Lately I've pondered the amount of paper churches use with bulletins and the cost/rewards ratio. I serve three churches, and I make roughly eighty bulletins a Sunday. I encourage everyone to leave the bulletins behind to be recycled and most everyone does. Still, the bulletins are used for roughly an hour. So is it really worth the paper used? Keep in mind, I just use single sheets of paper folded. Some churches I know of use multiple sheets and make hundreds of bulletins a Sunday.
I simply think that the use we get out of bulletins is not worth the cost of paper and ink and even power to print them. I guess the problem lies in the fact that we are fairly tied to the structure and order bulletins provide (I speak mostly from my own experience and acknowledge this may also be something to work on).
Many churches are moving to some form of projection when it comes to ordering their worship. I generally think this is a good move. But some churches can't afford the equipment needed. So what is the answer?
I think a good solution for many churches might be establishing a basic order of worship to follow while making it generic enough to use multiple times and to allow for the movement of the Spirit. Imagine a laminated card that has "Scripture Lesson" and "Hymn" but no real specifics. I find that in most churches the pastor or music leader tells the people the scriptures and hymns anyway. Perhaps we could recover the use of boards with hymn numbers that older churches used (I think in many areas of greening returning to older habits will be helpful).
This is just one idea, but I think it deals well with both the issues of wasting paper and needing some (but perhaps not too much) structure. I would love to hear other ideas that might actually be in practice to deal with these or other issues from bulletin use. I hope to try my project soon and share the results.
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2 comments:
I think about this issue a lot. I love that my church, Belmont UMC - Nashville, has boxes that remain at all of the exits of the church for people to place their bulletins for recycling. This certainly helps but doesn't address the issue of printing several hundred each week. When I lived in England, I would often go to daily service of Evensong in the Cathedral. They had a laminated card that remained in the quire seats (where everyone sat) that offered the structure for the service, including areas of response. Also, why is it that every person in church has to have their own bulletin?
these are great points danny. thank you so much for offering them. i've intentionally printed less bulletins than "needed" at my churches in alabama to teach them it's okay to share. it's so funny to see even married couples each with their own bulletin. i think it's truly part of the american individualism that pervades everything.
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