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.
  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • BLOG
  • PODCAST
  • FREE PRINT TEMPLATES

Fall event strategy: just because a lot of people show up, does that make your church special event successful?

26 August, 2010 By Yvon Prehn Leave a Comment

How do you measure success in a church outreach event?

Is it about the number of people who showed up? Is it about what a fantastic time they had at the event? Is it about how many volunteers you had show up to help and how many stayed around to help clean up? Though all of these things are important and satisfying when they happen,  in our churches we should always look beyond the immediate as we measure success.

As we head into fall, we need to review how we look at and evaluate success in church events. We need to look beyond initial attendance and evaluate church outreach events for lasting effectiveness, no matter how well it seemed we did at the event itself.  As you'll find, in this article, many of the things we think are successful aren't when looked at in how they impact long-term church growth.

A great turnout doesn't equal great results

I recently looked at a church website that celebrated the great success of their fall outreach from last year by listing the number of hot dogs served and ice cream bars given away. Though I understand they were celebrating that they got a great turnout for their event, a great turnout alone does not make for a successful church event, especially for this kind of event.

This was a neighborhood church many people could walk to. Even with the most minimal advertising, it would have been difficult not to get a great turnout when they were giving away free food and ice cream.

To give away goodies is not the purpose of the church

The church exists is to fulfill the Great Commission—to introduce people to Jesus and to help them grow into mature disciples. An fun event and food give away might be the start of that process, but it won't be any more than that if you don't spend some time in prayer and careful strategic planning. The rest of the article will help you do that.

{+}

Strategy and planning is not the most fun thing to do, but it is the most essential

You are not putting on the seasonal event for the sake of having a fun party. Your goal must be to begin a relationship with people that will grow your church and change lives. You want to represent Jesus so people will come to know him.

To help you plan for events coming up this fall, it can be helpful to look back at events from past years and honestly evaluate them. Following are some questions you need to discuss in your church staff meetings as you look to the future:

Event evaluation questions

  • What made this church event different than the similar events hosted by the local mall or downtown merchants?
  • What did people learn about the church from attending the event?
  • How many people came back to church the following week because of the event?
  • Did the attendees learn anything about Jesus from the event?
  • Did the attendees leave with any follow-up information that invited them back to the church or gave them information on how to find out more about the Christian life?

We've got to get honest with ourselves about the results of what we have done if we want to make an impact on our world. If your answers to the previous questions aren't all you want them to be, take some time to think about how you can make your upcoming events produce the results you want. The following ideas might help.

Effective communication suggestions for your fall and other outreach events

In church staff meetings everybody (trained or not) has an opinion about what makes for effective church communication. With all respect, sometimes those opinions are neither valid, correct, or useful if we are trying to win our world for Jesus. It's sad that we have to be reminded that our primary goal is evangelism, not just having a good time, but it seems like so many churches today focus so much on having a good time in the futile hope that if we show people how friendly Jesus is they will eventually get around to considering him as something more than the host of a party.

Such an attitude (and it is far more prevalent than we'd like to admit) is not worthy of you who have been called to fully fulfill the Great Commission. It is also not a professional way to use the people and resources that have been entrusted into your care.

Fortunately it isn't difficult to evaluate what works and what doesn't in outreach communications. Just as in a basketball game, it doesn't matter if you don't like the team colors or their strategy. Only one thing counts—the final score. There is a similar way to determine the success of church events.

To fully fulfill the Great Commission (which is what this ministry and website wants to help you do) here is a way to determine the score

To keep peace in the body of Christ, this can be very helpful in that the bottom line for evaluating the effectiveness of any piece of communication or church marketing is not whether someone likes it or not. It's not how many people had fun or not. If the goal of effective church communications is to fully fulfill the Great Commission, the measure of success is whether this goal is being fulfilled or not.

Remember at a basketball game the success of the team is not determined by how many hot dogs were sold or how many people filled the stands—it's who won, who had the highest score.

We evaluate success in church events in a similar way as we do in basketball—we look at the score and in the church that score is dependent upon how well we fulfill the Great Commission.

To determine our our score in fully fulfilling the Great Commission we need to look at two actions we can count:

1. The people who come to know Jesus as Savior, in a word: salvation.

2. The people who grow to maturity in their faith and become disciples, in a word: discipleship.

Keeping score starts by simple counting

This is not rocket science. Score-keeping in church communications is determined by first of all by attendance, the simple numbers of people that respond (or didn’t) after you created and distributed your communications.  You can't start either one of the processes of either salvation or discipleship until people show up.

What is the attendance score at your event?

The attendance score is determined by asking questions such as these:

  • Did you do a mailing? Send a postcard?  An email? Web announcement? Pulpit announcement?
  • Did you equip your people with communication tools? Connection cards, postcards, website links?
  • How many people attended event? How many were new to the church?

Making up a simple chart of what you did to promote an event and then the results of it moves discussions of church effectiveness away from personal opinion to objective numbers.

The simple numbers of how many new people attend the church event, why and what brought them there is important because you cannot start the road toward sharing the message of salvation without people getting inside the church and becoming part of the process. Whether your church accepts individuals as believers with a simple confession of faith after one visit or whether becoming a Christian is defined by a series of explorations and classes,  followed by a decision and baptism, or any combination of these events, whatever your tradition, it must start with simple attendance.

Be honest in record keeping and evaluation

For example, if you put on a Christmas outreach event and you spend thousands of dollars, what was your return on investment? Again ask the questions above: how many are now attending the church because of the event? How many have become Christians because of the event?

I suspect far too many churches do Christmas and other holiday events because the people currently attending the church really like to put on the events. To determine if this is the primary motivation—track the results. To repeat: how many new people are now attending the church because of the event? How many have become Christians because of the event? What did it cost and what was your return on investment in the lives of people?

If you aren’t tracking costs and results, why not?

Even without tracking it, if you know the answer is something along the lines of “We didn’t do a very good job of communicating it to people outside the church and we can’t honestly point to anyone who is now attending or who has come to know Jesus because of it,” you then have two choices:

1. You can learn to communicate more effectively so that your holiday events will yield measurable results in the future.

or

2. Quit spending all that money to entertain yourselves and give it either to a mission group or church that is successful in outreach or give it to feed hungry children.

Track more than holiday events; track all ministry events

Tracking our communications and the results of them will keep us honest in church programming and evaluation.

It can keep us from over spiritualizing. What I mean by that is that it is easy to conclude that people aren’t interested in something such as spiritual growth, when in reality we simply didn’t advertise it very well.

Honest evaluation can also keep us from false excuses. You can create many communication pieces today for little or no cost and that will keep you from the current popular excuse for not advertising church events which is that “We just can’t afford to advertise church events because of the recession.” There is a lot of marketing that doesn’t cost much: web-based, email-based advertising, creating websites and blogs with WordPress.com; making sure what you do create has complete details, involving your people instead of buying mailing lists, e.g. equip them with inexpensive postcards to mail to friends—all these ideas can generate lots of church marketing for little or no money.

In print marketing, I'm encouraging churches to look at publication techniques such as digital duplicators which enable you to create communication pieces for a fraction of the cost of color copiers. Print is still one of our most powerful communication tools and equipping your people with inexpensive printed invitations can be one of your most powerful tools.

Finally, it's too important not to be honest

The eternal destiny of people is what is at stake as you plan your outreach events. In addition, the temporal growth of your church and all the spiritual and emotional benefits it can provide to the people who become part of it are important considerations.

In addition, putting on special events is a lot of work and usually costs quite a bit of money. If you take the time to carefully plan and then commit to honestly measure the results all the hard work and money will be worth it.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Tweet
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Tumblr

Filed Under: Seasonal, Seasonal communication strategies Tagged With: Communications, measuring church communications, seasonal event advertising, yvon prehn

Back-to-School Backpack Ministry, church communication resources to motivate your congregation

29 July, 2010 By Yvon Prehn 3 Comments

Back-to-School  is a time with great outreach potential. Backpack Ministry, where your church assembles and gives children backpacks filled with school supplies, now more than ever, is a greatly needed ministry. Children in homeless shelters, kids whose parents have lost their jobs, or whose jobs have been cut back, many of them face a sad and embarrassing time—to be forced to go to school without the required supplies their parents can't pay for and the schools don't provide.

To keep that from happening to any little child in your community, below are PDFs of bulletin inserts (two styles, same content) you can download and print up for your church with the specific details for your church on the backside. First are some links for websites that will give you additional ideas not only on Backpack Ministries for this time of year, but year-round for needy children.

Many families need help on a continuing basis. These backpacks aren’t filled with school supplies, but with food for children who may not eat on the weekend without help. Check out churches in your area who may do this and if none do, consider starting that ministry at your church.

May the Lord burn into our hearts the needs of children and make us motivated to meet those needs. May the Lord give you, the church communicator, the passion, power and prayers to create communications that will link needs with resources.

You may freely download, copy, share, use the following inserts in any way you want.

Backpack Ministry Bulletin Insert, click here to download PDF

 

 

For another set of designs, PLUS a downloadable ZIP FILE of editable MS Publisher files of the new designs, jpg, png and a text file of the content CLICK HERE

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Tweet
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Tumblr

Filed Under: Back-to-School, Children's ministry, Evangelism & Outreach Tagged With: back-to-school, backpack ministry, Children's ministry, church outreach, Communications, yvon prehn

Christmas encouragement for church communicators

21 December, 2009 By Yvon Prehn 8 Comments

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.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Tweet
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Tumblr

Filed Under: Christmas, Seasonal

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

12 December, 2009 By Yvon Prehn Leave a Comment

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.

{+}

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.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Tweet
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Tumblr

Filed Under: Christmas, Evangelism & Outreach Tagged With: Church Connection Cards, Communications, Evangelism resources, yvon prehn

Member’s Downloads of Apple Pie with options Recipe Cards

15 April, 2009 By Yvon Prehn 2 Comments

Mother's Day is a great time to invite moms to come to ministry events that occur outside Sunday. The recipe cards here are a fun way to do that. Everyone loves recipe cards--you can give them out on Mother's Day and on the back invite moms back to other ministry opportunities. The recipe cards here have both a clip art version and a version with a photo illustration.

Homemade Pie Crust, clipart IMAGE

Homemade Pie Crust, photo background IMAGEThis recipe is for how to make a frozen pie crust taste homemade."Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu st laborum."

Yummy Apple Pie with options, clipart IMAGE

This is a deliciYummy Apple Pie with options, photo IMAGEous Apple Pie with Variations.ollit anim id est laborum."lamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qu

CLICK HERE to download a ZIP file that contains:

* Both Mother's Day Pie recipes, 2 versions
* MS Publisher Original files (you must have MS Publisher to use this file)

* PDF Files
*Resizable jpg files
**I also included the files for the BOOKMARK for Mother's Day in this zip file

After you download the file, SAVE it to your computer, then click on it to "unzip" it and the files are ready for you to use.

 

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Tweet
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Tumblr

Filed Under: Mother's Day Tagged With: apple pie, Mother's Day, Mother's Day outreach, Mothers Day Recipes, yvon prehn

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • Next Page »
Link to Easter Templates of all sorts

Seasonal Templates

  • OVERVIEW of TEMPLATES for Church Communicators, please read first
  • Valentine’s Day Templates
  • Lenten Templates
  • Easter Templates
  • Mother’s Day Templates
  • Father’s Day and Men’s Ministry Templates
  • Graduation Templates
  • Summer-related Templates
  • 4th of July, Canada Day, and GRACE for All Nations
  • See You At the Pole
  • Harvest Festival and Halloween Templates
  • Christmas Templates

Recent Posts

  • Social media images for Easter with challenging messages
  • From our vault: Everything you need for Easter: Templates, strategy, inspiration and encouragement for all your Easter communications
  • Why just “Come to Easter at Our Church” isn’t enough–FREE invitations with short, but powerful messages
  • ESSENTIAL Christmas Communication advice and free tools to implement it
  • A Free Template of the Christmas Story and short gospel presentation based on “Hark the Herald Angels Sing!”

Most read posts

  • Bulletin inserts or social media content for Father's Day; poetry, challenges, encouragements
  • A Prayer for Graduates, Free flyer, bulletin insert
  • The MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do this year—read through the Bible in Chronological order—and I'd like to help you do it
  • Father's Day and Men's Ministry Templates
  • Father's Day Power Point Slides and Videos of inspiring quotes and verses
  • Q&A: How to report church financials in the weekly bulletin
  • Church Connection Cards

Misc. Church Communications Templates

  • Church Connection Cards
  • Business/Invitation Card Templates
  • Back to Church for Kids in the Fall Templates
  • Church Bulletin Template
  • Volunteer and Encouragement Templates
  • 2-page Senior Adult Print Newsletter Template
  • Misc. Church Templates
FREE Bible Verses and Sayings in both print and social media format at Bible805Images.com
FREE Bible Verses and Sayings in both print and social media format at Bible805Images.com
  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • BLOG
  • PODCAST
  • FREE PRINT TEMPLATES

Copyright © 2025 · Enterprise Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in