The Diocesan Commission on Church Growth and Evangelism offers the following questions to help congregations to assess their outgoing telephone messages and Web sites. Send additional suggestions for the list to the Commission’s chair, Mr. Scott Bennett, three.bennetts@verizon.net

Telephone message self-assessment

• Is the information up-to-date?
• Is there a way to leave a message or get to the right person without waiting through a long message?
• Is the location of the church included in the message?
• Are pastoral care emergency numbers or selections included early in the message?
• Is the voice on the recording pleasant and soothing?
• Does the speaker speak slowly and distinctly?
• Does the message give accurate times when a person will be in the church office?
• Does the message give times of the worship services?

• Does the directions page include a picture of the church building?
• Is contact information included in an easy-to-find place?
• Does your homepage include a “Who We Are” statement -- which may or may not be the mission statement?
• Is your site easy to navigate?
• Does your site include an accurate schedule for worship?
• Does your site include information on Church School and Adult Forums?
• Do you include links to our diocese and other connected entities (e.g. The Episcopal Church and your municipality)

• Do you list people and activities on the homepage?
• Do you include a scrapbook, photo album …?

Visit http://www.dioceseofnewark.org/technology/webworkshop/ for help creating, re-creating or sprucing up your Web site (including a basic church Web site template).