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Network Blog

What's new in the world of the ELCA Youth Ministry Network, with random other ministry thoughts scattered throughout.

The Network Lives In The Cloud

Todd Buegler - Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  - Hebrews 12:1

Someone recently asked me "How does the network get its work done?"  "Well, what do you mean?"  They went on to wonder about how a completely deployed organization, made up 99.9% of volunteers, over 120 of them, in every region of the church, got all of this stuff coordinated. 

My answer:  The Network lives in the cloud.

The cloud, as in the cloud of software.

Here's how we do things:
  • Our primary method of communication is our web site, at www.elcaymnet.org (the one you're looking at right now.)  It is a web-based editing suite with distributed editing rights, which means that different people in different parts of the Network have editing rights of different parts of the site.  To do this, we use the "Compass" editing system hosted by www.infusion.com.
  • Our e-mail service uses Constant Contact.  Constant contact is the leading e-mail marketing tool in the country right now.  You hear their ads on the radio or on TV.  It too is web based and different people can access and edit the materials in the e-news. (www.constantcontact.com)
  • We have a ton of different teams that are doing their work.  Everything from the Extravaganza Team to the Connect Journal Team to the Vision 2.0 Team.  Each team has a section in our web-based project management software.  It is put out by a company called 37Signals.  The program we use is called "Basecamp."  It is a simple, easy to use tool that allows us to stay organized and communicate.  (www.basecamphq.com)
  • The Network Database is also hosted on the web, and can be accessed by any number of people who have user-rights.  We use TrackVia for this.  Our mailing lists, membership, donors, Extravaganza registration, etc is all hosted on TrackVia.  (www.trackvia.com)
None of this stuff is hosted on any one single computer.  It all lives on the web.  It is all dispersed...accessible...usable...  In an organization such as ours, that's the most efficient way for us to do our work. 

I think it's also an apt metaphor for what the Network is.  The Network is non-hierarchical.  The Network isn't "based" really anywhere (the mailing address is my house, but that's just because we need a mailing address).  There are primary points of contact, but no one person or organization can "claim" the Network as its own.  It doesn't belong to any single resource provider, to the churchwide organization or any one church, synod or region.  It is possible to draw the Network's org structure out on a whiteboard.  But if you then looked at the board, you'd have to realize that really, the Network "lives" in the space between the boxes. 

The Network belongs to its members, an life is breathed into it by the Holy Spirit.  It is hard to pin down. 

But this gives it life and Spirit.

Truly, the Network lives in the cloud.

Peace,
Todd.
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Why Every Year?

Todd Buegler - Saturday, December 19, 2009

We received the following e-mail from Sarah Hausken, in the Southwest Minnesota Synod Office.  She had a great question about the Extravaganza.  With her permission, her question, and my reply follows:
_________________________________
Dear Todd,
I'm wondering if the network has considered doing Extravaganza every 3rd year?  I know there would be down sides to this as well, but from what I'm hearing in our synod, people really like to go, but they want to do other cont. ed things as well.  They'd also be excited about a really big event where more of their colleagues could commit to going which might be better accomplished on an every 3rd year system.   I'm guessing this is something the board has already considered, but since it's come up a couple times in conversation, I thought I'd pass it along.

 

Thank you!
Sarah

 

Hi Sarah!  Many thanks for your note! 

 

We have talked about doing the E on an every-other year, or every third year basis.  The board has decided to maintain it annually.  The primary reason is that people can choose to do it every other year, or every third year (or whenever they want!) on their own, but if we don't offer it, we don't give them the opportunity.  And, we believe pretty strongly that people that are new really need to 'connect' early in their ministry to enter into a support system, and so if it's not for another 2 years, they don't have that opportunity.

 

We have toyed with the idea of a different model:  One year big and national...next year, 3-4 smaller regional...
We will continue to have the conversation.  Thanks for your thoughts on it!

 

Peace,
Todd.

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Network Board Meeting

Todd Buegler - Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Network's Board of Directors has been meeting Thursday, yesterday, and today  at the St. Raphaela's Retreat Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  It has been a good meeting!  There have been lots of items of business that have come up in the last few days.  In the very near future, we will be posting the Board's meeting minutes for people to review.  

One of the highlights was at lunch today when we had 8-10 youth ministers from the Southeast Pennsylvania Synod join us for lunch.  It was casual, but the conversation was rich.  We just spent time talking about their congregational ministry, hearing their stories, enjoying their company, laughing and connecting.  Much of the thinking with these good people, as it is with many youth ministers around the country, I'm sure, is around the financial crisis and its impact on congregational finances.  Extra pressure is going to be added to congregations (and their youth and family ministry leaders) to figure out ways of raising funds.  This is going to be a significant challenge.

This is a good group of people, gathered here for this meeting.  The Network's board is really committed to the health and vitality of the Network, and of the ecology of youth and family ministry as a whole.  

More to come on their work...
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