Note: I wrote this last year, but still feel strongly the same way and decided it was worth repeating
Giving Tuesday was created when two organizations, the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation came together in 2012, about a month before that year's Thanksgiving. Their intention was to set aside a day that was all about celebrating the generosity of giving, a great American tradition.
I do love the idea and the motivation behind it, but I must admit many of the ministry requests for giving to various organizations that I support that came in the midst of the crush of demands for Black Friday often felt like one more case of financial badgering. I know that isn't true. I'm glad many ministries I support double donations on Giving Tuesday.
I understand the need to raise funds whenever possible. When I was senior editor at both Compassion International and Young Life, I wrote many of those fund-raising appeals myself.
I thought about doing a plea for support for the Effective Church Communications Ministry.
But I just couldn't. Then I realized......
This is an opportunity for me to GIVE to YOU!
It isn't anything new really, just a reminder of the many TEMPLATES and especially the Christmas ones I have for all of you for FREE!
Here are some of the ones I have (links to all is at the bottom of this article):
Some of you have discovered these, but many of you are new to the site. We've had lots of new sign-ups recently (WELCOME!) and I thought I'd sent out this post telling you about them. They are totally FREE. They are not a situation of, "try this one and then here is the real cost." No, these are truly FREE.
We have lots of different ones from some of the cards illustrated earlier on this page, to this one, which is my favorite. It can be used as a postcard or bulletin insert
or shared through social media. It reminds us that Jesus is the reason for the Season by citing the words of the Nicene Creed.
More than just pretty templates—Templates with a ministry purpose
The templates from Effective Church Communications aren't only designed to look good and be useful, but they are templates with a well-defined ministry purpose. For example, the collection of Christmas Templates are designed to take people from outside the church to welcome them to a Christmas activity, to invite them back, and enable them to consider Jesus (that's in the template set "Because He didn't stay a baby")
To expand and illustrate more what I mean by the templates having a ministry purpose, I created a VIDEO that explains why ECC Templates are unique and how they can help you.
VIDEO: ECC TEMPLATES and an overview of FREE CHRISTMAS TEMPLATES
PLEASE Share these resources
The Templates, Christmas and otherwise really are free and very easy to use. They are in PDF and MS Publisher format and can all be printed either in your church or using online or other printers. Please pass them on to any and all churches who could benefit from them.
Just CLICK HERE to go to them.
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For Giving Tuesday itself, here is a source for free images about it: Free images for Giving Tuesday
Please share your thoughts, comments, questions!