Effective Church Communications

Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and Biblical Inspiration to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission

Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and a Biblical Perspective to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. Our tools constantly change; our task doesn’t; we can help.

Constant change is not necessary for effective church communication

By Leave a Comment

A current conference advertises itself with this statement:

Constant change is necessary to reach our culture with the unchanging message of Jesus Christ.

Why?

On what basis?

It can't be on the basis of any kind of current marketing theory. Consider some of the most successful brands today:

  • Has Coke ever changed its logo colors?
  • Has Nike ever changed "just......"  you know the rest of the statement.
  • Did the Olympic committee alter its logo from interlocking rings to interlocking squares to keep the image fresh?

Many time-honored brands have not changed their distinctive characteristics for years and they won't. They know that change would be deadly to their brand identity and profitability. There is nothing intrinsically good or beneficial about change. In fact, change can be a destructive and distracting—especially for churches. [Read more...]

Summary of the generous reproduction rights you have with a purchase of the ECC TOOLKITS

By Leave a Comment

Because we retain copyright to all the materials in our TOOLKITS, we can be generous with giving these rights to you. We do this because we want you to use the materials not only for your own learning, but to train others.

If we are to do all the communication for sharing the gospel and growing the Kingdom of God that needs to be done, we need many Great Commission-committed church communicators. We encourage you to not only look at these materials yourself, but use them to train others.

That is why we allow you to make copies of the e-books for staff and volunteers at your church if you either are a member or purchase CDs. That is why we grant you permission not only to use our materials to train volunteers if you are a member (you do need church or organizational membership for this) or purchase CDs, but you can charge a reasonable amount for that training and keep it.

You have permission to keep the CDs in your library and allow people who are members of your church or organization check them out, put them on their computer, print off e-books and not feel guilty that you are violating a rule about the CD only being able to be used on one computer. We’d rather you didn’t reproduce the CDs. However, we can grant you a special license or provide group pricing if you want to give CDs to folks at a conference or training event. We can also provide wholesale pricing if you would like to sell them and make a profit.

SUMMARY:

With either the purchase of a ECC TOOLKIT CD through www.lulu.com/yvonprehn, or as a MEMBER of this website, you may take the materials in the TOOLKIT sections and:

  1. Make copies of the e-books, PDFs, templates on the computers who need them in your church and your communication volunteers.
  2. Print off copies of the PDFs, e-books, and handouts for the people who need them in your church and for your communication volunteers.
  3. Show the videos at training sessions either for your church and volunteers or for a group you oversee.
  4. You may charge a fee for training and keep the fee (we know it costs to do these things). On your honor, make the fee reasonable and affordable and free to folks if they need it.
  5. You may not reproduce the CD, but you can purchase it at a wholesale discount if you want to distribute it or resell it. Contact yvon@effectivechurchcom.com for information on this.
  6. Be reasonable and fair and don't worry about the letter of the law (my usage laws have very few letters....).

Any additional questions, contact me at yvon@effectivechurchcom.com.

Share freely, pray lots, and with enthusiasm train others to be Great Communication Communicators!

VIDEO: Why I can be happy

By Leave a Comment

I did this video for a friend who was going through a very hard time, but I have found that I often look at the video to encourage myself. It encourages me because it causes me to remember that no matter how much I mess up (and that is very frequently) that the Lord still loves me and that He is at work for our good and His glory. I trust it encourages you.

Church communicators, resistence fighters for the Kingdom of God

By Leave a Comment

Enemy-occupied territory—that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I chose this quote  for the first on this website because it summarizes much of my motivation for this ministry because it reminds me that, in many ways, church communicators are like the French Resistance fighters living in Paris near the end of World War Two. D-Day was June 6th, but Paris was not liberated until August 25th.

The Nazis would not admit defeat and poured all of their power and persuasion into the belief that they would be victorious. The resistance fighters using underground presses, hidden radios, and graffiti proclaimed, “No, freedom is coming! No matter how powerful the ruling party, no matter how oppressive their actions, no matter the personal cost of resistance, we will proclaim the truth—freedom is coming!”

We know the outcome—Paris was liberated; the Nazis were defeated.

The collaborators who sided with the Nazis, were publicly humiliated and condemned. For the the vast majority, who did nothing, there was most likely overwhelming relief, perhaps interrupted with thoughts of  "I would have done more, but I was too tired . . .or fearful . . .or busy. . .or something...but I wished the Allies well."

For the resistance fighters, the years of clandestine, sleepless, dangerous work to get out the true message of freedom was suddenly worth it and they were celebrated as heros. Theirs was was deepest joy. They believed the truth and at the risk of life and loss of comfort, acted on it.

You, church communicators are the resistance fighters for the kingdom of God. Our D-Day was the third day. The Lord Jesus conquered death, removed the curse and chasm between creature and Creator and rose victorious from the grave.

But our Lord has not yet taken possession of the land.

The enemy of human souls rules the minds and hearts of many with his lies. Some who collaborate share wealth, power, and influence unimaginable. Many can't imagine a Lord beyond immediate needs, appetites, self-preservation or indulgence. Many are too poor or hungry or frightened to think beyond the next day. Many have heard rumors of a resistance army, but suspect it's only for the fanatical and besides, there is another sale to attend, a meal to cook, a romance to pursue.

Church communicators, you are called, as Lewis said, to a "great campaign of sabotage." It may take many forms and many years, but we must pour our hearts and time into letting our world know the ruler of this age is defeated.

Our Lord has won the victory. Join us and joyfully look forward to his return when he takes full possession of this world.

For non-profit pricing on software: Consistent Computer Bargains

By Leave a Comment

This is a wonderful organization that provides the non-profit pricing for churches, school, and other non-profit organizations. It is a great place to get the group pricing for MS Publisher, MS Office and related products, plus all sorts of other software and hardware needs for churches.

Let me introduce a very helpful and professional contact, for years she has helped many people and churches who took my seminars:

Maci Shrock
Regional Sales Manager
Consistent Computer Bargains, Inc
Racine, WI 53404

Ph: 1-800-342-4222 Ext. 110

Fx: 1-800-864-1419

Email: maci@ccbnpts.com

Website: www.ccbnonprofits.com

Remember Effective Church Communications takes no advertising, we recommend folks we like. I have done business with Consistent Computer Bargains for many years and they are great, trustworthy servants of the Lord.