You are a missionary, and you want to share all the amazing things God is doing … but putting them into words can be hard! How can I make my newsletters more effective? Here are some pointers we’ve identified that can help make your missionary newsletter great.

1. Highlight Your Impact

Your supporters work hard for their money! If they willingly donate to you, they want to know that it’s being used effectively. They want to see that you are making disciples! They want to hear about how their donations are changing lives! They want to know what kind of ministry you’re doing in your daily life. If they perceive that you’re spending their donations on eating out and vacationing, they will probably stop supporting you. So make sure you do a good job of highlighting the impact being made through your ministry. 

2. Communicate Concisely

Who likes spending lots of time reading giant blocks of rambling text? Your supporters want to know what you’re up to, but they have busy lives and don’t always have time to read lengthy emails. Bulleted lists communicate more effectively than long paragraphs. Brief photo captions are your friend. Also, think about how frequently you should be sending emails. If you send too many unwanted emails, they might get flagged and start going straight to people’s spam boxes. (We’ve seen it happen!) Monthly emails are usually fine, but in some cases, quarterly emails could be even more effective. 

3. “Showing” with Pictures is Better than “Telling” with Words

Showing a picture can often communicate a message instantly, whereas reading a paragraph takes more time. Show group shots of your Wednesday morning Bible study and community outreach events! When you do a community project, show action shots! Your supporters want to see the faces of those you’re impacting (when appropriate). Another tip: when you add pictures to your emails, have them span across the full width of the email. Sometimes when missionaries use email templates with multicolumn layouts, photos end up being too small to see all the details, especially when viewed on a mobile phone.

4. Develop Emotional Connections

Sharing emotional experiences with people develops deeper connections with them. In your newsletter, make sure you aren’t just saying, “First we did this, then we did this, then we did this.” Did it make you sad when you saw your neighbor walking in sin? Explain how much that grieves your heart! Are you pumped about the guy who finally agreed to come to your Bible study? Celebrate that with your audience! Are you angered at the injustice you see happening all around you? Tap into those feelings and use them to fire up your supporters about it. Writing with a sense of humor is another great way to connect with your readers. Having a healthy level of emotional vulnerability with them has the power to open new doors in your relationships with them.

We hope these tips help connect with your partners and magnify God more effectively as you reach the least-reached!