How do I Write a Newsletter to Individuals Who Have Been Missing Church Services?

Newsletters keept the community updated on church events.

Church newsletters advise people in the community of upcoming church events. They also invite people to visit the church for the first time or to return if they have been missing for a while. Numerous reasons affect why people miss church and addressing all those reasons in a newsletter is impossible. However, adhering to a few style and content guidelines might make the newsletter more readable and attractive to former churchgoers.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Printer

Instructions

1. Open a blank document on your computer's word processor. Church newsletters should contain three pages at the maximum. These three pages should include all the relevant text and pictures.

2. Focus the entire newsletter on people that have never been to church or not been to church for a while. Every church newsletter should have a "theme"; if you aim to attract people back to church, make that the themes. A "Back to Church Sunday" headline or something similar would immediately let people know the theme of the newsletter. Write this on the front page of the newsletter. Use font size 18 and put a picture of your church and its address on the front page of the newsletter. Take a photo of the church with a camera and download the image onto the computer. Go to where the computer has saved the photos, right click on the photos and go back to the newsletter document. Scroll down and paste the photo into the middle of the opening page of the newsletter.

3. Clearly detail all forthcoming events, especially welcoming events. Use font size 12 for the details of the newsletter. Church events should be written on the second page. However, people that have missed church for a while should not feel particularly targeted. Include a preview of events for non-Christians, people who haven't been to church for a while, and people who want to find out more about the church. Organize an "Alpha Course" in which people that have been to church can ask questions and find out more about Christianity. Details of the "Alpha Course" should go in the newsletter in font size 12.

4. Put pictures of congregation members in the newsletter. Show recipients of the newsletters pictures of friends they might have known within the congregation. Take photos of the people with a camera and download the images onto the computer. Go to where the computer has saved the photos, right click on the photos and go back to the newsletter document. Scroll down to where you want the photo to go in the word document, right click and paste. The photo will appear where you want it to go. Write testimonies to go along with the photos about what God has done for people within the congregation. Use font size 12 for the testimonies. Detailing these "testimonials" might persuade former churchgoers to return to church and see old friends.

5. Show pictures of the church leadership with contact information on the newsletter's third page. Write the text in font size 12. Invite people to contact the leadership with any problems they might have. Also consider creating a website for the church that could detail more information. Write the web address in the newsletter so former churchgoers can look.

Tips & Warnings

• Discuss potential events with the church's leaders before writing the newsletter.

References

• Sharefaith: Creating the Church Newsletter - The Concept
• Guardian: What's the Point of Back to Church Sunday

Resources

• The Alpha Course: Explore the Meaning of Life