The basics of any newsletter design and publishing apply to church newsletters. But as with any specialized newsletter, the design, layout, and content should be tailored to your specific audience.
A church newsletter is a type of relationship newsletter. It generally has the same 12 parts of newsletter as other such publications.
Use the following resources for designing and publishing your own church newsletter.
1. Software
Box shots provided by Serif, Broderbund, Nova Development, Microsoft, Quark, Adobe, and Corel.
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)
These and other newsletter design software for Windows and Mac are all good options. Choose the software based on your skill level, budget, and type of publishing you plan to do.
2. Newsletter Templates
SmileTemplates.com
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):
Or, search through these free newsletter templates to find a suitable format and layout.
3. 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.
- Barbara Laufersweiler has free tips and ideas for publishers of church newsletters in this archive of 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.
4. Quotes and Filler for Church Newsletters
These quotes and sayings with a spiritual bent have been compiled at About.com Quotations. Use them as standing elements or feature a different quote in each issue.
5. 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 About.com Guides.
- LDS Clip Art and Mormon Art
- Religions Clip Art (Angels, Bibles, Catholic, Jewish, Pagan, and other Religious-themed images)
- 19 Places to Find Free Easter Clip Art
- Clip Art and Wallpaper Related to Christians and Christian Music
- Christian Symbols and Pictures
6. 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.
- In Overall Church Newsletter Samples #1, Yvon Prehn of Effective Church Communications presents images and PDF downloads of several church newsletters along with brief comments on the design and style. Good resource if you’re considering starting a new newsletter or revamping an existing one.
- This ad is designed to get you to purchase The Church Newsletter Toolkit but the ad itself contains some useful tips on content and where to place it.
Plus any publisher should consider their newsletter's First Impression and the 3 C's of Good Newsletter Design.
7. Fonts
Image contains metal type photo by Andrein; CC-SA-By 2.0 via Flickr.com
