Dear Friends,
Over Christmas, like many of us, I found myself watching It's a Wonderful Life. I've seen it before, but this year it caught me in a new way. As George Bailey reaches the point of despair, convinced that his life has amounted to very little, the story turns and he is shown what the world would have been like if he had never existed. What struck me most was not the dramatic plot twist, but the quiet, cumulative truth underneath it: George had no idea how deeply his steady presence had shaped the lives of others.
He wasn't famous. He didn't build an empire. He didn't always get to live out his own dreams in the way he had imagined. Much of his life was spent showing up, serving faithfully, making sacrifices, and holding things together for other people. And yet, without him, the community unravelled.
As I watched, I couldn't help but think of church administrators.
So much of what you do is unseen. You are often the first person someone speaks to when they are anxious, grieving, or unsure. You are the one who quietly makes sure safeguarding processes are in place, rotas are covered, payments are made, buildings are open, and ministries are supported. You notice the details others miss. You hold the memory of the organisation. You carry continuity through change.
And yet, like George Bailey, you may rarely see the full impact of your presence.
The truth is that churches would feel profoundly different without you. Things would fray at the edges. People would fall through the cracks. Mission would slow, not because of a lack of vision or passion, but because the faithful, relational, administrative scaffolding had gone.
Scripture reminds us that "the body is not made up of one part but of many" (1 Corinthians 12). Not all parts are visible and not all roles are celebrated in the same way, but all are indispensable. God sees the work done in faithfulness, integrity and love, even when it feels routine, pressured, or unnoticed.
If the recent season has left you feeling tired, undervalued, or questioning whether what you do really matters, let this be a gentle reminder: Your presence matters more than you realise. Your consistency, kindness and competence create the conditions in which ministry, worship, and pastoral care can flourish.
You may never get to see the alternate version of your church without you in it (and that is probably a mercy!). But please know this: Your work is part of God's ongoing story in your place and it is precious to Him.
As we step into a new year together at UCAN, my prayer is that you would be encouraged, strengthened, and reminded that you are not alone. What you do matters. You matter. And the kingdom of God is quietly, faithfully shaped through people like you.
With gratitude for you all,
Jules Morgan
Managing Director,
UK Church Administrators Network (UCAN) & Churchworkers.net (CWN)