News & Announcements

The summer 2023 edition of the Messenger includes information on how to use the online calendar, where to find information, and how it fits into our church’s communications.

There’s more to the online calendar than one might assume

It’s Friday afternoon, you check your email, and then it happens: *ding.* A new message from Catonsville Presbyterian Church. It’s the weekly newsletter, that email containing a worship preview, announcements, the bulletin link, upcoming events, and a link to last week’s sermon.

As you start perusing its contents—after all, nobody has ever glossed over a church email—you notice that an announcement is a little off. “Tomorrow, we’ll meet on Zoom at….” But wait! The Zoom meeting is supposed to be on Monday. Did the day change? Did someone send an email about this? You don’t want to go digging, but you do anyways.

Flash forward a week and the Zoom meeting is in the rear view mirror. You’re contemplating the sermon, and remember a piece of the liturgy that was profound, soul-stirring, electrifying. Your bulletin is long gone at this point, and a close examination of your inbox yields fruitless.

There’s a quick answer. Well, to be exact, there’s a place to go for quick answers: the church’s calendar! You’ve probably poked around the calendar at CatonsvillePres.org/Events. Thanks to some faithful, determined volunteers, the calendar has remained up-to-date for a few years now.

That trend is still going strong. Here are a few tips and tricks in case you find yourself struggling to find a bulletin, scratching your head over an announcement, or just plain curious:

You can find archived bulletins on the calendar.

The calendar page has a drop down button to easily find events in the past or future. You can select a specific Sunday to find its order of worship and bulletin, just like a filing cabinet. You can even search for a phrase or word (just be sure to set the date early enough).

View attachments, links, and background information

Events often include additional information that bulletins, social media, or weekly newsletters can’t include. This can include information on event organizers, community groups, directions, RSVP links, and more. How might your committee benefit by including a giving link, fillable form, or PDF on your event page?

Share a ministry schedule

There is a category drop down menu on the calendar page. This pulls up a list of events related to a particular ministry, like choir, creation care, or fellowship. Committees can use this to keep their own personal calendar, share it with others, and help spread the word while cutting out the clutter. If there’s a category that you believe will be beneficial, let the church office know.

Make the calendar your first stop

The online calendar is often the most up-to-date source of information. It can be changed in real time, so even if your weekly email, bulletin, or paper calendar isn’t correct, the online version can always be updated. And if you ever have a suspicion that something is amiss, email the church office – we’ll get things squared away for everyone to enjoy.