What would YOU want to see

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TheLittleLady

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In your parish bulletin?

On the parish website?

On parish Facebook page?

Are there other forms of Social Media you’d like your parish to utilize?

I’m the person who does these things for my parish. It is easy to get in the “we have ALWAYS done it this way” rut. I trust the CAFers can keep me current.
 
More general outreach - making booths at street fairs, having a parade float and passing out literature… Postings each weekend concerning Mass times, and Holy Days of Obligations… more
 
More child-friendly activities. The only things we can go to are Sunday Mass and the playgroup that meets once a week. We can’t even go to daily Mass because it’s at 7am and 7:30pm. The women’s bible study meets at 8:30pm…How are mothers supposed to make it to any of this?
 
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When my kiddos were small, the next parish over had a ladies bible study that offered childcare in the next room
Or you could keep your littles with you.
Noisy, but lots of fellowship!
 
I’m with you guys, but, to clarify I am asking about the information that is presented to you via bulletin, website, facebook.

Would you like to see inspirational stories, things about the Saints, Q and A, that is what I can control.
 
The general outreach and activities, how is the best way to get parishioners to volunteer for this sort of thing?

For the Mass time, schedules, Holy Day info we are checking all of the boxes there already!
 
Inspirational stories, info about saints whose feast days are that week, and maybe some resources for devotionals would be nice!
 
I honestly dont know, but one could maybe ask individual ministries to assist… youth group, KofC, Women’s ministry, the pro life society, etc.
 
These events are something that get brought up every time, I will keep recommending them to the powers that be.

How would you like to receive information about the planning of these sorts of activities? Phone call, text, in the bulletin, Facebook events, from the pulpit?
 
Modern website designs! This may not seem important to some, but for people who search online looking for a good parish to attend, the website can speak volumes about the “personality” of the parish. If the site looks like it’s from 1995, then most people (around my age, at least) will be a bit hesitant. This reply is going to be criticized but I’m just trying to be honest… Modern website with updates that aren’t from several years ago. This hints at the parish being thriving and welcoming.
 
My parish currently has a very good website, and I can agree with this assertion
 
When I’m going to be visiting a parish, I like to be able to easily find their address and Mass times. It’s also convenient if they offer directions.

For my own parish, it can be handy to have a directory not only by name but by function (who do you call for RCIA or wedding planning or children’s religious education). I like to be able to access the bulletin online. I want to be able to easily find the times for holy day Masses during the week they’re happening. It would be nice, but I seldom see it, if there was a blog or something that would give a sense of the personality of the parish. Who are the catechumens who just went through the Rite of Acceptance? Who is the baby that was just baptized? What projects are the social justice committee working on and how can people get involved? Something complete with pictures and stories would be great.
 
I really like the idea of a blog/articles highlighting the reception of sacraments and parish life
 
In my experience, the most important thing about a good parish website are the schedules! (and minimalism!)

The schedules: The time of every activity in the parish should be announced together on a single page with an explicit link to it from the main page. Since the most important things in a parish are: Sacraments and gatherings, knowing the exact time of these is the main reason people visit the page - and gives them a overview of the choices on the menu. Individual groups (like the choir or groups) could add a small text of self-introduction with a friendly invitation.

On minimalism: In today’s world there is such an abundance of content that the slightest content becomes burdening and time consuming. The parish web site is all about calling people into the parish.

On history: A comprehensive “history of the parish” is very nice since people enjoy knowing the history of their own parish.

Added bonuses: If the priest would like to sometimes select one of his favorite sermons for transcription the faithful would enjoy their friends production.

Broader perspective: If you are in an urban dioceses with many parishes close by, grouping some of the schedules of other parishes together adds for choice if for example you miss mass in on parish but can still make it in time for mass in the neighboring parish.
 
My parish has sprung for a deal with Formed, and every parishioner can register and access all sorts of content (Bible studies, videos) … The parish code (used when you register) is in the bulletin.

In the past, I used to do a “saint of the week” column (one interior column), which was pretty well-received.
 
Oh! One thing I like about our church’s site is that it has a list of all the groups and ministries and who to contact about them. I just wish they didn’t all meet in the evening!
 
A real Saturday Mass, not just a Sunday vigil. 😛

And, um, maybe a giant reference poster by the door, with the names and faces of all the parishioners. 😛 I think we do a parish directory maybe once every twenty years…? It’s awful for those of us with a terrible memory for names + faces, to go to church with the same people for so many years, and have no clue what their names are. And it’s even more embarrassing to admit it, even though I know I’m not the only one. 🙂
 
Catechesis on the mass, like the reason we don’t look down or bow when the Priest lifts the Eucharist or the Chalice in the air during the liturgy of the Eucharist.
 
The biggest thing, first and foremost, that I want to see when I hit a Parish website is the Mass times for Sundays, weekdays, and Holy Days of Obligation, and also the confession time. And I’d like this to be in a very obvious place like on the front page, and easy to locate.

This sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many parishes have this buried in some obscure spot and instead have on their front page big pictures of people from their church, or their youth group etc., something that is no doubt very interesting to parishioners but does not give the basic information to a person who just landed from out of town and is looking to attend a Mass or confession ASAP.

The second biggest thing I would like to see, if your parish offers it, is Eucharistic Adoration times, and please make them be correct. Again, many parishes do not have this information in any easy-to-find place, or worse yet it is out of date, so you arrive and find the Adoration is not going on or the chapel is closed, etc.

The third thing that would really help is a Parish Calendar that actually includes everything happening and is kept up to date. It seems like churches either do not have these at all, or do not keep them up to date, so many parish events including Lenten fish fries, Flame of Love Cenacle prayer groups, even the daily Rosary, are not listed on the calendar, or anywhere. Again, this is probably not a problem for the regular parishioner, but websites are also going to be serving people in the neighboring parishes and even from further away who want to visit your church.

Finally, I really appreciate it when parishes put the special events happening within the week or two right on the landing page, so I can see if there is something like a play, a fish fry, a 40 Hours Devotion, a retreat weekend, etc. happening. I often go to these things, but a lot of times the parish is not good about publicizing them on the Internet - you have to go to the church in person and see a paper schedule or a poster or a paper bulletin. These are also good things to post on the parish Facebook. Too many parish Facebooks only have pictures of events after they take place, which again is nice for the parishioners getting to see pictures of their friends, but not helpful to those of us who have wanted to go.
 
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