Listserv Overview & Instructions

Welcome to NALM’s elists page – automated e-mail discussion groups designed for interactive discussions with your peers (a.k.a. Listservs). Our elists are designed to improve communication among like-minded members, offer a forum for exchanging ideas, and allow you to benefit from the experience, knowledge, and wisdom of your peers.

Our hope is that the NALM elists will cover a variety of topics from different ministry perspectives. Learn how to subscribe below or call Cathy Melesky at NALM, 202-291-4100 ext. 13. She will be happy to sign you up for an elist.

Available ELists

Currently there are three elists available:

1. Pastoral Associates

2. Lay Ministry Formation Directors

3. Young Adult Lay Ecclesial Ministers

Subscribing to the E-mail Lists
Members of NALM with e-mail and Web access can participate in the e-mail lists. You can join a list or change your selections. Here's how:

1. Log in to the “Member Area” of the NALM website.

2. Select My Profile from the side menu.

3. At the end of your information there are two data fields for elists: “Elist subscriptions” and “Email address used for Elists.”
4. In the “Elist subscriptions” box select those elists you would like to join. You may join more than one elist.
5. Then enter your email in the “Email address used for Elists” field. 
6. When you are done, click the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page.
7. You’ll receive a confirmation notice and instructions on how to use the elist once you have been added to the list (you might want to save this e-mail for future reference). To prevent viruses from infiltrating the lists, only plain-text e-mails are allowed to be posted to the elist (i.e., no HTML text and no attachments).

Sending a Message

• To reply to messages you receive from the elist, be sure that the send-to address appears as "list name"@ memberclicks.com. 
• Avoid resending the entire message to which you are replying by cutting and pasting the relevant parts into your response.
• Using the reply button in your e-mail application will automatically send your response to the entire list. To reply directly to a member of the list, forward the e-mail and copy and paste his or her e-mail address into the "To" line.
• Identify yourself with a signature tag in all messages. Include your name, organization, location, telephone number, and e-mail address.

Elists Rules & Etiquette

Thanks for being part of a NALM elist. To ensure a positive experience for all elist members, we have established some basic guidelines for participation.

By joining and using these e-mail lists, you agree that you have read and will follow the rules and guidelines set for these peer discussion groups. You also agree to reserve list discussions for topics best suited to the medium. This is a great medium with which to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in an ongoing conversation. Questions about NALM should be directed to the NALM staff. Technical questions on association management issues should be directed to Chris Anderson at NALM, 202-291-4100.

Please take a moment to acquaint yourself with these important guidelines. If you have questions, contact NALM. In order to preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, NALM reserves the right to suspend or terminate membership on all lists for members who violate these rules.

The Rules

• Don't challenge or attack others. The discussions on the lists are meant to stimulate conversation, not to create contention. Let others have their say, just as you may. 
• Don't post commercial messages on any elist. Contact people directly with product and service information if you believe it would help them. 
• Use caution when discussing products. Information posted on the lists is available for all to see, and comments are subject to libel, slander, and antitrust laws. 
• All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials are strictly prohibited. Do not post anything in an elist message that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you. 
• Please note carefully all items listed in the disclaimer and legal rules below, particularly regarding the copyright ownership of information posted to the list. 
• Remember that NALM and other e-mail list participants have the right to reproduce postings to this elist. 
• Send your message only to the most appropriate list(s). Do not spam several lists with the same message.

Listserv Etiquette

• Include a signature tag on all messages. Include your name, affiliation, location, and e-mail address. 
• State concisely and clearly the topic of your comments in the subject line. This allows members to respond more appropriately to your posting and makes it easier for members to search the archives by subject. 
• Include only the relevant portions of the original message in your reply. Delete any header information, and put your response before the original posting. 
• Only send a message to the entire list when it contains information that everyone can benefit from. 
• Send messages such as "thanks for the information" or "me, too" to individuals--not to the entire list. Do this by using your e-mail application's forwarding option and typing in or cutting and pasting in the e-mail address of the individual to whom you want to respond. 
• Do not send administrative messages, such as remove me from the list, through the elist. Instead, use the Web interface to change your settings or to remove yourself from a list. You can change your elist membership by editing your NALM membership profile. Select “My Profile” on the NALM web site.   
• Warn other list subscribers of lengthy messages either in the subject line or at the beginning of the message body with a line that says "Long Message."

The Legal Statements

These elists are provided as a service of NALM. NALM is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. NALM disclaims all warranties with regard to information posted on this site, whether posted by NALM or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall NALM be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.

Do not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials. Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting party grants NALM and users of this list the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material.

Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: prices, discounts, or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits, profit margins, or cost data; market shares, sales territories, or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection, or termination of customers or suppliers.

NALM does not actively monitor the site for inappropriate postings and does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, in the event that any inappropriate posting is brought to NALM’s attention, NALM will take all appropriate action.

NALM reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these guidelines.