The Connection Partner System
Tired of losing choir members because they become disconnected and move on to something else? The answer is to keep them connected. So how do you do it?
As a Minister of Music, I was blessed to build choirs in 6 churches in TX, FL, GA and LA. I was using the Section Leader System that I learned in seminary years ago. With this system, Section Leaders have the main responsibility to keep up with members of their section. (Roll, Absentee follow-up, etc.) When my choir and orchestra started growing past 300 members, the Section Leader System became insufficient. People were not contacted properly and got their feelings hurt. I had to try to win them back!
Next, we tried the Care Group Leader System with 72 care group leaders having 5-6 in their group. We enlisted and trained them, and everyone was excited about the new system! It worked well for about 3 weeks. Once again folks stared falling between the cracks!
As a last resort, we tried a form of the Buddy System, and it worked!
The new system became known as the Connection Partner System, because it effectively connected members to the choir and orchestra. The late Dave Williamson asked me to write a chapter about connection in his book, God’s Singers.
Why connect members to your organization?
- You NEVER lose Connected choir members!
- Connected choir members attract more choir members than Un-Connected ones do
- You cannot build a choir with people who Flake in and Flake out!
How does it work?
- Members choose their connection partner – men to men, women to women, and no family members
- Every choir member has 1 person to notify when absent
- Connection Partners are only re-active, and Not responsible to contact absentees.
- Each one receives a business card from WorshiPlanner with the partner’s contact info to put in their Contact list.
- Partners notify one another when they MUST be absent
- When notified in advance of an absence, the partner marks a “C” by the connected partner’s name on a paper roll sheet.
- In WorshiPlanner, there is a check box in EZ Check-In digital check-in to indicate a partner asked to be marked connected.
- When both members must miss, one contacts the Music Office.
What is your part in the process?
- Follow-up! If you do not, the members know that attendance is not important to you, and thus not important to them!!!
- If you select the right people to run the Connection Partner System, it runs itself, but you MUST Follow-Up!
- Your consistent follow-up based on attendance is crucial!
- WorshiPlanner is the only software with the Connection Partner System built in!
- Follow-up takes less than 10 minutes!
What WorshiPlanner lets you do:
- WorshiPlanner lets you send 3 different types of emails or texts; Attenders, Connected Absentees, and Un-Connected Absentees.
- To my knowledge, there is no other software designed to communicate using email or text messages with all 3 groups
How to Organize the Connection Partner System
- Section Leaders are still vital, as is a Connection Officer.
- The Connection Officer maintains contact with Section Leaders to make sure all members are included in the organization.
- Section Leaders oversee the CPS in their section.
- Section Leaders take the odd man out as their connection partner until a new member joins their section.
- An officer is selected to oversee the CPS with the Section Leaders
- Each member card in WorshiPlanner has a place to select the Connection Partner’s name from a list of members.
What if you failed to consistently communicate based on attendance in the past?
- Start fresh today!
Blessings!
Jim Faull
Bugle Boy Music