Come and See!
Introduction to the God Is Still Speaking Campaign

Diane Samuels leading our introductory workshop

This is the invitation of Jesus in John 1:39. And it is the invitation Rev. Patrick Duggan, pastor of the Congregational Church of South Hempstead and Rev. Diane Samuels, pastor of Mt. Sinai Congregational UCC urged us all to extend to those who may come to know:

     No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey,      you are welcome in a United Church of Christ congregation.

Patrick Duggan leading our Bible study

     In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with      God, and the Word was God.

This, said Duggan, is the "identity statement" of Christianity.

Then he led us through the questions asked by those who sought to understand who was John, to which John kept saying:

     I'm not The One; I'm the one who knows The One.

After John baptized Jesus, two men became Jesus' disciples. They said to him:

"Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

Jesus turned to them and said:

"Come and see."

Duggan and Samuels said it is not necessary to try to "save people", to "convince" them of anything. In fact, they noted, the persons attracted by the December 2004 commercial may have been so deeply hurt by a "church experience" that "convincing" will be impossible. The invitation is simply, "Come and see."


Welcoming Those Who Come and See

Samuels urged members of UCC churches to use the God Is Still Speaking "identity items" - the t-shirts, the banners, the coffee mugs - to help link our churches with the December TV campaign. She noted that media experts say a person has to hear/see something six times before it sinks in. These "identity items" will help bring understanding more quickly.

She also reminded us that persons calling or visiting our churches as a result of seeing the TV commercial may be hostile, wary, based on their previous experience with "church". They may be saying, "I'll give God one more chance."

"And what if you feel uncomfortable if your church doesn't have a singles group, doesn't have a nursery, isn't active in mission," Samuels asked. She answered her own question by urging that we "invite the travelers to come in and help shape our future."

Another way to help get across our message is to share our own faith stories. Turning in our pews we told each other how God is still speaking to us and/or how we are trying to listen more intently to God's voice. These conversations continued over dinner - either at The Riverside Church or in restaurants in the neighborhood.


Previewing the Commercials

We previewed the commercial which will air beginning December 1 as well as a rough cut of the commercial which is planned for Lent 2005. Both are 30-second spots. The December commercial begins with two burly "bouncers" who stand outside a picturesque church and decide which would-be worshippers are allowed inside. This scene fades to black where, in silence, written words declare:

Jesus didn't turn people away. Neither do we.

A shift in mood and music underscores images of friendly UCC members, while an announcer proclaims:

The United Church of Christ - No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.

The commercial planned for Lent begins with young children using their hands and voices to explain:

Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the door and see all the people.

This commercial, like the December commercial, concludes with images of friendly UCC members and "you are welcome here".


Sharing Our Faith Stories

Elaine Kirkland sharing her faith story

Following the commercials, two members of local UCC congregations told us their faith stories and the nurture they have received in the United Church of Christ.

Elaine Kirkland of the Mt. Sinai Congregational Church told of her life as the daughter of a Methodist minister in rural South Carolina . As she grew older, she moved to California where "God led me to discover I am a lesbian". She said that within the United Church of Christ "God has helped me connect the dots in my life. As a result, I have never felt abandoned."


Dr. Darrell Pone is a member of the Congregational Church of South Hempstead. He was born with cerebral palsy, a medical condition that affects control of the muscles. Though Dr. Pone's speech and walk are impacted, his heart and brain are strong. He is now a medical doctor working with those who have physical disabilities. He finds strength in the support of those in his congregation and takes special joy in having married one of those congregants.

Darrell Pone sharing his faith story

As our introduction to the God is still speaking campaign came to a close, Rev. Samuels reminded us that each of us has a story to tell, each of us has an opportunity to listen to what God is saying. She asked us to be silent for a few moments, right here in our pews, and experience what God might say.

Then she encouraged us to believe in our own creativity, our commitment, our call. And she asked that during dinner we practice telling our faith stories by finding someone we didn't know before today and talking with them, perhaps about why they were willing to spend Saturday afternoon and evening at The Riverside Church, or why the United Church of Christ matters to them.



Gathering In Time

Singspiration leading us in gathering-in music

As we gathered Saturday afternoon in the nave of The Riverside Church, we saw images of our churches and the people of our congregations, arranged skillfully by Adrienne Brockway, a member of the board of the Metropolitan Association.

Gathering in music was provided by Elaine Kirkland and Singspiration, a group from Mt. Sinai Congregational UCC. Their offerings included "Break 'Em on Down These Walls Between Us" and "We are Marching in the Light of God."

Reported by Lucy Werner

Here are additional faces of those who shared in the Introduction to the God is Still Speaking campaign and the fellowship dinner that followed at The Riverside Church.


Return to top of page