wfn.org | UMNS# 165-Products, resources help church leaders welcome, teach,

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Products, resources help church leaders welcome, teach, learn

Mar. 21, 2005

By Linda Green

As one of the biggest Sundays on the church calendar approaches, United
Methodist Communications is offering tips to help churches make visitors
feel welcome, along with resources to enhance spiritual development
throughout the year.

Through Igniting Ministry, the church's four-year old welcoming and
television ministry, the denomination's communications agency is
providing local churches with suggestions for welcoming non-regular
attendees on Easter. The ideas, along with free Easter worship resources
and Web graphics, can be found at http://www.ignitingministry.org/lent/.

"How we welcome people and engage them as first-time visitors is an
expression of our desire to incorporate them into our community," said
the Rev. Larry Hollon, top executive at United Methodist Communications.
 "It's very important to be sensitive to how we communicate. In this
way, communication becomes an expression of ministry."

Beginning April 1, Igniting Ministry will introduce "Expression
Packages." The series of resources will help church leaders understand
and use biblical, emotional and strategic themes as they advertise their
ministry and welcome visitors. "Expression Packages" will be available
in DVD and VHS formats. Each package will also include a compact disc.
Shipping will begin in June.

"It is very important that we communicate our openness to persons who
accept the invitation to worship and study with us and that we try to
make their first-time visit as affirming and welcoming as possible,"
Hollon said. "The expression packages and other materials attempt to
equip local churches with the tools necessary to present themselves in a
consistent and integrated way to make newcomers feel welcome and
encourage them to become a part of the community of faith."

United Methodist Communications offers a growing selection of resources
to enhance spiritual development. The agency's mandate is to inform,
inspire and engage individuals in transforming society and to help the
church fulfill its mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ. Stories
of hope, healing, redemption and justice are presented in many different
media.

UMCom produces audio/video materials, sells licenses and computer
hardware and software, develops Web sites, publishes church calendars,
magazines and other print resources, promotes special church emphases
and seasonal products, distributes news, provides welcoming and
advertising materials and offers training. The agency uses all its
products to inform and spread hope and inspiration to the 10 million
members of the United Methodist Church and to people beyond the church.

"Today religious concerns dominate the news, and people are searching
for meaning in their lives in many ways," Hollon said. "The church must
be attuned to this search and must communicate with people in formats
and language that encourage them to consider the faith community as a
helpful place to engage in the search for meaning."

UMCom works in partnership with local churches to create effective
resources to communicate the Christian faith positively. "In a
media-driven environment, such as ours in the United States, this takes
on critical importance, because we must break through the clutter of
messages in order to reach people effectively," Hollon said. "This is
not an easy task, and we can accomplish it only when we work together."

Last January, the agency's connectional giving team launched "Mission
Moments & More." Available exclusively at www.umcgiving.org, the series
provides a mission story and an offertory prayer for each Sunday and
brief articles for church newsletters. Pastors and church leaders can
use these to interpret the denomination's connectional ministries.

"Mission Moments & More" highlights the seven apportioned funds, the six
church-wide special Sundays with offerings and the Advance for Christ
and His Church and other avenues for designated giving in the United
Methodist Church.

Through Igniting Ministry, UMCom is helping the church live its promise
of "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors." The church's invitation to
seekers is offered through varied media, including television, newspaper
and billboard advertising. Training helps churches hone their welcoming
skills and reach out to their neighbors.

CDs and DVDs are becoming the video media of choice. Two new productions
will help churches respond to the needs of people and make a prophetic
witness in the world.

"God, Why? Teachings from the Tsunamis" is a two-session study. The
resources on DVD and CD help Christians understand God's activity in the
midst of natural disasters.  Using the South Asia tsunamis as an anchor,
"God, Why?" offers practical and spiritual answers to questions that
arise when disaster strikes.

"The Lord of the Rings: Exploring a Holy Trilogy" is six-week DVD-based
study examining the themes and characters of J.R.R. Tolkien's complex
trilogy. The study relates them to the Christian tradition.

"We seek to communicate about Christian faith in user-friendly formats
and in language that makes faith accessible to the audience," Hollon
said.

For more information on the services and products provided by United
Methodist Communications, visit the Web site www.umc.org.

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in
Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org