In the new world of United Methodism, God's voice is soothing and compassionate. It's free of religious jargon. And it's ready for prime time.
In one 30-second TV ad, God's ''voice'' narrates a love letter to viewers, saying, ''I hope this finds you. I think of you every day. I miss hearing from you. … I'm still here, you know. When you need me. When you're ready. Love, God.''
God's messages are going on billboards and other media, too. It's the United Methodist Church's biggest attempt yet to raise its public profile, reach people who don't go to church and fill the ''hole in the soul'' of America.
''You have to find another vocabulary to reach people outside the church,'' said Steve Horswill-Johnston, director of the media campaign at United Methodist Communications in Nashville. ''Television is the language of the people, the kind of people we are seeking to bring into relationship with Christ and into our United Methodist congregations.''
The denomination is budgeting $20 million over the next four years to make this multimedia invitation to come to church, designed after much demographic research and test marketing.
Strategists hope to boost membership in a church body of 8.5 million members that has seen declines for almost 40 years. They wish to attract millions into the life of the spiritual search and Christian faith without a ''churchy'' hard-sell pitch. They also want to console Americans shaken to the core by terrorism, war rumors and economic uncertainty.
''People have a hole in their soul,'' Horswill-Johnston said.
''After Sept. 11, that hole is bigger, wider, deeper.''
The 30-second TV ads, mostly on cable networks, started one week before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Almost 100 million viewers have probably seen at least one of the spots by now, organizers estimate.
The campaign motto: ''Open hearts, open minds, open doors — the people of The United Methodist Church.'' It's an attempt to boil down Methodism's key ingredients — heartfelt religion, nonjudgmental attitude and social conscience — to everyday language.
The first round of TV ads ended in late September. There will be another round in December, then again at Easter time in April 2002.
Not everybody is happy with it. A conservative organization in Washington, D.C., that monitors mainline religion said the campaign probably would not reverse the membership decline.
''These ads portray the United Methodist Church as a product little different from flavored coffees, Weight Watchers, Rogaine or Viagra,'' said Mark Tooley of the Institute for Religion and Democracy.
''The church is appealing to baby boomers and yuppies by telling them what they supposedly want to hear.''
United Methodist organizers say the ad campaign, aimed at people ages 25-54, is a legitimate ministry, not just marketing. The TV ads are one part of a larger strategy. There's also a localized campaign of billboards and newspaper ads funded by local churches with help from denominational grants. There's more information at unitedmethodist.org.
Expecting an influx of visitors to church, leaders have held training sessions for 30,000 church members to help congregations become more welcoming to newcomers.
By now, nearly half of United Methodism's 36,000 churches have teams in place to heighten the Sunday-morning welcome. It could mean a range of things — stationing official greeters in the lobby, offering newcomer classes, helping people park their cars or finding them an umbrella in the rain. Members are urged to greet everyone within 10 feet of them.
''It's a matter of envisioning hospitality as a chief priority,'' said the Rev. Jeremy Squires, pastor of evangelism at Brentwood United Methodist Church.
''We want to think from the point of view of the first-time person, all the way from the parking lot to the pew. Jesus Christ tells us it's our mission to invite people, whether there's an ad campaign or not.''
Research says people make up their minds in the first 10 minutes of a church visit whether to return, Horswill-Johnston said. Newcomers leave within three minutes after the service if no one stops to say hello.
And they're often uncomfortable with church lingo, which is why the Methodists' national ad campaign strives to speak in soft-focus, everyday terms, organizers said.
''It feels odd and strange and uninviting to hear church language on TV,'' Horswill-Johnston said. ''Church feels different there.''
The ad campaign emphasizes the spiritual search, quiet moments of loneliness, the possibility of hope and breakthrough, the turning points.
• One billboard ad says, ''Search parties conducted weekly,'' then the name of a sponsoring local congregation. Another says, ''For all the days that end in 'why.'''
• A direct-mail card says, ''We may not all believe exactly the same thing, but the people of The United Methodist Church believe in God and each other. If you're searching for something to believe in, meet us at (name of local church.) Our hearts, our minds and our door are always open.''
• In one TV ad, a voice-over says, ''I miss you. I miss the sound of your voice. Your laughter. Our late-night conversations. The way your eyes lit up at Christmas, or a sunset. Please remember, no one knows you like I know you. Time is no obstacle. No distance is too great. I've tried to call, but there's no answer. But I'm ready to try again. If you are. Love always, God.''
The Rev. Larry Hollon, head of United Methodist Communications, believes the national TV campaign is the biggest ever conducted by an American Protestant church body.
He suggested United Methodists are busting out of their ''quiet reserve'' and taking their message to a new kind of mission field, the consumers of mass media.
''This invitation is being extended in a television environment which typically shows a variety of lifestyles and values that often send conflicting messages about how we should live our lives,'' Hollon said.
''It is an enormous challenge to tell an alternative message persuasively. … The message of the church is that life has a meaning beyond what we do on earth and a purpose that is a gift from God. People can find forgiveness within the community of faith.''
Ray Waddle covers religion for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 259-8077 or rwaddle@tennessean.com