Church Collaboration Meetings

Archived Meetings

• Graphic Design Resources
  Designing graphics for your church events and ministries can be daunting. Where do you find resources inexpensively or free? Are you utilizing the latest AI tools to get you started, and then do you edit using Canva, Illustrator, or Photoshop to put together graphics and text? Do you hire a graphic designer for projects? Let’s talk and share! Join us as we collaborate together and share our collective wisdom. Video

• Planning for Christmas
  Christmas is coming! Join us for a collaborative time where we will explore how to communicate and advertise Christmas services and events effectively. This session for all church staff and volunteers offers a way to share innovative ideas, resources, and practical timelines as we prepare for the Christmas season. We will talk about how to utilize social media, traditional advertising, and community engagement to maximize attendance and make this holiday season truly special for your community. Video

• AI & Your Work
  Let's discuss how to unlock the potential of Artificial Intelligence in your work with this hands-on workshop. Together, we'll explore how AI can automate repetitive administrative tasks, enhance your writing and content creation, and expand your creative potential. Let's discover together actionable insights on integrating AI tools to foster a more efficient, engaged, and spiritually enriched community. Video | Word doc | PowerPoint

• Advertising and Event/Opportunity Promotion
  Let's talk about advertising. Does it sometimes feel like you are expending lots of energy on putting together advertisements or promotional materials and attendance is lower than you expected? Are you advertising internally to church members, or are you advertising to your neighborhood, community, or city? Or sometimes all of the above? Where and how do you spend money on advertising to get your message out further? What tips and tricks do you have to share? Let's talk and collaborate! Video

• What You Wish Your Church Staff Would Know About Communications
  What do you wish your fellow church staff would understand about your ministry of communications? Who the audience actually is, not what they think it is, and how to reach that audience? Maybe it is how your messaging should connect to your overall church’s mission? Maybe it’s the value of time and intentionality in writing and design, where both are not done well in a last-minute crunch. Maybe it’s how to share their ministry stories effectively on platforms where those stories should be shared. Let’s construct an overview together that can be shared with your church staff; a crash course that fosters mutual understanding and a deepened appreciation for the ministry of communications. Understanding Our Ministry of Communications (collaborated overview during meeting)

• Wednesday, May 10: “It’s IN the eNewsletter! Been there for weeks!”
  Let’s talk eNewsletters. What email sending service are you using? How do you decide what information and events go in and what doesn’t? How do you highlight the important stuff amidst a lot of other information? How do you get people to actually read it? Facilitated by Canon Mike Orr, Canon for Communications & Evangelism for the Episcopal Church in Colorado. Video

• Tuesday, February 21: Record Keeping Best Practices
  Summer is a great time to plan to clean up files; both physical and digital. How are you storing documents and records? When are you able to destroy documents? What records should be retained? Is it possible to digitize baptism records or other historical documents? What about minutes from Vestry meetings or photos? Facilitated by Mike Orr, Canon for Communications and Evangelism in the Episcopal Church in Colorado. Video | Records Management for Congregations: An Archives Manual for Episcopal Parishes and Missions

• Tuesday, January 24: Emergency Planning for your Work
  Sometimes things happen. You’re out of town on vacation but your flight gets cancelled and you need to update your website or your newsletter that has to go out right away. Or you have an unexpected emergency and someone needs to fill in for you. Where do you keep your passwords? What information should you catalogue to be accessed by others at your church or office? Together we put together a template of all information that should be readily accessible in case of an emergency of any kind. Facilitated by Mike Orr, Canon for Communications and Evangelism in the Episcopal Church in Colorado. View template

• Tuesday, February 15, 2022: Lent and Easter
  Over the past two years, the pandemic has caused us to pivot and adapt; be courageous in our creativity in how we enter a season of Lent and celebrate Easter. What are you planning for this year? How have your plans changed or how do you plan to be flexible in your plans? Let’s learn from one another and share what we are doing. This meeting will be facilitated by Mike Orr, Canon for Communications and Evangelism, the Episcopal Church in Colorado. Video

• Tuesday, August 10, 2021: Backup Support So You Can Take a Vacation
  How do you make backup plans as a church administrator or communicator with others on staff? When your work never seems to stop, how do you find someone to fill in when you are gone on vacation? What systems do churches use to provide backup for these roles? Facilitated by Mike Orr, Canon for Communications and Evangelism in the Episcopal Church in Colorado. Meeting Notes

• Tuesday, July 20, 2021: Communications Standards Manuals
  Having a standards manual for your church can be a helpful tool to create consistency and standards for staff and volunteers alike. Your manual may cover everything from punctuation, spelling, and grammar; design and layout; communications vehicles; the communications process and request forms; graphic standards and logo usage; and more. Facilitated by Mike Orr, Canon for Communications and Evangelism in the Episcopal Church in Colorado. Video | Files

• Tuesday, June 22, 2021: How to Have a Communications Committee and Not Let It Kill Your Soul
  Having a committee for communications can be great thing, until it isn’t. How do you effectively manage your committee, expectations, responsibilities, and projects? Together we will learn from each other what works, what doesn’t work, and what tools are available for more effective committee member management. Video

• Monday, May 17, 2021: Beyond Sunday
  How do you create hybrid (synchronous and asynchronous) formation opportunities for your church members to engage and grow in their faith? What complexities do you need to take into consideration to accommodate your church members as far as technology, structure of content, accessibility, and capacity? Canon Greg Foraker, who has done great work in the Episcopal Church in Colorado in regards to hybrid formation, co-facilitate this discussion with Mike Orr, Canon for Communications and Evangelism in the Episcopal Church in Colorado. Video

• Monday, April 19, 2021: What Does Hybrid Church Even Mean?! (Part II)
  As churches plan for regathering in-person while also maintaining an online community that continues to be actively engaged in worship, the question of "how?" begins to be in all our minds. We do know that our "why" begins with God and community. How are you doing synchronous (online, in-person) and asynchronous (on your own time) worship? How are you communicating inclusivity through interaction? Has the pandemic caused you to change your approach to reaching others outside your church walls? In what ways? Every church is different, and there is no "one size fits all" solution to moving forward in this new post-COVID world, but we can learn from one another and think creatively together. Let's talk! Let's explore! Let's scheme about how the church, evangelism, and communications will be different. Video

• Monday, March 15, 2021: What Does “Hybrid Church” Even Mean?
  As churches plan for regathering in-person while also maintaining an online community that continues to be actively engaged in worship, the question of "how?" begins to be in all our minds. We do know that our "why" begins with God and community. Can online participants be projected into the worship space so that in-person worshippers can see their online fellow worshippers and be in community? Could a pianist play a song or vocalist sing a song from their own home but have an audio line-in to the worship space so that in-person worshippers can see and hear their worship leader virtually? What about synchronous (online, in-person) and asynchronous (on your own time)? How do we communicate inclusivity rather than exclusivity when we now have a church building space and a virtual space where we hope participation is equal and equally valued? What does the future of the church look like? Are we physical buildings with an online presence, or do we have an online church with physical buildings? Every church is different, and there is no "one size fits all" solution to moving forward in this new post-COVID world, but we can learn from one another and think creatively together. Video | Chat

• Monday, February 8, 2021: Facilitating Online Worship via Zoom
  A behind-the-scenes look at how a church is hosting and facilitating online worship is helpful as you continue to make improvements and adjustments to your online zoom worship services. Kim Keffeler, Vestry Clerk and Altar Guild Directress at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Boulder, CO, walked us through a typical service at her church. We explored ways that digital ushers, staff, and volunteers each take a role in making sure the service runs smoothly and effectively. We talked about digital hospitality and welcome. We talked about how to limit distractions and provide a seemingly effortless experience that allows church members and visitors alike to be active participants in a virtual worship environment. Video | Feb 7 Slides | Jan 24 Slides

• Monday, January 11, 2021: Improving Zoom Experiences
  We kicked off the new year by talking about how to improve something we all got good at in 2020! In this meeting, we talked about maximizing Zoom services; using digital ushers/greeters, Google Slides vs. Bulletins, and sharing tips and tricks. We shared our Zoom wisdom with others for a smooth and engaging Zoom service. Facilitated by Mike Orr, Canon for Communications for the Episcopal Church in Colorado.

• Monday, December 14, 2020: Audio/Video Solutions for Churches
  With church audio/video, there is no one-size-fits-all. Our physical spaces are different. Our natural light and lighting fixtures are different. Our audio equipment is different. Churches that are considering upgrades to their worship space have a lot of things to think about: current infrastructure, cable/wire runs, audio system capabilities, hearing induction loop possibilities, video equipment and lines of sight/distance, lighting, volunteer capabilities, and more. Chris Grissom from Grissom Live Audio Services joined us to chat about has many years of experience planning and installing audio/visual equipment in churches and venues across Colorado. 
  Video

• September 14, 2020: Press Releases and Media Relations
  The press release is not dead, just transformed to meet today's media requirements and platforms. Press releases remain an effective and easy tool to communicate information to news media and other organizations. What improves your chance of having a press release published or utilized by your local media organizations? What are the different platforms you can use to present news? What elements should be included in a successful press release? Also, when interacting with the media directly, how do you improve your skills as an effective spokesperson? What tips and tricks should a communicator know to be better prepared to work with the media during their coverage of a news event? Join in the conversation and learn from others about how to share your news and be prepared for working with news media organizations. Facilitated by Neva Rae Fox of The Fox Group, a communications consultant to Episcopal churches, dioceses, and institutions as well as secular organizations, and Mike Orr, Canon for Communications for the Episcopal Church in Colorado.
  Powerpoint | Video | Chat

• August 10, 2020: Communications and Safety Considerations during COVID-19: Gathering for In-Person Worship
  What considerations do you need to have in your communications planning for returning to in-person worship? What tools have you used for making reservations for families? What signage did you utilize to guide people as they visited? Did you have to create a flow chart for one-way travel as people moved in the space? Did you create spaces for hand sanitizer and masks? Did you communicate your protocols for cleaning and for safe gathering? Facilitated by Mike Orr, Canon for Communications of the Episcopal Church in Colorado and the Rev. Canon Alex Dyer, Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Church in Colorado.

• July 13, 2020: Video Live-Streaming Tech
  What things do you need to think about when planning your live-streaming video equipment and software? What platforms will you stream to? In this meeting, we will take a 10,000 foot view of considerations when you are planning live-streaming video from your worship space; whether it be in a church building or from a living room. Facilitated by Mike Orr, Canon for Communications of the Episcopal Church in Colorado.

  Video | Chat

• June 29, 2020: Website Updates during COVID-19
  How has COVID-19 changed the way you are being the Church right now with your website? How have you updated your website for easier access to information about how parishioners can engage with one another? In what ways have you partitioned your website for online engagement vs. in-person attendance? What content management system (CMS) do you use, and what tips can you share with others on how to get the most out of your CMS? Have you started a blog during COVID-19? How often have you been updating your site? Have you used Google Analytics and SEO to improve the reach of your church? Do you have a COVID-19 landing page and how have you used your website to keep your congregation informed on plans for reopening in the next year? Let’s learn from one another! Facilitated by Mike Orr, Canon for Communications of the Episcopal Church in Colorado.
  Video | Chat

• May 18, 2020: New Ways of Engaging in Social Media During COVID-19
  How has COVID-19 changed the way you are being the Church right now? How are you leveraging social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc) to reach your church community or your greater mission field? In what ways have you grown personally in trying new things or what have you seen that has worked well for churches? Let’s learn from one another. Facilitated by Megan Forgey, Communications Consultant, and Mike Orr, Canon for Communications of the Episcopal Church in Colorado.
  Video | Chat | Powerpoint slides | PDF

• April 27, 2020: Copyright for Music and Videos
  Why should we pay attention to copyright law? Why is copyright law important for worshiping communities? What do various music licenses cover? What are the legal rights to consider when filming a choir performance for publishing to YouTube or Facebook Live or elsewhere? What are the differences between posting a recorded video with music versus a livestream with music? What considerations do churches need to make about showing videos or movies? What licensing is needed for showing a film? Are there restrictions on advertising that you’ll be showing a film? Can you charge admission to an event where a movie will be shown? So many questions to ask about copyright! A panel of presenters will be answering these questions: Mark Carroll, CVLI Product Manager, CVLI.com (Church Video License); Nate Scott, CCLI’s Director of Publisher & Songwriter Relations, CCLI.com (Church Copyright License); and Deanna Rose, CCS’s Operations Manager, CCS (Christian Copyright Solutions, christiancopyrightsolutions.com).
  Video | Chat | Church Video License Factsheet | Church Copyright License Factsheet | Christian Copyright Solutions Factsheet | CCLI Streaming Page | Song Select Service

• April 23, 2020: How to Keep Your Religion While Working for the Church
  How do you keep the faith when you work for the Church? Being in ministry can be overwhelming. There are many challenges. If you worship where you work, there can be even greater challenges. How do you keep your religion and remain clinging to your Creator in the midst of storms? Let’s talk together and learn from one another. Facilitated by Michele McCarthy, Communications Specialist, Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Saratoga, CA, and Mike Orr, Canon for Communications, the Episcopal Church in Colorado.
  Video | Chat

• March 2020: COVID-19 and a New Way of Being Church
  How has COVID-19 changed the way you are being the Church right now? What resources have you found helpful? How can we resource one another? Join in the discussion this coming Monday. Facilitated by Mike Orr, Canon for Communications, the Episcopal Church in Colorado.
  Video | Chat | Prayer Requests

• February 2020: Graphic Design Resources
  Designing graphics for your church events and ministries can be daunting. Do you use Illustrator or Photoshop to put together graphics and text? Do you use InDesign for your layout? Do you use Canva? What resources for free images do you use? Do you hire a graphic designer for projects? Let’s talk and share! Join us as we collaborate together and share our collective wisdom.
  Video | Chat

• August 2019: Photo Directories
  A church directory can be a great ministry tool. A church directory helps clergy and other leaders to stay connected with the congregation year-round. A photo directory is a great opportunity to connect members, especially in larger churches where it’s impossible to know everyone. To new as well as current members, directories offer a way to associate faces with names and to act as a source for contact information. Who hasn’t forgotten a name, but knows the face is familiar? What information should you include in the directory? What tools are out there to create a directory? Should I hire a photography company to do this? I’m afraid people will be hounded by a photo company to buy photos if all they want to do is be in the directory. Is there a DIY option that is easy to put together a church directory? Once we have a directory, how do we distribute it? Online? In print? Print on demand? How do we password protect it if we do publish it online?
  Video

• July 2019: Church Databases
  Databases aren’t just for large churches. Having a database can help churches of all sizes to do the work of ministry. Ultimately, church management software can improve your ministry effectiveness through empowering people, both paid and volunteer, and offering insights into the processes you follow. Having the right tools for managing your church can provide systems to engage newcomers, reengage those who have become distant, and deepening relationships within the church for the purpose of making disciples. Choosing the right tools for your church or diocese can be daunting. Talk to other churches who’ve implemented a database/church management system and are strategically using it to grow their church. Facilitated by Barbara McGowan, Director of Communications, St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, Washington, DC.
  Video | Chat

• June 2019: Liturgy/Bulletin, Bulletin Announcements, & Worship Copyright
  This conversation was geared for parish communicators and volunteers who wanted to talk about best ways to more easily put together the church bulletin, announcements, and know the basics of copyright in regards to bulletins. We shared what works, what doesn't, questions we have, and more. This conversation was facilitated by Sarah Martinez, Communications Manager for Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, Texas.
  Video | Chat