The leaflets contain a simple Gospel message in keeping with the occasion, together with details of services and an invitation to attend.

And whenever we reach out to our parish in this way, we are pleased to welcome new people into our church. Some come for just the Easter or Christmas service; others become regular attenders. Some have an existing Christian faith; some come to know Jesus for the first time. These positive responses have encouraged us to continue this outreach to the people of Mount Kuring-gai, Mount Colah, Asquith and Hornsby North. We are indebted to the drove of volunteers who happily deliver our message, twice a year.

For Christmas 2007, we delivered our message to 5,650 homes throughout the parish.

Importance of the Feedback Slip

Each bundle of leaflets contains a feedback slip. Volunteers are asked to fill in the feedback slip with the following information:

This data enables us to adjust the bundle sizes so that we can meet the needs of a changing population. Without the feedback data, we can not distribute the correct numbers of leaflets. This invariably means that some homes do not receive a leaflet, or that quantities of leaflets are wasted.

Problems with Inadequate Feedback

Some of the problems experienced each year are:

1. Feedback slip not returned. Only 70% of the feedback slips taken are ever returned to the box in the Church Atrium. This means that some deliverers either lose the slip or do not bother to return it.
    
2. Blank feedback slip. Some slips are returned with no feedback. There is no point in returning a blank slip.
    
3. Some deliverers consistently enter a "Quantity Actually Required" exactly equal to the "Quantity Provided". This perpetuates inaccuracies in our data.
    
   To calculate the "Quantity Actually Required", simply subtract the number of leaflets left over from the "Quantity Provided".
    
   If the "Quantity Provided" is insufficient, please count the number of houses not catered for and add this number to the "Quantity Provided". Spare leaflets can be found on the table in the Atrium.
    
4. Some deliverers write other numbers in the "Quantity Actually Required" field. For example "All OK", "4 spares", "11 left over", "need another 7", etc. It's not always clear what is meant by these numbers, so please just enter the quantity actually needed to satisfy the delivery run.
    
5. The feedback for some runs varies wildly from year to year. Discrepancies of more than 50% year-to-year are not uncommon. This is an indication that the delivery instructions have been misunderstood. Please note the streets carefully and consult a street directory before leaving home. If in doubt, please phone the coordinator for clarification.

Junk Mail Signs

Whilst most of us would agree that our leaflets do not constitute "junk mail", some members of the public may not think so. Therefore, please respect these signs on letter boxes and do not deliver to houses displaying this sign.

Prayerful Delivery

The twice-yearly letterbox drop is an outreach activity, designed to bring the unchurched people of our parish closer to God. A prayerful approach, asking God to make the residents receptive to the Gospel message on the leaflet, will help in this objective. In truth, only God can bring someone to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Our outreach activities are merely a vehicle that God may use to get in touch with his people.

A simple way of praying for the effectiveness of the outreach, is to say a simple prayer for the resident with each letterbox visited. This may sound corny, but it's an expression of faith - and faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.

oOo