Noticeboards

By John Cole

1. Noticeboards

Sign boards by the church gate are usually one or other of two types:

A: Formal and uninformative: in between the peeling paint can just be discerned the name of the church, the times of services and maybe a contact telephone number.

B.: Raucous and garish: the huge brightly-coloured lettering suggests that the circus is in town!

Somewhere between these two extremes some effective communication might be possible!

Key factors in the effective use of noticeboards:

	Locate it (or them!) in the right place. Signs should be angled to the road so that car passengers can read them.
	Use big enough lettering. The ‘circus’ signs are often the right size, but could be done in better taste!
	In addition to a sign-board at the church gate, consider

(a) something at the road end
(b) something where many people gather, e.g. a shopping precinct

Make sure that any noticeboard carries the right kind of information: e.g.

(a) on noticeboards located away from the church, include a simple map or plan showing how to reach it.

(b) Parade the attractive features of the church - pictures of the beautiful interior, maybe, if the exterior is dull.

(c) Instead of a complicated schedule of services for the month, have a movable display which announces ‘Services Next Sunday (date): . . .’

(d) Highlight opportunities for people to meet people. Avoid giving the impression either that church life is all formal services and exclusive organisations or that it is all showbiz or socialising or even just a place for culture-vultures!

	Don’t display anything on a noticeboard which people cannot read either because it is too high up or because the print is too small.
	When people can get close enough to a noticeboard to read a variety of small notices, the secret is to be colourful, but also to be organised! Beware the chaos of new notices pinned on top of old in haphazard disorder (all out-of-date notices should be removed anyway!).
	One person with an eye for overall design should be in charge of noticeboards to keep them up-to-date and to ensure that every piece of information makes its impact.

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