United Methodists Pushing Power of Prayer in TV Commercial
New Ad Campaign Kicks Off March 29
NASHVILLE – A brand new television campaign by The United Methodist Church encourages people to “believe again” in the power of prayer. The denomination will launch a $1.7 million national advertising purchase on March 29 which continues through April 15. An additional $750,000 will be spent on local campaigns utilizing a variety of advertising mediums.
A new television commercial entitled “Prayer” is the latest element of The United Methodist Church’s “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” media campaign.
In the television spot, a boy carefully writes a note on a piece of paper, then grabs a kite and heads outside. He attaches his handwritten note to the body of the kite and, with great expectation, sends it soaring into the sky. As he brings the kite back to earth, he excitedly gazes heavenward trusting that his hopes and aspirations have reached their intended audience.
“The commercial seeks to inspire us to claim the hope that prayer offers and to embrace prayer as a source of strength, guidance and comfort. Its message reminds us to ‘believe again,’ and to know that God cares about the desires of our hearts,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. “Likewise, we want people to know that United Methodist churches are places where people deeply care about and support one another. We invite anyone who wants to regain a sense of hope to visit one of our churches.”
The commercial will air on 18 cable networks, including A & E, ABC Family, Animal Planet, BET, CNN, Discovery, Fox News, Hallmark, CNN Headline News, HGTV, the History Channel, Lifetime Movie, TBS, TNT, TV One, USA, WGN, and the Weather Channel. It is expected to reach more than 65 million viewers.
To increase the impact and reach of the campaign, United Methodist Communications awarded funding to 60 grant recipients across the nation for local media campaigns to supplement the national cable TV ads. Grant recipients matched the funding dollar-for-dollar. Resource materials were also developed for local congregations to explore the theme of prayer through worship, small groups and serving opportunities. The materials address prayer as a means to learn more about ourselves and develop relationships with God and each other.
The “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” campaign has been working to raise awareness of The United Methodist Church since 2001. Test market research in September 2005 showed that half of the people exposed to the church’s advertising were “very” or “somewhat” willing to visit a United Methodist Church. Research conducted after the August-September television advertising in test markets across the United States reported average first time attendance increases of 9 percent in September 2005 compared to September 2004. The research was conducted by the Barna Research Group.
NOTE: You can view the “Prayer” commercial at umcpresscenter.org.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Thursday, March 23, 2006
"A SPIRITUAL SPA FOR PASTORS"
They will gather the Tuesday after Easter in Goodlettsville, TN, a suburb of Nashville. They will come from different states, and different church settings. Some will be tired from the rigorous, demanding Holy Week just past, but beyond that many will be just weary and worn out from years of ministry. Some have deep scars and wounds, for others the scars are less visible. Some will be contemplating leaving the ministry. Some will be looking for refreshing, a new focus, a new filling, a spiritual makeover, or just more of God. One couple who attended a previous retreat wrote: "We came here hoping to get refreshed and get our "spiritual batteries" recharged.”
They were looking for a spiritual spa.
This will be the 9th Minister and Spouse Retreat held at the Aldersgate Renewal Center, operated by Aldersgate Renewal Ministries [ARM], a program ministry that is an affiliate of the General Board of Discipleship. The Tuesday through Friday experience will be led by ARM staff and others with years of ministry experience who will share with, teach and challenge the group. They will love and pray for the participants. There will be times of teaching, dynamic worship, sharing, and prayer ministry. There is a date night where couples are sent out to restaurants alone with a $50 gift certificate to the restaurant provided by ARM. Even their stay at a hotel is paid for by ARM. In fact, for an $99 registration fee (per couple) and their travel expenses, couples get their housing, meals, the date night and 4 days at a "spiritual spa" where they were pampered and prayed for rather than "preyed on." One of the spouses wrote: "We have been in ministry for 25 years. The last year has been very tough. We came here very weary and pretty tired of being battered."
“The vision,” explains ARM Executive Director Gary Moore (a permanent deacon), “is to provide a safe place for clergy and their spouses to have a fresh experience with God that will result in their continued pursuit of effective pastoral ministry. Ministry can be grueling and often, the rigors and unhealed wounds of ministry result in robbing the minister of: a vital relationship with God through Christ Jesus; a healthy relationship with their spouse; and a fruitful relationship to the ‘sheep entrusted to their care.’ The four days and three nights of ministry is intentionally designed to provide renewal, healing and refreshing in each of those three areas.”
“And the cost to the participants is too good a deal to pass up!”, continues Moore. A pastor recently called the ARM office to be sure he was reading the brochure right—“Just a $99 registration fee, that’s it?” It seemed too good to be true, but it is.
What have been the results?
The evaluations speak for themselves. One pastor wrote: "Pastoral ministry has been equated with being nibbled to death by ducks and in our case the ducks were winning-big time. It was great-maybe even lifesaving-to get out of the barnyard for a few days." Another wrote: "through the pastor/spouse retreat I was given the opportunity to be loved and give forgiveness to all those persons who have hurt me though their actions and words. I have been set free to walk deeper in the Spirit's power and love." One of the spouses wrote: "God has healed my inmost being of some of the deepest hurts imaginable. I was sexually abused as a child, and my healing came this week at the Pastor/Spouse retreat. I feel clean and whole and new again." Commenting on their return to their parish one of the spouses wrote: “We will go back to our church renewed and refreshed, ready to serve again."
“Only pastors who are experiencing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in their lives can be used as God’s agents for transformation in the lives of their congregations, “ exclaimed Moore. “ARM offers these retreats as a gift to the church because of their deep love and compassion for pastors.”
The dates for the next Minister & Spouse retreats are: April 18-21, 2006 and April 10-13, 2007. Space is limited to the first 30 couples who register. Elders, local pastors, deacons, ministers of music, youth pastors, any couples who are involved in some kind of pastoral ministry in the church, ordained or not, are welcome to register.
For more information, you can contact ARM at 121 East Avenue, Goodlettsville, TN 37072, call toll free 1-877-857-9372 or check out the website at www.AldersgateRenewal.org. A District Superintendent who attended and has since participated on the leadership team with his wife commented: " I will be telling pastors and spouses in my district about this joyful experience."
They will gather the Tuesday after Easter in Goodlettsville, TN, a suburb of Nashville. They will come from different states, and different church settings. Some will be tired from the rigorous, demanding Holy Week just past, but beyond that many will be just weary and worn out from years of ministry. Some have deep scars and wounds, for others the scars are less visible. Some will be contemplating leaving the ministry. Some will be looking for refreshing, a new focus, a new filling, a spiritual makeover, or just more of God. One couple who attended a previous retreat wrote: "We came here hoping to get refreshed and get our "spiritual batteries" recharged.”
They were looking for a spiritual spa.
This will be the 9th Minister and Spouse Retreat held at the Aldersgate Renewal Center, operated by Aldersgate Renewal Ministries [ARM], a program ministry that is an affiliate of the General Board of Discipleship. The Tuesday through Friday experience will be led by ARM staff and others with years of ministry experience who will share with, teach and challenge the group. They will love and pray for the participants. There will be times of teaching, dynamic worship, sharing, and prayer ministry. There is a date night where couples are sent out to restaurants alone with a $50 gift certificate to the restaurant provided by ARM. Even their stay at a hotel is paid for by ARM. In fact, for an $99 registration fee (per couple) and their travel expenses, couples get their housing, meals, the date night and 4 days at a "spiritual spa" where they were pampered and prayed for rather than "preyed on." One of the spouses wrote: "We have been in ministry for 25 years. The last year has been very tough. We came here very weary and pretty tired of being battered."
“The vision,” explains ARM Executive Director Gary Moore (a permanent deacon), “is to provide a safe place for clergy and their spouses to have a fresh experience with God that will result in their continued pursuit of effective pastoral ministry. Ministry can be grueling and often, the rigors and unhealed wounds of ministry result in robbing the minister of: a vital relationship with God through Christ Jesus; a healthy relationship with their spouse; and a fruitful relationship to the ‘sheep entrusted to their care.’ The four days and three nights of ministry is intentionally designed to provide renewal, healing and refreshing in each of those three areas.”
“And the cost to the participants is too good a deal to pass up!”, continues Moore. A pastor recently called the ARM office to be sure he was reading the brochure right—“Just a $99 registration fee, that’s it?” It seemed too good to be true, but it is.
What have been the results?
The evaluations speak for themselves. One pastor wrote: "Pastoral ministry has been equated with being nibbled to death by ducks and in our case the ducks were winning-big time. It was great-maybe even lifesaving-to get out of the barnyard for a few days." Another wrote: "through the pastor/spouse retreat I was given the opportunity to be loved and give forgiveness to all those persons who have hurt me though their actions and words. I have been set free to walk deeper in the Spirit's power and love." One of the spouses wrote: "God has healed my inmost being of some of the deepest hurts imaginable. I was sexually abused as a child, and my healing came this week at the Pastor/Spouse retreat. I feel clean and whole and new again." Commenting on their return to their parish one of the spouses wrote: “We will go back to our church renewed and refreshed, ready to serve again."
“Only pastors who are experiencing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in their lives can be used as God’s agents for transformation in the lives of their congregations, “ exclaimed Moore. “ARM offers these retreats as a gift to the church because of their deep love and compassion for pastors.”
The dates for the next Minister & Spouse retreats are: April 18-21, 2006 and April 10-13, 2007. Space is limited to the first 30 couples who register. Elders, local pastors, deacons, ministers of music, youth pastors, any couples who are involved in some kind of pastoral ministry in the church, ordained or not, are welcome to register.
For more information, you can contact ARM at 121 East Avenue, Goodlettsville, TN 37072, call toll free 1-877-857-9372 or check out the website at www.AldersgateRenewal.org. A District Superintendent who attended and has since participated on the leadership team with his wife commented: " I will be telling pastors and spouses in my district about this joyful experience."
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Monthly Taize worship services to begin at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Murfreesboro District
St. Mark's United Methodist Church of Murfreesboro is pleased to offer a monthly Taize service for those throughout Middle Tennessee who search for a means of corporate prayer and meditation. The service, beginning on April 6, will take place in the narthex at St. Mark's on the first Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the public. Groups are encouraged to attend! For more information, please contact Jackson W. Henry, Director of Music Ministries (and 2-time pilgrim to the Taize Community) at 615-893-3455, or visit the church website at www.stmarkstn.org.
St. Mark's United Methodist Church of Murfreesboro is pleased to offer a monthly Taize service for those throughout Middle Tennessee who search for a means of corporate prayer and meditation. The service, beginning on April 6, will take place in the narthex at St. Mark's on the first Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the public. Groups are encouraged to attend! For more information, please contact Jackson W. Henry, Director of Music Ministries (and 2-time pilgrim to the Taize Community) at 615-893-3455, or visit the church website at www.stmarkstn.org.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
United Methodist Choirs Invited to Participate in New York City Choir Festival Celebration of the birth of Charles Wesley
In 2007, we celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of one of the most prolific hymn writers in history - Charles Wesley. To celebrate the life, mission, and music of this great individual, Music Celebrations International is organizing a Choir Festival in the Lincoln Center in New York City and we are inviting Methodist Choirs from across the country to come together in New York to fellowship through music and to share the Message through song.
http://www.musiccelebrations.com/wesley_choral_festival.html
A new commissioned piece entitled "Directions for Singing" will be premiered at this event with full orchestra. The goal is to have representation from each jurisdiction at this event.
Thank you for your help, and God bless!
Luke Wiscombe
Music Celebrations International
1440 S. Priest Dr., #102
Tempe, AZ 85281
800-395-2036, 480-894-5137 (Fax)
luke@musiccelebrations.comwww.musiccelebrations.com
In 2007, we celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of one of the most prolific hymn writers in history - Charles Wesley. To celebrate the life, mission, and music of this great individual, Music Celebrations International is organizing a Choir Festival in the Lincoln Center in New York City and we are inviting Methodist Choirs from across the country to come together in New York to fellowship through music and to share the Message through song.
http://www.musiccelebrations.com/wesley_choral_festival.html
A new commissioned piece entitled "Directions for Singing" will be premiered at this event with full orchestra. The goal is to have representation from each jurisdiction at this event.
Thank you for your help, and God bless!
Luke Wiscombe
Music Celebrations International
1440 S. Priest Dr., #102
Tempe, AZ 85281
800-395-2036, 480-894-5137 (Fax)
luke@musiccelebrations.comwww.musiccelebrations.com
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