3 Replies to “Exciting orders of service?”

  1. This isn’t really a type-setting issue. But I’ve been a recent guest at a large UCC church, and I end up guest preaching every other month at different UU congregations. My random bulletin observations…

    (1) The UCC order of worship was a large booklet. The denominationally produced color cover was nice, but the booklet was large and unwieldly to juggle with the hymnal. Much of the information included in the booklet were announcements that might be better off in the monthly or weekly newsletter. Too much bulk! Also, the Lord’s Prayer was laid out in paragraph format. For some reason, I’ve noticed from multiple churches that do this, that the congregational reading of the paragraph formatted prayer ends up being clunky. Different people pause and re-start in different places. I think it would work better if printed “poetry style” as a collum. The end of each stanza serves as a cue for the breathing-pause between lines.

    (2) Chalice images on the cover of UU bulletins should not be too cute-see or complex. Keep it simple and dignified, with good light-dark contrast. A newbie viewing the cover should be able to figure out what the image is without some kind of arcane initiation into the secret symbols of the movement.

    (3) Another observation from UU service bulletins. DO NOT USE MORE THAN TWO FONTS! I know that sometimes we need to differentiate between different people’s speaking roles. But when more than 2 fonts are used, it creates a junky feel to the bulletin. Instead, make full use of bolding and italics in a single font. And only as a last resort add a second font. Do not go into a third!

    -Derek

  2. For what its worth I have found that the liturgy at the UU Church of Greater Lynn (Swampscott, MA) to be exciting. It is broken up into sections the way many Christian orders of services are. Welcoming /Discovering the word/ etc… Each year they also study a different religion so at the top of each week’s order it will say “Candlemas or Imbolc or the circumcision of the Buddha. It comes from the work their minister Van Knight.

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