; Christ Church, Guilford; Trinity, Hartford; Church of the Good Shepherd, Hartford;
Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford;
Grace,
Hartford; St. Monica's,
Hartford;
St. Peter's, Hebron; St. James', Higganum; Emmanuel Church, Killingworth; St. Andrew's, Madison; St. Mary's, Manchester; St. Andrew's, Meriden; Christ Church, Middle Haddam; Church of the Holy Trinity, Middletown;
St. Peter's,
Monroe;
St. Mark's,
Mystic; St. Michael's,
Naugatuck; St. Mark's, New Britain;
St. Paul and St. James,
New Haven;
St. James', New London;
St. John's, New Milford; Trinity,
Newtown;
St. John's, North Haven; St. Paul's on the Green, Norwalk; Saint Ann's,
Old Lyme; Grace,
Old Saybrook;
Church of the Good Shepherd, Orange; St. James',
Poquetanuck; Trinity,
Portland; Christ Church, Redding; St. Stephen's,
Ridgefield; St. Paul's, Riverside; St. Andrew the Apostle, Rocky Hill; Christ Church,
Sharon; St. Alban's,
Simsbury;
St. Luke's, South Glastonbury;
St. Peter's,
South Windsor;
Church of the Epiphany, Southbury; St. Paul's, Southington;
Grace, Stafford Springs; St. Mark's Chapel,
Storrs; Trinity, Torrington; Christ Church, Trumbull; Trinity, Trumbull;
St. John's, Waterbury; Church of the Holy Spirit, West Haven; St. John's, West Hartford;
St. James's, West Hartford; Christ & Holy Trinity Church,
Westport; Trinity, Wethersfield;
Grace, Windsor; All Saints, Wolcott; Grace, Yantic
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Parish Directory
We have recently compiled a parish directory that now includes parish information received as part of the parish survey initiative. You will note there are now listings for multiple forms of contact, parish partnerships, and parish ministries. If your parish has completed the survey, you will now see such data listed in the updated directory. Please click
HERE
to take a look! Note, this is a Beta version, we welcome your feedback and are happy to let you know how you can edit your parish information!
Please contact
Matt Handi
at 203-639-3501, x107 with any questions and changes.
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Bishops' upcoming visitation schedule
June 17
- Douglas: Grace/St. Peter's, Hamden
June 24
- Ahrens: Emmanuel, Weston
Visitations will start again in September, which will be included in the August PA&F eNewsletter.
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Parish admins invited to join a listserve
Want to chat with colleagues about ACS vs PowerChurch? Offer tips on more successful mail merges? Get suggestions on names for a new campaign?
Alison Hollo
, Senior Administrator for the Office of the Episcopate, invites parish administrators to forward her their names and email addresses to be added to an ECCT listserve for parish admins.
As a member of Bishops' Executive Secretaries Together (B+E+S+T), Alison has participated in their listserve and wants to make the same opportunity available for parish admins in ECCT.
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2018 Treasurers' Newsletter can be found
here
:
Included: Clergy compensation, Insurance, Lay Pension, Church Records, Supply Clergy, Tax and other IRS information, and other management operations.
2017 Treasurers' Newsletter can be found
here
.
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The next issue of the Parish Admin & Finance eNewsletter will be published mid-August
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