Creative Chaos // 14
[this weeks banner submitted by Brad Ruggles]
Go HERE and HERE.for the rules and explanation on how to be involved in this post.
Every Thursday YOU write a post on your blog as to what creative element, secret, process, whatever took place in your life the past week or month, or year, or decade.
Music, Art, Video, Production, Scripts, Sermon Illustrations, Design, ect. You get the vibe.
This week’s entry is our “non bulletin”.
Can I be honest?
I hate the church bulletin.
Not the designs and such.
The concept.
I feel they are a waste of space and money.
So.
We are trying something new.
For this new series that we are in called “Identity” we decided to create a “secret website” which is nothing more than our current blog with a forwarded domain name and a new template.
Instead of handing out a bulletin with lots of information, we handed out secret identity cards with a web address on it.
Our people had to go to that website and we now are catering the information we want to give them online.
We are going to do this one more week and reevaluate how it is working.
Here is the card…
You can see a large version on my flickr site.
So there you have it.
We shall see if this catches on or not.
I would love for it too.
Your Turn.
Talk to us.
Chaos
Los
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RAIN IT DOWN
Nice idea, Los. Also another great banner from Brad!
Check out the iPhone enabled plugin I just installed on my blog. Great if you have a lot of mobile viewers!
CJ Mills // http://www.visualtrademark.com
Love the banner, secret website, I love it
rock on, angie weavs!
the cards were a really neat idea; loved em!
I have wanted to get rid of the bulletin for soooo long. We may have to steal your idea. We shoot all of our announcements on green screen, which has most of the bulletin announcements anyway.
marcushackler.com
I love it–a non-bulletin. Los–I’m stealing this one from you. Just stealing it and not saying where I got it!
I’m the guy who makes the bulletin and I concur: I do hate it. It’s one of the biggest time wasters in the world. I’ve tried to simplify it without making it look to cheesy. I’ve also put in on a podcast at iTunes so that it can be download as a pdf. Unfortunately, one one other guy reads it!
yeah, i have a love hate relationship with the bulletin & announcements too, and I am the guys designing and announcing. i’m curious to hear how this works out for you guys.
I love this idea!!! We are still in the pre-launch stages at our new church but I will def. pass this along!! Thanks…I can’t wait to hear how it went over at your church.
Down 3 pounds this week so far!!!!
we’re fighting the same issues right now with the bulletin stuff. People just don’t want to be responsible to go and find the information. They want to be spoon fed. annoying. I like the card idea.
Finally got my second entry in here. Looking forward to checking everyone else’s out. The bulletin idea is interesting. I’d have to really think about how to make this work at our church.
I prefer online bulletins as well, BUT … do ALL your church members have Internet access? If not, how do you reach the rest? You might limit your ministry if you can’t meet your flock where they ‘live’.
As a way to meet folks half way, you might offer both the cards and a limited bulletin printing.
Our church includes immigrants, low income folks, and seniors who aren’t inclined to go online. Our bulletin (in English and Spanish) disseminates info faster, esp. since the .PDF version of the latest bulletin sometimes isn’t available the same day as the paper version.
did a process post…
Los,
I am way down with you on ditching the bulletins.
I’m curious also – what’s the backup for those who don’t connect online?
For those without internet we have what is called the 10B4 and then announcements.
Great stuff today!!!
good idea. i hate having to listen to ten minutes of announcements and having to hope everybody reads their bulletin to see what’s going on.
don’t know if it would work here, cuz i think only about fifteen percent of the people i have to communicate with check their email!
check out http://welovethebulletin.com
But…if you take away the bulletin, what will we tear apart to save huge globs of seats for our persistently late friends???
I forwarded this idea to our pastors, I hope we do something similar soon, it’s definitely one of those “breaking barriers” ideas.
I took creativity and community and mixed them up.
check it out;
http://community.marchenstudios.com
Love the idea. I make the bulletins for my church as well… (AKA Buckhead Church, North Point, and Browns Bridge
I think it is a great thing to do.. I loved the idea when I heard it… it keeps things fresh. I think that is key. I think, though, that if bulletins are done well they can really add a ton to the look and feel of the series. To be totally honest, the bulletins are what got me really bought into North Point in the first place. How intentional they were about them really pulled me in. I think that’s what people should focus on with them… don’t always do the same things. —- Also I think there are some people who do benefit from the info. Specifically newcomers who can benefit from being fully explained even over communicated about next steps available to them. Especially at a large church like ours.
Mike. I think they can too. But in 12 years of working in bulletin communication driven churches, I don’t think that they accomplish the goal at hand. If they are used to communicate a wealth of information, I think they fail. If they are used to advertise a single event (ie. series, ect.) then I think they work. I just think at that point they stop being called “bulletins” and have more of a rave card purpose behind them.
But after seeing how many of these things get placed in a trash can after church services the last 12 years, and how many emails we get from first timers asking the same thing that was placed in their hands before the service…there has to be a better way of delivering information.
Don’t think I’m trying to put you out of work or anything!!!
Thats all.
Oh yeah, I definitely agree that they need to be intentional. I think NPM does a good job though. I think by trying to keep in only next steps helps… but with ministries I know there is a lot of compromise about what goes in and what doesn’t…. but I totally agree that it can often be streamlined. And also, don’t worry, I know your not trying to get me out of a job
I just wanted to put my two cents in … I just don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water. I think they do serve a purpose, but I think leaning on making them more of a creative wow factor, even if it sacrifices function, can be a good thing.
Here’s my 2 cents. I love the idea. I hate the idea of wasting resources. I hate the idea of pouring money into unnecessary things…however, I think our church (& I love our church) is in a dangerous spot of alienating people. I take my dad into consideration. He visits occasionally, loves Andy’s messages, the music is a little too loud for him & it certainly is not what draws his heart into the presence of God, he misses the smallness & he doesn’t own a computer…there are acutally many 50 & 60 somethings out there who don’t. Are we alienating a group of people by assuming that all have access to a computer to get the info? IS there another way to get the info out to the masses knowing that all have access to it?
very cool card idea.
This is a great idea! Our church keeps trying out new ways to make our bulletin more “simple.” It still has A LOT of information and inserts. Super annoying. I love this idea!
I’m a new visitor to your blog…Great idea! I am passing it on!
Great idea. I hate printing 1500 pieces of paper each week and picking up 1200 at the end of the night. I’m pushing more fewer bullitens and more web. Also better a better announcement loop.
I love that idea!! I may have to use it for our high school ministry. Very cutting edge way to get across information!!