THE MONROE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

has embarked on a journey. We have decided to look at our church as if we were a visitor. we are asking, "is our church welcoming?"

This blog is for convienience only. I designed it so the igniting ministry team can access info from home computers, committee members can look into who we really are and what tools we have to offer, and memebers of the church and learn how to take the step to be welcoming beyond what we already are.

A visitor may stumble across this website, if so welcome to you too!

This is just a starting point to the journey that is ahead, i hope you will join me!

-Amber Signer

Hebrews 12:1                                                                 New Living Translation

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

sample advertising tv clip

Igniting ministry team

before we can start advertising in the community we need to build an igniting ministry team. 

THis team will become “experts” at

* welcoming 

* inviting

* media

(We started this team earlier this year, we are always open to new faces) 

some of the work we have done includes: 

  

• 
  
  circle of 10
• 
  
  3 min. rule
• 
  
  Stressing name tags be worn
• 
  
  welcome/info center in narthex

Outside the box

Increasing your welcoming and hospitality skills requires a shift in thinking.

It will likely require an
attitudinal change by longtime, faithful members and everyone
 learning how to speak to newcomers so they want to listen.

GOAL & MOTTO

Our Goal: have a certified welcoming church & BIG advertising

Equipping and encouraging the congregation and committee members with welcoming skills through training and love so they are ignited with the passion of the Holy Spirit and are educated to welcome everyone warmly.

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HOW?

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The messages and media choices are designed for Seekers (those who are either outside a faith community or dissatisfied with their current one, and are longing for a different spiritual experience.)While the primary target is 18-34 years old,the message is relevant for audiences both younger and older.

“Rethink Church” bears a dual message strategy for church “outsiders” and insiders alike. To our unchurched, young adult neighbors, it says, “Think about your spiritual journey and what churches may have to offer you.” To ourselves, it may say, “Think about whether you have anything that young adults would want.”At the same time, the campaign will speak to the people in the pews of The United Methodist Church. It will call us to see our local church in a much broader way – not solely as a building in which we worship, but as a means into our communities that we may live out our faith by touching people’s lives.

  As the awareness created by the campaign draws seekers to congregations, local churches will have an opportunity to show, by doing, what rethinking church looks like.

REACH YOUNG ADULTS

Research shows young adults are inclined against mainline denominations. The campaign will challenge them to think of church, not as a motionless institution, but as a movement of people empowered to transform the world. It will urge them to think of church, not as a noun, but as an action verb – a movement of people seeking to make disciples of Jesus Christ by gathering in buildings on Sunday, seeing the world as its parish and doing faithful things in it.

Invite your congregation’s young adults to make recommendations about how your church might participate in “Rethink Church.”

Deputize them to be the “Rethink Church” brains for your congregation, and take their ideas and counsel to heart.