“T-shirts are a dime a dozen. . .”

I’ve been involved in ministry for almost ten years now. . . which means a few things:

1. I’ve experienced many events, conferences, retreats, and conversations that have had lasting impacts on my life.
2. I’ve got several memories of poignant moments from each and every of those experiences.
3. I have about 3 DRAWERS FULL of retreat and conference shirts!

“I only give them out because they’re expected. . .”

“That’s great, Nick. Congratulations. You should make a quilt or a sail with all that fabric. What does that have to do with my ministry?”

It has a TON to do with your ministry, as silly as it may sound! And here’s why: Each one of those retreat shirts in my dresser is a visible and tangible sign of the two preceding points. Each retreat t-shirt reminds me of one of the many powerful ministry moments in my life. And not only do they serve as reminders, but at times have also become symbols of my faith journey, prayer experiences, and even an incredible tool of evangelization with my peers and friends. If you ask around, I think you’d hear similar responses from the recipients of similar times in your ministry.

Many of you involved in youth and young adult ministry know the importance of the retreat shirt. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that nearly all of you have already utilized shirts in this capacity. If you have, great! Keep doing it. They’re important. And if you haven’t yet, get started. They really will make an impact on those that you minister to.

“So if they’re that important, what sets the newest one apart?”

As the designer of over 20 shirts in print currently, I would never claim to be an expert, but I do try and speak from my experience on trends and client needs. With that being said, a few things to keep in mind about utilizing retreat shirts to their full capacity:

• Remember the season in which you’re printing shirts. The Fall season usually warrants warmer/earth-tone colors, the Spring season is better for light/airy colors (think pastels for Easter), and the Summer is always a great time to try brighter/louder colors.
• Depending on your budget, fabric selection will be a major player in the frequency your teens/young adults wear their new shirt. Keep in mind the latest trends. Make sure to check out popular clothing stores in your area (here in Phoenix that means everything from PacSun to Old Navy to Hollister and so on) for the most current trend in fabrics. As of late, the softer/thinner fabrics have been the most popular.
• Pay attention to the trends in artwork among your audience. I’ve found this to be a regional issue. Artwork trends here in the Southwest/West Coast are much different than the South or back East. Regardless of where you live, there will be reoccuring themes among your teens. Pay attention to these when designing your next shirt.
• Research, research, research the printer you decide to use. If you have a parishoner or connection that can print for discounts, definitely use them. If not, find someone you trust and you know can get the job done. Check their portfolio for previous work and ask if you can see some examples of prints they have recently made.
• Most printers print in minimum number of shirts per run (the average is 72 pieces, but there are companies who will print less than this). Keep in mind that the fewer shirts you print, the more expensive per shirt it will be.
• It may sound crazy, but building in a design fee to have a professionally designed shirt can be quite cheap per shirt. If you’re printing 50 shirts and you pay a designer 100 or 150 dollars for their artwork, it will only be a $2 to $3 per shirt to have that artwork. Adding this to a normal printing cost of $4 to $8 dollars per shirt (depending on complexity) means a cost of $6 to $11 per shirt. Not too shabby
• Lastly, if you have ANY questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. From design to color combinations, and from ink types to print standards, I’m available to help you create something great.