Lots of Ordinary Things, Taken Together…
The life and work of the church is all the big and small things. Your church website is a place for you to share them.
You Can Write Articles Here Too
I first wrote this exact blog post back in December 2022, and I’m waking it up with the autumn leaves and hints of another new year, to give this one more try.
You all see and do big things and small things every week with Living Table, New Branches, and the wider community.
When you are doing all the things you do, consider snapping a picture with your phone. Then? Send the picture and a few words about it to anyone with an editor account on this website. For example, you can send it to Pastor Rachael, with a few words about what you’re sending her to share. That’s it!
Don’t make Pastor Rachael or the other editors guess what the photo is (unless you’re messing with them). Send the photo and a few sentences as they should appear. They might edit a bit for website formatting or clarity, but otherwise they will make the post and then you will have shared something with and from the church. Thank you! It will come from The Office account on the website, which is the people’s work – i.e. from all of you!
Your church website is designed for all of you to be sharing the church much more publicly than you ever have before.
About Photos
For photos that show people’s likeness (i.e. if you can tell who they are in the photo), they would need to sign a photo release. So please only include photos of people if you have their express permission to share their photo on this website, because we will need to check in with them about that permission before sharing your photo.
Safe bets:
- You can always share your own photo of yourself and give permission for us to use that, and
- you can share photos of people in the distance, so their faces are not in focus
- you can share photos of hands doing things, or of things that are not faces
Ideas
Here are a few examples of things that would make useful posts for sharing:
- a photo of new door repair, explaining what was fixed and maybe something cute about when God closes a door
- a photo of a snow-cleared walkway, explaining how to walk in Minnesota winters like a penguin but that the New Branches walkways appear to be open to penguins and people today
- a photo of giant letters cut out from foam boards, because they are going to be decorated by a team of people and later hung in the sanctuary for Advent and so this would be the before picture and people can “wait” to see them live in Advent (wait… get it?)
- a photo of your hand pointing to the ground where bulbs were just planted in the fall, saying what they are and where, so we can look for what will spring forth
- a photo of the things growing in the spring that were planted in the fall
- a photo of the coffee you poured at a New Branches meet-up that you attended or helped to host, with a few words about how your time went and whether you’ll be back and want to invite folks next time to join you
- a photo of YOU bringing something to someone, or picking someone up, or delivering something, or going to a community event or protest
- a photo that represents a FUTURE activity, event, gathering, or project, and your sentences explainand invite others to join you!
Get it?
About Erika Sanborne
Erika Sanborne is the website developer and administrator for Living Table. In addition to web development, she produces digital graphics, videos, animated explainers, and portraiture work. Her other hats include: long-time math and psychological science educator, ordained UCC clergy, disabled veteran who is for peace, disability justice advocate, population health and disability policy researcher, and sociology PhD candidate. (Read more on Erika's website)
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Today we were downloading the Listen Everywhere app so our smart phones can connect with digital hearing aids. I wish this would be available for more community events.
Sounds great, Cindy. It also sounds like a good example of an “ordinary things” blog post. If you can take a pic of doing things like this, send it in with an explanation for sharing. 🙂
I agree!! I too am so glad that Living Table offers this connection.
It’s great to be able to do church on Zoom!
The sidewalks are clear for people and penquins—and wild turkeys!
Yet another amazing bit of functionality for us to use to stay in touch.
Thanks, Sandy. I agree – it should be. So if people will take photos of these ordinary things and send them in, this sharing will happen. 🙂
I forget to take pics at church. Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks, Erica, for the little things that I am learning to use that make navigating around the website easier each time I login. Today I found a little arrows that will take me back up quickly to the top of a section that I have been reading. Thank you so much for all of your hard work, designing the website and the ways in which you continue to teach us the easiest ways to use it!
I’m glad you’re here 🙂