Bulletins are helpful to churchgoers

Scripture, missionary information, upcoming events, hymns and more go into the thousands of church bulletins placed in the hands of Aiken churchgoers every Sunday.

And a lot of thought goes into them, too.

Senior pastors, worship directors, children's ministers and church office administrators coordinate to produce the Sunday bulletins, which serve a number of purposes in a church.

Bulletins typically include a rundown of the worship service, sermon title and/or sermon outline and accompanying music and Scripture readings. Music directors work closely with their pastors to match music with the main message.

"There is a weekly meeting between the ministers and music director," said Cheryl Kelly, administrator with First Presbyterian Church. "Ministers choose the Scriptures and responsive readings. It all stems from the Scriptures."

A section for upcoming events is also often found in church bulletins, which includes everything from potluck dinners and meetings to baptisms and Sunday school classes. "It gets all the information out to the people as to what's going on this week and in the coming weeks," said Kaye Merriett, office administrator with Midland Valley First Church of the Nazarene.

Sometimes, bulletins are so full, inserts are required. Other times, inserts go in only for special events like Youth Sunday when the church's youth get more involved in the worship service.

Most church administrators said all information must be gathered by Wednesday. A rough draft of the bulletin is compiled then edited by several sets of eyes.

Cindy Spear, ministry assistant with Grace Brethren Church, said bulletins are edited by two people other than herself before they are printed. Printing happens in-house at many churches around Aiken.

The bulletin front at Cedar Creek Church is printed before anything else since it usually has a lot of colorful images and text, thanks to members of the congregation with experience in graphic design.

"We have a creative team here," said administrator Kay Brantley. "They use their creative touches and put it together."

Bulletins by the numbers:

* Cedar Creek

Banks Mill campus - 1,800

West Campus (USC Aiken Convocation Center) - 400

* Midland Valley First Church of the Nazarene - 400

* Grace Brethren Church - 150

* First Presbyterian Church - 380