How to Write a Church Bulletin People Actually Read

7 min read

Most church bulletins get folded into paper airplanes by kids or stuffed into purses and never seen again.

You spend hours on it. Nobody reads it.

That's not a design problem. It's a content problem.

Here's the truth about bulletin reading: people give it less than a minute of attention. They're scanning while the worship team plays, while the pastor walks to the stage, while their kid is asking for a snack. They glance. They don't study.

Your bulletin isn't a newsletter. It's a quick reference guide for someone sitting in your building right now. Write it that way.

The Brutal Truth About Attention

Your bulletin is competing with:

Their phone (they're checking it)
Their kids (who need something)
The person next to them (small talk)
Their own thoughts (processing the week)
The service itself (which is about to start)

They're not going to read three paragraphs about your women's retreat. They might glance at a headline.

This isn't cynical—it's realistic. Design for how people actually behave, not how you wish they'd behave.

The goal isn't to get them to read every word. It's to help them find what they need quickly.

The Only Three Things That Belong in a Bulletin

1. This service

What's happening right now. Order of worship, sermon title, giving info, any special elements. This is the "what do I do while I'm sitting here" content.

2. This week

What's happening in the next 7 days. Two or three things, max. These are the "don't miss this" items—the stuff that requires action before next Sunday.

3. How to connect

How to take a next step. For visitors: what to do if you're new. For regulars: how to give, how to join a group, how to get involved. This is the "if you want to go deeper" section.

That's it. Everything else is a candidate for the cut.

The test: Does this require action before next Sunday?

If the answer is no, it probably belongs in your email newsletter, not your bulletin.

Write Like People Scan

Headlines should tell the story without reading the body text.

Not this: Men's Ministry

This: Men's Breakfast — Saturday 8am

The second headline answers the questions people actually have: What is it? When is it? If they want more details, they can read the body text. But most won't—and the headline still did its job.

For the body text:

First sentence answers what, when, where.

"Men, join us Saturday at 8am in the Fellowship Hall for breakfast and conversation."

Second sentence answers why should I care.

"We'll be talking about what it means to lead well at home."

Third sentence is the call to action.

"RSVP at the table in the lobby or scan the QR code below."

That's the whole announcement. Three sentences.

Bold the essential info. Dates. Deadlines. Locations. If someone is skimming (they are), bold text is what their eyes catch. One call to action per announcement. Don't ask them to sign up, show up, and also tell a friend. Pick the one thing. Everything else is noise.

The QR Code Strategy

QR codes solved the "we can't fit everything" problem.

The bulletin doesn't need every detail. It needs enough to spark interest, then a QR code to get more info or sign up.

Rules for QR codes:

One per announcement, max. If every paragraph has a QR code, none of them stand out. Link to a specific page. The sign-up form. The event page. Not your homepage. Nobody's going to hunt for the information. That page must be mobile-friendly. They're scanning with their phone. If your website isn't mobile-optimized, the QR code is useless. Test every code before printing. Every single time. Print it, scan it, confirm it works. Broken QR codes destroy trust.

What to Kill

Long paragraphs of backstory.

Nobody needs three sentences about why the women's retreat exists. They need to know when, where, and how to sign up.

Events more than 3 weeks out.

The bulletin is for this week and next week. Anything further out belongs in email, social, or the website. The bulletin is for immediate action.

Recurring info that never changes.

If your service times, address, and pastoral staff list are the same every week, put them on the website. Don't use bulletin space for static content.

Contact info for every ministry leader.

"Contact Pastor Dave with questions" doesn't need Dave's email, phone, office hours, and biography. A name and "email [email protected]" is enough.

The "something for everyone" mentality.

If you're including 12 announcements because you don't want any ministry to feel left out, nothing will stand out. Be ruthless. Feature three things well. The rest can wait.

Permission to be brief.

Churches are often afraid of being too short. "What if they need more information?"

If they need more information, they'll scan the QR code. Or ask someone. Or check the website.

Brief bulletins get read. Long bulletins get recycled.

The Template That Works

Here's a structure that works for most churches:

Front cover: Church name, date, sermon title, service time

Inside left: Order of worship

Welcome
Worship
Message
Response
Announcements
Dismissal

Include just enough detail to orient visitors. If lyrics are on the screen, they don't need to be in the bulletin.

Inside right: Announcements

This week's priorities (2-3 items with clear headlines)
Each with: what it is, when it is, what to do
QR codes for sign-up or more info

Back cover: Connection info

New here? (What to do if you're visiting)
Want to give? (How to give)
Want to connect? (Next step opportunities)

Optional: Sermon notes section if your pastor uses that format.

Why this works: predictability. When the layout is consistent week after week, people know where to look. They find the announcements in the same place. They find connection info in the same place. Muscle memory makes scanning faster.

Digital vs. Print

Everything above applies to both, with a few adjustments.

Digital bulletins:

Links are clickable (no QR codes needed)
Can be updated after publishing if something changes
Easier to share and archive
Some people still won't look at them

Printed bulletins:

Physical object = higher chance of glancing
QR codes bridge print to digital
Cost to print = pressure to keep page count down
Environmental consideration

Many churches do both: printed for in-service, digital version linked in email or text for those who want it.

If you're doing both, make them the same content. Don't create extra work by maintaining two different versions.

Before and After

Here's a real announcement, transformed:

Before (115 words):

The Women's Ministry is excited to announce our upcoming Spring Retreat! This year we're heading to Camp Pine Lake for a weekend of fellowship, worship, and renewal. The retreat will be held April 12-14 and the cost is $150 which includes lodging, meals, and materials. We have a wonderful speaker lined up who will be sharing about finding rest in God's presence. Space is limited so we encourage you to sign up early. Registration forms are available at the Welcome Center or you can register online. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Johnson at [email protected] or call the church office. We hope you'll join us!

After (42 words):

Women's Retreat — April 12-14

A weekend of fellowship and rest at Camp Pine Lake. $150 includes lodging and meals. Space is limited.

Sign up by March 29: [QR code]

Same information. Less than half the words. Everything scannable. Clear call to action.

The Mindset Shift

Your bulletin is not:

A newsletter
A comprehensive events calendar
A place to make every ministry feel included
A brochure for visitors

Your bulletin is:

A quick reference guide
For people already in your building
Who have less than a minute of attention
And need to know what to do this week

Write for how people actually read. Not for how you wish they'd read.

Short. Scannable. Specific.

That's a bulletin people actually use.

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