We need NEWSLETTER IDEAS for our Branch

Our ward switched to an online version in PDF format that members can download. It includes calendar items, message from the bishopric; primary activities; priesthood assignments for MP; YM lessons, activities and Scouts; YW lessons and activities with personal progress information, Relief Society news and calendar; birthdays; move ins and outs; callings and releases; missionary addresses with a brief snippet from a currently serving missionary; stake activities.

Have we left anything out? By putting it on the web, it has save printing costs and included more pages. It has worked well for our ward

I would say the key is to do what works for your branch.

A PDF version is a great solution. It can be put on the branch's LUWS (if they have one), which encourages member activity there.

To reach everyone, we also print a few and have them available on a table in the foyer before and after Sacrament Meeting.

My opinion
Here's my rule of thumb for what goes in the newsletter:

(1) Anything that anyone want's to put in the weekly Sacrament Mtg program, that isn't the actual Sacrament Meeting program that week, or an event occurring in the forthcoming week.

So pretty much move all the other clutter, content, and long-term/monthly calendaring to the newsletter. If you move useful stuff to the newsletter (announcements, events, lesson schedules, etc) you make the newsletter worth looking at regularly. People will want and need to see it, so it'll be a better newsletter. If everyone gets what they normally need from the weekly program, that's all they'll seek out.

We include also topics and speakers of Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School lessons, ecc.

Michael Newman wrote:
I need to see some ideas. (I have the software).

Perhaps if you identify the software you have will help those who have a sample to post the best document file format.

I'm a bit confused as to what it is you're in need of.

Perhaps you are looking for samples of actual ward newsletters???

Although I'm sure that could be provided by those who have done it, I'd suggest that you hold a branch brain-storming session. Get a few heads together and throw around some ideas. You need to identify just what it is that the branch has interest in and then try and fill those needs.

You might get some help from the following web site;

http://lds.families.com/blog/ward-bulle ... pecialists

jdlessley wrote:Perhaps if you identify the software you have will help those who have a sample to post the best document file format.

For the most part, Microsoft Office (which includes Word and Publisher). If there is some other software I need to acquire, my office may already have it.

Techgy wrote:I'm a bit confused as to what it is you're in need of.

Perhaps you are looking for samples of actual ward newsletters???

Yes!

Techgy wrote:I I'd suggest that you hold a branch brain-storming session. Get a few heads together and throw around some ideas. You need to identify just what it is that the branch has interest in and then try and fill those needs.

Already done!

What I need is samples showing the format, design, look, feel of what wards have done so that we can move into inputing our items into a new template. Can you help?

Techgy wrote:
You might get some help from the following web site;

http://lds.families.com/blog/ward-bulle ... pecialists

The above link has no sample Ward Newsletter.

Michael,

Sorry but I'm not in charge of any newsletters. Years ago I served in a Bishopric in our ward and at that time we had a newsletter that was handled by a member of the ward who had his own printing business. He had the skills necessary and the knowledge to do a rather nice job. Unfortunately, I don't have any copies of that around any more.

The web site I suggested provided some suggestions, but, you're correct I didn't see any examples. Instead of trying to find what you're looking for on the tech forums you might have better luck in doing a Google search with the words "Ward Newsletters" (in quotes) and see what you get.

Last but not least, I wouldn't be too concerned about what it looks like at first. Since you have the software, I'd set up a page in two columns - like a newspaper - and go from there. The format can be modified as you go and content will be varied as you build experience.

I do recall that one suggestion was to spotlight a few branch members each month. Interview them and see what their interests are, what they're taking in school (if they're attending) and so on.

I get the feeling that you're trying to find something that's been done so all you have to do is modify it. May I suggest that you work from scratch and make the newsletter something unique that reflects the interest and needs of the branch. Don't worry if the first edition doesn't shine. Just keep going and improve it with each edition. Pretty soon you'll find something that works for you.

If you use Techgy's suggestion to to a web search there are a few newsletters that I found. Some of the formats were done quite well. Unfortunately I did not see any with a downloadable file you could create a template from. But with MS Word you can manipulate the web page within Word to create a template.

I did a search as I'd recommended and came up with the following which might be helpful. There were many others after a search using "ward newsletter templates" (in quotes).

http://buildzion.com/index.php/LDS-Item ... Items.html

we've recently assigned two YW as reporters to gather newsworthy items, and to interview families / leaders etc for profiles in our newsletter. Ours looks pretty terrible to be honest, which irks me especially - as I work in magazine publishing, but it does the job - and is generally well received.

just get on and publish something - worry about the finer points later…

dannykos wrote:we've recently assigned two YW as reporters to gather newsworthy items, and to interview families / leaders etc for profiles in our newsletter. Ours looks pretty terrible to be honest, which irks me especially - as I work in magazine publishing, but it does the job - and is generally well received.

just get on and publish something - worry about the finer points later…

My boss always said, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression!"

Our purpose is to provide an item we can mail to less actives once a month. A strong first impression will have a better chance at surviving subsequent mailings which may be dumped without even the courtesy of looking it over.

Yes, I agree we should strive for substance. But style is also a strong candidate in 2009.

I will check out the Google link too. I appreciate all of the helpful advice.

(Maybe LDS TECH can sponsor a Newsletter Award Contest)

Mikerowaved wrote:A PDF version is a great solution. It can be put on the branch's LUWS (if they have one), which encourages member activity there.

To reach everyone, we also print a few and have them available on a table in the foyer before and after Sacrament Meeting.

The problem with the LUWS is that attachments are limited to 1MB and photos are limited to 100k. I think it would be great to set up a private blog on blogger.com with photos hosted on Picasa (also privately) but page 175 of the CHoI (blue book) makes it pretty clear that this is not authorized. So I guess we are stuck with the existing limitations of the LUWS (never mind the fact that a quick Google search identifies dozens of wards with blogs).

psnarula wrote:The problem with the LUWS is that attachments are limited to 1MB and photos are limited to 100k.

If the newsletter is in a PDF intended for Web viewing, 1 MB should not be overly restrictive. The problems I have seen people run into with the size limitation come when they include images of much higher quality than is needed for Web viewing. Of course, using images of an appropriate resolution and generating a PDF with an appropriate DPI does require a bit more care, but it's not that hard to do.

psnarula wrote:I think it would be great to set up a private blog on blogger.com with photos hosted on Picasa (also privately) but page 175 of the CHoI (blue book) makes it pretty clear that this is not authorized.

I hope you mean the gray book (2006 edition of CHI Book 1) and not the blue book (1998 edition of CHI Book 1), which should have been destroyed years ago. But I agree that the policy (which mirrors the Authorized Church Web Sites letter) seems pretty clear.

psnarula wrote:So I guess we are stuck with the existing limitations of the LUWS (never mind the fact that a quick Google search identifies dozens of wards with blogs).

The existence of all those blogs means that the priesthood leaders in those units are:

1. not aware of the policy,
2. ignore the policy, or
3. interpret the policy in a way that allows a blog.

Regardless of which of those options is the case for them, as clerks we need to make sure our local priesthood leaders are aware of the policy, and then follow their direction.

Alan_Brown wrote:If the newsletter is in a PDF intended for Web viewing, 1 MB should not be overly restrictive.

1MB for PDF is not so bad. 100K for jpg is more egregious.

I hope you mean the gray book (2006 edition of CHI Book 1) and not the blue book (1998 edition of CHI Book 1), which should have been destroyed years ago. But I agree that the policy (which mirrors the Authorized Church Web Sites letter) seems pretty clear.

yes, it's the gray book. sorry. it's 1245AM in germany and the blues and grays are blending together. i need to go to bed.

The existence of all those blogs means that the priesthood leaders in those units are:

1. not aware of the policy,
2. ignore the policy, or
3. interpret the policy in a way that allows a blog.

Regardless of which of those options is the case for them, as clerks we need to make sure our local priesthood leaders are aware of the policy, and then follow their direction.

it's got to be either 1 or 2 because i'm not sure how somebody can read "No other church websites are authorized" and somehow come up with #3.

psnarula wrote:it's got to be either 1 or 2 because i'm not sure how somebody can read "No other church websites are authorized" and somehow come up with #3.

Oh, you would be surprised. But that discussion is not for this forum.

Although restricted, a newsletter can be done and made available at the LUWS.

MRK wrote:Our ward switched to an online version in PDF format that members can download. It includes calendar items, message from the bishopric; primary activities; priesthood assignments for MP; YM lessons, activities and Scouts; YW lessons and activities with personal progress information, Relief Society news and calendar; birthdays; move ins and outs; callings and releases; missionary addresses with a brief snippet from a currently serving missionary; stake activities.

Have we left anything out? By putting it on the web, it has save printing costs and included more pages. It has worked well for our ward

I would say the key is to do what works for your branch.

Ok...will the LUWS let us do an HTML version or does it have to be PDF for the Newsletter?

And I would have to presume that you can create PDF documents in Microsoft Word?

thanks,
Jamie

n.augusta.wardtech wrote:And I would have to presume that you can create PDF documents in Microsoft Word?

If you are creating this at home and you want to create a PDF file from any application I would recommend installing a free PDF Printer driver (such as PDF995 and others). When "printing" to this it will just save it to a PDF file instead.

n.augusta.wardtech wrote:Ok...will the LUWS let us do an HTML version or does it have to be PDF for the Newsletter?

You'll find LUWS prefers PDF for a newsletter.

n.augusta.wardtech wrote:And I would have to presume that you can create PDF documents in Microsoft Word?

Starting with Word 2007, you can export any document as a PDF. Earlier versions can use free utilities to do the same thing, such as CutePDF.

n.augusta.wardtech wrote:Ok...will the LUWS let us do an HTML version or does it have to be PDF for the Newsletter?

The file formats for attachments are .doc, .pdf, or .xls.