Improving Event Requests and Communications at St. Stephen
St. Stephen United Methodist Church enters into this new year with refreshed and improved processes for event requests and communications. These new processes — introduced to lay leaders on Feb. 2 — are the result of several months of exploration of our current systems, in which church staff worked to identify ways we can make life here on our campus easier and more efficient for all the many leaders who are planning events and activities.
All St. Stephen members and leaders who host events and have need to communicate their events and activities should take just a few minutes to read this article. Thanks so much for all you do and for the incredible ways you contribute to a vibrant church life at St. Stephen. It might take some time for all of us to become familiar with these changes, so we ask for your patience as well as your feedback; we’ll incorporate your ideas for improvement as we continue to use these new processes.
If you have any questions about these changes, always feel free to call the church office (704-364-1824) and talk to or email Phyllis, Mandy, or Matt. You can reach them by phone at the church office or via email.
Event Requests
All leaders who are hosting events on the church campus and who need to reserve rooms or resources (tables, chairs, A/V, Zoom, etc.) are required to complete this new event request form located at https://ststephenumc.net/eventform/.
This form, along with the new communications form, will always be available on this website’s Forms page.
We are implementing this new form because:
- the number of events and activities has substantially increased, causing more room and resource conflicts
- the CCB event/room/resource system tends to be more complex, causing many to forget or not know how to reserve rooms or resources
- church staff wants to assist in helping all groups and their events have what they need to be successful
You do not need to use this form if:
- you are hosting an off-campus event for a small group which requires no church resource (e.g. rooms, A/V, church van)
- you participate in a CCB “Super User” training to equip you with using CCB’s room and resource reservation system
CCB Training
All church members and regular attenders are invited to a CCB training, hosted on Zoom, in February.
Wednesday, Feb. 26
6-6:45pm — General CCB Training for All
6:45-7:15pm — CCB “Super User” Training
Click here to register
Communications Requests
All requests for communications needs — including for the Weekly e-Bulletin (church newsletter), as well as items like fliers, posters, slides, etc. — should now be submitted through this new communications request form located at https://ststephenumc.net/commsform/.
This form, along with the new event form, will always be available on this website’s Forms page.
We are implementing this new form because:
- the number of communications requests has greatly increased
- requests are getting lost in the shuffle of requests made by email, phone, and in-person
- we want to streamline and make all of our communication more effective — ensuring you are reaching the right people with the right message at the right time, so that your events, ministries, and programs can be awesome!
Minimum Promotion Time: 2 Weeks
Remember that you want at least two weeks to promote your upcoming programs, ministries, and events. You need additional time on top of that for the creation of promotional material. Here are our minimum turnaround times for promotional requests:
- General e-bulletin announcements — Submit on Wednesdays by 9 a.m.
- Basic graphic design (e.g., fliers, online graphics, slides) — 2 weeks
- Major printed collateral (e.g., T-shirts, premium print products which cannot be printed/produced in-house): 6 weeks
- Video and other complex or multi-channel communications projects: 12 weeks (Consult in advance with the Director of Communications & Digital Engagement if your project is complex, multi-faceted or will require more advanced communications tools and strategies, such as videos.)
What if I need assistance? St. Stephen’s communications director is always happy to chat with you in-person or over the phone to help you plan your promotional needs. Call Matt at the church office at 704-364-1824 or email him at mcomer@ststephenumc.net to schedule an appointment.
Communications Policy
In addition to the new events and communications requests form, we have written down and formalized the current communications and promotional practices of the church. These guidelines are not written in stone, and we are looking forward to implementing your feedback. This new policy will help us achieve better efficient strategies for better communication here at St. Stephen. View the new communications policy here.