Communications

How to get information communicated at St. Luke's

If you are planning an event or need help in getting something communicated, feel free to contact any of the Communications Team members (complete the contact form at this link (be sure to put a checkmark in the Communications Team box): http://stlukeshr.com/p_contact.asp).

 

When planning an event don't forget to plan your communication methods in advance. Here is a typical calendar of lead-times necessary to support your event:

Resource	Lead Time
The Chronicle notices	3-4 weeks; see below
Press Coverage	4-6 weeks
Overview Brochure	4 weeks
Web Page	3 weeks
Video "Ministry Moments"	3 weeks
Brochures/Flyers/Posters	3 weeks
Direct Mail	3 weeks
PowerPoint Announcements	1 week
Bulletin Announcements	1 week
"Sunday at St. Luke's" Email	1 week
Pulpit Announcement	1 week
The Chronicle Article	1 week post-event

Your Communications Team can help you decide the best ways to get the word out about an event or report on the successes your group has experienced. Choosing varied methods of communication helps insure the success of your event. Have an idea for something different? The possibilities are limited only by our imagination. Tell us your ideas and we will do our best to help you make it happen. If you would like help with content and guidelines, call your Comm Team. We're here to help!

Bulletin

Short announcements in the weekly Sunday bulletin should be submitted to the church secretary, Bonnie Funk. Deadline: 3 PM Tuesdays.  They may be emailed to the office or dropped off in the church office Mondays through Fridays from 8 AM to 4:30 PM.  Text should be no longer than 40 words, with the topic, date, time, location, and contact information only (see a previous bulletin for examples). 

Bulletin Boards

If you would like help with content and guidelines, call the church secretary, Bonnie 303-791-0659 x10 or email Bonnie.

Direct Mail / Invitations

The direct approach, i.e., postcards for communicating with select subsets or personal invitations handed out between services can help get the word out to those you are trying to reach.  Examples include advertising the UMW Spring Fling and special SLY events. Targeted mailing lists and labels are available through the office staff.  All requests must comply with the St. Luke's UMC Confidentiality Policy.  If you would like to do a targeted mailing to a specific group from the church database, call the Office Secretary, Bonnie 303-791-0659 x10 or email Bonnie.  You may also qualify for bulk mailing rates to save money.  Allow 3 weeks lead time.

Flyers / Posters / Brochures

Flyers and posters are a great way to get the word out. Be sure to include the "who, what, where, when and why" of your event. Tips for a good Flyer or Poster:

• Include information about the event, date, time, place, and contact.

• Garamond and Gill Sans are the preferred fonts for St. Luke's.

• Include a graphic that reprints clearly when copied and communicates something about your theme or event.

When you are ready for print, please send your final draft to the Communications Team for final editing. They will send it back to you ready to print! You may do all of your printing at the church. See Dave Cupp for your copier code.

 

Please contact our Church Secretary, Bonnie 303-791-0659 x10 or email Bonnie for approval of where to hang these items before you post!

 

Brochures are a good tool for introducing new members and constituents to your group. They give a brief overview of what you're about. Include your group's mission statement and information about how to get involved.  Please contact our Communications Team to publish this item. They can help you in writing text, editing, and keeping with St. Luke’s formats. 

The Chronicle

The Chronicle is published 10 times a year.  It's a great place for post-event coverage. This is a great place to boast of successes! By recapping great events, we create momentum toward next year's efforts.

 

Upcoming major events and schedules are also published here, i.e. Advent, Easter, Stewardship. If your group has events that are integral to these, be sure to submit your event information by the deadlines. For example, Advent events will be published in the November edition. The deadline is October 20! Have you started your Advent planning yet?

Issue	Deadline for Submissions
February	January 20
March	February 20
April	March 20
May	April 20
June/July	June 1
August	July 20
September	August 20
October	September 20
November	October 20
December/January	December 1

Deadlines occasionally change due to special circumstances; if you have questions about the deadline date for the next issue, check page 2 of the previous issue (available here) or email the Chronicle editor. Submissions should be sent to The Chronicle.

Press

For notice placement in the external press (e.g., the Highlands Ranch Herald, Denver Post), contact your Comm. Team Contact at least 4-6 weeks in advance. Types of press include advertisements of upcoming events or human interest stories (e.g., past mission trips).

Email

Email may be sent to various St. Luke's members, to various groups of members, or to all St. Luke's members who have requested email as a form of contact.  The St. Luke's web site, http://www.stlukeshr.com "Members Connection" contains email addresses of some individual members.  The EMinistry>Email lists section of the web site allows mail to be sent to various groups at St. Luke's; new email lists may also be easily created.  Contact Lynda Fickling via email if you would like to be a part of our mass email to be sent to all members and constituents who have requested this type of communication.

PowerPoint (Big Screen)

To advertise your event on the video screen before Sunday services, send a brief announcement here. The deadline is 3 PM Thursday.  Text should be no longer than one or two sentences, with the topic, date, time and location. Announcements will be run no more than two Sundays before an event.

Sunday Worship Service Announcement

Please let one of the office staff or Pastors know if you would like to make an announcement during a Sunday Worship Service; they will let you know whether time is available at the beginning of the service.  Videos (see below) are preferred over personal announcements except in unusual situations, to better control the time and to insure that all services hear the same announcement.  If you do give an announcement, keep it to one minute or less.  If you would like to request one of the Pastors to make the announcement, put it in writing in the box outside of their office; there is no guarantee that the pastor will be able to make the announcement.

Video

To have a video prepared (e.g., a Ministry Moment), please contact Ken Fong at 303-346-7057 or via email at least three weeks in advance.  These videos can be a good way to provide exposure to a small group, to advertise upcoming events, or to highlight a special occasion.  The current schedule for videos is available here.

Web Site

Registrations and other forms of feedback are easily handled by creating a special event web page. Direct the St. Luke's Community to your event under the Upcoming Events section of the main web site. Include pictures of past events, and detailed information about your event that is accessible 24 hours a day from St. Luke's web site. Examples include the Family Camp, Nursery Reservation, and Youth Mission Trip.  Send submissions to the web site team. Three weeks of lead time are recommended.

Other Communication Tools 

Church Event Calendar  We have an events calendar and an Upcoming Events calendar to show what's going on at St. Luke's, such as small group meetings, rehearsals and classes. Contact Bonnie Funk 303-791-0659 x10 or email Bonnie to schedule these events.

Get Connected Center 

Please make sure you have any flyers/signups located at the center. If it is a large event (i.e.: spiritual retreat…) or collection of money, the small group is responsible for assigning a person from that team to be present on Sunday mornings.  If you need a separate table, please discuss the need with the Director of Servant Ministry prior to the Sunday you wish to set-up.

Office Machines 

The copier is available for use by committees and work areas. Making copies is the responsibility of the committee, not the office staff. If you need assistance in using the machine or getting a user number, please contact Bonnie Funk or Dave Cupp. If you have a large quantity of copies, please check with Bonnie to set up a time when you may come in to use the copier.

 

The Secretary’s computer is not for “general” use. Arrangements can be made with staff members, if necessary, for the use of a computer.

Mailing 

Postage Meter and Notecards are available in the church office from Bonnie. You will be responsible for taking your mailings to the post office, not the office staff, unless it can be picked up by the postman. If your mailings need to be weighed and metered, you will be responsible for taking them to the post office to have this done. We have a small scale in the office that you may use. Your committee will be required to provide volunteers for folding, stuffing and stamping the materials

Office Supplies and Stationary 

Office supplies are kept in the office. If you need something please ask Bonnie if it is available, if not, she will order it for you. This will take 1-2 days. If you take something from the workroom cabinet and it’s the next to last one, please write it on sticky note, date it, and tape it to Bonnie’ desk. This will let Bonnie know when it was taken and it will allow her to reorder it so that it will be available for the next person who needs it. If you need a large amount of supplies, please let Bonnie know 1-2 weeks in advance of your project time so she can order them for you or your committee.

 

Adult Education supplies – please contact Rev. Brad Laurvick. 303-791-0659 x12 or email Brad
Children’s Ministry supplies – please contact Children’s Ministry – Joely Maddux 303-791-0659 x11 or email Joely

Letterhead stationary and matching envelopes: Please do not take these without first consulting with Bonnie. Please use letterhead at a minimum, as it is very expensive. Other paper and envelopes are also available in the church office.

Payment of Invoices/Check Reimbursements: If you need a bill paid or if you need to be reimbursed, you must fill at a reimbursement form located in lower left box of the Staff Mail Box area. Attach all receipts and place back in his mail slot. Questions regarding any other finances should be directed to our Finance Director, Dave Cupp.

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Additional information:

A large archive of photos of previous St. Luke's activities is available from Sharon Oliver and/or Ken Fong.  Unfortunately, they are not yet well organized.  Contact them if you would like a copy of a photo; please give the approximate date and description of the event.