June was a wild time as quarantine dragged on and the world seemed to be in chaos, but Christ Link was able to start up our team trainings since group meeting restrictions were dropped and we had our first-ever board meeting. This was so good and such a great time to get the tone, organization and unity started at a time where frankly we all had a bit more time on our hands.
What Christ Link Was Doing
At this time frame we had been assisting churches with information to get set up with an effective recording system as they held church online and we were also streamlining a few design projects to get websites up and running for Pine Grove Community Church and Faith Church. Along with this work we were planning and prepping for the vision of the future (along with reading a ton of legal documents – government applications are never straightforward. All of this work and studying legal jargon will pay off once we have our nonprofit status. We are already seeing the websites’ ranking, usability and design helping the churches we are working with.
At Our Board Meeting
At our first board meeting, we were able to accomplish two primary things.
- First we were able to get to know each other better. While the board as a whole have slight connections and knew each other we had a meal, fun conversation and really just built our community.
- Second, we started casting our vision for Christ Link and the steps that will be needed to accomplish that vision. From building up team members to developing and growing skills to first and foremost, getting our 501(c)3 nonprofit status!
Getting nonprofit status required more research, creating our by-laws, and getting approved for multiple things from the government. We also discussed whether we wanted to pay for a lawyer to go through the application process. Since we couldn’t find $10,000 plus dollars in the couch cushions we decided to go through the work ourselves. I (Wesley) also proposed this because we are already doing the work despite the funding. We are growing and developing our team as we impact local Christian organizations. By getting nonprofit status we will simply be able to maximize that impact.
Our Board
- President: Wesley Gehman
- Vice President: Bennett Smith
- Treasurer: Mary Jane Horton
- Secretary: Kirk Wolfe
Additional Active Members:
- Nolan Lapp
- Jenny Lapp
- Megan Smith
- Christ Horton
- Alex Gehman
As you can see we have quite a few couples on the board. It is so amazing that they serve together in such a way. Also, Megan makes amazing food. The meal takes the board meeting to a whole new level.
At Our Team Training
Our first team training was so cool! We also had a meal. It was less impressive because I made it, but we all got to meet together on a Monday evening at my small apartment in Pine Grove. The first topic that we trained on was LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a social media platform that is business-oriented. The reason I picked this as our topic is two-fold. First, everyone on our team is looking to improve and better themselves in marketing skills and use it to help them acquire a job they desire. Second, it is a social platform for business marketing. It was such a fun time setting up their accounts teaching them a bit about how LinkedIn works, and how they can make it work for themselves.
Our Team
- Wesley Gehman
- Katie Wolfe (Her dad is Kirk our secretary for those nosey people out there)
- Macey Wolfe (not related for those that found the last fact interesting)
- Hannah Noecker
- Ty Kiser (He is part of the “away team” who also does internet marketing as a career. He provides support and training in areas related to Analytics and Social Media)
Join Us
We would love for you to join our team to learn more about internet marketing while serving Christian organizations to help increase their impact in sharing the Gospel with the lost. Even if you are unsure but interested, submit a contact form and let us know!