38 churches draw 2,194 visitors Dec. 24

44% come to worship
with congregations for
first time Christmas Eve

Forty-four percent of Christmas Eve visitors to Home for Christmas churches were worshiping with those congregations for the first time.
That was one result from follow-up reports on last month’s Home for Christmas public witness and outreach campaign. Thirty-eight congregations—more than twice the number that responded in 2004 and 2005—submitted information to the Communications and Public Witness Office by Jan. 7.
The 38 congregations reported welcoming 2,194 visitors to Christmas Eve candlelight services. Of that number, 961—or 44 percent—were first-time visitors.
“We did something right because we had way more first-time visitors (who signed in, at least) than in the past,” reported the Rev. Linda T. Montgomery, associate pastor of First UMC, Seguin. Of the 207 visitors to the Seguin church Dec. 24, 58 had come for the first time.
Total worship attendance in the 38 reporting churches Dec. 24 was 10,598. That was 988—or 52 percent—more than had worshiped Christmas Eve in those congregations in 2004.
“We had nine people at last year’s service,” said Raymond Hicks, lay leader of Bend UMC. “This year, due to the Home for Christmas campaign, we greatly increased our numbers (to 45). We plan to follow up with cards, calls and visits.”





First UMC, Premont, doubled its Christmas Eve attendance count last month to more than 70, Pastor C.W. Pearcy reported. That compared to 35 in 2004.
“Some church members followed the Home for Christmas program format, and community response was excellent,” he said.
The Rev. Mark Adams, pastor of First UMC, Schulenburg, credited the Home for Christmas campaign with boosting Christmas Eve attendance to 140 last month. That compared to 80 in 2004.
Three of the 38 reporting congregations recorded decreases in Christmas Eve attendance last month from 2004. All three also reported that they didn’t follow the step-by-step eight-week Home for Christmas campaign timetable. Two of the three didn’t include a day of prayer in their outreach efforts.
The eight-week plan is outlined in a 146-page Igniting Ministry Campaign Workbook for the Southwest Texas Conference. The workbook calls for a foundation of prayer and specific invitational, promotional and follow-up activities.
Sixteen of the 38 reporting churches included prayer as part of their Home for Christmas activities.
“Without the prayer element, all you have is an advertising campaign,” said the Rev. Damon E. Relder, pastor of Wesley UMC, Corpus Christi, and chair of the Board of Discipleship. “Prayer is what empowers our efforts for evangelism.”
The Board of Discipleship has sponsored the Home for Christmas campaign for six years. The purpose is to help church members invite acquaintances who don’t usually attend church to worship Dec. 24 and then continue the disciple-making process with those who come.
One-hundred-thirty-nine of the 348 United Methodist congregations in Southwest Texas had indicated they were taking part in the 2005 Home for Christmas campaign. That’s up from 34 in 2004, 31 in 2003, 64 in 2002 and 99 in 2001. In 2000, the first Home for Christmas year in Southwest Texas, 142 congregations took part.
For the sixth straight year, First UMC, Kerrville, reported the largest number of Christmas Eve visitors—794—and the biggest count of first-time worshipers—279.
The Home for Christmas effort at the Kerrville church, headed by Bob Molder, “was well organized, followed the guidelines and involved many people,” said the Rev. Warren G. Hornung, senior pastor.
“The direct letters and post cards went to last year’s attendees plus others suggested by the congregation,” Hornung said. “Newspaper ads and TV commercials were effective. Specially designed Christmas Eve registration pads were immensely helpful.”
Sixteen of the 38 reporting churches sent direct-mail invitations to unchurched people in their communities. Fifteen churches either mailed or hand-delivered special Home for Christmas invitation postcards to neighbors and friends who didn’t usually attend a church.
Twenty-seven of the 38 reporting churches said they ran local newspaper ads inviting people to Christmas Eve worship. Another 15 used yard signs. Five used local TV commercials.
“The service was a wonderful success caused by our information, personal initiative and care, with cooperation of the (Home for Christmas) committee in informal meetings,” said Peggy Garner, lay leader of First UMC, McCamey.
The Communications and Public Witness Office ran ads Dec. 23 or 24 in seven regional daily newspapers. Those ads listed Christmas Eve worship times at participating Home for Christmas congregations.
The conference office also bought commercials on radio stations in Falfurrias, Fredericksburg, Liberty, LaGrange, San Antonio, Schulenburg and Yoakum to invite listeners to United Methodist churches.
The radio ads, which aired from Dec. 12 to 23, said, “If you’re searching for meaning in life at Christmas, meet us at The United Methodist Church.”
The 60-second commercials closed by directing listeners to www. umcswtx.org to find a United Methodist congregation near them.
Home for Christmas outreach efforts in Southwest Texas coincided with a nationwide United Methodist TV advertising campaign. The General Commission on Communication in Nashville, Tenn., ran commercials nationwide on 18 cable TV networks between Dec. 5 and Dec. 24.
Those 30-second commercials talked about how people could share their God-given gifts with others and what United Methodists believe. The TV ads ended with the line: “Open hearts, open minds, open doors—the people of The United Methodist Church.”
The TV spots were part of the denominationwide Igniting Ministry hospitality and image campaign.
Home for Christmas is one way the Southwest Texas Conference tries to empower ministries in local congregations so they can offer Christ to all.
Congregations in the North Texas Conference were also involved in Home for Christmas outreach activities last month. The North Texas Conference pioneered the outreach effort in 1998.