Other than the Bible, what is the most important piece of Christian literature printed today?
In my role at Witt Company, I communicate with church professionals every day. Recently, many of you have stated that the size of your congregations has “stayed flat” while some have said, “we’re getting a little smaller,” so I started doing some research. I wanted to find valuable information to help them build their congregations. I was lucky enough to discover a book written by Yvon Prehn and I gave her a call. She is based here in Southern California. Yvon was very kind with her time and gave her permission to share with you some excellent information that I present below. In the coming weeks, I will share more of her wisdom designed to help church professionals in various ways. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
First, let me ask a question: Outside of the Bible, what is the most important piece of Christian literature in print today? An answer may surprise you; it could be your church newsletter!
Yvon Prehn wrote in his Toolkit For Church Communicators manual (excerpts reprinted with permission) that the church bulletin is, for some people, the first piece of Christian literature they have seen, and usually the first thing a new visitor sees. You will read about your church. .
New visitors come hungry
Yvon goes on to say that everyone has a spiritual void inside and they come to church looking for a way to fill it. They will read anything you give them.
Does your church bulletin present the right message?
What does your church bulletin tell you? George Barna says that 91% of “unchurched” people believe that churches are not sensitive to their needs. Yvon wondered where they got that idea from. Could it be that he tells you that in his church bulletins? Many times, newsletters are full of terms that are only familiar to regular visitors. They talk about events and meetings without explaining them, just assuming everyone knows what you’re talking about. Sometimes, they don’t even talk about what’s going on in their service that morning.
What should you put in your church bulletins?
Newsletter producers need to see it through the eyes of someone unfamiliar with running a church. As he seeks out new members and tries to connect with them, Yvon suggests some tips for keeping his newsletter current but without losing his personality or traditional church values.
welcome people
Few newsletters start with a WELCOME! It must be right in front of and before the order for service. Do it genuinely and “reflect the tradition of your church.”
Please give a service order
A visitor has no idea what to expect.
Recognize both visitors and members in the announcement section
Some of the best newsletters welcome visitors and then provide essential details, such as restroom locations, daycare information, even an invitation for coffee after the service where you can meet and ask questions. In a section like “church news,” accommodate visitors by saying something like, “Below are the various events our church is hosting in the coming weeks. Everyone is invited to these functions and we hope you’ll attend. If you need more information, call the contact numbers listed with each activity.
Does it encourage new visitors to engage more?
Your newsletters should attract first-time attendees by suggesting they attend a small group or social activity, even an event for your children.
Do not list events that are closed to newcomers
Inform regular visitors and members about “closed events” in a verbal announcement and at the start of your small groups attended by active attendees. If you must list closed events, tag them as such.
Include the 5 W’s: who, what, when, where, why
Who puts on the show? What’s going on? Where will it be found? What time will it start and end? How much? Is childcare provided?
Repeat the information (event) over several weeks
Remember, no one will see the information as often as you. Due to school and work obligations, many regular attendees are unable to attend every week. Repetition is important. Marketing experts tell us that people need to see something 6 times before they remember and respond to it.
Have a place for testimonials and always include a Gospel presentation
Yvon has been recommending for years that every newsletter include a short article on how someone came to trust Jesus as their Savior. Here’s one that ran at Christmas:
“In the midst of all the gifts and treats we are all enjoying this time of year, remember that the message of Christmas is that God came to Earth in the form of a person, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus grew up and not only became the greatest teacher and miracle worker the world has ever seen, but he died a unique death. In his death, Jesus was not the victim of wicked men. Jesus willingly gave up his life and died on the cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins. His death was his choice and his story does not end with his death. Jesus rose from the dead after three days and in doing so showed that He was God!
When you believe that Jesus died for our sins and accept the forgiveness he offers us, and decide to follow him, Jesus promises to forgive us and give us eternal life. If you want your sins forgiven, if you want to be at peace with your God; If you would like to live forever, tell Jesus that you are a sinner and need his salvation. Ask him to come into your life and be your Savior and Lord. After you do that, read the Bible to learn how to live as a Christian. Talk to God daily in prayer. Go to church and meet other followers of Jesus and grow in faith in him.”
One lady decided to include a short gospel presentation like this in her newsletter and informed Yvon that one of the men from her church had to go to prison for a while. To keep him in touch with the church, she sent him the newsletter regularly. He wrote to him later and thanked him and said that it made him feel that he was not forgotten and that he had even led several prisoners to the Lord in prison. By including an evangelical message, the eternal destinies of men were changed by her newsletters.
I was touched by the inclusion of testimonials from Yvon Prehn and his good ideas for creating a strong, easy-to-use church newsletter that I hope will help you build your congregations.
