Designing and Publishing a Church Newsletter

Software

There is no single software program best suited to church newsletters. Because those producing the newsletter may not be professional graphic designers and because the budget for small churches doesn't allow for expensive programs like InDesign or QuarkXPress, church newsletters are often produced using programs such as:

• Microsoft Publisher or Microsoft Word
• Serif PagePlus (Win) or Pages (Mac)
• Scribus (free)

Also, there are other newsletter design software for Windows and newsletter design software for the Mac which are all good options. Choose the software based on your skill level, budget, and type of publishing you plan to do.

Newsletter Templates

You can start with any kind of newsletter template (or create your own). However, you may find it easier to use a template designed especially for church newsletters with layouts and images specific to the type of content typically found in church newsletters. Three sources of church newsletters (purchase individually or subscribe to the service):

• StockLayouts 
• ShareFaith
• PoweredTemplates 

Or, search through these free newsletter templates to find a suitable format and layout.

Content for Church Newsletters

What you include in your newsletter will depend on your specific organization. However, these articles provide advice on content:

• The Newsletter Newsletter is a subscription service providing clip art, captioning, and filler content for church newsletters.
• The Intercontinental Church of God has a checklist of content ideas.
• Twelve Ways to Increase Newsletter Readership from Outreach Marketing is written specifically for church newsletters.

Quotes and Filler for Church Newsletters

This compilation of quotes and sayings with a spiritual bent are useful as standing elements or can be featured as a different quote in each issue.

• Christian Quotes
• Religious Quotes
• Spiritual Quotes

Clip Art and Photos for Church Newsletters

Use clip art wisely but when it's the right choice, choose the right image from some of these collections compiled by various guides.

• LDS Clip Art and Mormon Art
• Religious Easter Clip Art

Layout and Design

Even if you use a template, you'll need to choose one with a layout that fits your planned content and presents the right impression for your organization. 

Fonts

It may seem like a small detail, but it's important to choose the best fonts for your church newsletter. In general, you'll want to stick with good, basic serif or sans serif fonts for your newsletter, but there is room to add some variety and interest by carefully mixing in some script and other styles of fonts.