Sometimes the best evangelistic opportunities come 'out of the blue'.
Ted Brush, senior minister at Smithfield Road parish, was unexpectedly invited to be the speaker at this week's Fairfield district Victory in the Pacific ceremony.
Last year this event drew over 600 people.
Ted is building a deep relationship with his local RSL club, first becoming a member, and now says is now almost seen like their "unofficial in-house chaplain".
"I speak at all their ANZAC Day services," he said.
This speaking opportunity was a direct result.
Using the new Jesus All About Life campaign
The new direction of the Jesus All About Life campaign may likewise seem 'out of the blue' for some churches.
Plans will need to be tweaked. But I think doing so will be worthwhile.
As I revealed on this blog two weeks ago, the advertising for the Jesus All About Life has changed.
I have been subsequently properly briefed on the storyboard for the 30 second advert.
It is an exciting concept that takes the viewer through a narrative, exposing the paradoxes of modern Sydney life such as "We are building bigger houses / but have more broken homes". Based on detailed focus group research they really strike home. I mentioned some of these paradoxes in my previous blog.
I think these adverts will provide a much easier bridge to their evangelistic talks.
Dominic Steele from Christians in the Media is working on evangelistic talk outlines for each of the paradoxes in the advert. I will post them on this page as they come available.
Here is an extract from official press release announcing the changes.
INNOVATIVE NEW MEDIA CAMPAIGN CREATED FOR NSW
NSW, 14 August 2009 - The new Jesus. All about Life campaign will be launched in NSW on September 7. The fresh and innovative non-denominational media campaign will combine traditional and contemporary methods of communication, so that the message of Jesus is brought to current and non Christians as well as new audiences in a fresh and accessible way. The new approach is intended to engage with all sectors of the community and encourage people to seek out more information about Jesus.
It is hoped that the campaign will reach nearly 90% of people in NSW. The key concept of the Jesus. All About Life campaign is that by using modern forms of media as a catalyst, every person in every home will receive this message. Not just those who already have a relationship with God or those who know a Christian, but everyone.
The new advertisements, specifically re-designed for Sydney and NSW audiences, are intended to promote conversation about the relevance of Jesus today, amongst a varied and multicultural audience in terms of their understanding of who Jesus is and what he said and did. The previous advertisements were produced in 2005 and were used for the campaigns in Adelaide, Tasmania and Canberra.
Daniel Willis, CEO of the Bible Society, comments; "Apart from the old advertisements being outdated as they were produced four years ago, our extensive research for NSW showed the older advertisements used in other States - and their manner of distribution, were not appropriate for NSW. The population of 7 million people in NSW, with 62% of those in Sydney, meant the creative needed to be representative of the NSW market. Also, younger people today receive information differently to more mature audiences and the advertisements need to communicate to all groups. The research clearly showed that our existing advertisements did not fully engage with a mass audience and the call to action was lost. This is a creative, new media campaign and I am very hopeful that it will bring Jesus back into everyday conversation."
The campaign has been specifically designed to speak to the diverse and multicultural people of Sydney and the wider NSW region. Utilising a modern, fresh approach the new campaign uses eye catching visuals teamed with witty, humorous and thought provoking comments. The end result is a visually engaging, clearly positioned campaign that is designed to promote dialogue, encourage thought about personal faith and renew interest in Jesus.
The campaign will encompass an online campaign, outdoor banner advertising, print and radio advertisements and a TV commercial. Beginning September 7 with the internet campaign, the outdoor advertising will appear on September 14 and the TV commercial on September 27.
Churches are warmly encouraged to get involved and support the campaign by sharing this information with their congregations and running their own cultural and community events to connect with their local community. For more information churches can visit [url=http://www.jesusallaboutlife.com.au]http://www.jesusallaboutlife.com.au[/url]
We are hoping to hear from any churches about their activities and launch events in support of Jesus. All about Life.
I plan to be at the final 'sign off' for the creative this Thursday. So watch this space for more details.
