Printing hymn board numbers and bulletin music slips
A hymn board slip is the week's hymn numbers in the order they go up on the board, printed large enough to read from the back of the church, and a bulletin insert is the same hymns with their slot, number, title and first line for the congregation. Both come from one plan, so the board and the bulletin always agree. Print both for any service from the Print tab of the planning desk.
From plan to board in five steps
Do this after the plan for the Sunday is final, usually midweek.
- Check the slots. Make sure every slot has its hymn and the slots are in the order they are sung.
- Name the hymnals. If a service uses two hymnals, give each a short name so the board shows which book each number is from.
- Print the board slip. Print the hymn board slip, two copies to a page: one for whoever puts up the numbers, one for the organ.
- Print the bulletin insert. Print the insert with the readings and the week's music, or copy its lines into the bulletin you already make.
- Change the plan, not the paper. If a hymn changes, change it in the plan and print again, so the history records what was really sung.
What goes on each
The board slip carries numbers only, in board order, with the service's name and date so a slip left on the organ bench is not used on the wrong Sunday. When hymns come from more than one book, each number carries the book's short name.
The bulletin insert carries the slot, the number, the title and the first line. First lines help a congregation find the right hymn when numbers differ between editions. Hymn words are never printed by the planner: reproducing words in a bulletin needs the permission your parish holds under its reprint licence, and belongs in the bulletin you make.
The folded bulletin
A folded bulletin is a stack of sheets printed on both sides and folded once. Its pages are not printed in reading order: the outside of the first sheet carries the last page and the first page. The planner builds this from the order of service the parish types, with the chosen hymns and readings placed where the order says, and pads the page count to a multiple of four with blank pages.
Worked example: the demo parish's next Sunday
For Proper 22, Sunday 4 October 2026, 10:00, the board slip reads, top to bottom: 40, 10, 43, 76. The bulletin insert for the same service:
| Slot | Number and title | First line |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance hymn | 40 Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise | Immortal, invisible, God only wise |
| Offertory hymn | 10 As with Gladness Men of Old | As with gladness men of old |
| Communion hymn | 43 Abide With Me | Abide with me: fast falls the eventide |
| Sending hymn | 76 Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus | Stand up, stand up, for Jesus |
An eight page folded bulletin prints on two sheets in this order (a six page order of service is padded to 8 pages):
| Side | Pages, left and right |
|---|---|
| Sheet 1, outside | 8 and 1 |
| Sheet 1, inside | 2 and 7 |
| Sheet 2, outside | 6 and 3 |
| Sheet 2, inside | 4 and 5 |
Common mistakes
- Typing the board numbers separately from the bulletin, so the two disagree on Sunday morning.
- Printing hymn words in the bulletin without checking the parish's reprint licence covers them.
- Leaving out the hymnal name when a service uses a supplement, so the board shows a number that exists in both books.
- Printing a folded bulletin in reading order when the printer does not make booklets itself.
- Correcting the paper on Sunday and not the plan, which leaves the history wrong.
Plan it now
Open the planning desk to pick this Sunday's hymns with last-sung dates beside them, or the library to enter your hymnal. Everything stays in this browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no account.
Frequently asked questions
What size should hymn board numbers be?
Large enough to read from the back pew; the slip prints each number big and bold, two slips to a page, and is for the person who puts up the board, not for display itself.
Can I put the hymn words in the bulletin?
Only under a permission your parish holds, such as a reprint licence, or for texts in the public domain. The planner prints numbers, titles and first lines, never the words.
How do I print a folded bulletin?
Choose the bulletin booklet, keep the page order imposed for folding, print on both sides flipping on the short edge, then fold the stack once. Or choose reading order if your printer makes booklets itself.
Does the bulletin include the liturgy?
Only what you type. The order of service is your parish's own, typed line by line; the planner supplies no liturgical text.
Sources
Last reviewed 27 September 2026 against:
- Revised Common Lectionary Permissions Policy, Consultation on Common Texts, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Congregations may reproduce the lectionary table for their own worship; for-sale and web resources outside the member churches need written permission, which is why readings are typed or imported by the parish here.
- Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States, Cornell University Library, table as of 1 January 2026, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Works first published in the United States before 1931 are in the public domain through expiry of copyright; the starter index holds itself to the stricter before 1929.
This guide is our own summary, not a rule book. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and if this page disagrees with the current published rules, the rules win. Hymnwise is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any church, denomination, diocese, hymnal publisher, lectionary body or licensing service, including the Consultation on Common Texts, Augsburg Fortress, Church Publishing, GIA, OCP, Hope Publishing, Hymnary.org, OneLicense and CCLI.