Why people don't read your bulletin

It's time to face the music. The parish bulletin is the "Elephant in the Room" that nobody really wants to talk about on Sunday.

Dear Parishioner,

We didn't take the time to communicate the most important items this week, so here's what we're going to do:

1. During Mass, while you have nothing to take notes with, we're going to read announcements for 10 min.
2. Pray to St. Anthony that you find the information you need on our single-spaced, 4 page bulletin in 8 point font.
3. Pray you don't throw the bulletin away and
4. Repeat steps 1-3 next week.

Sincerely,
Father and your parish staff.

Here are some simple tips to help you better communicate using your parish bulletin:

1

Less is more

Yes, it's hard to leave things out. All the events and activities in the parish are important, but they will not be equal from week to week. What is the #1 thing you want people to know from each ministry? Be sure to narrow your focus and make it easy for people to take the next step. This will send an important message to your parishioners.

Dear Parishioner,

We know you're busy and we value your time.

2

Pictures are greater than words

With technology use constantly on the rise, our culture has become extremely visual. People are perfectly capable of reading...they just choose not to. Use images that communicate your message instead of writing a short novel.

3

Make contact info easy to find

People are relational. Make it easy to get in contact with someone at the parish. Doesn't the Church exist to serve the people? My favorite bulletins include direct lines and emails for key leaders at the parish.

Let's make a change. Be sure to subscribe to our e-mail list. We're working on some bulletin templates in Word, Publisher, and InDesign that will help you transform your parish bulletin. If your parish has a great bulletin, we'd love to see it. Please share a link in the comments below.

Photo by: Turinboy on Flickr under CC License