A big thank you to Rev. Sasha Ostrom and Nick Wallwork for presenting at the quarterly Network meeting speaking to and answering questions about Fellowship communications. Rev. Sasha is, by policy, responsible for our communications. Our staff, Rev. Sasha Ostrom, Nick Wallwork, Katy Julich and Alex West, have been working hard to update and streamline our current capabilities while also looking towards future enhancements.
Our current communications channels include:
- Weekly newsletter
- Website updates
- Pulpit announcements
- Order of Service
- Presentation slides during services
- Digital displays in our building
- Social Media Posts ex. YouTube, Facebook…
In order to streamline the sharing of information across these channels staff has implemented improvements including:
- A new streamlined process for newsletter submissions through a website form, making it easier for members to share news and events.
- Updating up our website with a new color scheme and branding and making the landing page more visitor friendly adding photos as appropriate and available
- Prioritizing website updates to ensure fresh, engaging content
- Limiting pulpit announcements to 2-4 items focusing on immediate upcoming events
Do you have something to share? Newsletter submissions can be uploaded to the website or sent to newsletter@muuf.org. For Sunday pulpit announcements, please email Rev. Sasha by noon on Wednesday.
Looking Ahead, plans are underway to form a Communications Team this summer to help expand our reach and better serve all members of our community. Staff is mindful that different members prefer different communication methods – from print to digital – and are working to find the right balance to serve everyone effectively.
Enhancements being looked into include:
- Building a new website to improve user experience
- Exploring an internal community platform similar to Facebook for member connections
Not all communication is written or verbal. Our staff is also pursuing continued refinement of physical spaces to make them more appealing to members and visitors taking into consideration ambient design and atmospherics.
An important part of the continuing evolution of communication at our spiritual home is your feedback. Staff would like to know how you stay connected. What social media platforms and communication tools do you currently use to learn about events and stay connected with communities? Some platforms mentioned in our recent discussion include: Meetup, Patch, Facebook, Discord, Local podcasts, Substack and Patreon. You can email Nick Wallwork with your favorite ways to stay connected. He’s also happy to answer questions about the newsletter.
Get involved. Take a look at our updated website. Submit an article for the newsletter. Check out all the happenings on the monitors around the building. Talk to each other. Enjoy our community and all it has to offer.