Churches draw small number of visitors

By Rachel L. Toalson
Staff Writer
Church leaders say they had trouble publicizing this year’s Bring a Friend Sunday because it landed so close to the Home for Christmas campaign—and was very similar to it.
“We did not push it like we did Home for Christmas,” said Kay Plummer, who organizes the campaigns at Grace UMC, Corpus Christi. “It was a little too soon, and it used the same promotional stuff. We had worked so hard for Home for Christmas that when I started looking at this, it was just too quick.
“And it was the same (effort). You sent out cards, you hang door hangars. When it’s this close to each other, we need a different program.”

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Third academy to begin today in San Antonio

The third session of the Holy Boldness Urban Ministry Academy is to begin today with a worship service at Travis Park UMC, San Antonio.
The session is to run through Sunday. The theme is how the church can missionally engage the community.
Pastor Rudy Ras-mus of St. John’s Downtown UMC, Houston, is to be the keynote speaker at the event. He is to preach from his newest book, Touch.
Workshops are to focus on outreach, health, grant writing, advocacy and other topics.

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