Last November, we shared that the Quaker Cloud website-hosting program of Friends General Conference will be phased out by December 1, 2023.  At that time, I said “We are hopeful that together, we can create a community of Friends who are invested in connecting and communicating with one another, with seekers, and with the general public through websites, social media, and tools that FGC offers today and in the future.”

That community is now here.  It is called the Quaker Communications Community of Practice (QCCOP).  The permanent hub for this community is located at www.fgcquaker.org/qccop.  Please bookmark it.

QCCOP is your opportunity to be more directly connected with Friends who have been tasked with or enjoy website development and social media management.  We anticipate a quarterly email newsletter from FGC staff with relevant communications news.  We will also co-create (with you) a communications tool that will work for most members of the community.  That tool, such as Slack or Google Groups, will allow you to send out requests for thought partners or referrals, or share solutions to common problems you’ve experienced in the course of your duties as a webmaster or social media administrator.

Please save the following dates:

• Sunday, April 23, 2023, 6pm Eastern/3pm Pacific, or
• Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 11am Eastern/8am Pacific

Decide which meeting you’d like to attend and then join us there.  A Zoom link will be sent to this list about a week beforehand. 

At this meeting, you will be introduced formally to Johanna Jackson, FGC’s newly hired Communications Associate, and to YIKES, Inc., the team that developed the FGC website and the new Quaker Cloud WordPress Theme.  YIKES will lead conversations about free and paid migration options for those leaving Quaker Cloud.  

We will also introduce at this meeting the Quaker Cloud WordPress Theme, a free, downloadable WordPress theme for any meeting that needs it.

If you are reading this, the most important thing for you to know is that FGC is working hard to gather the most accurate information about all webmasters and social media managers in the community.  Could you please share this page widely through your networks so that no webmaster is left behind as we build this community?  

In Friendship,
Rashid Darden, Communications Manager