TV, radio commercials provide backdrop
for September special events

Southwest Texas residents should see and hear lots of “open heart, open mind, open door” messages from United Methodists on TV and radio in coming weeks.
Commercials supporting the United Methodist Open House Month outreach and public witness campaign are running on 17 cable TV networks and 12 Southwest Texas radio stations during September.
The advertising establishes a media backdrop for Open House Month special events planned by United Methodist congregations across the region, said Douglas Cannon, communications and public witness director. The TV and radio commercials are designed to raise public awareness of The United Methodist Church.
The General Commission on Communication in Nashville, Tenn., has scheduled 1,323 30-second television commercials on cable networks between Sept. 3 and 15.
These ads, appearing throughout the day, offer The United Methodist Church as a spiritual home where people can find their path to God.
The network list includes Black Entertainment Television, Cable News Network, Home and Garden TV, TV Land, the Weather Channel and Univision.
The Southwest Texas Conference Communications and Public Witness Office has purchased 60-second ads on Texas State Network radio stations in Falfurrias, Fredericksburg, Hallettsville, Liberty, LaGrange, San Antonio and Yoakum. Those spots are to run from Sept. 10 through 21.
Additional commercials are to run on four radio stations in Corpus Christi and one in Robstown from Sept. 17 through 28. They are supporting coordinated public witness activities by the 10 Southwest Texas Conference congregations in the city (See “Corpus Christi churches coordinate activities to make UMs visible” on Page 1).
The Corpus Christi ads, produced by the Nashville-based communications commission, are running in English and Spanish.
The English radio commercials say:
“If you’re searching for something to believe in—one that could actually change the world—meet us at The United Methodist Church, and rediscover how God is working in our lives every day—even when we aren’t always aware of it.”
All radio and TV commercials end with the tag line: “Our hearts, our minds and our doors are always open. The people of The United Methodist Church.”
An announcer on the radio commercials then directs listeners to www.umcswtx.org “to find a United Methodist church near you.”
Bishop Joel N. Martinez has proclaimed September Open House Month in United Methodist congregations across Southwest Texas. Church leaders are to focus on planning special events to offer Christ to people outside their congregations.
The September advertising isn’t part of the $300,000 regional advertising campaign that the 2007 annual conference session approved, Cannon noted. That money won’t be available until 2008.
Open House Month has been an annual event in Southwest Texas since 2000.
The outreach effort is part of the denominationwide Igniting Ministry hospitality and image campaign.
Open House Month is one way the conference tries to empower ministries in local congregations so they can offer Christ to all.