How to write church announcements people actually read
Most announcements fail for the same reason: they were written for the person who wrote them. They assume everyone knows what the event is, where the room is, and who Maria is. A reader who is new, or only half paying attention, gets nothing from them.
Here is a way to write them so they work for that reader.
Put the thing first
Start with what it is. Not "We would like to invite everyone to join us for a very special evening", but "Pathfinder bake sale, Sunday, 10 to 2, in the fellowship hall." The first few words decide whether the rest is read.
Answer four questions
Every announcement should answer what, when, where, and who to ask. Leave one out and someone will have to stop you in the foyer to find out. Compare these two.
Before: "There will be a work bee soon, and help is needed. Please see Pastor."
After: "Work bee, Sunday, November 8, 9 am. Bring gloves and a rake. Questions: Tom, 250 555 0142."
The second takes the same space and removes three questions.
One ask per announcement
If you want people to do something, say what it is: sign up at the welcome desk, bring a dish, tell the deacons. If there is no action, ask whether it needs to be there. A bulletin that is mostly information people do not need teaches them to skip the page.
Drop the filler
Phrases like "all are welcome", "don't miss it" and "we hope to see you there" take up room and say nothing. If the event is open to everyone, say so once, at the top of the page. A short line such as "Everyone is welcome" is enough.
Write for a stranger
Spell out abbreviations the first time. Use full names for groups (the Pathfinder club, not PF). Give the room, not "the usual place". Include the day of the week as well as the date, since people get dates wrong. A visitor should be able to act on the announcement without asking anyone.
Handle repeating events once
Weekly prayer meeting, monthly potluck, a standing Bible study. These should not be retyped every week. Keep them in a standing list and print them until they end. Give each one an end date when you create it, so it stops by itself and nobody has to remember to delete it. Bulletin Generator has this built in, and a spreadsheet with a column for the end date does the same job.
Set an expiry on everything
An announcement for an event that happened last week is worse than none, because it tells readers the page is not looked after. When you add one, note when it should come out. Some churches review the list every Thursday and cross off anything that has passed.
Keep a small standing block for the basics
Things people ask every week belong somewhere fixed: how to give, how to reach the pastor, when the prayer meeting is. Put them in the same spot on the back page and take them out of the announcements.
For people who cannot read small print
Announcements are the part of the bulletin that gets the smallest type. If members with low vision are part of your congregation, give them a bigger copy. We have a guide on large print bulletins.
Common questions
How long should a church announcement be?
One to three short sentences. If it needs more than that, point to a flyer, a web page or a person.
How many announcements are too many?
If people are not reading the page, there are too many. Many churches find that five or six per week is about the limit before the page stops being read.