A number of our churches have applied to the Kingdom People Fund for a grant to replace their external church noticeboards. Here are a few pointers of how to make your church noticeboard as effective as possible.
It’s important to remember the two main functions of external church noticeboards;
- To make your local community aware that you are there and are an active church that meets regularly, and,
- To encourage them to walk through the door, knowing they will be welcomed.
Positioning of your church noticeboard
The position of your noticeboard is one of the most important points to consider. Where will it be best seen by passersby, both pedestrians and drivers? Is some of your land next to a public footpath or road, as in the example pictured? Is there a junction where perhaps drivers might be held at traffic lights? The angle is important to consider too. Would a 45-degree angle from your church boundary give your noticeboard the best visibility for those passing by?
Your noticeboard should be tall enough to be seen above any adjacent fence but not obstruct the view of the church, and the font-size needs to be large enough for people walking on the opposite side of the road to be able to read it.
Communicating key messages visually
The material used for your noticeboard, the colours, font type, as well as the words you choose will all help make your noticeboard more visible and, consciously or subconsciously, communicate your church’ vision and ethos.
If you wish to communicate that you are a traditional church, then a wooden noticeboard might be the best choice with text displayed in a serif typeface such as Times New Roman but be sure to invest in a good quality treated wood that will weather well and continue to maintain it.
If your services feature lively worship styles with contemporary music, you may want to choose a more modern material that reflects this such as an aluminium board and bright high-contrast colours as well as a more modern sans-serif font (where the letters don’t have added lines) such as Arial or Verdana.
If you have a church logo it would be good to display this prominently at the top of your noticeboard. That way when flyers drop through local doors advertising your services or seasonal events, people will make the connection to the building they pass regularly. If you want to include the Diocese or Church of England logos, then contact the Diocesan Communications team for these.
One section of your noticeboard changing periodically will ensure people that pass your church everyday continue to notice it. To do this include a clear fronted section where you can place one large poster for your next big event, preferably with pictures of people from your congregation, and schedule a date and time on a monthly basis to review and remove or replace this. Be sure to consider the materials for this though. Clear Perspex or sealed unbreakable glass are good choices.
Any fixed text that might be subject to change in the future – e.g. the name and contact details of the incumbent – should be in a format that could be easily changed without compromising the appearance of the updated board.
Inviting people in
The tone and language used on your board should be warm and friendly, inviting curiosity and connection.
Aim to promote the time and day of one main service that is for everyone and where volunteers will be on hand to welcome anyone new. For example, ‘All Together Worship, 10 am – All welcome’. You could perhaps include a simple message as well such as ‘Join us as we worship God and serve [name of town or city].
Less is more
Always keep in mind that your church noticeboard is about attracting new people. It is not for your current congregation. If they are already coming to church they will hear about what is going on from notices read out, pew sheets, emails or texts. Therefore, your church noticeboard does not need to include flyers or notices about everything that is happening. Unfortunately, a crowded board can easily overwhelm or confuse onlookers. It also makes it harder to stay on top of ensuring your noticeboard is up to date, as out of date notices, schedules and posters could cause people to question whether your church is currently active and meeting at the time advertised.
It's a good idea instead to include your church website address so that people can research more about your other services, ethos, congregation and the full calendar of group meetings or events coming up, before they attend your church. Younger generations that have grown up with the internet are unlikely to enter your church based purely on what is on your noticeboard and will likely do more research online first. Instead, your noticeboard is one useful tool which alongside other communication methods, such as flyers distributed locally, social media and the website. These will all help build up a picture of your church and what people can expect the welcome, congregation and services to be like if they were to attend.
For further advice or support on improving or replacing external noticeboards at your church, please contact the Diocesan Communications team via: communications@cofe-worcester.org.uk
This article assumes noticeboards have consent from the Archdeacon and adhere to local planning and advertising regulations or the exemptions criteria. See the C of E noticeboard advice page for more on this or contact the Diocesan Church Buildings Team via churches@cofe-worcester.org.uk.
