Monthly/Bi-Monthly/Quarterly Newsletter

Purpose:

A newsletter is needed to communicate with the active, inactive, and absent parishioners. It is more detailed than a weekly bulletin and provides more information about parish ministries and parishioners who are living as good stewards. Through newsletter articles, parishioners are drawn into the life of the parish in a deeper way.

*** You can either find a volunteer at your church who has experience in design work (Publisher/Adobe/InDesign) to fulfill the expectations below (newsletter templates are available upon request) or you can hire a graphic designer contracted to work with the Diocese for $250-$500 per newsletter.

Tasks for the committee:

  • Decide what ministry (or two) you would like to feature in each newsletter.
  • Decide what parishioneryou want to feature for the main story, gather contact information to schedule interview.
  • Review newsletter draft before it is sent to the printer.
  • Be aware of any historical dates that need to be highlighted (eg. Feast Day)

Tasks for the Newsletter Coordinator:

  • Choose pictures with names and captions to be included in the newsletter.
  • Work with the graphic designer and printer. Be the liaison for all newsletter related items.
  • Send the PDF of the newsletter to the website coordinator to post on the website each month.

9 Things to Consider When Creating Your Church Newsletter:

  1. Consistency – Keep the nameplate consistent on each issue so people can immediately identify what they’re looking at. Keep wording consistent with the website and other communication.
  2. Message from the pastor – Anything the pastor wishes to address that would do better in written form than from the pulpit. This can also include letters from deacons or parish leaders; it is the perfect opportunity for leaders to share experiences and encouragement to allow the rest of the church community a chance to get to know them better.
  3. Topics of inspiration – This area can be used to include words of hope and healing, words to inspire and uplift.
  4. Scripture of the month – Feature a Stewardship bible verse and highlight or further explain its meaning. This is a good way to includesome Stewardship formation.
  5. Profile – Interview good stewards to keep people updated on the joy of giving and why they should want to live this way of life. Introduce new members, publish witness talks/quotes and help people get to know each other to make lasting connections.
  6. Highlights in history – Highlight your own Church’s history and reflect on the impact it has had on the church community. Celebrate big years and events (ground breaking, centennials, etc).
  7. Pictures – Use action photos and candidwhen possible. Make sure photos are specific to content and include a caption. (Photographer available for an additional cost)
  8. Announcements – Provide a list of upcoming big events in the next weeks and months. Upcoming educational classes, parish retreats, missions and events that are intended to bring together the community. Keep it simple-what, when, where and be clear with the call-to-action.
  9. Share ministry impact – Your church does a lot of great things for the parish and community so it is our job to market these good works and share them with our parishioners. People want to know that their hard work is worth it and their treasure is being used on important initiatives.

Office of Stewardship