Email Newsletters Easy to Create and Free for Most
“No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.
Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand,
where it gives light to everyone in the house.”
-Jesus (Matthew 5:15)
As a subscriber to From the Field, you know how effective an email newsletter can be in sharing church news. A number of the 70 congregations of the Diocese of Georgia are making the move to email for their primary parish communications. While not right for every church, email services are worth considering to decide if now is the time to make the move.
Two Services to Consider
Two email services to consider are Constant Contact and MailChimp. With more than 2,200+ subscribers and the need to offer event registration as well as email newsletters, industry-leading Constant Contact was a good fit for the Diocese of Georgia. At just $15 a month for up to 500 subscribers receiving an unlimited number of emails, the service could also be right for your church. For an eye-catching, highly readable example of a church newsletter using Constant Contact see the archives of St. Anne Tifton’s The Open Door.
For most congregations, the free service offered by MailChimp is sufficient. This service is free for up to 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails a month. The free service does have some limitations and you’ll want to check out the fine print, but these are minor considerations as the only ad in the email is for MailChimp. To see an excellent example of a newsletter using MailChimp visit the archives of St. Patrick’s Happenings from our mission in Pooler.
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Not everyone routinely (or ever) uses email. The percentage of this group varies from congregation to congregation. 
In making the move to an email newsletter, you will need to offer to print copies for those who will not use email. The per copy cost is much higher than for traditional print newsletters, though as the number is far fewer, this is still a cost savings for most congregations. The vestry will need to do some research to decide what is right in your context.
The Benefits
Users can subscribe and unsubscribe themselves and using this feature can change their email addresses which saves staff or volunteer time from this time-consuming shore. It is also far easier for a team to create the newsletter with each person logging in to add their items to the newsletter before you hit send. This is how the diocesan staff works together each week to create From the Field with no one responsible for the whole newsletter.
The Guiding Principle
Jesus told us not to hide our light under a bushel basket. This includes sharing what is going on in your church. You need to consistently communicate your congregation’s news and events. This is not up for debate. The question is which means is right for your parishioners. An email newsletter will not be right for every church, but it is easy and can be free and so this option is worth the time to consider.
The Rev. Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary
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