Church announcements are a vital part of your worship and materials. They inform your members and visitors of key events that connect them to the church community. Aside from being covered from the pulpit during weekly Sunday worship, churches will place them in their bulletins, newsletters, emails and on their bulletin boards.
Unfortunately, most church staff is strapped for time. Vanco's comprehensive guide gives you the how-tos, templates, tools, images, and examples you need to make captivating church announcements, simplifying the process for business church leaders.
Table of Contents
According to 2020 statistics, 47% of American adults belong to a church, mosque, or synagogue. This means church is a great way to connect. While services are largely events about worship and community, church leaders can also use them to make worship service announcements about church events and opportunities.
Are you wondering how to write church announcements that will make an impression on members and inspire them to participate?
Let's take a look at some tips for creating impactful announcements.
Church announcements often have the feel of only being for insiders. Ensure they relate to the entire community to boost engagement in the service and the church as a whole.
Announcements are an opportunity for your church to make a statement about what's meaningful to you and your priorities. They remind members how behavior and theology intersect and show visitors what your church is all about.
Not all church announcements necessarily need a script. That being said, you're always going to want to do some preparation ahead of time.
Before delivering an announcement, make sure you have answers to these questions first.
When you have announcements you repeat each week, it can make sense to write a script or a template. This might include the welcome, small groups, offering and more. You'll want to make this as precise and clear as possible.
Communicate the importance of the announcement to staff and members to avoid last-minute church announcements that disrupt church service schedules.
The last thing you want is for your church announcements to feel like sponsored advertisements during a sermon. To avoid this, think about connecting with the people who are present rather than talking to them as if they're customers of a brand. Take this time to genuinely communicate how the opportunities and events will help nurture and serve those in attendance.
Help people understand how participation in the opportunities and events listed can fulfill the mission of the church and the Christian mission as a whole.
Think of it this way: the announcements should focus more on how participating will benefit those listening rather than what you need from them. You want to inform, but it is even more important to inspire.
When you deliver a church announcement, offer a clear next step. Rather than confusing them with details, give them the most important bullet points and action steps for how they can be involved.
Let people know who they should talk to if they want to participate or where they can get more information.
It is all too common for in-service church announcements to be directed to a small percentage of attendees. This is one of the biggest reasons that people start to tune out during this part of the service. For this reason, it's best to use this time to make announcements that apply to everyone who is attending the service.
If you have an event or opportunity that only a small segment of your members will be interested in, it might be a good idea to find another communication channel to distribute this information to a more targeted audience.
Are a lot of your church members tuned into social media channels like Facebook? If so, church social media accounts can be great for improving church communication. If it's time for you to start an Instagram account for your church, take a look at this article on church Instagram setup.
Stories are one the best ways to inspire people and help your congregation connect to church announcements. For example, if you're going to discuss an upcoming mission trip, you might tell an inspiring story from the trip taken the year before. You also might find a church member who has a compelling story to tell about their experience going on mission trips.
There is no general consensus on the best time to deliver church announcements. Some churches wait until the end of the service, while others get them out of the way in the beginning.
It all comes down to your congregation's preferences. Take note of your members' preferences and determine the best time to get the message across.
For example, if people tend to leave during the last song, you'll probably want to have the church announcements earlier in the service. If it seems like everyone is a bit distracted at the beginning of the service, then having announcements later on is best. There is no right answer to when your church announcements should be, but what is important is that you are intentional about placing them in the program.
Some ministries work important announcements into their church sermons. Oftentimes it's easy to make a connection between church announcements and your key sermon topic.
During sermons, people are intently listening to your message. This means that when you bring up important events, the message will get through to more people.
It can be easy to write your announcement for a reader rather than as a script to be read by a presenter. When you are writing, read back what you've written out loud. This can help you get a sense of how it will flow when spoken.
It's amazing the things you notice when you read out loud versus reading in your head. You'll notice if a phrase sounds silly or if you've repeated the same word too many times.
While there’s always some room for including references to scripture, poetic language, or even a joke or two, going on for too long will test your audience’s patience. Additionally, if you make language too complex, you might lose them in the middle of church announcements.
To avoid this, be concise and clear. Decide what your most important points are, and state those straightforwardly.
Include only necessary details and invite congregation members to ask questions if they want to learn more. This approach will make your language more concise.
Some churches have had success by changing the name "announcements" to "opportunities." This change in church communication strategies impacts how members receive the information. Rather than having need-based, insider-focused and boring information, frame them as opportunities to make the info action-oriented, exciting and outsider-focused.
This is a great way to help narrow the focus and prioritize the opportunities that people can really connect with. Other bits of information can be communicated through other channels like email, church bulletins or through social media.
A weekly email is one of the best ways to send religious service updates. You can initially announce events during your service and follow up with an email that gives more information. This is also an opportunity to provide exclusive content to members while encouraging them to look at these important emails every week.
It's easy to only focus on insiders when making church announcements. However, people who don't attend regularly can feel left out during this part of the service. Consider how you can include church visitors while also speaking to members who are there every Sunday.
You want to keep the members of your congregation on the edge of their pews when delivering church announcements. The following sections will review how to read church announcements and keep your audience engaged.
When you’re reading church announcements to your congregation, ensure you’re using a tone of voice that will speak to them. Some options include conservative, cheerful and conversational.
Think about your congregation and how they have reacted to your tone in the past. Additionally, consider who’s in your audience. What is the most appropriate tone and which one will make them more likely to listen?
Once you’ve determined what tone to use, you can decide what context and language to provide with your community outreach messages.
If you are looking to make an impact while reading church announcements, consider segmentation.
You may have noticed that there are different groups of people with different lifestyles, interests and needs within your congregation. There may be groups of older churchgoers who’ve been attending for a long time and other groups of young families.
If you’ve been doing a lot of youth outreach, you might have some younger people coming to your church, too.
Regardless of your church community population, you must create effective church announcements tailored to each segment.
To get started, think about the different groups that make up your audience. Then, place each group into a segment, such as age, interests, marital status, income and jobs.
Emphasize key points that are important to these segments. Speak on their level to grow your connection.
You can also use segmentation for congregation members who speak another language. For example, you can appeal to Spanish-speaking members by including Spanish phrases or discussing Spanish language resources in your announcements.
Another way to keep your audience engaged is by getting creative with how you present church announcements. Are there people in your congregation who could act out a fun skit that transitions into your announcements?
To do this well, you could put together a script and practice with this group before you make the announcements.
In addition to skits, you could put together songs, raps, ditties or rhymes to get your audience’s attention. You could also have members dress up as Biblical characters and act out the announcements. If you choose this approach, take note of your hit characters and have them reprise their roles every couple of weeks.
Congregation engagement tips include involving kids. Their parents and grandparents will certainly pay attention if their kids are making announcements or doing a skit.
Whatever you do, be sure to mix it up. Any idea gets stale if repeated too often.
If you want to read church announcements innovatively, consider video. We mentioned the effects of video and images earlier, but when it comes to announcements, churches across the globe have used prerecorded videos to captivate members.
All you need is a projector and basic AV equipment, which most churches will have thanks to their online worship services.
One of the biggest benefits of using church video announcements is that everything will be set to a specific time. This will ensure you don’t go over the time you plan for announcements. You will also ensure all announcements are covered and not forgotten.
Finally, you can post this video on your website or put it up in a public area, allowing those who missed your service to access your announcements. Even if you plan to make your announcements live, you should consider making church announcement videos.
These videos can be placed on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram to promote services and events to members and those outside the congregation. These videos are valuable church growth tools used by congregations across the country. Don't overlook them as a method to grow church membership.
If you're looking for church presentation tips, we built a complete church video announcement guide to help. The guide shows you everything you need to know to get started.
Oftentimes your church bulletin and your announcements go hand in hand. In most cases, church announcements will be listed in your bulletin. But, you don't want it to be the sole medium for distributing announcements. Important items should also be covered from the pulpit or through video. Otherwise, details will be lost.
Make sure you have church bulletin ideas that help promote your announcement. Understand how they work with your church service, slides and video announcements to inform the community about key events and happenings.
Follow our handy church bulletin announcement guide to build a strong strategy and create amazing announcements to put in your bulletins.
Not everyone has a skilled copywriter on hand, so in a pinch, copy and paste church announcements can help. To help you in the best way we can, we've made church newsletter templates for common groups, events and situations at churches.
These can be used as references for building your church announcements, or they can be used as scripts for video announcements. You can copy and paste them directly into your church bulletins, emails, church newsletters or other media.
First, find which templates fit the gaps in your media. If you're struggling to write an introduction or you need help with publicizing a new group, pick the appropriate template.
Then, fill in the missing information that is marked in the template by brackets.
These templates are optimized for copy and paste, but make sure to reread your work before you finalize your copy. In some cases, you might need to change a word or two to make the announcement grammatically correct. In other cases, you might find you need to add some more details.
The best way to have a great church announcement greeting is to personalize it as much as possible. Make sure your church's values are reflected in the greeting. Include enough important information to ensure newcomers will be instantly updated on information about the church and its leaders.
Welcome to [name of church]. We are overjoyed that you are here to share in worship with us. [Name of church], led by [pastor name], is proud to model [values] to the local community and the world. Last week, [pastor name] inspired us with a sermon about [topic], and we learned [lessons learned].
We sincerely hope to grow as a community and live out these values as a church. If you're looking for a way to get involved, try living out Christ's example through [group mentioned in the bulletin] or volunteering at [event mentioned in the bulletin].
If you aren't yet registered as a community member, we would love for you to join us. You can visit our office at [address] or call the community coordinator [name] at [phone number].
We look forward to worshipping with you!
If you are modifying the above greeting to be sent through email, bulletins or church newsletters don't forget a call to action. You can use the text below as a springboard for your CTA.
Hi [name]! We're so glad you've chosen to join our community at [name of church]! Please reply or visit our website [link] to sign up for text or email updates on groups and events you're interested in. We'll see you soon! - [Pastor Name]
Request announcements are a key part of your church stewardship. That's why they are prominently featured in church announcements for congregations across the country.
These announcements keep the congregation informed about the causes your church is raising money for, and they can help stir up engagement in the community.
When it comes to church giving, churches must provide basic information to stay transparent about the handling of donations. They also should give enough information to motivate the congregation to donate.
There are different tones for giving requests. You shouldn't always keep to the same template, as your request will seem insincere. Choose from the two templates below to achieve the right effect.
When giving appeals after a tragedy, make sure your church announcement has a somber tone. The announcement should also address the details properly. Mention the cause of the tragedy and how the receivers of the donations are currently affected by it.
Finally, state exactly how the donations will be used. People will want to know how you or the receivers will spend the money. You could also mention alternatives to donating money so that the community can get involved in the cause.
For example, after a severe storm, you could write:
Dear faith community - Some of our beloved parishioners are suffering extensive damages to their homes from the recent storm. Many have lost possessions, important resources, and even the use of their buildings. As a church, we must lift each other up and support our members through tragedy.
Please consider adding an extra donation to our second collection this week. We will be offering all donations to church members in need. Donations will go to rebuilding homes and providing food and clean water to survivors. If you've found yourself in need of assistance, please contact the office at [phone number or email].
We will also be accepting donations of dry goods, baby necessities and clothing. If you'd like to donate items, please visit the office at [address or location]. Thank you for your continued generosity!
Not all tragedies are storms. If you are requesting donations for other tragedies, you can use this template:
Dear faith community - Some of our beloved parishioners are suffering from [recent tragedy]. [Add details about affected people, cities, possessions, etc.]. As a church, we must lift each other up and support our members through tragedy.
Please consider adding an extra donation to our second collection this week or donating online at [website address]. We will be offering all donations to those affected. Donations will go to [how the money will be used]. We will also be accepting donations of [alternatives to financial donations]. If you'd like to donate items, please visit the office at [address or location].
If you've found yourself in need of assistance, please contact the office at [phone number or email]. Thank you for your continued generosity!
If you need a giving request template for a specific cause or organization, try using the example below. It expresses the urgency and hopefulness that's needed for this type of requests.
Dear faith community - As you know, our church is grounded in [values], and we regularly look for opportunities to help our fellow man. Every month, we have been sending our online donations to a new cause our church empathizes with.
This month, we have chosen to focus our efforts on assisting [cause]. To assist, we are sending our second collection of donations to [relevant organization]. Any amount is a huge help and will be greatly appreciated.
If you'd like to assist in another way, you can contact the office at [phone number or email] to sign up as a volunteer. Thank you for your continued generosity!
If you require templates for prayer requests, you can use our template below. To personalize it even further, pick a specific prayer or set of prayers that the congregation should use.
Dear faith community - Our Church is named after [name] because of [values, story, etc.]. Because of our founding principles, we highly regard [cause, organization] and wish to support them/it with our prayers.
Please find the time in your week, even if it's during service this weekend, to offer up your thoughts and prayers to [cause, organization]. If you need some inspiration, please join us in praying [number of times, details, name of prayer, etc.].
We are stronger as a community unified in God. Thank you for your commitment and support!
Sometimes groups run events or send members to help out an organization. The first template in this section will help you announce a call for volunteers.
New groups pop up at churches all the time, and they are exciting opportunities for the faithful to get involved and find those with like minds. Use one of the church announcement templates below to encourage members to seize these opportunities.
The announcement you use should cater to a specific audience and list the benefits of joining.
Churches are a great place for well-meaning, faithful people to offer their time and talents to a good cause. Your church likely has several groups and organizations that rely on volunteers to run events and help the community. To connect these people to certain causes, you might use the following church announcement template.
Calling all [people with a specific talent, skill, characteristic, or just time]! Our church group, [name of group], is looking for volunteers who [fit the description for the job needed]. [Group name] will be holding an event on [date, time] and is asking for the community to sign up to help!
If you've been looking for a way to live out the faith and [lesson learned at last sermon], now is your chance! Please contact [leader of the group] at [phone number or email] to sign up for your time slot. We will see you there!
Try this template to announce a new kid's group.
Calling all parents! A new group has formed called [group name] and all children aged [ages] are invited! In this group, your children will learn [values, skills, etc] while growing to be true models of the Christian faith.
The group will meet every [day] at [time] for an hour in the [location]. Please contact [group leader] at [phone number or email] to sign up!
This church announcement template will bring attention to a new adult group.
Calling all [description of people]! Are you looking for other [description of people] who can relate to your [situation, emotion, problem]? Look no further. A new group called [group name] is starting meetings every month on [date] at [time] in [location].
In this group, you'll [list activities, benefits, etc.]
Please contact [group leader] for more information at [phone number or email]. We hope to see you next [date]!
Want to draw attention to your current groups and fellowships? Try this church announcement template.
Ever heard of [group name]? If not, you're missing out. Every [day], [group name] meets at [time] in [location] to [list activities]. Group members benefit from [benefits]. If you're looking for a new way to get active in the community, or simply need support from other church members, contact [group leader] today at [phone number or email] for more details!
If you have something to celebrate in the church community, make sure to highlight it. Along with the church announcement, offer ways the community can participate in the celebration.
You can use this template if a church member is celebrating a sacrament or has a personal accomplishment. Maybe they've gotten married recently or they've hit a huge milestone anniversary.
[Names of involved church members or family] have just celebrated [event] last week! As a church, we are overjoyed to share in their happiness. Please offer your prayers this week to them as we worship. Don't forget to congratulate them when you see them!
This template is meant to cover the accomplishments of the entire church community. Use this church announcement if the church achieved something as a whole, like paying off debts with fundraising or offering a large sum of money to a cause.
As the pastor of this thriving church community, I am proud to announce that we have raised [amount of money] and offered [goods, services] to [cause or organization] in the past month. Let us reflect and continue our generosity in the coming month. We are shining as God's beacon of light and hope in our world! Thank you for gifting what you have to this great cause.
You can even use the template to craft a message celebrating your church's anniversary. If you are using it to celebrate the founding of your church, consider handing out a church anniversary announcement letter with your bulletin.
A letter will show your appreciation for member contributions and offer additional space to promote anniversary events.
If you use backgrounds for church announcements or are thinking about adding them, there are plenty of free materials available.
We did some digging and found two great resources for church announcement images:
Church Motion Graphics - offers thousands of church announcement backgrounds including vibrant gradients and colorful landscapes.
CreationSwap - gathers resources from user submissions. Several generous churches have submitted church announcement images that can be used for your presentations. There are also videos, hymn lyric imagery and all sorts of other media. Although not all of their material is free, there are more than 4,000 free images and videos to choose from.
These resources are great for freshening up your existing presentations during church services. Their eye-catching graphics will draw your members' eyes to the screen
People retain information better when it is visually reinforced, which makes sense considering humans are highly visual creatures. Visual cues can help people remember your announcements and increase engagement for faith-based event promotions.
If you create slides for church announcements, put just a few key points on each slide to retain people's attention. Huge blocks of text may bore them.
There are plenty more announcement slides tips to cover. Check out our free church announcement slide resource to get the essential tips, including where to find the premade slides that will save your team a ton of work!
Church announcements are communications you send to the church community outside of religious messages. For example, you can make an announcement to make members aware of church events, new church projects, or milestones you have achieved. They will bestow important information while promoting a sense of community.
You can make church announcements more engaging by incorporating visual cues or using story-telling elements including skits. Let members know how they can benefit from this information to inspire them to get involved.
Don't overwhelm listeners with excessive information. Keep church announcements short and to the point with a focus on the most essential facts. Deliver information when you know your members will pay attention.
Yes, sharing church announcements online is a great way to let more people know about your causes and achievements. You may create your church announcement and share it on social media, your website, and online community boards.
Social media is a powerful way to promote church announcements. You may create a video, image, or unique post and share it on your channel. Post it at a time you know your congregation will be engaged. Use Vanco's Social Media Kit to access the tools you need to get started.
If you liked this resource, there's even more, and it's free! Download our church announcements guide complete with...