There has been so much communication around Covid-19 and the pandemic. Now, we are ready to look ahead to a bright future. Let’s embrace new normal and ultimately, press the reset button.
Parishes from all over are figuring out the best ways to engage with parishioners, as we have one foot still in the pandemic and the other foot in the hope of a Covid-free world. Dioceses across the land are figuring out how to help their parishes operationalize while serving as a valuable resource for parishes. According to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, “Following the prolonged COVID-19 shutdown, many parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America have reported declines in weekly giving and long-term stewardship donations, significantly lowered attendance at holy services and ministries, and technological challenges associated with delivering services and ministries virtually.” To help alleviate the pressure that has been put on the parishes of the Archdiocese, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America has launched the “COVID-19 Parish Recovery Initiative” to provide struggling parishes with monetary support to enhance revenue opportunities, technical assistance from the Archdiocese and other affiliated organizations, as well as developmental and educational support. Some parishes have published their Phased Reopening plans similar to Plaquemines Parish.
Efforts like this are starting to pop up more frequently. But what about the people? What about the mental mindset of staff, members and supporters? The National Catholic Association has pulled together a library of resources which include Meditation Reflections, Prayers in video, audio, and print. Many are also leveraging the surge in mental wellness apps like Calm who brought in $99.4 million in revenue in the first 11 months of 2020, according to Quartz. As shown in the diagram below, similar apps have seen a tremendous surge as well.
Preserving your mental health requires daily operational efficiencies which can be created with using the right software. More than 9,000 parishes and 185+ arch/dioceses partner with ParishSOFT to simplify and amplify their operations and efforts using our easy-to-use software. As we press reset, this is the ideal time to assess how your technology creates opportunities for you to engage with parishes and parishioners. Does your software allow you to:
- protect parishes against potential fraud
- centralize all parish information in a single place
- get real-time information to support your parish
- standardize processes across your diocese
- easily connect with parishioners in your diocese
- make appeals and capital campaigns more effective
Whether you are a parish or a diocese, we have the solutions to keep you close to your members while creating operational efficiencies so you can focus on your primary purpose of serving God.