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Great Idea 13: Be ‘In-house’ and ‘Out-house’!

JOHN NELSON

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight

Psalm 19.14

Top Tip: Be the best in the diocese and equal to the best in the community.

Business Perspective: Successful organizations realize that reputation can be lost quickly through poor publicity. Control of your media output in a dynamic environment is an essential business requirement. No successful organization fails to have its own in-house publication whose message is directed externally.

The parish magazine was much the same as any other, it was monthly, A5, 25 pages, black and white, £5 a year with complimentary copies delivered to every household in the parish at Christmas and Easter. And like so many magazines … there was no editor!

What follows are ten lessons to get your magazine up and running as a vital part of the church’s mission and outreach.

1 Fully support your magazine editor

The editor had just resigned for the same reason as the previous editor. They both felt their role and work was undervalued. They had both spent sleepless nights worried sick about the blank pages left to fill! Mission and outreach through the magazine needs a team approach supported by the church.

2 Be church and parish related

Despite the title ‘parish magazine’, it wasn’t a ‘parish’ magazine at all. It was a ‘church members’ magazine full of reports from church and church-related meetings and not much else.

The parish magazine must appeal to all members of the parish, churchgoers and non-churchgoers alike. It must make them aware of the church, its message and pastoral role as well as information about the parish and its people. Be ‘in-house’ but be also ‘out-house’.

The parish magazine can show how successfully the life of the church connects with the life of the parish – or not!

3 Meet monthly as a team – plan, share the load, enjoy!

This means that your communications committee is likely to be the hardest-working sub-committee of the PCC! The team must work hard to report on and publicize events, provide information about the church, its services and activities, that will have meaning and impact for the church AND the parish. Think ahead, lay out the year ahead and plan accordingly. There are only twelve magazines! You can do this.

4 Draw upon the talents and experience of your church members and build your team strategically

What is needed is an editor and deputy, a distributor/co-ordinator, writers and illustrators, graphic designers and someone getting adverts. In this case they were found, but you have to go out and find them. You will be amazed at the talents available to you in your church.

5 Dare to be different … go glossy

An attractive cover attracts readers. Invest in a professionally designed cover. One of the church members in this case was a former graphic designer and a partnership was formed with a local printing firm to have the cover professionally printed. It was worth it.

6 Be businesslike, cover costs … make a profit!

Should the church magazine have a cover price? Whatever decision is made, the magazine should cover its costs. Advertising is the obvious way to cover most or all of the costs and has the added value of not only being a local resource for events, goods and services but there is an outreach value in seeking advertising income from local businesses.

7 Review the market – is your magazine getting out there?

Every church and electoral roll member should receive a copy of the magazine, but also every business, hotel, pub, hospital, surgery, dental, bus and rail waiting room in your parish. Some of these venues may well be some of your leading subscribers.

8 Don’t stay local … go global

Readers of the parish magazine should be stimulated to see the wider picture: to be helped to see their local church in the global context; to be helped to interpret world events through the eyes of the Christian faith.

Contributions from those able to reflect spiritually and theologically on world events are an important part any parish magazine. Such contributors should have the ability to interpret world events and to challenge conventional wisdom in a constructive way that opens up real thinking and dialogue between church and community. Choose your contributors wisely.

9 Be the best you can be

With the resources now available to so many people there is no excuse for poorly produced material. Strive to ensure that your magazine is regarded not only as the best in the diocese but comparable to other publications in the community. It will prove to be a very important and powerful form of outreach in the parish and local community.

10 It’s mission, so pray

If the vision for the parish magazine is one of mission and outreach for the kingdom of God, then that work cannot prosper unless underpinned, daily, by prayer. The editorial team should meet to pray and the church should remember the editorial team in prayer. Pray that doors will open to the parish magazine along with the hearts and minds of those who read it.

For reflection and discussion

1 Is your magazine in-house or out-house?

2 Is your magazine both a mouthpiece for the church and a forum for the parish?

3 Is your magazine editor supported by people and prayer?

4 Does your magazine stand out from other organizations’ magazines?