wfn.org | Stop In & Find Out advertising campaign reaches out to the

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Note #6236 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

"unchurched"
26-October-2000
00376

Stop In & Find Out advertising campaign reaches out to the "unchurched" 

by Mary Julia Pace
	
	When Deborah Hollifield chaired the evangelism committee at Trinity
Presbyterian Church in The Colony, TX last year, she tried something a
little different. She directed an advertising campaign.

	Using materials from Stop In & Find Out - the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.)'s cooperative media campaign, Hollifield and others on the
committee bought commercial time on local cable television stations during
the Advent season. Trinity's spots aired during "family hour" programming
and ended with an invitation for viewers to "stop in and find out" about
what the church had to offer. They also placed advertisements in the
community's two weekly newspapers during the Advent season.

	"Every time we put an ad in print or ran one on televison, we probably
brought in a third more visitors than we're accustomed to seeing," said
Hollifield.

	Much like the message delivered to the farmer in the movie, "Field of
Dreams" -- if you build it, they will come -- evangelism and church growth
experts advise congregations that the best way to get people to come to
church is to invite them -- if you invite them, they will come.

	Now in its third year, the Stop In & Find Out campaign is releasing its
revised promotion kit this month. The kit contains advertising tools such as
artwork for bumper stickers, brochures, posters, materials for direct mail,
newspaper ads, radio commercials and sample television spots together with
instructions for using them effectively.

	The kit also contains the booklet Becoming a Welcoming Congregation to help
church members welcome seekers, neighbors and friends. Broadcast quality
television commercials are available separately.

	With messages for people primarily between the ages of 25 and 49, the
campaign is directed to people who are asking questions such as "Why do bad
things happen to good people?" and "How will going to church help me?" After
"voicing" these questions, the campaign materials then allow churches to
insert an invitation to "stop in and find out" about their congregation.

	As with many church evangelism committees, Trinity didn't have the
expertise or budget to create commercials from scratch. The campaign offered
her group the "framework" to begin, said Hollifield.

	In addition to an increase in visitors, Hollifield said that when members
saw their church's advertisements, "they were totally jazzed."

	Timing the ad campaign to run during a holiday or special season worked for
the Green Mountain Presbyterian Church in Lakewood, CO as well, said Stan
VanPutten, who focused on evangelism as a session member last year.

	"We had a 31% increase in membership, plus our average attendance on
Sundays went from 80 to 163," said VanPutten.

	VanPutten, who's professional background is in marketing, said the church
concentrated its efforts on the geographical area surrounding its suburban
neighborhood. A growing community, Lakewood is sustaining a 15% growth in
population each year. A $7,500.00 grant from the Denver Presbytery for
outreach efforts was a significant boost to the church's capabilities.

	Green Mountain combined the Stop In & Find Out radio commercials and print
ads in suburban newspapers for a three-month campaign from August to October
of last year.

	"We wanted to get their attention before the holidays and just after school
begins. That's when families are getting back into a routine and we wanted
going to church to be one of them," he said.

	VanPutten said he hears a welcoming message in the Stop In & Find Out
campaign.

	 "There is a God. God is accessible. And, we're not going to throw the book
at you if you come to our church," he
explained.  

	The National Cooperative Media Campaign is a program of the National
Ministries Division's Evangelism and Church Development program area. Staff
members of the Office of Communication also staff the campaign. A
five-member advisory group from the church at large of people with media
expertise meets with the campaign staff twice a year for creative
development and project planning.
	
	For more information, call toll-free 1-888-728-7228, ext. 5490, or visit
www.stopinfindout.org. Kits may be ordered through the Presbyterian
Distribution Service, 1-800-524-2612.

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