How many hymnals for your congregation?

1. Don’t assume that the number of existing hymnals in the pew racks is enough.
2. That being said, watch people singing during a worship service. Does everyone  
   singing have easy access to a hymnal?
3. Gather enough people, preferably of different sizes, to fit into the longest pew in  
   the sanctuary and do a test. 
4. Check one of all same-length pews. If there are an odd number of people on a  
   pew make sure that there is an extra hymnal for that single person. 
5. If more hymnals are needed than there is room for in the hymnal racks, hymnals  
   may be placed on the end of the pew seats. 
6. Plan for enough hymnals to accommodate the entire sanctuary. 
7. Measure the hymnal racks with an actual copy of Celebrating Grace. Newer  
   hymnals have more content and may not fit as well as the current copies. Many  
   times in older sanctuaries the hymnal racks were custom designed for the  
   hymnal that was to be used. There are “work arounds” for this problem.  
8. Consider choir copies – one per singer (There is a loose leaf choir edition.) 
9. Don’t forget large print hymnals for those with sight difficulties. Celebrating Grace  
   has loose leaf, large print hymnals. Hymns for the worship service can be taken  
   from the large print edition and placed in a smaller folder. Thus the weight will be  
   far less. Remember to have the hymns replaced after each service. 
10. Many times individuals may want a copy of the hymnal for themselves. Offer that  
    as an option to your congregation when an order is placed.