Through this ever growing set of downloadable guides we aim to resource and share information with you on a wide range of topics and commonly asked questions.
The guides are arranged here in sections based on their subject matter. Please feel free to print the guides and share them with those who may find them helpful and informative.
Each guide is not designed to be entirely comprehensive, the single way to do something, or to cover all imaginable situations and circumstances. The Diocesan office is still here to help and support all parishes so please do contact us if having read one of these How to… guides you would value some further advice or support.
We are also looking to continually expand and improve the guides, if you have a suggestion for a new guide, would like to write a guide or have an addition or alteration you would like to make to an existing guide then please contact us.
Practical guidance
Practical Suggestions to help parishes save energy and money
Making disciples
How to... Find discipleship resources
How to... Build a culture of invitation
How to... Run an Invitation Cross Sunday
How to... Run an Inviter Sunday
How to... Run a Weekend of Invitation
How to... Create effective small groups
How to... Explore whole-life discipleship in small groups
How to... Share faith
How to... Encourage Holy Habits
How to... Help people discover and use their strengths and gifts
How to... Worship God with nature
How to... Make evangelism less scary
How to... Begin ministry in a care home
How to... Build a culture of invitation
How to... Run an Invitation Cross Sunday
How to... Run an Inviter Sunday
How to... Run a Weekend of Invitation
How to... Create effective small groups
How to... Explore whole-life discipleship in small groups
How to... Share faith
How to... Encourage Holy Habits
How to... Help people discover and use their strengths and gifts
How to... Worship God with nature
How to... Make evangelism less scary
How to... Begin ministry in a care home
Engaging younger generations
How to... Think purposefully about children's/youth ministry
How to... Develop links with local schools
How to... Host a prayer space in schools
How to... Recruit children's and youth work volunteers
How to... Encourage young volunteering
How to... Start a youth ministry from scratch
How to... Start a children's ministry from scratch
How to... Listen to and involve children and young people
How to... Involve children and young people when appointing a new vicar
How to... Involve young people on the PCC
How to... Welcome new families to church
How to... Start a Messy Church
How to... Create great all-age worship
How to... Welcome, include and engage children with special needs
How to... Deliver great school assemblies
How to... Start a toddler group
How to... Run a group for dads and children
How to... Pray with babies and toddlers
How to... Do Godly Play
How to... Run a children's holiday club
How to... Share the gospel with young people
How to... Set up and run a Christian youth band
How to... Set up and launch a church puppet team
How to... Help young people get rooted in the church
How to... Develop links with local schools
How to... Host a prayer space in schools
How to... Recruit children's and youth work volunteers
How to... Encourage young volunteering
How to... Start a youth ministry from scratch
How to... Start a children's ministry from scratch
How to... Listen to and involve children and young people
How to... Involve children and young people when appointing a new vicar
How to... Involve young people on the PCC
How to... Welcome new families to church
How to... Start a Messy Church
How to... Create great all-age worship
How to... Welcome, include and engage children with special needs
How to... Deliver great school assemblies
How to... Start a toddler group
How to... Run a group for dads and children
How to... Pray with babies and toddlers
How to... Do Godly Play
How to... Run a children's holiday club
How to... Share the gospel with young people
How to... Set up and run a Christian youth band
How to... Set up and launch a church puppet team
How to... Help young people get rooted in the church
Encouraging generosity and stewardship
Mission and discipleship
How to... Engage with new areas of housing
How to... Light the Night
How to... Promote sustainable transport
How to... Run a parenting course
How to... Run a marriage course
How to... Serve and engage with your community
How to... Establish a 'ministry of absence'
How to... Start a community social action project
How to... Run a community drop in - 'tea and toast'
How to... Run a men's breakfast
How to... Start a cafechurch
How to... Run a church film club
How to... Open a community café
How to... Find our more about the Bristol Uganda Link
How to... Organise Uganda Link visits
How to... Recruit a foundation governor
How to... Visit your community
How to... Light the Night
How to... Promote sustainable transport
How to... Run a parenting course
How to... Run a marriage course
How to... Serve and engage with your community
How to... Establish a 'ministry of absence'
How to... Start a community social action project
How to... Run a community drop in - 'tea and toast'
How to... Run a men's breakfast
How to... Start a cafechurch
How to... Run a church film club
How to... Open a community café
How to... Find our more about the Bristol Uganda Link
How to... Organise Uganda Link visits
How to... Recruit a foundation governor
How to... Visit your community
Parish life and ministry
How to... Provide a great welcome
How to... livestream in-building services
How to... Make your church more accessible during the pandemic
How to... Look after your well being
How to... Offer pastoral care during the pandemic
How to... Make a return to in-building worship accessible
How to... Find mental health resources
How to... Produce video content for online
How to... Support and encourage volunteers
How to... Build a culture of invitation
How to... Understand Fresh Expressions
How to... Start a Fresh Expression
How to... Find out more about working ecumenically
How to... Work out if you need a faculty
How to... Create dementia friendly church services
How to... Be an Anglican
How to... Get support when you need it
How to... Host warm spaces in church (Risk assessment template for running a warm place)
How to... livestream in-building services
How to... Make your church more accessible during the pandemic
How to... Look after your well being
How to... Offer pastoral care during the pandemic
How to... Make a return to in-building worship accessible
How to... Find mental health resources
How to... Produce video content for online
How to... Support and encourage volunteers
How to... Build a culture of invitation
How to... Understand Fresh Expressions
How to... Start a Fresh Expression
How to... Find out more about working ecumenically
How to... Work out if you need a faculty
How to... Create dementia friendly church services
How to... Be an Anglican
How to... Get support when you need it
How to... Host warm spaces in church (Risk assessment template for running a warm place)
Organisation, administration and communication
How to... Plan and Manage a Project
How to... Develop an action plan or strategy
How to... Recruit and induct a PSO
How to... Complete a Statistics for Mission annual return
How to... Carry out a community survey
How to... Carry out a parish review
How to... Run a productive PCC
How to... Understand the PCC
How to... Hold an APCM
How to... Make the most of your church buildings
How to... Use energy responsibly in your church
How to... Survive a vacancy
How to... Understand pastoral reorganisation
How to... Understand suspension of presentation
How to... Publish a great parish magazine
How to... Produce a great church notice sheet
How to... Write accessible documents
How to... Write a story
How to... Create a great church website
How to... Create a church accessibility information page for your website
How to... Create accessible service orders
How to... Include autistic people in online meetings
How to... Develop an action plan or strategy
How to... Recruit and induct a PSO
How to... Complete a Statistics for Mission annual return
How to... Carry out a community survey
How to... Carry out a parish review
How to... Run a productive PCC
How to... Understand the PCC
How to... Hold an APCM
How to... Make the most of your church buildings
How to... Use energy responsibly in your church
How to... Survive a vacancy
How to... Understand pastoral reorganisation
How to... Understand suspension of presentation
How to... Publish a great parish magazine
How to... Produce a great church notice sheet
How to... Write accessible documents
How to... Write a story
How to... Create a great church website
How to... Create a church accessibility information page for your website
How to... Create accessible service orders
How to... Include autistic people in online meetings
Additional Resources
John Truscott is a church consultant and trainer who has written extensively on various topics of interest to church administrators. The resources page on his website has over 100 free resources on topics like writing a newsletter, time management, and more.