Bulletins: Tried, True, and Something New

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Most of us have been greeted by a friendly usher who handed us a church bulletin as we entered the sanctuary or auditorium for a church service. In fact, most people expect it. So most churches still use bulletins? The answer is YES, they do, but they may or may not look like the ones you’re familiar with. Some are full color, some are a simple black and white, some are professionally designed and look like they came straight from a marketing agency. Paper is not dead and has been re-imagined in this highly digital world.

Why a paper bulletin? There are several reasons, with the most important being it’s the one thing that churchgoers take home with them. Sure, most of the information can be communicated electronically, but they aren’t likely to tuck a smartphone into their Bibles, are they? A paper bulletin doesn’t require logging in to a web server, a website, and then finding the right page on the church website. It’s always at one’s fingertips for quick reference. It’s a great place to take notes from the service, and studies show that the physical act of writing helps commit things to memory. So it’s a learning tool too!

What does one expect to find in a church bulletin? That depends on the culture of the church, but most include some form of announcements, sermon notes, an order of the service, and maybe even a snapshot of the most recent financials and other key numbers of the church. Those are just the basics. Many churches now see their bulletin as an identity piece they can use to express the vision of their ministry. This might include some kind of theme or statement of their mission, a key scripture, or a logo and slogan.

Other things one might find in a bulletin today are:

Advertisements for local businesses or charities
Devotionals or inspirational thoughts
Common expectations—Can I bring my coffee into the service? When do I pick up my kids from the youth service? As a visitor, am I expected to put money in the offering plate?
A message from the pastor or other key staff
An invitation to visit the church’s web site (this is the perfect place for QR codes inserted into the bulletin, perhaps for each key ministry)

And what are some things to avoid in a bulletin?

Internal lingo or acronyms that visitors won’t understand
Long, wordy blocks of text. If everything is important, nothing is important.
Announcements targeted to a very small segment of the congregation

What role does a bulletin play if your church has a website? Actually, they can go hand in hand. When the individuals of a congregation are going in different directions, a multi-faceted communication plan makes it more likely that people will receive timely information. While the bulletin is one of the first things visitors and congregants see on a Sunday morning, a good website can provide detailed information that may be too cumbersome for the bulletin. Some churches even use QR codes within the body of the bulletins to lead readers directly to the page on the church website where the information can be found.

While a website generally maintains a certain look and feel for a length of time, an advantage of the bulletin is that it can change on a weekly basis. Some churches use the theme of the sermon or service as the inspiration for the front of the bulletin. Others use beautiful seasonal imagery with scripture to move through the year with special images for holidays and other special occasions. Others choose to use the same cover all the time with the church’s name, logo, and branding on the front.

At Warner Christian Resources, we have bulletins for nearly any congregation and any need. Our select bulletins are of the highest quality and include fresh, colorful images and scripture for any Sunday or special occasion. Looking for an attractive theme for holiday celebrations? We can supply your church with a variety of matching sets that include at least two sizes of bulletins, letterhead, offering envelopes, bookmarks, and even banners to display in your church to further enhance the theme.

Special occasions are the ideal time to celebrate with coordinating bulletins. From baptisms to child dedications, pastor appreciation to ordinations, or weddings and funerals, Warner Christian Resources can provide an appropriate bulletin that is beautiful and functional. Need a little room for more text? Some bulletins come in a larger legal-size format. If you’re looking for a variety of other folds and formats, we can supply those through our bulletin subscription service.

The easiest way to obtain bulletins is with a bulletin subscription service. With five distinct lines and a variety of folds and formats, the Weekly Worship Bulletin Service from Warner Press can meet the needs of nearly any church, and the process couldn’t be easier. Select the line that matches your congregation’s style of worship, tell us how many bulletins you need each week, select the size and fold options that work best for your church, and then sit back and wait for your bulletins for the entire quarter to arrive on your doorstep. It’s really that simple! In the process your church saves money, saves time, and your bulletins are always on hand.

Church bulletins are tried, true, and even something new. Sometimes there are reasons that ideas stick around for years. The paper bulletin is one of them. They are still very functional, effective, and an efficient, attractive way to communicate to a congregation. They are even more effective as a multi-faceted communication plan. In our busy lives, we need our information to come to us where we are, whether that’s in the church pew or while logging screen time on our smartphones.