Church identity resources

Creating and using a church identity, also known as "branding", is a sign that a church is "serious" about public relations. Branding is not just for businesses. Churches reap benefits from applying the same principles that help business with their "identity".

Branding both answers the question, "Who are we?" (by use of a meaningful logo), and provides a consistent look that people begin to associate with your specific local church.

Church identity is not just producing and using a new logo. It includes the whole consistent "look" of your church products, both printed and electronic. Fonts used, font sizes, colors, even shapes of products can all be a part of a consistent identity.

Below are some typical church products in the two basic categories and can benefit from a consistent branding.

Print media

• Stationery
• Intra-office memos and note paper
• Newsletters
• Worship bulletins (where used)
• In-pew materials
• Brochures 
• Post cards
• Pamphlets and leaflets
• Flyers & posters
• Door hangers
• Print ads
• Ad-type banners
• Business cards
• Give-away products (mugs, for example)

Electronic media

• Emails from church staff
• Emailed news, notes, or similar publications where the email itself is the publication
• Web sites of all types -- including blogs
• Videos
• Projected materials (for services, classes, or meetings)
• Online ads
• Online business locators (such as Google, which lets you associate a photo with your church's map location and with your business information)

To make good use of funds people give to further God's work on earth, look for free online resources. One example is a free class on identity by Hewlett Packard. You have to sign up, but it's free.

A few online identity resources toget you started...

• Branding? For churches?
• Church branding
• Identity (branding) postings at this blog
• Creating a distinctive identity (online class by HP)
• Five Reasons Why Missional Churches Cannot Ignore Identity Branding
• Unity Church Marketing blog ("church identity" labels)

A couple image searches you can use for logo inspiration...

• Church logos (Bing image search)
• Church identity (Bing image search)

Sentence Sermons - part 2

In his book "701 Sentence Sermons", L. James Harvey gives several excellent tips for excellent text for church signs and wherever else the church uses that sentence sermon -- see Sentence Sermons - part 1.

Below are are a few tips based on Volume 1 of Harvey's book.

• Condense the English.
  You don't need to include every word of every saying or quote. You can even rearrange the messages to better fit the sign. Most signs have only 3 to 5 lines for brief text.
• Consider line breaks.
• Decide what wording makes the separate lines read better. Revise the wording as needed, but keep the meaning clear.
• Use a line break for natural speach pauses.
• Use a line break for most commas.
• Consider the speed of passing cars.
Even passengers in a moving car have only a few short seconbds to read and understand the entire message.
• Consider your church's theogical views.
  Don't use sentence sermons that run contrary to your church's views.

Sentence Sermons - part 1

When I cruised through a local Cokesbury store, I noticed a paperback titled, "701 Sentence Sermons" by L. James Harvey. The cover showed a church sign. After a quick skim, I added the book to a small pile for the checkout.

Harvey stresses that the book is about a lot more than just church signage. He coined the phrase "sentence sermons" because he says that church signage should be short sermons. Also, he didn't title the book about church signs because he strongly encourages churches to use the sign "sentence sermons" in several ways, not just on signs.

In our modern multimedia world, some churches give less importance to the non-computer, non-video variety of media that is available. But excellence in communications means that churches need to employ a wide variety of media.

Types of "sentence sermons"

• Advertising of upcoming events (keep to a bare minimum, Harvey says).
• Bible-oriented messages.
• Wisdom messages [a famous quote, for example]. These may reach a currently unchurched person better than quoting scripture.

Places to use "sentence sermons"

• On the church roadside sign (duh!).
• In church staff email sigs.
• In Sunday bulletins.
• In church newsletters.
• In a tweet.
• In a blog entry.
• In sermons!
• As a teaser in an ad.
• [your idea here].

If you have a church sign that allows for messages, you may also want to pull ideas from Volumes 2, 3 and 4 of this Sentence Sermons series by L. James Harvey.

Another book that looks interesting is "Signs for These Times" by Ronald Glusenkamp. That one includes chapters oriented on themes and seasons. The book also includes a topic an scripture index. That could come in very handy for finding a sentence sermon that relates to an upcoming Sunday sermon.

Sermon planning
Sermon planning should include planning sentence sermons. Plant them on the church sign, in email sigs, and in the bulletin. Then watch them bear fruit.

Ask congregation members to suggest a brief "sentence sermon" about the Sunday sermon. Post an accepted idea on the church sign for the next week. Then announce (in church or in the Sunday Bulletin or newsletter or news blog) whose idea it was.

Desktop publishing basics

Putting out an appealing newsletter, brochure or other print publication for your church is often not simple or easy.  Most people need some level of training on how to do it well.

Your information needs to be in an easy-to-read, eye-catching format. Good publication design delivers news and messages effectively. Take the time to understand and follow simple fundamentals of design. The end result will be a publication that is easy to quickly understand and easy on the eyes.

Layout basics

It may be fun to use the variety of colors, graphics and fonts offered with many design tools, but remember tha readability is the most important aspect of your piece. Due to the web, more people now "scan" even written text rather trhan read it.  So we need to adopt new techniques to help people find what they want and read it easily.

Easy-to-read pubs use

• A serif font for text and a sans serif font for headlines and subheads. Serif fonts have extra strokes at the end of the lines that form the letters; sans serif fonts have no extra strokes.
• A type size of 11 points or larger.
• Left-aligned margins, not justified.
• Text in columns and boxes -- not spread wide across a page.
• Grouping of related stories on a page.
• Graphics or photos that visually describe the story and draw interest. It's OK to use up to three fonts in your publication — one for text, one for headlines and one for your banner or nameplate. But suing more than three can cause clutter and look "circusy".

Headlines

Headlines (and even subheads) need to quickly tell tyhe reader what the text is about.  Avoid "cute" headlines or ones that allude to the text but don't rteally describe what's important. Articles at the top of a page normally should be larger than those lower on the page. Size and placement relates to importance.

White space

White space — the space not occupied by text or graphics — makes the page easier to read. Don't avoid it -- treat is as your friend. Cramming a page full makes it look like a tough read.  Some people avoiud tough reads. Use white space on all four margins, between columns and within text itself.

Simplify text

A rule of thumb when writing for the web is to try to delete 50% or more of the existing text. After boiling down the text to the essentials, look for "lists" of things and change them to bullets. Then break up the longer articles with subheads.
[reference: Technology for Ministry, UMCom]

Newsletters: Folds create snakes

If your newsletter uses vertical folds, it probably snakes text from the bottom of one column (or page) to the top of the next -- across the fold. While that's not bad for a printed publication, it's horrible for viewing electronically.

If you offer your newsletter to members by email or at your web site, avoid using a fold format. You will certainly fold the newsletter for mailing. That's not the issue here. It's the vertical fold built into a publication design that makes it hard to read online.

Below are two types of basic formats pulled from an actual newsletter (the tri-fold one) and a more user friendly one (no column snakes).

Vertical fold format

A vertical multi-fold format uses columns in which text must snake from one column to the next. Imagine the frustrating up-and-down scrolling you have to do to read that online. In the actual newsletter tri-fold example below, you also have to scroll horizontally to read the newsletter.

To make matters even worse for on-screen viewing, multi-fold publications, such as the one below, do not read properly from left-to-right. The numbers on the image show the actual publication page sequence.

Tri-fold format (reduced size pages from an actual newsletter):

A no-snakes format

You can use columns and avoid the snaking text and out-of-sequence on-screen viewing if you adopt a different format. The example below uses a two-column design but each column always reads straight down the page -- no snakes. You scroll back up to the top -- once -- to read the second column, but that's it.

This format also means that pages are never out-of-sequence for on-screen viewing.

No-snakes format:
The blue "bars" in the sample below indicate article headline text. The orange ones show placement of section heads. This design uses the wider left column for main articles and the narrower right column for standard sections (message from the Pastor, Calendar items, announcements, birthdays and anniversaries, etc.) Remember -- do not put complete birth or anniversary dates or members' full names online -- protect your members' personal data.

Be nice to your electronic friends ... use a format that has no column snakes. Avoid the vertical fold format whenever possible. You could, of course, convert a vertical fold format to a one-column one that reads straight down and use that for electronic viewing. But that takes time that you could save if the format were one without snaking column text. And that may result in an very wide column of text that's harder (slower) to read.

Newsletters: Size matters

Among the many factors you need to think about when designing or redesigning a church newsletter is it's physical size. Why? Size affects:

• Ease of handling the printed newsletter.
• Column width and layout options.
• Ease of online reading.

All those are usability factors that you need to consider. Remember, the key is not what you think looks nice or what you've "always done", but rather how easily and quickly the many different readers of your newsletter can scan and read the content.

Also remember that online readers (and probably many readers of printed editions) scan text rather than reading it. The newsletter layout and design can help or hurt that scanning.

When you offer your newsletter as an electronic file attached to email or online, you have some added responsibilities:

• Make size readable. Make sure you use a size that does not exceed screen width. Make sure that if a visitor resizes a newsletter to their screen width, they can still read it easily. Reduced size fonts can become "squint print" in a hurry.
• Don't design for hi-res. Design for a screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, but make sure the newsletter looks good at 1280 x 720 pixels. Why not design for hi-resolution and widescreen? Many people don't maximize browsers when they have widescreen monitors. Check your web site stats to see what screen resolution is most common, but remember that it needs to look great at 800 x 600 pixels (or the Mac equivalent).
• Colors. Keep color saturation and contrast in mind. Many LCD monitors "wash out" contrast and over-saturate colors. Window scrollbars may be very hard to see, as will light pastels or grays.
• No snake columns. Make sure readers don't have to scroll down and then up again on the same page to read your online or electronic file newsletter. This most often happens if you use "newspaper" columns that snake from bottom to top across multiple columns. Columns are fine, but avoid the snaking column. Do that by keeping stories flowing vertically; no column changes. If you have two columns, story text in each column flows only downward.
• Avoid folds. Whenever possible, don't use a folded paper format. A newsletter that has vertical folds results in a newsletter that exceeds the screen width. It also often means columns that snake across the fold. This format is quite hard to read online or in an electronic file format. Don't force your readers to print the newsletter to be able to scan and read it easily. Give up the old print mentality. Think of online and electronic file readers, while keeping the format attractive in print as well.

Communications tips

The Web Evangelism Bulletin has a ton of tips and sample sites each issue, some of which apply to general communications or writing. Here's a few gleaned from that bulletin since November ...

• Communicating Well
• Writing tips
• Boomers and Gen-Xers communicate differently

Evaluate newsletter, bulletin design

Dive into a newsletter and bulletin redesign by first getting a few copies of publications from other churches. That feels less threatening. Then, check out all the principles, guidelines, traps, and tips on this site and those sites linked from here. Lastly, apply those to the sample pubs you now have.

A good way to evaluate the pubs is to use a rubric. The Educational Service Center, Fort Worth, Texas, has a newsletter design rubric (PDF) you can download and print. It scores against major design principles:

• Contrast
• Repetition
• Alignment
• Proximity
• Graphics

Get your newsletter read

Why is it that so many church members don't know information that's printed in their newsletter? Because the design or content turns them off. Ironically, many church newsletters contain no news. Let me "shout" it ... NEWSletter. Did you notice the word "news"? Of course, that includes news feature stories too.

Below are some tips to improve tour church newsletter and actually get people reading it.

• Write to communicate, not to impress. Write clearly and simply, using short sentences. Don't use big words when small words will say the same thing.
• Proofread. Run a spell check and grammar check, but proofread yourself too.
• Write front-page articles that draw interest. Remember that information you might like people to know need not be what they are really interested in reading. Write for your audience.
• Use recycled paper. Your readers will appreciate your stewardship. Remember that "recyclable" is not the same as "recycled". Will it cost a bit more to use recycled paper? If so, consider placing a large jar in the entryway, with a sign reading "Give change for a change to recycled" or similar.

CompanyNewsletters.com has these and many more tips. Read and heed.

Use plain language

A prime factor in ease of reading is use of plain language – what I call “verbal essence.” The Federal Government has a Plain Language web site. It not only aims at federal employees, but has plain writing tips for the private sector too.

“Writing today is not a frill for the few, but an essential skill for the many.”

The National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges adds its voice to the challenge in “The Neglected ‘R’: The Need for a Writing Revolution” (PDF format). “Writing, education’s second ‘R,’ has become the neglected element of school reform” the commission report says.

Whether you are a church web developer, communications committee person, or member of the church staff, you need to know how to write clearly and simply.

Key points

• Identify your readers – all of them.
• Know your readers! Understand what they need, how they read, and then fulfill their needs.
• Pretentious language wastes time.
• Complex language has hidden costs. People may not know what you are trying to say.
• Keep it simple!
• Use the right words.
• Avoid "hidden" verbs.

Resources

• Plain language at a glance
• Checklist of plain language elements
  [Extra checklist items for web-based docs and web pages]
• Quick tips
• Writing tips
• Editorial Style Manual
• Writing reader-friendly documents
• Exercises in plain writing [answers]

Newsletter, bulletin design tips

Once the exclusive domain of books, you can now find tips on design of newsletters and bulletins on the Web. Here are some tips and related sources:

• AVOID ALL CAPITALS. It's old typewriter and teletype habits and now considered "shouting". Plus all caps slow down reading speed.
• Avoid blocks of bolded text. They slow down reading speed.
• Use only single spaces between sentences. Two spaces is an old, typewriter-based habit. We use proportional fonts these days, unlike the typewriter.
• Use true dashes, not hyphens.
• Reserve underlines for hyperlinks. Don't underline headlines, subheads, or publication titles.
• Place quote marks correctly.
• Use serif fonts for text, sans serif for headlines and subheads. Serif fonts are easier to read in blocks of text. Using sans serif for headlines and subheads helps visually separate them from text elements on a page. It makes the page easier to scan.
• Use proper line spacing. Don't just add empty paragraphs – extra presses of the Enter key.
• Avoid rivers of white. Make effective use of white space. Look at your design critically – what's critical and what's really just "noise"? Remove the noise.

Steps to newsletter success

Author Roger Parker lists 12 steps to newsletter success. Here are a few:

• Be consistent – in frequency, number of pages, ...
• Choose a distinctive nameplate (also called a "flag" – the part that has the publication title).
• Choose effective columns and margins layout. Make effective use of white space. Don't try to fill every inch of every column.
• Make headlines and subheads easy to find and easy to read.
• Use subheads to break up "gray" blocks of text.
• Make body copy as easy to read as possible. (choose a good font, use adequate font sizes, use ragged right text, ...)
• Use good grammar and punctuation.
• Use photo captions.
• Be restrained in any use of color.
• Check "the details" of your newsletter – Avoid widows and orphans in lines and subheads; use non-breaking spaces to keep first and last names (and similar) together. In MS Word, that's Shift+Alt+spacebar.
• Keep the design simple. Create a newsletter template, then use it! In the template, create "styles" for a few levels headlines plus subheads, body text, etc.

Common desktop publishing mistakes

A good place for church communications people to start in a review of church publications is the key mistakes many make in desktop publishing:

• Gray pages
  (Caused by too much text, crowded line spacing, crowded headlines, or margins crammed to the edge)
• Poor use of white space on pages
• Long or very short lines of type
• Narrow columns of justified type
• Inappropriate, distracting borders
• Overuse of reverse text, screens, borders, or rules
• Wrong punctuation (quotes, hyphens, and spaces)
• Widowed or orphaned text or subheads
• Colored text

These points come from Roger C. Parker, author of several desktop publishing books, including “One Minute Designer,” and NewEntrepeneur.com. He has several web pages of points and even checklists related to design of publications.

Read more in Roger’s “Desktop publishing’s twelve most common mistakes. His Pre-Flight Checklist is a handy reminder of the many aspects of publications that you should consider. Print it out and use it to check your Worship Bulletin and your church newsletter.

Avoid being ugly

Rick Altman says that the aim of the average person doing design (such as newsletters, bulletins, flyers, or graphics) should be the "absence of ugliness."

While that at first may seem harsh, he's pointing out that it's not realistic for average people to assume that they can become a professional designer in their spare time. Instead, he asserts, they should adopt simple techniques that will help them stay away from making ugly creations.

This also dovetails with a maxim of web site design – it's better to have no web site than to have an ugly one. Looks does count to visitors! Ugly stops them cold in their tracks.

Of course, content matters, so even if the product is not ugly, the text has to keep people reading.

Outreach tips

The Church Outreach Lab has some interesting comments and useful web page content tips. It also accepts tips and comments from varied churches. Here are a few:

• Keep it very simple. Our brains break complex information into small bits before moving them to long-term memory. So make your communications literally more memorable — simply "keep it simple".
• Most church newsletters are horrendous. For more tips about newsletters , see Avondale Pattillo UMC's special training section. Does your church newsletter look "old school" and out of touch with the modern world?
• Make Sunday worship bulletins seeker-simple. If you truly believe in outreach, make your worship bulletin simple for a seeker to understand. For example, get rid of ancient terms such as Introit, Gloria Patri, Postlude, and the like.
• Hold special events that emphasize your "brand" -- what your church is really all about.
• Communicate by email and the web plus traditional means. Hold some "meetings" or pre-meeting discussions by email. Keep the membership up on late-breaking news by email. Let members receive publications via email. Have a web presence that's more than an online brochure.

Church Newsletters by email?

There are both pluses and minuses to sending the church newsletter by email. An article at UMC.org deals with E-newsletters.

Among the pluses:

• Fast! It arrives oh so much sooner than the USPS mail (not so affectionately called "snail mail" by some)
• Convenient. You can read it electronically or print it out and read the "hard copy".
• Reduces mailing costs.
  -- This is maybe an advantage -- your church may need to mail a minimum number of newsletters to get a price break from USPS.

Some minuses:

• Some people don't have computers (the percentage is declining, but not zero).
• Some people even with computers just prefer to get their "normal" hard copy mailed to them. So even if you email most, you should offer a printed copy to any members that want it.
• If your church does not already maintain a list of members' email addresses, you'd need to dedicate a bit of time to doing just that.