About
Click on the sections below to find out more about this ministry:
Church Communication that fully fulfills the Great Commission
The Great Commission consists of the last words of Jesus to his followers:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt: 28: 18-20).
The way I summarize the Great Commission and apply it to church communications is to define effective church communications as communication that accomplishes two purposes:
- To help people come to know Jesus as Savior.
- To help people become mature disciples of Jesus.
Another way to say it, is that our communication is effective if:
- It is enabling people to get closer to Jesus.
- It is enabling people to become like Jesus.
Because fully fulfilling the Great Commission is how I define effective church communications, though other aspects of church communication are important, they are not primary.
For example to me effective church communication may not necessarily be:
- Cutting edge in technology
- Perfect in design and execution
Please don’t misunderstand me. I love technology and am fascinated by what it can do. I greatly admire and strive for good design and execution. Rather than ignoring them, what is important is that these goals remain secondary to the vision of the Great Commission which strives to change the destinies of eternal souls.
Church communication results are different. There are intangible, though very real dimensions of it that I have seen at work in the many thousands of publications and churches with whom I have interacted with over the years. Those dimensions include the ability for, what might seem from purely secular design standards, poorly designed and executed communications created on outdated technology, to
have a tremendous effect on people. People do come to know Jesus; hearts are healed; people grow in Christian maturity, through often simple, but clear and caring communications.God brought people to himself and grew them to Christian maturity long before the computer and web were created.
Though we have extraordinary tools today and they should be used as best we can with thanks for them, these tools and their mastery are not the most essential requirement for effective communication.
The essential requirement for me and upon which I base my ministry is the desire to fully fulfill the Great Commission through every available communication channel.
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About the stories I tell on this website/blog
This is difficult because I want to share true stories, but I do not want to embarrass or make any member of the body of Christ, or any church communicator who is doing the best they can, to feel badly by my use of something they did to show what not to do.
So here is what I try to do:
- I tell true stories. If they are not true, I will stay something like “imagine if…..”
- Though true, I will try to disguise details so that the story will not point to any specific church or embarass any one person.
- I often start out negative examples with “sad, but true” because I don’t think anyone intentionally tries to create ineffective communications.
Be assured, if you are reading an entry and you think it is about you, it most likely is not.
Do remember I travel all over North America doing my seminars and see the materials of thousands of churches; I look at printed materials, websites, videos, all sorts of things. It is amazing how many churches make similar errors and every example I give always has the purpose to help all of us be more effective communicators of the gospel message.
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About how this website/blog is organized
There are several ways to get information from this website/blog that I trust will be useful to you about effective church communications. Here is how I have organized it:
1. For specific tasks: to find out about or sign up for seminars, to purchase or download resources, to find out how to host a seminar, go to the tabbed pages or the Topics list on the left-hand column and click on them. The tabbed pages are more overviews of specific areas. In the Topics column are specific articles. The Topics area is constantly changing and growing as new articles and comments are added.
2. The text area that takes up most of the screen is an ongoing blog about Effective Church Communication. It contains a variety of entries including short observations on the real life uses and abuses of church communication; Bible studies and reflections on church communications; and a number of articles and excerpts from various materials I have written on the topic. These are posted in reverse chronological order of when they were put on the blog. The chronological order has little to do with their content, at this time, that’s just how WordPress organizes them and honestly, as an editor of WordPress I can make the date any time I want to and I changed some to make some articles appear in a more sensible order.
3. After these entries appear for a few days on the main screen, they will drop off. From the start and continuing on, they are then organized under Topics on the left side of the page and you can find them through that listing, by entering a key word in the search box, or by clicking on one of the tabbed sections if you want to look them up that way. An entry might be listed under several categories such as under both Strategy and Biblical lessons. Clicking on any Topic will take you to a listing of all of the articles that have been tagged with that label. You can then go to the specific article.
The Topics are designed to help you learn about or research more fully a specific topic or skill in church communications, such as: websites, writing, communication teams, etc.
About my audience, who this is and isn’t written for
There is so much that can be said about church communication, but I thought it might be helpful if I clarify the audience that I have in mind as I create this site. What I have to share won’t be useful to everyone, so allow me to clarify in the interests of saving time and avoiding unfulfilled expectations.
The short version:
My primary audience is people who want to learn about the ministry of church communications, people who perhaps have not had professional design training (though I have found people with professional design training may know little about the spiritual aspects of church communication).
The audience I picture as I create this site includes the pastors, church planters, church secretaries and administrative and volunteer folks primarily from small to medium churches; people who have computers, a heart for ministry, and who passionately want to share Jesus through their church communications, but who need help to do that.
The long version:
Though anyone and everyone associated with church communications is welcome to read and use my resources, when I create materials for my ministry I have several audiences in mind as I write and create materials. The groups that I distinguish in my mind’s eye as I work on this site are:
1. My primary audience includes church people, no matter what their job, who want and need what I offer to make their communication ministries more effective and who know they have a lot to learn in church communications.
2. A secondary audience: people who may find parts of what I share useful, but that do not need all of them because of either the skills they already possess, or the setting they work in, for example, a very large church that may outsource some of its communication work.
3. One group I intentionally avoid.
Allow me to clarify each group in more detail:
My primary audience
I have emphasized that this group of people are those who know they need training. They can be leaders who make decisions regarding church communications: pastors, church business administrators, church office administrators, assistants, church office professionals, church secretaries, church planters, lay members involved in church communications. This is a large group, but one who must make strategic decision affecting church communications. I have many articles and resources for you to help you develop a strategy for more effective church communications and the category on this website: “Strategy,” will take you to them.
In addition to those who determine the strategy for church communications, my primary audience also consists of people who are creating church communications and who know they need help in doing that. Though in most churches, the church secretary or administrative assistant, or communications specialist is the one creating church communications, because many people in the church have a computer, many people are involved in creating church communications. Strategy is important, but without practical tips on how to create communications, nothing becomes real.
In the practical creation areas, the audience I keep in mind consists of church planters, new church secretaries, people without a design background. I try very hard in my ministry to not make assumptions about prior design or technology knowledge. I realize most people who work for a church did not choose the church work setting so they could sit in front of a computer all day long. Nor do most people who come to work for a ministry come with a design or technology background in place.
I try very hard to share resources, training, and tips that will be helpful to beginners. I also keep in mind as I share my materials that people who are working in a church setting and who do not have the time to focus all their time and energy on computers and communication. You do all of these things in the midst of a busy ministry life. I never want to take your focus away from first of all being a faithful servant of Jesus.
Because of the beginner nature of my primary audience and the time and financial constraints involved for all of them, I am a fan of MS Publisher and other inexpensive software and communication creation tools. Though that is not the only software I use and I do comment on and provide resources about other software, MS Publisher is the one used most in churches. In the website arena I am a huge fan of blog/website creation software such as WordPress. This is what I have created this website with and I love it’s easy of use (training tips are available on the Topics list) and low cost–which is FREE. I greatly prefer WordPress to more complicated software such as Dreamweaver. This subject of software usage leads to a clarification of the group that may find parts of what I do useful but not all of it, that group is:
My secondary audience
Church communicators who work in very large churches, whose job is totally communications, who have formal design training, who primarily use Adobe software: for many in this category, much of my practical advice (e.g. lots of information on MS Publisher and WordPress) may not be helpful to you personally.
However for this audience I encourage them to consider using the more basic information as training it for your communication volunteers. The material on this website and in the blog section will give them a biblical basis, strategic advice, and I trust, encourage them in their work. I personally use Adobe CS3 for some of my professional work (I designed the banner for this website in Photoshop, etc.) and I still layout and design most of my books in Pagemaker, but I don’t teach much on these programs in my seminars or write much about them because perhaps 1-2% at the most of the folks who work in church communication use these tools.
In my seminars this audience often comments to me that though they use for example, Abobe CS3 or CS4 or Photoshop or InDesign or other high-end graphics software to create their communications, that my seminars helped them to see church communications as a ministry, no matter what software they use. My approach encouraged them to do it as a servant endeavor, to get encouragement for their work from the Bible, and to perhaps enlist the skills of others to expand the communications ministry of their churches even though they may not have extensive formal training. In spite of knowing the technical skills in CS4 and other high end software, I have found that many people in this audience do not know the basics of design, how to use grids, and about excellence in typography that those of us trained in design in the pre-computer days had to learn. There is very little beginner material on these topics and one of my ministry goals is to create more resources in these foundational design areas.
One group I intentionally avoid:
This is difficult to explain and under no circumstances do I mean ill will or want to cause dissension or strife in the body of Christ. Also, though anyone is free to use whatever may be useful from my resources, there is one group of folks that I have encountered both in my seminars and online, who I simply do not choose to interact with, nor will I knowingly link to or endorse their materials.
These folks fall into two categories. First are the folks who already assume they know it all; they feel technology is primary and since they mastered the technology, their goal is to always use the latest and greatest. They make fun of, verbally and in writing, people who use MS Publisher, PCs instead of Macs, WordPress rather than Dreamweaver, or who don’t have the latest tech tool or software or web widget they consider essential or cool.
I have encountered some of these folks in my seminars. They often sit in the back row, obviously forced to attend by a senior pastor and spend the time in text messaging, surfing the web, and chatting. Though irritating, I find that if they sit and listen long enough or read through some of my biblical blogs, I often get apologies for previous bad behavior when they see that church communications is a ministry and all the demands of Christian character and consideration are part of their job description.
The second group goes a step further in unacceptable behavior. Not only do they think they know it all in design and technology, but they actively attack anyone or anything that in their exalted opinion, stinks. They are dismissive, arrogant, and rude in their comments on the church communications of those who do not fit into their definitions of what works. Their goal is to be shocking and confrontational, with the sometimes stated goal of doing it to help the church. I could rant on and on, but the bottom line to me is:
- we serve a holy God,
- his church is the Bride of Christ,
- in all things and in all situations, we are to have a reverence when we speak of her.
In addition to disparaging many who attempt to serve the Bride of Christ, I find the assumption that unless one does church marketing their way that it is somehow inferior, extremely upsetting.
I have seen church communications from many small churches, that though perhaps lacking in professional gloss, were none-the-less used by God to bring people to Him, to comfort hurts, or to grow people in Christian maturity. When some of these incredible saints, who create simple, but effective communications are made fun of by someone who holds to this arrogant position of “cool” and “with it” superiority, it breaks my heart. I am not talking theory here; I have personally witnessed it many times.
Part of my approach I admit is a very personal one. I am a drill-sergeant’s daughter. I grew up, let’s just say, with a somewhat salty vocabulary, a quick wit, and smart, sarcastic mouth. I’m over-educated, have a close-to-photographic memory, and can historically, biblically, and in detail, point out the flaws in any number of topics, publications, doctrines, and assorted behaviors.
And I can be loud. My mother used to tell me that with a mouth like mine no nice man would ever want anything to do with me. (I am now married to a bi-vocational pastor; God does have a sense of humor.)
For me growing in Christ-likeness has been a long, intentional struggle, and I trust growth, in controlling my tongue. I don’t believe it takes much skill or insight to point out problems, to use shocking or potty-mouth terms in your blogs, or graphics with swear words on them as illustrations on your website in an attempt to “improve” church communication. It’s easy to point out the stinky; what is difficult is to encourage healing without hurting. The real challenge is to come alongside, to be gentle, to help people who have few resources or skills; to build people up and encourage them to do all they can for the kingdom of God. I continuously struggle to control my first impulse, a critical spirit, and a sharp, biting tongue. I choose not to interact with an audience that would encourage what I feel are less than edifying (now that is an old-fashioned word that will most likely get a howl of laughter from some), behaviors in me.
Enough of that, I’m working on a book to explain this more, but enough said so you can see why this is not an audience to whom I direct my materials. If you truly want to communicate with me, email me: yvonprehn@aol.com
I do try hard to answer thoughtfully and nicely and if I can’t do that, I don’t answer at all.
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About Yvon Prehn
Currently Yvon writes blogs and books and creates training materials on church communications. She also teaches about church communication ministry, skills, and strategy at seminars, conferences, and national conventions all over North America.
She is the founder of Effective Church Communications, a ministry whose purpose is to enable churches to create communications that will help them fully fulfill the Great Commission.
Yvon has worked in communication ministry as a writer and teacher for over 25 years. For nine years she was a newspaper reporter and part of that time, religion and feature writer, for the Colorado Springs SUN newspaper.
When desktop publishing was first invented Yvon was a top-rated, national trainer in desktop publishing for Padgett/Thompson, the nation’s largest one-day seminar company. She worked as a communications consultant for numerous Christian ministries in Colorado Springs and was senior editor at both Compassion International and Young life International.
Yvon is the author of twelve nationally published books. She has written for many of the major Christian magazines including Christianity Today, Discipleship Journal, Today’s Christian Woman, Youthworker Journal, Ministries Today, Computing Today, Clergy Journal, Church Office Computing, Pulpit Helps, and Your Church.
She has been the communication columnist for Christian Computing Magazine for over 15 years. Her most recent books include The Heart of Church Communication, What Church Leaders Need to Know about Church Communications, and Ministry Marketing Made Easy! In addition to these books, she has a number of shorter booklets, how-tos, training CDs and other material available on her storefront at www.lulu.com/yvonprehnand her YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/yvonprehn.
Yvon has a master’s degree in Church History and has done additional extensive graduate work in theology and communications. She has taught high school English and was an adjunct professor in church history at Regis University.
In addition to her formal experience in these areas, Yvon gets the opportunity to practice church communications in very practical ways. She and her husband Paul have worked in many different areas of ministry in the church, especially in single adult ministry, adult education, and small group ministry wherein Yvon has taught and created many church communications and marketing materials. She and Paul live in Ventura, California.
Yvon’s seminars and written material have helped thousands of people in ministry maximize their church communications and enabled them to use them to help fully fulfill the Great Commission.
To contact Yvon Prehn, email: yvonprehn@aol.com.
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