Pastors and brethren have been instrumental in the work of spreading the truth of God and the good news of His Kingdom. Here are just a few of the evangelistic efforts that local congregations have been involved in of late:

• Congregations are sponsoring cable-access television programming in dozens of cities across the country. Both the Tomorrow and Good News television programs are on 50-plus stations each.
• Earlier in the year many congregations helped advertise our Jesus Christ: The Real Story booklet in local newspapers. This really helped us raise people's awareness of this material, contributing to the best release of a new booklet we have had to date.
• A number of congregations and brethren are involved in Good News and brochure distribution, monitoring radio broadcasts, typing sermon transcripts, mailing tapes to Bible Study Course graduates and many other volunteer programs (see May United News, pages 7-9).
• Some pastors regularly write for their local newspaper's religious editorial sections, providing the truth of God to the community, and bringing the work of the Church into the public eye.
• Some congregations are sponsoring the Good News radio program in their area—helping to increase the coverage this important program offers.
• A most encouraging effort is taking place at the local congregation level across the United States. Thirty-six of United's pastors (representing about 90 congregations), are regularly reaching out to our Good News readers with various offers.

Reaching Out to Local Good News Readers

These pastors and their congregations are currently involved in writing letters to Good News subscribers in their areas. At the home office we're encouraging ministers to write once or twice a year to Good News readers who have been on file for at least two years. The home office provides copyediting for the letters and also provides the addresses. It is important that a fresh list of addresses be provided by the home office each time a letter is written.

For example, Dave Mills, pastor in Asheboro, Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, mailed a letter this month to 2,400 GN subscribers in his area who have been on our file for at least two years. (This is an increase of more than 1,200 over the letters mailed last year!)

As reported in the September/October 2003 United News, Mr. Mills said last year they received "108 requests for the sermon tape, and seven people came to hear the sermon in person. That's a combined total of 115—a 9.8 percent response. I also received several phone calls expressing interest in the Church."

This is now the fourth summer that Mr. Mills' congregations have made sermon tape offers.

Updates From Other Congregations

• Dave Treybig reported that his congregations' most recent mailing invited 2,500 GN readers to come to a Sabbath service, and 15 attended in St. Petersburg and 18 in Tampa, Florida. He noted that this generated much excitement and energy in the congregations.
• Victor Kubik explained that the congregations he serves have now done five mailings, and have started narrowing down the list, for example, to reach the 200 most likely readers nearest to the YMCA in Kokomo where they have been holding the Sunday afternoon Bible study. "When eight brand-new people came, it was very exciting and energizing!"
• Richard Pinelli noted that the Cincinnati East congregation's three mailings, most recently to 350 readers, had received about 80 requests for tapes, though no new people showed up for the open house.
• Jim Tuck reported that the congregations in his area have done four mailings. The first time they "sent out about 1,400 letters to GN subscribers in the Oakland, San Jose, Stockton and Santa Rosa [California] areas letting them know who the pastor was, some things about the local churches, and where the respective congregations were located," Mr. Tuck said.

"Next we did a mailing to the GN list offering a cassette tape with a message entitled 'What Is Your Part in God's Master Plan?' We had about 75 people who requested the tape.

"Next in May 2003 we did an Open House inviting the GN list to a special service with the sermon topic, 'What Does Bible Prophecy Reveal Will Happen to America?' In the Santa Rosa, Oakland, Stockton, and San Jose areas we had around 50 new people attend with a few who had a former association with the church," Mr. Tuck said. "We have one who continues and is now a baptized member. We have a couple who had a past association who continue to attend. One interesting thing is the energy this has created in the congregations, because we were doing something in the area.

"Our last mailing was in December 2003 when we did a World News and Prophecy Seminar. We invited the WNP staff to the Bay area to do a seminar on the Sabbath. I think we sent out 900 to 1,000 letters to those subscribers just in the San Francisco Bay area. We probably had a dozen or so new people who attended the special seminar. We have one or two who have continued to attend off and on since then."

"What we have done locally has not caused the churches to grow numerically that much, though we have had some growth. When we began I explained to the brethren that our number one aim in communicating with the GN subscribers is to plant seeds, and that God would have to give the growth," Mr. Tuck said. "This has encouraged them to see the 'big picture' of what we are striving to accomplish."

We plan to report on other areas next issue.

Encouraging Local Evangelism

We would like to see more congregations participating in such "local evangelism" efforts whenever they are able. If pastors would like to see sample letters from other congregations' efforts, please let Peter Eddington know at the home office and we'll help you do a mailing in your area. UN