WRITERS GUIDELINES for MINISTRY IN MOTION

Ministry in Motion (MIM) E-zine

WRITERS GUIDELINES for CHRISTIAN CONTRIBUTORS

Welcome to Ministry in Motion's (MIM) e-zine guidelines for Christian contributors. The mission of MIM is to better equip Christians for ministry in order to develop a greater maturity in the Christian walk and to reach more of the unchurched population. Through our Ministry in Motion seminars and consulting services, we work with churches and individuals in helping them discover their gifts for ministry as well as provide successful methods of developing effective volunteer ministry programs. Our ultimate goal is to strengthen Christians engaged in ministry and empower them to understand how to use their gifts for constructive Christian service.

We embrace the concept of "team learning," because we know people benefit most when they are able to share both their ministry triumphs and struggles.  Part of our team approach is to include contributors who feel led to write about their passion and share their Christian experience with MIM e-zine readers.

           The following straight forward guidelines have been developed to help make the writing process as fruitful and uncomplicated as possible. You will find these tips valuable in creating polished and informative articles. In addition, MIM editors will lend their expertise to help put the finishing touches on your article.

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AUDIENCE - Our audience includes both male and female vocational ministers, church leaders, lay counselors and hard-working volunteers.

BELIEFS - We believe in the Trinity – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and that Jesus Christ is the only son of God who died and rose again for our sins. We uphold and promote an evangelical, non-charismatic approach to the gospel. 

VOICE - Our voice is informal, conversational, non-intellectual, because we want both the educated minister and the common lay worker to benefit.

LANGUAGE - Whether you are writing about men’s or women’s ministry, use inclusive language in order to address the concerns of both male and female readers. Both often share common goals so remember that ideas that work for men can be adapted to apply to women. 

STYLE - Our style is short and to the point. We are looking for clean crisp writing and practical how-to oriented material more than esoteric spiritual teaching topics. Provide detail and specifics rather than vague generalities. Clearly state the problem and give the solution. Present the situation or topic in a logical step-by-step manner with a concise conclusion.  Use examples in order to paint a verbal picture and illustrate the point as well as present the practical application in real life situations. We are looking for fresh ideas and innovative approaches to solving problems, confronting issues, and stimulating creativity in our readers and the challenges they are facing.

LENGTH –   You may submit both articles or brief helpful tips. All articles should run between 500 to 100 words maximum. Tips, on the other hand, should be no more than one to two paragraphs. Along with your tip or article, send a two-sentence blurb stating who you are and about your ministry or website and we'll run it at the             bottom of your article. (Please note that websites and ministries are subject to our approval before we run them.)

PUBLICATION - Since MIM is a web-based, electronic publication, your article or helpful tips will appear online in the MIM e-zine. 

FREQUENCY -  The e-zine has just been converted to be published twice-a-month.

PAYMENT – Presently, our limited budget cannot allocate money to pay our writers, but through the generous donations from supporters and sponsors, we hope to eventually provide compensation within the coming year. In lieu of payment, however, upon publication of your article, we will feature an informational paragraph about you, your ministry, your work, or your published book on a web site of your choice. Simply submit this information along with your article submission.

RIGHTS - We purchase one-time rights only, which allows you to retain the rights to your work and sell it elsewhere without asking permission. We archive all MIM articles online after publication so your article will be available to future readers.

REPRINTS - We accept and will purchase reprint rights for previously published articles as long as the information as to when and where the article was published is included.

MIM E-ZINE ARCHIVES – We strongly urge all potential contributors to read past articles in order to gain a better understanding of the focus and point of view that our editors are requesting. This will greatly increase the possibility of your submission being accepted.

TYPES OF ARTICLES OR TIPS

We are currently looking for the following topic types of submissions.

·        Ministry tips and ministry related articles

·        Developing new ministries

·        Connecting volunteers to ministry

·        Training volunteers and staff

·        Volunteer appreciation and recognition

·        Lay counseling suggestions

·        Tips for improving the operation of individual ministries

·        Innovative ministry ideas - What is working for you? What are you learning   

as a leader/volunteer? What are you doing to keep your ministry area fresh and vital? What ministry pitfalls would you like to warn others about? Do you have a helpful children's ministry tip? Do you have insight for developing leaders? What resources do you use in your ministry?

THEMES - Ministry in Motion will feature a specific theme related to each issue that will explore different concerns of the Christian reader.  However, not all articles in that particular issue must follow the theme. Most importantly is that we are looking for fresh article ideas that may or may not relate to the theme. So, impress us with yours ideas.

Potential Themes that we anticipate covering in future issues include:

·        Ministry insights for clergy and paid staff and for the leaders and church members who interact with them

·        Encouragement, avoiding burnout, balancing multiple roles, accountability, spiritual growth, and leadership. Just about any topic that staff would relate to as they serve.

·        Interviews with ministry directors, volunteers, and those in church leadership, regarding their ministry. Tips they would like to share with others in ministry

·        Related insight and constructive tips for those in leadership. We are interested in anything related to leadership. The more practical and how-to, the better.

·        Ministry resources you have found or effective curriculum, websites or books you'd like to share? 

BOOK REVIEWS – Thousands of inspirational, motivational and encouraging Christian books are released each year and we are looking for book reviewers who will provide a glimpse of what a reader can expect when they open up the pages of these books. If you are interested in becoming a book reviewer for MIM, please send a sample of your writing indicating the types of books you would like to review. At this time, we cannot pay for book reviews, but it's a great way to stay on top of what's on the market. Plus, you get to keep the books you review. Separate writers guidelines are available and will be forwarded to you after you are accepted as a book reviewer.

REGULAR COLUMNISTS -  We are presently looking for regular columnists with ministry experience working with women, men, singles, small group, seniors, married couples as well as other ministry areas. If you have an idea for a column, present it to us along with a sample article. We would love to hear from you. After publication, you can offer this same column for syndication, which often pays.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE -  After studying our writers guidelines and reviewing some of the past articles and MIM e-zine issues, query your article idea or submit the entire article in the body of an e-mail to:

contribute@ministryinmotion.net

Or snail mail your work, along with an SASE and return postage,  to:

Editor

Ministry in Motion

845 Cliffside Drive

Chillicothe, OH  45601

READERS FEEDBACK - We like to give our readers a voice. Did a topic in one of our issues hit home? Do you agree or disagree with what was presented? Do you have something further to say? Keep it short and sweet. We'll list your name and your ministry position if your feedback is published.