Effective Church Communications

Organizations to support, in obedience to the book of Amos and Matthew 25:31-46

13 June, 2022 By Yvon Prehn Leave a Comment

There are many great ministries doing wonderful things in our world today. Here are some we support.

In a recent lesson for my Bible805 ministry, in going through the Bible I did a lesson on the book of Amos. The book is both a scathing inditement of the religiously active, but morally bankrupt Israel of the prophet's day and a challenge to all of us to be sure that our lives reflect the compassion and justice of God.

Many can do things personally, but many cannot but most of us can give something to support organizations who are doing incredible things for the Kingdom of God. Below are some of the organizations I recommend. Just click on the name to go to a description of what they do, their website, and my comments about them.

These are just a few of the many that are doing wonderful things—I also HIGHLY recommend that you go through your denomination when looking who to support. Many of the larger ones have reputable, long-established aid organizations.

Your local food banks, the prison ministries of your church, and outreach to the homeless and less fortunate, all of these need our help and support.

I encourage you on your church website and periodically in your handouts or bulletins provide a list like this and encourage your people to give generously to the many ministries that serve the "least of these."

Ministries Recommended by Yvon Prehn and Effective Church Communications

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Introducing the Effective Church Communications Library! A 24/7 online resource for church communicators

3 June, 2022 By Yvon Prehn Leave a Comment

Over the many years I've worked in church communications, the materials created in Effective Church Communications have helped many church communicators grow their churches in numbers and their people in spiritual maturity.

To make these materials accessible, I'm in the process of building the Effective Church Communications Library. There is MUCH more I am going to be adding to it and telling you about, but I wanted to get an initial video on it out to you. Here it is:

To go to the ECCLIBRARY, Click the following link: https://www.payhip.com/ECCLibrary

Again, much more about this is coming!

One incredibly helpful thing is that we will be collecting the fantastic articles Gayle Hilligoss wrote over the years for church administrators into eBooks. I'm personally very excited about how this will equip one of the most hard-working groups in the church.

One of the Good Guys—a printable, mugs, t-shirts, and a baseball cap to celebrate the good guys in your church and life

2 June, 2022 By Yvon Prehn Leave a Comment

I often say that "I got one of the good guys," when I talk about my husband. I've also used the term to refer to many of our friends and family, and men in our church. In recognition of all the good guys in our lives, I created the materials here for you to give out as Father's Day gifts.

First, a Printable

This is a downloadable file you can print out in a variety of sizes, print up, and put in inexpensive frames (I use the ones from the Dollar Store). These make great, inexpensive gifts for family or for a men's group or ministry.

Click on the image to go to it, it is on the Bibleverse Shop of Printables and I'm giving this one to you for free as a gift from Effective Church Communications for Father's Day.

For Father's Day or anytime—I created these materials for you to celebrate the Good Guys in your church and life.

T-shirts, mugs, and a baseball cap

T-shirts and mugs are perfect for any occasion and what a great way to remind your special man that he is one of the good guys. Below is a collection from the Bibleverse t-shirts and more shop

I added a couple of additional designs from the Shop that also would be appropriate Father's Day gifts.

All the proceeds from the sales in the shop go to support the Bibleverse ministries including Effective Church Communications

A challenge for Graduates—choose your North Star wisely

6 May, 2022 By Yvon Prehn Leave a Comment

What we choose as our North Star, the guiding principle of our lives will have tremendous impact on us and our world. Encourage the graduates in your life to choose wisely.

Graduation seems like freedom—no more school or rules! And though it is a time to celebrate, we also want to challenge the graduates in our lives with the responsibility that comes along with the freedom.

One of the most important decisions they need to make is what will be the North Star of their life? What is the one fixed point around which all else revolves? What you choose for a North Star can determine the direction of your life, whether it will be one with focus and meaning or an endless drifting through unsatisfied dreams and desires.

At the risk of being a buzz-kill at this happy time I wrote a short piece to challenge graduates to consider carefully the focus of their lives.

I created a short piece that challenges graduates to carefully consider this. Below is the text. I also created two half-page sheets in PDF and MS Publisher format you can easily print out and use as a bulletin insert or on the back of a program or whatever you want. One has a colored background like the image to the left and one is blank.

CLICK the link that follows to download a ZIP file that contains them: Graduation Challenges half page

Use the text below any way you want with my permission, however if you reprint it, please do not change the text, use it as a whole.

Choose your North Star wisely

Just as the time-lapse image above shows how all the stars revolve around the fixed point of the North Star, in all our lives we revolve around certain fixed points of belief. That belief will then determine our everyday choices, actions, and the consequences of them.

If we believe that we are the most important person in the world, that the world owes us love and success, our lives will move in directions that will spin a petty, small world with us at the center.

If we believe money is the way to happiness and fulfilment, if we believe our job or hobby or even a person we care for is the most important thing, our lives will revolve narrowly around that.

If we think the most important thing in life is having fun we’ll either spin out of control or move in ever more meaningless directions.

At your graduation, consider that there is only one North Star worthy of the focus of your life now and forever. That is the North Star of knowing Jesus as your Savior and living in obedience to his Word. When you know his Word well your life will have direction, focus, and fulfilment, even though it may be
difficult at times.

When you live like that you play to an audience of One, the Lord Jesus. Though at first it may seem hard, it is ultimately relaxing and fulfilling because only Jesus loves you totally, always helps you make wise decisions, and will always be with you in every moment of life, death, and forever.

Graduation is a great time to make life decisions. Choose your North Star wisely. The direction, fulfilment, and joy of your life and eternity depend on it.

Other Graduation resources: click on the link following the title

Free Challenging Instagram graphics for GRADUATION, download and use
https://wp.me/pDky9-7Xt

For Graduates: Celebrate but also challenge
https://wp.me/pDky9-7XV

A Prayer for Graduates, Free flyer, bulletin insert
https://wp.me/pDky9-7Yt

A Prayer for Graduates, Free flyer, bulletin insert

5 May, 2022 By Yvon Prehn 2 Comments

Christian prayer for graduates — This is part of set of flyers you can download for your graduates.

The most important thing we can give the graduates at our church is our prayers and I created a set of half-page flyers, bulletin inserts, or however you want to use them for your graduates.

I took the first letter of GRADUATE and used them as a prayer, along with verses. Below is a gallery of them and below that the ZIP file that contains PDFs and editable MS Publisher files.

Please know my love and prayers go with all of you as you use this prayer. May the Lord grant us a generation of graduates who will represent Him well and be a joy to their families, communities, and churches.