2017 Advent Local Church resources from United Methodist Communications 

This year we are pleased to offer four different UMC branded designs to help you invite and connect with your community during Advent. We are also adding a January sermon series from Discipleship Ministries and accompanying social media posts and videos for both Advent and January 2018!

Get up to $400 off* your order of any 2017 UMC Advent and Christmas Invitation tools!

This is the perfect opportunity for you to get all the resources you need for this season. Order your direct mail, banners, and invites all at once, and the $400 amount will be deducted from your subtotal when you check out. Simply choose the products you want, customize them online (or by calling 800-991-6011), and then enter coupon code W17UMC4 at check out. Don’t wait! This offer is limited! *Note this is a ONE-time use/One-order coupon code. Any leftover “value” will be lost. $400 discount not applicable on shipping fees. Only ONE coupon code per church, while available.

May God richly bless you and your congregation.

Here is a list of all the resources and some ideas about how to use them. 

4 Designs to be offered: 

• UMC Christmas Gold 
• UMC Christmas Mary and Baby 
• UMC Christmas Wood 
• UMC Christmas White Wood 

Customizable Print Resources 

You can download them at Outreach.com/umc and print locally, or order from Outreach.com/umc. If you download these files, you will need editing software to customize to your needs. If you are ordering from Outreach.com/umc, they are already set up with the files and you can online for FREE!

• Door hanger – great for a grassroots invitation plan going door-to-door
• Postcard – for direct mail
• Invitation card – ask your congregation to hand these out to friends, neighbors, business people, etc.
• Selfie stand 2’ x 6’ – (available in UMC Christmas Gold design only) Put up this stand every Sunday in Advent and take pictures of families and visitors in your church for use on social media, websites, and as welcome gifts
• Outdoor banner 4’ x 8’ – (available in UMC Christmas Gold design only) Advertise your services with an outdoor banner

Free downloads 

• Bulletin cover – 8.5 x 11 color – churches can add their logo and or church URL
• Worship graphics – includes a main slide and 4 additional variation slides for you to put your scripture, song lyrics, etc.
• Everything Social Media – headers, website sliders and a downloadable eCalendar with memes, videos and “How to Use” instructions for social media strategy.
• Selfie stand PPT deck – print these out and let people hold them. You can add your own hashtag if you want. Then ask your attendees to post on social media and tag your church to increase excitement.

Sermon Starters (PDF) – 2 options

Option 1 – lectionary based with 4 short weekly videos – We have sermon starters in outline form that use the RCL Advent Year A, as well as a short “bumper video” you can play each Sunday before your sermon, or use on social media.

Option 2 – non lectionary and use the 1:30 video – The second option is not RCL based. We have a long format video of children telling the Christmas story. Use this video each week in worship, and in social media, then pull a theme from their words, choose your own scripture, and have maximum flexibility in your sermon preparation.

:15 & :30 videos (these videos are the national TV/Cable/digital campaign) Use these in social media or in worship. We will have a national advertising campaign running during Advent using these videos, so visitors will have a consistent experience and feel “connected” with the message. Please see the “Everything Social Media” file for resources and instructions.

January Questioning Sermon Series 

We know how tired you are coming out of the Christmas holidays! But we also know it’s a great time to welcome in new people who are often making New Year’s resolutions to come to church. In cooperation with Discipleship Ministries, we are offering this 4-week sermon series designed to be promoted during Advent and used in January 2018.

Sermon Series – This series is based on one of our most successful advertising campaigns of 2017 – Questions for God. We will be promoting this in our January 2018 television, print, and online advertising as well. Explore the questions we all have for God in this powerful series.

Video – we provide a :60 video you can show each week in worship to introduce your sermon, and/or use on social media or your website.

Invitation flyer – Print this flyer to use as a bulletin insert; and/or to hand out at outreach events; to promote the January series. You will find two versions of templates for the insert — one for current versions of Word (2013 & 2016) and one for older versions (97–2003). To customize the service times, click on the Service Times heading to select the text box, then change the times and/or days. When you are ready to resave your customized version, the flyer will automatically be saved as a Word document (.docx and .doc) and will leave the original template files (.dotx and .dot) intact

Social Media Graphic – use this to promote the series

We pray these sermon starters are a blessing to you just as you bless those you serve.

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