VSN Apr / May Newsletter

  • Author: VSN

SOULUTIONS
April / May 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in this issue
Vesper Service Network Brings Together Resources for Ministry
A New Way to Share Your Vision
Looking for Answers? Ask good questions.
Tip of the Month: How to use social-networking tools
 Dear Reader,
Here's the latest issue of 'Soulutions'.  Feel free to give us feedback on the topics below or post what you think.
Until then, sit back, read, and enjoy!
                         Home Page Detail

Vesper Service Network Brings Together Resources for Ministry

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Vesper Service Network brought together 6 Vesper Advisors and 23 faith-based organizations for a networking event on April 10, hosted by The Legacy Group and sponsored by an anonymous donor. The event gave ministry leaders an opportunity to network with their colleagues and exchange ideas on management, marketing and research, resource development, technology, and volunteer management. Each Vesper Advisor, a business person with experience in one of these areas, hosted small group discussions and lent their expertise to the conversations. Every participant had the opportunity to talk with at least three Advisors about the topics that interested them most.

By bringing people together and creating ways for them to help each other, we create valuable resources for our member community. Many of the ministry leaders told us they came away from the event with new ideas and new energy for their ministry. They also told us they would like VSN to continue to host events where they can connect to others who share their faith values and their passion for ministry.

And the Vesper Advisors enjoyed the opportunity to meet the ministry leaders. According to John McDowell, a Vesper Advisor who has spent more than 25 years in corporate management and led several volunteer church mission projects, "It was wonderful to meet so many people doing such great work. I was honored to be a part of this event, and to share some of my experiences, and hope that others could benefit from what I shared."

The Vesper Service Network connects faith-based not-for-profit organizations to each other, and to talented Vesper Advisors, like John, who share your faith values. Go to www.vesperservice.ning.com to sign up for our free on-line community and download a free summary of what we learned at the event.

Thanks to The Legacy Group for hosting the gathering, and thanks to everyone who attended and made this event a success.

A New Way to Share Your Vision 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Imagine giving your donors a tour of your new facility-before it's built. New technologies are expanding the ways in which not-for-profit organizations engage constituents. One not-for-profit, Palomar Pomerado Health, is taking advantage of the virtual reality tools available on Second Life, and has created a replica of its planned new facility in San Diego, which potential donors can tour on-line. To see a mini-tour, go to http://www.informationweek.com/galleries/showImage.jhtml?galleryID=149.

Have a Great Conversation
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Vesper Service Network we are all about bringing people together. Over the years we have hosted many small gatherings across the country, and brought people together to share fantastic food and interesting conversation. For each gathering we created a question, something that anyone can talk about and yet encourages us to look at familiar topics in new ways. Through these important questions we have learned more about ourselves and have made some lasting friendships.

Now we've captured those questions in our new book, "Important Questions," to help keep the conversations going. Go to our on-line store to buy a copy. Host a conversation of your own, or just inspire your own personal reflections. Try a question at your next staff retreat or family gathering. Have a great conversation.

Support independent publishing: buy this book on Lulu.
Tip of the Month:
How to use social-networking tools
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

While some of you may be very familiar with the tools available online to interact with others, there might be others who are new to these resources.  This will hopefully give you a little more information and have you blogging and posting away in no time!

Blogs are sort of like memos or journals that anyone can read; they can be about everyday, mundane items, but they can also be a great place to share what your organization is doing and tell others about your accomplishments.  What better way to keep friends of your organization up to speed on what your organization is up to?  People can check in now and again and get caught up with your progress.

And a blog also allows others to interact - people can comment on what you write, and you can comment back.

Forums are a great resource for asking questions or for passing on knowledge that you have that others could benefit from.  You can post a question you might have - for example, if you're having trouble filling an open position on your board, and you're wondering how other organizations have solved this problem.  Others can read your question in the forum, and respond with what they know - it enables you to get advice from others who have been there already.  It's like brainstorming online!

Photos & videos are also a good way to have people feel connected to your organization, to learn more about what you do, or just to share what you've been up to.

While meeting face to face plays a vital role in networking, these are new, online alternatives can help you get connected as well.
  And these you can even do from anywhere...maybe even wearing your pjs! (something one normally doesn't do while networking in person!!)