At The Church Office we love catching up with old friends and that's exactly what Gavin did when he spoke to Graham Daniels from Christian in Sport! How many sports clubs are within a 5 mile radius of your church? Praying for people, playing with people and telling them about Jesus is how Christians in Sport roll. Listen in as Gavin and Graham talk about working as a team, the importance of administration but most of all the importance of keeping the gospel central.

Did someone say a church management course?? Join Gavin and Anna Wood, one of our Trustees, as they talk about a project that has been months in the making....our brand new Good Church Management Course! We're so excited to announce that The Church Office's Good Church Management Course will be available from 10th November covering topics such as:   - legal and practical responsibilities of managing staff, volunteers, finances and buildings - practical support for ministry, including developing a team culture, strategy and operational plan - helps leaders identify and address gaps in their church's administration and operations

Introducing.....James Lawrence!   Gavin had the joy of sitting down with James to talk about the work of the Church Pastoral Aid Society (CPAS) and how we can support Church Leaders in their roles in our churches.   To find out more about CPAS, head to: https://www.cpas.org.uk/  

In this week's episode, Chris talks to Gavin Smith of the Church Office, where they discuss administration, church management, and how to set up your church to succeed. www.aoggb.com

Listen in as Gavin is joined by Scott Sanders from Reach Ministries Australia to talk through the leadership needed to navigate through the unique challenges of church growth.  We had some great discussion around the leadership challenge, people and change challenge and getting the right systems and structures in place.  If you’re a church leader seeking clarity and encouragement to lead well through the next stage of growth, this episode is for you.

In our latest episode Gavin sits down with a good friend of The Church Office, Dave Harvey, to discuss his new book 'The Clay Pot Conspiracy'. Listen in as Gavin and Dave talk through the clay pot conspiracy, the joys and struggles of working in ministry and how God uses us in our weakness. We thoroughly enjoyed the Clay Pot Conspiracy, you can grab your own copy now on Amazon, Eden and 10ofThose.

As churches should we collect data? What difference does it make? Listen in to our latest The Church Office podcast episode as John Truscott, a good friend of The Church Office, joins Gavin to discuss the strengths of data collection when making decisions about mission. From top tips to consider when collecting data to what we can learn from the recent Quiet Revival report, a far bit of ground has been covered! For more wisdom from John, check out his website: 

Andy Geers is back! Gavin had the delight of chatting to Andy last year about PrayerMate and this time we invited him back to share about the exciting The Serpent & The Seed app that's just launched. With a real heart to reach people who don't know the Bible, here's how they would describe it: "Walk through the pages of scripture, take in the beautiful sights and sounds, and along the way you may just discover your own place in the universe and the only source of lasting hope." Listen in to find out more! You can find out more here:  

Join Gavin and Jon Wright, Operations Manager at Frinton Free Church, as they reflect on their experience at the recent UCAN National Conference. In this episode, they share highlights from the main teaching sessions, personal takeaways, and the encouragement they found in gathering with fellow church administrators and managers from across the UK. It was a real joy to connect with others in similar roles, share stories, and be reminded of the value and impact of church administration. Whether you attended the conference or not, this conversation offers insight, inspiration, and a glimpse into the heart behind church administration.

Gavin was thrilled to recently speak with Pelé Ling, Communications and Creative Director at All Souls, Langham Place. Listen in as Pelé talks about relaunching free English classes at their church a few years ago and shares the success this rebranding has had in creating opportunities to tell people about Jesus. (He also talked about their Christmas plans which Gavin LOVED- only 23 weeks to go!!)

Christian Safeguarding Services' Paul Harrison joins Gavin to talk through 5 common challenges with safeguarding in churches: 1. Poor governance 2. Low standards 3. Conflicts of interest 4. Not raising low level concerns 5. Lack of professional curiosity   We absolutely loved learning from Paul and are so grateful for his time and expertise. This is definitely an hour well spent! If you'd like to learn more about Christian Safeguarding Services, head to: https://thecss.co.uk/

Meet Emma! Emma is the Operations Manager at The Globe Church in London and she recently sat down with Gavin to talk about her role, how she creates sustainable rhythms of church life and the variety of tasks that come across her desk in any one week. Listen in for ideas and to see how the role of a Church Administrator fits into the life of a church!  

Listen in to the latest episode of The Church Office podcast with special guest, Manny Kemp! Manny is part of the team at ACAT (the Association of Church Accountants And Treasurers), a charity that exists to support the work of those in church finance. He recently sat down with Gavin to discuss the challenges and joys of serving a church in an accountancy/treasury role and shares some insights from his own experiences. To find out more about the work of ACAT, head over to: https://www.acat.uk.com/

We were thrilled to have Mark Jones from Edward Connors join us on the latest episode of The Church Office podcast. Listen in as Mark and Gavin discuss key areas of employment that churches can struggle with. They recommend a number of resources that might serve you in this area of church life. To find out more about the work of Edward Connor or get further support, head to: https://www.edwardconnor.com/  

Gavin recently had the joy of sitting down with Dan Peters and Andy Ferrett from Joyned. Joyned is a secure internal communication platform designed to grow and strengthen in-person communities. Joyned offers churches a great alternative to WhatsApp. Listen in as they discuss the benefits of partnering with them to better serve your church. To find out more information please check out their website. https://www.joynedapp.com

Welcome to The Church Office podcast, Richard Coekin!   Richard Coekin has recently joined Reach Ministries UK as their Director. Listen in as he discusses Reach Ministries' heart to serve and support church leaders as they shepherd their churches in godly and effective gospel ministry. The team helps church leaders to reflect on their current situation, clarify their vision, and structure their teams effectively.   They provide mentoring, diagnostic tools, and conversations to explore churches' needs.   To find out more about their work, head to: https://reachministries.uk/    

Gavin recently sat down with Evangelical Alliance's Director of Advocacy Danny Webster to talk about one thing- Martyn's Law. Listen in as Gavin and Danny discuss some of the changes this new law could bring for our churches. Thanks again to Danny for giving up his time. If you'd like to find out more, here's an article from the Evangelical Alliance on the topic:   https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/martyns-law-where-does-this-leave-my-church-and-christian-events

Following on from his time with Joe and Hannah from Gourds and Pomegranates, Gavin returned the favour and visited their podcast! Catch up on this bonus episode now! https://gppodcast.uk/

Gavin teamed up with Joe and Hannah from the Gourds and Pomegranate Podcast. Joe and Hannah have a wonderful heart to serve churches by breaking down practical, no-nonsense strategies to help churches communicate with clarity. It was great to get to know them and find out a little bit more about their stories. To find out more about Joe and Hannah's podcast please check out the link below: https://gppodcast.uk  

Do reviews have a place in church? Are they of benefit? Or are they too managerial for church life? We were thrilled to be able to open up this topic with John Truscott, a good friend of The Church Office. Listen in as John and Gavin discuss why we often don't like the topic of reviews and consider the benefits. To hear more from John, head over to his website: https://www.john-truscott.co.uk/