communications

Website

• We launched a new website in September, 2017. In addition to an updated look and clearer organization, new features include:
  • Sign up for any ministry with the click of a button (automatically forwarded to the ministry leader)
  • Missed our weekly e-letter? Want more stories? Find the same stories and more on our News page. You can find it in the navigation at the top under “News” or on the home page (The button, “See What’s New”)
  • Translation to Spanish (in beta/trial, not perfect or complete yet)

Weekly News

• Our weekly e-letter and Sunday announcements page remained our primary channels of sending out information in 2017.
  • Our weekly e-letter typically goes on Mondays (occasionally on a Tuesday or Wednesday on a busy week). You can sign up to receive them or read through our archives anytime at www.adventnyc.org/e-letter
  • E-letter Tip: Add communications@adventnyc.org to your email contacts. Several people had issues with not receiving our e-letter this year because their email provider filtered our e-letters into their Spam or another sub-category where they never saw it.
  • Our Announcements Page is included in the Sunday worship bulletin.

• Share your thoughts: We are constantly trying to improve the design and content of our e-letters and announcements pages, and seeking new ways to get the word out. Have an idea? I'd love to hear it! Share it now, or feel free to talk to me at one of our annual meetings.

Social Media

• We post at least once a week on Facebook and Instagram

• You can find/like/follow us @adventnyc

• Share your thoughts: Do you want to see more frequent posts on Facebook and Instagram? Want kinds of posts do you want to see? Share your thoughts now, or feel free to talk to me at one of our annual meetings.

Volunteer Board

Our new Volunteer Board at the back corner of the sanctuary (a new addition at the beginning 2017) has made it easier to sign up for a ministry or special opportunity right after worship or whenever you’re at Advent

Videos & Special Projects

We shared a variety of special videos in 2017 . . .

• Sermon videos and sermon previews
• How do we make the ashes for Ash Wednesday?
• Scholarship Fund video
• Re-Formation Sunday theme video
• Thanks-Giving video series (7 videos)
• Advent Devotion
• Merry Christmas video

And we started several other videos that are still in the making:

• Stories That Made Us: Interviews with multi-decade Advent members Dorothy Metzger, Lorenza Darley, Elba Cabrera, Anne Ellis, Kathy Carpenter, and more were filmed in 2017. These videos will be mixed into a video celebrating the people and stories that gave us the Advent we know today.
• Congregational Retreat video
• Celebration Sunday: Re-Formation video

2018 Goals

• Strengthen and improve the new website and existing Communications processes (i.e. editorial planning, content management, media asset management, workflow, feedback gathering, etc.)
• Produce more -- and more diverse -- online content that enriches people's faith and strengthens/grows community at Advent
• Develop an outreach strategy utilizing the variety of communications channels, mediums, and resources we have at Advent

Respectfully submitted by,

Kevin Bowen

Communications Coordinator & Youth Ministry Coordinator