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 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...]

FREE TEMPLATES–Canva Fall Invitation Postcards, also jpg format you can use in MS Publisher

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Below is a set of Free Templates in Canva you can use for Fall Invitation Postcards.

CLICK HERE to go to Canva to modify them.

Click the following link to download a Zip File of the jpgs: FALL INVITE Postcard jpgs

Below is a video that shows you how to modify the Templates here and download and use them in MS Publisher.

The most important communications you create—answers to staff emails and other requests

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Don't ignore people who email you
When we ignore emails people send to the church staff it can hurt hearts, damage relationships, and certainly, make people less open to communications you send to them.

We want people to respond to what we communicate to them, we want them to show up and participate. Yet, again and again, I hear from those who are challenged emotionally and spiritually because people on the church staff do not respond to emails. Here are some recent ones (identifying details are modified so as not to embarrass any individual or church as we can all be guilty of these things):

"I wanted to sponsor some of the youth group going to camp and it was not an insignificant amount of money. I also had some other things I wanted to give the group and as I went over my email I realized it wasn't clear that a lot of money was involved with the various offers and a few questions I had. However, the youth pastor took days and no response. I recopied it and sent it again with a nice "I'm sorry I bothered, and you may have missed this....." I got an extremely short reply, basically rejecting my offer. I don't think he actually read the email. I am NEVER again going to support this person and my money will go elsewhere.

I had a really important question about an issue that came up with our small group. I emailed the pastor who is supposed to be in charge of all this and still no reply. I'm trying hard not to call and yell. We just had a budget approval time and our church pays people really well and I don't understand why they don't answer emails.

I sent in the requested material so the communications person could add our Sunday School topics to the church weekly email newsletter. No acknowledgment it was received. It wasn't put into the newsletter. I don't know what to do.

I could go on and on with comments from many churches, but all of them have the same question, and concern--"Why does the church staff not answer email?"

Let's look at why this is happening and positive ways to improve the situation. [Read more...]