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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2009

'Rethink Church on Campus' welcomes students nationwide

Nashville, Tenn: From San Diego State University to Northwestern University, college and university ministries across America are getting involved this fall with Rethink Church, the next evolution of The United Methodist Church’s “Open hearts” advertising and welcoming campaign. Dubbed Rethink Church on Campus, the initiative seeks to introduce students to The United Methodist Church through more than 50 United Methodist-related campus ministers and their organizations.

“Campus ministries embody the Rethink Church mindset that church isn’t just a place we go, but something we do,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. “These dynamic ministries are attracting and shaping the next generation of United Methodists.”

United Methodist Communications, the communications agency for the 11.5 million-member denomination, made Rethink Church kits available to campus ministers who wish to align events and programs with Rethink Church. Kits include t-shirts, posters, door hangers, and distributable music download cards that direct recipients to www.10thousanddoors.org, a web destination where visitors can learn more about The United Methodist Church and engage in their own unique spiritual journey.

Hollon says the Rethink Church materials help campus ministers to communicate to often-skeptical students that there are involvement opportunities for them within college ministries and The United Methodist Church.

“When you look at the variety of events that these campus ministers have aligned with Rethink Church, you quickly realize that these ministries are doing just that – Rethinking Church,” said Hollon.

At a multi-campus Rethink Church event on Oct. 9, the University of Miami, Georgia Tech, Florida State University, Florida A&M University, University of Florida, and Winthrop University will stage football throwing contests. Participants will contribute to Nothing But Nets, a United Methodist-supported initiative that has raised more than $28 million to send malaria-preventing bed nets to Africa. The schools will compete via webcam to raise the most money.

“I’m really excited about the Rethink Church initiative,” said the Rev. Beth Bostrom of the University of Miami Wesley Foundation. “The ideals of community, dialogue and action are already central to campus ministry, so I believe it is a great fit.”

The University of Virginia College at Wise will host an evening service that will highlight The United Methodist Church’s four areas of focus and ways to become involved with them.

Meantime, at the University of Illinois, plans are underway for a Rethink Hunger day, which will feature a representation on the quad of the 25,000 persons who die from hunger every day.

Additionally, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will make its weekly Club Night @ the Barn a Rethink Church event. Club Night was born out of the Wesley Group’s vision to curb alcohol-related deaths and DUIs on its campus by offering its building every Thursday night for alcohol-free events.

Many campus pastors are also using Rethink Church to attract participants via student fairs and welcoming packets, including the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Illinois State University, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

A complete list of Rethink Church-participating campus ministries is available below.

To receive information about conducting a Rethink Church-related event at your college or university, contact Igniting Ministry at 877-281-6535, or visit www.rethinkchurch.org.

About Rethink Church
Rethink Church, the next evolution of The United Methodist Church’s “Open hearts” welcoming and advertising campaign, highlights the many opportunities available within United Methodist churches to engage with the world – from literacy programs to feeding the poor. Targeting a globally minded 18- to 34-year-old audience, Rethink Church advertisements appear in traditional and new media, and direct viewers to the Web site www.10thousanddoors.org, where visitors may interact, learn more about the church, and search for involvement opportunities. Rethink Church resources are available to local congregations at www.rethinkchurch.org.

Media Contact: Ben Rhodes
(615) 742-5411
brhodes@umcom.org

Participating Campuses