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September 2004 |
Research points to success of Igniting Ministry campaign
By United Methodist Communications
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There has been significant and favorable growth in the perception of The United Methodist Church. |
The United Methodist Church is better known and is seen in a more favorable light since the beginning of the Igniting Ministry media campaign, according to the newest research released by The Barna Group. The report is perhaps the most significant news yet that the campaign is working.
The Barna Group stated in its annual report that "the messages being communicated are understood, and better still, are believable and important to the audience. These messages also appear to be effectively shifting people's attitudes about The United Methodist Church."
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Awareness levels are now at 19 percent (up from 3 percent in 2000)
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Willingness to attend is now at 49 percent (up from 35 percent in 2001)
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First-time attendance in test churches is at 19 percent (up from 14 percent just a year ago)
The media impact research performed by Barna surveys both 1,200 unchurched individuals across the United States and more than 160 test churches that track first-time attendance.
According to Barna, "overall, there has been significant and favorable growth in the perceptions of The United Methodist Church since last year and especially since 2002. Exploring the differences between 2002 and 2003 we found that eight of the nine perceptions had become more favorable (well beyond the range of sampling error). Furthermore, the increases in the positive positioning of the United Methodists are even more substantial when compared to 2002."
Now is the time to prepare for September. Churches all over the country have embraced Open House Month as a time to especially reach out to their communities. Now's the time to make sure your church is ready. Check out the Open House section of the Igniting Ministry Web site (www.ignitingministry.org) for great ideas your church can use.
Last updated on 08/24/2004