Annual Review and Differentiation

The principle of differentiation is fundamental to Giving in Grace. It remains so for any programme of Annual Review and renewal within the local church. Differentiation simply means the division of the database of church members into three broad categories of membership: Core, Congregation and Fringe. See the web page differentiation and the additional discussion paper on differentiation for further reflection.

Nowhere is the principle of differentiation and the need for sensitivity and good administration more important than in dealing with written communication. The first and crucial step is the careful revision of the database of church members that was prepared as part of the Giving in Grace programme. Update the differentiated lists in the database:

• Add in new members of the church since the original programme. This should be done in close liaison with clergy, leaders and pastoral workers.
• Ensure that those who have left the church and especially any bereavements are reflected in the database.
• Those who became planned givers last year will now be included within the congregational grouping, as they are now members of the planned giving scheme. Please note that the letters page has an additional letter to these people, which reflects this move.
• In the same vein ensure good "moves management" generally by accurately recording what people did last year. It will not play well to ask someone who took envelopes during a Giving in Grace (or previous Annual Review) programme, to do so again.

Churches that did not differentiate during their Giving in Grace programme, or previous Annual Review, should seriously consider doing so: especially if the response was not as enthusiastic as those churches that did. A majority of churches in the Diocese of Liverpool differentiated their databases as part of the Giving in Grace programme and found the process to be most worthwhile, as well as unproblematic. However anxious you are when it comes to communicating about money; you need to first challenge your core, then your congregation and finally your fringe members about their giving.