ENGLAND: Churches take to the airwaves to extend warm welcome

[Episcopal News Service] As half a million people across the U.K. are set to receive personal invitations "back to church" in the next few days, thousands more will be hearing their invitation over the breakfast table or on their drive home, thanks to a "time share" scheme being used to help churches spread their message on commercial radio.
A professionally produced syndicated radio advert has been created by Bradford-based Christian media production house "Whistling Frog Productions" as a way of highlighting the warm welcome awaiting those who return to services on "Back to Church Sunday," September 27.

With the big day fast approaching, parishes are being encouraged to "club together" with other participating churches to buy airtime on their local commercial station. For instance, in West Yorkshire, nearly 200,000 listeners will hear the ads from next Monday as part of a deal struck with Real Radio by Whistling Frog Productions, supported by the Jerusalem Trust.

Reflecting this year's theme of "Come as you are," the 40-second advert features a variety of voices reading a rap-style poem that counsels listeners: "You might have left for so many reasons, but am I wrong to sense that now's the season, to stop, turn around, walk back? Don't look to make no airs and graces. Faked up smiles and masked up faces. No need to make no innovation. Please accept this as your invitation."

A podcast with Canon Paul Bayes, the Archbishop of Canterbury's adviser on church growth, discussing the initiative is available here.

Bayes describes the adverts as "a great opportunity for churches to speak to their communities with the message of invitation." "It's a fantastic advert, getting across the message that thousands of Christian voices across the country will be asking one simple question to their friends and family: will you come to church with me this Sunday?"

Up to 16,000 Church of England churches could be taking part in "Back to Church Sunday," joining congregations from Churches Together in Scotland, the Church in Wales, Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed, Salvation Army and Elim Pentecostal churches nationwide, and Anglican churches in Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and Canada. "Back to Church Sunday" began in Manchester in 2004, spread to Wakefield diocese in 2005, nine dioceses in 2006, 20 in 2007, and 38 in 2008, when an estimated 37,000 people came back.

The advert is available to preview and download here.

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