I was interested to read the Rev Karen Campbell’s article on the Presbytery Mission Plan (Life and Work, March 2025). The article contained important context and offered hope for the future as more ‘Grace Churches’ are built.

I have had some involvement in presbytery planning locally. What I write below is inspired in part by that experience, but also from career learnings in change management. My comments are general and represent my take on some of the factors that make complex projects successful:

• Define the objectives and the scope in clear terms, with measurable targets. Break the project up into discrete components, each with its own deliverables – design, build, test, implement etc.

• Identify all stakeholders and understand their sensitivities – individual and shared. The interests of congregation, kirk session and minister do differ, even within a single congregation.

• Validate the objectives and the implementation approach in advance of the formal project launch. Will it all work, in the preferred timescale?

• Establish feedback loops and ‘risk and issue’ management procedures, making it easier for scope and process to be modified for the good of the purpose of the project.

• Where at all possible, avoid presenting parish churches with ‘preferred solutions’, or, worse ‘faits accomplis’. Instead listen to them and be open to better ideas than those first thought of! Weed out options that carry too many implementation constraints.

• Be inclusive; be willing to do things differently; if the ‘rules’ get in the way, be prepared to change them for the greater good. I understand the point about “ecclesia semper reformanda est” but I wonder whether the Church of Scotland practices what it preaches in this regard?

Chris Boston , Edinburgh