Have Someone Check Your Grammar and Spelling

If your spelling and grammar are bad, it doesn’t matter how great your idea is. No one, including the editors, will read past the first paragraph.

Even if your grammar and spelling are generally good, it's hard to see our own mistakes, so send it to a friend before you send it to CT.

Cite Your Sources

When you do use material from elsewhere, like stats, news and so on, be sure to cite and link to your source.

Plagiarism is a serious offense. One of the fastest ways to make sure editors never want to publish you is to be known as a plagiarizer.

It’s Okay to Be Challenging, But Don’t Scold or Be Combative

We want to unite, not divide.

Sure, there’s a place and a need in the church for polemics. But that’s not what the small church section is for.

Write to encourage and resource your fellow small church leaders.

If you have an opinion or idea that challenges the status quo, that’s great! Just present it in a way that elevates the conversation instead of debasing it.

Give Readers a Positive Takeaway

The best blog posts, like the best sermons, don’t just teach us, they drive us toward action.

Don’t just give readers information. We can find that anywhere. Give us ideas and action steps that we can implement in our own ministry and life.

Read Other Online Church Leadership Articles

If you’re not sure how writing articles for the internet is different than other forms of communication, become a regular reader of well-written church leadership blogs. After a while, you’ll understand how the online conversation works and how you can jump in.

Start by sbscribing to NewSmallChurch.com, Pivot and the CT Small Church section. They’ll give you a feel for how to write for small churches.

You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook to get updates on new posts.

I’m looking forward to welcoming you as a fellow CT contributor!

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