Ahhh, the good ol’ church bulletin. Whether you love it or less than love it, the bulletin is an integral part of church life and makes an impression on members and guests alike. and we all know that graphic design is important for churches! Here are a few ideas to get your wheels turning when it comes time to redesign your church bulletin.

1. Welcome Message

The welcome message is a perfect place for your pastor to write a little “hello” to new or returning guests, and offer encouragement to your current members. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it should be sincere and welcoming (hence the name, “welcome” message).

2. Photos

There are a few different ways you could incorporate photos into your bulletin. One thing that we do after a big event at our church is include an insert into the bulletin that features photos from the event for members and guests to see. Candid photos, especially, help to bridge the gap between members and guests — it gives a humanizing aspect to your bulletin.

Another idea is to feature photos of your pastor and his family or other members of the staff. This will help guests know who to reach out to if and when they have a question about the church.

3. Philosophies

The bulletin is a straightforward way to present some of the deeper meanings behind what standards are held at your church. Maybe you want to share with guests why your congregation stands at the reading of God’s Word, or maybe you want to elaborate on the types of music that are chosen for the worship service.

A bulletin is an easy way to get the most important information about your church in front of the eyes of guests and members alike.

4. Announcements

Announcements can get a bit text-heavy, especially if your church is a very busy one (like mine)! I recommend using an additional announcement sheet with the bulletin so your members can save just one-half sheet of paper instead of the entire bulletin.

5. Church Maps

If you have a large building, or many classrooms and locations where people may be dropping off or picking up children, or lots of different Sunday School classes for various age groups, or any combination of the above, you might consider including a church map on your bulletin to help guests find their way around.

6. Advertisements

Now, I’m not talking outside advertisements, but maybe you have certain big events that you’d like to draw attention to or certain special announcements that you’d like to rotate through every month or every other month. At Bible Baptist, we have 12 different “ads” that we switch between every month — some are specific to salvation, others about joining the church, still others about the Sunday school classes that are offered. These can be designed in a way that stands out from the rest of the content and encourages visitors to take a second look.

7. Connection Card

A simple way to collect information from visitors is a connection card attached to the bulletin that is handed out to everyone who walks through the door. You can even perforate that section (talk to a local print shop!) so it’s easy to tear off and they can keep the rest of the bulletin. Some ideas of information to collect from visitors are these:

• Name
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• How did they hear about your church?
• What “next step” are they interested in?
• Would they like to be contacted by a staff member?

Connection cards allow visitors to share the information they’re comfortable with sharing without feeling bombarded.

8. General Information

Those who take the bulletin home with them, especially if they’re visitors, might refer to it later to get information about the church — who is on staff, where you are located, what your website is — having this information at their fingertips makes your church an easy choice when they’re doing research.

It is also really helpful to include service and ministry times on your bulletin! If someone is new to the area and visiting your church, you’d like for them to return to the evening service at the right time, right?! This is especially important if your church services are held at unique times or on a different day of the week due to rent availability and such.

9. Note-taking Space

I prefer to take sermon notes in a designated notebook so I have them all in one spot, but some people like their notes on that day’s bulletin. Note-taking space is a nice way to break up a lot of content if your bulletin is packed out already.

10. The Cover

Okay, yes, this is a given… but, it’s also the first thing someone will see when they receive the bulletin from the hands of your greeters, so it should be good! Some churches like to keep it consistent with their yearly theme, and others like to mix it up from week to week or month to month with Bible verses and artwork that is relevant to the season, holiday, or event. At Bible Baptist, we use a general theme from week to week and then change it up when we have a special service.

So there you have it! Ten ideas for your next bulletin redesign. Let me know in the comments what types of things you include in your church bulletin!

**Featured image courtesy of Brandi Redd on Unsplash.