Changes

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. —Winston Churchill

In the next few weeks, you will see some significant changes in the pathways we use to communicate with you. The website is in the process of being completely rebuilt, and the app is going away. Secure, digital interactions will become more prevalent through the website, and the way we ask people to take their “Next Steps” is changing.

What are “Next Steps?”
“Next Steps” are the steps you take after you get to church either physically or virtually—like connection cards, prayer requests, volunteer sign-ups, etc.

Why do we need to change?
So, why are you throwing the baby out with the bathwater? We’re not. We’re streamlining our pathways to save money (about $3500/year) and to make it easier for people to interact with us during the other 167 hours in the week.

People join us in-person or online for about an hour a week; if we’re lucky, this happens every week. We sing, listen to a great message, hear and read about church activities, and ask people to fill out a connection card, submit prayer requests, volunteer, and give. That’s a lot to digest in an hour if you think about it. And, responding to these requests has been pretty complex, especially if you tried to do it later in the week, during the other 167 hours in a week. Who do I call? Email? What was I supposed to fill out? I forgot to stop by the table; who do I contact if I want to volunteer? Where can I find the information? What do I do next?

This confusion is the crux of our need to streamline our “next steps.” To that end, we are converting our website from a stagnant digital yellow pages to an active hub. The website will be a “one stop shop” where people can take the “Next Step” in their path. New people can let us know they are coming to worship. The website will be a place where everyone can fill out a connection card, submit a prayer request, volunteer, give, and much more. Plus, all of this is available 168 hours a week. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! And the new website will work on any device; mobile, tablet, or computer, making the need for a separate app moot.

Change is hard, but it is how we grow. If you feel these changes may be too overwhelming, the UMW will be hosting a get-to-know-your-technology class (with cookies) on August 8 at 1:00 p.m. in the Worship Annex (Clayton Hall). It will take place after the launch of the new website, scheduled for mid-July. In the meantime, if you have questions, please feel free to contact me at eshriner@pumc.org.