The Weekly Church Comms Checklist: What to Publish, When, and Where
Every week has the same rhythm: bulletin, email, social, maybe a text. The challenge isn't the work—it's remembering what needs to happen when.
Without a checklist, things slip. The email goes out late. Nobody scheduled the social posts. The bulletin has a typo because no one proofread it.
This checklist ensures nothing gets missed.
Monday: Collection Day
☐ Review the calendarWhat's happening this week and next? What needs to be promoted?
☐ Check announcement submissionsReview everything submitted through your form. What's complete? What's missing details?
☐ Follow up on incomplete submissionsEmail or message anyone who submitted incomplete info. "Can you add the cost and registration link?"
☐ Identify the week's prioritiesWhat are the 2-3 most important items? What's the email hero? What gets the stage announcement?
☐ Flag any conflictsAre we promoting too many things? Is there a deadline collision? Resolve now, not Friday.
Monday done = you know what you're working with.
Tuesday: Writing Day
☐ Write master announcementsFor each announcement, write the master version:
- One-line hook
- Summary paragraph
- Full details (or confirm they're on the website)
- Clear CTA with link
- Hero section (one main thing)
- Quick hits (2-3 bullet items)
- Pastoral note (if included)
- Coming up section
- What's posting each day?
- Write captions
- Identify or request images
If your process requires pastoral review, send drafts Tuesday afternoon so you're not waiting Thursday.
Tuesday done = all content is written.
Wednesday: Scheduling Day
☐ Schedule email to sendMost churches send Tuesday or Wednesday. Pick your day and make it consistent.
☐ Schedule social postsUse Meta Business Suite, Later, Buffer, or whatever tool you have. Queue up the week's posts.
☐ Confirm approvalIf drafts were sent for review, confirm sign-off. Chase if needed—don't wait until Friday.
☐ Request any missing imagesIf you're waiting on photos or graphics, follow up now.
Wednesday done = email and social are queued and ready.
Thursday: Bulletin Day
☐ Build the bulletinUsing your template:
- Update date and service info
- Add announcements (prioritized)
- Update order of service with this week's details
- Add QR codes where needed
Read it slowly. Check dates, times, names, links.
☐ Have someone else proofreadFresh eyes catch what you missed. Even a quick skim helps.
☐ Test QR codesPrint a draft. Scan every QR code. Do they work? Do they go to the right pages?
☐ Send for review (if required)Final pastoral sign-off before print.
☐ Finalize and print (or prepare digital)Send to printer or export PDF for digital distribution.
Thursday done = bulletin is complete and ready.
Friday: Review Day
☐ Final read-throughOne more look at everything going out this week. Any last changes?
☐ Confirm scheduled postsCheck your social scheduling tool. Is everything queued correctly?
☐ Prepare Sunday materialsAre bulletins printed? Digital versions uploaded? Volunteer emails sent?
☐ Review any text messagesIf you're sending volunteer reminders or event texts, review and schedule them.
☐ Handle late additions (if any)If something critical came in late, add it to the reserved "late addition" spot.
Friday done = you can actually rest over the weekend.
If you're creating new content on Friday, something went wrong earlier in the week. Friday is for catching mistakes, not making more work.
Sunday: Execution Day
☐ Distribute bulletinsPhysical copies in place. Digital version accessible.
☐ Post Sunday contentIf you post during services (worship photos, sermon quotes), do it in real time or schedule in advance.
☐ Send any text remindersVolunteer reminders, event day-of reminders.
☐ Note questions and feedbackIf someone asks "what time does that start?" or "where do I sign up?"—that's feedback that your announcement was unclear. Write it down for next week.
The Printable Checklist
Print this and keep it at your desk:
Weekly Church Communications Checklist
MONDAY: Collection☐ Review calendar
☐ Check submissions
☐ Follow up on missing info
☐ Identify priorities
☐ Flag conflicts
TUESDAY: Writing☐ Write master announcements
☐ Draft email newsletter
☐ Draft social posts
☐ Send for approval
WEDNESDAY: Scheduling☐ Schedule email
☐ Schedule social
☐ Confirm approval
☐ Request missing images
THURSDAY: Bulletin☐ Build bulletin
☐ Proofread
☐ Second proofread
☐ Test QR codes
☐ Final sign-off
☐ Print/finalize
FRIDAY: Review☐ Final read-through
☐ Confirm scheduled posts
☐ Prepare Sunday materials
☐ Review text messages
☐ Handle late additions
SUNDAY: Execute☐ Distribute bulletins
☐ Post Sunday content
☐ Send text reminders
☐ Note feedback
Adjusting for Your Reality
This checklist assumes a Sunday service with a mid-week email. Adjust as needed:
Email sends Thursday instead of Wednesday?Move writing to Wednesday, scheduling to Thursday morning.
No social media?Skip those tasks.
Print deadline is Wednesday?Move bulletin production to Tuesday/Wednesday.
The rhythm matters more than the specific days. Find what works and make it consistent.
The Payoff
When you follow the checklist:
- Nothing slips through the cracks
- Fridays aren't frantic
- The quality of your work improves (you have time to proofread)
- You can hand off to someone else if you're out (they follow the same checklist)
It takes two weeks to build the habit. After that, it's automatic.
Want your checklist tasks to connect to your actual content? bltn tracks your workflow from draft to publish. Try it free.
