As a staff, we’re feeling as though we aren’t doing a good job of communicating even though we now use more communications outlets than ever before. But somehow a great new website, a monthly newsletter, a weekly enews blast, and a Facebook page are still not helping us help you. So, we’re trying an additional outlet.
This is the first edition of a “memo” to the lay leaders of the congregation. It is being sent to all folks listed in the Leaders’ List as well as all leaders of Small Groups. The plan is that this will come out 1 or 2 times per month, on an irregular schedule. We want you to respond when you feel so moved. Sometimes we, as staff, feel as though we are operating in a vacuum, despite the fact that our only reason for being here is to help the congregation become what it wants to be. So, if there is something in this edition that sparks a suggestion or response, go ahead and send it. We are happy to hear from our leaders!
Unless otherwise noted, these news memos are written by Linda Topp.
As a leader of a small group or a committee you have learned that the office staff is trying to keep track of the participants in your group. We keep saying that we need the information for our database. “But why?” you ask. Here’s the story.
Three years ago the members of the Board of Trustees were trying to determine who exactly at UUCA are active participants in the life of the congregation. We certainly don’t take attendance on Sunday mornings and aside from knowing which people are paying on their annual commitments, we could not say whether 50 or 500 people were actively engaged in adult RE programs, small groups, choir, committees or anything else.
So, the Board allocated $25,000 to establish a fund called “Technology Upgrade” which would give the congregation the capability to identify and track participation. The Board charged the Executive with coming up with a way of answering the question, “How many UUCA members and friends are actively participating?” Using the funding allocated by the Board, we purchased additional software and training in order to enhance the database system we were already using to track membership status and giving history.
We now have an upgraded database (you know it as MY INFO) but that is only half the picture. Without leaders letting us know who their active participants are, we still have no idea if we are serving 50 or 500 different people.
The database has other cool features, too. We have the capability right now to have an online photo directory. All we need is for individuals or families to upload their own photos into their own record in MY INFO. When we need to recruit people for special projects, we can search on various interests or skills fields to find folks. But of course, we need to input these interests and skills into the database first, and we haven’t even tried to make that happen because of the resistance we are getting for all things computer-related.
So, here are some of the questions that the staff is mulling:
- Is there another way to find the answer to the question, “How many UUCA members and friends are actively participating in the life of the congregation?” Or, how can we get our leaders to input data to track participation in their groups?
- “Attendance” isn’t exactly what we are tracking, so is there some other way to find out who is “active” in any group or committee and if there is, how could we enter that in our database? (We don’t want our computer program to dictate how we do things, but if we can’t figure out how to capture and sort data that we’ve collected, it doesn’t really help us.)
- Is “number of people actively participating” even an important question? (I think so because without that sort of feedback we don’t know where to best allocate our resources—but I could be wrong.)
- Why are many congregants so resistant (or oblivious?) to using MY INFO? For building a database of interests and skills, instead of asking people to use MY INFO, what if we asked members/friends to fill out either online or paper forms similar to those that new members fill out and have volunteers input the data? Could we find volunteers to do that? Are people resistant to the computer, to the MY INFO user interface, or to the idea of being “tracked?”
- How can we find volunteers to take photos and upload them to the database instead of asking individual members to do it themselves? Seems like having a photo directory would be incredibly useful to more people than me!
Thanks Linda and other staff. I look forward to your irregularity.
Michael Vavrek
Great idea. I have been tracking some connections, but this sounds like a better source for information
I and several people I know don’t like having to go to the computer for info. I find working on the computer stressful and so limit my siting at the computer to once a day, hopefully for less than 2 hours.
If I want to call a UUCA member or friend, I don’t want to have to turn on my computer, wait for it to warm up, then wait for the Internet Explorer to come alive, then click on my Favorite link to UUCA, then click on My Into , then click on directory & scroll through the list.
I hate having to enter data into a spread sheet, etc. because the computer is so sensitive to my typos.
I’ve received unsolicited remarks from at least 3 members/fiends that their involvement at UUCA has greatly dropped since the newsletter is only posted on line. In each of those cases, the household has a computer but the individual never uses it. I have recommended that each of them request to be put on the mailed newsletter list. I haven’t heard whether that has been allowed.
I know that there were no volunteers from the Women’s Brunch Bunch when we requested a volunteer to enter our monthly attendance There was much questioning as to the purpose..
Ruth; You say you received unsolicited remarks from members/fiends.Was that a Freudian slip. It really tickled me.
One of my problems with doing so much on the computer is that my husband and I share a computer, and I just don’t have time to read the newsletter or do the inputs I’m asked to do. We use our computer primarily for managing our investments, and that takes priority over church business. I’m hoping to get my own computer soon, and perhaps that will help me.
Those of us older folks don’t use Twitter, Facebook, and such things, and I know of many seniors who don’t have a computer at all.
I thought I posted a response to this topic, but it doesn’t seem to have appeared. Did I write too much? Was I rejected? Or did it just somehow never go through. Just wondering.
I feel like I live on the computer and I read the eNews and other email publications (sounds like I’m in the minority).
I have also heard from many people about their frustration with MyInfo. I guess we haven’t shown how valuable and necessary it can be. Putting child and adult RE classes on there is the first step to encouraging its use.
Other than repeating all your points, Linda, I most want to add my hearty support for an updated church directory. Any chance there is a photographer in the congregation who would be willing to donate time needed for a photo shoot? That would sure be a lot cheaper!
Also, is there any way to see larger images in MyInfo? When I look up the directory with photos I have to squint on my computer screen to sort of see people’s faces. No point in having a photo directory if it’s just a brown-haired blob…
Linda, as a new member, I too would find a photo directory “incredibly useful.” Routinely taking pictures at the New Member Orientation class for inclusion in the directory is a good idea. Steve and I had our picture taken there but, for some reason, it didn’t make it into the directory. For starters, I wonder if you couldn’t “strongly” ask the leaders on the UUCA Leaders’ List to submit photos of themselves and the members of their committee/groups (even a passport photo would be better than nothing).
Communication is difficult, sometimes even with the person(s) right in front of you. We have so many means of communication at the church now and many with expert experience in using them. It’s frustrating using all we have and still not being sure it is effective.
I think (and I’m willing to be persuaded otherwise) that the more ways we try to communicate, the less effective we are unless we know how to target our audience. This is what is going on in online merchandising now.
We have to know our members and their communication needs. The Membership Team is crucial in getting this information from new members, but how do we keep up with current members and friends? Are they keeping up with the changes we make, and do they need to? What team or teams are keeping up with this crucial information? It’s the only way we can communicate with and serve all our members.
Obviously, I have more questions than answers.
I spent the half hour required to listen to the UTube and heard a very different message than Linda “summarized.”
During the first half of the video, the presenter was emphasizing a strategy for growth that involved multi-sites. He described 4 models; i.e. Branch; Campus; Merger; and Yoked.
The second half of the video detailed 5 strategies for growth, included staffing for growth. I didn’t see or hear any of the the different categories of staffing that Linda set forth above, nor did I see any reference to including children & visitors in the number congregants to consider when determining staff size. I did note that the presenter stated ,”Staffing for Growth is not something most congregations can do on their own.”
I would recommend that everyone receiving the leader notes listen to the video as UUCA considers how to serve the greater community.