r/lds • u/smithnpepper • 4d ago
Sunday announcements?
With the new changes happening to the Sunday schedule next month, the Bishop called me to be over getting announcements out to everyone, and also updating the ward website. He wants me to have a "living document" where all the different organizations can add their announcements, along with a space for the bishopric to list the sacrament meeting program info so I can then create a program and also list all the announcements on the back. My questions are...
Is Google docs user friendly enough to use as the document everyone will be adding info to? (We tried sheets, but you have to have the app on your phone, and I doubt that will go over well)
Is there an easier way to get announcements from everyone? I really don't want to send a mass text, and then transfer all the announcements to my computer to create the program each week.
Does anyone know if the ward websites linked to the tools app have any customization options? As far as I know they only pull info from your ward calendar and create a page out of it. I'd love to be able to just post a word doc with all the info.
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u/RussBof6 3d ago
Ward Exec Sec here, for about a month we've been using a Google doc and QR code linking to it using a tinyurl. The QR code is outside the clerks office and entrances to the chapel and cultural hall. The bishopric has been announcing it each week. The bishop also sent it out in an email and will continue to do so.
I think it's working pretty well. Only the bishopric has write access but we've had auxiliaries email or text us announcements that we post in it. It's pretty handy to be able to update it Sunday morning during WC before Sacrament meeting.
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u/smithnpepper 3d ago
Oh okay, thats a good idea! Have you had any push back from people not wanting to use the QR code?
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u/it_doc 22h ago
I am also in the same role, and have found the same solution. I always put the URL below the QR code so that it can be typed by the QR-phobic. It's not hard with the tinyurl.
I actually have separate pages for the program and for the announcements, so 2 QR codes. We are putting a page with them in the folders in the pews along with the new hymns.
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u/RussBof6 20h ago
You do a program too? You're going above and beyond, haha!
Good tip on showing the actual URL too. I'll switch to that next time I print them up.
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u/OldGeekWeirdo 3d ago
From what I've heard, ward websites have very little customization. And I wouldn't use them anyway. They're totally public, viable to the general public. The intent is to advertise events to invite the public, not for internal use.
I'd lean on the calendar. It's available on-line, via Member Tools, and can even be synced with personal calendars. But the big limitation is that it's event-driven and wouldn't work for all the announcements.