Producing Church Newsletters – Readership Depends On Content

I serve on a church communications task force. My first assignment was to gather samples of newsletters from other churches in the community, not just my church, but churches of many denominations. Carrying out this assignment has been interesting and revealing.
When I review the sample newsletters I am struck by their similarities. The length varies a lot, however. One church produces a 14-page newsletter, which is mailed to congregation members and also posted on its website. I went to the website and, though the newsletter had a rich content, found on line reading difficult.
Glen Murray cites some newsletter tricks of the trade in his Click Fire website article, “Follow 8 Simple Rules of Thumb, and You’ll Soon be Writing Great.” He thinks newsletters should be “scannable.” Murry is not referring to the type of scanning that captures an image, but rather, rapid or speed reading on the Internet. To facilitate this, he recommends the use of sub-headings and bullets.
The Top Story website, based in Canada, makes some points about content. In its article, “Newsletters — 15 tips on Writing, Editing,” writers are urged to write relevant stories. “What’s important?” the article asks. A church newsletter that does not contain important information is an unread newsletter. Though graphic design can enhance an article, it can also obscure it, the article continues. Relevant content and well-written articles should be able to stand on their own “even as plain” text and without graphics.
Newsletter writers should understand the difference between information and a story. Stories are fun to read. However, in my experience as a newsletter writer and editor, I have found information to be more important. This information should be stated as clearly and concisely as possible. Your church also needs to determine how often the newsletter is published or posted.
One church in my community puts out a small, tri-fold newsletter every two weeks. Two hundred copies are printed, but the majority of the congregation reads the newsletter on line. Most churches in my community produce monthly newsletters and some also have postings on Facebook and YouTube.
Cory Miller details the benefits of email newsletters in his Church Communications Pro website article, “Using an Email Newsletter to Keep Your Congregation Informed, Build Community.” Lower cost is an obvious benefit of an electronic newsletter. Whether a church newsletter is electronic or print, Miller says “content is king.” His suggestions for content: a word from the Pastor, spiritual guidelines, church activities/events, and contact information (address, phone number, email).
Free newsletter templates are available from the Internet and your church may wish to take advantage of them. Are the members of your congregation reading the newsletter? If not, maybe it is time to evaluate the content. Just a few tweaks can refresh a printed or electronic publication.