If there’s one thing church communicators love to hate, it’s the church bulletin. Some have tried to kill it, but the rest of us just make do. We decided to talk to some church communicators and see how the bulletin is working (or not) for them.
Today we talk with Christy Farrell, director of communications at First Christian Church in Columbus, Ind.
What do you love about your bulletin?
Love is a strong word….I like the information that I am able to give to the congregation but I don’t feel that everyone reads it.
What would you change about your bulletin?
I would like to be able to do something that would really catch someone’s attention so that they would take the time to find out about upcoming events, sign-ups, etc.
Is there anything unique about your bulletin that other churches don’t do?
Not sure if this is unique or not, but for our first service we include the order of service along with the words to the songs. (see the July 14 example).
I also print a few large print bulletins to have available if needed.
How is your bulletin process working these days? How have you improved it?
Currently I have everything ready for proofing on Tuesday afternoon/Wednesday morning so it can be printed on Thursday mornings—we also stuff a sermon notes page. I think it would help if I could work some ahead with articles—and write better stuff—but unfortunately I am usually trying to pull information from the ministers or ministry team leaders right up to Tuesday/Wednesday.
I am not sure how to make this better—I do have a calendar with everything I know is happening and try to be proactive… now if they would stick to the schedule that would be helpful.
Bulletin Example
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Need more help with bulletins?
- Free tips: Grab 40 Church Bulletin Tips to get a host of help for your bulletin.
- Pro resources: Our Courageous Storytellers membership site spent a whole month focused on bulletins, including examples, templates, how to go digital, expert advice, and more. Join Courageous Storytellers today to get access.
