Professional development and a common vision for the organization’s work

BCC is an organization in development. Over the last decades, the scope of church life and activities has increased, and continuous improvements are being made in all areas of the organization. One Saturday in November, representatives from all of Norway’s 19 local churches were invited to a seminar at Gardermoen.


By Johanne Reiersrud – Photo: BCC

Both BCC as the central organization and the local churches have focused on development and quality assurance in the organization’s work. The aim is to think long-term and ensure a well-functioning organization that can continue the Christian work for the coming generations.

To achieve this, BCC regularly arranges seminars that ensure a good dialogue with all the local churches through training, reviewing routines, and providing professional recommendations.


The course was attended by board members, financial managers and leaders of the youth work. Photo: BCC

Professional focus creates a good framework

BCC’s Christian ideology is at the core of all its work, but many professional aspects of the organization are being improved to prepare for the future and to establish routines for both finances and church life.

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Increased activity makes it important to plan for the future

In recent years, BCC’s organization has grown in pace with church activities and a growing economy within the organization.

In the last decades in particular, members have demonstrated a unique interest in giving their time and money. They have contributed gifts and volunteer work to finance the church’s activities and strengthen BCC`s fund for the future. These gifts are the supporting beam in BCC’s economic platform, and will be managed in the best possible way, in accordance with the organization’s purpose.

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Accounting practices, youth work, an organizational model, and communication were among the topics on the agenda. Photo: BCC

Joint venture for Christian youth work

For BCC, it is important to contribute to society. Within the wide range of work we do with children and youth, we want to teach good values to the next generation – how to be good citizens.

Almost 50% of BCC’s members today are under the age of 20, and every week, year round, a comprehensive and socially beneficial work is being done for this age group in the form of activities, edification, and teaching of different target groups.

The local churches are united in this work and want to facilitate a youth mission that strengthens the international community among BCC’s youth around the world.

At the seminar, Brunstad Youth Club also presented their plan for 2019. Among other activities, they will hold four youth camps throughout the year, where the focus will be edification, activities, personal development and training for mentors.

Inspired to contribute to future generations

Øyvind Sandersen

One of those present at Gardermoen was Øyvind Sandersen from the local church in Molde. He is happy that the organization has a long-term vision.

“I am pleased that the focus on children and youth will continue in the time to come. Many of us who are over youth age want to contribute to the younger generations. We are used to this way of thinking in Norway because it forms the idea of the welfare state, and this is something the church has also practiced for a long time,” he points out.

 

New accounting standards provide increased transparency in the organization’s finances

BCC focuses on handling gifts from members in an open and responsible way. Transparent finances are on the agenda, as BCC implements the accounting standard for volunteer work “Good accounting practice for voluntary organizations”. This involves, among other things, developing what is called in business terms “activity accounts”.

This will show more clearly which activity costs directly relate to the realization of the organization’s purposes and which proportion of the funds go to administration costs. BCC therefore recommends to all its local churches and associated children and youth groups to adopt this standard from 2019.

The goal is that members, donors, and the public should be able to see how the gifts are being used towards the stated purpose. It will be easy to trace the gifts from budgeting through to the finished accounts. The model also makes it easier for those working with the finances to show the use of funds, and to distinguish between gifts for the organization’s operations and gifts for earmarked purposes.


Many young people are active in the work in their local church, like these participants from the local church in Eiker. Photo: BCC

Traveling home with new thoughts

Øyvind Sandersen says that the day has given him several new ideas that he will take home to work on.

”We are lucky to have many good people on the team in our local church in Molde, and we already have a good financial foundation. The whole church is built on volunteer work and enthusiastic souls, and we want to continue with that work.”


Øyvind Sandersen and the other participants from Molde traveled home with new ideas and inspiration. Photo: BCC