Sacrament Program Integration

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ericpastuer
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Sacrament Program Integration

#1

Post by ericpastuer »

The church could save millions of pieces of paper (and therefore money) by no longer printing programs (or fewer programs) for Sunday meetings. To offset this cost a web app could be built as a program designer which saves a program in an xml or json format in the Clerk and Leader Resources section of LDS.org. This program could then be downloaded in a lightweight format which would then be rendered on the client device. Simultaneously, the designer would create the print friendly version for the clerk to print.

This could solve multiple issues since you could require that a user sync all their data in LDS tools every week, even though it would be preferable if the Sunday program were a separate sync function.
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sbradshaw
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Re: Sacrament Program Integration

#2

Post by sbradshaw »

Digital programs have been discussed on the forums here before, and there are several ideas floating around of how to accomplish this. I like your idea of Leader and Clerk Resources being a central place for pulling together information for the next week's program.
Samuel Bradshaw • If you desire to serve God, you are called to the work.
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johnshaw
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Re: Sacrament Program Integration

#3

Post by johnshaw »

We will continue to print programs as long as people are not using mobile devices....

But that said, the church has not been very good at providing a rich-context editing tool for our use (Newsletter). Maybe that can change, but it doesn't seem very high on the list of priorities. I'd like to see at least a document repository for both Stake and Ward added to LCR that auto-populated a category on LDS Tools based on selected criteria in the document repository. Push-notifications through LDSTools is where I'd like to see something like this that could be expanded to include the 'Ward Mission Plan', the 'Ward Emergency Plan', 'Girls Camp Packing List', Flyers for upcoming events, etc...
“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.”
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sbradshaw
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Re: Sacrament Program Integration

#4

Post by sbradshaw »

Agreed. I like how the original poster mentioned "Simultaneously, the designer would create the print friendly version for the clerk to print" – that will still be necessary for a few more years; and I think it's important to be able to design the layout of the program uniquely based on the ward. But Leader and Clerk Resources would be a good place to pull together the raw data – who's giving the prayers, who's speaking, what songs will be sung, etc.
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lmcguire
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Re: Sacrament Program Integration

#5

Post by lmcguire »

Personally, I don't see why we need the paper at all (even for people without electronics). I can tell you right now what the program for your next sacrament meeting will be (not the names, but the program, and the names really don't add much to a person sitting in the pews).

(If we're gonna go electronic, I think sufficient tools already exist, but no one's using them to their full potential.)

However, if we're gonna propose the above ideas, do women have access to this LCR thing? Cuz the person called to make the program is frequently a woman, and from other posts / conversations, it seems to me like this might be a priesthood or bishopric & clerks-only thing.

Liz
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sbradshaw
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Re: Sacrament Program Integration

#6

Post by sbradshaw »

All standard ward council members, plus their counselors and secretaries, have access to Leader and Clerk Resources. This includes Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary presidencies.

There are also others who have access who aren't part of the ward council. From what I understand, this currently includes Visiting Teaching Coordinators, Visiting Teaching District Supervisors, and Home Teaching District Supervisors.

Different people get access to different reports and tools on Leader and Clerk Resources, depending on their calling.
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sbradshaw
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Re: Sacrament Program Integration

#7

Post by sbradshaw »

I like having a program so I can glance at it and remember/learn people's names when they get up to give a talk, lead the music, pray, etc. For those that don't use technology, the weekly program is also the best way to get the word out about other things in the ward – for example, announcements, events, how to set up an appointment with the bishop, and even how to use / where to find the up-to-date information on LDS.org or in LDS Tools. It helps minimize the number of announcements from the pulpit, as the person conducting can just ask people to refer to the program. For me, I would be fine if the program were digital or printed, and I know how to get ward information online – but those who don't use technology are the ones we usually have the hardest time to let them know about ward events, etc., and without a printed program we would have nothing.
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aebrown
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Re: Sacrament Program Integration

#8

Post by aebrown »

lmcguire wrote:Personally, I don't see why we need the paper at all (even for people without electronics). I can tell you right now what the program for your next sacrament meeting will be (not the names, but the program, and the names really don't add much to a person sitting in the pews).
No, you can't -- because our sacrament meeting program is used for much more than just the boilerplate for the meeting. It includes announcements and calendar items, which greatly reduces the number of announcements that need to be made over the pulpit. That is a good thing, because it lets us focus more of the time on the real purposes of sacrament meeting.

I would hope that if there ever were an electronic sacrament program generator (which I personally doubt will happen anytime soon), it would allow for such informational items. Also, our ward has many people who don't use technology much at all, so I see a paper version being useful for many years to come.
lmcguire
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Re: Sacrament Program Integration

#9

Post by lmcguire »

aebrown wrote:
lmcguire wrote:Personally, I don't see why we need the paper at all (even for people without electronics). I can tell you right now what the program for your next sacrament meeting will be (not the names, but the program, and the names really don't add much to a person sitting in the pews).
No, you can't -- because our sacrament meeting program is used for much more than just the boilerplate for the meeting. It includes announcements and calendar items, which greatly reduces the number of announcements that need to be made over the pulpit. That is a good thing, because it lets us focus more of the time on the real purposes of sacrament meeting
Sorry, I should have been more clear on two points - the "don't see a need at all" was strictly for the program portion; as for the rest of what's on there, I should have said *I* don't feel a need for it. I can get everything I need from LDS Tools - either the directory or the calendar - or from other places, like my ears and sign-up sheets.

I recognize there are people who can't / don't use electronic tools, and for them, the paper is a good resource - let them have it (I don't think the church needs to worry about the cost of printing). Even if some people just *want* the paper, let them have it.

For those who want it electronic, I also think we should let them have it. I think we already have the tools, if we're willing to use them - the whole thing could be done as a newsletter entry, and I'm betting the program could be a calendar event (assuming I'm correct that those can include a lot more text than people generally use)... I think it's not electronic yet because we haven't reached a tipping point and/or the people with the power haven't chosen to use their agency to make it electronic via available means... (That's no reason for someone not to use their agency to build a really cool tool, either, I just think if someone really wanted to, and had the access rights, they could already do it.)

Just my geeky perspective,

Liz
lmcguire
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Re: Sacrament Program Integration

#10

Post by lmcguire »

lmcguire wrote:...the whole thing could be done as a newsletter entry, and I'm betting the program could be a calendar event...
Yep, just confirmed with my brother (who has the rights) - both would work, with varying degrees of "pretty". Now I just have to con my Ward Clerk into giving our newsletter / program person rights, then con her into a bit of copy and paste.... ;)

Liz
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