[ENS] Paige Blair, 35, speaks frankly in a new 30-second ad inviting television viewers to visit the Episcopal Church.
"We live in very complicated times. There's war, poverty, famine ... We build more jails and fewer schools and there's never enough money to pay the bills. For me, church provides some solace and perspectives that help me understand, reconcile and forgive.
Episcopal News Service
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
New television ad debuts for Spring viewing
Gen-X women are target audience; funding sought to widen airtime
[ENS] Paige Blair, 35, speaks frankly in a new 30-second ad inviting television viewers to visit the Episcopal Church.
"We live in very complicated times. There's war, poverty, famine ... We build more jails and fewer schools and there's never enough money to pay the bills. For me, church provides some solace and perspectives that help me understand, reconcile and forgive.
"I don't think church gets everything right," Blair says, over scenes of her walking her dogs and gardening. "We are only human."
Then, in a surprise "reveal" statement, Blair continues: "I go because if I didn't, people would ask me why. After all, I am the priest of this parish."
On-screen text then identifies Blair as rector of St. George's Church in York Harbor, Maine -- a post she has held since 2000.
"The commercial sparks an 'aha moment' for many viewers, and especially among the market research groups in which the spot was tested," said Mike Collins, director of broadcast and multimedia communication at the Episcopal Church Center in New York.
"The ad creates an important point of peer identification for the target audience of Gen X women," said Collins, who at age 34 is himself part of "Generation X," and who oversaw production of the ad created by the Partners and Simons agency of Boston.
The ad is scheduled to air nationally beginning April 30, with placement coordinated through Time Warner Cable. An added funding initiative seeks to keep the ad on the air through this June's meeting of the Episcopal Church's General Convention in Columbus, Ohio.
"We're looking to double our first buy of $100,000 in airtime," said Collins, who is launching the project with funding allocated by General Convention in 2003.
Women's groups in the church might especially consider sharing in fundraising, Kalamazoo cathedral dean Cynthia Black recently told Executive Council's Congregations in Ministry Committee, which she chairs.
Congregations and dioceses wishing to place the ad in local markets are asked to contact the Episcopal Media Center in Atlanta by phoning toll free 800-229-3788.
Groups and individuals can preview the ad starting March 21 and make online gifts for air-time by visiting www.comeandgrow.org, the Episcopal Church's visitors' web site.
The web site -- which provides a helpful introduction to the church -- is cited as the new ad concludes with the invitation, "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You: Come and Grow." The same theme has been chosen for this summer's meeting of the General Convention.
"Part of the flexibility of this new ad concept is that it can be adapted in other geographic contexts across the church," said Canon Robert Williams, director of the Episcopal Church Center's Office of Communication, which oversees the denomination's churchwide advertising program.
"Our strategic plan calls for replication of this ad in at least two other diverse regions -- and in Spanish -- for airtime in Spring 2007," Williams said. "The only caveat is that each priest featured in the new ads must be of Gen-X age and the actual rector or vicar of the congregation to be featured. This authenticity is important to the message," he added.
Nominations can be forwarded to Collins or Williams, who said the new Spring ad will also be complemented by a print ad, set to debut in early April.
The Spring ads will be followed later this year by "back-to-school" television ads in English and Spanish, repeating the successful "Monitors" spots launched in 2005, Williams said. He added that the now-annual Thanksgiving season ads are also scheduled to repeat this Fall on CNN Headline News, Airport Channel, and in USAToday.
The year-round advertising work is also supported by the Lenten "Groundwork" study series aimed at increasing parish-based evangelism and hospitality. Now in its second year, Groundwork is available in English and Spanish online at www.episcopalchurch.org/groundwork. Led again by Director of Mission James Lemler, a third component for use in Lent 2007 and Liturgical Year C will be published this Fall.
"We've been able to accomplish a considerable amount with $250,000 per year this past triennium," Williams said. "Excellent partnerships have been built with dioceses across the church, and we look forward to even wider collaboration as we move ahead in this important area of evangelism and mission."
A Gathering for Congregational Development and Evangelism
The topic to frame our discussion on April 6 from noon to 1:30 at Good Shepherd, Berkeley, will be “Resurrection People: Welcoming People at Easter.”
Condev & Lunch:
A Gathering for Congregational Development and Evangelism
The topic to frame our discussion on April 6 from noon to 1:30 at Good Shepherd, Berkeley, will be “Resurrection People: Welcoming People at Easter.” This is an informal “bring your own lunch” gathering facilitated by Michael Barlowe for clergy and lay leaders, designed to share insights, information and new resources for evangelism and church growth. People from throughout the diocese are invited to attend. For further information, contact Jackie Fielding at 415.869.7814 or jackief@diocal.org
"St. Bart's was once one of the largest Episcopal parishes in the nation. It went through a decline and also some devastating woes. Our survival, other than as a landmark and museum, was in douct. We had to grow, or go."
The excellent St. Bart's conference on evangelism and congregational renewal is being held again this summer.
June 11-13, 2006
St. Bartholomew's Church, New York City
Info: click here www.stbarts.org
or
reinventingchurch@stbarts.org
or
212.378.0222
From ENS: The Episcopal Church and the Church Pension Group (CPG) are collaborating in a historical research project known as the Episcopal U.S. Congregational Life Survey.
From Episcopal News Service
Wednesday, March 8, 2006
Church launches nationwide congregational life survey
Results of 75,000 survey participants will help congregations learn about themselves while creating accurate national portrait
[ENS/Church Pension Group] The Episcopal Church and the Church Pension Group (CPG) are collaborating in a historical research project known as the Episcopal U.S. Congregational Life Survey.
The study will be coordinated by the groups' research staffs and facilitated by U.S. Congregations, a religious research organization that conducts the ecumenical U.S. Congregational Life Survey.
"This is a strategic opportunity for congregations to learn more about themselves while contributing to a significant historical research study that will benefit our Church," said Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold in an invitational letter that was recently sent to 800 Episcopal parishes and missions. "Your participation will be valuable to your congregation, your diocese, and the Episcopal Church."
"We welcome this opportunity to collaborate with the Episcopal Church Center in support of the Church," said T. Dennis Sullivan, president of CPG.
The U.S. Congregational Life Survey is a highly respected ongoing national survey of worship participants. The questions that will be posed to the members of Episcopal congregations are standard questions that have been asked of thousands of people over a wide spectrum of denominations. For example:
* To what extent do the worship services or activities of this congegation help you with everyday living?
* Over the last year, how much have you grown in your faith?
* Do you agree or disagree: "My spiritual needs are being met in this congregation or parish?"
Congregations were selected at random, and include communities of various sizes in rural, suburban and city locations. "Because only a few hundred Episcopal parishes and missions are been selected to participate, their input is vital to help insure that the overall survey results will reflect congregational life in all Episcopal congregations and among our members and participants," explained Dr.Matthew Price, CPG's director of analytic research.
"We hope to get 500 churches to participate--which would generate around 75,000 surveys from congregants," added Dr. Kirk Hadaway, director of research for the Episcopal Church. "This would constitute a sample-based census of Episcopal church attendees, and it would also generate great deal of information about the churches where they attend."
Each congregation's response will be useful in two ways. First, it will provide an opportunity for that congregation to learn more about its members and visitors. The detailed materials each participating congregation will receive after the survey has been completed will help it better understand its participants, its strengths and the factors that make it unique, the areas where change is needed, and its options for the future. Each congregation will also receive a copy of "Beyond the Ordinary: Ten Strengths of U.S. Congregations," by Cynthia Woolever and Deborah Bruce.
Second, every response is important in helping to create an accurate national portrait of those who attend Episcopal churches and missions.
General Convention has asked, on numerous occasions, for a full census, and the portrait generated by this survey will help with that understanding. In fact, in direct response to Convention resolutions in 2000 and 2003, the expected 75,000 survey participants nationwide will serve as the first sample-based census of active Episcopal Church members and attendees.
Invitations were sent to parishes and missions in late December, and the results of the survey should be available in the fall of 2006.