Newsletters

The Value of Church Newsletters

Promote unity in the body--people have the same information.
Help members get acquainted with other members--their backgrounds, occupation, family, etc.
Inform members about church activities and programs.
Provide a forum for the pastor and staff to address issues of concern to them.
Report on board and commission decisions.
Mention prayer requests.
Remind people about announcements made from the pulpit.

Information You Could Include in a Newsletter

The titles of upcoming sermons
Worship leaders
Columns by staffpersons
Board decisions
People in the hospital
Upcoming events
Requests for volunteers
Giving information
Youth group activities
Denominational news
Fundraisers
Opportunities for ministry
Sunday school classes offered
Profile of new members
Awards/achievements of members
Births, weddings, and funerals
Report on recent events
Information directed at members of specific church groups (like the choir)
Progress reports--building fund, mission trip, etc.

Who is the Newsletter for?

You need to decide on your audience. Is the newsletter for your constituents, or for outsiders?

As a newsletter, you need to think in terms of your constituents and aim it squarely at them. What kinds of news will be of interest to them? A newsletter is more valuable if it focuses on upcoming events (looks forward) rather than reports on past events (looks backward).

If you want a promotional piece which will go outside the church, it will need to have other kinds of information, material which will be of interest and relevance to outsiders. This may call for an entirely different publication.

If you're aiming at outsiders, the quality definitely needs to be higher. Those are people who may still be forming impressions of you (whereas your present constituents already know what they think of you).

Newsletters Take Time

Don't jump into doing a regular newsletter. It takes a lot of time and the deadlines come quickly. When you start a newsletter, make sure you're committed to the long haul. People automatically think of publishing a newsletter monthly. Maybe you should start bi-monthly. Repeat: those monthly deadlines come around real quick, and you may find yourself scraping the barrel for material (and using a bunch of junk that someone sent you by email).

Don't Violate Copyrights

Newsletters and bulletins often contain stories and artwork reproduced without permission. That's illegal. You need written permission. You can't copy a cartoon just because it appeared in your denominational publication.

Send the Newsletter to--

Members and active attenders
Visitors
Community leaders
Nearby homes
Media editors
Other pastors in the area
Conference and denominational officials
Nursing homes