The First Press
The First Press is First Presbyterian Church (FPC) of Gastonia’s monthly newsletter, created to inform and connect the members of the church. Each issue highlights various forms of content including a word from the pastor, upcoming events and announcements, articles covering recent events, and more. It serves as an integral form of communication for the congregation, offering a clear, engaging, and accessible way for churchgoers to interact and stay involved with the life and story of FPC.
I was responsible for designing and producing The First Press. This included creating clean, easy to read page layouts, selecting quality photographs, and ensuring the newsletter aligned with the church’s visual identity and communication goals.
Spearheading the publication didn’t come without it’s problems. Content almost never came to me on time and photos were usually low quality. To combat these issues, I created a content submission system for ministry leaders.
Once per quarter, contributors received a one page submission form that outlined specific details like event descriptions, dates, contact info, etc., and guidelines for graphic/photo submission. I shared a Google Drive folder with each pastor and committee chairman in order to keep everything in one place.
This simplified the submission process for myself and contributors resulting in consistent content management, minimizing last-minute redesigns.
