In one of the last sermons he preached to the pilgrims before they departed from Holland to the New World, the Rev. John Robinson declared, “There is yet more light and truth to break forth from God’s holy Word.”

This has continued to be a classic statement in the United Church of Christ that recognizes “that the Bible, though written in specific historical times and places, still speaks to us in our present condition.”   Based on that statement, and with the help of a public relations firm, the UCC has embarked on a national ad campaign, “God is Still Speaking,”

An initial ad was test marketed at six sights on the East Coast during Lent of 2004.   Beginning December 1 of this year, the ad will go nationwide.   Some of the promotional “bytes” you may have already seen are:

• “Never place a period where God has placed a comma” (Gracie Allen)
  
• “Our faith is 2,000 years old.   Our thinking is not .”
  
• “If you think getting up Sunday morning is hard, try RISING from the DEAD .”
  
• “Jesus turned away no one and neither do we.”  

             

The television spot that will run nationwide will not be on prime-time (too expensive) but will hit the next-to-prime-time market.   EHCC has “opted-in” to this effort, which means that we are getting ready to welcome people who might be looking for a “God is still speaking,” church.

If you would like to see the TV spot, just go to www.ucc.org and click the God is Still Speaking area.   You can navigate to the ad from there.   The spot puts across the idea that we are open to anyone who wishes to worship with us.   Because we have “opted-in,” our church name and address will be on a special web page so people can find us.   Then we wait and see.

Reaction in the test markets was very positive.   People did seek out and attend UCC churches.   The biggest problem arose when people, responding to the ads, found some UCC churches that were not interested in welcoming everybody.   That only reconfirmed their fears that “church” is a judgmental place where others are not really accepted for who they are.   I know EHCC is much different than that

As Dr. Wilson Yates, president of the UCC-related United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (New Brighton, MN), pointed out in a recent article about this campaign, “...it engages us in asking such questions as, ‘Who is the God who is still speaking?’ ’Where will God speak?’   ’How do we prepare ourselves to hear God?'"

Not only are we inviting others to our church, we are also inviting ourselves to reaffirm our love for the United Church of Christ.   So, every Sunday, be ready to welcome new people to worship.

—Dee