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.

What is difficult about YouTube and what it teaches us about church communication

By Leave a Comment

YouTube has a lot to teach us about communications
YouTube has a lot to teach us about communications creation.

The popular perception of YouTube is that it is really simple, easy, and anybody can slap up a video. In addition--if it is catchy, funny, or  inspiring enough that the video will go viral and the video creator will gain immediate fame and fortune.

It doesn't work that way.

I've spent a lot of time on YouTube lately trying to understand how it works and how I can make the most of it to equip and inspire church communicators. Part of that has been to study some of the popular producers and to look the advice YouTube gives on realistically how to make a video channel that will have significant impact on the audience you want to reach. My first conclusion is that it is much, much harder and more difficult than I imagined. [Read more...]

What ONE THING do you need to do? a challenge for church communicators as you start the New Year

By 2 Comments

Do the most important thing
We all juggle many things, but we need to listen to the Lord to decide what is most important and do it.

This past year the father of one of my friends died. My friend shared with me that in the time they spent together as death approached, he asked his father, “Is there anything you need to do?”

What a kind and wise question to ask a loved parent in the twilight of life—to be there to help him do whatever needs to be done to rest in peace. We all want to know our lives mattered and that we finished up the tasks, the calling, and, if possible, all we were created to do before we leave this earth. We may not be able to finish those things alone and the offer to help seemed incredibly insightful and caring.

As I thought about it in the days that followed, I realized that it’s an important question for all of us to ask ourselves and those we love. As the New Year is about to start, it’s an especially good time to do that. As many of us make resolutions at this time, we ought to take time to make worthwhile ones. [Read more...]

Editable files for All Will Be Well Encouragement Cards

By 2 Comments

This image illustrates the collection of encouragement cards on a FREE ZIP  file with the inspirational message from Dame Julian:

All will be well

All will be well

All manner of things

will be well.

The ZIP file contains: PDF versions of each design, in a ready-to print format, two on a page; editable MS Publisher files, and a jpg of each image if you would like to use it in print, web, or other media.

CLICK HERE to download the ZIP FILE. Save it to your desktop and then click to unzip and open it.

 

The Lord's approval, often the only reward for our work

By

And the LORD said to Aaron, "You priests will receive no inheritance of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your inheritance and your share." Numbers 18: 20

A church secretary recently shared with me that she had spent great effort redoing her church bulletin. It looked fantastic. It was much easier to read, her choices in typography and layout were clear and professional looking. But, she said, almost nobody noticed or commented on the changes.

Though it didn't seem like it, her experience was actually a great complement. As the experts in typography continuously affirm the best graphic design and typography should be invisible. The best designed bulletin, or newsletter, or publication of any kind should never cause our audience to say at first, "What a beautiful design!" The first response should be a clear understanding of the message and a proper response to it.

It is often an overly busy, cluttered or unclear design that gets noticed. People will say something is hard to read or they won't respond to the message.

It isn't that we shouldn't work hard to make our ministry publications artistically pleasing and the very best in design and beauty, but those considerations must always be secondary to choosing type, layout, and graphics that work best to communicate the message. This is especially true as we share the gospel.

When we create ministry communications for the Lord, like the priests in the Old Testament, the Lord himself and his favor is often our only reward. Like the old hymn says, we are "channels only." In our work, not only will our audience often not notice changes, but they won't even know who did the work, because much of what we produce will be unsigned.

But our Lord knows. And like the priests of old, he is our inheritance. And it is in his approval we find "the path of life" and "fullness of joy" (Psalm 18: 11, NAS).

All of the devotions on this website and many more have been collected into The Heart of Church Communications by Yvon Prehn. To either download or purchase a copy, click here.

Our publications reflect what is in our heart

By Leave a Comment

You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart.Out of the abundance of the heart not only does the mouth speak, but the computer creates. Matthew 12:34

The quality of the ministry communications we produce never ultimately depends on circumstances outside ourselves. It's easy to blame tight deadlines, inadequate equipment, and the difficult people we work with for doing less than our best, but ultimately the quality of our ministry communication reflects our hearts.

We always have choices within circumstances. Tight deadlines can challenge us to streamline our methods, to focus our work. Inadequate equipment can challenge our creativity to see just how much we can get out of this old machine. Difficult people can drive us to prayer and force us to learn interpersonal skills.

It's in our hearts that we decide whether or not we believe that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans. 8:28, NAS).

If our heart is the key, how can we make it overflow with what is pleasing to our Lord?

Overflow comes from an abundance of what is already inside. Fill your heart with the things of God. Spend time in his Word; read your Bible daily; listen to Christian tapes and music; be with other Christians in church and conversation. Think about God's promises and challenges; write his encouragements and promises on cards to post by your computer.

If you consciously work to fill your mind with the things of God, if his Word and will is your priority, your heart and work will naturally and joyfully reflect it.

-----------------------

All of the devotions on this website and many more have been collected into  The Heart of Church Communications by Yvon Prehn. To either download or purchase a copy, click here.