Church in the age of digital communication faces a dilemma – how to engage with the public when you’re short on time, money, and volunteers. There are so many ways to communicate these days. Many Seventh-day Adventist Churches today struggle to relate to the digital space. Whether due to shrinking budgets, lack of technology and equipment, or simply not having anyone to figure out a plan for the church’s online presence, launching and maintaining social media content can be overwhelming.
Thankfully, creating engaging online stories and great looking media is more affordable and easier than it used to be. A wide array of free and cost-efficient online tools have been created over the past few years, but they’re only helpful if you know they exist!
Here are some great tools to help your church stay relevant and connected to each other and to the wider community. – Whether that’s your town or city, or the wider region.
Did You Know?
Pastors... Did you know that you have free access to the Adobe Cloud Creative Suite and the Microsoft Office 365 Suite using your Oregon Conference email address?
It’s true! Download Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office 365 and log in using your Oregon Conference email address and password. If you have questions or issues, contact the NPUC IT department at loren.bordeaux@nw.npuc.org.
Why Share a Story & Where to Send It
The news from your church, school or ministry is unique, and unless someone local writes about it, the rest of us may never know. Your stories will share ideas we can try in our own local communities, and they will help us all stay connected as an extended Northwest family, working together on God’s great commission!
The Gleaner office has put together a great resource for story writers. It includes examples, how-tos, notes on photos, ideas on what to write about, and more. Check it out at: https://orad.us/GleanerGuide
Sharing a story with the conference, and/or the wider NPUC, is easy. Just email your story with a photo or two to info@oc.npuc.org and let us know where you’d like it to go. We love to share the stories that come out of our church communities!
Low Budget Creative Resources
Even on a shoestring budget, there are some great resources out there that will help you get creative in how you connect and communicate with your local members and your wider community.
WeTransfer [Free] - Having trouble sending larger files like offering videos, campout recaps, and high-quality photos? WeTransfer’s free plan allows users to email files up to 2 GB! Simply enter your email, your intended recipient’s email, and upload the file using the “Add files” button to share your larger media in a matter of minutes.
Google Drive [Free] - Google Drive is one of the most versatile and cost-effective online workspaces available. Upload videos and photos, create spreadsheets and documents, and store nearly any type of file here. Google Drive is a free, online alternative to Microsoft Office Suite and similar software that allows you to organize and share digital media quickly and easily with your team or between multiple devices.
MailChimp [Free & Paid Options] - Looking for a cost-effective tool for creating a church or small group newsletter? Mailchimp offers tools for designing great looking newsletters, organizing email lists, and even automatic scheduling. Basic use is free, while paid plans start around $20/month. Mailchimp is used for our weekly newsletter here at the Oregon Conference! You can subscribe at https://orad.us/subscribe.
Canva [Free & Non-Profit Options] - Canva has been steadily evolving for a little over a decade and has quickly become a favorite for those of us who need to create event announcements, high quality graphics, presentations, and even new websites! Canva allows you to upload your own images or choose from a variety of free stock photos immediately after creating an account. Non-profits can get a free pro account.
Freepik/Unsplash [Free & Non-Profit/Paid Options] - One of the most common challenges local church media teams face is how to avoid using copyrighted images and music. Whether you’re putting together slides for announcements, crafting a social media event post, or simply looking for a great “Welcome!” banner to put on screen, Unsplash and Freepik each offer numerous worry-free images that can be downloaded anywhere and incorporated into your church’s media. Just remember not to claim credit for a photo you didn’t personally take!
Capcut [Free & Paid Options] - For churches who utilize short form mobile videos such as Instagram Reels or TikTok, Capcut is one of the most popular free-to-use mobile apps for editing short videos. Upload your own voice recordings, photos, and mobile videos, add text, and choose from a wide selection of copyright free music - all from within the Capcut app! Capcut is available through the Apple and Google Play app stores for mobile and is also available for desktop!
Flickr [Free & Paid Options] - Don’t know where to store all of those photos from your church’s big Pathfinder event? Churches looking to store dozens or even hundreds of photos in one place may find Flickr useful. Flickr’s free service allows users to store up to 1000 photos and organize them into albums, and the photos can be made available for anyone to download themselves. A subscription to Flickr costs less than $10/month and allows unlimited storage space for photos. You can find the Oregon Conference’s own Flickr albums here.
Connect with Us
There are a lot of ways to stay connected these days! Here are some of the best ways to connect with us at the Oregon Conference.
Subscribe to OC Connections
OC Connections is a weekly e-newsletter that arrives every Friday in your email inbox. It’s the best way to keep up with the latest stories, news, announcements, and upcoming events around the conference. Subscribe at orad.us/subscribe.
Subscribe to NW Adventists
The Gleaner office at the NPUC produces a weekly e-newsletter sharing the latest news from across the Pacific Northwest as well as inspirational stories and resources you can use. You can subscribe at NWAdventists.com.
Find Us on Social Media
You can find the Oregon Conference on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube @OregonAdventists.
