From Onilla May's monthly newsletter The Whole Hearted Woman

One of the most vital elements of an effective women's ministry program is publicity, but this ministry often suffers from a lack of vision and advance planning. Sometimes it is difficult to find talented graphic artists, speakers, and writers in a small church, but getting the word out is so important and often we find ourselves just doing the best we can. As with any element of ministry, it pays to involve the best talent you can enlist in brainstorming ideas for ongoing publicity policy. It helps immensely to have a carefully thought out written policy that has evolved over time and has withstood the test of time.

The task of the ministry of publicity is simply to insure that the women of the church be completely informed about what is available to them through the women’s ministry. All the women need information about all the women's activities as far in advance as possible (months) and a warm invitation to participate. Occasionally publicity will extend beyond the church to the community at large.

Publicity must be developed in a way that will help each potential participant understand exactly what is being offered, the purpose or goal of the event, who will be on the program, when and where it will take place, and how to sign up or get further information. Publicity should always be designed to help the uninitiated who do not know the lingo used by those more familiar with the ministry. This cannot be over stressed! Acronyms should never be used without full explanation so that a total stranger will understand everything that is being communicated.

Each program and ministry needs to be promoted with clarity and appeal in a way that expresses the ministry's philosophy and standard of excellence. The goal is that all publicity is pleasing to the eye, enticing to the spirit, and glorifying to God.

For all printed publicity, it is a proven method to have an enduring tradition as to the color of the paper. It is wise to choose a color that is uniquely feminine, such as pink or lilac, and then ask your church office to reserve that color only for publicity for women. This trains the women to look for all their information by its color. (This is just as true for any ministry in the church.)

In a similar way, it is a good idea to have a logo for each ministry within the women's ministry. As you publicize activities in a newsletter, flyer, or on a poster, you grab attention for each one by the logo that is always used. It is wise to leave these in place for many years unless there is a valid need for a change. Consequently, careful attention should be given to each logo you select. It should reflect the philosophy, purpose, and goals of the ministry. It is not always an object or a picture, but often only a font style of a catchy name. It should also appeal to the sensibilities of the group you hope to attract. If it is possible, enlist the help of someone who has a background in graphic arts, design, or who has artistic talent, a critical eye, or exquisite taste. Get as much evaluation from as many people as possible before your committee reaches any conclusions. Certainly, you will need to obtain approval of the entire leadership council for all of the lasting decisions regarding publicity.

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