Update on Communications Practices at Brighton First

The Communications Task Force, formed as part of Brighton First’s strategic plan, has completed its work and submitted a report to the Administrative Board for approval in August. The Communications Team was tasked with reviewing  communication practices at Brighton First and creating  policy and guidelines.

Key recommendations from the Communications Task Force include:

• Continue to use the current Brighton First logo in publications. After consulting with Mark Doyle, the director of communications for the Michigan Area United Methodist Church, the team determined that our current logo is most effective for our context. 

• Completely update the website by November 2017. The communication goal is that the website be the primary source for information for both visitors and regular attenders at Brighton First. Over the last year, we have made improvements, providing more information. The website will be redesigned to reflect current trends and enhanced usability.

• Change the format and frequency of Brighton First's newsletter. The newsletter in its current format will end in September, and we will send five mailings per year with an emphasis on our vision and mission as a church. The revised newsletter will accompany Christmas and Easter letters, as well as three giving statement mailings. Church members will continue to receive news of upcoming events through the worship bulletin, weekly e-news, Facebook and the website. For those who do not attend church and/or rely on the newsletter for information, we will mail bulletins (which contain letters from Pastor Sherry and news of upcoming events) monthly.

• Provide a concise description of communications channels that church groups may use to get their news and announcements out. This information is included in the Policy and Guideline document that will be available on line by mid-August.

We are grateful for the work of Joanne Schmidt, Terry Keefe, Alyssa Tumolo and Rev. Sherry Parker-Lewis, who worked over several months to create the communications guidelines. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Pastor Sherry.