How to (Pick Up and) Profit From Your Bulletin

This is a bulletin.

When football legend Vince Lombardi arrived in Green Bay to coach the Packers, he started with a simple statement: “This is football.” For reasons that go beyond our interest today, we can appreciate Lombardi’s back-to-basics approach, and how it forged the foundation of a football dynasty that would lead to multiple champions and countless hall-of-famers. And all of this, because Lombardi dared to restore the fundamentals.

So too, as we think about liturgy in our sermon series, we are bringing back the church bulletin. Until COVID told us personal contact was to be avoided at all costs, our church like so many others, had a weekly bulletin. And as we seek to better understand what we are doing on the Lord’s Day and better communicate what we are doing in between the Sundays, we are putting out a new bulletin—beginning this Sunday.

Today, I want to tell you where you can pick up the bulletin, what you will find in the bulletin, and how you can make the best use of the bulletin. Yes, a bulletin is generally self-explanatory. But so is football. And lest you miss out on the aims of this bulletin, bear with me for a few basics as I share what this bulletin is all about.

The Where
For starters, we will have ushers handing out bulletins before the worship service. So, if you are unable to make Sunday School, you will be greeted with a smile and bulletin. At the same time, as so many members and guests come for Sunday School (or earlier), you will find the bulletins on the tables in the back of the sanctuary. You can pick one up there at any time.

The What
In the bulletin itself, we have eight half-sheets with a specific flow of thought to serve you.

For starters, the title page (page 1) has our church logo, church mission, and the date. As you pick up a bulletin, take a moment to breath a prayer for the church as you prepare for worship. Equally, be sure you have the right date. While we will do our best to always have the current bulletin out, you never know. Tares have a way of growing with the wheat. So, just take note of the date.

Next, pages 2–3 will include a devotional page. This devotional will either fit with the sermon or provide a reflection for something going on in the life of the church. This devotional will also be found on the church website. Sometimes this devotional will be shorter than the website, so you can always check on that resource with the QR code on page 3. On page 3, you may also find up-to-date information about our church’s discipleship ministry, Christ Over All. So, as you prepare for service (or after), take time to read this devotional to be encouraged and to stay apprised of things like how to read the bulletin.
 
Next, page 4 has the most important part of the bulletin for seeing the order of service. As you read it, it will have a familiar arrangement. But, as I will explain in the weeks ahead, the 5 C’s (Call to Worship, Confession, Consecration, Communion, Commission) provide a flow of thought for what we are doing as we ascend the hill of the Lord. Understanding this arrangement helps us to worship with the knowledge that comes from Scripture. And as this series goes, I will explain more.

Assisting our liturgy, pages 5–6 will include the confession of sin, the pardon, and any creed we recite together. All of these words will also appear on the screen, just like they always have. But by having them written in your bulletin, you can read them before service to prepare for worship. And you can also take them with you to use at home in your personal or family worship.

Finally, on the last two pages, we will include details about our ministries (page 7) and upcoming events (page 8). These two pages are critical for knowing what’s going on and what you can do to be involved at OBC. These two pages will also enable us to streamline the close of service, which will function more like a genuine commissioning, and less like a laundry list of announcements. That’s on page 8. So be sure to look at that every week.

The Why
That’s the bulletin as it is currently conceived. If you think of other ideas that would serve the whole congregation, please let one of the elders know. While there are certainly more things that could be added (notes pages, sheet music, etc.), we believe these eight half-sheets will provide a helpful resource for you. And that is why we are returning to the bulletin.

For the twin purposes of aiding our Lord’s Day liturgy and amplifying our week-to-week communication, we are handing bulletins this Sunday. So, be sure to pick one up.

For His Glory and your joy in Christ,
Pastor David