Category Archives: Ideas & Tips

Preparing for Advent

Administrators, Advent Reflection, Ideas & Tips

With the beginning of Advent just a month away, the gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love are once again on our minds as we prepare for Christmas. In your role as the App administrator, you have an opportunity to foster these gifts in the lives of your parishioners. Try sending meaningful messages that will keep them engaged, strengthen their faith, give newfound ways to use the app, and share it with others. Starting December 3, 2023, the first Sunday of Advent, there will be buttons –  Advent 2023 for Reflections and Prepare 2023 for videos. Additionally, here are a few Advent ideas you might want to share with your parishioners:

  • Encourage small group daily devotion. Share a couple of readings and prayer found on the App with a friend, family member or group. Remember, “Inspiration Daily” can be delivered right to your email box. Click here to subscribe.

  • Listen to beautiful Advent music. “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel” is a favorite. Enjoy this beautiful version from The Piano Guys. https://youtu.be/iO7ySn-Swwc
  • Light an Advent wreath. Advent wreath traditions can be simple, lovely ways to strengthen your faith at home.

  • With or without small children, reading classic Christmas stories each evening can be very peaceful. “24 Christmas Stories” is a popular one. https://www.catholiccompany.com/twenty-four-christmas-stories-welcome-jesus-i112911/
  • Give to your church, your neighbors, your community. Leaving a simple gift on a friend’s porch can mean so much.

  • Consider the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Advent is about preparation. Prepare your heart and spirit for Christmas.


“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”
Romans 12:10

Catholic Life Every Day

 

Use Your Calendar to Stay Organized

Administrators, Calendars, Ideas & Tips, tips for success

It’s October! The months are coming and going quickly as we near the end of the year. We all know that our calendars start to fill up with many events in the next few months and especially in the Church.

Does your Church use the calendar button? Most often it is found on the first or second row of your app button layout. This button can be used to help ministry leaders and organizers set dates and keep up with Church and school events, so as not to miss out on important upcoming fall, Advent, and Christmas happenings. Adding dates to the calendar also prevents from double booking activities with other groups. And with this said, it’s always best to check the calendar prior to setting the date for your event.

If your parish has a digital calendar, let Marc see if it can be integrated into the app (not all can). After your calendar is in place, announce to your parishioners using app messaging and other tools of communication, that the calendar is updated, accurate, and ready to follow. There’s also a drop down feature where you could add another calendar for school specific scheduling.

So many aspects of Catholic life and more can be found in your myParish app. Share all of this with your parishioners. They will appreciate it. May it allow them an experience of our faith, just a touch away.

Catholic Life Every Day

Add Prayer to Your Workspace

Administrators, Ideas & Tips, Message Ideas, Prayer

The busy days of fall are upon us. This is a good time to remind ourselves as an app admin, as well as our parishioners to take the time to make sure our offices are a sacred space. By doing so we can intentionally bless all those whose names and lives we touch (literally) through our workspace and fingertips: at the door, at our computer, over the phone, or through our writing. Maybe there’s a place for a prayer board in your office, or keep your own individual one to be sure to pray for those in need each day.  It’s time to rededicate our work space to be an extension of prayer for each and every one with whom we come in contact, in every moment of every day.   

Remind parishioners through messaging that there are several great prayers available in the myParish app for those times you feel moved to offer a specific prayer for one of your parishioners or co-workers. The prayers also come in handy when praying in a large group. Each person has access to the same wording and all can actively participate.

There is a nice little prayer service from Catholic News Agency with blessings for an office, shop or factory that can also be shared with your parishioners.

Again, remind parishioners that all of these aspects of Catholic life and more can be found in your myParish app. May it lead to an experience of our faith, just a fingertip away.

Catholic Life Every Day

Back to School – Already?

Administrators, Back-to-School, Ideas & Tips, tips for success, Update

How can it be? Didn’t our summer just begin? Yes, it’s August and parents, teachers, and some children, are thinking about the coming weeks ahead. As the parish app admin, here are some ideas that you can share with your parishioners that might make the transition from summer fun to back to school smoother.

  1. Eat Dinner As a Family
    After busy schedules of vacations, summer camps. time with friends, dinner around the table as a family may have fallen by the wayside. Try to get this important event back in your routine at least twice a week.
  2. Pray As a Family
    This is something that you could combine with dinner or right after. Make a list of important prayer topics. Maybe world events, or maybe something requiring prayer right in your community, or special prayers for family members and friends. Get the children to suggest what they feel needs prayer.
  3. Attending Mass Together
    Just as with dinner, try to work towards getting your family back to Mass together. You might have to adjust to Saturday or Sunday options, whichever works best for the majority of the family.
  4. Religious Education
    As the app admin, reach out to parishioners whose children do not attend Catholic school. Remind them of Religious Education/Faith Formation classes and schedules for these meetings.
  5. Youth Groups
    Encourage children to become involved in youth groups activities. Make sure that parents and students know the schedules and location for their age group. You might consider adding a back-to-school group to the App to help organize this.

You probably have more ideas that are specific to your parish that you can share with parents. For more detail, or help with groups, call or email Marc for assistance. Text app to 55321 for parishioners not using the app. All of us at Diocesan hope that your parish community has a fun, safe, and healthy back to school season.

 

Catholic Life Every Day

Reinvigorate myParish App

Administrators, Ideas & Tips, tips for success, Update

Parishioners using the App count on information to be accurate and up to date. As an App Admin, it might be helpful to create a checklist of things to verify or change regularly. In addition to messaging, which we covered in last month’s blog post, here are a few things to consider reviewing often so that parishioners feel confident using the App:

Staff Directory – Check this often, and especially if you have a new Priest or clergy at the parish. Be sure that you have the correct details for roles in your parish such as bulletin editor, office admin, communications, web & IT staff, as well as other critical administrative contacts.

Parish Calendar – There are so many important events happening at parishes. Check your list of important dates, holiday programs, guests & speakers, along with other dates that are helpful for parishioners to know. Be sure to add this to your specific myParish App calendar.

Mass & ConfessionTimes – Having a guest try to attend your parish and Mass times are incorrect on the App would not be a welcoming. Check Mass and confession times often if they tend to change seasonally, and be sure to update.

Buttons – Buttons on the App help parishioners find the subject they are looking for, i.e., prayers, rosary, groups, etc. Are there too many unused buttons, or think you would like a new one? We are here to help with anything you want to add or delete. Email Marc for assistance and suggestions.

Volunteers or Part Time Staff – As an admin, we know how difficult it is to stay on top of these technical tasks with all the other daily to-dos. Maybe you’ve had offers from parishioners to volunteer for something. This could be a volunteer project for someone. Not being interupted by others, as staff often is, this would be the perfect project for them. The same for students, high school and college, if they have a little free time and want to work on something worthwhile for their church this should still allow them time for a summer or part time  job.

If you have any questions, simply reach out to Marc or Dana at Diocesan.

Catholic life every day

Messages Help Parishioners Engage

Administrators, Ideas & Tips, Message Ideas

As an App Admin, we encourage you to use messaging for your parishioners. Messages are one of the most valuable assets of using the app. And there’s not a better time to start it, or restart it, than summer – and those sunny long days are right around the corner. Here are a few simple examples that you can consider using:

  • When reviewing your bulletin each week, identify several highlights that were mentionioned for the week and send a message. These messages might encourage parishers to spend a little time with their weekly bulletin, daily readings, or Catholic prayers.
  • Add a daily or weekly prayer, so that parishioners are seeing something fresh each day. A simple prayer is something most parishioners would appreciate. We often hear, “I don’t know how to pray, or, I’m not sure what to say when speaking to God.” Short, daily prayers may help struggling parishioners turn their prayer life around.
  • Have Father write a reflection to share in messages as often as he is able. A friendly word from him would be welcome. Two or three each month would be a good goal.
  • As an admin, we know how difficult it is to organize these things with all the other daily tasks. Maybe you’ve had offers from parishioners to volunteer for something. This could be an easy volunteer project for someone. Not being interupted by others, as staff often is, this would be the perfect project for them. The same for students, high school and college, if they have a little free time and want to work on something worthwhile for their church this should still allow them time for a summer job.

If you have any questions, simply reach out to Marc or Dana at Diocesan.

Catholic life every day

Look What Our App Can Do!

Administrators, Ideas & Tips

Promoting app features is a great way to keep people engaged in using the myParish App. Here are a couple of ideas:

  • Touch the windowpane (four boxes) icon in the top right of the app to get back to the main screen, where you can access all the features of that parish’s app.
  • It’s good to know how to access another parish’s app. Folks often need to attend Mass at a different time, find a Confession time that works for their schedule, etc. Knowing how to get to that information is great! Just tap the menu at the top left of the screen, then choose ‘change parish’ under the parish name. You can enter the city or zip code in the search box.
  • If  you or a parishioner would like to remove a message from your phone, swipe left to access the delete button. Press “delete” and the message is gone.
  • As an admin, it’s a good idea to check with your ministry team and ask if they would like any messages sent out via the app. Say something like: “I’d be happy to enter events/messages for your group in myParish App. Please email me at QWERTY@UIOP.com.“ You can also contact your ministry team through the app. Tap “Parish Info” on the main screen (the steeple), and then touch the “Directory” bar at the bottom and find the right person. Then, touch the icons to the right of their name to call or email directly from the app.

Letting app users know about these features means they are more likely to use the app consistently.

Remember, you can always watch and rewatch our admin videos for ideas, clarifications, and information about what myParish App can do.


Catholic life every day

New Daily Content In Your App!

Administrators, Ideas & Tips, Uncategorized

You may have noticed a change that has happened in your app recently. If you had the “Living the Good News” button, it is now upgraded to “Inspire Daily.”

We are so excited about this new program! This button will give you and your parishioners access to daily reflections, starting on May 1st, on the readings of the day. These reflections come from some of the best Catholic bloggers in America. We are partnering with Catholic teachers, priests, seminarians, the Daughters of St. Paul and so many more great bloggers to bring you the best Catholic content on a daily basis.

 

If you want to add “Inspire Daily” and other great buttons to your app, visit our ADMIN RESOURCE CENTER.

A Thank You From Diocesan Publications

Administrators, Ideas & Tips, , ,

We know that parish work can be hard and there is a lot to get done with the many hats you wear. But the work you do is so important for the future of the church.

So we just want to say thank you.

Our mission at Diocesan Publications is to help you with your mission as a parish. We are dedicated to helping you with all your communication needs. Give us a call, 1-800-783-1623. We would love to hear from you.

As Diocesan Publications’ Solutions Evangelist, Tommy is committed to showing parish and diocesan staffs how to use our communication tools to their best advantage.  He has worked for years in various, youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. As an expert on Catholic communication, Tommy uses his parish and diocesan experiences to help you make your ministry effective. To bring Tommy to your parish or for general inquiry, contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.

Push Those Notifications

Administrators, Ideas & Tips

THE PROBLEM

We all know it’s hard to keep people engaged in parish programs. It’s a problem going back to the beginning of the Church. myParish App is a proven evangelization tool in parishes across the country, but people need to be engaged in the app to access the great faith help content. How do we keep them engaged?

THE SOLUTION

We have found that the most effective way to keep parishioners engaged in the app is by sending out 1-2 push notifications a week. This ensures that parishioners open the app and get connected to the parish. It also encourages them to view the faith help features of the app.

This may seem like a lot of messaging, but fear not. When your parishioners download the app they are giving you permission to message them. They want to hear from you. And the message feature couldn’t be easier to use. Watch the video below to learn more.

EXAMPLES OF GREAT MESSAGING

Try to always remember that the most effective messages are those that not only communicate, but also inspire. Speaking from your heart to the heart of the parishioner is a great way to let them know that you genuinely care. Below are some great example messages that present this model of inspiration and communication.

This week Father ____ wants us all to come together as a community in prayer. myParish App makes it easy. Simply set a prayer reminder on your phone to pray the "Glory Be" every day this week for our parish and community.
The Bishop's annual appeal is almost here. Just a reminder that the reason we donate to this important initiative is to support programs that help our community grow in faith and prayer. Don't we all want to support that mission? Go to our giving link in myParish App to donate easily and securely. Thank you!
Pope Francis is calling us to care for the poor. Don't we all want to care for and respect those around us? Join us today (give the date) at 5:00pm at the parish for a food drive to help our local community in need. Your donation will give food to those who go without.

As Diocesan Publications’ Solutions Evangelist, Shultz is committed to showing parish and diocesan staffs how to use our communication tools to their best advantage. Through his work in over ten years of ministry as well as serving as director of youth and young adult ministries for the Diocese of Baker, Shultz has learned what it takes to communicate effectively in parishes across the country. His passion is bringing others into a relationship with Jesus and he wants to help you accomplish this important mission. To bring Tommy to your parish or for further questions contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.