The (Potential) Beauty of The City at CBCMV

CBCMVers,

Hi,  Pastor Jason here.  for weeks now, you've likely heard about a new "thing" we're using around here called the City.  What is it, what does it do, and why are we using it?  All valid questions deserving of answers ... I hope the next few paragraphs provide those answers.  If not, please contact me at pastorjason@cbcmv.com.  I really love and look forward to answering your questions ... all of us on staff here at CBCMV are in the communications business, and whether it's sharing the precious Gospel or information on the next fellowship opportunity (read: chance to stuff our faces together!), you deserve to have questions and concerns answered honestly, quickly, and in the right spirit ... so never be afraid to ask!

Around the time we were moving from our old sanctuary building to our new office facility, Nancy Artman and I began looking for a more comprehensive way of keeping track of you all - our church body - and communicating to you.  At the time, we were using multiple programs that each had their own learning curve and their own quirks.  We began a search for something better, and what we found was the City.  It's a powerful website that is equal parts membership database, church calendaring tool, mass e-mail tool, and super-fun private Facebook.  With the City, we can:

• Keep a record of our members, their important dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.), and how to get in touch with them, like a church database program would
• Create events for all of our ministries and handle the roles and needs online through a simple, universal interface, like a church calendaring program would
• Send out mass church e-mails (and not so mass e-mails ... like to specific and smaller ministries like the cleaning crew) like a mass e-mail program would
• Spur encouraging and thought-provoking conversations about Jesus, life, and the community we're attempting to foster here at CBCMV, like Facebook (sometimes!) does

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.  Several of our ministry leaders are keyed into the City now, and they're using it to communicate regularly with their ministry teams, plan and staff events, share the results of those events and both encourage those who have attended and challenge those who missed it to get involved.  

Personally, I'm excited about the City for two very specific reasons: 1). clear and constant communication, and 2). growing community.  First, the City allows me as a ministry leader (and, me as just ol' Jason) to log on from anywhere I have Internet access (or through my phone ... there's a very cool mobile version of the City that works just like the "big" version) and contact my co-workers, ministry partners and friends with my thoughts, needs, prayer requests ... anything.  And, since the City links up to my e-mail address, I get alerted to anything going on in any of my groups - be they ministry-related or just friend-related - via e-mail, without having to go online at all.  In fact, I can reply to any topic, need or request listed on the City via e-mail ... I don't have to actually visit the website at all to stay involved!  That comes in handy for folks on the go.

Second, the City has a TON of cool features to help encourage our body towards deeper, more meaningful community.  For example, the City uses its e-mail, database and mapping powers to help ministry leaders connect folks that are new to our fellowship to ministries that meet their needs, are in their communities (like Home Fellowships) or could use their specific talents.  It also allows all users to create their own groups based on "affinity", which means if you have ten friends at CBCMV who like to spelunk (that's cave diving, son) and you want to form a group that stays in touch easily and efficiently, the City can more than handle that.  You could be the head spelunker, setting up conversations and events for your group, posting photos of your latest daring journey and encouraging others to get involved with you.  And, while spelunking might not sound very spiritually meaningful on the surface, the friendships that arise from the fellowship of spelunking hopefully will lead to conversations and decisions about living fully for Christ. 

But - and this is important - none of this cool stuff happens for you or the people around you if you don't sign up. I know some of you are less tech-savvy than others, and might not want to deal with another piece of technology ... but, this is the primary way CBCMV is going to be communicating going forward, and we want you to come along for the ride.  You can create a profile at the City by clicking here. Please join us at the City so that we can keep you and yours in the loop about what God is doing here at CBCMV, and so that we can encourage and challenge you in your walk with Christ in this new and exciting year!

- Pastor Jason