Communication Ministry
Hopes to Keep Parishioners Connected through COVID and Beyond
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ver since the onset of COVID-19 last all ministry leaders can reach out. The coorspring, we have all had to find creative dinator would then consolidate and distribways to stay connected and involved with ute the information. our families, friends, community, and par“For example, we had to become creative ish. When Masses went virtual and parish in the ways that we’d reach out to our Reliministries were unable to meet in person, gious Education and Youth Ministry kids, it became clear that our parish needed a and ministry leaders had to adapt and learn way to communicate with parishioners it all,” Dan says. “If we had a ministry made across a variety of platforms, even beyond up of people who are familiar with this techthe pandemic. Parish Business Manager nology as a resource, the individual ministry Dan Powers hopes that the formation of leaders could then work closely with them. a Communication Ministry will help to They would be able to pass along what they build a greater sense of community and want to say, and the Communication Minstewardship. istry could then get that message out. This “What immediately promoted this need way, we could share all of the information was the closure of the church, and needing contained in the bulletin in smaller doses on Dan Powers, Parish Business Manager to find a way to contact our parishioners,” he a daily basis. This would allow it to be at the says. “Prior to the closure, our main form of communi- forefront of our parishioners’ minds, and not overwhelm cation was through printed materials like the church bul- them with a lot of information all at once.” letin, which we would hand out at Mass. We realized we The ministry would also incorporate livestreaming really needed to evolve to a place where we can more easily into this framework — even in a post-pandemic world, reach out to parishioners, especially when we can’t come livestreamed Masses would greatly benefit homebound together. As our society continues to use social media as a parishioners as well as others who are unable to physically communicating tool, we need to be a part of it and use it attend Mass. as a way to share the Good News.” “We want to continue to build our relationship with Through the Communication Ministry, volunteers our homebound parishioners, and make sure they conwould help to build St. Theresa’s social media presence by tinue to get the same quality of information as those who working with ministry leaders to share information, up- are physically present,” Dan says. dates, activities, and more. The parish is looking for volunteers who are very com“We really need people who know how to use the puter-literate, familiar with social media, and interested in technology, because there is so much information that we up-and-coming social media trends as well as evolving need to send out,” Dan says. “Right now, we have a 22- technology. page bulletin that goes out each week, and we’d like to re“In this time of stewardship, we’re asking those that distribute that information into smaller bites. We’d love to can give of their time and talent to help the parish to exhave someone as a communication coordinator, to whom pand and communicate with others,” Dan says. If you would like more information, or to get involved, please contact Dan Powers at 808-879-4844, ext. 23, or dpowers@rcchawaii.org.
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