Whatever your profession, writing is a key component. For pastors, they will have to write sermons, business plans, strategies for evangelism and grant proposals. They also might want to write about the Gospels and salvation. Although pastors are expected to know a lot about everything that happens in a parish, they often don’t. Many will study theology and not have a background in writing. Some do study something other than theology, but they don’t always know how to compose words. Here are some tips for writing.
Know What You Are Writing
It might seem obvious, but many church leaders have no idea that different obligations require different writing skills. For example, if your church is trying to get a grant, you would want to focus on how the grant money will be used, the specifics of the program it would fund and benefits to communities. For sermons and evangelism, you want to quote scripture and be passionate in your word choice. Business plans should be thorough and specific toward the project. Therefore, you need to know what you plan to write, the style that is appropriate for that and the points necessary to get the job done.
Know Your Audience
As important as it is to know what you have to write, you also have to know who is likely to read it. A grant proposal is probably going to be read by a committee of three or four people who are volunteering their time. Therefore, they will want all the details and short bursts of information. Business plans might be read by parishioners, bankers, council members, etc. depending on why you are creating it. Evangelism would be read by nonChristians or young adults. Therefore, you want to write to the people who would read it.
Use Correct Style
The styles differ depending on what the writing is. If you want to write a blog post to bring in more people to your church, that style would not be the same as the one you use in your business plan. Inviting people to read more scriptures will use a passionate and welcoming style. Grant writing would be more business-like without emotions. It is important that you know which style is appropriate for the writing you want to do.
Use Correct Grammar and Spelling
In the world of text messaging, people assume that using abbreviations and incorrect grammar or spelling is OK. However, if you are trying to win a grant for your church program, you aren’t likely to be chosen if you aren’t grammatically correct. If you are seeking funding for a parish project, such as a new heating system, you won’t be taken seriously if you are not using correct English in your business proposal. And, don’t rely on computer grammar or spell checkers. They are often wrong.
Hire a Professional
Sometimes, it would save a pastor or church time and money to hire a professional to write the materials that are necessary. Professional writers know the different styles to use. They also know how to target an audience.
