{"id":29538,"date":"2019-08-21T09:00:01","date_gmt":"2019-08-21T13:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/?p=29538"},"modified":"2019-08-21T09:00:46","modified_gmt":"2019-08-21T13:00:46","slug":"church-bulletin-best-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/2019\/08\/church-bulletin-best-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Best Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether your church is traditional and has been around for years, or you are a new, modern church, chances are you\u2019ve come across the bulletin\/worship guide dilemma. When it comes to church communications, it seems like the bulletin can be a source of tension and an area of frustration. What should it look like? Digital, print, or both? How do you control the content that is in it? Unfortunately, there\u2019s not a one-size-fits-all solution, but there are best practices you can put in place to make sure your bulletin is helpful, informative, appealing and best of all, not a source of frustration.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Remember, the primary purpose of a bulletin is to keep your congregation engaged and informed, so use that as a measuring stick as you work to create or recreate your bulletin. Here are a few worship guide best practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Worship Guide Styles<\/span><\/h2>\n

When it comes to the style of your bulletin, the possibilities are close to endless. However, best practice is less is more. If you try to fit everything possible on your worship guide, it becomes cluttered and confusing. At this point, additional information does more harm than good. Here are a few different examples and styles to consider as you redesign your bulletin.<\/span><\/p>\n

One-Page Handout<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Worship<\/a>\"Worship<\/a><\/p>\n

We love this example from the <\/span>St. Louis Dream Center<\/span><\/a>. They\u2019ve used one-page front and back to establish their branding, list events, announcements, sermon series, leadership info, a map, and still leave room for sermon notes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Bi-Fold<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Bi-Fold<\/a>\"Bi-Fold<\/a><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Covenant Church of Naples<\/span><\/a> uses a bi-fold on an 8.5×14 paper with a perforation for the guest card. This is a great option for churches who need to share a little more info. The guest card tear-off also ensures that every person who gets a bulletin will have the option to leave contact information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tri-Fold<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Tri-Fold<\/a><\/p>\n

Waypoint church<\/span><\/a> creates a tri-fold bulletin with ad space in the middle that changes week to week, a cover that changes with the sermon series, and a perforated guest card. This is a great example of a way that a more traditional style bulletin can look modern and up-to-date.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Digital vs. Print<\/span><\/h2>\n

The next common question when it comes to church bulletins is digital vs. print. Again, there is no right or wrong answer, but it is best practice to examine the way your church receives and engages with information, and follow suit. For example, if your congregation is made up primarily of millennials who receive information online, digital may be the way to go. Whereas, if your congregation has a lot of baby boomers who prefer a hard copy, make sure to offer a printed piece. Some churches choose to offer both by uploading a pdf of their bulletin to their church website weekly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few pros and cons of each.<\/span><\/p>\n

Digital Bulletins<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Digital bulletins are a great option if you are on a tight budget or looking for something that can easily be shared online. Remember, like with a printed piece, it\u2019s important that your digital piece matches your church\u2019s branding and has accurate information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is a great example of a digital bulletin from <\/span>Northwood Church<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pros:<\/span><\/h4>\n