''You have all the information from the parish readily available in your pocket''
Mirjam Buizer-Mens of Barger-Compascuum, in addition to being secretary on the parish council, has also been app administrator of the MijnRKK app for the parish of Mary, Duchess of Drenthe for more than three years.
Together with her husband Arie, they provide parish members with all information through the MijnRKK app and website.
Can you tell a little more about the parish and the four faith communities?
The four faith communities, divided into four locations, merged into the parish of Mary, Duchess of Drenthe on Jan. 1, 2017. Together with the 6,800 parishioners, we are building a community in which our faith and our daily lives with all their facets are central. We celebrate our faith in weekend celebrations, on weekdays and in special moments of joy and sorrow.
Why did you start the MijnRKK app three years ago?
The app was suggested from within our Diocese. We wanted to keep up with the times and new developments; that included an app. An app is easy and fast and has all kinds of useful features. You are very quickly informed of everything that is happening in the parish.
I put the pastor's new sermon into the app every week. When I get a news item I put it also
directly in the app.
How did the rollout of the app go within the parish?
Using the app was easier for some members than others. Some of the parishioners assumed they would not understand the app and did not want to try it at first. The contrary was proven by parishioners who did download the app. They find the app easy and user-friendly. They are excited about how quickly and easily they can view parish information in the app.
What is the app primarily used for?
We mainly use the calendar, the pastor’s sermon and news reports. The calendar provides a convenient listing of all celebrations at the various faith communities and other activities. Every week the pastor’s sermon can be read in the app, this is well attended. The news module features reports from the parish, the four faith communities and the national and world news of the Roman Catholic Church.
For you, what is the main added value of using the app?
You have all parish information readily available in your pocket. I don’t always have the parish bulletin at my disposal but I do have my phone. Now I always have the information. Through the push notifications, I also know right away when a new post has been made in the app and so I stay up to date on the news. The app makes this very accessible.
Could you talk a bit about your role as app administrator? What are your duties and what do you like about this role?
As app administrator, I am responsible for the information contained in the app. I put weekly the pastor’s new sermon into the app. When I get a news item I also put it directly into the app. Every five or six weeks a parish bulletin comes out, then I immediately put all the celebrations in the calendar. I like to see that the content in the app is actually read by the members.
Would you recommend the MijnRKK app to other parishes?
Yes, the app has a lot of news value and it is easy to reach a large group quickly through the push notifications. It takes some work in the beginning to set everything up and have parishioners use the app but once this is done it is very practical to use the app and share information.
Online Socie demonstration
Sign up for the free Socie demonstration on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. to learn about the Socie App.
