The 1993-96 quadrennium is the second quadrennium to promote the theme, Celebrate and Witness: Celebrate God's Grace--Witness for Jesus Christ. This is a theme recommended by GCOM in consultation with the Council of Bishops and adopted by the General Conference.
Following approval by the 1992 General Conference to continue Celebrate and Witness, its promotion and implementation was assigned to the General Council on Ministries. By April 1993, a promotional plan was recommended by UMCom and adopted by GCOM, and a budget of $30,000 was approved. Below are components of the plan and an update of accomplishments:
Plan Components
UMCom will continue to offer resources created during the 1989-92 quadrennium;
UMCom will also promote the theme through such "in-kind" services as: Interpreter article, El Interprete article, United Methodist Family article, feature articles in Come, Share, Rejoice in Giving newsletter, UM News Service article announcing availability of resources, staff time to plan, design, produce and distribute resources;
UMCom will promote the theme in its program desk calendar;
Sale items displaying the quadrennial theme will be available: devotional booklet; coffee mugs; key tags; name tags;
Promotion by leaders of church organizations (e.g., UMW, UMM, NYMO) will occur; GCOM members will be requested to promote the theme through use of devotional booklet, UMCom will provide master copies for bulletin inserts to CCOM offices to distribute to local churches.
United Methodist Communications was to assume primary responsibility for production, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of resources.
Accomplishments
UMCom offered and distributed resources developed during the 1989-92 quadrennium, specifically manuals for using the theme in congregations, bumper stickers, baseball caps and balloons.
UMCom promoted the theme through several articles in the Come, Share, Rejoice in Giving newsletter, an article in the May-June 1993 issue of Interpreter.
UMCom promoted theme sale items throughout the quadrennium and the disposal of the remaining items will be at the discretion of GCOM.
GCOM prepared translations of the theme logo for Estonia, Norway, and Switzerland to be utilized in the European Central Conferences.
The General Board of Discipleship utilized the theme in curriculum resources for children; the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women incorporated the theme through inclusive worship and liturgies, by the celebration of stories of life changes which have occurred because of working together in the ministry of the church and as the focus of Commission meetings.
In 1994, at the request of GCOM's Division on Missional Emphases, the Office of Research polled the Survey of United Methodist Opinion panel to determine what United Methodists preferred concerning, in part, a theme for the 1997-2000 quadrennium. As a part of that survey, the following results were reported regarding the current theme:
Annual conferences used the "Celebrate and Witness" theme according to 66% of the clergy respondents.
In a majority of local churches, the "Celebrate and Witness" theme was not used or it was used in ways about which the person being surveyed was not aware. Only a fourth of the laity and 31% of the clergy reported use of the theme in their local church. Of the laity, 44% did not know if the theme was being used.
As declared in the 1993-96 theme document: As The United Methodist Church seeks to discern where God is leading, several important components of a vision begin to emerge. In careful listening to the church it is evident constituents believe God is leading the denomination to focus on the vision of vital local churches and development of leadership for the future. The quadrennial theme, "Celebrate and Witness: Celebrate God's Grace-Witness for Jesus Christ," is a focus on congregational initiative by local members. We believe this theme recognizes God's leading through the prophetic voice and mood of the church. The church's involvement and response to Celebrate and Witness: Celebrate God's Grace--Witness for Jesus Christ from 1989-1996 has brought us to that vision.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21693-GJ-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference