On Thursday evening, January 29, leaders from across the Presbytery of the Highlands gathered online for the webinar Using MissionInsite Tools to Connect with Your Community. The session offered congregations a practical introduction to MissionInsite, a ministry planning and demographic resource available at no cost to all Highlands churches, and invited participants to reflect on how understanding context shapes faithful ministry.

The webinar was led by Emily Reece, strategic consultant for MissionInsite and ministry advancement, who emphasized throughout the evening that this work is not primarily about data, but about people. The session was organized around three guiding questions that anchored the conversation and the demonstrations:
Who are we as a congregation?
Who are our neighbors?
How do we serve, given what we learn?

Rather than beginning with reports alone, the webinar focused on developing what Emily described as contextual intelligence, the ability to understand the world around a congregation and respond with intention. Participants were guided through MissionInsite’s mapping tools, demographic insights, and reporting features, seeing how the platform can help congregations move beyond assumptions and engage their communities with greater clarity.