how to spice up your church newsletter

Between the new project I’m doing for Standard, my regular Buzz column, managing Christian Church Today, and compiling weekly news about the NACC and its speakers, I read a LOT of church newsletters.

They typically include the same things—a note from the senior pastor promoting the new sermon series, announcements of baby dedication day or a youth group fundraiser, small group sign-up info, a link to the church’s Facebook page, an ad for some program created by Dave Ramsey, a quote from some book written by Max Lucado.

Predictable. A bit boring. No wonder your readership isn’t growing!

 

So in the spirit of being a blessing, I offer a few ideas for new features guaranteed to spike your subscription numbers:

–Top Five Tithers, Year To Date

–People Who Haven’t Given One Red Cent

–Match The Elder To His Wife’s Embarrassing Nickname For Him

–Guess Who Confessed This Sin?

–Last Week’s Internet Searches, Sorted By Staff Member

–The Baptistry Pool: Bet On When The Next Person Will Be Baptized

–Congregants Recently Seen Buying Alcohol

–Bible Verses That Sound Dirty

–The Prayer Request You Only Thought You Knew

–Last Person To Give $5 Online Is Directing VBS

–Who Should the Youth Minister Be Dating?

–Guess The Weight Of The Pastor’s Wife (Chik-Fil-A Gift Certificate To The Winner!)

–Remaining Dollars In Thousands Owed by Senior Pastor for Bible College Student Loans (A Chart Updated Weekly Since 1989)

–”The Act of Marriage” Quote Of The Week

–What REALLY Happened At The Women’s Retreat

Any others spring to mind?

amass media

Occasionally bloggers will invite their readers to share links to the other blogs they read in hopes of finding some new favorites. Commenters often use the opportunity to not just share their must-reads but to promote their own blogs.

I am pleased to now offer you this same opportunity for shameless self-promotion, but for a different purpose. (My Google Reader currently has 423 unread blog posts. When I start asking you for additional “fun” reading suggestions you’ll know I’ve struck oil in my driveway and retired.)


But back to the purpose: in a few weeks, Christian Standard is going to add some new features, including a section called “Media Matters.” The idea is to feature the books, magazines, podcasts, blogs, apps, and websites that would be of interest to Christian church leaders.

I’ve been asked to compile these each week, which is great fun but requires a steady supply of material. We each have our own lists of blogs we read regularly, sites we check daily, books we love to recommend and other resources we couldn’t do ministry without. And I’d love for you to share your list.

Please leave a note in the comments with the online and print resources you think I just can’t miss—the stuff you recommend and forward to others. You’ll be helping each other find great stuff, helping me start strong with a new project and making a positive contribution to CS. (And yes, go ahead and include your own blog.)

new to you friday–do overs

Which year of your life would you most like to live over again because it was great? And which year would you most like to live again so you could do things differently?

I’d love to re-live my senior year in college. My three closest friends and I had a two-room suite at the end of a hallway in the best dorm on campus. (One of the perks of having an RA as a roommate. The downside was we also had chores during fire drills.) I’ve never laughed so hard in my life or had so much innocent fun, which is the only kind you can have in western PA—it starts snowing in October and goes strong until April.

On the other hand, I’d like to re-do 2005 for some other reasons. Personally, professionally, emotionally, even physically—I’d make completely different choices knowing what I know now.




We don’t get a shot at either do-over, of course, but thinking about it can yield some good insights, maybe even some helpful discussions. Which years would you pick, and why?

subject lines of recent emails I have not opened

Forget everything you know about beef jerky!

6 ways to wear polka dots

Have a real “Dancing with the Stars” experience

Have you been wasting your life?

A lesson from Play-Doh

56% off Go-Karts


Wanna go to Guam?

Rachael Ray said, “I love this!”

New purses under $600

Get a free ham

Our CEO raps!

new to you friday–give it up for Lent

Earlier this week I wrote about one activity—giving thanks before a meal—that can be deeply meaningful or routine and legalistic. As I saw the many people enjoying their last Diet Coke or signing off Facebook on Tuesday, I realized the observance of Lent can be another.

It’s become trendy among Christian church folks to give something up for Lent, and I admit my own tendency to, at times, avoid doing something simply because it seems everyone else is choosing to. And I still question how much we’re really identifying with Christ’s sufferings or taking personal inventory of our sins by giving up caffeine or the Internet. (Or, as at least one of my friends does, swearing.)


But, ultimately, I add Lenten fasting to the long list of other rituals, practices and disciplines that can be meaningful if approached with the right heart. And while I’m not giving anything up this year, I will sincerely be praying for those of you who are. And watching American Idol.

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The Christian churches have never been big on observing Lent, or the church calendar in general, so I grew up with little to contribute in discussions with friends about what we planned to go without during the Lenten season. I was in college before I saw someone actually walking through Ash Wednesday with ashes on their forehead, or made the connection to the bacchanalia of Mardi Gras the night before.

Although I still attend a church that focuses little attention on these holy days (except Easter, and the almighty Christmas—that one seems to be remembered each year), I have started to be aware of them. The cycles of Advent, Epiphany, Lent, and Pentecost lend a comforting spiritual rhythm to the year; even more importantly, they have the potential to refocus us on Christ in between the “big” holidays.

Still, I’d never considered actually giving something up for Lent. Remembering the cross, yes. Trying to be more reflective and contemplative in the weeks leading up to Easter, sure, okay.

But actually forgoing a regular treat as if it in any way approached Jesus’ sacrifice for us? Thinking my abstinence from candy or coffee even mattered to him? Truth be told, I always found it a little silly and self-important.


So I’m as astonished as anyone that this year I plan to observe Lent by giving up TV and movies.

A few days ago the notion popped into my head as I watched a Seinfeld rerun with one eye and lamented my unread list of “edifying” books with the other. Irony is fun.

Coincidentally or not, the same day I came across a website of prayers and reflections for each day of Lent (click here) that also piqued my interest. An idea was born: no TV, no DVDs, not even a sitcom on iTunes from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday.

(And lest you think this doesn’t count because of the writers’ strike, let me remind you that new episodes of LOST begin next week and will continue throughout February and March. So scoff not.)


This little “sacrifice” isn’t about equaling Jesus’ sacrifice, of course. As for whether my 46 days without TV “matter” to God, a myriad of Bible passages teach us anything can be done (or not done) to God’s glory if the heart is right. Putting a check in the offering plate or reading my 3.2 Bible chapters each day can be meaningless routine or intentional obedience. Likewise, the self-imposed deprivation of Lent can be the legalistic restriction so many “Christians-only” see it as, or it can be a quiet act of worship.

I’m going for the latter with Lent this year. And really looking forward to catching up on LOST after Easter.

grace notes

“Are we allowed to eat?”

Spend enough time around Christians and two things will happen: a) we’ll eat, because it is one of our few vices and b) a latecomer to the gathering will ask this question.


For those of you not part of the subculture, the person is really asking, “Have we said a rushed, cliche-filled ‘blessing’ for this food? Because you must do so before eating anything with protein.” (In youth group we prayed before pizza, but not before chips.)


Prayers—sincere, thoughtful prayers—of thanks before a meal are appropriate and even biblical (Matthew 14 & 15, Matthew 26, Luke 24, Acts 27). And for some people it is a meaningful moment. But for too many others it’s a requirement to be rushed through before the food gets cold.

Perhaps this is a small thing to be annoyed by (or blog about), but it’s a symptom of more significant problems. We scoff at the Pharisees who constructed elaborate laws about the Sabbath but missed the whole point of rest and worship. Are we any better? We insist on a mumbled prayer before eating (bonus points if we can use it to “witness” in restaurants), but how many of us think about the words we’re saying, or give thanks for our blessings at other times? Does our gratefulness ever prompt us to provide food for those in need?


Sometimes I pray before I eat. Sometimes I don’t. If we cross paths at a potluck, I promise never to ask if the Jello salad has been blessed. But I do have some other questions:

—Couldn’t we just pray once over everything in our grocery cart and call it good until the next shopping trip?

—What about leftovers?

—What if there’s a gap between dinner and dessert? Is dessert “covered”?

—Which is worse: to skip prayer in a restaurant or to pray and then be rude to the waitress?

—What about giving thanks for food we shouldn’t be eating in the first place? (If I’m about to consume a Burger King Triple Stacker with bacon, shouldn’t I be praying for my arteries to survive it?)

—And how do you think Jesus would look in a tuxedo t-shirt?

 

new to you friday–child’s play

Nashville’s been blessed with some wonderful 70-degree days lately, so I’ve been working from my front porch in the afternoons. I moved to a new neighborhood since I first posted this, but the squabbles among the kids haven’t changed. “Idiot Head” seems to be a universal insult.

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As last summer wound down, I wrote about my young neighbors and our occasional interactions. As a new summer begins the kids are back outside, and when my cocktail of allergy drugs makes it possible I like to have the windows open—which means I’m once again privy to their many arguments, negotiations, and meltdowns.


Some highlights from this week (imagine these in put-upon, fed-up little voices):

You are not LISTENING to me!

He has my stuff—that’s not FAIR!

You are not even smart. You don’t know what you are saying out of your face.

Come here. Come HERE. COME HERE!

You are a stupid IDIOT head.


Jesus said we must become like children to enter the kingdom of God. Although he meant we should have attitudes of humility and simple faith, we usually settle for simple immaturity instead. Thanks, God, for the thousands of years you have endured our complaining and bickering—all without the benefit of drugs.

controversy wins

The kerfluffle over the weekend (other than what on earth Melissa Leo was thinking) was Rob Bell’s new book, “Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.”

Although the book doesn’t come out until the end of March, reviewers who read some early-advance chapters had a lot to say.

Some were dismayed: “It is unspeakably sad when those called to be ministers of the Word distort the gospel and deceive the people of God with false doctrine,” wrote Justin Taylor (no relation ).

Some were intrigued: “If we’re honest with ourselves, we can acknowledge that we don’t know everything; that we have questions and even doubts about certain things,” said Eugene Cho. “While we might be attracted to absolute clarity, we  must yield to the possibility that there are some things that are mysterious; they are not fully attainable – as of yet.”

And some were smug: “Farewell Rob Bell,” tweeted John Piper, seeming to imply a) Bell is no longer a Christian and b) Piper gets to decide.


But here’s the statement I find most significant:

“What we believe about heaven and hell is incredibly important because it exposes what we believe about who God is and what God is like,” Bell says.


I’ve not read Bell’s book and when I do his conclusions may bother me. But I’m glad he wrote it, because the doctrine of heaven and hell and its implications for evangelism, pluralism and other isms is huge—and a major reason many people can’t accept Christianity.

It’s an issue we must deal with. Unlike Piper, I don’t know what Bell believes or if he is, himself, damned for writing it. (Because I’m going to READ IT FIRST.) But the reaction to the book and the blogs is proof of the need to talk about it.


Here’s the video that sparked the controversy, and here’s Glen Elliott’s recent article on the subject. What do you think?