For a few summers, I went away to a summer camp for girls in the mountains in western Virginia.  We all ate together in the big dining room. In the minutes before the doors opened all the girls would gather on the porch ready to run to find seats with our friends. One of the kitchen staff would come out, and ring the big bell at the edge of the porch several times letting us know we could go in. We’d rush to our tables, and sit. Once everyone was seated, big bowls and platters would be delivered to the 20 tables of girls hungry for their meal. At lunch, someone would start to sing, and we’d all join in with great gusto:

Announcements, announcements, a-now-ow-ncements!
A terrible death to die, a terrible death to die,
A terrible death to be talked to death.
Announcements, announcements, a-now-ow-ncements!

A hush would fall over the room as we finished singing. We’d hear what we needed to know for the afternoon’s programming and any other necessary information. There it was: typically short and sweet. We’d dive into our food.

But in some places, it does feel like being talked to death.

You know how it is. Some Sundays are kind of like that.

One of the struggles in every congregation I’ve served is how to handle announcements. In a busy congregation like QUUF it is even more challenging: there’s always a lot going on, and many important messages to get out to the congregation.

Our Communications Guidelines say this about Sunday morning announcements:

Oral announcements can be made, at Minister’s discretion, during the “Announcements” time of Sunday mornings services. Most will focus on Fundraising. Additional announcements may be played on the screen in Fellowship Hall. Deadline to submit: Wednesday noon. Announcements are kept to a minimum and may be edited at the discretion of the Minister. 

We’re going to try what’s suggested in the Guidelines to reduce the time spent at the beginning of the Sunday services on announcements AND continue to communicate important messages and reminders on Sunday mornings. Starting on Sunday, April 27, we will only include a few spoken announcements and will use the screen in Fellowship Hall to project short written announcements that will scroll throughout coffee hour.

With this change, it will be critical for announcements to be sent in BY NOON ON WEDNESDAY.  We will not accept last-minute additions to the announcements.

For the remainder of the year, I’ll be determining which announcements are spoken and which will be on the screen. Between my departure after June 8 and the arrival of the interim minister, the staff will use their discretion to assign announcements to spoken or scrolled. Thanks for your understanding and attention!