From order forms to the Christmas Eve bulletin
Enter each order as the forms come in: who gave it, each name it remembers or honors, how many plants of which color, and what they paid. Or paste the rows from your online order form. The bulletin list builds as you go, under "In loving memory of" and "In honor of", with the giver after each name, in the order the orders came in. That is what most parish lists do: of 16 Christmas and Easter lists we read, 12 were in order received, 4 were A to Z by giver, and none was sorted by the name remembered. For an A to Z list, pick Giver A to Z or Name A to Z under Order. Churches that print a "Given by" column, like Hyde Park United Methodist, can pick Giver first; lists like First Lutheran, Muskegon and Glade United Church of Christ put the name first, as here.
Before printing, read any warnings under the order form: an order typed twice, or one name spelled two ways. When orders close, send the florist order, print the pot tags, and follow up with anyone on the Money tab who has not paid yet.
Questions from flower committees
How is a memorial poinsettia listed in the bulletin?
The parish lists we read put the person remembered first and the giver after: "Margaret Armstrong, given by the Culver family", under a heading such as "In loving memory of". A second heading holds the names given in honor of living people. Some churches print a two-column table of givers instead. Both layouts are here.
How many names can go on one poinsettia?
That is up to your church. One form we read asks for one or two names per plant and "My family" or "Loved ones" for more. Another allows one person, couple or family per plant. Put your rule on the order form so the list stays readable.
What do churches charge for a poinsettia?
The parish order forms we read asked $10 to $20 a plant. Set your own prices under Plants and prices. The money check then shows what each order owes and who still has to pay.
The same person is remembered by two families. Is that a duplicate?
No. Both lines are printed, one for each giver, and nothing is flagged. Tick "Combine givers for the same name" to print one line with both givers. Only an order typed twice, or one name spelled two ways, is flagged.
Can I paste orders from Google Forms or a spreadsheet?
Yes. Copy the rows with the header row and paste them. Columns for giver, in memory of, in honor of, quantity, color, size, amount paid and payment method are read, and the page lists any column it left out. Lines copied from last year's bulletin work too.
What happens to the plants after Christmas?
The order forms we read let givers take their plants home after the Christmas Eve service, or leave them for shut-ins or a member in need. Mark each order either way. The pot tags and florist totals show which plants go home.
Does it work for Easter lilies and altar flowers?
Yes. Switch to Easter lilies and you get a separate list, with its own prices and bulletin heading. Your Christmas list stays as it was. Altar flowers and Advent wreaths have a third list.
Where is the list saved?
In this browser on this device, after every change. Nothing is uploaded. To move the list to the church office computer, download a backup and open it there.
Prices, names per plant and pick-up notes come from order forms at Immanuel UMC ($10), First Congregational, Bristol ($15), First Congregational, Western Springs ($17), Sacred Heart ($20) and Ave Maria Catholic Church ($20). Default verses are from the King James Version.