An early post laid out the communications issues that we deal with on staff. This post continues the conversation.
We have now converted our monthly newsletter to an electronic format and created a one-page UUCA Communique that we mail to our non-electronic members and friends (about 20). Unfortunately, I think this was one of those things that “seemed like a good idea at the time.”
The electronic version of the monthly newsletter does in fact accomplish what we set out to do. It’s much more reader-friendly on a computer or smaller device, it takes much less time to lay out than the print version did, and it does not require strict word limits for articles. However, it has one fatal flaw: it reads exactly like a weekly enews edition WITH a month’s-worth of sermon titles and 4 columns. And that causes its own set of problems.
First of all (because it’s all about me, right?), it is a completely aggravating experience to proofread both the monthly newsletter and the weekly enews because 1) they are extremely redundant and yet 2) are created by two different staff members so that edits I have made in one do not carry to the other. Let’s just say it’s not fun to make the exact same changes to the same announcement twice. (I edit them because I am here and because I have a good overview of what’s going on and can therefore add to or shorten an article intelligently.) Second, we have hopelessly confused all the folks who submit articles to us. Now no one knows who creates the monthly newsletter (Jules), who creates the enews (Tish) and what differences they should make to their announcements for each outlet (none of us seems to be clear on that).
But, most important of all, there is no reason to have two of the same set of announcements available electronically if they both are accessible on the website (and then printed for the order of service besides). So, here’s a proposal for your comment:
- Maintain the weekly enews and the insert to the order of service. (Remember that this also gets posted to the website so the current and past editions are always available for reference.)
- Discontinue the monthly newsletter.
- Add a “calendar” page to the lifespan religious education website area that reproduces what has been available in the monthly newsletter.
- Create a new “post” page on the website that will feature a new column each week by one of our four column writers (Mark, Lisa, Joy and Board Chair Jane Bramham). Each enews will link to the newest column. And as a bonus, these columns will allow for reader comments.
- Recruit a volunteer* to create the monthly UUCA Communique printed piece for mailing and foyer rack placement (no luck finding this person yet).
What do YOU think about this latest proposal?
* Remember that Jules has reduced her work hours to 30 per week, so replacing her with this one volunteer job and having Tish create the enews should help her fit her other work into the allotted hours. Jules’ reduction in work hours also has the happy side effect of reducing our personnel costs a bit.
Linda, I think this is a well thought out plan for an overall communication strategy. The weekly email has grown into a timely “newsletter” and the insert on Sunday is backup. What is missing are the in-depth articles from the senior staff…which you have accounted for with a click-through in the eNews. Sounds good to me..
I love this idea! Great strategy, Linda!
Seems like one person (not two) ought to be responsible for communications and, if you are doing all of the editing, you can then decide what is appropriate to put where when there are redundancies.
So, the way I’m reading this … Jules is taken OUT of the newsletter business entirely. There will be only weekly news, and that will be done by Tish. Linda will continue to edit that. The problem that is left is that monthly communique. I like the idea of simply receiving the weekly newsletter. I like the idea of a weekly “post” by one of our four columnists. And I wish I had a clever idea for resolving the communique piece. It’s not an easy task–deciding which few pieces of meaty weekly news items get passed along. And then there’s the formatting and layout for a print piece. Hmmm … good luck with that. You’ve got “my” blessing.
Good plan, Linda. I do think people like to look ahead to see speakers and sermon topics for the month, but that can be on the website.
Why do we have to mail out a separate monthly communique? People see the insert on Sunday. We could just mail those out to people who cannot attend.
Ken
I fully support taking out the monthly newsletter. It’s the weekly enews where I go for timely info, and inserting a link to a different longer article each week sounds reasonable. Full steam ahead!
How many people still need a print version? Maybe this is insensitive, but couldn’t we just basically print the weekly enews for them? As long as it’s readable forget about pretty formatting- that’s too much effort for not very many people. Any they’ll still get the same info even if it doesn’t have pretty borders…my two cents.
Also, are these people who attend church? If so then have a few copies of this print version somewhere (a church mailbox?) so they can pick it up on Sundays. Let’s save the postage!
We have about 20 members and friends who are no longer active, usually because of age and/or are not electronically capable. Some of them rarely attend worship but would still like to be in touch through a regular mailing. The current monthly mailed Communique includes Mark’s column, the listing of the month’s sermons, contact info for the Board and staff, descriptions of upcoming adult RE classes, and then announcements for other coming events as we have room.We would like to continue to serve this need if we can.
Good idea. I used to read the monthly newsletter word for word when it was paper. Now I open it just long enough to look ahead to Sunday services for the month and never open it again. Something about the format.
I second Ken: put the month’s Sunday schedule on the web site. And wonder, with Anna, why we don’t just mail copies of the weekly enews to non-electronic folks.
If you decide to eliminate the monthly newsletter, but post the information about the Sunday service on the web-site, please send an email to all when that posting is made.
I guess I’m going to have to tell you all, upcoming sermons have ALWAYS been on the website. Look under the “Worship With Us” tab. Once the new plan takes effect, that listing will always show the coming week plus 2, rather than the current month’s upcoming sermons (which you can see just leaves one on that page at this time of month).
There is additional duplication of information in the RE weekly email. I suppose some RE people only look at that, rather than bothering with the all-church weekly news. So if I want to be sure RE people are getting my important announcement (say, about the auction) I had better submit it there in addition to the all-church weekly news. Maybe some duplication is necessary.
I believe you and our marvelous staff have covered all the communications very well. I like your strategy and support it completely. I absolutely LOVE the idea of having a guest columnist each week with the ability to respond to their thoughts and reflections; that alone is a wonderful opportunity for all of us benefiting from one another! You GO girl!
I agree this is a good strategy (axe the monthly newsletter, maintain the weekly e-news with weekly columns by staff/board). Perhaps this is already done, but I think whenever the E-news goes out or a column is posted, a post should be made about it on the Facebook page with a link. You might even just want the columns to also appear on FB anyway. Gives more content and real face to that space. I’ve always looked for sermon info on the website and found it there. I think the solution for the mailing recipients is a printed e-news along with a page with printed sermon titles and perhaps a calendar.
One thing I’ve wondered about and feel like is missing from all our various forms of communication is something that is more of a “program calendar.” It would read more like a sermon calendar listing (so not in calendar format) with the month’s highlighted events, classes, etc. But unless our calendar program has a way of outputting such a beasty, probably not worth a staff person’s time.
However, what I think is LONG past due is an inclusion in our weekly order of service of something, anything really, about RE and what is going on downstairs. If we’re going to continue the insert about the Share the Plate recipient (which I really liked) then perhaps that space on the order of service (the box at the bottom) could be reserved for a short RE info piece that let’s people know (especially newcomers) that there is RE programming downstairs, listing a general overview of the class themes, ages, and locations (not the weekly theme, just each class/age groups theme/title of the year). Basically this would be a boiler plate insert for most Sundays. You’d want a slightly different one for Sundays that kids start upstairs or for when it is an intergenerational service. I feel like RE is hugely missing from our Sunday morning communication and I often wonder if new families that come in know whether there is RE program or not. Of course it’s on us to go up and let them know, but I think having something in print would also be helpful.
Thanks for all you do!
Good suggestions all around. Unfortunately, as you suspected, the calendar program we use does not provide for the kind of listing I, too, want to see. Of course, it’s always possible to change calendar programs, but that is such a monumental challenge that we can’t bear the thought of it at the moment.
The Order of Service is another problematic communications piece whose time has not come to review yet. We have several “standard” blocks we like to use, and adding an RE block is a good idea. However, we only have so much space in the order of service, and since the start of 2 services this September and the now weekly placement of the Share-the-Plate block, we have rarely had room to include the “Welcome Visitors” block which DOES include information about what’s going on for kids during the service, nor the block listing staff members and their contact information.
I’ll be darned! Upcoming sermons really are listed on the Worship With Us tab. I’d be more embarrassed if it hadn’t taken me forever to find that tab when I went looking for it just now. It doesn’t work well, or you wouldn’t be getting all these requests for knowing the month’s sermons. I’d hope that we could make that info more easily accessible. People really care about it.
I favor eliminating the monthly newsletter and just going with the weekly which is more timely.