wfn.org | Agency schedules regional 'Igniting Ministry' training events

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

Oct. 31, 2000 News media contact: Linda Green·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{495}

NOTE: For related coverage about the United Methodist Commission on
Communication, see UMNS stories #494 and #496.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Local churches around the United States will learn
more about marketing themselves and honing their welcoming skills during a
series of regional training events next year.

United Methodist Communications (UMCom) is coordinating nearly 30 regional
training events in 2001 as part of the denomination's Igniting Ministry
campaign. Through a major investment in television commercials, the campaign
is aimed at increasing awareness of the denomination, bringing in new
members and reacquainting old members with the church.  

As of Oct. 25, six regional training sites had been confirmed and 14 others
were in the process of being confirmed or discussed. The United Methodist
Board of Discipleship will assist UMCom.

The regional training, which will begin in March, will expand the scope of
the campaign by offering resources to assist local churches in strengthening
their welcoming and marketing skills, Igniting Ministry officials said.
Training will rotate among the five jurisdictions.  

"The goal is to ensure that what is available in the television ads is going
to be available at our local churches," said Shirley Whipple Struchen,
director of the regional training for UMCom. The events will help churches
be hospitable and welcoming, she explained. Struchen updated the agency's
governing members during their Oct. 27-29 meeting.

Local churches are encouraged to send a minimum of three members of their
teaching membership team, including the pastor, to the daylong events. For a
$35 registration fee, each attending congregation will receive help in
increasing community awareness of their presence. Participants will explore
how people are made to feel welcome and wanted. They also will examine the
quality of life in their communities, using demographic materials and a
planning kit filled with practical "how-to" guides for local churches. One
kit, to be used during the course of the campaign, will be given to each
church. The kits will be available in March.

In an effort to prepare for the regional events, the agency is hosting two
"Train the Trainers" events Feb. 13-15 and Feb. 19-21 at Scarritt-Bennett
Center in Nashville. These sessions are designed to train those who will
provide leadership for the regional events.  

People receiving matching grants are required to participate in one of the
regional training events. Matching grants will enable annual conferences and
congregations to buy local and regional advertising on television. The
matching grants are a supplement to the national Igniting Ministry campaign
and will be used to reach people that the local church is trying to attract.

United Methodist Communications is contributing $1 million annually in
matching grants for use by conferences and churches. Three rounds of up to
$50,000 per applicant will be implemented yearly. Application forms are
available by calling (877) 281-6535 or by going to
http://www.ignitingministry.org on the World Wide Web. Deadline for
applications is Dec. 1.

Sites currently confirmed to host training events are: 
·	Virginia Annual Conference, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., March 24. Contact: the
Rev. Al Horton or Kathy Callis at (804) 359-9451, Ext. 336, or
alhorton@vaumc.org.
·	The Arkansas Area (the Little Rock and North Arkansas conferences),
10 a.m.-5 p.m., April 19 at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in
Little Rock. Contact: Jane Dennis or Melissa Sanders at (501) 324-8031 or
sjdennis@compuserv.com.
·	Louisiana Conference, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., April 24, at the Louisiana
Conference Center. Contact: Rena Yocom at (225) 346-1646, Ext. 220, or
laconfry@premier.net.
·	The Kansas Area (the Kansas East and West conferences), 9 a.m.-4
p.m., April 28, at West Heights United Methodist Church in Wichita. Contact:
Kathy Kruger Noble or Ruth Humphrey at (316) 684-0266 or
kathyumc@southwind.net.
·	The New York West Area (Western New York and North Central New
York), May 12, at the Holiday Inn (Syracuse Area) in Liverpool, N.Y.
Contact: Sharon Fulmer at (315) 461-9270 or sfulmer@aol.com.
·	Peninsula-Delaware Conference, May 19, at St. John's United
Methodist Church in Seaford, Del. Contact: Tamara Ward at (302) 674-2626,
Ext. 24, or tdward@dca.net.

UMCom is working on getting sites in other conferences or areas also. More
details will be available at the campaign's Web site or by contacting
Struchen at (212) 870-2402 or sstruchen@umcom.org.

In another effort to increase awareness of the national campaign, UMCom's
Igniting Ministry office will host a live audio Web cast from 1 to 2 p.m.
CST, Nov. 8, for United Methodist communicators. This informal session, to
be held at http://www.ignitingministry.org/webcast/ will provide conference
communicators, editors, chair people of communications and others with
information about their role in Igniting Ministry. To prepare for the Web
cast, participants can download the latest version of Windows Media Player,
which is available for free at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/en/download/default.asp.
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