A few weeks ago, this parish report, delivered via YouTube from a pastor in Oklahoma, caught our team’s attention. It’s a textbook case of what publishing parish reports should be:
- It opens with an attitude of prayer: Father’s reading of one of Paul’s letters, followed by a brief reflection, sets the tone for the rest of the message.
- It shows honestly the state of the parish: Father is transparent and doesn’t pull any punches about how the pandemic has affected offertory.
- It offers both hope and a challenge for the future: Father discusses what the pandemic has done to offertory and then shows how that might affect the future of parish operations. He then places the future of the parish in the hands of his parishioners by talking about offertory and electronic giving.
- The call to action is simple and clear: Move your giving online if you can. Here’s how to do it.
- There’s some humor: If you watch until the end, Father plays “Money” by Pink Floyd, and “Money” by ABBA to inject a little levity into a serious video.
It’s clear that Father understands that old rule about communications: if you, as an insider, believe you’re communicating to your people enough, that means you’re under-communicating. This video is a great model of what we can all strive for – clear, transparent communications to help our community make good choices and keep the Church strong. Publishing parish reports can be a great experience for your entire community.
