Eight tips from a former journalist to make your newsletters even more awesome
By Josie Oldenburg —
In my post-college years, I adored Jesus first, but journalism ranked second. The chaos of the newsroom. The daily creativity. The rush of deadline. I loved it all.
God eventually gave me other loves: A husband, three little boys, the country of Ukraine. During our decade of missionary work in Kyiv, my inner journalist’s curiosity and desire to understand the nuances of a situation helped me adapt to a new culture.
The lessons I learned through cranking out daily newspapers also trickled down into our newsletters. These front-page principles from the news business can help you share your experiences in the Good News business.
1. Don’t publish until you have news
At the newspaper, we were always willing to rip up the front page to give space to the most-timely, most-important, most-interesting articles — even if that meant pushing right up against (or past) our late-night deadline.
In a similar way, you can kept your newsletter schedule flexible.
Our family aimed to send out a few each year, but we waited until we had a story to tell. My husband served at a seminary, so every September we met a new crop of students, every January a new semester started, every June we attended graduation. Those stories are interesting — they just aren’t interesting every September, January and June. By freeing ourselves from needing to publish at the same times every year, we kept our content fresh and diverse.
One caveat: The phrase “no news is good news” does not apply to missionary letters. If it’s been six months since your last mailing, don’t wait for the story of the century. Get creative and write something so that your supporters can stay connected.
2. Restate the context
News stories generally include a paragraph that sums up what’s been happening in an ongoing story for readers who haven’t been following the news. Make sure your letter includes some context — who you are, where you serve and what you do.
Many of your readers will already know these details, but they will be helpful for people who haven’t been with you since the start of your ministry or who receive letters from so many corners of the globe that it’s hard to keep track.
3. Find a format and stick with it
Even the very best newspaper designers don’t reinvent the wheel every day. Publications follow set design styles for a reason — they cut down on visual chaos and help readers navigate the news.
4. Use images selectively
A newspaper photographer might take hundreds of pictures at an event, but only one or two make it into print. One big image — even if it’s not the most Instagram-worthy shot ever — beats a bunch of tiny pictures that the reader has to squint to see.
5. Leave space for the unexpected, quirky or delightful
Think about your mix of stories. Yes, include the news. Include facts and schedules and financial needs and updates on last quarter’s report. But don’t neglect the human-interest story or the interesting cultural moment or the funny language faux pas.
At the newspaper where I worked, we aimed for four serious news stories, and one “morning read” — a story intended to delight — on the front page each day.
6. Vary your voices
I’ve heard tell that some people find the news boring. I don’t — but it surely would be if one reporter wrote the whole newspaper. Give your spouse, children or national friends some space to share their stories, too.
7. Publish bad news
Hopefully your ministry is not as catastrophic as the front page of the newspaper — but you probably do have some struggles. Don’t be afraid to share them!
Some people have the misconception that missionaries never face hardships, but a) that’s not true and b) your readers can relate to your imperfect life. We felt buoyed by encouragement from our support partners whenever we frankly discussed troubles in our newsletters.
8. Include a call to action
The best newspapers don’t just publish information, they also give readers ways to respond. They explain how to reach your congressperson or where to recycle your old computer or how to join a community cleanup. How can your readers get involved (other than sending money)?
Recommend a powerful book, web site or sermon. Ask for prayer for a specific event on a specific day. Make non-financial needs known — hand-me-down books in English for your kids or a dozen quilts for your ministry to moms. Find ways to let your readers play a role in the stories you’re sharing.
To your readers, you serve as an eyewitness to a Kingdom-expansion effort. Daily life may seem mundane, but you have stories to tell. Keep alert to what God’s doing, and when you see him acting, write it down and send it out. Make it easy to read. Compelling. Newsy, even.
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
