The Diocese of West Texas recently hosted a conference for all congregations (Abide in Me: Congregations Growing Together) to come and participate in a daylong series of workshops addressing various aspects of ministry. While I was unable to attend (Yes, being “Dad” trumps being “Youth Minister”), several folks from St. Margaret’s were in attendance.
One of the workshops focused on the ability to create an electronic newsletter that can be created and sent to your email box. Now, for many of us in this field, this is nothing new. However, ministries on small budget and used to the tried an true methods of cut and paste on paper struggle with the electronic version of their newsletters. Thankfully, one of my friends has decided to take on the responsibility and make this ministry her own.
Amen sister. Amen.
Her suggestion is to use Constant Contact, largely because other congregations have used it and mentioned it at the conference. While there may be several other offerings in this arena, including some open source programs, this is a viable option for several reasons. First, it’s something she has seen in action. So, she knows that it works. Second, and this is most important, she can call other users at these same congregations and get help when I am unavailable. This is crucial for a ministry or non-profit who does not have the IT staff of a larger operation. Their faith in the product and ability to get help will make the difference in its adoption and successful deployment.
So, later this summer I will be glad to extoll the virtues of our new service and perhaps even get her to write a little about it. Anything to help get this done for us and provide an alternative to paper.
