CHICAGO (ELCA) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) initiated new efforts March 1 to welcome people outside the church who are seeking information on issues related to religion and faith.
Efforts involve the introduction of a new site on the World Wide Web, www.sharingfaith.org, and a series of print and broadcast advertisements known as the ELCA Identity Project.
The Sharing Faith Web site is intended to attract "seekers" to the Christian church in a non-threatening way, said Paul Edison-Swift, director for resource information and networks, ELCA Department for Communication. Those who visit the site will find faith stories, daily devotions, a Bible tutor, prayers, scripture readings for children, an online magazine for teens, answers to frequently asked questions and a series of ELCA resources and projects. Site visitors can also link to the ELCA home page, www.elca.org, he said.
The new site is "our witness to the world," Edison-Swift said.
Staff of the ELCA's Division for Outreach, Division for Congregational Ministries and Department for Communication designed the new site. Members of the "Witness to God's Action in the World" team, one of several teams working with the ELCA's "Initiatives for a New Century," were involved, too. The initiatives are based on a series of seven critical areas for ministry in the 21st century.
The Web site will also become known to the public through the Identity Project ads that will appear for the first time this month, said Kristi Bangert, director for internal church communication and marketing, Department for Communication.
The advertisements are designed to raise awareness of the Lutheran church, increase membership in Lutheran congregations and provide encouragement and positive reinforcement to ELCA members, Bangert said.
Ads, which include the new ELCA emblem, will appear as billboards, in newspapers and magazines, and on television and radio. They are the result of audience research and planning. Most of the ads include references to the Sharing Faith Web site.
"The research identified two 'target' groups for this campaign, those most likely to respond positively to such an effort," Bangert said. "They include Baby Boomers, who care about children, and Generation Xers."
The ELCA Church Council supported development of the Identity Project with $1.4 million in 1998 and 1999. Aid Association for Lutherans, a fraternal benefits society based in Appleton, Wis., provided another $1.5 million to help congregations and regional groups use the materials.
Groups that wish to use the Identity Project materials must attend a one-day training session, Bangert said. A Spanish-language campaign is expected to be developed later this year, she added. (Editors: for preview copies of the ELCA Identity Project ads, please call Brenda Williams at (773) 380-2963 or send e-mail to brendaw@elca.org)
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
