Category: Communications

March 3, 2014

Present by Google Hangout: Bruce Clary (Chair), Kendra Flory (Staff Rep), Eric Goering, Ryan Goering, Peter Samland.

Newsletter Transition

• Bruce reported on the Transformation Vision Team Meeting earlier this weekend. There was a little hesitation expressed at the meeting regarding the decision to discontinue mailing hard copies of the newsletter, but TVT stood by its approval of the proposal. Perhaps this might mirror the response we get regarding the change. However, if churches put info in their bulletins, we should hopefully have a good response.
• We reiterated that we are receiving emails through an opt-in system. We only add emails to the newsletter emailing list at an individual’s request to the district office. Mail Chimp has a subscription plug-in that we can look at for the website.
• As far as the e-newsletter format—it will likely be one that lists the article titles and a few sentences and a link to the website, where readers can find the article in its entirety. Everything would be on the website.

Congregation Survey Update

• Bruce will send another email to try to get more responses to the survey.
• Hutch Community is in the process of reviewing equipment (projector, screen, wireless, etc.). They would be interested in talking with someone about what they might want to shop for. Perhaps Eric or Ryan could connect with June Switzer about this. It was discussed that we are not offering setting up a system, but rather offering some consultation and helping to give direction.
• For those congregations interested in website help: Again, we are not offering tech support. This is not our role. Rather, we can get a sense of what the congregation is wanting and help point them in the right direction. Perhaps we could offer congregations space on the District website for a static webpage for a congregation’s basic information.

Website Training

• Peter will work on online training videos for: login, creating and editing a post, categorization of a post, and editing a page.
• He will also set up a YouTube channel for District videos.

Other

• Kendra and Bruce need to get together regarding District Conference online registration.
• Kendra asked a question about putting pictures/videos online. Bruce said that pictures/videos taken on public property is fair game. You need to be more careful about private property.

Next meeting is set for Sunday, March 30, 9pm Central, by Google Hangout.

Respectfully submitted,
Kendra Flory

Communications Vision Fulfillment Team (VFT) Meeting
October 20, 2013

Present by Google Hangout: Bruce Clary (Chair), Kendra Flory (Staff Rep), Eric Goering, Ryan Goering, Peter Samland

No discussion on minutes from September 21, 2013. They were approved. Moved on to our To-Do list from previous meeting…

Website

• Bruce put one new entry on the District website and will put the minutes up as well.
• WordPress Site: Peter had not gotten to this yet, but will work on it soon.
• Training Videos: In the next month Peter will work on simple videos for TVT for tasks such as logging on to the website, etc. His wife Amanda has software suggestions (Jing, Camtasia)

Congregations need help with technology (i.e. training)

Online Survey: Bruce put together and sent to the team a survey draft for congregations. He asked the team if the right questions are being asked.

• Eric suggested that a question be added regarding what the congregation’s final goal is in using a technology (What is your final goal for using it? What’s the purpose?) Bruce responded that at this point we’re just trying to figure out what technologies congregations have and if they want help with it. If so, that would be a good question to ask as we move into next steps.
• Ryan and Kendra both suggested it would be helpful to have a little more time to look over and process the survey draft…to “fill out” the survey for ourselves and see what’s missing.
• Bruce asked about leadership contacts in the congregations. Kendra will send to him what she has in the office.

District Newsletter

Bruce proposed a timeline to move into an all-electronic version of the newsletter, including to stop print of the newsletter in January 2014. This proposal would be taken to the Transformation Vision Team (TVT) for approval. Kendra asked some questions and offered comments:

• It was clarified that Bruce’s intention is that for now the newsletter would continue to be produced in the current print format that is created in Publisher. But it would not be printed, just sent by email. Congregations could then print copies for members who would do not have email or who prefer a paper copy. Through email, the newsletter distribution list could more widely and easily be expanded.
• Kendra would like at some point to learn to use and transition into an email format (i.e. mail chimp?). However, she also shared a few conversations she has had with persons regarding a move to an electronic newsletter, both enthusiastic support for moving in that direction as well as expressions of reservation that some people have. These would be good questions to discuss with Sonja as well as the TVT.
• Kendra noted that several years ago she was in touch with a number of persons on the mailing list encouraging them to move from the paper copy to email. The paper mailing list was reduced from 365 to 320. That is the current distribution number. Kendra will send Bruce the newsletter mailing list to see who is currently receiving it by mail. It might be helpful to go over this list with Sonja, who would know more people on this list.

Our next meeting will be Sunday, November 17, 9pm Central, by Google Hangout.

Respectfully submitted, Kendra Flory

11/11/13

 

Communications Vision Fulfillment Team (VFT) Meeting
September 21, 2013
Western Plains District Transformation Vision Team Retreat
Community Church of the Brethren, Hutchinson, Kansas 

 Present: Bruce Clary (Chair), Kendra Flory (Staff Rep), Eric Goering, Ryan Goering, Peter Samland (by Google Hangout)

After a year of dormancy, the Communications Team met to process conversation and suggestions from the larger TVT group and figure out first steps as this new team…

Website Training

While some on TVT have been trained to post on the new website, Ann Stover (TVT chair) suggested that it would be a good idea to redo the training for everyone. She would like the training to be complete by the end of the year. It will be expected that team chairs will make monthly posts about what’s going on in their different areas. Ann will make monthly calls to all team chairs to make sure they have posted. It was discussed in this meeting as well as the larger TVT group that as leadership, we have to make use of the website and technology on a regular basis if we want the website to be used by others.

Ideas discussed for making the training available:

• Screen-grab videos
• Screen-capture in a PDF with text
• One-on-one  screen sharing
• Team viewer and phone call
• Blog posts and call

It was noted that there are different learning styles, but video might be the easiest way to start.

Video Discussion: Eric said he can do video editing. Applications suggested: Screener; Jing; SnapsXpro (video capture). It was suggested we do separate episodes for different lessons. Communications Team will need its own tutorial to start, so that answering the questions of team chairs is consistent. [Did we talk about when/how this might happen?]

Website Access: Peter will create website accounts for the team (Kendra already has one). Ryan and Eric will then set up log-in credentials for the TVT team chairs. [Kendra will be sending out a TVT member list soon, for reference.]

Congregations need help with technology (i.e. training)

We are hearing from TVT that they want Communications to help congregations with technology.

I think we realized this topic is a bit complicated. Different congregations have different needs and different abilities and resources for using technology. (i.e. Maple Grove is a tiny church that is disconnected from the District in some ways. We do not have an email address or even a phone number for them. Personal contact is one things that is needed to help reconnect with this community.) We would need to know what each congregation would want to accomplish with technology. If a congregation is interested in using particular technologies, such as meeting with others through an internet connection, they would need to know what is required (Internet connection, Google account for Hangout or Skype, etc.

Online Survey: We decided it would be good to survey the TVT/VFT to see how much interest they have (their congregations?) in the use of technology. Questions on the survey might include:

• What should the technology accomplish? ? (Audio conference—phone? Video conference—internet?)
• What do you want the end result to be?
• Survey should include: names, location, congregation
• What equipment/access do they already have? (webcam, Gmail account, internet access)
• What experience do they have? (have you video-chatted before? Are they “connected”? Do they use email often? Others?)

Bruce will work on the survey using Survey Monkey. It gives a nice report and up to 50 responses.

We also had short conversation about the viability of using Facebook. There was no resolution. This might need more conversation at some point as we see where people are at with using technology…?

District Newsletter

Because of the monetary cost of the newsletter, as well as the cost of time for the administrative assistant to put the newsletter together, we will look at ideas for moving the newsletter toward an all electronic format, phasing out of the use of hardcopies that are mailed out by post. Bruce will draft a proposal for the team to look at. This proposal will be presented to TVT for discussion/approval.

Future Meetings

We decided to meet on the third Sunday of each month at 9:00pm (central). Peter sent an invite for our Google calendars. We will meet by Google Hangout (and I suppose those of us in McPherson can meet in person if we choose to).

Respectfully submitted,

Kendra Flory