My last blog on Authority and Power hit the spot with a number of readers. ‘This almost exactly mirrors the situation I’m in’. ‘You must have written this just for me’, to mention a couple of comments. And I’ve been told some harrowing tales of charities where there’s been a […]

Last night we popped out to watch ‘Doubt; a Parable at the Festival theatre. A 5 star performance from 4 players who worked hard to produce a memorable experience. It came at a time when I’ve been reflecting on Authority and Power.  The play was all about the interplay of […]

I’d quite forgotten that a new Charities Act is underway until I was reminded by a question that arrived recently. The bill is still in the committee stage and will be a while before it becomes an act. It’s a considered attempt by the government to make life simpler for […]

What a year it’s been!  Rather than spend time in analysis let’s look to see what 2022 might hold. More of the same you might think, given our excitement at seeing new variants emerge. So what might we expect? What might churches expect this year? A big reset is underway. Right […]

My last blog was all about how trees talk to each other, cooperating, sharing nutrients, even warning of danger. Mother trees in particular play a significant part in the life of the forest, reaching out and caring for its younger neighbours. Just now I came across this short reflection by […]

“In your own time Millie.” This is now a stock phrase when we go on our daily walks. I was holding a gate open for her. She carefully sniffed the gateposts, then retreated, deciding she needed to poo. Getting the right spot takes a while, and then I have to […]

Sometimes I have to write difficult e-mails. Millie had me up at 5.30 am today, when she’s gotta go, she’s gotta go; she makes this abundantly clear. Climbing back into bed I decided it was time to tackle that tricky e-mail that had been keeping me awake into the small […]

Many years ago, I was part of a church leadership team in Essex. In the office, we had a young lady who worked hard and took care of much of the admin. What I never forgot was her tactic of how she would deal with any request from one of […]

In my early years working in an office I had the misfortune to work for a manager who was everything you didn’t want him to be. He was dull, petty, spiteful; if he picked you up on a mistake, and in my case, that was all too often, he’d lecture […]

Some years ago I did some work with a Baptist minister who had got himself rather tucked up. The church ran a pre-school. It was growing quickly and a decision was made to spin it off into an independent charity. At that stage, they should have gotten advice, which would […]