This church bulletin sample is truly an example of genius in layout and design. I'm not using that description because of its use of fancy graphics, but because it packed in essential communication components, including an order of service, place for sermon notes, announcements, a gospel presentation, and a weekly schedule that is ready-to-post on the refrigerator, all the parts that a church needs for its various audiences all into ONE piece of 11 x 17 paper.
It is a few years old and you will want to modify for your church, but the idea, the layout and the essential communications it packs into one piece of paper are timeless.
This was sent in as part of our Great Idea Swap, where church communicators share with church communicators.
Below are two images of the bulletin for everyone to view. For ECC Members there is a link at the end of this article where you can download both the original MS Publisher file and a full-size PDF of the church bulletin sample. If you would like to become an Effective Church Communications Member and have full access to all the material on this site, CLICK HERE
How it works and how it was created
The bulletin is created in Publisher on a PC and then printed with one pass through a black and white and color copier using a direct link from the PC. One side is in color, the inside in black and white.
The key to how well it works is the fold. After it is printed it is folded by a volunteer using a folding machine, first folded in half and then folded in half again, all a quick and fairly simple process according to the church administrator. This folding process allows the reader to open, read and use the bulletin on Sunday and then to open it up and post on refrigerator the weekly schedule that is inside.
Though some churches may have so many activities going on that special inserts are needed, for many churches this type of simple, compact and complete layout might serve them well and would provide tremendous savings in paper cost and production time.
How and why they decided to do it this way
Susan Block, the administrator for the church told me that it took them some time to come up with the idea and they tried several different layouts and designs. This layout was the result of the church deciding on the slogan: go-know-grow.
Once that organizing slogan became part of the church, Susan worked with the youth pastor to come up with this design and one of their primary goals was to make it "simple, clean and readable." When I asked her to summarize her advice to other church communicators, she said, " Keep it clean and simple and think about what you want to communicate."
The ministry test of good design
The most important test of any communication piece is how people respond. It doesn't matter how fancy or not, how cutting-edge or not you think your graphics or design is, the bottom line is always, "Are people responding, are they coming to your church events?"
When I asked Susan if that was happening, she answered with a strong and happy, "YES!"
That's good design and communication ministry at work.
For Effective Church Communication members only, below is a ZIP file of the full-size PDF of the Church Bulletin Sample here and the original MS Publisher file, so you can see how it was constructed. You could also modify and make it your own if you have MS Publisher. If you aren't a member you won't be able to see the link. For more information on Effective Church Communications Membership and to sign up, CLICK HERE.
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To download the ZIP File, click on the following link: All on ONE page Bulletin p2
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i have office 2007 when i downloaded the bullentin it was all over the word screen and not on the bullentin. Any ideas how to fix that
Isaiah,
I need to know a little more info to help. What program did you try to open it in?
The zip file was in MS Publisher and Adobe Acrobat reader. For both, sometimes the it opens large and you have to minimize the file. For Publisher 2007, the minimize command is on the VIEW tab, in about the middle of the task bar, it is a small magnifying glass. For Acobat Reader, it is a Minus sign at the top of the page.
Let me know if that helps.
One other thought–it will not open correctly in a program other than MS Publisher, do forgive me –I don’t think I emphasized that in the introduction to it. I say that overall about downloads, but I didn’t repeat it hear and I should have.
Just open it in MS Publisher and it should be OK.
Let me know if that works.
Yvon Prehn