Church Admin
How your church can start taking card payments!
As fewer people carry cash, it’s becoming increasingly important for parishes to look at alternative ways to receive payments and donations.
There’s a new category on the Parish Buying website to help churches consider the different types of reader for contactless and chip and pin card payments.
Alongside small hand-held card readers (which cost as little as £19 each) there now are more sophisticated self-service donation units available for churches to buy.
To find out more visit www.parishbuying.org.uk/contactless
>> Churches that have trialled a digital collection box have reported a 97% increase in donations! Read more (from BBC News)
How can my Church start taking card payments? 
Watch this short video from the National Stewardship Team: https://vimeo.com/album/5118798/video/265190588
How do I download an app to use my card reader?
Watch this short video from the National Stewardship Team: https://vimeo.com/album/5118798/video/265198072
Why should I set up products?
Watch this short video from the National Stewardship Team: https://vimeo.com/album/5118798/video/265201230
How do I claim Gift Aid on a card donation?
Watch this short video from the National Stewardship Team: https://vimeo.com/album/5118798/video/264576213
>> See also: Parish Giving Scheme
The Church of England takes its responsibility to select and train readers very seriously.
You may be called to become a Licensed Lay Minster (Reader).
An reader is a lay person who, following a call from God, is trained and licensed by the Anglican Church to teach the faith, enable mission and lead in church and society.
Readers are uniquely equipped to enable Christians to live out their Christian faith in the places where they spend the majority of their time.
As people who daily move between the worlds of work, home, social networks and church, readers can teach the faith and play a part in leadership such that all God’s people grow in confident and humble witness to God’s kingdom.
This ministry involves working together with an incumbent.
It can also include pastoral care, funeral ministry, and involvement in many other aspects of leadership in church and society – it now encompasses just about every area of ministry in the church apart from ordination! Watch the short video below to see how some LLM(R)s are living out their ministry (the last one, Emily, is from our Diocese).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqYC20Dtgwo&t=31s
If you feel you'd like to explore a calling to reader ministry please hop over to our dedicated reader training course website here or contact Revd Dawn Glen (dawn.glen@derby.anglican.org) for more details.
Once training begins, students go on placement in their home parish and their incumbent is expected to offer appropriate supervision and opportunity to develop new skills, preach and take part in leading worship.
Students also do an external placement in a different setting.
For further informaiton, please contact Revd Dawn Glen - dawn.glen@derby.anglican.org or visit www.discipleship-training.org.
In brief: what is a reader?
Licensed Lay Ministers, also known as Readers, play an important role in the public ministry of the Church by leading worship, teaching and preaching, as well as in a wide range of missional and pastoral contexts. As theologically trained lay people they offer a ministry within the church and to the wider community; and are well placed to encourage people in their everyday faith. The office of Reader in the Church of England is governed by canon law (Canons E4, 5 & 6).
The ministry of individual Readers varies according to their gifting and mission context. Whilst most Readers minister collaboratively as part of a team of lay and ordained ministers some work very much on the margins of society sharing God’s love and message of hope to those who may not yet know it.
READERS ARE:
- Called by God to a ministry of the Word
- Licensed by the Bishop to exercise a public and representative lay ministry in Church and the wider community
- Theologically trained and equipped as:
- teachers of the faith
- enablers of mission in the everyday
- leaders in church and community
Some Readers are also trained and authorised by the Bishop to offer funeral ministry, some are authorised to lead Communion by Extension services.
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If you are unsure as to the cicumstances in which you can apply for an interest free loan under this scheme, or have any other questions about the terms, don't hesitate to contact the Head of Finance
EITHER download 'fill in by hand' application to fill out in your own hand, OR
download this 'form field' application, fill in on screen, save and print off, sign and date.
The completed applications must be with the Diocesan Secretary a full month before the Business Committee meeting
The Church of England nationally has negotiated some bulk buying deals to help parishes to cut costs in such areas as energy, photocopying, office supplies and computer software. For the latest details see the Parish Buying website.
