One of the things I have been trying to improve over time is the effectiveness of communication and collaboration across the deanery. The deanery website was updated some time ago in order to assist with this, but we have not yet made as much use of it as we might. In order to make steps towards the fulfilment of our deanery MAP, I would like to encourage you to use one of the facilities that exists on the site: a deanery social network…
I have created a number of groups up on the site for folk with common interests and ministries to share good practice, ask questions and offer and receive support generally. Some of the groups like the “Environment Group” or “Social Action Group” are open to all-comers (by invitation of other members) and have been set up deliberately in line with the deanery’s task groups in mind.
There is also a group for Church Wardens who have their own needs and questions and this group will provide the opportunity for them to support and be supported by others who have the same role. Several of the wardens I have encountered whilst conducting inspections for the Archdeacon have indicated they would like some kind of wardens’ forum: this is my way of providing that. Many of the wardens have not registered with the site (most of them are not deanery representatives), but there is nothing stopping any interested party from the parishes registering and so keeping up to date with deanery news and contributing to deanery life, so they can do this easily. You might like to encourage your own wardens to register with the site and I will invite them to the wardens’ forum!
All the groups are GDPR-compliant – all communication is kept within the groups and nobody’s contact details are shared unless, despite my advice at the beginning, they chose to use their email address as their username. (If you have done this and wish to change that, please contact me straight away.)
The website also has a capacity for collaborating in the writing of documents – within groups or across the site as a whole. This means that within the groups, members could create reports or lists together which would be of assistance to the whole group, e.g. a list of “Useful Contacts” or brief summaries of progress made towards the different group goals. Every person in the group is able to read the documents and to add updates as necessary. There is a document in each group called “Getting Started” which will help explain what is possible and how to achieve it.
I do hope you will make the effort to engage with the network and so take advantage of the opportunities it creates for better teamwork in this part of God’s vineyard. You can start by amending your personal profile – though as with all these things, be careful not to share anything too personal, it is all online. Just write a little bit about yourself so others can get to know you better; you can even upload a photograph (that will help us all put names to faces at deanery meetings!).
I have added the Social Community drop-down menu to the main menu on the site for logged-in members but you can also access it from under your name in the top right corner of your screens.
I look forward to bumping into you in one of the groups or more generally within the deanery network.
In the meantime, have a fantastic summer. May the Lord grant you all the rest and refreshment you need.
Mark Dunstan
Rural Dean