Today’s tip: Establish a working relationship with your parish’s (registration) database.
It always looks good when parishes have an event and they collect every participant’s contact and personal information (name, number, marital status, profession, etc.). But then what? If these people are never contacted, then the data collected eventually becomes useless.
A rule of thumb in the world of data collection and marketing is that when someone gives you their personal information to offer volunteer services, you have 48 hours to make initial contact with them to, 1) acknowledge successful collection of their contact information, and 2) let them know when you will contact them again about volunteer opportunities.
To make this happen at your parish, start by talking with your pastor, parish secretary and/or parish registry manager to get a list of all parishioners between the ages of 18 and 39.
Whenever you have a young adult gathering, be sure to offer parish registration cards/applications to any young adult interested in volunteering with a ministry in your parish. This way you can add to your young adult list and to your parish’s registry. Then, everyone will have the opportunity to utilize the gifts of young adults.
Makana Aiona is the diocesan coordinator for Young Adult Ministry.
