As part of gathering samples for our current selection of Church Bulletin Sample Books, we asked contributors for resource and production tips. The best ideas and resources come from all of you. Please add your tips and resources in the comments section. A brief video that illustrates some of the best resources and websites listed is available if you CLICK HERE.

Below are tips and resources for creating church bulletins:

**We tried various formats before we developed the one we are currently using. One of the problems we had was getting people to sign up for various opportunities and how best to do it. We decided the Connect Card would solve the problem. It is a tear off section of the bulletin. We use the information to record attendance, receive prayer requests, requests for information, and finally on the back side sign ups for opportunities being offered. We print it on 11 x 17 paper and it is a tri-fold. The only complaint I have is that it is labor intensive in that I hand perforate all the copies and it can get time-consuming. I do call for help when I’m really rushed with several things at one time. Susan

**Keep announcements (PowerPoint) open while working on slides for worship, so changes can be immediately made on both. Learn how to use tabs!Keep learning more about the computer programs you use. April

**Perhaps less is more, or don't be afraid of white space. I think there is a tendency to overload bulletins with information instead of using inserts.Crystal

Lots more tips:

**Following are some great resource links, CLICK HERE if you want to see a video that previews them for you. Some of my favorite websites:

• http://www.bamagazine.com/
• http://ilovetypography.com/
• http://desktoppub.about.com/
• http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php
• http://www.churchartpro.com/
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

 

**When I create something that has to be printed outside, I always do 2-color to save money. We have a top-of-the-line color printer in house that handles most of our regular volume. My bulletin is printed free of cost by an outside company that sells adds for the back cover. Eulene

**I have found actionenvelopes.com to be the cheapest source for printed envelopes. But not the fastest. I use nextdayflyers.com for all of my really urgent printing. If I have the files uploaded by 6pm they will have the printing done overnight. They will do quantities as low as 100 and they are not much more expensive. I use gotprint.com for most of my regular printing of over 1000 pcs. Both next day and got print are local in southern california, so I can print multiple jobs and pick them up with no shipping costs. Nextdayflyers, and gotprint have done good jobs for me, but when you are doing very color specific work, or using pantone colors, you do need to talk to them. They will fix things that are wrong, but that doesn't help with urgent printing. I don't worry about it with my printing. For my flyers and the things you looked at anything is close enough. I use San Diego Web Offset for newsprint. I have printed magazines, and a newsletter in Newspaper size and format with them, they are fast and reasonable plus easy to work with. Graphics for an old web press like they have is different, but our newspaper was one of the most enjoyable things I have printed. One more, for big printing I use BPgraphics.com in Phoenix, AZ. They are cheap cheap and they do printing of almost umlimited size. They do billboards mostly. That is printed on reinforced vinyl like banners, the rolls are like 200feet long and i believe 16 feet wide. Plus they can be welded together to make unlimited size. One warning, when banners are made for use indoors, the full color printed ones, are best when they are uncoated matte finish, they don't reflect stage lights and stuff. But many banner printing places BPgraphics included UV coat their banners by default. And their uncoated banners are still extremely glossy. So they don't work that well for use under stage lights. Paul

**I use Churchart.com for cover graphics and have OT & NT lectionary grahic art when it fits with pastor's selection of 3 out of 4 pericopes. Tom **Here at Immanuel Lutheran Church ELCA in Forest City we have 2 services on Sunday at 8:00 inside the Sanctuary and at 10:00 outside under the umbrella of trees on the Waldorf College campus by their pond (weather permitting). Our 2 bulletins are done as a Word document. The early service is usually a tradition service mostly from the ELW hymnal. The second service, since it is outside, songs are all printed or music inserted since we don’t use a screen outside. Jaci

**We print a different bulletin for each service. The parts that change are the liturgy, the servants and the front page date and time. The bulletin is a bi-fold printed on white paper; the ‘blue sheet’ is printed on blue and cut in thirds then inserted into each bulletin. Pat

**Previously our two worship services had a different order so the inside left column was the order for first worship and the right column was the order for second worship. We put the words to the songs that are not available in the hymnbook in case someone is unable to see the screen because of where they are sitting or limited eyesight. We print our own picture on the front of the bulletin. Usually it is a sketch of the church but we use other pictures that will go along with a specific sermon series the minister is doing. Teri

**This is a preprinted bulletin shell that I do all the inside in B&W but for the website I scanned in the front and insert it and I change all the graphics to color when I upload it to our website. Also normally we have sermon notes on the back but for the Lord’s Supper he does not have notes. Hope you can use it! Thanks for all you do for us!! Jeri

**I have found it helpful to have a monday meeting with the pastor, to review what will go in the bulletin this week, and what inserts might be needed. Always good to touch base before things go to press on Thursday.We are a small church, so our pieces are very simple and printed in house. Jennifer

**Attached is our bulletin for last weekend and one from a week or so before. To be honest we have had a few bulletin makeovers in the 6 years I have been at the church, and we still are not really happy with what we have. To explain the threads “theme” (logo at the top of three pages) – we believe a balanced believer will have all three threads woven into their lives– worship, grow, and serve.

**Tips: · If something is going into the bulletin it has to fit in either worship, grow, or serve. · We have one contact person per ministry who submits the bulletin request. · Wednesday by 5 pm deadline. · We eliminated pictures/clipart due to space and it being too busy looking. Kelly

**For the weekly bulletin I open up the previous week’s bulletin and then save it with this week’s date before editing. The items you see along the edges include calendar info for meetings that are recurring, (e.g. weekly, and monthly). This eliminates retyping or opening a previous bulletin to cut and paste. Our ushers for the 11:00 service do a particular week each month (1^st, 2^nd, etc.) so I have the groups set up in a file named “Usher” which is inside my main “Bulletin” folder. Each week’s group of ushers is set up so I can just cut and paste them into the bulletin. Unfortunately the others aren’t consistent enough. My pastor doesn’t give me hymn and sermon info until Wed. so on Monday or Tuesday I go ahead and do the calendar and lists of worship assistants on the back as well as delete old announcements. That way I am ready for his info and can get it back to him to proofread quickly.

**We print and fold our bulletins inhouse so I now have volunteers on Friday morning that cut the inserts and stuff the bulletins. It took me several years before I realized what a help this could be. It always seemed more inconvenient to call people and ask whenever I needed someone. We now have a “Taking Faith Home” insert each week so I know I can use someone every week and can ask several weeks out. Gordon

**In the Episcopal church we use a prayer book and hymnal. To make it more user friendly (rather than fumbling between books) we develop, each week, a booklet that includes all the liturgy and music. We have a wonderful copier that copies, folds, and staples…couldn’t live without it! Here is a sample. Sara

Keep track of your ideas and share them with us!

In the coming months we'll be asking for lots more ideas to put into our Great Ideas and Sample Swap books--you all have the greatest ideas! As we tackle various types of communications, share with us! ***In addition to helping others out, all the contributors to each of the Great Ideas & Samples Swap collections get a FREE copy of all the samples submitted. This is an extraordinary deal! Be sure to sign up for our newletter--on the home page so you will know when we are collecting samples.

Check out the current GREAT IDEAS & SAMPLES books--to see the bulletins created by the people who shared the tips above. CLICK HERE to go to them!