Pastoral letters

bobbyd--My computer provides a whole bunch of letters that I have written for various purposes over time in my ministry. By saving them on the computer when I need a certain type of letter I have a reference to start from. Over a period of a year of two you will have most of the forms you need to prepare a good letter. :thumbs:

I have found that writing a rough copy and then leaving it for 24 hours and then coming back gives me the appproach to analyze it with fresh eyes. I depend on my wife's editing ability to correct grammar, etc. and make sure I am saying what I wanted to say.

Writing and letter writing is a skill you must develop. Just doing it and then working on fine tuning it will help you develop the skills to be a better letter writer.
I suppose there are some reference tools with sample letters somewhere out there, but I have chosen to simply develop my own.:thumbsup:

 

We have a clerk that does a good job with this. She only works a couple of nights at the Church but I thank God for her. She teaches high school english for the public system but can really make a good letter out of my chicken scratch.

"Pastor, didn't you take english... Didn't they teach you anything..." what a HOOT... :laugh: :laugh:

 

Hah! Try writing them in Japanese, and then you'll get really nervous! What if I don't give the right greeting (according to the season) at the start of the letter? What if I use the wrong grammar? (I'd better get "Uncle Miya" Miyazaki to help me there.) What if I use the wrong Chinese character? Yep, I get nervous writing letters, too.

 

If'n ya' get that nervous writing letters . . .

I gotta wonder what happens when yer preaching from the hip?

:saint:

Happy new year (first time)!

Wayne

 

Happy New Year your own self, Wayne!

I forget myself when I preach from the hip--and the church folk (or my wife) tell me my mistakes later. (Such as the time I kept saying "badger" instead of "cave" when giving an illustration about cave exploring. "So inside a badger you need an extra flashlight....") :laugh: But then that is what would happen in America, too, right?

Bobbyd, there you go, just submit your letters to your wife for approval! My wife proofreads prayer letters, etc., for me.

 

One of the chief problems with letter writing, is the absence of practice. In the early days, we all wrote letters. We didn't have the computer, and we were quite used to writing correspondence.

Maybe we should get rid of the modern conveniences, return to the long pen, ink well and writing long hand again.

Practice, practice and practice. It will come, and personally, in my opinion, each letter should be fresh and not some artificial copy of former letters. It is intended to be heart to heart.

I received a letter some years ago from a famous pastor in Texas. He simply wrote some notes on my letter and in red ink and mailed it back to me. I never had the same high opinion of that man, and never spoke with him again.

Cheers,

Jim

 

We should never belittle another because we might be more educated or have a higher standing than they do. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Anyway, it show what kind of person you are if you put yourself above another.

 

Jim's right. Letter writing is a lost art.

I keep my letters brief. Most people don't have time to read a five page manuscript. Short and sweet is the goal. I keep a form letter for guests, counseling follow-ups, etc., but I'll tweak each to make them personal.

For pete's sake, fellows, practice good english. Spell correctly. Use good grammar. We're representatives of the Most High. He deserves our best.

The good thing about Word or WordPerfect is we have grammar and spelling tools at our disposal. Use them. However, keep a good dictionary and thesauras handy (which you should be doing anyway for your sermons). Computer-based tools are limited.