Customize Your Book

Fully Customizable Guide Book & Directory

All Guide Book & Directories are designed to be highly customizable by each congregation. This page features some of the customizable options for each annual printed edition of a Guide Book & Directory.

Book Cover Choices

Our graphic artists design custom covers for each Guide Book & Directory we produce. The process starts by choosing the paper you want for your current edition from a selection of cover-stock paper samples that we will send to you. Once you have chosen your paper, you will be asked to submit photos, line drawings, art cuts, or any special wording you would like on your cover. From there, the graphic artists will create a custom cover for your congregation and submit it to you for approval. Click on the different faith groups below for cover ideas for your next Guide Book & Directory.

Baptist Publications
Catholic Publications
Jewish Publications
Lutheran Publications

Cover of the month Winners 2015 & 2016
Methodist Publications
Presbyterian Publications
United Church of Christ Publications

Letter from the Pastor

The first page of the book is left open for you to customize information of your choice. Many Guide Book & Directories include a letter from the Pastor or Office Staff to the members of their congregation on that page. Click to view sample letters that have been included in existing Guide Book & Directories.

Index of Advertisers

The second page of each Guide Book & Directory always includes an Index of Advertisers. The name of the business, their phone number, and the page of their display advertisement is listed for each advertiser. This message is included in the Index of Advertisers: “These are our business and professional friends who have made this Guide Book & Directory possible at no cost to our congregation. We thank them for their involvement and encourage you to consider their fine services. In order to view these advertisements online, please visit guidebookpublishing.com.”

Guide Section

The next approximately 14 pages are fully customizable by each congregation. They are designed to provide the information your congregation members need throughout the year. Suggestions on what to include in these pages is available in the Guide Book Suggestions.

Directory Section

The back of the book consists of all of the contact information for the members of your congregation. This information is gathered from your congregation census database, checked via a CASS mail certification for accuracy of street addresses, and placed alphabetically in the book. The customizable option in this section is what information to include for each entry. See the Directory Suggestions for options.

Advertisements

The Guide Book & Directory are made available to each congregation at no cost thanks to the advertisers. All advertisements included are for family-oriented businesses. We highly value the privacy of your members and will not sell an advertisement to a business where it seems apparent their only reason for advertising is to get the contact information of your members.

Online Guide Section

All publications are also provided with an Online Guide Section hosted on our website. This consists of the printed Guide Section and all of the advertisements within the printed Guide Book & Directory. It does not contain the directory section of the book with members’ contact information. Congregations are encouraged to link the PDF Online Guide Section to their website as well.

Complete Guide Book & Directory PDF

All publications will have a PDF version of the complete Guide Book & Directory emailed to your production contact at the time your printed books arrive in your office. You may choose to distribute this document as you wish to office staff, clergy, key members of the congregation, etc. As it contains your members’ contact information a confidentiality statement is included in the document, requesting that the document not be shared or forwarded to anyone without the approval of the church office.

GBP is now serving over 850 congregations and over 8,000 businesses each year in 25 states.

Our congregation has found this to be a very helpful publication. It has replaced many separate pieces that had been given to new members in the past. This Guide Book & Directory is most helpful on a yearly basis to keep [our] members’ current and information up to date.

Philip J. Frappaolo, General Manager at Sacred Heart Church in Cullman, Alabama