Did you know that faith-based freelance writing, or Christian writing is quickly becoming a profitable niche?
If faith-based publications align with your personal beliefs, you may enjoy writing about your faith as a means of diversifying your writing services and increasing your income.
And, how great would that be?
Many Christian writing jobs seek first-person stories from individuals who have personal experience with faith and are willing to pay for submissions to their sites and magazines.
Even though the Christian writing market is competitive, there is a vast number of Christian magazines and publications looking for content.
If you have strong writing skills, and can bring a unique perspective to the table, you have a good chance of supplementing your income with Christian writing jobs.
And – landing a Christian writing job isn’t about writing articles and blog posts!
There are a variety of publications used by churches that need good writers.
Here are some of the best Christian writing jobs you can add to your writing services as well as ten Christian magazines that pay for content.
Types of Christian Writing Jobs
While you don’t want to spread yourself too thin as a freelance writer, the more writing services you can handle and offer, the more potential you have to increase your income.
Here are ten types of writing services you can offer as a faith-based freelance writer.
1. Articles
There are many faith-based magazine publications out there that are always looking for writers– and they’ll pay for contributions!
When it comes to Christian writing magazine articles, you need to research the publication you are submitting to as well as come up with story ideas that will be compelling and relevant to their audience.
Some Christian magazines seek more informative and researched articles while others look for first-person stories or interviews.
Get a feel for the publication you are pitching to before sending off your amazing ideas!
2. Blog Posts
From churches to worship singers to non-Christian businesses that want to target a Christian audience, there are sites and blogs out there focused on faith-based living and practices – and they are looking for writers too.
If you have experience with Christianity, whether living as a Christian or studies in theology, you can bring a lot to the table when it comes to experience and knowledge.
Many faith-based sites and blogs are looking for this kind of perspective so it is definitely worth looking into this type of Christian writing job.
3. Appeal Letters
Appeal letters are also known as donation letters and many churches use them to thank donors for making a contribution, sharing other ways a person can support the church and allowing donors to write the gift off on their taxes.
A well-crafted letter will address these aspects and encourage individuals to continue to give generously.
The key is writing the letter in a way that doesn’t sound like the church is looking for a handout. Pastors and church members are often hesitant to write them for this reason.
Churches not only serve as a house of worship but a hub for the community as well. In order to operate programs, outreach and events, they rely on the generosity of their congregation.
Therefore, churches may look to writers to create an appeal letter that is heartfelt – created a potential Christian writing job for you!
4. Brochures
In order to get the word out into the community, churches and faith-based groups often use brochures to display important information.
If you have a knack for design and layout, as well as writing, you can offer your services designing these brochures.
Brochures should provide enough information to intrigue and educate visitors in a varied and concise manner. It should give a clear overview of the church’s activities and offerings without giving away too much information.
This creates a sense of curiosity for the reader and encourages them to participate in the church’s activities.
You can create brochures in programs such as Canva and Venngage and offer this product as part of your writing services.
5. Devotionals
Devotionals are a sort of meditation, thought or short written statement that focuses on an encouraging spiritual idea.
Devotionals are usually around 250 words and can be biblical accounts or scripture, inspirational teachings or inspirational stories.
Because devotionals are often published every day by Christian sites and magazines, there is a high need for devotional writers.
If you choose to include devotional writing in your freelance services, look for faith-based publications that pay well for shorter content.
Alternatively, since devotionals are short and can be quick to write, you can write and submit quite a few of them to earn extra income.
6. Email Campaigns
Churches and other places of worship are turning to email campaigns in order to both grow their congregation and create a strong bond between the church and its existing members.
In order for email campaigns to be effective, emails have to be sent out regularly and written in such a way that the content is concise, compelling and relevant.
Enter the freelance writer! You can certainly alleviate the time and effort it takes to launch email campaigns by offering your services as a faith-based writer.
7. Ministry Presentations
The church is no stranger to advancements in technology and will often use digital presentations to educate or inform the congregation.
If you’re handy with Microsoft Powerpoint or Google Slides, you can offer your writing and design services creating presentations for churches and ministries.
Presentations should be eye-catching but have all the necessary information laid out in a clear and concise manner. Use fonts and colors that engage the viewer but doesn’t distract from the presentation’s message.
8. Social Media Posts
Again, churches are not behind on the times when it comes to digital technology and will often use social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to keep their congregation informed and up-to-date as well as drum up interest in new events and programs.
Social media writing is different from writing blog content since the posts have to be clear, concise and visually appealing while reinforcing the message the client wants to communicate.
One of the biggest advantages of offering freelance writing services for social media posts is that you can also offer services as a social media manager.
In this instance, you would be responsible for tasks such as creating post content, creating marketing plans and managing comments and messages.
Having this service under your belt is a great way to make money writing!
9. Study Materials
Many churches will provide study materials to their congregation that are used either for bible studies, Sunday schools or personal growth courses and support groups.
These resources focus on all age groups, from adults and students to children and preschoolers. Some study material is also designed for church leaders.
Having a good, deep knowledge of the church is definitely an asset when offering to write faith-based study materials.
10. Newsletters
Not only do churches provide their congregation with newsletters to keep them in the loop with the happenings of the church, but many online Christian entities also offer them in electronic form to subscribers.
Informative newsletters can take time to write and compile, meaning that churches and online organizations are willing to pay writers to complete this task.
While churches are not in the business of marketing products, newsletters can be a great way to drive traffic to their website or encourage individuals to join their congregation.
10 Christian Magazines That Will Pay Freelance Writers
Those examples of Christian writing jobs will most likely require you to seek out clients or peruse job boards for writing assignments.
You can learn more about cold pitching to find Christian writing jobs here.
If you are interested in writing faith-based articles and submitting them to magazines that will pay, here are ten Christian magazines that compensate freelance writers:
1. Busted Halo
Busted Halo is a media resource focused on the Catholic faith by sharing meaningful experiences that positively impact peoples’ lives.
They are seeking contributors to write informative articles as well as reflective pieces, seasonal content and easy-to-understand resources.
2. The Forward
The Forward is a Jewish site and independent news organization that offers not only news but also commentary on politics, arts and culture as well.
When it comes to seeking content from freelancers, they will consider trend stories, series, multimedia and video projects.
While they don’t clearly lay out their compensation, they do state that compensation is “highly competitive for the right pitch”.
3. Guideposts
Guideposts is a monthly online magazine that features inspirational stories of how individuals have changed their lives through faith in God. You’ll also find other lifestyle topics such as tips for parents and recipes.
Guideposts publishes true stories with a first-person narrative that focuses on a spiritual point that readers can apply to their own lives.
Their website doesn’t state how much they pay per accepted piece but they will compensate for stores of 1500 words.
4. Relevant Magazine
This bi-monthly lifestyle magazine is focused on Christians in their 20s and 30s with progressive content that is still theologically conservative.
They seek writers to create content centered on current national/global issues, spiritual topics, life and culture.
While they don’t pay for web content, they do compensate for content used in their print magazine. Reports indicate the rate is around $0.20 per word.
5. First Things
Focused on Christian and Jewish perspectives, First Things is a popular publication that accepts articles, book reviews and opinion pieces.
When submitting a piece to this magazine, they require a cover letter outlining your thesis, an explanation as to why your thesis is important and any applicable references.
6. Christianity Today
This popular online magazine covers a range of Christian-related topics such as politics, science, art, culture and even topics such as anxiety and atheism.
While they do accept well-researched articles pertaining to modern Christianity, they are most interested in first-person stories related to living in faith.
According to Who Pays Writers, Christianity Today pays anywhere between $0.02 and $0.17 per word.
7. Clubhouse Magazine
Clubhouse Magazine is a popular publication tailored to 8- to 12-year old kids to educate them about God and the bible.
They are open to submissions of fiction and non-fiction stories as well as activity-themed pages, quizzes and short craft and recipe ideas.
Their site states that they pay between $0.15 and $0.25 per word depending on the amount of editing required.
8. Charisma Magazine
Charisma Magazine in an online Christmas publication that focuses on prayer and healing – they do not accept essays, editorials, sermons, book reviews or poetry.
Although most of their articles are assigned, they do accept unsolicited pitches via their submission form.
9. The Compass Magazine
The Compass Magazine is an online magazine that focuses on Seventh-day Adventists and provides biblical content dealing with important issues in the church.
The type of content they look for is conversational and covers relevant topics – all supportive of the church.
According to their site, they pay up to $125 for original and unpublished articles.
10. Christian Courier
This Canadian publication focuses on bringing together Christian writers to bring light to world issues in order to bring hope to its readers.
They seek writers to create reader-friendly content on topics such as media and culture, politics and current affairs and church life.
They offer flat rates on accepted pieces, such as $50 for editorials and columns and $70 for long-form features and news stories.
Ready to Land Christian Writing Jobs?
If you can diversify your writing services in the Christian and faith-based niche, you can stand as a freelance writer.
Just keep in mind that many churches and Christian publications are looking for individuals with first-hand experience and a personal connection with faith.
Does that sound like you? If so, why not give Christian writing a try!
Are you already a Christian writer? Share your experiences in this niche with us in the comments!
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