For the first time, innovative, amusing radio adverts are being used to attract non-churchgoers to Christmas services in Portsmouth this year.

Churches from around Portsmouth and Southampton are paying for adverts to be broadcast on Power FM and Ocean FM from 16-24 December, in the run-up to Christmas.

The thought-provoking radio adverts give well-known Christmas songs new words, satirising the shortcomings of modern-day, worldly Christmas celebrations. A spoof of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” reminds listeners about post-Christmas credit card bills, while new words to “Deck the Halls” addresses the cost of buying designer labels in response to peer pressure. The ads can be heard on-line, too, at www.churchads.org.uk

Each of the radio ads also encourages listeners to log on to Portsmouth’s all-churches website www.portsmouthchurches.co.uk - to find details of their local Christmas church services.

The adverts were created by the Churches’ Advertising Network (CAN) using professionals sound artists, with local churches paying for airtime. CAN’s novel Christmas billboard posters showing God’s ‘call centre in heaven, open 24:7’, can also be seen now at Fratton, Portsmouth and Southsea, the Hard and Havant railway stations in Portsmouth.

One member of CAN, Farlington Church of England parish magazine editor Yvonne Scarborough, was behind the drive to get the adverts played. “CAN radio adverts like these have been played thousands of times on 36 commercial stations around the UK – but never in this area,” said Yvonne. “I thought it was about time we had them, too!

Francis Goodwin is Chairman of the Churches' Advertising Network: "This multi-media campaign, embracing radio, posters and the internet, (www.portsmouthchurches.co.uk) is an exciting initiative from Portsmouth churches. It also shows how the church can embrace modern communication methods to help get its message across. This is a time of year when many people think about the true meaning of Christmas and Church is a great place to rediscover that message. I hope Portsmouth churches will be full to the rafters over the Christmas season."

Sally Davis, manager of the all-churches website said: “Our strapline ‘Many Congregations, One Church’ is what the site is about. Our common aim is to spread the life-saving gospel of Christ in Portsmouth. Christmas should be happy but proves to be crunch time for many people, and we want them to know that this Christmas and always, Jesus is the answer!”