How to Run a Message Campaign in Your Church
Updated Apr 12, 2010
Letter From the Samuel Thomas, Jr. Instructions/Campaign Calendar Promotional Tools
 2009 Video Testimony: LaTonya Cox.
 2008 Video Testimony: Lucille Gibbs.
Message From the Director of Marketing
Dear MESSAGE Campaign Coordinator:
You are about to plant a small seed that will turn into something big. Your willingness to organize the Message campaign is like a farmer who goes out to plant seeds. As the magazines are spread in your community, you don’t know what kind of soil they will land in. Will they find open, searching hearts, or hard and closed minds? What you do know is that Message will bear fruit. Sow a seed, reap a soul. The Holy Spirit really does use this magazine to draw friends, relatives, and neighbors into the remnant church.
In this brochure are the instructions you need for running a successful Message campaign. This is not a difficult responsibility, but it is important evangelistic work.
It’s All About Evangelism
Most of your job will be encouraging church members to send Message to their personal contacts. But I also want to you to consider raising funds to send Message magazine to church contacts. Your church has records of community service leads, health seminar names, names from your guest book, and names of those who have attended evangelistic meetings. You can also call the major ministries in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and request names of contacts within your zip code(s). Each of these persons should be sponsored as part of the church’s evangelism outreach.
Something else is new this year: We are raising money for Message evangelistic
crusades. We are welcoming support as we combine the preached word with
the printed word in the work of winning souls.
When to Start
This year, plan to launch your campaign in MARCH and finish it by JUNE.
Thank you for getting involved with the 2010 Message magazine campaign. You could
be the reason that someone will spend an eternity with our Savior. As you plant seed, take courage from what God says in the book of Isaiah. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void.”
Sincerely,
Samuel Thomas, Jr.
Director of Marketing for Message Magazine and Special Projects
sthomas@rhpa.org
301.393.3182
PS Remember, we are here to help you. Call me if I can be of further assistance to you before, during, or after the campaign.
Tips for Guaranteed Success
Pray that God will bless the campaign and the Message staff.
Follow campaign instructions carefully.
Organize a telephone committee before the campaign begins and use these volunteers to contact members
who do not respond.
Contact people personally—your encouragement may be just what they need to increase their list of sponsored friends.
Find someone in your church who has an exciting story to tell about how God has used Message to work in the life of a loved one, and ask that person to tell his or her personal experience on the first or second Sabbath of the campaign.
Encourage sponsors to use the special renewal forms they received at home. This will enable the subscription department to renew these subscriptions quickly, which will save the church time and money.
Call your conference personal ministries director (or the Review and Herald support team) if you are having problems.
Encourage church members to bring their money and forms to the church and turn them in to you (their Message coordinator).
Be sure to turn the forms and money in to the conference each week. You may want to photocopy
the forms for your records.
Calendar
PREPARATION
February
Get acquainted with Message. Review past issues of the magazine and choose which features to promote. Check that you have all your campaign supplies.
__ Brochures/bulletin inserts
__ New sponsor/subscriber forms
__ Poster
__ Problem-solving form
__ Printout of sponsors (Available from your conference.)
IIf you need more supplies, let us know by e-mailing mwilkinson@rhpa.org.
Talk to your pastor. Decide jointly how to promote the magazine. List important dates and plan the campaign activities you and others will be responsible for on those dates.
Put up the poster. Organize the telephone committee.
Choose several trusted volunteers who can telephone members who are slow to respond and give them added encouragement to sponsor names for Message.
Place bulletin announcement 1. As the campaign progresses, use the bulletin to note your goal, the current status, and the balance needed to reach your goal.
LAUNCH
March
Announce that the Message campaign will begin one week before your kickoff Sabbath.
Kickoff Sabbath
Place bulletin announcement 2.
– Kick off Message campaign with an inspirational program featuring the importance of sponsoring Message magazine. A testimony from someone in your congregation would add power to your presentation. You can also use the enclosed DVD which features the testimonies of several church leaders whose lives were touched by Message.
– Spend time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to inspire your church’s membership to do more for the lost and
the dying!
– Emphasize your deadline for receiving the materials.
– Distribute the brochures and explain that last year’s sponsors should use the renewal forms sent by mail to their homes. They should follow the instructions on the form and bring it back next Sabbath, along with their money. (If they did not receive the renewal form in the mail or if they misplaced it, give them a copy of their names from your master list.)
– Other members should use the subscription form on the small brochure to begin sending Message.
– Emphasize the special
campaign price of only US$10.50. (Save $7.45 off of retail.)
New for this year: This year the brochures give church members a new opportunity–they can donate to support Message Evangelism meetings.
Donations to Message, evangelism should be forwarded to: Message,
P.O. Box 1119, Hagerstown, MD 21741.
EVERY WEEK
April-May
Begin collecting names and money. Transfer names to the new sponsor/subscriber forms, one form for each sponsor. Compare the list of names and amounts pledged with the treasurer’s report of funds received to date. Forward the forms, with the money, to the conference office each week.
Make another appeal to share Message for the benefit of those who may have missed the launch Sabbath
Place bulletin announcement 3.
Activate the telephone committee to call and encourage members who have not yet turned in their subscriptions. Express appreciation to those who have already participated.
FINISH
June
Personally remind members who have pledged, but not paid, to hand in their money.
Place bulletin announcement 4. (See panel to right.)
Announce the end of the ampaign. Thank members. Praise them for reaching their goal.
NOTE: Forms and money are due at the conference office on May 27 (before camp meeting). You may accept late forms and money, but send them on to the conference office immediately.
PROMOTIONAL TOOLS
Announcement 1
(to be used just before campaign launch)
Sow a Seed, Reap a Soul. The 2010 Message campaign begins next week. Think about the friends, relatives, and neighbors you would like to reach for Christ. If you sponsored subscriptions last year, renew them with the special renewal form that was mailed to your home. Give the renewal form and payment to [Message campaign coordinator name].
Announcement 2
(to be used on launch Sabbath)
Do you have friends and family who should be reading Message? Now is the time to send them each a subscription. Bring names next Sabbath for the Message campaign. (Sponsors, be sure to bring your completed renewal forms next Sabbath.) The seeds you plant now can bring a harvest in the Kingdom. Give subscriptions and payment to [Message campaign coordinator name].
Announcement 3
Send Message to those you love, and watch as the Holy Spirit reaches them through the printed page. There’s still time to bring in the names and addresses of friends and relatives you wish to sponsor. If you received a sponsor’s renewal form in the mail, please bring it with you next Sabbath. Give subscriptions and payment to [Message campaign coordinator name].
Announcement 4
(to be used at the end of the campaign)
Next Sabbath is the LAST DAY to turn in names and money for Message. Don’t miss this opportunity to plant the seeds of truth among your friends and neighbors. Imagine the thrill of being the one to bring someone into the church! Turn in your sponsor’s renewal form or list of new names next week, along with your payment. Your Message coordinator is [Message campaign coordinator name].
If you have any questions not answered by these instructions, please contact our marketing director.
Samuel Thomas, Jr.
sthomas@rhpa.org
55 West Oak Ridge Drive
Hagerstown, MD 21740
PH: 301-393-3182
FAX: 301-393-4103
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