Downloads Storefront

This storefront contains a variety of downloadable materials for you

The Main Sections are:

• MS Publisher Editable Templates, starting with one on FORMS templates
• Great Idea Swap PDF Books, including collections of church bulletins, newsletters, church invitations, and church ministry materials
• FREE DOWNLOAD collections, a variety of items offered for free in PDF format, typically some articles as well as PDF ready to print communication pieces
• Article Archive Books, including ones on church newsletters, church bulletins, and church invitation cards
• Full-length communication books, these are the same ones that are the downloads in my www.lulu.com/yvonprehn and at the same price. The Lulu store also has paperback versions available.

Scroll through the selections, there are lots of totally new resources for you.

How the Storefront works

All of these resources are linked to a central shopping cart. You can add or delete items one by one and after you have finished your selections pay for them with either a PayPal account or your credit card. You will then receive a link (or links) to download the materials.

If you have any problems, contact yvon@effectivechurchcom.com.

MS Publisher Editable Templates

This will be an ever-growing section of templates that you can download and modify for your church. The files will be downloaded in a ZIP file and will contain a PDF overview of the publications  and then separate Microsoft Publisher files of each of the Templates.

There is no instruction included on how to modify the templates and you need to know how to use MS Publisher before using the templates. If you need help in learning how to use Publisher, check out our recommended source for software learning: www.lynda.com.

MS Publisher Editable Templates: FORMS

These templates can be used as is or you can edit them in any way you like to help you be more effective in your planning and evaluation of church communications. There are six MS Publisher files on the download, plus a PDF that gives you an overview of the files.  To see this PDF  preview of the templates, click here. There are two videos on this website on the use of these forms, an overall one on Church Communciation Planning and one on How to use the Forms.

$7.00 download

Great Idea Swap PDF Collections

These books provide an incredible feast of inspiration and ideas. They are downloable PDFs collections of samples from church communicators for church communicators. Most of the books are between 50 to 100 pages in length and filled with samples of PDFs from churches of every size and denomination.

The sample selections were not assembled to simply give you design ideas (though plenty of them are there), but to give you a sense of what fellow church communicators are doing in terms of ministry. How churches present programs, the way they talk about them, how they connect with people in and outside the church are just some of the things you can learn from looking at the samples.

Some of the samples have been shown previously in books or on the website with or without comments, but we’ve got literally thousands of samples and each one of them useful in some way. We have no idea what you need or specifically what you’ll learn from these sample collections, but we trust they will be an inspiration to you.

The PDF format can be viewed on your computer or printed out. They make a great resource of ideas for the communications team for your church.  Check back frequenty or sign up for our newsletter as we will continuously be releasing new sets.

If you want to know more about how we put together the materials for the Great Idea Swap or would like to contribute to it, click here.

Great Idea Swap: Children’s Ministry Communications,  #1

This downloadable PDF book of 84 pages is an incredible collection of brochures that describe children’s minstries. Big churches, small churches, churches of every size and denomination are represented. From simple, black -on-colored paper brochures, to full-color, full-bleed professionally printed pieces, you’ll get lots of ideas on how to present a children’s ministry, how to describe the benefits, what the programs offer, and how to involve people in your church. These are an essential ministry piece for both church outreach and informing your congregation.

$7.oo download

Great Idea Swap: Children’s Ministry Communications,  #2

Two pieces are particularly important in this collection of children’s ministry communications. First is a Children’s Growth Book. It is very simply done, but it is an in-depth and excellent discipleship program for children. The second is a fantastic handbook for a church children’s ministry—lots of excellent advice for every aspect of the children’s ministry. It includes guidelines for staff recruitment, interaction with children, how to organize a ministry, and lead a child to Christ—very well-done and thoughtful advice.

$7.00 download

Great Idea Swap: Church Bulletins #1

Church Bulletins are one of the most important church communications you can create because they are the first link to your church and Jesus for an unchurched person. In addition, they provide a vital link for your members to church growth opportunities. This book contains over 100 pages of PDF examples from churches of every size and many denominatons. Some are a page folded in half, others many pages of liturgical detail; some with images, some only text, but all a source of ideas and inspiration.

$7.00 download

Great Idea Swap: Church Invitations #1

There are lots of ways to invite people to come to church and this PDF collection has postcards, church business/invitation cards, bookmarks, flyers, and door-hanger examples. When you look at these examples, not only evaluate them for ways to invite people, interesting presentations, and similiar things, but also ask yourself if this invitation would appeal to you as an unchurched person. Perhaps show some examples to unchurched friends and get their opinion.

$7.00 download

Great Idea Swap: Church Newsletters #1

This is book 1 of 3 collections of church newsletters. Each book has completely different newsletter collections from a variety of church sizes and denominations. Printed newsletters remain one of the most popular church communications whether your church prints them out, puts them in PDF format, or does both. The newsletter samples will give you great ideas on sections, writing, ministry communication for every area of your church.

$7.00 download

Great Idea Swap: Church Newsletters #2

This is book 2 of 3 collections of church newsletters. Each book has completely different newsletter collections from a variety of church sizes and denominations. Printed newsletters remain one of the most popular church communications whether your church prints them out, puts them in PDF format, or does both. The newsletter samples will give you great ideas on sections, writing, ministry communication for every area of your church.

$7.00 download

Great Idea Swap: Church Newsletters #3

This is book 3 of 3 collections of church newsletters. Each book has completely different newsletter collections from a variety of church sizes and denominations. Printed newsletters remain one of the most popular church communications whether your church prints them out, puts them in PDF format, or does both. The newsletter samples will give you great ideas on sections, writing, ministry communication for every area of your church.

$7.00 download

FREE Download Collections

Free Valentine’s Day Goodies

This is a collection of SIX ready-to-print PDF postcards that you can print off and then add your own church personalization to the back of them. You can then either mail them out or use them as bulletin inserts for Valentines Day or inserted into goodie bags with a Valentines message from the church. In addition the collection contains a PDF of an article that encourages church leaders to give their communicators the gifts of authority, protection, and training as Valentine’s Day presents and a PDF of an encouraging devotion for church communicators.  Though this PDF is free, you still have to add it to the cart using the button below.

FREE

Article Archive Books

There is much that is current, exciting, and new in church communications in this website we work hard to keep you updated on all of this. At the same time there is much that is timeless in church communications. No matter what channel or form you use to pass on your message, what makes a good newsletter, bulletin, or church overview has similar characteristics whether you communicate it on the digitally or in print. Yvon Prehn has writen about church communications for a long time and has lots of materials in the form of scans and PDFs that, though the format and quality varies tremendously, contains a lot of useful, timeless material. The material comes from a variety of newsletters, books, magazines I’ve written for in the past. Some of it has been redone in books and web articles, but rather than hoarding it until we can make it pretty and perfect, we’re collecting what we have and making it available in inexpensive PDF collections. The bits of retro humor you get from old publications, Compuserve email addresses, the stlye changes (how could anyone think those eyeglasses were stylish at one time?), are thrown in for free. Needless to say, ignore all addresses, emails, etc. in these.

Article Archives Book: Bulletins

This 20-page book contains of all kinds of information about bulletins including: how to do a variety of bulletin layouts, how to use type to make it easier for people to follow the sections of the bulletin during worship, ways to handle special sections of the bulletin, why bulletin inserts are useful for niche marketing in the church and the importance of fitting in little details in a church bulletin even if you don’t think you have room for them. Be sure to check out the Great Idea Swap Collection of Church Samples in the section above this one and the how to book on Bulletins at www.lulu.com/yvonprehn.

$3.50 download

Article Archives Book: Newsletters

There are many parts to a successful newsletter: the layout and type, the writing, the graphics you use. This 38-page book has ideas for all these sections, plus: articles on how to generate quality newsletter articles,  some ideas on how to create niche newsletters that reach out to and minister to a specific group of people and a lengthy section on how to lay out and organize a variety of newsletter formats. Be sure to check out the three books of samples in the Great Idea Swap Section above, whether they are distributed in print or in PDF online, you’ll get lots of layout ideas from them.

$3.50 download

Article Archives Book: Invitation Cards & More

This 24-page book contains the full text of Yvon Prehn’s previous book on Church Business Cards, plus: numerous additional reprints on business cards, tips to create effective postcards, ideas for ow to do effective church marketing, ideas on what makes an effective seeker-friendly communication and how to avoid jargon in your communications. Be sure to check out the book on Church Invitations in the Great Idea Swap section above for how churches create these outreach pieces. No one method is perfect, try different ones for your church and track the results.

$3.50 download

Full-Length Communication Books

These are the same books that are available in my www.lulu.com/yvonprehn storefront. However, the Lulu storefront also has paperback books and CDs, this storefront is totally downloads. I am in the process of putting all my downloadable books here to make it easier for you to download them.

The Heart of Church Communications

This book contains 52 entries, one for every week of the year to encourage and challenge you in your church communications work. The entries are more than uplifting devotions, they were written to make you think deeply about your calling as a communicator for the kingdom of God. They were written also to help you examine your heart and help you make it to be all the Lord wants it to be as you serve Him.

For the Valentines season, this book is on sale for only $4.00. You have my permission to copy and pass on any of the entries to anyone who might be encouraged or challenged by them.

$4.00