THE VIBRANT PARISH NEWSLETTER

Social Media and Your Parish

Social media got your stressed? No worries! Take a deep dive into the complicated world of digital communication and discover how these popular platforms help parishes reach Catholics far and wide to spread the message of Jesus Christ. Discover all there is to know about Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Top 10 Ways to Encourage Parishioners to Share Their Email Address

Communicating with members of your parish is becoming increasingly important these days, and for good reason. Mass and Confession reminders, upcoming events, fundraising, religious classes, young adult activities, continuing faith formation opportunities … the list goes on. While the weekly bulletin is a no-brainer to use as the main vehicle, we need to start thinking in addition to it — and that’s where email comes in.

If you don’t keep track of parishioner emails, your contact list is incomplete. Not only does email provide the parish an almost instantaneous way to connect, but it also allows you to stay in touch without the added cost of letterhead, envelopes, postage, and staff hours that come with traditional mailings. It’s worth the time, effort, and management of collecting and utilizing.

Here are 10 ways to encourage members to share their emails for your digital communications.

1. Have a Communication Sunday

Using bulletin, homily, and an announcement before or after Mass, plan on explaining to your parishioners the reasoning why you need their email addresses. It’s not to sell anything or overflow their in-boxes. Rather, let them know that you need it in order to share important parish news and updates, keep in communication with the pastor, and to effectively keep the cost of physical communications like letters and forms down.

2. Offer an Incentive

Yes, people should be willing to give their contact information freely, but sometimes it takes a little bit to sweeten the deal. Consider offering an extra raffle ticket with every email collected, or to be entered into a drawing for a pair of movie tickets, dinner with the pastor, the front row at the Christmas concert, even a 6-pack of beer!

3. Require Email Submission for Registrations

Whether it’s a link on the website or a form on a clipboard at the back of church, make sure that you are collecting (and storing!) any emails that are given to you. Not only is this good practice in case an event gets canceled, and you need to communicate that quickly, but you can also use it down the road in a multitude of ways.

4. Have a Permanent Request in the Bulletin

Devote a small section of the bulletin to communication. Ask for name, address, email, and phone number, and make sure parishioners know why you’re asking for it (see point #1 above for all the reasons).

5. Keep Connection Cards in the Pews

A small, postcard-sized communication, connection cards have spaces for name, address, phone number and email address. Encourage members and visitors to fill it out to stay in contact with the parish. Add a box that can be checked if they want to be members, or if they are members but have a change of address. Ask them to fill it out while there or take it home to complete and bring back the next Sunday.

6. Add a Subscription Button to your Website

You don’t need to gather a ton of information from parishioners or visitors to effectively get their email address. A small call-out on your parish website that asks for their name and email address to stay in touch may be all that you need to make that digital connection.

7. Run Social Media Ads for Email Sign-ups

Devote a few weeks to growing your email database by asking people using your social media channels. Whether that be a few posts on your Facebook page, or some paid advertising using Instagram, creating a cohesive marketing campaign is a great way to achieve your goal.

8. Make it Mandatory

If your church is accepting members on the regular, make sure that there is a box for people to enter their email. This way you catch them in the beginning and can keep them engaged with digital communication ASAP.

9. Let Them Know What to Expect

No one wants a clogged in-box, which is often a reason why many are so hesitant to give their emails. Make sure that they know that they won’t be emailed all the time, and the benefits to signing up — such as reflections from the pastor, upcoming event invitations, updates to Mass, and links to online giving opportunities.

10. Keep the Requests Physical

Hang up posters and flyers around the church building asking for emails. Use a QR code or URL to encourage people to visit your website to sign up for a weekly newsletter, or to receive updates about your faith community.

You’ve got the emails — do you have a plan to utilize them? Check out "Why Your Parish Needs an Email Marketing Platform" for easy ways to send communication to your members.

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Ways to Welcome your Community Back to (In-person) Mass

It’s been nearly two years since dioceses throughout the United States suspended the public celebration of Masses. Even though our churches are back to celebrating Mass in public, there are still some parishioners who are hesitant to come back for a variety of reasons. Church leaders need to reach out, quell fears, and remind them what they’re missing: the Eucharist.

From sanitation stations in the church to personal invitations from staff leaders, here are some ways you can encourage your parishioners to come back to Mass.

Reassure Them That It’s Safe

We know more about COVID-19 transmissions, proper cleaning of church spaces, and hygiene best practices. Additionally, the use of masks and hand sanitizer are still very much a part of our lives. If that’s a barrier to coming back to Mass for some people, it’s essential that you communicate the safety precautions you still have in place.

While face masks may not be required any more, and roped off pews have since stopped, there are people who may still feel uncomfortable with coming back in full force. Make available a section of social distance seats, face masks in case anyone forgot theirs, and hand sanitizer stations.

Do They Know that (Most) Regular Practices are Back?

When Mass was finally open to the public, there were so many restrictions in place that it was very scary for many. No contact, roped off pews, the application of hand sanitizer multiple times, crying rooms and bathrooms closed. Now, things are (relatively) back to normal. And if you haven’t communicated that to members who may have yet to be back, it’s definitely the time to start.

Send a communication to all members describing what they can expect. Yes, there are still some restrictions in place, but for the most part, the Catholic comeback is in full swing. The Sign of Peace, handing out bulletins by hand, the offertory, and more.

Remind Them What They’re Missing

It’s easy to get content with staying at home and relying on livestreamed Masses, but people need to understand that tuning in to Mass is just it — watching it. When we’re present in church, we’re in the presence of Jesus Christ, and all the graces that come from that. It’s a big deal! It shouldn’t be missed unless there are essential reasons why.

Remind parishioners of the reasons why coming to Mass is so essential to our lives — mind, body and soul. The graces we receive from the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and spending time with our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration are plentiful. To miss out on them is tragic.

Extend to Them a Personal Invitation

Sometimes, all it takes is an email in your inbox, a text message in the middle of the day, or a voice on the other end of the phone to remind us that we’re not only missed but wanted. That we’re an essential part of the faith community, and that the church is open and accessible.

Gather together a small group of dedicated volunteers and ask if they’d be willing to give some parishioners a call to invite them back to Mass. Use it as an opportunity to remind them of the safety measures still in place, the practices that are now back (such as the Sign of Peace), and most importantly, to remind them that they are greatly missed. You may be surprised at how big an impact this small invitation can be.

Curious how other dioceses are calling back the faithful? Check out “Opening the Doors Wide: How the Archdiocese of Detroit Is Helping Parishes Reopen & Reengage", and check out some resources they’ve created for parishes.

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Introducing the ALL NEW ePub Design

Your parish community is changing, and many of your parishioners prefer digital communication like email, texting, and social media. It’s fast, effective, and conveniently on their devices. But your printed bulletin plays a critical role in getting the word out, especially to those who don’t have regular access to email or social media. The solution? ePub Design. Create it once, publish it everywhere.

Order “52 Sundays” Today!

“52 Sundays” is a dynamic guide to help families reclaim the Lord’s Day with prayer, activities, food, and more. This resource, now in its third year of publication from the Archdiocese of Detroit, helps guide families through weekly exercises based on the Sunday Gospels. It includes reflections on saints, a prayer activity, and a recipe for each week.

Inspire & Engage Parishioners This Advent

This Christmas season, encourage your parishioners into a deeper relationship with Christ using LPi’s Advent resources. From beautifully designed bulletin covers, to keepsake prayer cards and Tracy Earl Welliver’s inspiring Everyday Stewardship book, we’ve got something for everyone.