While you may have been using your church’s newsletter as an avenue to inform women about activities, projects, and events, you may want to consider using a newsletter designed just for women. If your church is very large, this could be a financial drain due to the postage issue. If your church is small, this, too, may present a financial problem due to lack of funds. There is an alternative!

There are many printed and online resources to help you develop and maintain e-mail-generated newsletters. Do some library, online, or bookstore research to determine which format suits your purposes best.

Women, most especially younger ones with good computer skills, find this type of communication more accessible and interesting than traditional, printed newsletters. Graphics number in the millions, and any newsletter can be something that looks nice and achieves its purpose of informing, educating, and motivating women in their daily walk with God.

Five words can guide you as you seek to develop an E-newsletter:

1. Ministry – What is the purpose of the newsletter? Make it more than just a publicity piece! Insert Bible devotions (Click here for Bible Devotions on The Cutting Edge) or use A Woman’s Perspective articles to encourage women living through difficult situations.  Use your newsletter to minister to women!
2. For Women Only – Guard against letting the newsletter become an avenue to promote lots of things. Keep it for women only.
3. Content – Strive to have at least one article in each issue that supports and encourages women to meet the challenges they face. Vary the newsletter’s content – humorous accounts, interesting recipes, Scripture passages for daily life application, training tips, testimonies, etc.
4. Positive – Your newsletter should not be a venue to discuss political or church issues. Do not use it as an agenda “tool.”
5. Professional – The format and length of your newsletter are important. Too “cutesy” won’t make the cut! If you want to attract and keep the attention of all women, the format, logos, graphics, font, and colors must be quality – i.e., professional.

For more information on promoting women’s events in your church and how to create an informative newsletter to promote those events, contact Linda Clark, WMU/Women’s Ministries Specialist, at 559/229-9533, ext. 256 or click here to e-mail Linda Clark.