With all the events and moving parts that go into Advent, it’s easy, as ministry schedulers, to lose the spirit of it in all of the hubbub. Technology can really be your friend here, allowing you to tie Advent into many pieces of your work and help you keep focus on what is important; preparing for Christmas spiritually as a community.
Here are five things you should do every year to better enjoy the Spirit of Advent in tying in ministry scheduling work with the spirit of the season:
1) When emailing volunteers during Advent, try including Advent-related resources in your communications. That way, readers get their information about an upcoming service and, for example, an interesting blog post about Advent Customs Around the World.
2) If you’re using a system like Ministry Scheduler Pro, you can compile the needed materials and readings together for each special Advent service and then upload them to your services online. This will allow volunteers to have what they need in advance.
3) Get your scheduling done ahead of time. If you have yet to hold organizational meetings about the holidays this year, you’re probably running late! The earlier you plan and fill your schedule, the less stress and scrambling there will be when Advent actually arrives.
4) Don’t reinvent the wheel every year. Create and save email templates for Advent that you can reuse each year. It is recommended to have special scheduling-related emails ready for Advent, as well as special emails for new volunteers that join. This is a very popular time of year for new volunteers, so having a seasonal email that welcomes them and lets them know how to stay involved after Christmas is important.
5) Have some fun with your email communications. Spice up your font colors and sizes. Create a special email signature with a season-themed greeting or quote. It takes very little time to implement these things and they do go a long way in making volunteers excited for the celebrations ahead.
We’re sure there are additional ways we’ve not included. Share yours in the comments below!
This blog was written by Raina Hanson of Ministry Scheduler Pro. Previously one of their favorite clients, Raina joined the team at Rotunda software in 2014. With degrees in theology and mathematics, she uses her background and experience helping churches free up time spent in administrative work to focus more on the other parts of ministry.
