Last week I received an email from a travel company that I used pre-COVID. Exploring their different trips put the bug in me to start travelling again. They stated that “human connection is in crisis” and “collective isolation” has kept us apart. Reconnecting is what the doctor has ordered. We are happy that many of our parishes agree. Here are some of the events they wrote to us about after we released our blog last week. We hope you are able to join in the fun!
Continue reading “Welcome Back – Events our parishes are hosting”
It’s beginning to feel more like 2019 again. Schools are having after school activities, youth groups are having in person activities again, and families are making plans to gather for the holiday season. It really makes you feel good inside! The question some parishioners have is how are you welcoming us back who have been streaming Mass online? Here are some of the ideas we have heard from some parishes, and we think they are great!
During the past 18-months your parishioners and you probably became quite creative when it came to weekly offerings. I have heard of giving boxes outside of the parish, people mailing their envelopes in, or some not giving because they didn’t know how. Well, why not instruct your parishioners to use Parish Giving? Each parish has their own giving page, and we can create a QR code for your parishioners to scan and take them there. You can place the QR code on the bulletin, social media sites, parish website, and constant contact emails.
Our partners in crime at John Patrick Publishing created an app for their wonderful church bulletin advertisers. Here you can view the church sponsors that are on your church bulletin and receive sales and incentives by the advertisers. Instruct your parishioners to go to the QR code on the back of their bulletin and download the app that is suitable for their device. Teach them how to locate businesses in their area and to see what is on offer. Your sponsors supported you during a difficult year, so it is time for us to support them.
Facebook is no longer just for college students. Many parishes have social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even Snap Chat. You can stream Mass online, and parishioners can comment on what a wonderful experience it was to view if away on vacation. Your parish can also set up a private Facebook group and allow parishioners to join. This way it keeps some of the spammers out.
This time last year QR codes made a huge explosion on the media scene. They were always there sitting quietly in the background, but now they are front and center. Many restaurants are using them for their online menus, while news networks place them on the television screen so viewers can be directed to their app or website. Your parish should be doing the same. You can create a QR code for anything – your website, your bulletin, your church’s Parish Giving site, and so much more. All you need is 5 minutes to demonstrate how one works, and your parishioners can then view anything electronically.
Change is good. It really is. We all fear change, but we really shouldn’t. This includes learning and having to adapt to a different source of information. That’s why we think offering informational sessions prior or after Mass to help show how technology can help them with their parish community. Let them see the apps and social media sites the parish uses to keep in touch with parishioners and to encourage everyone to use them.
Is Your Parish Discussing Technology Education?
With summer winding down, we thought we would share some of our favorite end outdoor activities with our readers. Whether you have been saving your paid time off until the end of summer, or you are looking for the perfect weekend day trip, we have you covered! We can promise you one thing, you won’t know which activity to do first!
God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.
It feels as though summer just started. Shore towns started to open, swimming pools and splash parks started to fill with families, and the smell of freshly cut grass filled the air. Now all the commercials on television are about back to school deals. Where did summer go? Well, either way it is time for a new school year and a fresh start. Here is how Parish Giving is preparing for another school year.
As you can remember, we left off our last blog discussing our online forms. They were our ticket item to create more of a buzz when it came to communicating with our parishes. No longer were we just a weekly offering site; we are now something more meaningful.