The missionary newsletter is still the main avenue of supporter communications. There’s been a decisive shift from physical letters to digital over the past decade or so. But sending plain old emails to hundreds of recipients is not a good way to go about it. We recommend using a formatted email newsletter, and taking advantage of a free mail service to ensure delivery and maintain a mailing list. Here’s some popular options for your newsletter...
1. HTML Email newsletters

We recommend MailChimp

Here’s some of the benefits:

  • Free
  • Easy to learn
  • Your newsletter is more likely to be delivered, noticed, and read
  • Creates attractive and easy to read HTML formatted email
  • Multimedia friendly - easy to add images, video, and links
  • Circumvents Spam filters better than sending an email from your personal email account
  • Allows you to create mailing lists with subscribe/ unsubscribe options
  • Drive readers to and from your blogs or social networks
  • Tracks reader engagement and gives you valuable feedback
2. Document to PDF

Another option for email newsletters is to write and design your letter with software you already have (like Word, or Pages) and attach a PDF of your letter to an email (or to a Mailchimp email).

A PDF (Paperless Document Format) is the digital equivalent of a piece of paper. It allows you to share a document and ensure that it will maintain its formatting, be readable on any computer, and not be edited. You should never send Word documents for your newsletter. If you create your letter in Microsoft Word, when you are finished, export a copy as a PDF and send this to your mailing list.

Word documents are large, and they will break formatting on many people’s computers. You do your newsletter (and your subscribers) a disservice if you send them a Word document. Just don’t do it. It’s really bad.
3. Actual Paper!

What? Very few, if any, missionaries still use the post office for their regular newsletters and updates. However, there’s a good reason to at least send a physical mailing once a year, or once a term. This way you can maintain a physical mailing list for your support network so you can…

  • Mail a prayer card along with a once-a-year or once-a-term mailing
  • Know where people live (helps when visiting people on furlough)
4. Outside the Box

Want to consider some unconventional ways to do a newsletter? Take a look at these unique publishing options: