Slow to receive information?

[Everett Johnson]

Received a post card yesterday, February 9th, advertising the recommended resource for Fuel Week 2006. Why so late? It is impossible for me to purchase the materials, receive them, study and prepare adequately in such a short time span.

While making final plans and researching activities and studies for Fuel Week back in December the website www.fuelweek.com still contained 2005 information. Why? I continually find Nazarene websites with broken links, and out of date information (except naznet). I did download some of last year’s ideas and have incorporated them into our program.

I am always planning my youth activities around the district and church calendar at least three to six months ahead of the activity or program. It seems to be a trend in the Nazarene church to be late or behind schedule on everything. Don’t get me wrong, I love my church, it just seems as if we could do better.

I may be in the minority but I like to know and plan for programs and activities as far ahead of schedule as possible. At the present time we have some items twelve to eighteen months in the future. No matter how many times you announce or advertise a scheduled event someone always says, “We should have done more to announce this”

Sorry to bend your ears so much, I will now get down of my soapbox.

P.S. I am a youth pastor (volunteer)

In Him, Everett

[Lori Jeffrey]

Lack of communication IS really a huge problem. You would think of all the resources and technology that is around that everything would be covered. But it's not.

My suggestion is to try and get more involved on the district level. I am on the district NYI board and we have been working for the last 5 years to get the communication out to our Youth leaders faster and more accurate. We finally have a better working website that we have been telling our leaders to go to and to use. We finally have a person that is willing to keep the information on the site updated as soon as the info is passed onto them.
The problem is getting people to use the website. It's getting there, but it has taken too long of a time.

(About my suggestion about getting more involved on the district level) On my district we have people who are Zone Missionaries. In other words we have separated our district into Zones and a person who is from that area is selected to represent them. It is their job to contact the churches in their zone, get to know the person involved with the Youth (name, phone #, email, etc) and find out how things are going, and keep them connected to the district.

Good luck and just keep contacting the district NYI council members about communication (or lack of) this will help them know how to better serve you.

God bless,
Lori

[Everett Johnson]

I am involved on the district level, not as a member of the council, but in direct communication with many serving on council. My pastor’s wife is the district treasure. Through her we receive information before it’s actually distributed across the district.

I communicate with the district president via email on a regular basis. We attend all district functions/activities and verbally communicate questions, concerns, and suggestions with the council members.

The web master of our district website, is a youth pastor and works part time in developing websites for others. He is also our district leadership coordinator. We have become good friends and we communicate quite often. We are discussing online registration for camps, explosion, talent, sports, and TNT.

I agree that district participation is the place to start. The more contacts you have better the flow of information. I ‘m not down on my district as a source of information I have that under my control. We are divided into zones also but no information is received through them.

My concern is with the general church headquarters and its various departments. Mainly NYI & Barefoot Ministries since I'm more involved with them.

In Him, God Bless

[Ron Davis]

I received my Fuel Week info in early January. I have received two subsequent mailings since the.

[Everett Johnson]

Ron,

I can't explain why our church did not receive anything prior to what I've stated previously. I know making assumptions is always deadly but this is not the first time information has not been received in a timely manner or at all.

Our church secretary and pastor are very diligent in sorting the mail into the different mailboxes we have for each department. So I can only derive that the fault lies with headquarters or the USPS.

I have sent an email to barefoot ministries and NYI stating what has happened and inquiring as to what we should have received and when is was distributed. I will post results when I hear back.

Forgive me for coming across in a negative way and for airing my frustration with the system. My engineering background sometimes gets me in trouble.

In Him, Everett:basic05

[Lori Jeffrey]

Forgive me for coming across in a negative way and for airing my frustration with the system. My engineering background sometimes gets me in trouble.
:basic05

I didn't think you were coming across negative, it is just a bit frustrating when the info is slow getting to us. At least we can use Naznet to see if anyone else has more info

Did you know that the application for NYC 2007 is already out. I just found that out about 2 weeks ago. Its at www.waterfirewind.com
I haven't checked it out yet though

I'm glad to hear that you are connected with your district I was not insinuating that you weren't... just making sure you knew who else to contact.


Lori

[Ron Davis]

Ron,


Forgive me for coming across in a negative way and for airing my frustration with the system. My engineering background sometimes gets me in trouble.

In Him, Everett:basic05

I understand completely. My background is computer science.

[Everett Johnson]

NYC is another good example. I first heard of it last July and got additional information about the website at our district NYI convention in August. We received a poster with a payment schedule around the middle of December.

Do you remember “Bread” magazine and the old “Herald of Holiness”? These were great publications. I believe we could get more subscribers to the new “Holiness Today” if it were to include more pages with announcements, and advertising pertaining to all future events and activities of the general church. For instance Solocon, NYC, Laymen’s Conference, Quizzing….etc

Have to go for now. We are having a non-valentine dinner tonight. Taking teens to Friday's for a meal and return to church for a movie and popcorn. Snow is on its way. This may turn into a lock-in....Oh No....been there done that.


See ya later:basic03

[Ron Davis]

Snow is on its way. This may turn into a lock-in....Oh No....been there done that.


See ya later:basic03

After a lock-in the kids always want to know when the next one will be. I always tell them as soon as I have forgotten what this one was like. I getting too old for lock-ins.

I may have better luck getting info from KC because I live so close. We are only a little over 3 hours from KC. Although I just may not be noticing because I don't have much participation in things like Fuel Week and NYC.

My primary involvement is in our district Youthfest where I coordinate the Jr. Hi. girls basketball competition and then coach the regional team.