Starting a Former Fundamentalist Group in Your Area
Here's an idea:
http://skeptics.meetup.com/
http://evolution.meetup.com/
http://humanism.meetup.com/
http://agnostic.meetup.com/
http://churchandstate.meetup.com/
http://brights.meetup.com/
http://atheists.meetup.com/
http://deism.meetup.com/
http://pantheist.meetup.com/
An Idea that works.
The most important thing that comes to mind, is media. No successful organization, business or activist group, has ever succeeded without help from the media.
Does your local area carry a newspaper, which offers free classified advertising? If so, put an ad in the paper, at low cost, or no cost, advertising to the audience you're hoping to attract.
Include your first name, and telephone number, and homepage address if allowed, along with the information related to your support group, you want to start.
Another idea that works.
Check out businesses and stores in your local area. Many provide public bulletin boards, for announcements and local events, i.e., Wal Mart. On your flyer, you'll want to include your first name, telephone number and homepage address. Be creative and including *positive* details about your support group.
Another idea that works.
Check out your local area community college. Ask if they have a student bulletin board, and place your flyer on it (if allowed).
Another idea that works.
Does your local cable systems have community bulletin boards on them? Our local area cable television includes a text-readout from local area churches and non-profit organizations, and events they're hosting.
Pay attention to what the community channel's guidelines are, they're usually displayed every 15 to 30 minutes, for how to go about submitting information to them. Many require a WRITTEN request to run your information, by snail mail, or FAX.
You'll probably soon hear from others in your area. With numbers comes wisdom, and creative ideas. Think of ways you can expand on your goals with the help of any newcomers in the support group network. Things that would potentially be noteworthy, of your local area news programs. If your organization does come up with creative ideas, which are worthwhile to hear about by the community, contact your local news/radio stations, etc... it takes real work sometimes, to get the newspapers, radio and television to run information of this nature. But persistance pays off. Some may cover the issue, while others may choose not to.
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"The difference between us is that YOU are trying to keep people out of hell, while I am trying to keep hell out of people."
