This summer, Tonganoxie United Methodist Church members are reaffirming that — in paper form.

Rev. Jeff Clinger had noticed during visits to Tonganoxie Elementary School in the spring that students had made Flat Stanleys that were on display.

That started to give him the idea of creating a Flat Jesus that parishioners could take with them on summer trips and other activities.

Church officials used a Jesus design and printed it on 11-by-17 cardstock.

On the back, Matthew 28:20 “remember I am always with you even until the end of age” is printed, as well as some reminders about worshiping.

Clinger said summer is a notorious time for lower church attendance because people are on the move for vacations, various youth tournaments and more.

“It’s something fun that keeps people’s faith in front of them in a non-judgy way,” Clinger said. “It’s not ‘shame on you, you’re not in church.'”

Clinger concluded that other churches had the same idea.

He encouraged his parishioners to take to social media and post photos of their Flat Jesus with them on trips and wherever else they might be this summer. He asked church members to use the hashtag “flatjesus” and found that other churches were using the same hashtag with Flat Jesus designs of their own.

Clinger also noted that parishioners have submitted several emails of their photos instead of using social media, but that’s fine by him.

“It’s a small simple way for our families to do something fun,” Clinger said. “It’s kind of goofy in the concept with their faith. It’s nonthreatening, nonjudgmental but it makes a statement to a friend. ‘Yeah, we’re involved in church. It’s something we’re doing this summer.'”

Flat Jesus has showed up as far away as Germany to as close as the ball fields at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds.

“It’s a very low-level evangelism opportunity as well,” he said.

Clinger noted that the church is doing Thursday night worship services that have been well attended.

Flat Jesus has been a conversation piece during those services. He said the church has adopted a tagline in branding and marketing: “A port of grace in the sea of judgment.”

Those words also have provided valuable conversation, Clinger said.

“We identify more and more that the world in general is very judgmental,” he said. “People aren’t thin enough, strong enough, smart enough, good enough. You’re beating down other people to make yourself feel better.”

Each week during services, Clinger shows pictures on a a loop of photos pictures have posted on social media or emailed.

Clinger mentioned one situation in which church members traveled to Iowa to visit a relative who just started chemotherapy.

He said they were taking fun pictures together with their flat Jesus.

“Knowing this family the way I do, there’s a sense of comfort, of silliness even,” Clinger said. “Jesus is with us, and Jesus is close.

“That doesn’t just mean when we travel to Iowa, but when we deal with cancer and health issues and scary things like that.”