Grace under Pressure
Along came Charley. Then there was Frances. St. Michael's & All Angels Episcopal Church on Sanibel Island, an island of little more than 6,000 people nestled off the coast of southwest Florida, has battled two brutal hurricanes this season. However, two major storms have not stopped St. Michael's from going about their everyday mission work and services. With the help of ACS Technologies, the church has actually increased its outreach and services to accommodate an island and a congregation in need. With the help of ACS Extend and Access ACS, St. Michael's is using their Web site (www.saintmichaels-sanibel.org) as a vital tool for members and visitors to stay up to date on the recovery efforts, find out how to participate in the relief effort, view the damage to the church as well as the community, and find information on service schedules.

Having a vision.
St. Michael's need was very similar to churches everywhere: Design a Web site that will help further construct and maintain a thriving church community. St. Michael's wanted to build a Web site to assist in recruiting new members, reaching out and better engaging the current congregation, encouraging more involvement in the church, increasing member contributions, and even keeping members connected through innovative forms of communication.

After meeting with the folks at ACS Technologies at their annual convention last May, the Reverend Donald Fishburne and Parish Administrator Edie Huggins decided to purchase Extend in order to build a more effective, dynamic Web site.

"We had tried various solutions to meet our desire for a versatile, cost-effective, easy-to-update Web site," says Fishburne. "We decided to go with Extend because we're familiar with ACS Technologies and its commitment to ministry and innovation, and because we could not afford to hire a staff member to take over our Web site, technology and communication products, nor could we afford to be dependent on a lone, freelance contractor."

As a result, St. Michael's Web site offers information on worship schedules, programs for adults and youth, stewardship and giving, pastoral care, women's ministries, even an e-news and newsletter link, all available online to meet the needs of St. Michael's congregation and their Sanibel Island community.

	"In short, we're grateful that ACS Technologies has enabled us to do our ministry in new and powerful ways even under the worst of circumstances. And, after all, isn't that what they're there for?"
	- Reverend Donald Fishburne

Weathering the storms.
Rev. Fishburne and Edie Huggins could not have imagined the future impact of their decision to upgrade their Web site. When Hurricane Charley hit Sanibel Island, forcing the folks at St. Michael's off their island and out of their church, Rev. Fishburne decided not to sit idly by and wait for life to return to normal.

"We set up a remote office 30 miles away, and with a laptop, using Access ACS first, and then a backup copy of our ACS database, we were able to communicate with our members," says Fishburne. "While our site isn't yet complete," Fishburne further explains, "after a phone call to Sally Grantham at ACS, we got our 'Hurricane Update' channel (www.saintmichaels-sanibel.org/hurricane) up and running so that we could get members and friends through a crisis, or what we thought would only be one hurricane." Rev. Fishburne and his staff have since updated the St. Michael's "Hurricane Update" page at least daily since Friday, August 13, with news on Charley, Frances, and any pending hurricanes headed their way.

Their outreach to members didn't stop with their "Hurricane Channel." Rev. Fishburne also used ACS People to print out a list of local households in street address order to facilitate personal pastoral visits. He was able to drive down one street after the other, offering outreach to storm victims in the area, both members and non-members of his congregation.

Supporting a vision.
Even if another storm crosses their path, St. Michael's will keep their "Hurricane Update" up and running. "With Extend's secure servers out-of-state, we have a high degree of confidence that our Web site will stay up and current even if we're without power and Internet access at St. Michael's," says Fishburne. "We've gotten to know the members of the Extend team, and they'll continue to get us over the bumps."

A time of crisis means accelerated and additional communication with members. In an effort to escape the sweltering heat, about half of St. Michael's 400 members go north for the summer. This means that the staff at St. Michael's has to send mail to more than half the states in the nation. "Using our ACS software, we were able to communicate with all of our members through e-mail, newsletters, and the Web site," says Fishburne. "After Charley, when anxiety was high, we posted 100 photos of storm damage to show things were not as bad as they might have been. This meant other churches nationwide and friends around the world were able to check our status over the Internet and send prayers and relief gifts even when phone and fax service was spotty."

How to help St. Michael's and the Sanibel Island community.
Gifts to hurricane relief for 'the least of these' on Sanibel (primary, i.e. sole, residences for uninsured losses and limited resources), Fort Myers, Pine Island and Punta Gorda may be mailed to Saint Michael's Church, 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel FL 33957.

E-mail parishsecretary@saintmichaels-sanibel.org to let St. Michael's will know who is visiting their Web site and who is praying for them and with them.

Please visit www.saintmichaels-sanibel.org/hurricane for more information.

About St. Michael's & All Angels Episcopal Church
Even though Episcopal services were being held on Sanibel Island, Florida, in the 1950s, St. Michael's & All Angels Episcopal Church wasn't built until, ironically enough, after Hurricane Donna in the early 1960s. Its structure has been standing strong ever since. St. Michael's is in the southwest Episcopal diocese of Florida, one of five dioceses in the Sunshine state. St. Michael's has a congregation of 400 and a modest staff consisting of two full-time clergy, two part-time administrative staffers, and a part-time musician.

Reverend Donald Fisburne has been with St. Michael's Episcopal Church for four years. Fishburne has been using ACS for 20 of his 25 years as an ordained minister. "I remember the DOS days of ACS," he laughs. "St. Michael's has committed more and more to ACS Technologies as the company has grown, in large part because of the company's responsiveness and its obvious desire to partner in ministry with churches."

ACS Technologies Products and Services Used
People Suite: People, Access ACS
Financial Suite: Payroll
Extend Platform: Site Extend
Growth Products: LiveStor
Service: Support, Training

Web Site
www.saintmichaels-sanibel.org