Software, Templates, Tips, and Resources for Publishing a Church Newsletter

The basics of any newsletter design and publishing apply to church newsletters. But Rosetta Stone V3 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 for Church NewslettersBox 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 such as 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 Macare all good options. Choose the software based on your skill level, budget, and type of publishing you plan to do.2. Templates for Church NewslettersSmileTemplatesYou can start with any kind of newsletter template (or create your own). However, you may find it easier to use a template designed specifically 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 templatesto find a suitable format and layout. 3. Content for Church NewslettersWhat you include in your church newsletter will depend on your specific organization. However, these articles provide advice on content: The Newsletter Newsletter Rosetta Stone Spanish Spain 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 Readershipfrom Outreach Marketing is written specifically for church newsletters. 4. Quotes and Filler for Church NewslettersThese quotes and sayings with a spiritual bent have been compiled at Quotations. Use them as standing elements or feature a different quote in each issue. Christian Quotes Religious Quotes Divine God Quotes Spiritual Quotes Quotes About Bible Quotes From the Bible Buddhist Quotes God Is Love Religion Quotes 5. Clip Art and Photos for Church NewslettersUse 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 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 for Church NewslettersEven 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 Rosetta Stone Spanish V3 presents images and PDF downloads of several church newsletters along with brief comments on the design and style. Good resource if youre 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 Impressionand the 3 C's of Good Newsletter Design.