How To Submit A Manuscript For Publishing
Write a Great Church Bulletin
By Jeff McRitchie
Putting together a great church bulletin doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are a few tips to get you started in making a bulletin that is both functional and fun.
Organization:
Following and presenting the order of the worship service doesn’t have to be the only function of your church bulletin, but that is the main function. In order for it to flow naturally, your bulletin should be organized in a way that keeps things moving along, lets those who are participating know when their parts are coming up, and gives regulars and visitors alike a clear idea of what is going to be happening and when. Announcements and events are generally listed after the service information. Be sure to include as many details as possible including times, dates, locations, and contact information to make it easy for the congregation to make plans to participate.
You will also have to put some thought into what the cover will look like. If you have an idea what the sermon is going to be about, you can find or create some art that fits the theme. You should also use (or create, if need be) a logo for your church that you can use in small or large form for all future covers.
It is always a good idea to have someone look over the bulletin for typos and grammatical errors before going to print.
Contact Information:
In every bulletin, perhaps on the inside cover or inside back cover, you should include the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of all of the church officers as well as the main office number. This makes it easier for visitors to become members, and for members to contact the right person with questions or in case of emergency.
Events:
As we stated above, provide as many details as you can about upcoming events and activities, and double check the information to make sure it is accurate. Though some members will use the contact numbers you have provided to get more information, many will rely on what is listed in the bulletin alone. Even if you produce a weekly bulletin, events should be listed on a monthly basis, if possible in order to give members time to plan, and for you to update the calendar should there be any changes to make.
Graphics:
In order to increase the fun factor, and or just to break things up a little bit, it is always a good idea to include a little bit of graphic art. You should be able to find appropriate clip art online or in your word processing or layout software. A lot of great church bulletins have regular sections that include jokes or cartoons. Before you use those, however, make sure that you have the legal right to reprint them, and let a couple other people read them to make sure they are appropriate.
Binding Style:
For the most part, you will likely use a saddle stitch, two-staple format. There are machines out there called “booklet makers” that are not very expensive to own, and which allow you to do this sort of binding in-house and save money in a rather short time over a print shop.
