The Annual Review Document
and the Case Statement

The purpose of the Annual Review Document, like that of the Case Statement on which it is modelled, is to answer the question: why should anyone give to this church's ministry? The review document should crystallise the need, the purpose and the financial challenge of sustaining and growing ministry. The Annual Review Document shares the same basic structure as the Case Statement. However there are some differences that should be noted:

• Strengths and Weaknesses: No provision is made for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the parish's ministry. To do this properly is a time consuming process outside of the remit of an Annual Review. To do it casually, or in short order, devalues what is an important discipline.
  
  
• The Gift Array: The Annual Review Document does not include a gift array by default. See the Review Gift Array page for consideration of the place of the gift array in an Annual Review.
  
  
• Consultation: The Annual Review Document does not contain the framework for consultation that is found in Section 6 of the Case Statement. Within an Annual Review such detailed consultation is inappropriate. However, the draft of the Annual Review Document should be presented to the PCC, or leadership meeting, for general discussion and approval of the key areas of ministry.
  
  
• Timescale: The focus is upon goals for ministry and mission over a more limited twelve to fifteen month period. Setting goals for ministry can implement incremental change, however small, towards a new and different future. It may simply be provision of training for organisation leaders, or pastoral leaflets for the bereavement group; it’s about change, about meeting needs. Nevertheless, such incremental change and goal setting is no substitute for a separate and dedicated process of discovering and articulating a core vision for the church.