Effective Church Communications

The Effective Church Communication ministry from Yvon Prehn provides inspiration, training, and resources to help your church create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. It focuses on Bible-based and timeless principles and strategies that work no matter what digital or print channel you use to create your communications. The site has links to many free TEMPLATES and other resources, plus links to free TRAINING VIDEOS, and a RESOURCE LIBRARY for church communicators. 

The Effective Church Communication ministry from Yvon Prehn provides inspiration, training, and resources to help your church create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. It focuses on Bible-based and timeless principles and strategies that work no matter what digital or print channel you use to create your communications. The site has links to many free TEMPLATES and other resources, plus links to free TRAINING VIDEOS, and a RESOURCE LIBRARY for church communicators.

The most important thing about church newsletters, whether they are in print or online

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The most important thing about newsletters, whether you ultimately mail them out, post them as a PDF on your website, or use an online newsletter to create them, is the CONTENT in the newsletter. People do not read church newsletters to check out the great graphic design skills of the church—they read them to find out connecting facts and inspirational updates, such as:

  • when and where the youth group is meeting
  • if the church event has a cost and/or childcare
  • how to become part of a small group
  • they read the pastor's column to learn more about him or her as a person
  • they scan the updates that head of the ministry in which they serve to see has to share this month that affects them

Bottom line: if your newsletter provides relevant, timely, useful content for the people of your church it is effective and successful. [Read more...]

Youth newsletter reveals staff personalities

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The masthead of your publication can be used for ministry insight and humor as well as simply information. Download this PDF to see an great example.
The masthead of your publication can be used for ministry insight and humor as well as simply information. Download this PDF to see an great example.

This publication was done in the early days of desktop publishing, but don't let the outdated look distract you from some great content and a wonderful communication lesson.

What makes this so great came to my attention by accident. I was helping this group evaluate the content of the newsletter and we did a survey asking people what their favorite sections were. The newsletter had columns by very good writers and well-done ministry updates.

To everyone's surprise, the #1 favorite of everyone was not any of the great inspirational writing or the great updates, but the nameplate. Download the PDF and you'll see why—each month the staff gave a brief note about themselves—sometimes revealing some quite interesting information.

A take-away lesson: don't be afraid to make your communications in print and online human. Be who you are.

You don't have to do lengthy, tell-all blogs to allow your readers to get to know you. You can have tiny updates each month on Facebook or Twitter or short blog entries asking questions like this masthead does and bit-by-bit you will form relationships. As this newsletter shows, little phrases can convey big insights.

To download the PDF, click here or on the image.

note: this PDF is from Yvon Prehn's archives and is the only format of this article available presently. Not the greatest quality to be sure, but shared with the belief that the content is useful.

Church Bulletins, how to create simple, clear layouts for them

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I've often said in my seminars that church bulletins are the most effective piece of Christian literature printed today outside the Bible.

I say that because they are often the first piece of Christian literature visitors to your church from our post-Christian world see.

They must clearly communicate what is going on and the basics of the faith or people will be confused and walk away. Below is a PDF of a number of simple examples:

Church bulletins are the first face of your church and the Christian faith to visitors. This section will help you make clear and simple ones that communicate effectively.
Church bulletins are the first face of your church and the Christian faith to visitors. This section will help you make clear and simple ones that communicate effectively.

PLEASE read the many other articles in this section on bulletins for additional specific advice on what to include.

This PDF will give you some ideas for how to create your own very simple layouts and basic bulletins. To download it, click here or on the image.

note: this PDF is from Yvon Prehn's archives and is the only format of this article available presently. Not the greatest quality to be sure, but shared with the belief that the content is useful.

Picas, a useful way to measure in creating print communications

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Picas are an easier measurement to use than inches when doing print communication creation. This PDF shows why.
Picas are an easier measurement to use than inches when doing print communication creation. This PDF shows why.

When you are measuring for print communication creation, it is sometimes difficult to deal with the fractions of inches.

Graphic designers use the pica as the basic measurement because, for one reason, it is a much smaller measure and is easier to work with.

This PDF explains it for you.

The Adobe design programs as well as MS Publisher have the option for you to set your measurements in picas instead of inches. In all of my examples in the PDFs from my basic design book, the "p" measurement refers to picas.

You can buy pica rulers either at art supply stores or online, just Google "pica" and a number of online stores will come up.

To download the PDF, click here or on the image.

Design, what it really means for effective communication creation

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Design is often misunderstood. It is the structural plan and messanger for your message. This PDF will help you understand and use it more effectively.
Design is often misunderstood. It is the structural plan and messanger for your message. This PDF will help you understand and use it more effectively.

Design is probably one of the most misunderstood terms in communication work.

Design is not fancy graphics or multi-media fluff you add on to your message. It is the plan that organizes how you will visually represent your message.

Good design is the messenger, not the message itself and it should never shout more loudly than the message. If someone complements your images or the motion on the opening page of your website or any other design decoration, it is NOT a complement. The best design is invisible, allowing your message to be clearly comprehended and acted upon.

This PDF will help you understand this reality and give you some ideas for design sources and inspiration.

For a copy of the PDF, click here on on the image.

note: this PDF is from Yvon Prehn's archives and is the only format of this article available presently. Not the greatest quality to be sure, but shared with the belief that the content is useful.