The release merely notifies the journalist of the event, the key facts of when, where, and why it is taking place, and makes a case for why it is a newsworthy event. It is a very wise congregation that has someone appointed to be on the lookout for newsworthy events and to create and send out a news release whenever such an event takes place. Any congregation of any size can do an enormous amount of promotion and positioning at virtually no cost simply by writing effective news releases and getting them to the right newsrooms in a timely manner. There is simply no congregation anywhere, no matter how small in size or how restricted in budget, that cannot promote its ministries and programs through free publicity. Not every release will result in a story.
Advertising costs money.
There is no question about that. To be effective, advertising messages must be seen or heard several times.