OpenChurch

Old registers, whiteboard schedules, and a binder nobody can find. Sound familiar? We see you, parish offices. This is OpenChurch, and we're so glad to finally share a first look.

Today the Church remembers St. Leonard of Noblac, a 6th-century hermit near Limoges who secured freedom for prisoners and founded an abbey on land given in thanks. A good day to pray for those behind walls, and for every parish visiting them with dignity.

Four places should match this week: the website, outdoor sign, bulletin, and voicemail for Thanksgiving week. Closed days, when you reopen, and one pastoral emergency number — same wording in all four. The Friday caller then gets one clear answer.

For everyone who is going through a hardship, struggle, pain, loss, the sun shines for everyone even on the darkest of days, we will be okay!

Miss a required field when you add a household or change settings in OpenChurch, and a list at the top names every problem. Tap one and you land on that field. No more hunting for a toast that already disappeared.

Thanksgiving weekend, and two of the 10:30 readers will be out of town. In OpenChurch, each volunteer can have their own link showing their upcoming spots. They pick someone from the list to ask, and when that person accepts, the schedule updates itself.

Myth: a bilingual parish office has to pick one language for its software. Reality: OpenChurch runs in English and Spanish. The parish sets a default, and each person can switch for themselves, so the secretary and the treasurer can each work in their own language.

More than a thousand Navajo Nation residents face flooding this week. The Episcopal Church in Navajoland is coordinating relief as winter arrives—food, water, shelter, fuel. Holding them in prayer. episcopalnewsservice.org/202…

Today Anglicans remember Elizabeth and Zechariah, parents of John the Baptist. Luke tells how they waited long years, then greeted Mary's visit with joy. A good day to pray for couples waiting, and for every parish walking with them.

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, a trunk full of turkeys and no delivery list. Make the list now: each family's name, address, phone, and any food allergies, plus which driver has them. Print two copies, one for the office and one for the drivers.

New in OpenChurch: a task can now go to someone outside the staff, like the boiler repair company or a volunteer who doesn't use the app. Just type their name. The task shows them as Outside, nobody gets a login, and staff still check it off when it's done.

Monday morning, coffee still hot, and someone asks what's on this week. OpenChurch has a page for that: Monday through Sunday at a glance, with the week's events, Mass intentions, and tasks still open. Next week is one click over.

Boston's Old North Church went up in six months in 1723, from sketches of Christopher Wren's London churches. At 15, Paul Revere joined its bell ringers. In 1775, two lanterns in its steeple warned that troops were coming by sea. oldnorth.com/congregation-hi…

November is the month the Church remembers her faithful departed. Every name in the book of the dead, every Mass offered for a loved one, kept with care.

Today Catholics remember St. Charles Borromeo (1538–1584), Archbishop of Milan, who stayed with his people through the plague of 1576 to feed the hungry and nurse the sick. He's a patron of catechists, a good day to thank everyone teaching faith formation in your parish.

Not every December booking makes it onto the office calendar. Before Advent starts, pull every hall reservation for the month: Christmas parties, choir rehearsals, scout meetings, the food pantry. Confirm the date, setup time, and who's locking up after.

New in OpenChurch: after Mass, one tap from the dashboard opens just today's intentions, today on top. Once one is marked said, the sacristy sheet and Sunday packet show "Said on" with the date, in English or Spanish, so nobody has to guess.

6:40 a.m., weekday service at 7. Side door unlocked, lights on, candles lit, the book set out. In OpenChurch, staff can write a morning routine like that once, and it shows up fresh on the dashboard each day to tick off. Yesterday's list stays just as it was.

Two churches, one coffee hour. In Stevens Point, Wisconsin, a Lutheran and an Episcopal congregation became one, Beloved Community, in 2024, with an early Prayer Book service and a later Lutheran one. Does your church share anything with a neighbor church?

Today Catholics and Lutherans remember St. Martín de Porres (1579–1639), a Dominican brother in Lima who nursed the sick, fed the poor, and helped found an orphanage. A good day to thank the volunteers who quietly keep a parish's care ministries going.