A Friendly Ghost Frame

        A graphic frame is designed to contain text; it surrounds text and most usually gives a clue to the reader as to what the text is about before they read it. The sample Halloween ghost frame below was used to advertise an old-fashioned ice cream social within the context of a Halloween event. It was used by a Congregational church over 70 years ago.

Left, original church event. Right, printed on orange paper.

       Next to the original ad is an example of what the frame would look like if printed on orange paper. This is an economical way to get color into your printing without spending much money for expensive color inks. Your congregation is free to use the friendly little ghost frame below to advertise their own "trick or trunk", Halloween party or costume contest. Just pull the ghost into Photo Shop or some other similar software program and type in your own text.

This friendly ghost frame comes in greyscale only.

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Building a Brick Wall, Including Scripture

"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." Isaiah 58: 12 (NIV)

Description of Illustration: brick layers work on a wall, red and black, working clothes, three scriptures

"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it,
dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers
and moved to another place." Matthew 21:33

"The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;
they imagine it a wall too high to scale." Proverbs 18:11

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"The Carnival is Coming! vintage clown

Description of the illustration: text, "The Carnival is coming!", sweet looking clown, child dressed as a clown, yellow costume with stars, pom poms, painted face, for advertising school and Sunday school carnivals, transparent background, Churches and schools may superimpose an address or date beneath the text

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Jesus, The Cross Bearer

Description of Illustration: text, "Jesus The Cross Bearer for the World", "God so love the World", Jesus bore the cross for men, cross, planet, clouds rays of light from "Jesus" text, greyscale

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Wrestling With The Flesh

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify
 the desires of the flesh." Galatians 5:16

Description of Illustration: vintage black and white illustration of a woman wrestling mentally with two demons or devils, each has a mallet in it's hand and bat wings Scriptures from Galatians, Isaiah and Matthew

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man
 his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have
 compassion on him, and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:7

"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.
 The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
 Matthew 26:41

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Vintage Potluck Illustration

This vintage potluck graphic is also an e-card for clergy. Find it under "Notices from Clergy, Sunday School Teachers and Church" at our new e-card site.

Description of Illustration: vintage illustration of young people eating together: orange, beige and brown colors

 

A potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group of people contributes a dish of food prepared by the person or the group, to be shared among the larger gathered group. Synonyms include: potluck dinner, spread, Jacob's join, Jacob's supper, faith supper, covered dish supper, dish party, bring and share, dutch, pitch-in, bring-a-plate, dish-to-pass, fuddle.

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 Potluck Analysis.

Vintage Retreat Sign

This vintage Retreat graphic is also an e-card for clergy. Find it under "Notices from Clergy, Sunday School Teachers and Church" at our new e-card site.

Description of Illustration: vintage illustration of mountains, forest and lake, perfect illustration to print in your church bulletin about a Christian retreat or camping trip

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Vintage Mite Boxes Shaped Like Churches

"Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD
 you God which he has given you." Deuteronomy 16:17 (ESV)

Description of Illustration: church shaped mite boxes from the previous century, orange or red bricks printed on the sides, steeple, slot for coins over the door, tiny church windows

       The term mite box (also alms box or poor box) refers to a box that is used to save coins for charitable purposes. Contemporary mite boxes are usually made of cardboard and given out to church congregations during the Lente season. The mite boxes are collected by the church and donations are given to the poor. Mite boxes are popular with children because they can fill them with small change and it teaches them the principle of giving to the poor. The Mite box giving promotes the spirit of contributing based on the intent to help others and not on the monetary amount.

       The origin of the mite box is very old. In 2 Kings 12:9, the priest Jehoiada bored a hole in the lid of a chest and placed it near the first altar, however this was to fund maintenance rather than alms.
Pope Innocent III at the end of twelfth century allowed some mite boxes to be placed in temples so that the faithful people may at any time dispose their alms.

The term mite, according to the dictionary, is defined as any of the following:

1. a very small contribution or amount of money, such as a widow's mite.
2. a very small object, creature, or particle.
3. a coin of very small value, especially an obsolete British coin worth half a farthing.

       An alms box is a strong chest or box often fastened to the wall of a church to receive offerings for the poor.
       The etymology of the word mite comes through Middle English and Middle Dutch from the Middle Low German mīte, a small Flemish coin or tiny animal. In biblical times a mite or lepton was a small coin of almost no worth.

"He covets greedily all the day long: but the righteous gives and spares not."
 Proverbs 21:26 (King James 2000)

"He that gives to the poor shall not lack: but he that hides his eyes shall have
 many a curse." Proverbs 28:27 (King James 2000)

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Vintage Sunday School Invites

A Pleasant Outing
Is all right if it's all right
But, O! How We Miss You When
You're out of our Sunday-school class
We'll be looking for you next Sunday
What a fine thing it is to have
every member present and on time
"See you Sunday, sure"

Fall In Line!
Ready, Forward, March!
No break in the ranks!
Our Aim
For Next Sunday
In Our
Splendid Bible Class
is
Every Member Present
Please be there, Bring a friend.

Description of Illustration: Vintage Sunday School Invitations, women, reminders to attend, mail, postcards

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Christmas Greetings from The Choir

Description of Illustration: text reads "Christmas Greetings - In sending friends a greeting, I may forget a few, But there is one thing certain It never will be you" poinsettia, choir boys, stained glass window

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Isaiah 7:14

Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration of a little church covered with snow, the scripture "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

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Quotes/Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson

"If I have faltered more or less
In my great task of happiness
If I have moved among my race
And shown no glorious morning face
If beams from happy human eyes
Have moved me not if morning skies
Books, and my food, and summer rain
Knocked on my sullen heart in vain
Lord Thy most pointed pleasure take
And stab my spirit broad awake"

Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind.
Spare us to our friends, soften us to our enemies
Bless us, if it may be, in all our innocent endeavors

And if we find but one to whom we can speak out our heart freely,
with whom we can walk in love and simplicity without dissmulation,
we have no ground of quarrel with the world or God.

A Morning Prayer
The day returns and brings us the petty round of irritating
concerns and duties. Help us to play the man, help us to perform
them with laughter and kind faces; let cheerfulness abound with
industry. give us to go blithely on our business all this day,
bring us to our resting beds weary and content and undishonored;
and grant us in the end the gift of sleep. Amen.

Of what shall a man be proud
If he is not proud of his friends?

Give us the strength to encounter that which is to come,
that we may be brave in peril, constant in tribulation,
temperate in wrath, and in all changes of fortune,
and down to the gates of death, loyal and loving
one to another.

Description of Illustration: little illuminated quotes and prayers by Robert Louis Stevenson in blue, black and beige

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Tulips

 

Description of Illustration:  color illustration of a bouquet of tulips: red and purple, text reads "Thank You"

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A Lighthouse Buried In Ice and Snow

"Comfort, comfort my people says your God." Isaiah 40:1 (ESV)

"He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed."
Psalm 107:29 (ESV)

"And endurance produces character, and character produces hope..."
Romans 5:4 (ESV)

Description of Illustration: three color illustrations of a lighthouse mired in ice, three scriptures: Romans 5:4,  Psalm 107:29 and Isaiah 40:1 from the ESV Bible.

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A Vintage Bride

Description of Illustration: color illustrations of a vintage bride with a fan and cross, text reads " Grow old with me! The best is yet to be."

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Psalms 119:105

Description of Illustration: Old lighthouse, beach, sandy shore, scripture Psalms 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path

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