How To Use Our Newsletter
FROM THE RECTOR
Over and over, I hear people say that they want to get more deeply connected with St. Paul’s and its ministries. Although our weekly newsletter can help with that, it is not likely to help those who are looking for a deeper connection. Instead, it is designed to help people who are already connected know what is happening at the church. Then, it is up to them to invite those people who are looking for connections to plug in. Here’s why.
When someone says, “I want to become more involved in our church,” they are not saying, “I need more stuff to do.” No one needs more appointments on their calendar. No one needs a longer to-do list. When we express a desire for deeper connection, it is the connection itself—the relationship, the place in a community—that we seek. This newsletter is excellent at listing all of the programs, ministries, and opportunities for service available at St. Paul’s, but very few people who are new to our congregation read that dry, impersonal list of opportunities and think, “I bet that, if I show up to that event at which I may not know anyone, I will make new connections with this congregation.” A few wildly extroverted people like me might think that, but most need a little help getting from an email to a conversation.
You know who can help make that connection? You can. If you are already plugged into the Altar Guild, the Choir, Community Meals, Centering Prayer, the Rector’s Bible Study, Justice for All, or any of our other ministries, this newsletter is designed to remind you of what is happening at St. Paul’s. But it is also a tool to help you invite new people to join your ministry. If everyone on our mailing list receives this newsletter, you can strike up a conversation at coffee hour or Wednesday-night dinner with someone who is new and say something like, “You may have seen that we are hosting a car clinic at St. Paul’s to help make sure that people do not get in trouble simply for having a busted tail light. Is that something you would be interested in?”
Last weekend at our Vestry Retreat, we acknowledged that people are hungry for those connections and that we have a hard time getting the word out about all the things that our church is doing. We admitted that, even though all of those ministries and volunteer opportunities are listed on our website, in the newsletter, and in print publications, people still do not know how they can find that connection they seek. In some cases, that is because we forget to read the whole newsletter or pay attention to other announcements, but the real issue is deeper than that. We need help remembering that it is our job—all of us—to invite people to join in the work we share as a parish. For every person who is bold enough to show up uninvited to a ministry that needs volunteers, there are two dozen who are sitting at home, waiting for someone to encourage them to participate.
Every week, someone asks Megan Downey, our Communications Director, to put a request for volunteers in the newsletter. We are happy to include it, but she always reminds them that the best way to recruit volunteers is by word of mouth. The only people who read the newsletter and show up for something are the people who are already connected with that ministry. If we want to recruit new volunteers, those people who are already connected need to do the asking.
I hope you will read carefully all of the things that are included in this newsletter and think about ways you can encourage other people to get involved. Because there are so many things happening at St. Paul’s, our newsletter is often truncated in your email, and you need to click on the link at the bottom to see the whole thing. To save space, these short blurbs often include a link to the website, where you can learn more about them. Of course, no one needs an invitation to show up and get involved. As a parish, we have a gift for welcoming anyone into our church and its ministries. But many people—newcomers and long-time parishioners—are eager to make more significant connections within our congregation, and they need you to help them do it.
Yours Faithfully,
Evan D. Garner