Today’s offering from colleague Tori Mullin: “Forget where’s Waldo… Where’s your church!?
If you have ever wondered if it is worth ensuring your community of faith’s information is on Google Maps, this story might inspire you. In 2025, Bill Gillard updated the listing for St. Peter’s on Google Maps, as it was incorrectly named. Since then, 5,000 visitors have viewed the updated profile, even though St. Peter’s is in a small town. Recently, I was asked to visit a local community of faith to preach. When I got the email, I immediately went to Google to see how long the drive would be. But guess what? I couldn’t find them either! It took a couple of phone calls to track down their physical address because not even their ChurchHub account was up to date (they had accidentally entered their mailing address under physical address). If it’s hard for me, someone who works with the United Church, to find you, how much harder is it for new people seeking community!? So, if you do one additional task this week, perhaps it should be this: Google your community of faith and make sure what’s listed is correct (or that there is a listing at all!).
How to Edit your Google Listing | Claim your Google Listing |”(Tori Mullin, email June 11)
Former moderator Carmen Lansdowne, also wrote about this recently and I often encounter that challenge.
Please contact me, Sharon Ballantyne, growth animator, at 506-306-0500 or by email at sballantyne@united-church.ca You are also invited to a virtual 30-minute drop-in conversation each Wednesday morning, beginning at 9:45 a.m. Atlantic (10:15 a.m. Newfoundland and Labrador). Contact Sharon for the Zoom link.
