How much is too much?
Oh the constant tension when writing an update letter. On the one side you want to keep your supporters in the know and well, updated. Yet, on the other side, you are not sure if giving them all the details of your herniated disk operation and the family’s trip to Disney world is appropriate. Typically your updates are mailed to those who you know and love – your home church, your family members, your parent’s good friends who watched you grow up, your old college buddies, and any other friends you picked up along the way. So while the personal information you put on your letter may seem like it is going to an intimate group of friends, don’t forget that your home church will make copies for everyone in the congregation to read, your grandma will share the letter with her Bible study, your college friends will pass it along to other college acquaintances, and it very well could end up on some missions website without your knowledge. Do you still want to talk about that herniated disk now?
There are several solutions to this problem. On top of a monthly ministry update, you could have a more intimate list of people who receive weekly or bi-weekly prayer letters or emails. This would be the time to share with these people about the family’s health problems, how Johnny is doing in school, and any exciting family vacations or personal news. This is sent to a list of people who you trust with the more personal goings ons of your personal life. This is also a list of people who will be genuinely interested in knowing about these details.
The second solution is to write one letter for a general audience. These letters focus primarily on the details of your ministry, which is what your supporters are VERY interested in, and only gives one or two sentences about your family news. You can feel confident about having these letters passed around to anyone because they are basically advertisements for why they should support your ministry! These letters stick to the basics and leave out the details that Grandma’s Bible study friends maybe shouldn’t know about. What of those who still want all the details of your lives? Well, that is what email (or a blog) is for!
~ ag
