So, you’ve been handed the job title of “directory administrator.” The job at hand can feel daunting and overwhelming, especially if you feel all the responsibility lies on your shoulders. But this is a great opportunity to remind yourself that you don’t have to go this alone. You can take this project and organize a directory team to make the process of creating and updating your church directory fun and uniting instead of isolating.
There are just a few simple questions to consider as you set out to gather a team to fit your mission.
Who?
You’ll want to consider people who are passionate and excited about the reality of a new photo directory and see its importance. Look for those who see the value in creating a photo directory and who believe it can be a useful tool in the life of the church. Also, seek out individuals who have various talents — such as organizational skills, communication skills and computer knowledge.
Of course, you’ll want to find individuals that you can work with and who are willing to be a team — you know the old saying, “too many cooks in the kitchen ….” Gather team members who don’t mind getting in the trenches while bringing and sharing their strengths for the common good!
What?
What would my team do? Well, that’s up to you, but think about how you’ll want to announce, create, update and share your directory with your church members.
Some practical tips that we encourage include breaking your team into specific roles and responsibilities. For example, assign a team member the role of taking and submitting photos — this may ensure that your photos have a uniform look and quality. Delegate another team member to be responsible for gathering family information that will appear in your directory. Give another member the task of entering the family information into the directory. And, don’t forget about using dedicated people to share the ongoing responsibility of updating family information and photos throughout the year.
Contemplate aspects of starting up a directory that might overwhelm you. These “stressors” might be the perfect areas to share the responsibility with other team members to alleviate pressure for you as administrator. For example, find a team member who is technologically and computer savvy who would excel as a liaison or coordinator to help members access their directory online. This is especially helpful if you feel that troubleshooting problems or educating members will overburden you in your administrator role.
When?
Once you’ve reflected on the process and have decided the various roles of responsibility, start to reach out to your congregation for participants. Having a top-level plan in your mind about what you want to achieve will help create a vision about the team’s mission. Once you have that firmed in your mind, then you are ready to share your vision with others.
How?
Take time to meet collectively and then individually to fine-tune your approaches to various ideas. Make sure your team members understand their roles. Don’t forget to relay your expectations of their responsibilities. This helps everyone be on the same page. Make certain your directory program has tools and resources for helping you get your directory underway and that your team has access to them — anything from family information sheets to log-in instructions for accessing your directory online.
Bottom line: Make this project a fun and engaging time. Get a plan, declare responsibilities, express expectations and utilize your team members’ strengths and ideas. This can be challenging but knowing the reward at the end of the process is a church directory that can bring your church community together.
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” –Helen Keller