Portals for Parish Admins

Yearly overview of deadlines:

All open from January onwards unless otherwise stated, exact dates of deadlines are communicated in January via the E-Bulletin.

·         Stats for Mission – closes end of March

·         Stats for Mission – reopens mid-April for Easter attendance figures & Electoral Roll (ER)

·         Energy Footprint Tool – end of June

·         Annual Submission of Finance Data – end of June

·         Electoral Roll (ER) – 1 July

·         Reviewing and Updating Parish details – 1 July

·         Stats for Mission – reopens for October count & attendance figures for Harvest & school services

Electoral Roll (ER) – relating to APCM

Who? – Electoral Roll Officer/ PCC Secretary/ Administrator

As soon as the Electoral Roll has been revised or every six years a new Electoral Roll has been established, please send the total number of the ER to er@chester.anglican.org – guide can be found here (on the website).

Please contact Emma Hathaway emma.hathaway@chester.anglican.org or Ruth Laemmel ruth.laemmel@chester.anglican.org if you have any questions.

Deadline for submission: 1 July

Also, make a note of the number for the Stats for Mission. The last New Electoral Roll was created in 2025, and a certificate is no longer required.

Contact Management System (CMS) – relating to APCM

Who? – Parish Updater

CMS holds contact information for clergy, certain parish roles such as: churchwardens, deanery synod representatives, PCC secretaries and treasurers. Also, those of members of diocesan committees, staff at Church House, Bishop’s House and the Cathedral, etc.

The Parish Updater reviews and updates the details for parish roles annually after the APCM. Information is sent to them at the beginning of the year, including a list of roles to be reviewed and the link to do so. Guides are available for Updaters.

Please contact Ruth Laemmel ruth.laemmel@chester.anglican.org or Emma Hathaway emma.hathaway@chester.anglican.org if you have any questions.

Deadline for review: 1 July

Coinciding with the deadline for mandatory reporting of elected Deanery Synod members to the diocesan electoral registration officer.

Parish Returns System (sometimes also known as Parish Dashboard)

 Please be aware that the link on cofeportal.org for Parish Returns is now working.  Meaning, you can use the same login for the cofeportal.org to access the Parish Returns System as well as CMS (if you have been granted access to CMS).

If you have difficulties, please use this link Parish Returns Online.

Under the Parish Returns System are three distinct areas:

1)      Statistics for Mission or short: Stats for Mission

2)      Parish Finance

3)      Energy Footprint Tool also referred to as ETF

The Diocesan Office is informed of the deadlines of all three areas around December, which is then communicated via the E-Bulletin in January.

Stats for Mission – relating to Parish Returns

Who? – Incumbent/Administrator/Church Wardens (if in interregnum)

For any login queries or admissions, please contact Rebecca Hathaway rebecca.hathaway@chester.anglican.org

There is a bespoke form for Stats for Mission to collect data such as attendance on Sundays, ER figures, information about occasional offices (baptisms, weddings, funerals). There is usually also a one-off question, which changes every year. Furthermore, there is additional space to comment and note, for example, if a parish is in interregnum or the reasons for not being able to complete certain stats.

Usual time to fill in the Stats for Mission: January – End of March

Please contact Rebecca Hathaway if you have any questions: rebecca.hathaway@chester.anglican.org

Deadline: End of March

However:The Stats for Mission reopens throughout the year:

·         Mid-April for Electoral Roll figures and Easter attendance figures

·         October for the October count (for the current year), and attendance figures around Harvest Festivals and school services

Energy Footprint Tool (EFT) – relating to Parish Returns

Who? – PCC Treasurer/ Churchwarden

Usually asks for information on supplier of energy, usage (kw/h) and the type of supply (electricity, gas or oil) for each building. The estimated square footage of each of the buildings (churches, church halls, etc) is usually populated by the national church but can be edited. The EFT is open from January to the end of June.

Information and a reminder email is sent to PCC Secretaries/ Administrators from Church House to pass on to treasurers and churchwardens.

If you have any questions regarding this, please contact Sheena Wilson sheena.wilson@chester.anglicna.org.

Deadline: End of June

Annual Submission of Finance Data – relating to Parish Returns & APCM Report

Who? – PCC Secretary

Trustees Annual Report, Financial Statements including independent examination certificate to be sent – preferably electronically – to finance@chester.anglican.org 

Who? – PCC TreasurerThe treasurer completes the Parish Return of Finance using the online CofE portal at CofE Portal under “Parish Returns”.

Please be aware that there is a Treasurer Network that meets regularly at organised events, drop-in sessions and a monthly meeting. For more information, please follow this link.

For questions around Parish Finance, please contact the finance team at finance@chester.anglican.org

Deadline: End of June with possible extension to Mid-August.

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