Please don't be offended; no attack is meant. I just want to pose a question, "Are church bulletins really that necessary?" I mean, let's think about it...
First, everyone has to coordinate information - the teaching pastor, the worship pastor, whoever compiles and edits announcements. Don't forget there's the typing, the printing, the folding, and collating of inserts. Is it just me, or does it seem a waste of natural, financial and human resources? Couldn't (and shouldn't) the Church be more productive with its resources? Again, please don't hear me as being negative; accept this as constructive criticism. Remember, my purpose for this blog is to get you to think of strategies for expanding your reach and increasing your impact. So, if there was a better way than printing bulletins, would you do it?
How effective is printing the bulletins at your church? In other words, how many of your attendees actually read the bulletin? How many take them home and post them on their refrigerators to serve as a reminder of upcoming events? And, how many are left in the pews after service on Sunday only for more human resource effort is made to pick them all up. Sure, there are some who read them. Bulletins are also great for coloring on (one thing I'm looking forward to having in the service as my daughter gets older). Honestly, however, the main reason I take one every Sunday is because the kind older gentlemen and women stand at the doors passing them out. I feel as if I'd hurt their feelings if I told them I didn't want a bulletin; and then, of course, how could I ever worship with a clear conscience? (Just kidding.)
As far as delivering information, don't a lot of churches have Powerpoint slides with events and other notes? Also, generally, someone (either at the beginning of the service, or the end) gets up before the congregation and reads the information and events from the bulletin and/or slides. Futhermore, unless there's a predominantly older demographic in your church, (and even still) most people have access to the Internet. Wouldn't it be easier to just post it there and then train members to consult the site for all information? Wouldn't that be easier?
My only point is I don't believe bulletins are as effective as we would like to think. Besides keeping some people happy about "sticking to a schedule," there are other means to getting your information to your audience. Here's a few stories to hopefully start the 'creative juices' running. Both of these particular incidents happened while I was in college. I attended, Carson-Newman College, a school with approximately 2,500 students. While it is not too large, it is still larger than most churches' attendance. On two occasions, I was asked to get some information out to the student body. Here's what I did...
The first instance was a concert taking place in Knoxville, TN. I had only about a hundred flyers in my hand and five dorms to visit. Now each dormitory has an announcement board where various postings are listed. I was a student; I knew how often people actually stopped by the information boards. Most of these boards were in obscure places anyway. So, the wheels in my head began turning and I got an idea. Just inside the main, front doors of each dorm, I grabbed about 20-25 flyers and I simply through them up in the air. Then, wherever the flyers landed on the ground, that's where I taped them. It was organized chaos - and it got people's attention. I watched as every single person entering the dorms stopped to read the concert flyers on the ground. Talk about a 95-100% viewing rate. Plus, the flyers remained there until after the concert. And, don't worry, I didn't leave them there; I cleaned them up once the concert had come and gone. In my many opportunities to work with youth groups, we've implemented 'organized chaos' many times. We tend to remember things better when something is out of natural order. What ways can you wake people up in your church so they get the picture and it sticks?
The second example was while I was serving in a leadership position in Carson-Newman's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Easter was approaching and so was Spring Break. Along with Easter and break came mid-terms. For the last FCA meeting before Easter break, we wanted to reenact the Crucifixion; we wanted this particular meeting to be an outreach to our lost students. So, again, I had another 'great' idea (don't worry, I'm full of them...again, just kidding). I got a handful of flyers printed out and I posted them throughout various parts of campus. The flyers, in fact, got SO MUCH attention that the administration contacted me. Oh yeah, what did I put on the flyers? Only, "Someone is going to DIE tonight at FCA." Okay, so maybe it was a stretch, but it was still the truth; someone really was going that night at FCA, at least in acting. But, hey, it got the message across. We had so many people come to FCA that night because they just wanted to see what the flyer was all about. Its ironic that one of my college English teachers told me that I had "too wild of an imagination." I guess it isn't too wild for God.
Can you imagine any wild ideas to grab attention and attract people to your church and its programs? Keep brainstorming; I know you've got some good ones coming.