Beyond the Parish Bulletin

1. Beyond the Parish Bulletin Improving Communications in the Catholic Parish St. Anthony of Padua Church September, 2006

2. Where are we going? • Societal Factors • Current parish practices • General Principles • Specific communication vehicles • Discussion • Bonus – Communicating the Stewardship Message

3. Societal Factors • Busy-ness and distraction • Parish no longer center of family life • De-personalization • Technology • Blessing & Curse • Relativism and marketplace of ideas

4. Changes in Catholic Church • Growing size of parishes • Dwindling Mass attendance • Emphasis on stewardship • Growing involvement of laity • Cafeteria Catholicism • Poorly catechized Catholics

5. Current Parish Practices

6. Principles Communications is a means – not an end in itself

7. Principles Good communications help us to achieve our goals

8. What are our goals?

9. Parish Goals • Evangelization • “go and make disciples” • Bring people to Christ and Christ to people • Support in living the Christian life • Catechesis – understanding and change • Building community • Fund-raising

10. Principles We communicate by what we do not say as much as by what we do

11. Principles Know to whom we are speaking

12. Make-up of average parish • 10 – 20% Disciples • 40 - 50% Pew-sitters • 30 – 40% Inactive

13. What do inactive hear?

14. Principles Good communication does not happen by accident

15. Principles Good communication takes time and effort, but especially PLANNING

16. Principles Good communication probably costs more than you spend now, but not a lot more

17. Principles Repetition Repetition Repetition Variation Repetition

18. The parish communication plan • Define your goals • Don’t be penny-wise and pound foolish • Build a communications infrastructure • Use multiple channels • Make it easy • Don’t re-invent the wheel • Be purposeful in targeting your communications

19. Communication Vehicles

20. The Bulletin • Still the primary vehicle • A lot of work and effort • Leveraging the bulletin • Add it to website • Offer it via email • Cut and paste

21. Improving Your Bulletin • Add a Pastor’s Letter • Brief! Tone should be personal and warm • Be purposeful in assigning space • Prime real estate to top priorities; news • Group content by audience • Use boxes, headers and clip art • Beware excessive repetition • Include Catechetical content

22. Pulpit Announcements • Liturgical questions • Good for aural learners and reinforce bulletin • Make them fun • Maximum of about 5 items/week • Effectiveness drops with length

23. Newsletter • If you don’t have one – get one • Mailed – not distributed at Church • Quarterly, monthly or sporadically

24. What goes in the newsletter? • Cut and paste from bulletin; add minutes • Pictures • Make it personal; welcome new parishioners, do profiles • Announcements of interest to inactives • Better done than perfect • Humor • Newsletter can be basis for other vehicles

25. What goes in the newsletter? (pt.2) • Steal shamelessly, but legally • A primary tool for adult education • Reprint from: • Diocese • USCCB • Excerpts from Catholic books • etc • Offer Catholic perspective on current events

26. What cars are mentioned in the Bible? • Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden in a Fury • David’s Triumph was heard throughout the land • Honda: The apostles were all in one Accord

27. Bulletin Boards • Overrated as a communication tool • Mostly read by those standing around • Common cause of conflict • Can be effective place for follow-up info • Rotate common items

28. Church Signs • Underused by Catholic Churches, esp. if Church is in high traffic area • Need to change to be effective • Primarily for announcement of events • Primary public relations tool for churches located in high traffic locations

29. Email • Cheap,fast and easy • The investment of time in setting up your email is worth the investment • Use lists • Still can not be primary tool • Keeping addresses up to date • The myth of “all-or-nothing” • Start an email newsletter

31. Rules of the road for email • Keep it brief • Be clear in your subject line • Choose your name carefully • Don’t overdo it • Don’t forward except in rare cases • Be prepared • Publish your email address • Don’t use it if you won’t check it • Use “autoreply”

32. Mail • An old technology that is underused • Make it as easy as possible • Keep stocks of envelopes, stamps and labels at hand • Use your software’s mail merge features • For bulk mail; consider the end • Reports or codes on parish software make it easy

33. Yard signs • 1,000,000 politicians can’t be wrong • OK, yes they can • Consider for community events in lieu of paid advertising • Especially recurring events • Cost per view is cheap compared to other tools

34. Local newspaper, public access cable • Usually free • Cut and paste from bulletin or newsletter • Program fax with numbers • Tape and rebroadcast speakers, etc.

36. Video/Audio • Videotape all speakers or special programs and keep a copy in library • Special ministry of church • Make audiotapes of speakers, etc available esp. for commuters

37. Other Communication Vehicles • Voicemail • Annual Report • Phonathons; automated phone systems • Paid advertising • Posters; flyers on public bulletin boards • Tabletop signs • Kid-mail with stickers • Pony Express • Gossip

38. Parish Website – 2 types • A static website that is essentially a detailed church sign; rarely needs updating • Dynamic website that changes regularly

39. Hints for Websites • Multiple persons must be trained and have permission to update the site • Use a service that does not require knowledge of HTML; free services available • You must get people to your website – publicize it! • Cut and paste from your print materials onto your website • At minimum: • Post electronic copies of your bulletin on site • If pastor types homily, cut and paste onto site • Cut and paste articles from newsletter and other prepared materials • Link to appropriate Catholic sites

42. Hints for Websites (pt. 2) • Constantly promote your site • Take advantage of 3rd party content through providers such as CatholicWeb or ParishesOnline • Take advantage of free online tools such as Parish Calendar and Facility Scheduler • Remember that website is just one tool of many • Recruit and train one or more “website-watchers”

43. Tools to Keep an Eye On • Faith Magazine • Better than a newsletter • ChurchPost • Source for bulk email service • CatholicWeb • Free, easy-to-use Catholic websites • Parishes Online • Free online tools such as calendar, facility scheduler

44. Building the communication infrastructure • Define and research available tools • Set up templates and forms so that communication is made easy • Train staff and volunteers to use the tools effectively • Organize your parish database effectively to allow for targeted communications • Learn to use your software! • Set up processes to maintain the infrastructure • Plan a “communications week” for mid-summer

45. Summary Improving Communications in your Parish

46. Summary Decide how important good communication is and devote time and $$

47. Summary Use a variety of vehicles and approaches

48. Summary If you can’t do it all, choose one tool and improve your use of that

49. Immediate Steps to Get Started • Begin planning a Parish newsletter mailed into all homes • Research local free media and start using them • Begin collecting and using email • Procure training if necessary

50. Summary Target your communications – one size does not fit all