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Acknowledgments

Introduction

Ten "Commandments" for Writing Better Letters

All Purpose Letter Writing Outline

Tips For Using This Book

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
Letters to Members of All Ages

Chapter 2
Letters to Other Members

Chapter 3
Letters to Nonmembers

Chapter 4
Letters to Church Staff

Chapter 5
Letters to the Community

Chapter 6
Letters to the Media

Chapter 7
Letters to Vendors

Chapter 8
Letters for Special Occasions

Chapter 9
Letters of Acceptance, Confirmation, Invitations, & Refusal

Chapter 10
Letters to Raise Funds

Chapter 11
Letters to Colleagues

Chapter 12
Letters of Policy & Doctrine

Other Books

In this book you will discover a treasure of model letters readily adaptable to virtually every situation requiring a letter. These situations occur daily in infinite number and variety for you, the minister. In spite of advanced communications technology – telephones, computer mail, satellite communications – the need to “get it in writing” has not faded. In fact, each year the Post Office sets new records for the number of pieces of mail handled and the promise of a paperless world moves further into the future.

Writing letters costs far more than it does to mail them. They cost you time and money. Think for a moment. How much time do you expend on an average letter? Ten minutes? Fifteen? Twenty? Thirty? Surely, you think, no letter takes thirty minutes to write! And you’re right. Many take longer, especially when you have to start from scratch.

Consider the steps to writing a letter, and then add up the time involved. First, you have to think about what you are going to say. Then you must decide how you will say what you want to say. Next, you either write your own first draft, or dictate it to your secretary. If you dictate, then your secretary must type up the first draft for you. Then, you must go over your draft for accuracy and clarity and make the necessary changes. Next, you or your secretary types up the final draft, which you must proofread once more. Finally, if there are no further corrections needed, the letter is signed, folded, placed in an envelope, addressed, and put into the mail. It’s easy to see how an average letter can easily cost you an hour or more to write.

But how does that translate into dollars? An annual salary of $50,000 yields an hourly rate (based on forty hours per week) of around $24. Let’s assume your secretary is making $10 per hour. If you each spent fifteen minutes producing one letter, it’s costing you $8.50 per letter, not including the cost of postage and stationery. And that’s actually a very conservative estimate. It’s been estimated that the average business letter costs nearly $20 to produce. Can you and your church afford to spend that much time and money producing one letter? Do you really want to?

After all, as a minister, your time is already at a premium. Your congregation expects you to be available to minister to their needs twenty-four hours a day. You want to be available because that’s what you’ve been called to do. You have more pressing needs on your church budget than having to spend hundreds of dollars each week just writing letters and memos.

This book is an answer to your prayers for help with your letters. You will discover over 400 model letters to be used by ministers for virtually every occasion and need. In many instances, all you’ll need to do is insert the appropriate names and information. Letters, forms, memos, and other writing chores that once took hours now will take only a few minutes. The savings in time to you and in money to your church will be tremendous.

This is a practical book of model letters designed to specifically meet your needs – the needs of a dedicated and active minister. It is a daily reference book you will use to draft all of the letters, memos, and other written communications that are a vital part of your position. It is a book which will free your time and allow you to more effectively do what you’ve been called to do – minister.

This is not a book that will gather dust on your bookshelf. Rather, it is a volume which will occupy a featured position on your desk, next to your Bible and most used commentaries and references. It is a book you’ll use and appreciate every day of your ministry.


NOTE: The model letters herein do not include salutations or sign-offs. Each model represents only the main body of a letter.

Tell me what you think of this book and how to make it even better.

First, please write to me and tell me how this book has helped you develop letters for your ministry needs, specific examples of how you’ve used the letters, as well as what you think of the examples presented.

Second, let me know how I can make this book better. Feel free to recommend additional categories for letters, and even send me examples of letters you have used that are not represented in this book.

I want to hear from you. Email me at Stephen@CleverSmith.com.

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