Because Administrative Assistants Can Be Designers...
If Christians are supposed to be great communicators of a great message...you wouldn't know it by our printed material and our Web sites. This certainly isn't the cases for all churches, but for far too many, we're not conveying our message with quite enough professionalism.
Here are a few design tips to get you started...
BULLETIN TIPS
I heard a statistic that church bulletins are the most-widely-read religious publication. That's a pretty powerful statistic. But it makes sense, right? Each week millions of worshipers are reading their bulletin during church.
If Christians are supposed to be great communicators of a great message...you wouldn't know it by our printed material and our Web sites. This certainly isn't the cases for all churches, but for far too many, we're not conveying our message with quite enough professionalism.
Here are a few design tips to get you started...
BULLETIN TIPS
I heard a statistic that church bulletins are the most-widely-read religious publication. That's a pretty powerful statistic. But it makes sense, right? Each week millions of worshipers are reading their bulletin during church.
With that statistic firmly in mind, our church doesn't skimp on our Sunday bulletins...and yours shouldn't either. Fill those bulletins full of information about your church, and also about upcoming events. Always be sure to balance text with graphics and clip art...too much text and you'll lose your readers.
NEWSLETTER TIPS
Your church's newsletter is like your business card to the community. It needs to be clean and well-designed. Far too many newsletters look boring and unprofessional. So start with color. Use colored paper (but not bright, neon colors) and a colored ink, if you are able. If you can print your newsletter in full color on bright white paper, that would make it look even better.
NEWSLETTER TIPS
Your church's newsletter is like your business card to the community. It needs to be clean and well-designed. Far too many newsletters look boring and unprofessional. So start with color. Use colored paper (but not bright, neon colors) and a colored ink, if you are able. If you can print your newsletter in full color on bright white paper, that would make it look even better.
Also be aware of how much text you're using. You want to give readers the details, but you don't need to beat them over the head with information. Keep details brief and precise. Every article should have a graphic or clip art within it. We'll also look at appropriate clip art within this page, too.
Make sure your newsletter doesn't have too many pages. Just like a long sermon, you'll lose people if the amount of content is overwhelming. If there's a lot of content to be shared, consider a bi-weekly update page that is handed out with your Sunday bulletins. That would be a great way to break up the amount of information your congregants are expected to read.
CLIP ART AND GRAPHICS
Clip art can really spice up your publications...or it can make them look really cheesy. "Cartoon-style" clip art might be okay for a flyer in your church's nursery, but it probably shouldn't be used in your church's newsletter or weekly bulletin. The classic "praying hands" clip art? I think we can get a little more creative, don't you?
The classic "praying hands" clip art?
I think we can get a little more creative, don't you?
CLIP ART AND GRAPHICS
Clip art can really spice up your publications...or it can make them look really cheesy. "Cartoon-style" clip art might be okay for a flyer in your church's nursery, but it probably shouldn't be used in your church's newsletter or weekly bulletin. The classic "praying hands" clip art? I think we can get a little more creative, don't you?
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| "Flourishes" like this graphic above add a nice artistic embellishment to any church publication...and they're not cheesy! |
The classic "praying hands" clip art?
I think we can get a little more creative, don't you?
So where do you find good clip art?
You've found this site and you've hit the jackpot! Feel free to download any or all of the clip art that's available here.
I also recommend asking a graphic designer in your congregation if they can put a bunch of flourishes and silhouette images on a CD for your church's use.
LAYOUT AND DESIGN TIPS
I always recommend using no more than three to four different fonts in any publication (bulletin, Web site, newsletter, etc.) I also really recommend only two fonts per article. Choose a headline font and a body font, and stick with those choices throughout your publication. I recommend a script font for your headlines and a plain serif font for your body text. Because this design jargon is getting a bit technical, let's just see an example below:
WEB SITE TIPS
The best advice I can give for a church's Web site is this: work with a real Web designer who can advise your church staff but also work with your wants and needs. Some pages should be editable by your church's staff (such as a staff bios page or a church calendar page), and other pages need to be edited only by the Web designer (such as the main, "splash" page).
LAYOUT AND DESIGN TIPS
I always recommend using no more than three to four different fonts in any publication (bulletin, Web site, newsletter, etc.) I also really recommend only two fonts per article. Choose a headline font and a body font, and stick with those choices throughout your publication. I recommend a script font for your headlines and a plain serif font for your body text. Because this design jargon is getting a bit technical, let's just see an example below:
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| Note the use of a "script" font for the headline and a more plain font for the body text. |
WEB SITE TIPS
The best advice I can give for a church's Web site is this: work with a real Web designer who can advise your church staff but also work with your wants and needs. Some pages should be editable by your church's staff (such as a staff bios page or a church calendar page), and other pages need to be edited only by the Web designer (such as the main, "splash" page).
Whenever possible, use your congregation's talent! If someone is a photographer, have them take pictures for your church's Web site. If someone is a Web designer, pay them to design and maintain your church's Web site. As far as aesthetics go, I recommend using the same fonts that are used for your church publications, deciding on a color scheme, and using the recommendations above regarding "good" clip-art. (Stock photos are a big no-no...take pictures of your congregation!)
