Writing Event Fliers and Announcements for LDS Church Wards and Stakes

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What you'll find here

This lens will help LDS church members (and possibly any organization) to write better event flyers, Sunday meeting bulletins, etc. Many of us doing these jobs in the lay ministry organization of the LDS church simply don't have the experience to do it. Because you're probably focused so hard on your event's logistics, it can be easy to forget about communicating enough about your event. This lens provides some minimium-content check lists, examples of good and bad event communication, and technology ideas to help make it easy.

Most of what I include here is about content, but I will also include some ideas about tools, effective and creative layout, and web integration.

What's included here? Tips on minimum content for flier content, for Sunday bulletins, for inegrating the Sunday bulletin and the ward web site, and even how to leverage multiple languages!

Mormon Lingo in this Lens 

While I think the lens content will be helpful to people in many organizations, I am writing specifically for the LDS Church Wards and Stakes. I'll use words like "Ward" and "Stake" that may not mean a lot to you. The list below will help you decipher the organizational lingo.

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Visit Mormon.org for general information

Mormon.org contains a Glossary and a lot of inform more...0 points

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"Stakes" and "Wards"

A Stake is comparable to a Diocese and is led by a more...0 points

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Primary, Relief Society, and Quorums

Primary is the children's organization. Relief Soc more...0 points

Common Problems 

Examples of common problems. See if you can relate.

The biggest problem we have in publishing events in wards and stakes isn't doing it or not doing, or format, or graphics, or readability, or distribution. It's content.

For example, consider how many times you've picked up a sheet of paper in a church building shared by 3-4 wards with the following problems:
  • A Sacrament Meeting Bulletin that doesn't include the Stake name or even the official name of the church
  • A primary event flier that doesn't indicate the ward
  • A ward activity flier with no contact information or that has a date with no year
  • Any flier for a ward with two or more commonly spoken languages that doesn't use both languages

Minimum Content Requirements for Anything 

Don't leave anything out

Most writing communication problems, like for event fliers or announcements, can be solved rather quickly and easily. Spend an extra 10 minutes considering the following pieces of information when writing your flier web posting, or blurb for the Sunday bulletin.

Consider the basic questions that every elementary school child is taught for writing: Answer the questions, "Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How." Cover those well, and you'll have done better than most!

Event Fliers: Minimum Content 

Don't forget Name, Location, Date, Time!

You'd be amazed at how often this basic information is left out. Include the following, and be thorough.
  • Organization name: include the official name of the church, the stake, and the ward names. Really. You need all three.
  • Event name
  • Target Audience: Be clear who your audience is. Is this a primary (children's) activity? Are siblings invited? Parents? Or if it's an Elder's Quorum (men's organization) Activity, is it a guys thing, a couples thing, or a a family thing? You'd be stunned at how many times I can't tell whether the kids are invited.... Is it a Relief Society (women's organization) event? Will a children's nursery be provided?
  • Event Location: Don't just say "ward building" or "East building." Give the address. Visitors and new members may need this. Things like addresses are sometimes "insider" information, albeit inadvertently. If you don't include it, don't bother inviting anyone other than the "regulars."
  • Event Date: Include the full event date like this: "Wednesday, May 16, 2007." It leaves no questions, and that's your goal. Use a format that the older generation will readily recognize. It will increase their comfort level (anyone's comfort level).
  • Event Time: Not only the starting time, but also expected the ending time.

Event Fliers: Setting Expectations 

Set some basic expectations for your audience

Now, beyond the basics, here are some oft-forgotten things that will help your attendees know exactly what to do and what to expect. Remember, you want to make coming to the event as easy as you can, and avoiding embarrassing misunderstandings and answering questions before they're asked will help.
  • Child care: Always, always, always include expectations about children's attendance and child care. May children attend? Will a nursery will be provided?

    I once moved to a ward and was one of three -- three!! -- young families with children. Our first Sunday, we saw a blurb in the Sunday bulletin of a Christmas Dinner that week. We figured that would be a good way to meet members outside church, so we showed up. With our children. The only children there. They were caught off-guard. And all the tables were full. There was no where to fit in 5 extra people. They scrambled, we felt awkward, and were hesitant to come to such events for a while in the future. Evidently, it was their (odd) tradition to do these dinners as adult events. And believe me, if you make me feel uneasy at an event because I brought my kids, next time I'll choose the kids over the event, I promise. So, if there is only one child in your congregation, you need to set expectations about children's attendance and child care for every event. You don't have to provide either (though you should, in my opinion, unless there's a stunningly good reason not to), but you must set the expectation before they show up and get embarrassed.
  • Contributions: What do I need to bring? My scriptures or lesson manual? A dessert? A dish for a potluck? If it's a picnic, for example, are you doing drinks or am I?
  • Appropriate dress: Mormons are particular about how one dresses when in the chapel (sanctuary). And even for some events in the cultural hall (gym), we may not be sure whether you want us casual or in Sunday dress. Tell us. don't make us guess.
  • Advanced Preparation: Do I need to prepare anything in advance? If it's a class, what shall I read before coming? If it's a training event, is there mandatory or optional reading? A relevant web site?
  • Cost: It is uncommon for Mormon's to charge for most events, but something like a CPR class or optional canning events may have cost. Specify the cost ... and how and when to pay whom. Will I pay on a donation slip, and with what description? Or pay you directly? Before or at the event?

Summary 

Anyone can write a clear event announcement, whether for the Sunday bulletin, as a bulletin insert, or as a larger flier for a bulletin board. This lens has talked about the minimum information that is needed. The fanciest flier is not helpful if it doesn't include the minimum information. A plain paper with the right details hand-written on it will succeed. If you have the ability to dress things up, go for it! But don't forget the details in the content!

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