ELCA Council Applauds Spanish-Language Television Ads

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) viewed four Spanish-language television advertisements designed to increase public awareness of the church among Spanish-speaking people in the United States and Caribbean. The council received an update on the ELCA Identity Project in which Spanish-language advertisements are a significant component.
The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between its churchwide assemblies. The council met here April 7-9. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is in August 2001 in Indianapolis.
The ELCA's Identity Project is a national multimedia effort aimed at expanding public awareness of the Lutheran church, inviting and welcoming people to the church, and providing positive reinforcement for those who are already members of the church.
The Spanish-language television ads -- two 60-second and two 30-second spots -- will be placed in areas where ELCA congregations use Spanish as their primary language for worship, education and outreach, said the Rev. Eric C. Shafer, director of the ELCA Department for Communication. Shafer delivered to the council an update on the work of the Identity Project.
The Rev. Mario C. Miranda, a council member from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, commended the Department for Communication on its efforts in "capturing the diversity among Spanish-speaking people" in the television ads.
"We plan to place the television spots in California, Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico and other markets. Spanish-text print and radio ads are under development and should be ready for production in the next few weeks," Shafer told the council.
Work on the Spanish-text version of the ELCA "seekers" Web site -- www.compartiendolafe.org -- is near completion, Shafer said.
The English-based "seekers" Web site -- www.sharingfaith.org -- has had a total of 33,848 accesses, with 4,343 of them in January 2000, Shafer said. "Our hope is that many of these 33,848 individuals are new to the ELCA and even to the Christian faith," he said.
"Since its introduction in 1998, the ELCA Identity Project has become a part of the communication evangelism program of about 4,000 congregations and groups of congregations in 54 of the church's 65 synods," Shafer told the council. "Through television, radio, outdoor advertising, print ads and the Web, project participants are strengthening their evangelism outreach efforts."
Because of the "generous matching grant program" of Aid Association for Lutherans, the Identity Project has been put directly into the hands of our congregations and synods, Shafer said. Aid Association for Lutherans is a fraternal benefit society based in Appleton, Wis.
More than $1.8 million in grants have been distributed to congregations and synods for carrying out the work of the Identity Project, Shafer said. Individuals have participated in training events designed to hone hospitality skills and extend invitations by using the materials in the Identity Project Media Kit, which contains samples of print pieces for newspaper advertisements, direct mail, billboard designs, and radio and television spots.
The council designated $3.5 million for the project, including $2 million in reserve funds in 1999.
In his concluding comments, Shafer told the council that participants in the Identity Project will place the national campaign on cable television stations and, in 2001, will research how the campaign has made the Lutheran church known among the public.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html