Floating21-Media Grants for New Churches Launching Weekly Worship

Media Grants for New Churches Launching Weekly Worship

Apply now for launch grants for FALL 2012.

Deadline is May 15.

Having technical problems with the application?

Please email us and we'll try to help.

United Methodist Communications, through its Rethink Church ministry, in collaboration with the Discipleship Ministries, through Path1, offers media services and limited one-time media grants to support ten new United Methodist Church starts within the U.S. annually.

Each grant has the sole purpose of advertising the launch of the church's weekly, public worship. The grants will cover media costs, based on industry standards for advertising, given the media market area of the plant. A maximum value of $10,000 will apply to each grant awarded.

1. Leadership: The new church start planter has been assessed, found to be excellent/exemplary and has attended boot camp or a similar training event whereby benchmarks and timeline for launch have been established.
2. Timing: The new church start is at least 3 months from public launch (although many pastors prefer to work further out than 3 months).
3. Location: The new church start is located within a growth corridor or location where the UMC has not been able to keep up with population growth.
4. Culture: The new church start is located within an annual conference with a commitment to a culture of multiplication. The annual conference demonstrates this, in part, through implementing best practices in each stage of the new church start process including adequate financial support tied to benchmarks.â¨

Applicants must agree to the following stipulations for using the grant:

1. Ensure that advertising supports the first public weekly worship experience (launch).
2. Track attendance for the event and participate in an evaluation of the impact of media used.
3. Work with UMCom staff to construct an advertising narrative to accompany the new church start’s ministry plan.
4. Include “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors” brand identification on all advertising and marketing material funded by the grant.

FAQs

Who evaluates the applications?
Your online applications are reviewed and prioritized by the Discipleship Ministries staff associated with Path 1. They will be selecting 10 high-potential projects based upon the criteria given in the application information and summarized above.

When will I know if I am selected to receive a grant?
You will hear about the status of your application by mid-December f applying for a spring launch, and by mid-June if applying for a fall launch.

Who will help me with my advertising/marketing strategy?
Experienced UMCom staff are standing by to help! They assist with the marketing collateral and expertise required for a successful first public worship launch and also administer the grant monies. Please contact Jackie Vaughan or Pam Buck for more information at [email protected] or toll free: 877-281-6535.

Are grants available to publicize preview worship or "taste and see" events?
No. To optimize available funds, supporting a public launch allows us to effectively build awareness that translates into increases in attendance. We have data from the past several years to suggest that churches using our public launch media strategies have seen an increase of 30-50% in attendance. Advertising works best in conjunction with personal invitation. For churches with strong community mobilization efforts, results can be exponential.

I heard I was approved for a grant! How soon might funding be made available?
We generally pay the grant based on media we have agreed to and submitted to us for payment. So a lump sum grant payment up front is never the way we process the grants. Once a contract is signed and in place, we will cut a check to cover that paying the church and the church pays the vendor. We know that new churches will be hard hit with media bills, so we work them as quickly as possible.

How do you define media services and advertising?
Media planning, media estimates, media buying. Advertising vehicles may include: direct mail, billboards, radio, cinema, etc.

What about me? We have already launched but need some help with marketing and advertising.
Grants only apply for churches before the launch of weekly worship. After weekly worship launch, you may decide to explore the Impact Community grants through the Rethink Church program.

Have other questions? Click here to contact us.

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