then sign on, according to the latest local promotion
a link to their website and other passion guff is at the nsw synod site: http://nsw.uca.org.au/

Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ
"A $32 million dollar gift to the Christian church around the world."
READ ON Passionate about The Passion? SIGN UP NCC-USA offers reflection guide. READ ON And additional resources. READ ON A selection of links. READ ON



Dear Christian leader,

 

I have just returned from the Melbourne pre-release screening of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. I wasn’t sure how I would react to it, and in a very real sense I am still working out how I feel. I concur with one American audience member who described the movie as more of an experience than a film. At the very least, my love for the Lord has deepened after this fresh and stark reminder of the passion of His obedience and sacrifice.

 

If you too have had the privilege of attending a pre-release screening, then I trust this film has also in some measure drawn you closer to the Lord.

 

www.thepassion.org.au

 

It is now time to introduce you to the Australian Church’s official online outreach resource: www.thepassion.org.au.

 

This website is the initiative of the Bible Societies of Queensland and South Australia, and developed and managed by the Australian Passion Network – a collaboration of Aussie individuals, churches and ministries committed to making the most of this tremendous outreach opportunity. (You may have seen this website address promoted in various outreach materials prepared by the Bible Society – for example, the Hoyts souvenir programme.)

 

And you have a place on the team too!

 

The bottom line for the busy leader

 

Please spend five minutes to visit www.thepassion.org.au and sign up as a member of the Network. It will take just a few moments to ensure you’re in the loop! We’ll be keeping you posted on all the developments Australia-wide, related to the release of this film, and the activity of Australian churches in undertaking effective outreach alongside the film’s screening.

 

Note that you will NOT receive future correspondence from us unless you are signed-up on the website, so please visit www.thepassion.org.au now and register! In return for your small effort, you will immediately have the opportunity to add your church or ministry to our Community Directory – a growing resource for Christians and non-Christians alike, to help them find you and understand what you do. That’s yours, just for signing up.

 

A unique outreach tool for Australia

 

From the official release date of the movie – Ash Wednesday, February 25th – this website will change its appearance somewhat, and become an online outreach tool, receiving non-Christians who have seen the movie. As such, you have between now and the 25th to become acquainted with the features of the site – both those provided to help you as a Christian leader promote this evangelistic opportunity, and those provided to help non-Christians deal with the questions raised after seeing the movie.

 

On Wednesday 25th, people across this nation will begin streaming out of movie theatres, powerfully impacted by this graphic presentation of the sufferings of our Lord. Please think carefully about what you would like your congregation, agency, ministry or family to do, to engage the lost in meaningful conversation about Jesus!

 

And www.thepassion.org.au is purpose-built to help you do just that!

 

Everything you need, and more…

 

www.thepassion.org.au is, even as I write, being loaded up with a range or resources, articles, links and other features to provide non-Christian seekers with a number of different ways to make contact with you and your church or ministry. Did you get that? It’s about you and your church or ministry making real and substantial contact with non-Christian movie-goers who have found the site and want to ask questions. So check out the FAQs, the discussion forums and online calendar, where you can list upcoming outreach events your church or ministry is planning.

 

Please tell your friends and associates

 

Our primary means of promoting this website is… wait for it… you! We would appreciate it if you would circulate this email (unchanged) among your key Christian contacts in Australia. This way, all leaders in the Australian Church will receive this email at least once, and the Australia Passion Network will grow rapidly, ready for the arrival on the 25th of non-Christians ready to find out more about Jesus. Again, this is not even a five-minute exercise, but immeasurably effective in ensuring that by the date of this film’s public release, enough committed Christians are ready and “manning the fort” at www.thepassion.org.au.

 

A work in progress

 

The Australian Passion Network is an ever-growing “virtual team” of committed Christians all over Australia, working to “partner” informally with Icon Films, to help meet non-Christians at the point where they want to know more about Jesus. The Network needs you and key members of your congregation or agency, to get on board and share in the work, as well as the reward! In particular, if you have within your reach Christians with a heart for online evangelism, forward them this email and encourage them to join the Network as well.

 

However, like most online projects, www.thepassion.org.au remains a much-loved work in progress, and you will no doubt find pages and areas of the site that can be improved. This site has been created solely to help you get your Kingdom-work done, so why not lend a hand? If you have written, seen or read something that you believe should be on the site, there’s probably a way for you to put it there all by yourself! Indeed, many sections of the website are accessible to you as a contributor, not just a visitor. That’s how www.thepassion.org.au works!

 

Thank you

 

On behalf of the Australian Passion Network and the team behind www.thepassion.org.au, thank you for taking the time to read this, for passing this on to your key Christian contacts in Australia, and for remaining passionate about the Passion!

 

In Christ,

 

 

Alister Cameron

Director

The Australian Passion Network

 

M 04 04 04 55 55

E [EMAIL PROTECTED]

 

PS. Don’t forget to register and submit your church or ministry’s details in our online Community Directory, so others can find you.

 

PPS. An Executive Summary is available for you to read online, more fully detailing the objectives and features of the www.thepassion.org.au website, and the Australia Passion Network.

 


A couple of points worth noting:

(a) where a cinema uses Val Morgan advertising, the last advert before the movie commences will feature three Aussie celebs encouraging viewers to visit the website;

(b) anyone buying a ticket at Hoyts will get a special souvenir “programme” again pointing people to the website. So in both cases we’ve got the marketing of the site to non-Christians happening REALLY well and we need this week to get Christian leaders on the site and getting ready for the “avalanche”.


-- 

Stephen Webb
Media Officer
Communications Unit
NSW Synod, Uniting Church in Australia
Box A2178, Sydney South, NSW 1235, Australia
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone: +61 2 8267 4308; Mobile: 0423 259 945; Fax: 9267 4716; Web: nsw.uca.org.au/cu/ &
insights.uca.org.au/
------------------
The Communications Unit publishes the monthly magazine Insights,
conducts public relations for the NSW Synod of the Uniting Church, and
provides a variety of communications services. These include writing,
editing, web consultation and development, desktop publishing and
graphic design, public relations and advertising.
For a consultation or free estimate on your project call the
Communications Unit at (02) 8267 4307.

Reply via email to