Lent
Lent Bulletin Guide: Ash Wednesday to Easter
· LanternLetter Co.
Lent is the season of preparation before Easter. In Western churches it begins on Ash Wednesday and runs about forty days (not counting Sundays) to Holy Week. Bulletins in this season usually take on a quieter, simpler tone and build toward Easter.
Services you may need bulletins for
- Ash Wednesday: imposition of ashes, confession, and instructions for coming forward
- Sundays in Lent: often five Sundays before Palm Sunday
- Midweek Lenten services or soup suppers, if your church holds them
- Palm/Passion Sunday: procession details
- Maundy Thursday and Good Friday: often with a stripping of the altar or Tenebrae, so lighting and silence notes matter
- Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday: a brighter design that marks the change of season
Design tone
- Purple is the traditional color for Lent; some churches use unbleached or rough textures. Keep decoration restrained.
- Many churches omit "Alleluia" in Lent; check before printing hymn texts and responses.
- Design the Easter bulletin in the same family but brighter, so the contrast is visible.
- Use large, clear type for Good Friday or Tenebrae services held in low light (see our large-print bulletin guide).
Lent planning checklist
- Confirm the dates of Ash Wednesday and Easter for this year.
- List every service and event, including midweek gatherings.
- Choose one design family for Lent and a matching Easter version.
- Prepare a Holy Week schedule insert and repeat it in the bulletin from mid-Lent onward.
- Share Holy Week times in your newsletter and social posts.
For weekly structure ideas, see church bulletin ideas. For the season before Christmas, see our Advent bulletin guide.
More guides
- Church Bulletin Ideas: 25 Practical Ideas for Weekly Bulletins
- Advent Bulletin Guide: Themes, Readings and Design Ideas
- How to Write a Church Newsletter People Actually Read
- Church Social Media Graphics: A Simple Weekly Plan
- Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Program: A Planning and Layout Guide
- Christmas Church Bulletin Ideas: Covers, Content and Planning for December
- Large-Print and Accessible Church Bulletins: A Practical Guide
- Advent Wreath Readings for Your Bulletin: A Week-by-Week Guide
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