Include Archives and History in Your Planning
Many churches meet in January to plan the year's ministries. The Commission on Archives and History has several suggestions that each church should consider as it plans:
1. Each church should assess the condition of its archives. Are the most vital documents secure from water, insect, and rodent damage? Are they kept in fireproof storage containers? In the case of membership records and irreplaceable photographs, do backup copies exist? The widespread use of digital scanners makes backing up very easy.
2. Each church should have a written retention policy. One of the main problems with local church archives is that they contain too much! The General Commission on Archives and History has published guidelines that help churches develop their own policies concerning which documents should be retained and how long they should be retained.
3. Each church should consider writing its history. Churches with published histories should consider writing an update to cover events since the last history was published.
4. Heritage Sunday should be put on the church's calendar now! May 21, 2006 is the official Heritage Sunday, but a church may choose some other date if May 21 is inconvenient. The important thing is to observe the day. The theme for this year's observance is the celebration of the 50th anniversary of full clergy rights for women. Special materials for the observance can be found at the General Commission's website, www.gcah.org.
The Commission requests that chairs of the various planning meetings include these four items on your agenda. The members of the Commission are eager to help you accomplish these goals. For more information please contact your district representative or one of the officers listed in the side bar.
1. Each church should assess the condition of its archives. Are the most vital documents secure from water, insect, and rodent damage? Are they kept in fireproof storage containers? In the case of membership records and irreplaceable photographs, do backup copies exist? The widespread use of digital scanners makes backing up very easy.
2. Each church should have a written retention policy. One of the main problems with local church archives is that they contain too much! The General Commission on Archives and History has published guidelines that help churches develop their own policies concerning which documents should be retained and how long they should be retained.
3. Each church should consider writing its history. Churches with published histories should consider writing an update to cover events since the last history was published.
4. Heritage Sunday should be put on the church's calendar now! May 21, 2006 is the official Heritage Sunday, but a church may choose some other date if May 21 is inconvenient. The important thing is to observe the day. The theme for this year's observance is the celebration of the 50th anniversary of full clergy rights for women. Special materials for the observance can be found at the General Commission's website, www.gcah.org.
The Commission requests that chairs of the various planning meetings include these four items on your agenda. The members of the Commission are eager to help you accomplish these goals. For more information please contact your district representative or one of the officers listed in the side bar.
posted by texman at 9:14 AM
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