I’ve seen a lot of church bulletins. What most have in common is what I call “inside baseball” language, e.g. you have to be an insider to understand what it means.
Let me show you.
Copies of this year’s camping brochure are available in the Narthex.
What in the world is a Narthex? Think about it. If you are stepping into church for the first time or the first time in a LONG time, you have no idea what a Narthex is. What would it look like if you said:
Copies of this year’s camping brochure are available in the lobby.
That’s not necessarily “church” language for those of us who are regular attenders, but it is language a visitor would understand.
Now let’s talk about the word “visitor”! Our friends at Walt Disney would never use the “v” word. Why? It sounds disconnected, like they don’t belong. How does “guest” sound (as in be our guest?)?
Summit UMC would like to welcome our guests to morning worship!
Better, huh?
Take a look at this announcement.
The UMW will meet next Tuesday at noon. All women are invited to attend. The UMW will be providing lunch. See Carol Albright if you are interested.
What is a UMW? Try this…
The United Methodist Women, or UMW, will meet next Tuesday at noon. All women are invited to attend. The UMW will provide lunch. See Carol Albright if you are interested or sign up in the lobby following worship.
I made two changes. I explained who the UMW was and then used the acronym. I also didn’t assume people knew who Carol was. If you want to open it up, make joining easy.
Take the extra step in helping people find their way and watch your language!