UMs plan special events to draw visitors


Leaders intentionally
get ready to welcome
folks during September


By Rachel L. Toalson
Staff Writer
Church leaders in San Antonio and Corpus Christi say they are being more “intentional” about welcoming visitors during United Methodist Open House Month in September.
Many congregations participate each year in Open House Month, one of three annual Southwest Texas Conference efforts tied to the denom-inationwide Igniting Ministry hospitality and image campaign.
Organizers in at least three congregations say they have brainstormed creative ways to make their welcoming
efforts more effective this year.
“We wanted to focus on evangelism and reaching out to the community,” said the Rev. Sharon Stewart, associate pastor at Coker UMC, San Antonio. The 2,862-member congregation is planning a four-day “Ignite the Flame” revival in mid September with the Rev. Johnny Hobbs, a revival preacher who visited the church in 2002.
“We’re really trying to generate excitement, not just outside our church community, but within us,” Stewart said. “We want to get excited about offering Christ to all. Sometimes we just need to be revived a little in that area.”
Bishop Joel N. Martinez has proclaimed each September through 2008 a time for Southwest Texas congregations to plan special events that might attract visitors. United Methodist leaders are encouraged to use promotional tools to build awareness of their congregations, Open House Month events and ongoing ministries.
Coker is to begin Open House Month Sept. 2 with the resumption of church breakfasts. Midweek manna, a Wednesday night fellowship meal, is to begin Sept. 5, and 1st Friday Kids’ Klub is to resume Sept. 7.
Leaders have scheduled a Celebrating God’s Grace in Recovery weekend Sept. 8-9, to “really focus in on how we, as a community, can be supportive of those who are struggling with different things,” Stewart said.
The revival is to happen Sept. 16-19, with the rest of September Sundays taking different themes, such as United Methodist Women Sunday and Music Ministry Sunday.
Hobbs is to preach at all Sunday services Sept. 16, including evening worship. He is to continue his series the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Musical groups from other churches are to be performing along with him,
Stewart said. Dinner is to be provided each evening.
Coker leaders are promoting the events with street banners around San Antonio and direct-mail postcards, Stewart said.
She said she believes the Open House Month events will generate greater interest in Coker.
“It will give (visitors) the opportunity to come and share the ministries we have here at Coker,” Stewart said. “We’re kind of hidden here.
“And there are many apartment complexes by the church. I don’t know that we’ve put any real effort into trying to reach out to those people and get to know them. We want to let them know that they’re welcome here.”
St. Luke’s UMC, Corpus Christi, is to kick off Open House Month with a luncheon for civil servants Aug. 26. The mayor of Corpus Christi is to come with a proclamation thanking civil servants, said Jeanie Brink, who leads the event planning.
Leaders hope that the mayor’s appearance will generate news coverage and a platform to publicize other events during the month, she added.
For Labor Day Sept. 2, Brink said St. Luke’s leaders are encouraging members to invite someone to worship who has “labored” for them—their lawn man, the woman who sold them a Whataburger, a teacher—and then take them out to lunch as a personal thank you.
Members are to invite everyone back Sept. 9 who attended church on Labor Day, Brink said, and offer cookies and coffee.
The Sept. 16 service is to honor the military. A luncheon is to follow worship.
Sept. 23 is to be youth Sunday.
For Sept. 30, St. Luke’s leaders are to send out hundreds of mailers inviting people in the community to worship.
Brink said she and other organizers ordered yard signs promoting Open House Month and are to post them around the church.
But the most effective promotion, she said, is to be Aug. 11 and 18, when St. Luke’s members are to pass out 400 bottles of water and fliers about the church along Ocean Drive.
“We’re trying to get our name out there as cheaply and quickly as possible, and also touch people,” Brink said. “They may not come to St. Luke’s, but maybe they will go to First Church or Asbury.
“We’re trying not to think about numbers. The only time we look at numbers is when we look at the number of people we reach. We’ll touch 400 people in August with the bottles of water.”
During October, Brink said, leaders are to follow up with September visitors.
Open House Month serves a great purpose at St. Luke’s, Brink said.
“We want the congregation to have their eyes open about sharing their faith,” she said. “And we’re hoping to reach people who don’t have a church and touch them with the love of God so at least a seed is planted.”
Trinity UMC, San Antonio, is to begin its Open House Month with an ice cream social Sept. 8, said Mary Hale, co-chair of the month’s events. It’s scheduled from 3:30 until 5 p.m. and is to feature children’s games and story times in the church gym.
Trinity leaders have scheduled a book fair Sept. 16. The church is to sell books on consignment from Cokesbury, retail arm of the United Methodist Publishing House.
Selling books is a “different” event, Hale said, that organizers hope will draw more people.
Music Sunday is to be Sept. 23. The church will provide special music.
Sept. 30 is to be Children’s Sunday. It is to feature a children’s open house with refreshments at the children’s building. Parents can tour the building and see a Godly Play demonstration—an effort Hale said the church is hoping will bring in more families.
“We’re really trying to welcome new people in and get some different activities going,” she said. “We’re hoping that if we have the door hangers, we’ll bring people in from the neighborhood around us. The neighborhood has changed over the years, and we want to be able to welcome (residents) to Trinity.”