The acknowledgement
One sentence, on the back page. Here it is, and here is what else belongs beside it.
The wording
Material from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000.
That is the standard form for Common Worship material reproduced locally. Reproduce it as written; it is a statement of fact about who owns the text, not a sentence to improve.
Where it goes
There is no required position. Convention, and good sense, put it on the back page with the other small print, or at the foot of the final page of a single sheet. It should be legible — 7 or 8 point is normal and entirely acceptable — and it should not be buried inside the service where a congregation might read it aloud by mistake.
What else belongs on that back page
| If your booklet contains | You also need |
|---|---|
| Common Worship texts | The acknowledgement above |
| Hymn words still in copyright | Your CCLI or Calamus licence number, and usually the author and copyright holder per hymn — see hymn copyright |
| Printed Bible passages | The translation’s own required notice (NRSV, NIV and the rest each specify one) |
| The Common Worship psalter | Covered by the same Common Worship acknowledgement |
| Your parish name and the date | On the front cover — a condition of the permission, not the acknowledgement |
A worked example of a back page
A typical parish back page carries, in small type, in this order: the Common Worship acknowledgement; the Bible translation notice; the hymn licence number; and then the parish’s own notices, office hours and website. That is all that is needed. It takes about eight lines.
Questions
What is the exact Common Worship copyright acknowledgement wording?
Material from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council 2000.
Where should the copyright acknowledgement appear in a service booklet?
There is no mandated position. The back page, or the foot of the last page, is the convention. It must be legible but may be small.