Autodialer or something???

[[Admin] osborn4]

Seems to me, if they want to volunteer, then they should be somewhat responsible for keeping in touch, whether that means checking email on a regular basis or accepting a handful text messages per month.

If all they have is a landline phone and no answering machine and no email that they check on a regular basis, maybe they don't want to serve very badly. They need to give you a way of asymetrically communicating with them.

[Cliff]

Originally Posted by wogster

I missed the 30 number in the original message, that's not enough for anything other then the oldest technology on the planet, the jungle telegraph. You have 4 people you call, they each have 3 people they call, and they each have 3 people they call, that's 36, more then covers your need. What's more important, the people calling will quickly know WHEN to call those people who don't have answering machines.

You can probably make it easier, anyone who has email gets an email, these days that's going to be more then 50%, some of the remainder will be able to get texts, so you can probably get to 75% there. That leaves you about 7 or 8 that need calling, you can convince a few people to make the required phone calls.

That is probably how it will go, just thought it would be simpler if there was one service/app that I could post to and it would email, text, facebook, tweet everyone on the list. The do autodialer for the others.

Many who have email do not check it regular.

This is for overall church not just the volunteers or worship team.

[wogster]

Originally Posted by Cliff

That is probably how it will go, just thought it would be simpler if there was one service/app that I could post to and it would email, text, facebook, tweet everyone on the list. The do autodialer for the others.

Many who have email do not check it regular.

This is for overall church not just the volunteers or worship team.

There are two methodologies to keep in mind, push and pull, email is a push technology, you push the content out to the users. There is nothing you can do about whether they catch what your pushing, other then promotion. This applies to any push technology, email, text, telephone calls, Sunday Morning bulletins it applies even to snail mail or carrier pigeon. The other is pull technology, where the receiver asks for information: examples are the web, phone numbers for information, bulletin boards, pamphlets, and asking the usher on Sunday Morning.

For general church use, we use the bulletin, bulletin boards and the website, nothing wrong with posting volunteer information to any of these, unless it's confidential. When you look at it, there really isn't that much that is confidential and stuff that is, tends to be targeted to a few individuals.

If someone is interested in email information, they will check their email, if they want phone information they will get an answering machine. Your not operating in a vacuum here, where the onus is entirely on the person providing the information, as I said earlier, they have to work with you on this.

[petereit]

For what it's worth, I use Sprint as my cellular provider. If I send a text message to traditional voice number, Sprint automatically routes the message through its Text 2 Landline service. When they answer their phone (or an answering machine picks up), the system reads the text message to them and even gives them the opportunity to respond. Responses are automatically routed back to my voice mail.

So in your scenario, I would set up a group with the 30 phone numbers. I would send a single text message to the group. Everyone with a texting-capable cell phone would just receive the text. Everyone else would have the text read to them as soon as they answered, or it would be left on their answering machine.

[Cliff]

Originally Posted by wogster

For general church use, we use the bulletin, bulletin boards and the website, nothing wrong with posting volunteer information to any of these, unless it's confidential. When you look at it, there really isn't that much that is confidential and stuff that is, tends to be targeted to a few individuals.

If someone is interested in email information, they will check their email, if they want phone information they will get an answering machine. Your not operating in a vacuum here, where the onus is entirely on the person providing the information, as I said earlier, they have to work with you on this.

The thing is not everyone can be there every Sunday to hear the announcement or see the bulletin. Not everyone uses email regular.
So I am looking for ways to keep in contact in a form that they use.
Email is outdated for some, many now use text or facebook in this area, but not all.

[wogster]

Originally Posted by Cliff

The thing is not everyone can be there every Sunday to hear the announcement or see the bulletin. Not everyone uses email regular.
So I am looking for ways to keep in contact in a form that they use.
Email is outdated for some, many now use text or facebook in this area, but not all.

Okay, a person doesn't answer their phone, doesn't have an answering machine, doesn't read their email, doesn't attend services doesn't read the website. Doesn't have texting ability, I'm starting to wonder how serious they are about volunteering

[[Admin] osborn4]

"This is for the overall church."

I think the concept still remains. If they aren't interested enough to check the web site or have a way to be contacted, I dont' think they're that interested in being contacted.

You can only do the best you can do.

[Cliff]

If they do not want to use the method we want to use then it is their problem?
They may have a way just not our chosen way. Today many use text and Facebook, some email, some still only phone.

[Cliff]

Originally Posted by wogster

Okay, a person doesn't answer their phone, doesn't have an answering machine, doesn't read their email, doesn't attend services doesn't read the website. Doesn't have texting ability, I'm starting to wonder how serious they are about volunteering

How did you get that from anything I have written?
I myself work shiftwork and as such have not been there for up to 6 weeks. Others are in the same boat.

Just because all of use do not use the same method of communication, and there are many now, means they don't want to volunteer?

This is for the overall church not just volunteers.

[waynehoskins]

15 years ago in the student ministry of a larger church, we did a combination of a monthly mailing and automated calling (I believe the device we used was called Phone Tree).

These days, for a similar number of people, we do a weekly email blast, and for those who subscribe to our updates on Facebook, we do periodic reminders for upcoming events. That seems to take care of most people.

I hear that Planning Center handles volunteer notifications well. It's something I've wanted us to start using for some time, but we haven't yet.

[wogster]

Originally Posted by Cliff

How did you get that from anything I have written?
I myself work shiftwork and as such have not been there for up to 6 weeks. Others are in the same boat.

Just because all of use do not use the same method of communication, and there are many now, means they don't want to volunteer?

This is for the overall church not just volunteers.

I realize people work shift work and can't attend services, been there done that, off and on for over a decade. Your right not everyone uses the same method of communication, which is why you can't use a single technology to reach everyone. For those who are just looking for general information, bulletins and the website are good method of getting info out, so is the church sign if it can be changed. I guess you could send out a mailing, but that gets expensive.

Volunteers are a different issue, they need to work with you, and volunteers in different areas can use different methods as well. One group can use the phone, another can use email, still another can use FB, and another can use a bulletin board at the church. It should be up to the group though.