​Bulletin Bootcamp is here! For five weeks, we'll walk through refreshing your bulletin together - not just the design, but also how you make it. By the end of the summer, you can have a bulletin parishioners actually take, read, and do what it says, while taking you less time to make. Learn more and join in here.​

I've been the bulletin editor at two different parishes.

At the first, I "inherited" the bulletin. And since I was doing it while simultaneously manning the front desk and helping out in Faith Formation during the week and running the youth group, liturgical ministries, and parish-wide events on the weekends...there was no time for creativity or reinvention.

It took me HOURS to make every week.

(In 10-minute chunks between fielding 15 phone calls about sacramental record requests and taking Mass intentions.)

At the second parish, I was "only" the communications coordinator, and I actually had time to be intentional about the bulletin.

So I completely redesigned it with a strategy, purpose, and more engaging design.

What still boggles my mind?

The redesigned, much bigger, and arguably better bulletin took me LESS time to make than the first, smaller, and much more chaotic-looking one.

Here are the 4 P's I learned from that second bulletin that make bulletin creation take less time:

Purpose: Having an actual goal for the bulletin not only makes it more effective, but also makes it feel so much more worth the time you're putting in it. You have so much more clarity and motivation when you know you're creating something people are actually going to read and be impacted by that you actually work faster because you're not dreading it or feeling like it's a waste of time.

Plan: Knowing how each element of the bulletin will work towards that purpose means you're not constantly looking for "filler" content. Plus, it helps you make decisions about what goes in the bulletin (and where) easier because the "big picture" is always top of mind instead of getting drowned out by the day-to-day.

Process: Planning out down to the smallest step of every part of how you create the bulletin - like choosing a photo for the cover, updating the pastor's column, and creating QR codes for event signups - means that even if when you get interrupted often, you can jump right back in and get back into your creation flow quickly.

Policies: Finally, having a policy for everything is how you get people on board with the plan so you're not spending so much time having to reformat bulletin submissions (and actually serve your ministries and groups better in the process so they're happier too!).

Yes, setting these "4 P's" up takes some time... But once you do, you'll save so much more time each week than you spent setting them up.

Not sure how to set those up for your bulletin?

I'm excited to teach you all four in Bulletin Bootcamp!

For five weeks over the summer (July 21-August 24), we're going to journey together to refresh not just your bulletin's design, but also the process of how you make it.

Because making the bulletin doesn't have to be a huge headache and stressor.

We'll talk a lot about design and how to make the bulletin more appealing for parishioners to actually take and read.

(I think I'm most looking forward to Week 2 when we're going to intentionally go through each piece of your bulletin and figure out where it should go, what it's purpose is, how to get people to engage with it, and if it even needs to be in the bulletin!)

But we're also going to focus a lot on streamlining the creation process so it's easier for you to make.

Because when I sent out a survey in May asking you what your biggest problems were in bulletin creation were, the #1 answer was that it takes so long to make.

And it's not so much that it's time consuming - it's that it takes you so long, but it doesn't seem to be working.

People aren't taking the bulletin, but complain they don't know what's going on.

You have all of this great faith-building content in there, but nobody's reading it or being impacted by it.

But when we root the bulletin in a strategy and have the policies and process in place to support that strategy, it not only has way more impact - it's also way easier to make.

And I'd love to show you how!

Plus, you can use code EARLYBIRD now through Wednesday, July 15 for $3 off!

You likely spend 200+ hours on the bulletin every year.

Let's make them count.

(But also cut down on the number of hours WITHOUT cutting down on impact.)

​Come join me in Bulletin Bootcamp, and let's create a bulletin for your parish that takes less time and works better!

For His greater glory,

Emily

P.S. Bulletin Bootcamp is here! For five weeks this summer, I'll walk with you to create a bulletin that's easier to make and gets more people to take it, read it, and do what it says. Learn more and sign up here! (Code EARLYBIRD gets you $3 off now through Wednesday!)