The communications director for the VdC National Lutheran Secretariat, Amanda Hunter, moderated discussion of ways to use technology to improve information sharing both inside and outside your organization. Topics were initiated by several of the 16 attendees and included websites, livestreaming, copyright licensing, and social media.
Several websites were shared on screen for discussion, including the national VdC website and those of several chapters, such as www.inkyvdc.org. Various features were discussed, including use of photos and menu organization. One suggestion was to remove all personal phone numbers and addresses. Another was to separate information intended for community members (cristoistas) from that intended for potential pilgrims and to make it as easy as possible for potential pilgrims to find information and apply for a weekend. For anyone looking to create a website, Amanda suggested that paying a professional to set it up and train you can be worthwhile, if finances permit of course.
Several VdC chapters said that they livestream some of their events. Amanda shared that she prefers streaming to Facebook over Zoom because Zoom requires a password. With Facebook, she prefers streaming to a Facebook page over a Facebook group because a Facebook page is more flexible.
Amanda said that there are two types of copyright licensing. One is for lyrics (printed and distributed electronically) and the other is for streaming of the music performances. One company to consider using is CCLI, which bases its pricing on the number of people in your organization and covers most songs and traditional hymns. Another company is One Voice. Amanda shared that if streaming a performance live, it’s best to not put words on screen, as a stream without words is more likely to be overlooked by Facebook and not muted. If Facebook does mute it, you can tell Facebook the event was live and sometimes they will unmute it (especially if you have a CCLI license).
Facebook is the social media platform most commonly used by VdC chapters. One said Instagram is also used. None reported using TikTok. Other formats were not mentioned. Amanda said that if you use Constant Contact for your emails, it has a feature that will automatically generate a Facebook post with your email’s content, which is a convenient time saver.
Amanda recommended using video in addition to photos to promote engagement and invited anyone with questions or seeking resources to contact her at communications@viadecristo.org.
