Posts tagged computer
Social Networking Success for the Catholic Parish
Jan 28th
Social Networking, Catholic Style
This is a subject that scares everyone except the youth themselves. As St. Ignatius says, “You must enter through their door and leave through Christ’s.” I often hear how youth events are not well attended. Poor to nothing usually. Why commit so much hard work to something and have no one benefit?
When I asked Matthew Pinto what he thought a youth minister should do he said, “Be a Marketing Guru.” Go out and bring the youth in. Every successful salesmen knows the key to lasting sales is networking. They go to dinners, golfing, seminars, etc. How do you network with youth? They are online. Go online just like you would go golfing.
Sensitive subject
Many times I say social networking and people get scared or ancey. Yes there are problems, but with simple steps you can decrease them and reap the benefits. A little education goes a long way.
Here is what I do and have found works.
1. Investigate what the youth are using. (I have a sister in high school. I just ask her friends and watch her). Today they are using Facebook, Instant Messaging, Texting, and limited email.
2. Join in strategically. With Facebook all my friends can see what I post and I can notify them when I am doing something. They are forced to see my updates. So I put updates like, “Youth Group Tonight 7pm” “iTunes Gift Certificates Tonight Only at Youth Group.”
3. Tell them to text their friends as soon as they get to youth group. Make sure to text your leaders to remind them about youth group. Create an IM logon and your teens as friends. When you are away for Youth Group set your away message as “At Youth Group…See you There.”
Don’t be sacred, be educated
Staying up to date on technology is important because it can help you become more effective. I have seen the positive results with my own eyes. Do the research for yourself on sites like www.digg.com, www.facebook.com, www.zoho.com, www.ning.com, www.google.com/docs, www.cnet.com These are just to name a few they frequent almost ever other day.
What are you best ways of attracting youth to youth group?
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Loading ...How to Quickly Increase Donations at a Homeless Shelter
Jan 26th
The Church
Looking through my closet every winter I put together a bag of cloths to go to the local homeless shelter. Some new cloths, some very worn cloths. I just drop the bag off and take a receipt for my tax deduction later. I feel warm inside that some homeless man will feel warmer.
But what happens to that bag when it gets to the homeless shelter? It gets put in a pile, sorted, folded, shelved, and eventually given to someone in need. Simple right?
The problem is when clothing begins piling up due to a lack of space, unfolded when tried on, and when there are 30 pairs of pants size 27 waist (who has a waist that small?). The whole clothing room becomes a disaster. I have experienced this first hand.
Time and energy is then spent reorganizing the clothes constantly and when clients ask for clothing it may appear there is an abundance of supplies, what they really need is lacking. For example who gives away sports jackets. All men. Who gives away a decent pair of shoes? No one. So the homeless man has a warm jacket, but his feet are getting frost bite.
The Process – In theory only
An Inventory Management Database (The Homeless Attire Management System HAMS). Just think of how a store keeps inventory! Please stay with me….As shirts, pants, hats, gloves, jeans, arrive:
- They are hung in appropriate spaces by size.
- The new arrivals are inputted into the computer database
- As clients arrive instead of rummaging through the clothing, the size can be searched for electronically.
- When a client takes clothing it is deducted from the HAM (Homeless Attire Management System.
Yes it’s that simple, but wait here is the Benefit.
Benefit
Jesus, I trust in You
Now here is the good stuff. As donors are looking on the homeless shelter website for ideas of how to help they will see live statistics of clothing inventory with warning signals that indicate the low levels on certain articles of clothing.
Donors will now think…Maybe instead of giving them one more sports jacket to be added to make 501 sports jackets, I could give a warm winter jacket since they only have 5 winter jackets and it is January 10.
Mangers of homeless shelters will also be able to keep better track of donations and forecast how much clothing they will need for different seasons. It will also alleviate clothing going to waste or put away in storage do to the lack of space. Clothing could then be coordinated to other homeless shelters in need.
Concrete evidence of how many clothes are given out each day will give strong reasons for others to give donations. Just think of the next fund raising email sent. Just today Catholic Charities Homeless Shelter has given 55 winter jackets, 30 shirts, and 100 towels away, but we only have 2 pairs of shoes and no winter hats. These numbers could automatically be added from your database full of inventory.
St. Katherine Drexel, a famous Philadelphia Catholic saint, kept records similar to these to help in the distribution of aid to the poor of Philadelphia.
How do you think Homeless Shelters could help more people? The Catholic Church operates many around the world, but could always make improvements.
Leave a Comment or Post Your Opinion
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Vatican Ecourages Priest to Use Technology
Jan 23rd
The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI released a statement today calling priest to make use of the internet and current media tools to reach people with the message of Jesus Christ.
The great German Shepherd of the Church is calling priest to use the technology of the day to spread the Gospel. What impact will this have on a seminary or priest who may struggle to adapt and learn emerging technologies? It should have none because if they are open to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit will provide.
Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelization and catechesis.
Who better than a priest, as a man of God, can develop and put into practice, by his competence in current digital technology, a pastoral outreach capable of making God concretely present in today’s world and presenting the religious wisdom of the past as a treasure which can inspire our efforts to live in the present with dignity while building a better future?
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE 44th WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY
Example
Rev Dan Good is a ‘good’ example of a young man who is using technology to spread the Gospel. This Catholic seminarian uploads beautiful pictures on Flickr to share the witness.
If you are searching for Catholic photos of Churches, seminarians, or life, stop by and visit Rev Dan Good’s Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/theologicalclowning/
Looking for some ideas for Mass, Christmas Concert, or a liturgical event? Check out these Catholic photos.
Have a comment, question, or suggestions? Please Share it!
Beautiful
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