Communications

Communications Contacts
The following is a list of contacts for the various communications media available at Forest Hills UMC. Click on the name to send an email.

Communnications Media
1. Website
(a) How does it work?
The church website www.foresthillsumc.org is an external service designed so that no special computer programs (web page editors) are required. Data can be entered from any computer on the Internet. A downside of this design is that the structure is preset so we lose flexibility. This was a conscious decision when the service was set up and it has worked quite well. While one person oversees the website, the content is maintained independently by several individuals. Sensitive information such as prayer list and member directory are password protected and accessible to church members only. Additions can be made to the main menu as needed.

(b) Who does it reach?
The website is available for anyone who has access to a computer and the Internet.

(c) What does it say?
Information provided is quite comprehensive: audio of sermons, descriptions of many of our activities, mission groups, etc. It is structured to provide information to prospective members (church location, times of services, Sunday School classes, as well as current members (prayer list, member directory). The center of the home page is used for news and current events announcements.
- About Forest Hills (location, worship services, etc)
- Prayer list (restricted access)
- News and announcements of coming events
- Back issues of The Flame in Adobe PDF format
- Scripture reading and sermon from the Sunday worship service
- Work Area ministries (Children, Youth, Adult, Missions, Stephen Ministry, Adult Sunday School classes
- Music programs
- Church staff
- Church Council structure
- Member directory (restricted)

(d) Key contact
Overall Structure: Communications
Prayer List: Church Secretary
News: Church Secretary
The Flame: Church Secretary
Sermons: Pastor
Children: Children’s Director
Youth: Youth Director
Adult: Pastor
Missions: Missions Chair
Music Choir Director
SS Classes: Pastor
Day School: Day School Director
Staff: Church Secretary
Church Council: Chair
Member Directory: Church Secretary

2. Newsletter
(a) How does it work?
- The newsletter, The Flame, is prepared weekly by the church secretary. Work starts Monday morning and is usually completed by noon on Tuesday.
- Microsoft Publisher is used to layout the newsletter.
- Size is limited to four double-sided pages (8 ½ x 11) plus one insert.
- Anyone wishing to include information must have it to the secretary by first thing Monday Morning.
- The finished newsletter is distributed by email in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format Tuesday afternoon.
- Volunteers assemble the printed copy Wednesday morning and a volunteer takes it to the Post Office in Donelson. Mail copies go at non-profit bulk rate.
- The electronic edition is in color, the printed copy in black-and white except for the pre-printed header.
- Extra copies are available at the Welcome Desk in Fellowship Hall.

(b) Who does it reach?
- All church members (family) receive The Flame.
- Members have the option of receiving The Flame in electronic format (via email) only or in addition to the printed copy.

(c) What does it say?
Included as available and space permits
- Announcements of coming events
- Reports of activities
- Periodic administrative reports such as Finance, Long-Range Planning, and Stewardship.

Regular features
- Pastor’s Message
- Associate Pastor’s message
- Youth column
- List of church staff
- Worship attendance and weekly offering
- Memorials and Honoraria
- Calendar of activities for the coming two weeks

(d) Key contact
Church Secretary


3a. Bulletin Boards - Courtyard
(a) How does it work?
- There are four bulletin boards in the courtyard, two on each level.
- Anyone who wants to place a flyer about a special event need only ask the Church Secretary, Linda Williford for the key.
- Each case has room for about four flyers without becoming too crowded.
- Dated material is removed by the church staff regularly.

(b) Who does it reach?
- People walking between buildings as they enter the hallways from the courtyard area.

(c) What does it say?
- Each display case contains a layout map of the church buildings, with a point indicated on the map that “you are here”.
- Flyers announcing upcoming special events.

(d) Key contact
Church Secretary has the key to the cases.


3b. Bulletin Boards – Fellowship Hall
(a) How does it work?
- There are six bulletin boards in Fellowship Hall allocated as follows:
Mom’s Group
Youth
UMW
Adult Education
Sunday School Classes
Book Club
- Each group designs the messages for its board.

(b) Who does it reach?
- Anyone who takes the time, or notices the bulletin boards while in Fellowship Hall.
- Times when members regularly gather in Fellowship Hall are Sunday Morning fellowship time, and Wednesday evening meal.

(c) What does it say?
- Essentially they speak to current events and activities of the specific group.
- Some speak of past events.
- Most contain photographs or images significant to an event or focus of the group.
- Some contain information about contact persons or how to become involved in that group.

(d) Key contact
Sr. Pastor allocates the bulletin boards to the various groups.

4. Sunday School Folders
(a) How does it work?
- A folder, or roll book, for each Sunday School class is kept in the church office.
- Any information to be transmitted to the classes is either given to the church secretary to place in the roll book or placed in the book by the person transmitting the information.
- On Sunday morning the books are placed on the floor outside each class-room and picked up by the class secretary, who gives the information to the person in the class responsible for making announcements.
- The book is returned to the church office with the secretary's attendance report enclosed.

(b) Who does it reach?
- All Sunday School classes

(c) What does it say?
- Good for announcements and soliciting support for activities.
- Any correspondence for Sunday School class including mail.

(d) Key contact
Church Secretary


5. Worship Bulletin
(a) How does it work?
- Bulletins are printed on special Forest Hills pre-formatted forms. Occasionally, such as forspecial events, special pre-preprinted forms are used.
- Content is usually settled on the prior Thursday.
- Separate bulletins are generally done for each service.
- We try to avoid inserts with special announcements.
- A children’s work paper is made available to the ushers to hand out to children. These are purchased complete from an outside source.

(b) Who does it reach?
- Everyone attending worship gets a bulletin.

(c) What does it say?
- Order of worship.
- Names of staff members.
- Contact information for the church.
- Insert: Ministry opportunities for the coming week.
- Insert: Prayer list
- Insert: The week’s calendar of events

(d) Key contact
Church Secretary

6. Pulpit/Worship Announcements
(a) How does it work?
- We try and only do critical announcements from the pulpit or lectern. General announcement are projected uisng PowerPoint prior to each service. They are also printed in the worship bulletins.

(b) Who does it reach?
- Worship attendees.

(c) What does it say?
- Good for promoting activities and events.

(d) Key contact
- Church Secretary
- Contact the Sr. Pastor if the need is for a special announcement from the pulpit or lectern. It will be taken to the staff for consideration.

7. Wednesday Night Announcements
(a) How does it work?
- These announcements are made after supper in Petie Heard Hall. Usually the Sr. Pastor recognizes those people who are celebrating birthdays or anniversaries.
- The Sr. Pastor will ask if there are any announcements and anyone who wishes to make an announcement steps up to the mike and does so.

(b) Who does it reach?
- People attending Wed. supper. Typically 75 to 100 people including childrena nd youth.

(c) What does it say?
- Good for promoting activities and events.

(d) Key contact
Church Secretary

8. Email

(a) How does it work?
- There is a field in the church databases (ACS) for members email addresses, also in the member directory on the church website. The church secretary maintains the list.
- Each list (ACS, Website) is maintained separately. There is currently no mechanism for automatically updating the website list from ACS. ACS is constantly evolving and they promises to soon be able to automatically generate a web directory.
- The church secretary periodically requests people to provide their updated email address.
- Works well for text information. Graphics needs to be included with caution for people who access their email via modem as opposed to high-speed broadband cable or DSL.

(b) Who does it reach?
- We probably have email addresses for 30 percent of the active church members. Recently efforts have been made to update the list and the quality of the ones we have should be fairly good.
- Most members of church council and work areas can be reached by email.
- The staff are all active users of email.

(c) What does it say?

(d) Key Contact
Church Secretary

9. Street Sign
(a) How does it work?
- Each Monday, Associate Pastor, Gary Brock, features a noteworthy event that’s displayed on the marquee on Old Hickory in three lines of words.
(b) Who does it reach?
- Everyone who drives down Old Hickory Blvd. past the church.

(c) What does it say?
- Typically the marquee is about upcoming events or important dates on the church calendar.
- The sign also has the name of the Senior and Associate pastors, church web address, worship times, and Sunday School times.

(d) Key contact
Sr. Pastor

10. Post Cards
(a) How does it work?
- Post cards are sent to committees and work groups (both chairs and members) in advance of the appropriate meeting, with a checkmark next to the meeting required and the date of the meeting.
- Cards are preprinted with the committee/work group names on them.
- Church Secretary, Linda Williford, also puts time, date, and location of meeting on a label and affixes it to the card.
- Some cards are bright yellow, can’t miss ‘em in the mail…others are white.
- Linda will only send cards if she’s aware of the meeting in advance.
- Notices can be sent by email if Linda has email addresses.
- The distribution list comes from the roster of congregational leadership approved each year at Charge Conference.

(b) Who does it reach?
- Church Council, committee and work group chairs and members that are properly input into the church database.

(c) What does it say?
- Reminds recipient of time, date, day, and location of a meeting they are to attend.

(d) Key contact
Church Secretary
Committee/ Work Area chairs who are responsible for getting their meetings on the church calendar.

11. New Member Packet
(a) How does it work?
- Forest Hills does not have a new member packet at this time.

(b) Who does it reach?


(c) What does it say?


(d) Key contact
Chair Evangelism

12. Quarterly Giving Statements
(a) How does it work?
- Each quarter the church sends by mail giving statements to members who have made a pledge for the year or are giving regularly.
- Statements generally go out about three weeks after the end of the quarter, i.e. late April, July, October and January.

(b) Who does it reach?
- About 335 families receive quarterly giving statements.

(c) What does it say?
- In addition to a list of contributions made for the year to date, there is space for the report manager to add a short text message.
- Statements periodically include inserts such as letters on stewardship.

(d) Key Contact
Church Business Administrator

13. Pastor's Prayer Request
(a) How does it work?
-For various reaasons, the prayer line has been discontinued. In its place we have the Pastor's Prayer Request. There are prayer request cards in the pews. Each week an email is sent with the prayer requests.

(b) Who does it reach?
- Persons interested in receiving the weekly email.

(c) What does it say?
- Who to be in prayer for and the nature of the need. Needs are only disclosed with permission.

(d) Key contact
- Sr. Pastor

14. Telephone Committee
(a) How does it work?


(b) Who does it reach?


(c) What does it say?


(d) Key contact

15. External Media
(a) How does it work?
- Church staff members generally provide news release articles for the church secretary, Linda Williford, to fax to newspapers (6), radio stations (13), and television stations (1). The news release is also put on the TN Conference ListServ which reaches other Methodist churches in our area.

(b) Who does it reach?
- Public in Nashville metropolitan area.

(c) What does it say?
- Promotes events at Forest Hills.

(d) Key contact
- Church Secretary