Congregational Reporting Begins
Dear Clergy and Administrators,
The Congregational Reporting (a.k.a. parochial reports) process is about to begin for the churches in our diocese. As a member diocese of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), we will once again be using their on-line reporting for much of this work. First, be aware these reports are due March 1st. Those portions of the annual reporting dealing with Finances and Membership will all be addressed by the ACNA Provincial report. That report can be completed entirely online (though a PDF version is available if preferred).
The Diocesan portion of the report (Parochial Contact Information, Clergy Compensation and Generational Ministries Information) will be provided via fillable PDFs supplied by the Diocese and returned to us here.
How Do I Get Started?
Basic information on all the congregations of the Diocese has been pre-loaded into the Provincial website as an initial start. The person responsible for creating your report will need to sign in to access the page and complete your report. If you have logged into this system before and know your password, log in here to begin entering parish data: http://www.acna.org/r/sign_in If you haven’t used this system before or don’t have your password, the Provincial website has a Quick Start Guide that will lead you through the steps to get going: https://www.acna.org/quick-start.
Why Does This Matter?
This reporting is important because it:
- Ensures the proportional representation of your congregation and diocese in the councils of the Church.
- Helps our Diocese and Province get beyond anecdotal information in order to evaluate larger trends within our Church.
- Is an opportunity to update vital contact information for yourself and your congregation for the diocese and potential visitors.
How Does This Report Help Visitors Find My Congregation?
The online reporting software is the foundation of the new provincial website and parish finder, and your congregation’s particular page will be a point of contact for those looking for an Anglican church in your area. Although the reporting season will end on March 1st, you have access to this system year-round in order to be able to update information about your parish (worship times, programs, etc.) and highlight your ministries for prospective visitors.
Is there a hard copy of the report?
Yes, the Provincial report form is available as a PDF. The Diocesan forms will be distributed shortly as fillable PDFs. Some congregations prefer to hand out sections of the PDF to the relevant ministry leaders (ex. the “Worship” section goes to the Rector, “Stewardship” section goes to Treasurer, etc.) have them fill it in on paper first, and then add it to the online system.
What if I Need Assistance?
The website has both video tutorials and a FAQ section where you can find answers about the Provincial portions.
You can also contact me at jlewis@adosc.org and if I know the answer I will be happy to help you, particularly regarding the Diocesan portions.
There is also a “Support” tab on the Provincial website, where a volunteer is available to assist you. (Please understand that there will be thousands of people using the system, but there are only a few support staff. If you don’t get someone via live chat right away, you can leave a message and they will get back with you as soon as they are able.)
I invite you to please share this message with the appropriate ministry leaders in your congregation. I’ll be following up with you later this week to provide the informational PDFs needed for the Diocesan reports. Everything else can be done online. Thanks in advance for your part in helping make this important process go smoothly. In Christ's service,
The Rev. Canon Jim Lewis
The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina
Anglican Church in North America
Note: My new email is jlewis@adosc.org
126 Coming Street
Charleston, SC 29413
843-722-4075
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