|
In many churches, a vital piece of communication is given out each week to congregation members - the weekly leaflet or ‘pew-sheet’. It might contain important information about that day’s services, forthcoming events or even prayer needs. Yet sometimes little thought is put into how this is put together - it may just be a collation of items that happen to have reached your parish office in time. And a common complaint is that worshippers don’t take the leaflet home with them or remember what was in it.
 It might be an idea to put some more thought into both the content and design of your weekly leaflet to make it more of a ‘must-read’. One idea is to help readers find their way around the leaflet more easily by better use of headings to denote items such as ‘Today’s Services’, ‘This Week’s events’, ‘Prayer Needs’, ‘Contact Details’ etc. And what about using graphics of an open Bible, praying hands, or a calendar to denote each section?
For instance, notice how the leaflet  produced by St Luke’s Church, Southsea, uses large, colour headings to help worshippers know immediately where to find each item. There’s also a space on the back of the leaflet (top left) for them to make a note of what is said in the sermon, under the three pre-printed sermon headings. If someone has taken the trouble to make their own notes during the sermon, it’s more likely that they’ll take the leaflet home and refer to it!
It might also be worth thinking about the priorities that your communications group (see strategy) might have decided on. As well as highlighting those priorities in your parish magazine, on your website, with internal displays and by issuing press releases, why not make sure that such priorities are highlighted for your congregation by including them in a high-profile position in your weekly leaflet? |
