In my position with the Witt Company, I communicate with church professionals every day. Recently, many of you have stated that the size of your congregations have been "holding steady" while some have said, "we are getting a little smaller" so I started doing some research. I wanted to find some valuable information to help you build your congregations. I was fortunate to discover a book written by Yvon Prehn and called her. She is based here in Southern California. Yvon was very gracious with her time and she granted her permission to share some terrific information with you that I am presenting below. In the coming weeks, I will share more of her wisdom designed to help church professionals in various ways. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
First, let me ask a question: Outside of the Bible, what is the most important piece of Christian Literature printed today? One answer may surprise you; it could be your church bulletin!
Yvon Prehn wrote in her manual Toolkit For Church Communicators (excerpts reprinted with permission) that the church bulletin is, for some people, the first piece of Christian literature they have ever seen and is usually the first thing a new visitor will read about your church.
New Visitors Come Hungry
Yvon goes on to say that everyone has a spiritual vacuum inside and they come to church looking for a way to fill it. They will read anything that you give them.
Does Your Church Bulletin Present the Right Message?
What does your church bulletin say to them? George Barna says that 91% of "unchurched" people believe churches are not sensitive to their needs. Yvon wondered where they got that idea? Could it be you tell them that in your church bulletins? Many times, bulletins are filled with terms only familiar to regular visitors. They talk about events and meetings without explaining them, just assuming everyone knows what you are talking about. Sometimes, they don't even talk about what is going on in your service that morning.
What Should You Put in Your Church Bulletins?
Producers of the bulletin should look at it through the eyes of someone unfamiliar with how a church operates. As you seek new members and try to connect with them, Yvon suggests some tips to keep your bulletin up to date but not to lose your church's personality or traditional values.
Welcome People
Few bulletins start out with a WELCOME! It should be right up front and before the order of service. Make in genuine and "reflect the tradition of your church."
Please Give an Order of Service
A visitor has no idea what to expect.
Acknowledge Both Visitors and Members in the Announcement Section
Some of the best bulletins welcome visitors and then give essential details such as bathroom locations, nursery info, even an invitation to have coffee after the service where they can meet and ask questions. In a section such as "church news," accommodate visitors by saying something like: "Below are the various events hosted by our church in the coming weeks. Everyone is invited to these functions and we hope you will attend. If you need more information, please call the contact numbers listed with each activity."
Do You Encourage New Visitors to Become More Involved?
Your bulletins should pull back first time attendees by suggesting that they attend a small group or social activity, even an event for their children.
Don't List Events That Are Closed to Newcomers
Let regular visitors and members know about "closed events" in a verbal announcement and at the start of your small groups attended by active attendees. If you must list closed events, label them as such.
Include the 5 W's: who, what, when, where, why
Who is putting on the program? What is going on? Where will it be located? What time will it start and end? What is the cost? Is child care provided?
Repeat the Information (Event) for Several Weeks
Remember, no one will see the information as often as you do. Because of school and work obligations, many regular attendees cannot attend every week. Repetition is important. Marketing experts tell us that people need to see something 6 times before they remember and respond.
Have a Place for Testimonials and Always Include a Gospel Presentation
Yvon has been recommending for years that every bulletin put in a short piece about how someone came to trust Jesus as their Savior. Here is one that ran at Christmas:
"In the midst of the gifts and goodies we are all enjoying at this time of year, remember the message of Christmas is that God came to Earth in the form of a person-Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus grew up and not only became the greatest teacher and miracle worker the world has ever seen but he died a unique death. In His death, Jesus was not a victim of evil men. Jesus willingly gave up His life and died on the cross so that He could pay the penalty for our sins. His death was His choice and His story does not end with His death. Jesus rose from the dead after three days and by doing that, showed that He was God!
When you believe that Jesus died for our sins and accept the forgiveness He offers us, and decide to follow Him, Jesus promises to forgive us and give us eternal life. If you would like to have your sins forgiven, if you would like to be at peace with your God; if you would like to live forever, tell Jesus you are a sinner and you need His salvation. Ask him to come into your life and be your Savior and Lord. After you do that, please read the Bible to learn how to live as a Christian. Talk to God daily in prayer. Go to church and get to know other followers of Jesus and grow in your faith."
A lady decided to include a brief gospel presentation like this in her bulletin and reported to Yvon that one of the men in her church had to go to prison for a time. To keep him in touch with the church, she sent him the bulletin regularly. He wrote her later and thanked her and said it made him feel that he wasn't forgotten and he had even led several inmates to the Lord in prison. By including a gospel message, the eternal destinies of men were changed by her bulletins.
I was moved by Yvon Prehn's inclusion of testimonials and her good ideas to build a strong, user-friendly, church bulletin that I hope will help you build your congregations.
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