May, 2002

Friends,

A timeless message ... timely methods ...

Church news is happening just as fast as world news these days. Something worth knowing about is happening constantly.

Put that reality together with the fact that our costs of publishing and mailing the Hoosier United Methodist News have gone up a whopping 44 percent since 1990, and you can see why it's time to re-think how we communicate with our 221,000 members here in Indiana.

Over the years - even as costs exploded - we've been able to keep "HUM News" to its award-winning high standards with the help of donations from readers like you, and also by utilizing new technology such as desktop publishing, digital photography, electronic news services, etc. In June, however, we're expecting a stunning 14 percent increase in mailing costs.

It's time, now, for action! It's time to reduce our dependence on the costly mail service and to rely more on cost-efficient technology to get the news out to readers and get it to them faster.

We'll do this by:

1. utilizing our new "e-HUM," which was launched last month,

2. and through a brand, new magazine, launching in 2003.

Our plan:

This year we must cut out two editions of HUM in order to stay within budget.

To do this we'll …

• combine May-June issues ( the issue you hold in your hands);

• combine July-August (which we began doing in 1991);

• combine November-December issues.

1. The e-HUM will allow us to get the news out in a timely way during this transition year. No more long lag time between when news breaks and when Indiana United Methodists hear of it!

2. We'll encourage local pastors to download the specially formatted e-HUM and insert it into church newsletters or worship bulletins. News for the pews, at last.

Next year, we'll introduce a new, quarterly, full-color magazine full of inspiration, in-depth stories, exploration of Indiana church trends, information and ideas to use in our local churches, as well as columns and commentaries. (We can publish four high-quality magazines a year for less than we're now spending on a monthly newspaper.)

We'll have some bugs to work out in the coming months as we get ready for 2003. But we're excited and energized by the prospect. The end result: members and clergy get weekly news, and we'll have a bright, inviting new publication through which we share how we're living out our faith.

Thank you for your patience as we reshape the way we communicate, aiming for a better informed and inspired membership!

Sincerely,

Rev. Mark Gough,
Chairman of the Indiana Area Communications Commission