Church Email Newsletter Template: The Sections That Drive Attendance and Engagement

Your newsletter competes with 100 other emails in their inbox.

You have a few seconds to prove it's worth reading.

Most church emails fail this test. They're too long, too cluttered, and bury the important stuff under paragraphs of context. By the time readers get to the call to action, they've already closed the tab.

A good newsletter template does three things:

1. Opens with one clear focus
2. Makes everything else scannable
3. Makes it easy to take action

Here's the template.

The Template Structure

Your newsletter needs five sections, in this order:

1. The Hero

One main thing this week. The single most important item.

2. Quick Hits

Two to three bullet points with links. Scannable updates.

3. From Pastor (optional)

A short personal note. Connection, not information.

4. Coming Up

What's on the calendar for the next 2-3 weeks.

5. Footer

Contact, giving link, social links, unsubscribe.

That's it. Five sections. Everything has a place.

The structure works because it matches how people read email: they look at the first thing, scan the middle, and glance at the bottom. Design for that reality.

Section 1: The Hero

This is the most important thing in your email.

One item. One focus. One ask.

The hero section gets the most space because it's the one thing you most want people to see and act on. If they only read one part of your email, this is it.

What goes here:

• This Sunday's sermon or series
• A major event requiring sign-up
• An important church announcement
• A time-sensitive opportunity

What the hero includes:

• Strong image or no image (nothing blurry or small)
• Headline that tells them what's happening
• 2-3 sentences of context
• One clear CTA button ("Register Now," "Learn More," "Save Your Spot")

Example:

This Sunday: Starting the "Unshakeable" Series

We're kicking off a new series on building faith that lasts through life's hardest seasons. Whether you're in a storm right now or preparing for the next one, this series is for you.

Service times: 9am & 11am

[Invite a Friend]

The hero makes one point. If you have two equally important things, pick one. The other goes in Quick Hits or gets its own email next week.

Section 2: Quick Hits

These are the "in case you missed it" items.

Not featured. Not expanded. Just a line of text, brief context, and a link.

Format:

[Thing] — [One-line description] — [Link]

Example:

• Women's Retreat — Registration closes Friday. [Sign up →]

• New small groups — Spring session starts next week. [See options →]

• Last Sunday's sermon — Missed it? Catch up online. [Watch →]

Three to four items, max. If you have more, save some for next week.

Quick Hits let you cover multiple items without making the email overwhelming. People can scan, click what interests them, and move on.

Section 3: From Pastor (Optional)

A short personal note builds connection in a way announcements can't.

This isn't a mini-sermon. It's a human moment. Two to three sentences about what's on the pastor's heart this week.

What works:

• Reflection on something happening in the church
• Encouragement tied to the sermon series
• Personal note (a new grandchild, gratitude for the congregation)
• Acknowledgment of something hard in the world or community

Example:

This week I've been thinking about how hard it is to wait. We're in a season of waiting as a church—waiting on building plans, waiting on answered prayers, waiting on healing. Waiting is never easy, but I'm reminded that God is working in the waiting. Looking forward to being with you Sunday.

— Pastor Mike

Keep it short. If it's longer than a few sentences, it belongs on the blog or in a separate email.

Not every church needs this section. If your pastor doesn't write it and a ghost-written version feels fake, skip it.

Section 4: Coming Up

A quick look at what's ahead.

This is not your full events calendar. It's 3-5 items in the next two to three weeks that people should know about.

Format:

March 8 — Men's Breakfast, 8am

March 12 — Midweek Prayer, 7pm

March 15-16 — Youth Retreat

March 22 — Newcomers Lunch, 12:30pm

Simple. Date, event, time. Link to your calendar or events page if they want more details.

The goal isn't comprehensive—it's "here's what's coming so you can plan."

Section 5: The Footer

Every email needs a footer. Most people skip it—but it should still work hard.

What to include:

• Giving link — Always accessible. Not hidden.
• Social media links — Icons that link to your profiles.
• Physical address — Required by email law (CAN-SPAM).
• "New here?" link — For visitors who found you through email.
• Unsubscribe link — Don't hide it. It hurts deliverability if people can't unsubscribe and mark you as spam instead.

The footer is standardized. Build it once, include it in every email, don't overthink it.

Mobile-First Design

Around half of your readers will open this on a phone—maybe more.

Single column layout.

Sidebars don't work on mobile. One column, stacked sections.

Big tappable buttons.

Minimum 44px tall. Fingers are bigger than cursors.

Short paragraphs.

A paragraph that looks fine on desktop becomes a wall of text on a phone. Keep paragraphs to 2-3 sentences.

No tiny text.

Body text should be 14-16px minimum. Anything smaller is a struggle on small screens.

Before you send: open your email on your own phone. Scroll through it. Can you read everything? Can you tap the buttons? If not, adjust.

How Long Should It Be?

Shorter than you think.

Total word count: 200-400 words, depending on sections included.

The hero is the longest section—maybe 100 words max. Everything else is shorter.

People don't read long emails. They scan and click. Give them enough to know what's happening and where to go for more.

If your email requires scrolling for more than 5 seconds, it's probably too long.

The Weekly Email Workflow

Here's how to build this email each week:

Monday:

• Review what's coming up this week and next
• Identify the hero item
• Draft the Quick Hits

Tuesday:

• Write (or receive) the pastoral note
• Finalize copy
• Build the email in your email tool
• Schedule for send (Tuesday or Wednesday morning works for most churches)

Wednesday:

• Email sends automatically
• Monitor responses, replies, and clicks

The whole process should take 30-45 minutes once you have the template dialed in.

Template in Practice

Here's a complete sample:

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Subject: This Sunday + Spring Groups Opening

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[Hero Image: Sermon Series Graphic]

This Sunday: "Unshakeable" Week 2

What do you do when the ground shifts beneath you? This week we're talking about building faith that doesn't collapse when life gets hard.

9am & 11am — Childcare available for all services.

[Plan Your Visit]

---

Quick Hits

• Spring small groups — New session starts March 17. Find a group that fits your schedule. [Browse groups →]

• Women's retreat — April 12-14 at Camp Pine Lake. Registration closes March 29. [Sign up →]

• Last week's sermon — Missed "Unshakeable" Week 1? Catch up online. [Watch now →]

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A Note from Pastor Mike

I've been thinking about the question we ended with Sunday: "What are you building your life on?" It's a question I keep coming back to myself. Not because I have it all figured out—but because I need the reminder just as much as anyone. See you Sunday.

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Coming Up

Mar 8 — Men's Breakfast, 8am Mar 12 — Midweek Prayer, 7pm Mar 17 — Spring Groups Begin Mar 22 — Newcomers Lunch, 12:30pm

[View Full Calendar →]

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[Footer]

[Give] [Facebook] [Instagram] [YouTube]

First Community Church

123 Main Street, Anytown, USA

[Unsubscribe]

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Avoiding Common Mistakes

Mistake: Multiple "most important" items.

If everything is featured, nothing is featured. Pick one hero.

Mistake: No clear call to action.

People need to be told what to do. "Learn more," "Register," "Watch now." Every section should have a link.

Mistake: Too much text.

Long paragraphs get skipped. Edit ruthlessly.

Mistake: Tiny images.

Small images look worse on mobile. Use images that are full-width or skip them entirely.

Mistake: Forgetting mobile.

Always preview on a phone before sending.

Mistake: Inconsistent template.

When the layout changes every week, people don't know where to look. Consistency builds scanning habits.

The Payoff

When your template works:

• Opens increase (because the subject line matches focused content)
• Clicks increase (because actions are clear)
• Production time decreases (because the template is repeatable)
• Unsubscribes decrease (because the email is useful, not overwhelming)

Build the template once. Fill in the content each week. Stop reinventing your newsletter every Tuesday.

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