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07/06/2010 Personalized Publications:
You know your audience better than anyone, so keep it personal. Whether you’re writing, creating or searching for features online for your in-house publications or websites, consider the personality and interests of your readership.
What are the demographics of your readers? What is the age span or average age? Do you have more young families, a lot of young singles or more seniors? Is your congregation or fellowship made up of more blue collar workers or corporate executives? Are they tech savvy or lack computer skills?
You can tell a lot about your readers by the affinity groups they belong to: softball teams, motorcycle clubs, golf or bowling leagues, writer’s workshop, quilters group, or drama club.
When you choose cartoons and features for your readers, remember you’ll need a variety to meet the different interests represented. Sometimes one author or cartoonist will relate better to your audience than others.
If you’re not sure, ask your readers. Remember, anyone can preview all our features prior to purchasing. Go to www.churchmousepublications.com and look around. You can even search by author, type, topic or keyword.
Don’t forget to check our website for SPECIAL OCCASION features, too. We’re getting more all the time.
06/11/2010 Add Variety:
We brought it up before, but it’s worth mentioning again. Newsletters need to offer variety in their content to stay effective. But you should never sacrifice your “boilerplate” sections to do that. For your church or ministry newsletter to be useful as well as entertaining and edifying to your readership, always include these basic sections in every newsletter:
- Banner with Title & Logo
- Church Name & Address
- Phone & FAX Numbers
- Email Addresses
- Website Address
- Worship Service Schedule
- Sunday School Schedule
- Names of Pastor & Other Ministry Leaders
You may also add make the features below standard in each newsletter:
- Church Calendar
- Letter from Editor
- Letter from the Pastor
- Ministry Announcements Page
- Prayer Reports
- Small Group Information
- Teaching from the Pastor or Leadership
As for the boilerplate and standard sections, don’t get lazy and assume that they will always stay the same. Service times can change, new leaders may be installed, new ministries may begin—so don’t forget to double-check those sections every time you do your newsletter.
After you complete the boilerplate and standard sections, mix it up and add variety for both genders and all ages! Here are some 25 ways to help you find your stride.
14. Column: Sports
16. Holiday Features
17. Interviews
21. Seasonal Features
23. Testimonies
24. Women Ministries Section
25. Men’s Ministries Section
Try not to leave anything or anyone out. Set a minimum deadline of 10 days in advance of publication for ministry leaders to get their information or features in to you. Send them a reminder the day before. Once they miss a few deadlines and their information does not appear in the newsletter, they’ll get better at remembering.
06/09/2010 Style, Design & Layout:
Did you ever get a church newsletter that looked like they put it out because they had to? You know the kind I mean: a compilation of miscellaneous typed or even handwritten pages (usually of predictable board meeting notes) with a few pieces of clip art pasted last minute to pages before being photocopied?
Remember, if it looks like you didn’t care about it when you created it, chances are people won’t care about reading it. Before a newsletter gets read, it needs to attract a reader’s eye with good design, cohesive style, readable fonts, photos or illustrations and even white space.
Here’s a perfect example of what I mean. I used to get a four-page newsletter from a ministry leader I highly respected. Every month I’d open it, look at the topic, then put it aside to read “when I had more time.” I’d guess that 80% of them never got read. Why? Because they were all four to six pages of text, small text, and nothing but text. Since this minister’s messages were challenging enough to begin with, I found his newsletter daunting.
Need some good examples to get you jump started? Start with the newsletters you read. Now analyze them. [No, I did not say copy them.] Ask yourself some questions about them: What first caught my eye? Does my eye more from one feature to another easily? What fonts do they use? What is their spacing between lines? Are there dedicated sections on each page? How many graphics or photos on each page? Do they have a banner headline? How much white space between features? Did the colors attracted me or was it the bold headlines?
Ask others you know for samples of newsletters they enjoy. They may not even know it, but their interest in these newsletters started with the design. Check out the professional e-newsletters you receive online. What about them made you take a second look?
What does the design of the newsletter tell you about the personality of the organization or company putting it out? There is a definite feel and a big difference between newsletters designed by legal firms, high-end retail stores, dollar stores, cement contractors, and churches. What message do you want to send and what personality traits do you want to reflect in your publication?
If you’re new at creating newsletters, you might want to start with a simple desktop publishing program like Microsoft Publisher. If you’ve used other Microsoft Office products, it won’t be difficult to learn. You can even use Microsoft Word or other word processing programs, too. Most come with a variety of templates and color choices to best suit your design preferences.
In the end, a well designed newsletter must be supported by its content. Well-written articles and creative cartoons with a message will keep them coming back. Edit your written features carefully and choose those relevant to your readers. Make sure your headlines stand out (in word and size) and that your announcements include all pertinent information. Surprise your readers, make them laugh, and tell them something they don’t know.
Design gets their attention, but content is key. Otherwise, your newsletter will be like a pretty face on an empty head.
06/07/2010 Minister to Both Genders and All Age Groups:
One thing I’ve noticed throughout the last 30 years as a member of a church body is that the majority tends to rule. Well, they don’t so much as “rule” as they do things the way they know how. And since there are more of them than more of others [fact], more of them are involved in church ministries.
Those in the minorities [the minorities change with each church or ministry] don’t always understand or appreciate the way the majority rules. Sometimes they get lost in the shuffle and feel their needs are not being met. Guess what? They’re probably right.
I know what you’re thinking. “But older people can be so set in their ways.” Yup, they can. Let me ask you this: Can you imagine taking a cell phone away from a working mother? How about a laptop away from a businessperson? Or text messaging or an IPod away from a teenager? How about replacing the worship team’s electric guitars with an organ and a harpsichord?
Let’s admit it; we’re all set in our ways.
Good news! This prejudice does not have to be reflected in a church or ministry newsletter. If you have more children than seniors, then include more features for children—or vice versa. Already, many churches have separate newsletters for children, youth & teens, singles and seniors. But even if you only want to do one newsletter, you can meet the needs of both the majority and the minorities.
While scanning the congregation for talented contributors, make sure you include all age groups. Don’t play favorites. Seek to create a balanced publication with features for children, ‘'tweens, teens, young adults, middle aged and seniors. Don’t forget to meet the need of singles, too.
Now, this does not mean that you have to accept any and all features you receive from any and all age groups. You are the editor. You and your ministry team are commissioned to create an effective newsletter. If you don’t receive well-written and creative submissions, you have the obligation to reject them. If you’re getting some really awful submissions from some really nice people, avoid those awkward situations by saying, "Thanks, we're all set, we use Churchmouse."
06/04/2010 Count the Cost:
As we mentioned in a previous post, before you begin any ministry, program or event, you should always count the cost. Here are some responsibilities to consider related to editing and publishing a newsletter. All require time; many require patience; and some require money.
1. Gathering your features from regular contributors. Sometimes this requires coaxing and multiple reminders—despite the deadlines you may impose. And when it’s the pastor’s piece you are waiting on, well . . . your leverage is limited.
2. Contacting ministry leaders or directors to elicit news or announcements. When you request their information, remind them to give you the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” of the event and all pertinent contact information. We recommend emailing because it’s quicker. Phone calls often result in a game of tag.
3. Creating material for a season or theme. The features submitted by your writers and cartoonists should reflect the season or your theme. If you need to acquire features from an outside source, you may need to purchase features yourself and get reimbursed from the church treasurer. [If you use Churchmouse on a regular basis, you may want to check into our CMP Credits program which eliminates passing a credit card around.]
4. Adding design elements based on your theme. What you have at your fingertips depends largely on the software you use. Most software will include a variety of newsletter templates. Choose one that best reflects your church’s personality. There are some free Christian clip art programs out there and even some free photographs available, too. (See the links at the end of this section.)
5. Planning the layout. You should have a set location for your necessary boilerplate material (newsletter banner, church and ministry contact info, ministry announcements, etc.). You need to loosely layout the rest of the features as they are submitted. But be ready to rearrange at a moment’s notice . . . and more than once.
6. As much as possible, be sure to offer features for both genders and all ages. Sometimes finding features that will impress youth and teens can be tough. Seniors and singles need to know they’re not forgotten, too.
7. Make the final edits and have someone else besides you proofread it. Those who do the writing always read what they think they wrote, so have someone else proofread the final draft. The mistakes will be easier for you to find and correct if they use a red pen to mark any typos or errors.
8. Make .pdf copies to email and print copies as needed. When the newsletter is complete, print to PDF for emailing. [Microsoft Word 2007 has that capability, or, if you have it, use Adobe Acrobat.] Despite what some of us think, not everyone is computer-literate. And some that are may not have a computer and printer at home. Take a survey to see how your members would like to receive their newsletters. If you need to make copies in a retail store, make sure you have a copy of the tax exempt certificate or number. Request a receipt so you can get reimbursed.
9. Distribute via email, postal mail or handout. Initial entry of church member emails will take a bit of time, unless you use a service for mass emailing. Time and a little postage money may be required.
10.Manage your time. With God’s grace and Him as your Editor-in-Chief, you’ll fit this into your schedule while keeping your priorities in order!
06/03/2010 Determine Your Overall Purpose:
Before you undertake a newsletter ministry [and it is a ministry whether you realize it now or later] you should determine your overall purpose. It will help you keep your focus and stay on track. Here is a question your church and ministry leaders might ask themselves: What do we hope to accomplish through this newsletter? The answers will vary with each congregation and ministry.
Years ago, I was led to start a newsletter at my church. When I spoke with the pastor about it, he expressed immediate enthusiasm because the Lord had placed that same seed in his heart. I had the confirmation I was looking for. In fact, he remained a staunch supporter to the end.
During our pre-publication discussions about features and content, it soon became clear that the newsletter’s main purpose would be to bind our church family closer together. We were just big enough not to know everyone, yet small enough to make it happen.
We did that by making our newsletter personal. We tailored our features to minister to our whole church family. Some of the features included interviews with church members, both singles and families. We included photographs, children’s names and ages, family activities, individual interests and personal accomplishments.
We had a “Congratulations” section for graduations, scholarships, sports awards, and job promotions. We also announced engagements, weddings and babies. Our “Prayer Corner” had the names of those for whom we prayed, and when appropriate, we mentioned specifics. We also included answers to prayers. We acknowledged grief and published thank you notes from those who suffered loss.
Our purpose was realized. We became a close knit family.
You may have another purpose for your newsletter. Yours may be a church with a strong teaching, evangelism or missions focus. Or you may believe your congregation is in a growth spurt and in need of solid discipleship. You may have a spiritually mature membership craving deeper messages, or a congregation filled with new Christians who need to hear the basics. You may be ministering to a rural community or an inner city congregation, both with their own special set of needs.
Each newsletter should meet the needs of its specific congregation. Look around; talk to people; and confer with your church leadership—those best equipped to help you define your newsletter’s purpose. You will be more effective with a clear defined purpose.
06/01/2010 Making the Decision to Do a Newsletter:
Thinking about doing a church or ministry newsletter? Or maybe your current newsletter needs to be more professional to be effective? Have you prayed about it and talked with your church leadership? [At this point, I feel obliged to remind you that most pastors agree that the person who comes up with the “great idea” is usually the best candidate to execute it. Don't say I didn't warn you . . .]
In any case, after you’ve been given the green light by your church leadership, your first step is to form a team. Make an announcement from the pulpit, put it in the Sunday bulletin and on the overhead screen, contact those with common interests, and elicit help from other ministry leaders to spread the word. Remember if you’re excited enough to announce it multiple times in a variety of ways, you’ll draw much more interest.
After you have some interested parties, get together with them to create a plan. Now when we say plan, we don’t mean a legalistic document whereby you as editor micro-manage each and every aspect of the publication. A plan like that would stifle creativity and cause a big dip in enthusiasm. I simply mean a general overall plan so you and your staff know why you’re doing what you’re doing for whom and how often.
By getting to know your team, you can find out how your various gifts and talents and resources can be integrated to serve the ministry’s purpose and realize its vision. Do some team members have design ideas while others have the right software? Do some excel at writing and others at cartooning? Are some good story tellers while others love creating children’s activity pages? Are some natural “news reporters” who will gather the all the facts? Are others administrative assistants ready and willing to copy, collate and staple?
If you don’t get any volunteers (and that is a real possibility), you have to decide if you’re willing and/or capable of handling this task on your own. You should count the cost before you commit. It might be your timing, but it may not be God’s. Again, if you pray, He will show you.
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