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.

The best way to get visitors to attend Christmas church events–the practical tools to do it

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What would you say is the answer to the challenge of getting unchurched visitors to come to your Christmas events? Is it to purchase a national outreach campaign of postcards? Is it to spend lots of money on advertisements in the local newspaper? Is it to create colorful website banners for the holidays?

Though all of those methods may bring in a few visitors, the most effective way to get visitors to attend hasn’t changed from the days when Jesus walked on this earth—it is a friend telling a friend:

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. (Jn. 1:41-42).

1 UP Why invite clipart bulletin insert
Just click to download PDF to encourage your church members to invite their friends for Christmas

Below is a Bulletin insert for everyone and following that is a selection of materials for ECC Members. Click here for information about ECC Membership.

An encouragement to your people to invite their friends

Nothing works better than a personal invitation, but for that to take place, your people have to be motivated to invite their friends to the events your church is hosting this Christmas season. We’d like to think that people will naturally want to invite their friends, but with all the demands of the holidays, it’s easy to forget that an invitation to a church event is not just one more option on the calendar.

If your church event is (and I am assuming it is) more than simply an entertaining Christmas tradition and is one that clearly communicates the gospel, you need to remind your people that inviting friends to your events could literally change their eternity. In an upbeat way, the bulletin insert here will remind them of this truth and encourage them to invite their friends.

This PDF is a free download for everyone. Click here or on the image to download it.

Additional options and outreach reminder materials for Effective Church Communication Members.

If you are an Effective Church Communication Member, by clicking the link below the following description, you can download a ZIP file that has:

1 UP Why invite photo bulletin insert
This version of the bulletin insert, plus the other one, plus PDFs, MS Publisher files, PNGs, and MS Word text file is available in a ZIP file for ECC Members. To download the ZIP file, go to the end of the article.

***Another design of the Bulletin Insert.

***PDFs of both designs, ready to print.

***MS Publisher files of this design so you can modify them it you want to. I did not include a file of the clip art one that is editable because when I checked again, I was not sure of the source of the clipart. But this template could be modified with clipart if you chose to use it.

***MS Word file of the text of the bulletin insert with permission to use it in any publication or website use you’d like.

***PNG-image files of each of the flyers for you to use in bulletins, websites, handouts, PowerPoint presentations where you encourage your people.

Becoming and ECC Member will save you hours work because you don’t have to create all of these items—simply download, modify and use! Lots more are coming for the Christmas season and all through the year, so join now so you don’t miss out!

For more information on how to become an ECC Member, Click here.

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Click here to download the ZIP file that contains all of the materials above. Save it to your desktop and then just click to open and use all the materials.

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Simple, easy, useful Christmas Invitation Templates

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Red & black Christmas Invitation
Click on the image to download and print the PDF; it comes 4-per page. This is free for everyone, additional ECC Members downloads are below.

For links to many more NEW Christmas communications and FREE samples in each group, CLICK HERE.

The holidays are filled with so much extravagance in everything from gifts to communications, but sometimes we just need a simple invitation. I was in that situation late Saturday night when I realized after doing all the work on the handouts and PowerPoint presentation for the Sunday morning Bible class lesson that I forgot to do up an invitation for the class Christmas Potluck.

Fortunately, I was working on this article and had one of the invitations done--quick, I opened it, added my information, printed them 4-up (I use the MS Publisher 4-on-a-page postcard template) on some pretty parchment paper, cut them apart and they were ready to go. [Read more...]

Timely Tips for the Holidays

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Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Editor’s note: Thanksgiving is this week and then the holiday season starts in earnest. For most of us who are involved in church responsibilities as well as family events, things won’t slow down until January (just in time to start getting ready for Easter). Gayle’s wonderful tips will help bring some joy and peace back into your holiday season.

Timely Tips for the Holidays, by Gayle Hilligoss

Your life is always busy. Then along comes the holidays and make the rest of your year seem like a vacation.

Even for those who cherish the true meaning of the season, for those whose celebrations focus on church, family, and friends, it is easy to get caught up in the rush. Suddenly days become a blur of to-do lists, projects in progress, obligations, and unfulfilled intentions. This year resolve to have truly joyful holidays—days to enjoy now and to save forever as lovely memories. Choose from these tips used by others to keep their holidays unrushed and on track.

• Put plans in writing. Take a few minutes now (even if you think you don’t have time!) and save hours later. Planning helps make holidays what you really want them to be. Make a master list today of all you want to do before the big day. Then make it friendlier with the next tip.

• Create a schedule. Work backward from the holiday filling in your planning calendar with items from your list. The schedule you’ve made is likely packed. You may trim it later, but check out the time savers here first.

• Start early. Purchase and make gifts throughout the year. Take advantage of vacation trips and bring back interesting regional items to tuck away for Christmas. Some make after-holiday shopping the start of gift buying for the next year. Choosing the right gift is more fun without the crunch.

• Use smart shortcuts. Choosing the “easy” way can allow you to do something you might have to abandon altogether otherwise. Kids will remember you made cookies together, not whether they were slices of store-bought cookie dough or your favorite recipe from scratch. Your company will remember your hospitality, not whether the menu originated in your kitchen.

• Stock up. As you prepare meals now, fix an extra for the freezer. Not having to think about what’s for dinner each evening gives you extra time to focus on special events and activities or to treat your friends to a lovely evening in your home and a delicious buffet—all prepared ahead.

• Computerize Christmas greetings. Start now to assemble a data base of those to whom you’d like to send Christmas greetings. Print transparent mailing labels or address envelopes directly now. If you choose to send cards, sign a few each day in spare moments. Or, spend an evening composing a family letter with each member contributing to the update of your year. For friends and family who enjoy e-mail, send electronic greetings. Utilize Facebook and other social networks to share pictures and news.

• Do the unconventional. Some like to distribute tasks over a wider time frame by sending cards or greetings at Thanksgiving or New Year’s rather than at Christmas. This can provide more time to add personal notes and, in the later case, allows you to include a thank you for any holiday gift.

• Trim your schedule. Give the calendar you’ve made a reality check. Identify the activities that matter the most to you and your family; those are your priorities. Use time savers to ensure these activities remain on your list. All other items can be ranked according to their importance. Scratch altogether those things you are comfortable doing without for this year.

• Appreciate simplicity. Enjoy the pictures, plans, and projects for the spectacular that fill
magazines, television, and the Internet but limit the number of our elaborate undertakings
to what you can reasonably handle with enjoyment. Simple decorations, gifts, and menus can be beautiful.

• Postpone your Thanksgiving meal. Volunteer to serve meals at a shelter or community center on the day; have your own  family dinner on Friday. Or, invite a new family in the community to share your day. Obviously, this works well at Christmas too—or any day!

• Buy or make a savings bank today. Drop in at least some loose change every day plus a self-determined weekly amount from your check. Periodically deposit your funds in an interest bearing bank account (even today’s tiny percentages add up). You’re on your way to financing next year’s holidays.

• Reserve time just for the special people in your life. On your calendar, ink in two or three blocks of time for each of your most significant others: spouse, children, parents, whomever. Plan an evening just to enjoy the tree, to sip hot chocolate and listen to carols, to make cookies, whatever brings you close.

• Live in the real world. People’s personalities and habits don’t change just because it’s Christmas. When making plans and tailoring your holiday activities, you can stretch a bit (maybe your husband will go to see the Nutcracker Suite?) but be realistic.

• Devise a numbering system if you have gift snoopers in your house. Instead of using names on your gift list, use numbers. The master list is in a safe place known only to you. When you come home with gifts, wrap them immediately and put only the number on the gift tag. Even if snoopers find your hiding place, even when gifts are under the tree, they can’t be sure which gifts are theirs—until you break the code.

• Keep a notebook handy to jot down gift ideas starting now. A small notepad with a spiral binding works great. Make a page for each person on your gift list. As you get ideas, jot them down. List several ideas for each person; when you get ready to buy you can choose what you like best. When children ask for ideas for Dad, share ideas from your list. Make a page for yourself too; when someone asks, “What would you like for Christmas?,” you will have some good answers.

• Give gifts from the past. Nostalgia and the holidays so go together. List in hand, visit an antique mall or flea market. Start someone off on a fun collection of vintage games, green handled kitchen utensils, old medicine tins, ornaments, tools—the possibilities are endless.

• Say why. Do more than say, “I love you.” Tell the someone why: I love you because you make me laugh, because you keep the yard so pretty, because you like my cooking…

• Cook a family meal together. Everyone makes a favorite dish. Get out the best china and silver, light candles, enjoy

Some special tips, just for you.

Over-focusing on responsibilities, tasks, chores, and pressures is especially common during the holidays. Often “you” is who gets lost in the process. As a result, all that running, all that concern, has no positive payoff. Instead of the blessed time you hoped for, the holidays become a stressed time of bad tempers and tired tootsies.

Some ideas for a more tranquil season—

• Be your own guest. Deck out your room as you do your guest room: flowers on the nightstand, fresh fruit in a pretty bowl, a stack of interesting books, fragrance on crisp sheets, soft music in the background.

• Get comfy. Take a few minutes for yourself when you get home from work to slip into something soft, cozy, and comfortable. Remove your makeup and smooth on a favorite face cream. Look good; feel good.

• Pretend you are at a spa. Relax at the end of your day with a leisurely soak in a tub of bubbles or bath oil. Light a few candles, wind up a music box, meditate and count your blessings.

• Take shopping breaks. Rather than shopping until you drop, schedule a little break every hour or so. Rest, regroup, and treat yourself to your favorite energy food (say cappuccino and a cookie). A little pampering can be good for us.

• Shop online. It has never been easier to purchase every gift on your list without going within miles of a mall. You might even choose the same category of gift for everyone: book, sweater, slippers, CD, video, cosmetics, candles, foodstuffs. One website and you’re done!

May you enjoy the most blessed of holidays.

Christmas encouragement for church communicators

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You work so hard this time of year (and always) to create communications to build your church and encourage your people. Take 2 minutes to watch this video to be encouraged and to remind yourself why you do all you do. Know you are loved and appreciated by our Lord and me at this Christmas season.

Give the gift of communication tools to your congregation, at Christmas and any time of the year

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Christmas is the time for giving. This year give to the people in your churches communication tools to help them share the gospel. We all know that Ephesians 4 tells pastors and teachers that their job is “to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry.” Communication tools can quip your people to do evangelism for the holidays and all year around.

Communication tools for evangelism

Most Christians know they are to be about sharing the good news of the gospel to people who don’t know Jesus. However, exactly how to do that keeps many people from doing that. Most of them think that sharing the gospel means getting up enough courage to say to a co-worker or stranger, “Are you saved?” and then proceeding to present a 3-minute canned gospel presentation.

God in His mercy does sometimes use that method, but it is probably not the most effective or is it one that most of your congregation look forward to using. In addition, current studies show that in our secular, post-Christian society it usually takes repeated exposures to the gospel message before an unchurched person really understands it and can honestly respond.

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Those repeated exposures usually take place in some church or church-sponsored activity such as a social event or small group. The communication tools you give your people gives them a way to bring friends and invite strangers to church or into a small group where they can get the repeated exposures they need to make an informed decision about the Christian faith. Some of the communication tools are:

Invitation cards

You can turn any standard business card from your church into an invitation card by simply placing a blank line where the name would be on the card and just below it, adding “member of Your Friendly Church.” In another place on the card place the words, “BE MY GUEST”.  On the reverse side of the card put a map of how to get to the church, service times, website, and whatever additional information you might think is important, such as if child care is provided at all services.

Depending upon the size of your church, make up hundreds or thousands of these cards and ask all the members to take a handful of them, carry them around at all times and give them out.

You could also make up special cards for a special series. One idea would be to make up a small fold-over card the size of a business card. On the outside have a simple cross and the words: What if it’s true? Inside invite folks to a series of upcoming sermons at your church, such as: “Is the Bible Really God’s Word?” “Why Do We Say Jesus is the Only Way to God?” “Why Does a Good God Allow Evil in Our World?”

Gospel Presentation Brochures or tracts

You can either create ones specific to your church or use ones that you get from the American Tract Society (http://www.atstracts.org/). You can personalize them for your church by adding an address label on the back. The standard 2 x 3 inch mailing labels from office supply stores fit perfectly in the open space on the back of many gospel tracts. Use the label to invite people to a special event at your church. For example, on Christmas tracts create a colorful label inviting people to your Christmas concert or other outreach event.

CDs and DVDs

It is so easy to create CDs these days and many larger churches (and many teenagers) are quite good at doing it. If you need a professional source to create music CDs for you or CDs in bulk, contact  http://www.discmakers.com/. They create very professional CDs for excellent prices.

If your church is known for its music and if your music the kind unchurched people respond to, create a CD as an outreach piece. Church members can give it to friends and tell them that if they’d like more, your church has wonderful music like that available every Sunday.

The small business card CDs would make great music invitations to youth programs that have bands.

Discmakers as well as local media production houses in your community can also create DVDs from your church videos. You might want to add a new invitation or introduction or perhaps shoot various programs in your church to include short samples on your DVD for various holidays or different groups.

Web site support

For each of the communications above, be sure include your web site on all printed pieces and on the CDs and DVDs.  On the web site be sure to have current  information on all your church events and schedules.

In addition, have links for additional evangelistic  and outreach information.  For example, to back up the invitation cards, you should have more background about your church, perhaps a bio and picture of the pastor and his or her qualifications for teaching that series. For the salvation tracts let people know that on the web site you answer the “Top Ten Questions People Ask Before They Become A Christian” and similar questions.