Even when a visitor in town calls to check on service hours, it's not sterile information they want to hear; they would much rather have that information shared by a person whose voice and personally tailored response communicates interest and concern. Perhaps the caller also needs directions, or even a ride. And wouldn't it be refreshing for this visitor to be greeted at the church door by someone who has been given their name, and is prepared to invite the visitor to sit with them during the service? Can a machine do all that?

There are still many people who will not place their message on tape. This is especially true of the "pre-baby bommers". And these are often the same people who have for many years called this their church home and have been faithful in participating with their presence and presents. These of all people should have no cause for discomfort when trying to call their church.

Already the telephone has serious limitations as a medium of communication. To further depersonalize an impersonal medium seems to make little sense.

Those who have had experience with answering machines, may well conclude that if the machine "picks up", what's really happening is that their call is being "screened". This may send an even more devestating message to a caller who already is worried that their reason for calling the church isn't very secure. And doesn't the church especially want to be ready to minister to these very people? In the event that the pastor does use the machine in order to screen calls, what if there is another person in the pastor's office when this call is received? They too will hear the incoming message; in some cases it would be very upsetting if a caller knew that some unknown party was privy to a message they assumed was meant only for the pastor's ears.

For some troubled people who call the church, the last thing they would want is for their name and phone number to become, as far as they know, public information. This is especially so if they have an unpublished number, an option more and more used in urban and suburban areas. How likely are these people to leave a call back number on tape?

Churches which place a long message on their answering machine (inspirational message or service hours, for example) impose on ther caller's time by requiring them to listen to this entire message before taping their own message. The aggravation caused is simmilar to that brought about by canned music a caller must tolerate when being placed on "hold". These are not conducive to a good attitude toward the church. This becomes even more of an aggravation for people who must pay a long distance fee to call the church. Each time this prolonged message is played, they are billed for the time, that is if they are patient enough to "wait for the beep" at the end of the message.

Some churches have tarnished their reputations further by utilizing computer generated phone calls. On Saturday evening the phones in the homes of every church member rings, and when answered a recorded message of the Pastor is heard. By this means everyone is given a fresh invitation to attend services, learns what the sermon will be, and is especially reminded to have their tithe envelope with them. This proactive use of the machine sounds wonderful, but has anyone taken the time to evaluate the attitudes of the members who receive this canned hype week after week? If they don't already use their own answering machine to screen calls, members will certainly want to begin doing so on Saturday evenings. In this way the church encourages our culture to take one more giant step toward that coveted day when personal communication is nearly eliminated, relaced with "your machine talking with my machine."

The church should establish regular "phone hours", times each day when someone will certainly be at the church to answer the phone. These hours should be widely publicized in church bulletins, occassional pulpit announcements, bulletin boards, newsletters as well as in the local phone directory "Yellow Pages" if possible. The church telephone must never be unattended during these announced times. After a while, a congregation will adjust to this schedule. As long as there is an adequate number of "phone hours", most of the calls can be handled in a personal and competent manner. There may be a few people for whom every question or problem is an "emergency". However, even these people can be trained in a redefinition of this term. When this is done successfully, their calls will decrease or be channelled to other appropriate leaders.

Telephone numbers of church elders or other spiritually qualified members may also be publicized. By doing this, if someone needs prayer, and no one is at the church, their concerns will not be ignored. Members will eventually be taught what to do when the church phone is unattended. Other leaders' phone numbers may also be available for members: Youth Leaders, Sunday School Superintendent, Church Council Secretary, etc. Pastors should work to train members to call the appropriate leader rather than depending on the Pastor when they need program information.

In most areas phone companies have "call forwarding" options which will allow for calls to be automaticly transferred to a specified number. It may be that in the congregation there's a home where someone is almost always present. This person, couple, or even family including grown children can be trained to receive calls as if they were being received at the church. This too is far superior to the sterile reception offered by even the most personable of answering devices.

If the church cannot hire a qualified office administrator or secretary, a pool of volunteers may be recruited and carefully trained.

Whether they are paid office employees, volunteers who work at the church, or people who answer church related calls in their own homes, careful training must always accompany their appointment to this task. Such training should ask and answer the following questions:

Who should answer the phone?

When more than one person is at the church during "phone hours", a priority arrangement should be set.