Making meetings work From page 13


team everyone could do it together if the chair could cope with this and people are prepared to be sensitively honest without playing power- games.


Chairing is a difficult task and anyone who does this regularly should be keen to improve their skills and grow into the best chair they can be for this group.


1. How well defined is the role of chair for this group, and what lies at the heart of this role?


2. How well do meetings keep to time and cover the agenda business without people feeling unduly rushed or controlled?


3. How well does the chair help every member to contribute to the business and prevent certain members saying too much or going off on tangents?


4. How well does the chair help everyone to focus on the purpose and to come to a point at the right moment when a decision should be taken?


5. How well does the chair manage difficult situations: when the meeting seems lost, when there is conflict? Does (s)he speak too much or too little?


6. What changes might the chair make to improve on any of the above points?


You might carry out a similar exercise on other office-holders, such as the Secretary. But be careful – or you might then have no takers for key posts you need to fill!


Part 5 5: Review one feature of the meetings


The example taken here is to the place of prayer and Bible study in the meetings, but you might choose instead methods used to come to a decision, actions taken as a result of the meetings, communication with the whole church, selecting/electing members of the group, etc.


1. To what extent are our meetings centred on gathering in Christ’s presence and seeking his will, however we choose to demonstrate this?


2. If we have a time of Bible reading in our meetings, to what extent is this simply perfunctory or are we learning lessons for how we should meet from the passage?


3. How do we encourage the whole church to pray for our meetings (if we think they should) and what changes might we consider to make this more effective?


4. How do we encourage our members to pray before they come to our meetings, and then to pray at the meetings themselves?


5. Do we, or should we, have any means to encourage members to pray for each other (rather than just our business) if we are seeking to grow into a team?


6. Do we need to make any changes given our answers above?


So there are five examples of how a business group might review different aspects of its life and meetings. You may well want to simplify the examples given here to fit where you are at. To overdo the review might put people off. But for a group that is keen to improve the way it works together and meets together, the concept of review is vital.


JOHN Truscott is an independent church consultant and trainer who champions the ministry of creative organisation. Visit his website at www.john-truscott.co.uk and check out the Resources section for a growing range of 137 items which you can print out and/or download. Note in particular the Meetings section on page www.john-truscott.co.uk/Resources/Structures. You can follow John on Twitter @johnnvtruscott. Church Administrators should join the UK Church Administrator Network (UCAN) which John co-ordinates. See www.church-administrator.net


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