Church Bulletin

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term jubo (週報) means "weekly notice." It refers to the printed or electronic document that a church issues every Lord's Day and that is often handed out to members and visitors at the sanctuary entrance. It serves both as a guide that helps worshipers follow the order of service and as a newsletter that shares the week's news of the church community.

Biblical and Historical Background

No passage of Scripture directly prescribes a church bulletin. However, 1 Corinthians 14:40, which emphasizes orderly worship ("Let all things be done decently and in order"), is sometimes cited as a principle supporting the practice of announcing the order of worship in advance.

Printed orders of service distributed to the congregation, such as the bulletin, are understood to have come into wide use in Western Protestant churches after printing technology became widespread. The practice also took root in Korean churches after the beginning of missionary work there. Available documentation is insufficient to establish when, and in which church, it was first introduced.

Practice in Korean Churches

A Korean church bulletin typically includes the following:

• Order of worship: hymn numbers, responsive reading numbers, the recitation of the Apostles' Creed, the person offering the representative prayer, the Scripture reading, the sermon title, the offering, the benediction, and other elements
• Church news and announcements: events, introductions of newcomers, pastoral visitation schedules, and notices of family celebrations and bereavements
• Lists of volunteers and prayer requests
• A sermon summary or a short devotional reflection

Some churches print the names of members who have given offerings in the bulletin, a practice on which opinions within the church are divided. Some regard it as a way to report finances transparently and to encourage commitment, while other churches have discontinued it on the grounds that it invites comparison of the amount or frequency of giving.

Emphases also differ by denomination. Churches that place importance on liturgy (prescribed forms of worship), such as the Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea, often include in the bulletin the name of the season or feast in the church year along with the Scripture readings appointed for that day (the lectionary). Among Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, and Full Gospel churches, each local congregation generally determines its own format rather than following a uniform denominational template.

In recent years, a growing number of churches have begun distributing electronic bulletins through church websites, messaging services, and mobile apps alongside printed ones. This practice became especially widespread after the expansion of online worship.