Effective Church Communications

The Effective Church Communication ministry from Yvon Prehn provides inspiration, training, and resources to help your church create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. It focuses on Bible-based and timeless principles and strategies that work no matter what digital or print channel you use to create your communications. The site has links to many free TEMPLATES and other resources, plus links to free TRAINING VIDEOS, and a RESOURCE LIBRARY for church communicators. 

The Effective Church Communication ministry from Yvon Prehn provides inspiration, training, and resources to help your church create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. It focuses on Bible-based and timeless principles and strategies that work no matter what digital or print channel you use to create your communications. The site has links to many free TEMPLATES and other resources, plus links to free TRAINING VIDEOS, and a RESOURCE LIBRARY for church communicators.

Free Social Media Invitation and Postcard Templates for Mother’s Day, set 2, using AI-generated images in BOTH Canva and MS Publisher

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Free Mother's Day Social Media Invitations
This is one of a set of Free Social Media & MS Publisher invitations for Mother's Day. This set of images was created using the AI program in Canva.

This second set of Social Media invitation templates for Mother's Day was created using AI-generated images. To go to Set #1, CLICK HERE.

I did them in Canva using variations of the prompt: "Mother's Day background, using flowers, roses, or lilies." I changed the style for variations of the images. I wasn't looking for anything spectacular, but something useful. I then resized them in Canva and added the text boxes.

Below the images of the social media are links that will take you to the Canva files and MS Publisher files where you can modify them however you wish, adding your church's specific event information, or referring them to another place for it. Regardless of where you direct them, be very clear as these messages may be forwarded (hopefully they will be) to someone who may not be familiar with your church and exactly where you are or when you meet.

For the Canva Files of Free Mother's Day Social Media Images, click on the links below.

AI Images INSTAGRAM SIZE
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFgIlx5BuU/7NwcI5bWxcHFG5by4qtYeA/edit?utm_content=DAFgIlx5BuU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

AI Images FACEBOOK SIZE
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFhLB6oNh8/gZUlNba9dvcbvMl32OSLsw/edit?utm_content=DAFhLB6oNh8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

AI Images POSTCARD SIZE
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFhLO-Xphk/R3t-4uwpGpx4TbtbyNsfIg/edit?utm_content=DAFhLO-Xphk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

For the MS Publisher file of Free Mother's Day Postcards or for the image in PDF format, download the ZIP file below to your computer, open, and modify as you wish.

To download the editable MS Publisher file for the postcards, click the following link: https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/JPG-Images-AI-created-POSTCARD-SIZE-T-2.zip

REMEMBER the most important reason for using these invitations

Of course, you want to make Moms happy by inviting their loved ones to attend church with them but remember that this is a fantastic opportunity to share the good news of salvation in Jesus with family members who may not have heard it or responded to it.

Do honor Mothers on this day, but most of all, with all the unchurched family members who will attend this day, be sure to make it one of your best outreach days of the year.

Why the emphasis on evangelism and discipleship for Mother’s Day

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Mothers Day Resources
Celebrating Mothers is important on Mother's Day, but we can do more to reach out to unchurched families at this time.

The reasons for doing more on Mother's Day that focusing solely on celebrating Moms has to do with the overall approach of the Effective Church Communications ministry.

Bear with me for a few minutes while I explain (and if you are super busy, just go HERE for free Mother's Day Templates).

Brief background of the philosophy underlying Effective Church Communications

I never imagined when I was astounded with the technical ability of the IBM Self-Correcting typewriter that I'd be communicating today creating images in Canva, doing podcasts, and training videos for church communicators on the web that reach the world.I imagine those starting out with the technology we have today will look back, should they and this world last, and be amazed at what they will use in church communications five decades from now.

Tools are essential, but often a distraction

Though technology and the tools we use to communicate have continuously changed from the use of clay tablets to the Internet (though the pace has accelerated greatly), a human tendency continues to focus on the tools as THE most important ingredient to communication success. At one time it was radio that would reach the world, then television, then the Internet came along and gave birth to the myriad of technologies today.

A bulletin with color added was a big deal at one time; now churches worry that they aren't posting enough on all the latest social media channels.

Each time a new tool appears we loudly proclaim THIS IS IT! Conquer this or that tool and the world will be reached for Jesus. Or at least we'll have a new tool to try. [Read more...]

FREE Valentines Day Backgrounds and How to Create them Using the Canva A.I. feature

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Free Valentines Background and how to create them
This is just one of over 3 dozen free background images you can use for Valentines Day. Download as either a ZIP file or link to Canva, use and modify.

The following backgrounds were all created in Canva, using their A.I. image-generating feature and they were then modified in Canva with some of their filters and image editing tools.

I have three sets of images for you with both links to the Canva files and also to download a ZIP file of 1080 x1080 px, jpg images. You can modify and use them however you want.

Before the images is a short video on how I created them using the Canva "text to image" or their A.I. image generation program. I'll be doing some additional videos about it, but I wanted to share these with you for Valentine's Day.

Following the video are the three sets, first with the images, then the Canva Link and the jpg file link for each set below the images.

 

AI Valentines Day Backgrounds, set #1

1080x1080 px

Here is the link to the Canva File: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFXher_1o8/USvnVN3RGXGzQoBI6lxuBg/edit?utm_content=DAFXher_1o8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Here is the link to the ZIP File of the jpg images: https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/AI-Valentines-Day-Background-set-1.zip

AI Valentines Day Backgrounds, set #2

1080x1080 px

Here is the link to the Canva File: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFX43UGuNo/on8fUbCli-6Ve7q4ujWkSg/edit?utm_content=DAFX43UGuNo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Here is the link to the ZIP File of the jpg images: https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/AI-Valentines-Day-Background-set-1.zip

Valentines Day Backgrounds, set #3

1080x1080 px

Here is the link to the Canva File: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFZRrgtXbQ/ELmgA-ZQZ3joY1PMQftCfg/edit?utm_content=DAFZRrgtXbQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Here is the link to the ZIP File of the jpg images: https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/AI-Valentines-Day-Background-set-1.zip

 

Scam Alert for Geek Squad Users (or even if you aren’t)a video for you

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Scam alert for Best Buys Geek Squad
A quick warning video about a scam alert and the power of typography (check it out to see what I mean!)

The Geek Squad from Best Buy can be a useful resource for churches and one I especially rely on when getting a new computer and switching over programs. [ PLEASE REMEMBER Effective Church Communications does not take any advertising or do affiliate deals—this is just my opinion of the Geek Squad or anything else I talk about].

And so I was understandably upset briefly when I got an email saying that my membership in it was due and had doubled in price. The cost of so many things has gone up considerably, so I was momentarily panicked but then I noticed (seriously) the sloppy typography of the Geek squad logo in the email and it just looked off. I compared it with the real one (on my real Geek Squad contract) and yes, it was fake.

I called the company and they said that unfortunately the web is being flooded with these at present. They said to ignore it and forward the email to abuse@bestbuy.com.

There are lots of detailed warnings online for it and you can CLICK HERE to go to the one from the FTC.

However, I did a little short video to warn you and others (Please pass it on), plus a tiny typography lesson from it—that I'm sure many of you caught the minute you saw the fake email.

“You are One of the Great Ones and far more important than you may realize,” an encouragement for all church communicators

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Church Communicators are the GREAT ones in the Kingdom of God
Your work may seem challenging and overwhelming, but church communicators are truly the Great Ones in the Kingdom of God. Heaven will be different because of the work you are doing today.

It's easy to forget the incredible importance of your work with all the hard work it takes to be a church communicator. The devotion below will help you remember.

You are one of the Great Ones and far more important than you may realize

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. (Dan. 12:3)

Often when I ask someone who has come to one of my church communication seminars what they do in the church, they often respond by saying something like: “Oh, I’m just the church secretary” or “Oh, I just help work on the church newsletter” and similar self-deprecating statements.

My heart is broken when I hear that because the person who says it (and you may have thought similar things about yourself) has no idea of their true worth. Let me explain what I mean by sharing a story from a scene in C. S. Lewis’ book , The Great Divorce. In this scene the main character is being escorted around heaven. He sees a woman coming toward him magnificently clothed and attended to by a great procession. The book goes on: [Read more...]