Episode 1: Why Doesn't Your Church Have a Publishing Department?

The early church was prolific when it came to writing letters and epistles to followers of Christ - essentially, self-publishing materials to meet the needs of the community of believers. Yet the modern church (or the body of individual churches) is failing to be just as prolific or profound. Which is crazy, when you consider the following:

• The modern body of Christ needs just as much guidance (and rebuke) as the early church did - actually, we need it more in these trying times. 
• The gifts of teaching and preaching can have long term effects when lessons are published and dispersed beyond the pulpit. 
• Writing and publishing are such an easy feat to achieve in this modern age of technology.

How often have you wished you could go back to an old sermon or bible study that impacted you, but couldn't because: (1) You had a hard time finding your notes, OR (2) You didn't actually take good notes, because that's not really your forte. 

Yet, all of this could be alleviated if your church had a publishing department that did the following:

• Kept an archive of sermon notes that members could access
• Published quarterly, semi-annual, or annual devotional books of sermons and bible studies
• Published newsletters that could be archived as books later on
• Made books that are available as e-books and paperback/hardback copies.

It probably sounds like an overwhelming feat - if you don't understand how easy printing and publishing is. Yet, thousands (perhaps, millions)  of people are self-publishing books everyday through companies like Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing, Barnes & Noble's B&N Press, Draft2Digital, Ingram Spark, and more. Additionally, most of these self-publishing companies allow you to release your materials for free or at very cheap prices. 

• Special Highlight: Draft2Digital allows you to release ebooks on multiple platforms without having to upload them individually. 

If I haven't convinced you yet, here are some other benefits of individual churches having a publishing department:

• Easily dessiminate orientation and educational materials for members without having to print so much in-house, by: (1) Making them available as e-books; (2) Buying author copies at a very discounted price from your self-publishing company; (3) Directing church members to the bookstore that sells your books (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble).
• Increase evangelism and community education by publishing devotionals and bible study guides.
• Increase engagement, morale and involvement by releasing items that members can use and enjoy - such as journals, calendars, and newsletters. 
• Support the ministry output and impact of your pastor, teachers, and other ministerial leaders. 

The next time you're at church, consider how these types of publications and materials could benefit you, other members, and the church itself. If it becomes clear to you that the benefit is great, you should probably discuss this with the leadership when you get a chance. 

Finally, here are some visual examples to inspire you as you consider the need for your church to have a publishing department.