A regular email devotional is a great way to keep in touch with church members and provide spiritual insight for the day. Using email to send a devotional is very easy using Constant Contact.
Topic: How to write a devotional article that can be emailed regularly to church members.
Time Required: 10 minutes (time enough to read this article)
Goals:
- To understand some basic guidelines for writing a devotional article.
- To have a pattern to follow in writing a devotional article.
Regularity
How often will you send out the devotional? The more often you write, the more time it will take you, so this should be part of your consideration. A devotional email should also be regular or systematic. Weekly or daily is optimal.
Length
Rule of thumb: keep it short! Emailed devotionals are not entire sermons in print. A one to three paragraph length is just right.
Content
Devotionals are intended to convey spiritual encouragement, knowledge, or inspiration. People face challenges on a daily basis—-challenges from their flesh, the world, and the devil. They need hope. Romans 15:4 tells us that “whatever was written in former days was written for our instructio
n, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Thus, daily devotionals should be built on the Scripture. Using the Bible is far more effective and enduring that some other person’s thoughts on life.
Visual
Daily devotionals should be easy to read, using a simple writing style and an aesthetic layout. An unattractive devotional may be an unread devotional. Sharefaith provides attractive artwork that serves to enhance your email devotionals. Included are email headers, footers, and other artwork designed for email and Constant Contact.
Start with Scripture
Since devotional emails should be brief and from the Bible, the process of developing a devotional is rather simple. For your subject, find a verse or passage that God has used in your life. Or, you can find a verse that deals with a particular challenge or current event. The most effective devotional material comes from Bible passages that God is currently working into your life.
Bring It into Life
After finding a suitable Scripture passage, think of an illustration, life situation or story that will tie into the theme of the passage. This provides a great starting point that you can use to grab reader’s attention and show how the Bible applies to daily life.
Open It up
Following a vivid first few lines, explain the passage by opening its meaning with a brief explanation. You don’t need to be a Bible scholar to craft an effective devotional email. Your explanation can contain three or four important points that the passage teaches.
Apply It to Life
The final and most significant portion of your devotional email should point to specific ways that the reader can follow the teaching of the Bible in their daily life. Be specific. From the daily challenges of a homemaker to the high-pressure schedule of a businessman, everyone needs the endurance, encouragement, and hope that the Scripture provides.
Crafting a powerful devotional will take some practice and thoughtfulness. Remember that the main purpose of a devotional is not to promote your church or impress your readers. The main purpose of a devotional is to edify other believers and encourage them in their love for Jesus (Romans 15:14).