Editorial note: Many churches have no idea how this machine can help their church print more effectively. The intro and then the video and downloadable booklet will help explain it. Please pass this on to whoever makes office equipment decisions for your church.
—Why it’s so important to share this information with you
I’ve been helping churches create effective communications for over 20 years, but the last few years I’ve watched a bothersome trend develop. I saw it first-hand in a church I was helping create some materials to advertise an important ministry when the people doing the ministry were told, “I’m sorry, but it isn’t in the budget for us to create the bulletin inserts and flyers you want.”
Then we worked on an overview brochure that described the upcoming adult education classes in the church (a new program, lots of classes, exciting ministry changes) and were told that a limited number could be printed and only one time because that was all the budget allowed.
This was not a good situation.
No matter how useful the web and social media may be for people to connect with ministries and attend them regularly, many people in the church still need printed schedules, explanatory brochures, and flyers to remind them of basic information: the when, where, why, and how to attend. If a church cuts down on printed support materials for ministries, the ministry attendance will inevitably decline in numbers.
Churches see that happening in every area, but often fail to connect falling attendance with the falling number of communications created and printed to get people to attend events.
Even the coveted by churches younger families with kids appreciate a calendar they can post on the refrigerator to remind them of family activities. For churches with large Baby Boomer members, print is a preferred communication channel and in these churches, the Baby Boomers are often the most faithful in giving to support the church. It helps if they know what is going on in the church and they probably aren’t going to find it out from Snapchat or Twitter.
