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When I first started on staff at Prince of Peace in the fall of 2011, I was informed that one of my first responsibilities was to support the immediate transition to a new database, a new tool that would allow members to view their information (personal info, giving history) on their home computers.
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Over the years
318
people of POP installed "POP Online" (Church Life app) on their phones or logged in via a computer to view their giving or to find a member's information in the online directory. The number of people wanting to see their information online at POP grew as the world grew in their use of smart phones. For example, according to Pew Research, "
the share of Americans that own smartphones is now 77%, up from just 35% in Pew Research Center's first survey of smartphone ownership conducted in 2011"
. In fact, 50% of you reading this Connection Point, are doing this on a mobile device.
Administratively however, we quickly realized the limitations of our "new in 2011" database, from difficulty of use to inflexibility that we needed to manage all the many ministries of Prince of Peace. The developers of POP Online had realized these limitations also and created a new tool called "Realm". We have been evaluating Realm for the past several years, connecting with other churches who use Realm, seeing it first hand, learning and listening from them on the benefits and challenges. For people in the POP community, the biggest benefits we highlighted were:
- Individuals have their own personal profile and the ability to update their information
- Clear viewing of giving / pledge history
- Ability to give online
- Ability to communicate with other people at POP
- Sign up for events, either for POP or for the groups you are part of
- Individual control (you receive information how you want to receive it and you set your own privacy level of sharing personal information with others from POP)
- An online community only for POP - no ads, no external influences
In September 2018, we discerned that the time was right and so we migrated all of our church administrative data to Realm. Our staff quickly were amazed at the new efficiencies that came with Realm (along with its own limitations- part of any system). We trained our church council and group leaders in Realm and asked for their help to "test" Realm, to learn, to see what works and what doesn't before we launched this to the entire congregation.
Now we are at the time when we want to invite everyone in the POP community to be part of Realm.
Individuals can choose what level of engagement they would like to have with Realm. We will still maintain our current communication forms (e.g. weekly announcements, Connection Points). If you choose to not have a Realm login, that is ok! However, we do want everyone to be aware of these benefits that do exist with Realm so that you can choose for yourself how to engage.
One major benefit of Realm is the ability to give online and view your gifts. According to an ACI Worldwide study in 2017, 56% of all bills are paid online. This percentage just continues to grow. Giving online
benefits Prince of Peace in several ways. First, online giving eliminates administrative work that is needed to track gifts to the giver and eliminates chances of error. Online giving allows for visib
ility for planning and also ensure that gifts happen, even when there is a snowstorm.
How can you learn more about Realm and get connected?
POP Adults over 18 will receive two emails tomorrow (Thurs. February 7):
- First, members will receive an automatic email stating that their privacy settings in Realm have been changed. What this means, is that we will be including all of our active members and associate members (18 and older) in the POP Online Directory, just as we did with POP Online previously. Individuals' primary phone, email, address, and birthday (not year!) will be available to the POP community via Realm in the directory. You can modify the privacy of your personal contact information by setting up a Realm account or by contacting the church office.
- Second, members will receive an email invitation to join Realm, if you are not yet set up with a login. This personal invitation ensures the security of the POP Realm online community. You will be asked to click on a link, set up a password, then confirm your account once again via email. Click here to view the steps on how to set up an account in Realm.
You can set up a Realm account on a computer or any mobile device. There is a free mobile app, called "Realm Connect" available for download in Itunes or Google Play, if you prefer ("Connect - Our Church Community").
Any internet browser can be used for Realm,
except
Microsoft Explorer. Microsoft Explorer is no longer a supported browser, so that simply is not a safe browser to use for any internet search.
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- LIVE OVERVIEW THIS SUNDAY AT 10 AM: All are invited to a special hands on overview of Realm on Sunday, February 10 at 10 am in the Sanctuary. See Realm in action! Ask your questions.
- IN PERSON HELP AVAILABLE WEEKENDS FEB 16/17 & 23/24: We will have a "POP Genius Bar" set up for two weekends after worship to provide hands on help with Realm and also help people get connected to our weekly sermons via Podcasts. The only bad question is the one that isn't asked! Please ask for help as needed.
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Thank you for your help and patience as we fully launch Realm to the POP community. We are excited for the functionality this tool provides, but are most excited to see how this can enable more incredible ministry to happen in and beyond POP.
Please bring your questions this Sunday to our Realm overview or to the technical help weekends in February.
Together in Christ,
Karen Skarda
Director of Ministry
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Camp Weekend this Weekend - Wear Camp T-Shirts!
February 9 & 10
Even in the midst of winter, we are looking forward to summer camp! We are blessed to have Jenny Frantz from Lutheran Outdoor Ministries in Ohio join us in worship and leading Camp Sunday for our Sunday School kids at 10 am. Family Camp and Camp Mowana are wonderful summer ministry opportunities. Thanks to your support of the 20/20 Vision Campaign, Prince of Peace is able to offer $100 off for every youth camper. Join us to learn more about camp and supporting this ministry of the Church on February 9 and 10!
To learn more about our camp week click
here
for more info.
To register for camp and see what else LOMO has to offer - head to www.lomocamps.org.
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HOST A LENTEN JOURNEY GROUP
We are going on a 5-week Lenten Journey starting the week of March 10. Join with friends and neighbors to explore the ONE Journey we are on together as disciples. Each week is centered around worship, a group discussion from the guide book, and an individual or family challenge to grow in discipleship.
People will be able to sign up to be part of a journey group beginning the weekend of February 16/17.
Journey group hosts are needed to make that happen! Hosts simply decide what day/time of the week and where the group will meet.
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Engage Adult Education
Feb 10 - Overview of our new online directory, "Realm". Learn how to view your giving / pledging online.
Starting Feb 17, a new series on Faith & Finances
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Prince of Pizza
Pre-Orders taken through February 20
Pizzas available for pick up February 23, 24, 25
“You can’t please everyone, you’re not pizza!” We’d like to add to that – you’re not the PRINCE of PIZZA! Support our youth while taking home a delish treat to enjoy over the weekend.. Information and paper order forms are at the Welcome Center. Help send our youth to on the Discipleship Tour to Baltimore where they will grow in their lives of service, witness, faith, and love one pepperoni at a time! Contact Erin Kuhn (tim-erin@cinci.rr.com) with questions!
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POP Kids Silent Auction
Wednesday, February 27-Thursday, March 7, 2019
Donations due Wednesday, February 13
POP Kids School, a ministry of Prince of Peace, works every year on a tight budget so that we can keep tuition low and affordable to everyone. This also provides scholarships to children and helps us with large equipment purchases, special programming and teacher appreciation. We could use donations!
We are collecting donations now.
We would appreciate any items: event tickets, autographed sports memorabilia, jewelry, toys, time share or lodging, gift certificates (restaurant, movie, spa service, favorite store, etc.), service (personal trainer, lessons, painting, photography, etc.), hand-made items (scarves, jewelry, hair accessories, etc.). Donation forms are available in the main POP Kids hall on the coat rack. If you can’t donate, we love bidders too! You can bid everyday, all day! E-mail Jessica Doyle, jessicadoyle10@gmail.com with questions or school (popkids@popkidsschool.com) or call (683-1600).
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CHILI COOK-OFF
TUESDAY, MARCH 5
Sign up on the bulletin board to help bring food for the much-awaited annual chili cook-off or to enter your chili for judging. Contact
Judi Alemagno
to be part of the Events team that supports this fun event.
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Thank you to the 193 households who generously have made their pledges to the ONE Campaign for a total of $864,000.
Learn more about giving options
here
.
We thank you for your generosity as ONE Body in ONE mission!
Learn more about the 2019 ONE Campaign
here
.
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