wfn.org | Free newsletter enables churches to reach members easily

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Dec. 3, 2002 News media contact: Tim Tanton7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn. 
10-71B{563}

By United Methodist News Service*

Local churches have a new way to reach the people in their congregations: a
free newsletter developed by United Methodist Communications.

The newsletter is provided by e-mail as a template that can be filled with
local church news and sent out electronically or by postal mail to
congregation members. The template includes space for a pastor's message,
local church calendar, prayer concerns, feature stories and other content. It
also offers denomination news from United Methodist News Service.

"We want to encourage local churches to tell their own stories and to find
easy, economical ways to tell those stories," said Garlinda Burton, director
of United Methodist News Service, which developed the newsletter template.
"With this tool, a congregation doesn't need a big budget or staff to have a
quality newsletter."

Local churches can offer the newsletter to their members on a weekly or
monthly basis. The eight-page monthly template is already available, and the
four-page weekly edition will follow in January. Both will be e-mailed as
Word documents, suitable for editing on PC or Macintosh. 

The newsletter is designed for ease of use by churches of all sizes, small as
well as large. Step-by-step guidelines enable a church staff member or
volunteer to put the newsletter together regardless of level of experience.
Frequent tip sheets will offer additional advice on designing a lively,
sharp-looking publication.

The versatile template will allow the church to be as creative as it wants
with the design. Each edition will include two locked-in features - the UMNS
briefs and a box that promotes United Methodist Special Sundays, churchwide
funds or other programs. 

Congregations can subscribe to the newsletter by going to
umns.umc.org/newsinpews online. For more details, write to
newsinpews@umcom.org.
# # # 

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org