STAFF REQUEST & EVENTS FORMS

• In-House Event Form
• Leave Request Form
• Funeral Form
• Money Authorization Form “Green Form”
• Vehicle Request Form
• Work Order Form
• AC Request Form
• Overnight Group Request
• Borrowing Form

COMMUNICATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
First United Methodist Church of Pensacola is a growing and thriving church with numerous activities and opportunities for service, fellowship and worship. Part of our job as staff is to effectively communicate this to the congregation, community and the world. Â By following a few communication guidelines, we can better communicate this life-changing information in a professional, polished and effective manner. Please read and use the guidelines and resources listed below. If you have any questions or comments regarding Communication Policies, please contact Kelsey Seager, Director of Communications.

Font and Typography
Preferred font: Avenir Next, 11 pt

General Rules for First UMC Pensacola Print Publications
1. Use only one font throughout the document. The use of single font makes the design more unified and aesthetically pleasing. It also makes things easier to read and less cluttered. The preferred font at First Church is Avenir Next, 11 pt.
2. Avoid hard to read fonts. Although fonts can set a mood or atmosphere, readability and legibility are more important when it comes to communication. Avoid fonts with heavy swirling strokes, most cursive fonts, and other decorative fonts.
3. Use complete sentences and proper grammar. [Don’t type in ALL CAPS or use multiple punctuation (!!!)]
4. Bold and italics should be used, where appropriate, but not overused.
5. When including a time in your article, please follow these general rules: Time listed in a headline or title should be written am or pm (lower case,  no space after number, no periods –Example: Men’s Bible Breakfast, 10:00am). 
6. When referring to the church please use one of the following: First United Methodist Church of Pensacola (formal), First UMC Pensacola (semi-formal), or First Church (informal). However, “First Church” should only be used after using the formal or semi-formal version of the church name.
7. When referring to a location on the campus of First Church, please use its proper name. These include Main Sanctuary, Wesley Abbey, Education Building, The Wright Place, Henry Roberts Activity Center, Ike Terry Rehearsal Hall, Youth Ministries Center, and Outreach Ministries Building.
8. Any church related communications (including articles, publications and electronic media) are subject to additional editing or formatting for style and content by the Director of Communications.

Approved Communication Methods
First Church has established standard formats and practices for communicating to the congregation and community. Staff and laity are expected to use the approved formats in the manner that they are intended.

Email any submissions to Kelsey Seager, Director of Communications. All submissions are subject to approval and can be edited as needed. 

Submissions must be sent in the following format:

Event Name
Sunday, January 22 | 5:00 – 6:00pm | The Main Sanctuary
One to four sentences describing your event, how to register, and any other important information.

The Methodist Witness
The Methodist Witness is the monthly newsletter of First Church. This is one of the primary means of communicating important activities and events to both the congregation and visitors. Each month, the Witness is distributed digitally through Constant Contact. 100+ copies are printed to be picked up in-person for those who need it. It is also distributed to our homebound members by our Congregational Care Ministry. Every ministry and area of the church is expected to include their activities in The Methodist Witness, even if you communicate with people directly related to your activity using another format.

The Methodist Witness is intended to provide positive promotion of the church to both members and visitors, while including the necessary information about activities and events and how to get involved. In addition to providing information about upcoming events, The Methodist Witness should also be used to celebrate successful previous events. It is the staffs responsibility to submit follow-ups of events to be communicated.

Church members and volunteers are also invited to submit items to be published in The Methodist Witness, but should be aware that all submissions are subject to editing or formatting for style and content.

Bulletin for Sunday Worship
The back page of the Sunday Worship Bulletin includes time sensitive announcements, usually for the coming week.  Announcement space in the bulletin is limited and subject to approval. These announcements are all written in a standardized format and font and include no clipart. During special occasions additional announcement inserts may be added to the bulletin.

Bulletin Boards/Posters
Bulletin boards are positioned around the church campus and should be used to display posters or flyers. Posters/Flyers should not be posted on walls or doors. Also, please remember to remove your poster after your event has concluded.

Pylons, Exterior Signage and Banners
Special events may also be advertised using the information pylons located in each lobby, as well as using exterior signage including banners and our main church sign. Any exterior or lobby signage should be scheduled with the Director of Communications.

FUMCPensacola.com
FUMCPensacola.com provides the most comprehensive overview of all the ministries, services and activities for the church. Please check information regarding your areas of responsibility on a regular basis and make sure this information stays up-to-date.  Information which is submitted for publication in The Methodist Witness is also formatted to be included on the website. The website is also the ideal location to include additional information, which could not be included in The Methodist Witness. To make sure that your event or activity is included, please contact the Director of Communication.

Emailing
All staff of First Church should be provided with an official church email address. This address consists of the initial of their first name followed by their last name. (Example: kseager@fumcpensacola.com) This email is to be used for church related activities and correspondence. Please be aware that all emails sent and received to this address are the property of First Church and are not subject to privacy.

Email intended for groups of 20 or more should be sent using Constant Contact. Constant Contact is a bulk-email provider that complies with FCC guidelines and allows users to unsubscribe from receiving emails from an organization, if desired. Church-wide email or email intended for groups of 250+ should be coordinated through the Director of Communications.

Phone Tree
For special events and other approved meetings, a phone message can be sent to assigned groups by Phone Tree.  Requests for phone trees must be submitted via email to shead@fumcpensacola.com and should include: Date for sending phone tree (please allow 48 hours), exact script of phone tree announcement (please limit to less than 25 seconds), and a list (including phone numbers) of the group you would like called.  It is the requesting parties responsibility to make sure the list and phone numbers is up-to-date and accurate.

Facebook
Facebook can be used to help communicate information to church members who have a Facebook account. The church’s page can be found at www.facebook.com/FUMCPensacola. This allows Facebook users to check-in, like, view photos, leave comments and more.  Members and visitors are encouraged to “check-in” whenever they are at First Church.

Other Forms of Communication
Other forms of communication are available including postcards, pylons, banners and more. Please consult with the Director of Communications to decide the most effective of form of communication from your ministry or event.