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.

Christmas carols as inspiration for Christmas outreach, sermons, website content

By Leave a Comment

Christmas Carols are not only fun to sing, but can provide inspiration for sermons, blogs, and outreach.
Christmas Carols are not only fun to sing, but can provide inspiration for sermons, blogs, and outreach.

How do you find a theme for your Christmas outreach, sermons, blogs, or for content for your website that visitors might read?

One of the best resources is in the classic Christmas carols. The content is rich with biblical references and truth. The carols make a perfect communication starting place because people, both church members and unchurched are familiar with them, but may not be aware of the truth they reflect.

Following are some suggestions of ways you might want to use Christmas carols, but before you pick one, be sure to pick a carol that is in the Public Domain (copyrights expired) so that if you want to quote all or part of it you aren't breaking any laws. Sixteen of the most popular ones are listed below.

For an extensive list of all the carols with lyrics in the public domain, including many little-known, historical ones: http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/HTML/index_of_carols_ab.htm

A limited choice of lyrics of some of the more popular carols:
http://songsofpraise.org/christmaslyrics.htm

Short list of some public domain Christmas Carols, suggestions for use follow this list

  • Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
  • Silent Night
  • Jingle Bells
  • Deck the Halls
  • Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
  • Angels We Have Heard on High
  • Away In a Manger
  • Deck the Halls
  • Here We Come A-Caroling
  • The First Noel
  • It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
  • Jolly Old St. Nicholas
  • Joy to the World
  • The Twelve Days of Christmas
  • We Wish You a Merry Christmas
  • What Child is This?

Some suggestions for ways to use the content of carols in outreach, sermons and blogs

From: Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

The idea of hope and fear--a combination of emotions as old as the years before Christ and as new as contemporary Christmas expectations.

From: Joy to the World

The title alone is great inspiration.

We all need JOY and the reason we can have it now and forever is because of the second line of the song: "the Lord has come"

From: What Child is This?

A good sermon series or Christmas Day sermon title or for a series of Q & A on your website. The answer is in the song: "this is Christ the King."

From: Deck the Halls

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly......tis the season to be jolly...."

Why is it a season to be happy? Again, back to the idea that salvation has become real and tangible in the birth of Jesus. God fulfilled thousands of years of promise in the birth of the Messiah.

 

Business or Invitation cards for Christmas or outreach, gifts, PR, invitations to come back to church, whatever you can think of

By Leave a Comment

Christmas business and invitation cards wide #1Christmas business and invitation cards wide #3

 

 

 

Business and invitation cards can be used for so many things during the Christmas season: invitations, gift enclosures, links to website explanations about your church or Facebook or Twitter encouragements, cards to encourage people to come back to church, gift tags, or whatever else you can think of. [Read more...]

Connection Cards for Christmas

By Leave a Comment

FREE Christmas Connection Card
Click on this image to download the FREE PDF file; all the other images below are part of a file for Effective Church Communication Members.

After all your hard work to get people to come to your Christmas events, you want to make sure you make a connection with them so that they will return to your church after the holidays. To do that you need to capture names and contact information.

These Connection Cards  for Christmas are a simple-to-create, but very useful tool. The one to the left is free for everyone, just click to download the PDF, print and use.

At the end of this article is a link to a ZIP FILE that has ready-to-print PDFs of all the images below, including  two versions that can be printed with color separations if you have a digital duplicator.

In addition  the ZIP file contains editable MS Publisher files of all the cards plus hi-res images of them. The ZIP FILE is free also. [Read more...]

A Christmas brochure that explains the gospel–Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but why?

By Leave a Comment

Picture of Color artwork, side one
This brochure can be used as a give-away to share the good news about Jesus at any Christmas event.

Christmas events should always have a clear presentation of the good news of salvation in Jesus. Jesus is the "reason for the Season," but also your Christmas events are a time when people will be visiting your church who often don't come.

No matter how fantastic your music or program, no matter how delicious the food, you don't want anyone leaving without knowing about Jesus.

This piece, "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, but why?" has been one of our most popular and frequently printed Christmas communications. In the past we've given you this piece either in MS Word format or in PDFs on one page.

Below is the MS Word text and to see this communication in various formats on one page, you can CLICK HERE.

For this year, a NEW tri-fold brochure in MS Word

This piece can be used not only to give out at church events, but it also works to give to your people to put into Christmas letters, to share in their neighborhoods, to give out at work, to friends or however you can think of to use it. The text below is for everyone to copy and use. On the brochures in addition to this basic text is also a back panel with additional websites for people to check out the Christian faith in more detail and a place for you to personalize the brochure for your church. Below it is a ZIP file that contains: an MS Word Editable files of all the versions below, ready-to-print PDFs of each version and images of each one.

MS Word File of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but why?"

 Hark! the Herald Angels Sing! but why? At Christmas—did you ever wonder what that joyous singing was about? It certainly couldn't have been for Jesus. Leaving the glory of heaven to inhabit a body that would get tired and hurt from a hard day working in the carpenter shop wasn't reason for joy. Then to preach the message he'd been sent to communicate not only to have the majority of folks not believe him, but to crucify him for it—no, the singing wasn't for Jesus.

It probably wasn't for the angels themselves. It would give them no joy to watch for the next 33 years the incredible wonder of the Creator of the universe playing with little kids, speaking to the storm and quieting it like a child, watching him restore sight and wholeness to the hurting and life itself to a friend who had died, and to have all that love rejected. No, the angels weren't singing for themselves.

I think the angels were singing for us. The celebration was because they knew Jesus was the true connection between people and God. They knew Jesus could quiet that empty place in each heart that God created and only He can fill. They knew Jesus came to earth to bridge the gap between God and man by his death on the cross. That's why we have Christmas and the angels sang.

Their song is for you if you know Jesus. If not, if the place is your heart is still empty and without Jesus, this year consider filling it with him. But think carefully first. Though salvation in Jesus is a free gift, it isn't one without cost. You get it free, but Jesus died to give it to you. Also, if you accept Jesus' gift of salvation, know He takes it very seriously and you won't ever be the same. A new life will start in you, the very life of God. If you want God's gift in all His fullness, chances are that He might ask for some changes your life to make room for new things He'll want to bring in. Don't be afraid; you won't be losing out. You'll be gaining a whole way of life that will be more satisfying than you can imagine. You'll want to read the Bible; you'll want to talk to God in prayer; you'll want to go to a church and meet other members of your new family of God. You'll want to grow spiritually and become all your Creator meant for you to be. It can be scary. You'll be under new management, but whatever you might be tightly clutching now will seem no more important to you than it does to a child who gladly sets aside a toy tricycle when he realizes his parents have a real bicycle for him.

The first Christmas began with a glorious song from angels, but the song isn't over. Did you know the angels want to sing for you?The Bible tells us that the angels today sing for joy whenever someone accepts the greatest gift of all—Jesus. If you want that gift, wherever you are, out-loud or in your heart, say something like this to him:

Dear Jesus,

I want the gift you want to give me. I want to be connected with my God this Christmas. I know that I'm not. I know there are things in my life, my sin, my pride, even some of my good deeds that I thought could take me to God, but I know on my own I won't make it. I realize Jesus came to earth that first Christmas to do what I could not do—to die for me, so I can live with you. I don't understand it all, but I want to ask you anyway to come into my life, to be my Savior, to be with me now and forever. Help me to learn what I need to learn and to grow and live a life that will be pleasing to you. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, listen quietly. The angels are singing—you may not hear them with your ears, but a song of joy that will never end has begun in your heart.  

This next section can be on the back or a third panel of the brochure If you are considering becoming a Christian, please consider. . . . . This is not a decision to be taken lightly. It is not a quick fix, fire-insurance, one more thing to try to make you feel better. It is an eternal commitment to Jesus Christ as Forgiver and Leader of your life. Please take time to explore these sites:

Who is Jesus? http://www.whoisjesus-really.com/english/menu.htm Lots of questions answered here about Jesus.

Christian Research Institute: http://www.equip.org/ This is the website of the Christian Research Institute and Hank Hanegraff, the Bible AnswA Christmas brochure that explains the gospel--Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but why?

Ten Reasons to Believe: http://www.rbc.org/rtb/ An excellent site to explore the Christian faith in detail. Contains a number of lists including: Ten reasons to believe in life after death; Ten reasons to believe in Christ rather than religion; Ten reasons to believe in the Bible; and other lists.

One of the best ways to find out more about the Christian life is to become part of a church. Please find one you are comfortable in, that preaches the Bible and that will answer your questions.

(Here is where you can put in specific information about your church).

Pictures of the various formats of the 3-column format of the brochure, below the images is the link to the ZIP File.

Picture of Color artwork, side one
Side One of the Brochure, color images
Picture of Color artwork, side two
Side Two of the Brochure, color images
If you have a digital duplicator where you can print in an accent color, you can use this file for your master for one color.

 

 

Picture of Blue artwork
This file for the brochure can be used either in color for the blue images or it is also a good one to print in black and white.

 

Picture of Text Only
If you have a digital duplicator where you can print in an accent color, you can use this file for your master for your second color or black.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Christmas brochure that explains the gospel--Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but why?A Christmas brochure that explains the gospel--Hartmas brochure that explains the gospel--Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but why?A Christmas brochure that explains the gospel--Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but why?A Christmas brtmas brochure that explains the gospel--Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but why?A Christmas brochure that explains the gospel--Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but why?A Christmas brk the Herald Angels Sing, but why?A Christmas brochure that explains the gospel--Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but why?

ZIP FILE containing all formats in MS WORD, PDF, and images.

 

 

CLICK HERE to download the ZIP File

 

Our most important time, our quiet time with God

By Leave a Comment

Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. note: We are all familiar with the story of Mary and Martha, but it is so easy to forget when we are working so hard for Jesus, to spend time with Him—Gayle's article is a wonderful reminder of how important that time is.

Even in churches it is easy to neglect to leave “God room” in our plans—room for God to reveal His will regarding our goals. While all time is essentially God time, setting aside a quiet period with God each day is surely our most important time.

The Scriptures provide a fine textbook on time management. Jesus gives the ultimate example of the value of planning. He spent thirty years planning for his three years of ministry. Spending time in God’s Word keeps us on track and helps us put our priorities in order. It inspires us to aim for excellence.

In aspiring to excellence, avoid becoming perfectionistic. Jesus was perfect, not a perfectionist. He worked with imperfect people in an imperfect system. He entrusted his work to us! Would a perfectionist do that? Do your best; then turn it loose. God will bless your honest efforts.

Everyone who has ever read a book on time management or who has attended a seminar on the subject has been reminded we all have the same amount of time. We all, regardless of status in life, have only 24 hours a day.

Time is a resource—our most precious because, unlike money or energy, it cannot be saved up to be used later. The minutes go by; we cannot truly manage them. What we can manage is the way we use our time.

Be aware of time as you go through your day. Scrutinize the jobs you do and look for creative ways to cut minutes off each task.

Even so, don’t fall into the stressful game of “Beat the Clock.” Find a comfortable pace and whatever transpires, don’t neglect your quiet time.

Be sure to schedule and to take a couple of breaks during the day. Leave the office for a lunch hour. Studies indicate that people who take short breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon and who take a full lunch hour are more productive than those who work straight through. Tired minds and tired bodies simply do not produce good results.

A good rule is to ask yourself several times during the day, “Is what I’m doing the best use of my time now?” Your schedule must be rigid enough to be effective yet flexible enough to allow for priority shifts beyond your control.

Amid all your busy-ness, your quiet time is essential. This is when you gain a clear picture of the results you want to accomplish—not simply the tasks at hand. God time allows you to know your true goals and to focus on them. No priority is higher.