news-record.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The United Methodist Church has launched a $20 million advertising campaign aimed at attracting younger members to the nation's second-largest Protestant denomination.

The new ads will appear over the next four years on television, radio and print and in new media as part of the "Rethink Church" campaign — online at www.10thousanddoors.org — beginning this week.

Like other mainline Protestant denominations in the U.S., the United Methodists have seen membership dwindle over the last several years and are trying "rebranding" or marketing efforts to help reverse the decline.

The Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist communications, says a United Methodist's median age is 57, and the church needs to engage young adults more.

The Nashville-based United Methodist church has more than 11.5 million members internationally and close to 7.9 million in the U.S. In 1999, the U.S. number was around 8.4 million.

About 11 percent of U.S. members are between 18 and 34, Methodist church officials say.

Based on surveys and other research conducted by the United Methodists, many in this age group are looking for a church that's "relevant to their daily lives," Hollon said. Much of that has to do with service-oriented activities that help the less fortunate.

"We need to refocus on young people and provide them an opportunity to be apart of the church," Hollon said. "What we're hearing is they (young adults) say belief connects to how I live my daily life. If I say I value people because I'm a religious person, then I have to demonstrate that in concrete ways. It's walking the walk, not just talking the talk."

The ads highlight the opportunities for involvement within United Methodist churches — from participating in programs to feed the poor to volunteering to help youth basketball leagues in low-income neighborhoods.

One of the 30-second ads — found at www.10thousanddoors.org — asks, "What if church wasn't just a building, but thousands of doors, each of them opening up to a journey that could actually change the world? Would you come?"

Another ad, which shows children reading books, asks "What if church was a literacy program for homeless children? Would you come?"