Church Bulletins

[Nancy]

As our church's volunteer secretary my main job is to put the church bulletin together each week. I know some churches are doing away with them, using video projection instead, but our church doesn't have that option. This week was a nightmare getting the bulletin out. My laptop works sporadically, so I bought a new more up to date one. But I don't think it's compatible with my very old printer (the church's printer that they were going to throw away but I brought it home to use). I had to change the drums in the printer and watched several you-tube videos to figure out how to solve each problem as it arose. I have to admit that the whole process gobbled up a lot of my time this week. And most people use the bulletin, and then leave it behind for me to pick up and throw into recycling. It all seems very inefficient (not to mention costly) to me.

 

[BetteTheRed]

We pay our secretary/admin assistant. But yeah, the whole worship 'thing' occupies a great deal of her week. Although we post the entire service, and livestream it, we also have paper bulletins, paper orders of service for participants, like readers and slide showers, and sound people. And then there's the Weekly News(letter), and the prayer list, all of which come together as a weekly e-cast to a large listserv.

And yeah, bulletins are 'recycled' by various means. They are a paper waster. Helpful for some sorts of visual conditions.

 

[Mendalla]

paper orders of service for participants, like readers and slide showers

Actually, I was starting to use my tablet the last couple services I did. Someone needs to come out with an app that formats an order of service nicely for mobile device screens. Make it free to the end user and charge churches to use it (maybe on a cost-recovery basis rather than a profit basis). Have it able to import Word files and reformat them to its format. Maybe a way to add the church logo and design bits like that. Basically you come to church, login to the app with your FB or Google account which then links you to the correct church account, then the latest bulletin appears with an option to open archived ones. You could have the option to be notified when the bulletin goes "live" so you can look at it before the service even.

 

[Luce NDs]

If intelligence was free on such alien sapient ... would people know more than leaders who say we shouldn't know? Why sapiens are really out of it ...

Many will not look into what rings around them in dense matter ... the very E thick of nature ... in Hebrew this is the unseen "heh"! So ha ... matter beyond the book may involve street sense ...

 

[wrdwrytr]

Hello Nancy
I sympathize completely. Bulletins have changed so much through the years they almost seem redundant now. I spent 30 years as an administrator for a United Church. When I began, I used a typewriter, stencils and a gestetner. Fridays were usually challenging to say the least. I remember typing the bulletin as the minister wrote it. Often waiting until she finished a page. Any special days such as Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas meant I'd be there for most of the day. When I left, the computer was sequenced with the printer and automatically printed all the paper off in no time. Copies were sent by e-mail to everyone connected to the service such as the tech, sound, video, readers, and ministers. Of course the number of bulletins changed as well. Going from around 175 to about 20. In a way I miss the old bulletin covers with pictures and printed reflections on the back. I wrote a few for the backs of the bulletins and still have them. I share your frustration about computers and printers. Every time I get a new computer or upgrade to a new operating system, I've had to get rid of a perfectly good printer because it wouldn't work with the new software and I couldn't upgrade the printer to be compatible. Technology is wonderful when it works properly but it does take a great deal of perseverance and patience. Hang in there, Nancy. I'm sure the work you do is appreciated by everyone who uses a bulletin. Sending you positive thoughts that everything works out.

 

[KayTheCurler]

As our church's volunteer secretary my main job is to put the church bulletin together each week. I know some churches are doing away with them, using video projection instead, but our church doesn't have that option. This week was a nightmare getting the bulletin out. My laptop works sporadically, so I bought a new more up to date one. But I don't think it's compatible with my very old printer (the church's printer that they were going to throw away but I brought it home to use). I had to change the drums in the printer and watched several you-tube videos to figure out how to solve each problem as it arose. I have to admit that the whole process gobbled up a lot of my time this week. And most people use the bulletin, and then leave it behind for me to pick up and throw into recycling. It all seems very inefficient (not to mention costly) to me.

Congratulations on getting the printing done under such trying circumstances. I'm awed by your determination to get the volunteering completed.

If I had such a difficult situation to deal with I would 'regretfully' resign.

I have no idea if our local UC still uses Bulletins. They seemed to be a major waste of paper to me.

 

[BetteTheRed]

Ours, generally one carefully double sided sheet, is a miraculous use of paper, as far as I'm concerned. And done by a paid person, which to me, reflects a UCC ethos.

One can totally follow the order of service on the screens without the bulletin, but people like the hard copy because the prayer list is on the back 1/2 page.

 

[Nancy]

@wrdwrytr I think you hit the nail on the head: My new computer won't communicate well with the old printer. But the printer is this fabulous 'workhorse' of a printer that I would hate to give up. I figured out that it will print but with about 5 seconds in between each print! So, as long as I can play my word games or Cribbage while it prints, it might just work. I only print between 35 and 45 copies. (which is why I'm a volunteer; paid employees shouldn't play cribbage at work!)

 

[Luce NDs]

@wrdwrytr I think you hit the nail on the head: My new computer won't communicate well with the old printer. But the printer is this fabulous 'workhorse' of a printer that I would hate to give up. I figured out that it will print but with about 5 seconds in between each print! So, as long as I can play my word games or Cribbage while it prints, it might just work. I only print between 35 and 45 copies. (which is why I'm a volunteer; paid employees shouldn't play cribbage at work!)

Potentially a capital conspiracy to achieve ends that they feel the normal is best left in the unknown area opposing those demanding right poles ... AI is likely to end life and all thoughts will be electrified ... ai? Such is the indeterminant wind as unreasoned stop! There be M'N stoppers as intoxicating bungs ... unfathomed by many anima-ists! Closed case ... not au Libra ... that's something else ...

 

[Mendalla]

When I began, I used a typewriter, stencils and a gestetner

Missed this earlier. My mother was a church secretary in that era. She was just starting to take computer courses when she died in '93. We hired a new minister in the late 80s who was much more "techie" than his predecessor and was itching to start doing the bulletins on a laser printer. I actually remember making Gestetner stencils for school stuff.

 

[Waterfall]

Missed this earlier. My mother was a church secretary in that era. She was just starting to take computer courses when she died in '93. We hired a new minister in the late 80s who was much more "techie" than his predecessor and was itching to start doing the bulletins on a laser printer. I actually remember making Gestetner stencils for school stuff.

Dad had a gestetner in his office for the bulletins and I folded them for Sundays.

 

[Mendalla]

Dad had a gestetner in his office for the bulletins and I folded them for Sundays.

One of those technologies that had its time and place but photocopiers and laser printers finally killed it off, eh. Must be a few museum pieces still kicking around though I would be surprised to find any still in use. You need an impact printer or typewriter to make the stencils and those are largely extinct now, too.

 

[Waterfall]

One of those technologies that had its time and place but photocopiers and laser printers finally killed it off, eh. Must be a few museum pieces still kicking around though I would be surprised to find any still in use. You need an impact printer or typewriter to make the stencils and those are largely extinct now, too.

My Dad never lived to see computers or smart phones, but he sure embraced the instant pics on the Poloroid. Lol!

 

[Nancy]

I think printers are still a problem for most of us non technical people. I use three different printers and struggle my way through their quirks. Our treasurer bought a new printer for the church because she said the old one wasn't working (it was about 3 years old). I'm using an old one that the church was going to throw out several years ago, and I google problems when they arise, and fix things myself. It's a brother, and one of the you-tube videos called it a 'work horse'. I agree. Then we have an hp officejet pro as our personal printer. And then...the new canon at the church. When I don't even use the church one for bulletins, I really wonder how the one at the church runs out of ink so fast, and needs replacement after 3 years.

 

[jimkenney12]

We had a brother printer that used ink everytime we turned it on for a cleaning process. It was not a workhorse for us. Our back up printer is a Canon given to us by friends. The one we use I got at a garage sale unused in its original box over two years ago. Need new cartridges about once a year, mainly for our Christmas letter.

 

[Mendalla]

For home, we have an older networked HP (a P2055dn) but it is rarely used nowadays. It's a workhorse, though, and got picked based on my experience with them at work. No colour capability but we don't really need that. For the rarely bits of colour printing we do, I can sneak it in on the production-grade Canon copier-printer at the office. Were I to replace it, I would go down range now. My little desktop HP at work is almost as capable. Even has duplexing, which used to only be available on midrange and higher printers like the 2055.

I did have brother in a few offices back in the day and agree that, at least back then, they were a solid printer. Haven't used one in a while, though.