NASHVILLE, Tenn. — You drive down a city street and come upon a billboard that declares, "I believe none of us is qualified to judge."

Or you search the classified section of the newspaper and come across an advertisement inviting those who are tired of empty and unfulfilling relationships to visit the people of the United Methodist Church.

United Methodist Communications (UMCom) will be using such messages to promote the denomination during the next four years.

Billboard and classified advertisements are included in an ambitious national media campaign that seeks to raise awareness about the United Methodist Church, inspire current members of the denomination and encourage others to visit a local congregation.

Igniting Ministry is the first full-blown television, newspaper and outdoor campaign undertaken for the church, according to the Rev. Steve Horswill-Johnston, director of the Igniting Ministry effort and a staff executive at UMCom.

The commercials are available as part of the Igniting Ministry planning kit. The kit is designed to assist congregations in honing their inviting and welcoming skills and to provide guidance in conducting media campaigns based on Igniting Ministry.

Last May, the denomination’s 2000 General Conference approved UMCom’s funding request of nearly $20 million for the campaign. The conference authorized UMCom to create national commercials about the church for cable television, with the goal of communicating with people that the denomination might not reach otherwise.

One of eight advertisements will be selected for the national television spot campaign, which begins Sept. 5, according to Horswill-Johnston.

The Igniting Ministry effort includes five campaign "expressions," which are available for television, radio, newspaper, billboard, bus shelters, door hangers, direct mail, electronic worship graphics, Web graphics and bulletin covers.

The first expression, called "Diversity," shows that the United Methodist Church embraces not only different races and cultures but also diverse theological views. Another category is found in "Classifieds." The idea behind this ad theme is that people who are unchurched or seeking spiritual fulfillment often look in the wrong places — such as the classified or personal ad section of the newspaper.

One of the most personal areas of the campaign is the "Rain" expression, which highlights people considering what it means to be in the community of God. "The people are reflecting on ‘if my life adds up to mean anything,’ " Horswill-Johnston said.

A fourth expression is "Good Works," which taps into the finding of the Barna Research Group that, among unchurched people, the denomination’s most attractive attribute is its care for those in need. Working on behalf of UMCom, Barna interviewed 432 people across the country last fall to find out what they seek in a church.

"Good Works" says that when a person reaches out to help another, that person is renewed or changed.

The final ad expression is "Love Letters," which portrays intimate and thoughtful notes from the Creator to humankind about mending the broken relationships humans have with God.

Each piece of advertising is centered on the theme: "Our hearts, our minds and our doors are always open. The People of the United Methodist Church."

All five expressions are reflected in the Igniting Ministry planning kit. Newspaper ads, radio spots and artwork for supporting media will be included in the planning kit and on a Web site. Local churches will be able to customize each piece to fit their needs.

The national advertising, which starts this fall, will only be on television. It is up to the 36,000 congregations across the country to place the advertising based upon their resources. Churches will have the opportunity to localize or put their names on the newspaper, billboard, and radio and television spots that are shown in their regions.

"The television and all of the other advertising should take a back seat to the invitational and discipling efforts of local churches, " Horswill-Johnston said. "Advertising alone is not going to strengthen the church. It creates the willingness for people to attend. It is the local church’s duty to invite people into the life of church and help them become disciples of the faith."

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© 2001 Florida United Methodist Review Online