Initiative will show the difference United Methodists make when Sharing Together in Christ’s Name
04-02-2010Jessica Cowart
For the Arkansas United Methodist
Cameras are flashing,
presses are printing and video is being edited as the Arkansas Conference communications department prepares for Sharing Together in Christ’s Name.This communications and education initiative, funded by a grant from the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas, will celebrate the ways United Methodists transform the world for Christ through connectional giving.
The initiative originated with church leaders’ requests for a more complete, understandable explanation of how Arkansas United Methodists share resources to change people’s lives in the state, nation and around the globe.
Focus groups, formed in fall 2009, explored opinions from Arkansas church members and clergy about how best to communicate the issue of connectional giving.
“Since November, we’ve been hard at work interviewing United Methodists from throughout our state who work together to make a difference in their communities and beyond,” said Martha Taylor, Arkansas Conference director of communications.
“The initiative will communicate shared giving with a presence in newspapers, television, radio, the Internet and directly at local churches throughout the state.”
Under Taylor’s direction, communications staff have created or localized adult, youth and children’s Bible studies for use this fall. Taylor will introduce curriculum workbooks and DVDs for the studies at the 2010 Annual Conference and they will be delivered to local churches in July.
Bishop Charles Crutchfield tells stories about how we give together for the children’s Bible study and provides fun facts about shared giving in the youth Bible study through DVDs.
“I am excited about encouraging good stewardship among our youth through the Bible study,” Crutchfield said.
“And to think… we’re doing this through DVDs with a bishop who is a Luddite. This is a wonderful way of communicating with youth and I enjoyed the assignment thoroughly. I trust all our churches will use the DVD.”
In October, print advertisements will run in local daily and weekly newspapers across the state through the Arkansas Press Association and radio advertisements will run statewide through the Arkansas Radio network, Taylor said.
Television advertising will be on KATV Channel 7 in most of Arkansas and Internet advertisements will be seen on popular sites.
Local churches will receive three-minute and one-minute versions of four videos that inform them about the impact of giving together as Arkansas United Methodists.
They also will receive sermon starters, offering moments, bulletin inserts and posters to help communicate Sharing Together in Christ’s Name.
The initiative Web site, sharingtogetherumc.org, and a new Facebook page will be launched in the fall to give members of local congregations a chance to discuss the subject of connectional giving and the way that the Sharing Together materials are helping local congregations and individual Arkansas United Methodists.
The site will also be a resource for information on all the ways United Methodists work together to change the world.
“Through Sharing Together, we hope to raise awareness of local congregations, individual Methodists and the public at large about the many remarkable things Arkansas United Methodists accomplish in Christ’s name,” Taylor said.
“We’re excited to show everyone our materials at Annual Conference and have them used by local churches this fall.”
To learn more about Sharing Together in Christ’s Name, e-mail Martha Taylor at mtaylor@arumc.org.
