Magazine, website and social media competition

Tuesday March 15th 2016

The Church of Ireland Central Communications Board’s annual Magazine, Website and Social Media Competition is now open.

Entries are invited within a number of categories (details below) from Church of Ireland parishes, dioceses and associated organisations as well as individuals whose social media activity clearly relates to Church activity/outreach/witness.

Quality of presentation, strength of content and outreach potential will be the standards of excellence against which entries will be judged. The closing date is Friday 15^th April 2016. Winners will be announced at the General Synod in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin, 12^th-14^th May 2016.

Parish and diocesan magazines are important for the exchange of news and views across Church communities and printed media continues to play a vital role within the life of the Church of Ireland. In addition, websites are now firmly established as vehicles which allow the wider community to know about and participate in the life of the Church of Ireland, whether in parishes, dioceses or organisations, as well as helping ‘internal communications’ by providing the hub for information and enabling increasing interaction.

Beyond this, social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, E-zines, Flickr, along with Vimeo and YouTube video content and blogs create two-way platforms for communications, providing a potentially vast audience and offering innovative ways to assist in the Church’s ministry.

Within the Church of Ireland there are good examples of how all these various forms of communication are being used to build Christian community and communicate the Christian faith. This competition is an opportunity to learn what others are doing, to showcase good work and to join in.

CCB Chairman, the Most Rev Pat Storey, said: “Ways of communicating our faith and our Church, both old and new, are so important. It can be really hard work and time-consuming but so worthwhile! I encourage you to send in your best work and we are looking forward to seeing how different parishes and dioceses present themselves to the world.”

In the Magazine section entries are invited in three print media categories:

Diocesan Magazine
Parish Magazine/Newsletter
Church of Ireland affiliated organisation Magazine/Newsletter

In the Website section entries are invited in three categories:

Diocesan Website
Parish Website
Church of Ireland affiliated organisation Website

In the Social Media and Blogs section, two categories:

Most innovative use of social media e.g. Facebook, Twitter, E-bulletin etc.
Most engaging Blog

Entries are welcome from any committee or group associated with the Church of Ireland.

You can download a Magazine & Website Competition Entry Form 2016 here, or request one from Peter Cheney, Church of Ireland Press Office (by email: press@ireland.anglican.org or phone: from NI 028 9082 8882, from RoI 048 9082 8882) and send entries as follows.

N.B. Magazines and Newsletters – one recent copy – must be sent in hard copy with entry form to Peter Cheney, Press Office, Church of Ireland House, 61-67 Donegall Street, Belfast, BT1 2QH, Northern Ireland.

Website and Social Media entry forms should be sent with an example or link including a description of the technology, how applied and the objective of the initiative to Peter Cheney, Press Office, Church of Ireland House, 61-67 Donegall Street, Belfast, BT1 2QH, Northern Ireland or to press@ireland.anglican.org