Building a Brochure – Workshop

Meeting of the New Jersey Association

October 16, 2004

Workshop Leader:

This is an overview of the workshop as planned. As with all good workshops, I expect input from the group will change the content. I will not be giving them all these ideas. And I expect more to emerge from our brainstorming together. At the end of the workshop, I will give my email address and encourage them to exchange theirs. Anyone who wants the have the skeleton version I will be distributing may email me and I will send it. If you do not attend the workshop, but would like the skeleton brochure and other possibilities to put on disk, email me:

CONTENT:

Reason for Brochure: I was given a difficult challenge. The best brochures have one focus. The Communications Committee gave me three to incorporate:

· Advent

· Extravagant Hospitality

· “God is still speaking” campaign

So, I turned to scripture, thought deeply, and prayed.

Suggestion:

“In the beginning was the WORD,

and the WORD was with God,

and the WORD was God.”

John 1:1

Possible flow of ideas:

· God spoke Creation into existence

· God’s WORD, incarnate is Jesus

· Through scripture, inspiration, and the church in Christ,

God is still speaking!

How about using the WORD metaphor to tie into Advent and the "Still Speaking" campaign? During Advent, we prepare for and we welcome the WORD as God spoke 200 years ago and as God still speaks today. The brochure can be a mixture of paragraphs and bulleted copy – all expounding this theme.

Now, for some decisions.

Approaches:

Just as we live the WORD in many ways, so our brochure can approach proclaiming and welcoming the WORD by centering on one aspect of our lives as Christians and as church communities.

Scripture:

· with meditations for the 4 Sunday’s of Advent, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and/or Epiphany

· lyrics to advent and carols

· prayers for individual or corporate worship

Thematic: “Welcome”

· Welcome WORD

· Welcome Spirit

· Welcome Stranger

· Welcome Savior

· Welcome Son

· Welcome Worshiper

with brief explorations of these themes, prayers,

scripture, etc. (in any order)

Activities:

· Church and Community events

· Welcoming others into circle during season

· Wreath lighting (include for worship?)

all ways to welcome people into the activities of

your church at Advent.

NUTS AND BOLTS:

Essential: should be easy to edit and reproduce

Paper (Stock):

· 20# (what you have on hand) or 60# (less “bleed” through, especially if using heavy solids)

· NOT red or green !!! (too difficult to read)

· 8 ½ x 11 what fits best in copier (or 8 ½ x 14, if more

content, but takes longer to copy)

Fold: How will you fold the brochure? Decide before you design it.

· Basic tri-fold – C or Z fold?

· Slash brochure? (see illustrations)

Color: How to add spot color? (especially if you want to reflect the red and black of our “brand” and are going for “brand recognition”

· printer? (run the brochures on your on printer (one by one! nice, but stock up on ink cartridges)

· stickers? (some nice holiday, thematic ones)

· coloring project? (hand out the markers and get the kids involved)

· color copies? (Go to a copy center and pay for reproductions of what you have been able to do on your computer

· actual printing? (Keep the color away from the black – not touching or trapping of one color in another and find a printer who will work with you to keep the printing less expensive.)

Trouble shooting: Does your copier use expensive toner?

Avoid heavy solids

Do you need to change copy?

Put copy into text boxes when setting.

Do you want more than one brochure?

Probably not. Chose one focus and

stick to it. Next year do another.

			C-Fold: Bring right 1/3 in Bring left 1/3 in over it
		Z-Fold Fold left 1/3 in Fold right 1/3 back