Diocese of New Jersey | Resources | Diocesan email lists

What are the New Jersey email lists?
They are email discussion lists created to facilitate communication between members of the diocese on important topics that concern us all. They give people throughout the diocese a chance to share, ask questions, post information, and build friendships.

List name (nature of list)	Who can subscribe	Who can post
Announcements (News and announcements for everyone in the diocese, both clergy and lay)	Anyone in the diocese, as well as friends of the diocese	Diocesan staff
Clergy-announce (Important information for clergy in the diocese)	Canonically resident or licensed to officiate clergy are automatically subscribed	Diocesan staff
NJclergy (discussion list for clergy in the diocese)	Canonically resident or licensed to officiate NJ clergy	Any member of the list
Forum (Discussion list for lay and clergy in the diocese, as well as friends of the diocese)	Anyone in the diocese, as well as friends of the diocese	Any member of the list
College chaplaincy (communication among and within those involved in college chaplaincy in diocese)	Chaplains in the diocese	Any member of the list

How do I join a list?
To subscribe, go to newjersey.anglican.org/mailman/listinfo, choose the list you want and follow the instructions.

After subscribing, you will receive a confirmation email. Follow the confirmation instructions. You'll then receive another email that will contain several items:

The email address to which you post your messages;
A link to general information about the list;
The link you will use to unsubscribe or change your options;
Your password.

It sounds more complicated than it is. Don't worry!

Note: If you use a Yahoo or Google address or another of the large free public systems, your confirmation email may be interpreted by their system as spam. Check your 'Spam' items folder or similar folder on another system, perhaps called 'Junk' or 'Bulk', for your confirmation email if it doesn't appear in your regular inbox.

After joining one of the lists, what should I do?
We invite you to post a short introduction to Forum or NJclergy giving your name, parish, and a bit about yourself, but it's certainly not a prerequisite for participation. For Announcements, check your inbox periodically for messages from Diocesan House.

How do I post a message to the Forum and NJclergy lists?
Once you're subscribed, you can write to an entire list by sending an email to:

Forum: forum@mail.newjersey.anglican.org

NJclergy: njclergy@mail.newjersey.anglican.org

Chaplaincy: Members may post to this list.

Announcements: Only diocesan staff may post to this list.

Clergy-announce: Only diocesan staff may post to this list.

How do I unsubscribe? Stop mail temporarily and then start again?
To change your mail options, go to newjersey.anglican.org/mailman/listinfo, choose your list, and follow the instructions at the section marked 'Subscribers'.

How do I format a post so it reads easily?
Please use line lengths of no more than 72 characters: this keeps your text within the 80 character per line limit of most monitors. Be sensible and use upper and lower case letters in your posts; typing in all caps comes across as shouting.

Be careful when using initials and other abbreviations: not everyone may know what you mean; a good idea is to spell the acronym out in full the first time. Here are some common acronyms:

AFAIK = As Far As I Know
IIRC = If I Recall Correctly
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
IMNSHO = In My No-So-Humble Opinion
LOL = Laughing Out Loud
ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing
TEC = The Episcopal Church

Do include your name and email address at the end of your post; don't rely on the 'From:' field to identify you, as this will not necessarily contain your correct email address.

Can I regard my posts as safe from forwarding?
Nothing posted on email lists should be considered absolutely confidential. You should post nothing that you would not be reasonably happy to see published in a parish or diocesan newsletter.

Someone has posted something I disagree with. What should I do?
Keep calm. Do not reply immediately. If you still have lots of mail to read (or the rest of the digest), then continue to read your mail. This will help you follow the first two steps. It will also let you see if someone else has already responded. Remember that someone else's response is probably almost as good as your own, as well as saving you some effort. Consider whether it might be better to reply by private email, rather than to the list.

If after all this, you still feel you must reply: fine, go ahead.

Please remember that it does not help to throw insults around, whether they are aimed at a group or at individuals. A careful use of language is likely to help readers appreciate what you are trying to say, rather than to concentrate on the way you say it. In particular, there is very little call for bad language; for gratuitous insults; for messages attacking people rather than making contributions to a discussion.

Of course, we appreciate that there are people whose native language is not English; or who have difficulty using the language or their computers. The comments about careful use of language are not meant to discourage people from taking an active part in discussions.

Now, having written your response and before posting it, consider the whole matter again. Re-read your response, checking for errors of citation, logic, spelling, and fact. Check that it is correctly addressed, especially if you intend replying to the individual and not the list. Checking your mail before you send it will save you much embarrassment.

I still have questions. Who can I contact?
Email Canon Cynthia McFarland, Director of Communications. She'll be glad to assist.