Do you read your church newsletter?
Don’t answer that question out
loud. Your pastor and church office
staff will be terribly disappointed if your answer is no. Newsletters take quite a bit of time and
effort to produce.
We receive a great many church
newsletters in the synod office. Bishop
Wollersheim reads a sampling of them. I
read all those of the North Conference congregations and any others that are
addressed directly to me. The conference
assistants keep up on theirs too. Most
congregations still produce a print newsletter, but I read my own
congregation’s online.
Newsletters are an important part of a
congregation’s communication. I think
they should inform and inspire. Here’s
what I look for in a newsletter: a
message from the pastor, a calendar of events, a summary of congregation
council actions, opportunities for service and thank-yous. I also really like stories of how my
offerings are making a difference in the lives of others. I like stories of local, synod and churchwide
ministries. Here’s my disclaimer: I am not an expert in parish communication,
but I have been around the church for a few years.
With the exception of one, I read all of
these newsletters as an outsider. Newsletters
often serve as an introduction to your congregation to newcomers. Some potential visitors will check out your
congregation’s newsletter if it is posted online. Many congregations will stay in touch with
prospective members by mailing a newsletter.
As one who is concerned about the health
and mission of congregations, I sometimes find newsletters to be
disconcerting. Consider one January newsletter
I received in recent days. No need to
guess—it is not a Northern Illinois Synod congregation. The council minutes reported:
Property
Team – Nothing new to report.
Worship
Team – Nothing new to report.
Youth
Team – Went bowling.
Christian
Education Team – Preparing for Christmas program.
Shepherding
Team – Nothing new to report.
Missions
Team – Nothing new to report.
Stewardship
Team – Nothing new to report.
Nothing new to report? To be fair, December council meeting agendas
are often light, especially if the budget work is done. But, these team reports suggest to me that
this is a congregation that has lost its focus.
It may be unclear of its mission.
I wonder what a potential visitor would make of this newsletter.
Take a look at your congregation’s
newsletter. Take an objective look. What do you see? Does it tell the story of your congregation’s
mission? What other messages does it
convey?
Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com or comment on Facebook. --JC
