First Congregational Church of Stockton

Strong Calling

I am a member of First Congregational Church UCC of Rochester, MI and we previewed the [Ejector ad].  I wanted to give my feedback. I am a 35 year old divorced female and the ad really hit home with me. I avoided church for many years because of these exact issues. I thought that I was sacrificing part of myself to belong to a group that would exclude so many people (or pretend to welcome them only to attempt to change them). I have thankfully come full circle, back to the church where I began my journey and have found many wonderful friendships and a renewed and stronger relationship with the Lord.

I know that many people of my generation see churches as I did. It wasn't an accidental or inaccurate view- many of us experienced the exclusion personally. I think this ad may seem extreme to some who have not felt exclusion but it is very real to some of us who have. Yes, it is over the top and humorous but its message shows exactly why many have left church. I believe that it is a strong calling for those who want to go to church and are seeking a place to belong. Thank you for it.

Still Bearing Fruit

We were so glad to receive the news that the ad campaign is moving forward this Lent/Easter.  If it’s anything like the Bouncer ad, we can look forward to another healthy increase in visitors. A young man visited us for the first time two Sundays ago – he had seen the Bouncer ad 15 months ago, wrote us for some information in December 2004 (which we provided) and then God finally guided him to St. John’s in February, 2006.  Your ministry is still bearing fruit!

Jonathan L. Heaslet
St. John’s United Church of Christ

Ecumenical Envy

I am a Lutheran (ELCA) pastor whose church is two blocks from my UCC neighbor. I love your commercials and I am envious of your approach. Thanks for taking such courageous stands and I hope my corner of the Church gets the guts to do the same eventually.

God Loves Everyone

I have to say that I am very thankful that this church has come along! I just recently saw your commercial and I could only think that it is about time that a church came along and reminded us that we are all equal and that God does not pick and choose who he likes and dislikes!!! The United Church of Christ is truly a blessing!!! And I am a stronger person now that I know I am not the only one that believes God loves everyone!!! It is about time we stood up and made that point!!!

Brittany

BRAVO!

I just saw the "God Doesn't Reject People" [Ejector] commercial. BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! I can't imagine a more important sentiment for our times. THANK YOU!

Brad

Campaign Reaches Out

This past Sunday we had three first-time visiting families in worship.  One senior adult couple new to the neighborhood drove by our building during the week and decided to visit. A single woman, "UCC born and raised," used the church finder on the Stillspeaking web site to find us.   The third family was a middle-aged couple with two teenagers (and their daughter's boyfriend).  They were settled in a growing church but felt unsettled.  They had seen our new ad on cable and visited the UCC web site to find a UCC congregation close by.  After checking out our web page they decided to visit our morning worship service.  During coffee hour, Jim, the father in the family, told me that he and his family had come with a purpose.   "I just had to come, if for no other reason than to let you know we really like your message.  I'm glad to see a church finally taking a stand like this. I don't know where we'll land but you will definitely see us again."

This is just one example of how the UCC national campaign has brought people to our congregation.  During Easter Vigil we added six new members to our faith community.  Three of them visited our congregation after seeing or hearing about the Bouncer ad last year.  I thank God that our congregation is a part of the Stillspeaking initiative and a United Church of Christ congregation!  Please be in prayer for us as we endeavor to keep pace with what our Stillspeaking God is doing in our lives.

Bill Lyons
St. John’s United Church of Christ
Grand Rapids, MI

Touched by the ad

While I am a practicing [member of another church], I am very touched by the UCC commercial showing people being refused into a church. Looks like the UCC is one of the few following the Gospels.

My language, my message

I'm a 34-year-old pastor. When I saw the ads at our conference annual meeting I started crying, right there. What I saw was that there was room for me in the UCC. I'm not gay and I'm not a person of color, but I am a young adult. I feel incredibly lonely as a mainline pastor under 35. I feel as if the church so often speaks in one language---the language of the 1950s. This was a moment when I felt the church was speaking for me, using language (video) and a message (radical inclusivity) that I speak and understand. In my gut I knew the ad was right on. In my association clergy group (I'm the youngest by at least 10 years and for the most part by 20--30 years), most of the pastors said that "they could have said it differently... that the ad was too controversial and too in your face." As I said to them, it couldn't have been said any other way. I've preached on it a few times to my congregation and they heard Jesus in a new way.

Reaching out

So far we've received pledges for over $4000, making this our largest special offering. I think this speaks to the unique way God is still speaking, is touching lives in our church and in our community. I'll also share that we're getting ready to receive yet another batch of new members. One will be baptized, an adult coming to the church for the first time. This campaign is helping us to be evangelists, reaching the unchurched and the never churched.

Questions

During our new members' orientation last Sunday, a woman told us about growing up [in another denomination]. In her 20s, she left the church because "I just couldn't reconcile what I believed with what the church told me I had to believe. I was always getting in trouble for asking questions." When she saw the ad on TV... she immediately searched for a UCC church in town. "And here I am. I just wish I had known about the UCC ten years ago." At the end of the session, I ask the new members to say what excites them about becoming a member. Her response? "I finally get to ask questions."

Prayers answered

My wife and I were looking for a church for many years that has a realistic approach to God and the world in which we NOW live. After viewing your "all inclusive" message we found a local UCC in Cary, NC. Our family couldn't be happier; we had our prayers answered in our new home at UCC. Thank you for your courage to speak out.

Faithfully disagree

I am concerned about the "bouncer" ad running again, since living in the "south" I have received both good and bad feedback. I encourage you and thank you for all your hard work. If we stay connected and do this together, I'm sure the Lord will work in wonderful ways. Yesterday, I used Mark's text that told us, "Nothing is impossible with God." I believe that and I know you do too.

Where have you been?

The word is getting out. Consistently, from reporters and visitors, I hear, "Where have you folks been?"

High Country

We are a new church start, a little over two years old, in a very small mountain town. Our tiny local cable TV station agreed (to our amazement) to run the ad, resulting in about 15 visitors who keep coming back, and more since then. We've gotten several poignant e-mails from folks several counties away who want to visit. Our congregation is very proud of our denomination and of its creativity and courage.
Shelly Wilson
High Country UCC, Boone, NC

Speak Truth

Thank you for speaking the truths of my Christian values. What little I know of your church, it seems that you are a voice crying out into the wilderness. I admire that! Please add my email address to your list of supporters from a distance. Thanks again for being a voice of reason and tolerance in a sea of misinformation, intolerance and misrepresentation of Christ's message.

Starting Over

My experience prior to going to a UCC church was a strange one. I went back to church after a traumatic year of emotional and physical injury. The church I went to was a modern evangelical church, very much to the right. I enjoyed the teachings from the Bible but had misgivings that grew over time in regard to the war in Iraq, support for a president that is responsible for that war and countless grievances against the poor and elderly and some extreme, literal interpretations of the Bible (in regard to the role of women in the church and at home). I especially had a problem with the church excluding the gay community since my brother and his partner are two of the most spiritual, giving people I know. Around the election I quit going to that church and was a little miffed at God. I didn't feel that there was a place for people like me until I saw your ad and read up on your beliefs. You answered my prayer to God to find me a home where I could flourish and not feel phony. Thank you and God Bless our Church.
New member

Yippppeeeeeeeeee

Yippppeeeeeeeee and thanks be to God!
Gail Vincent
First UCC, Phoenix

Blog Wildfire

After only the first two days of utilizing online blog ads to promote the UCC’s Stillspeaking Initiative, more than 16,000 internet users have clicked through one of 50 purchased blog ads to view the church’s online 30-second "bouncer" commercial. 20 major bloggers posted comments about the significance of the UCC's blogad purchase, resulting in about 10 blogs asking to run the UCC's blog ad without charge.
Rev. Ben Guess, Editor, UCNews

Ecumenical Youth

I am the vice president of a gay/straight alliance at a public high school. Our GSA has many different types of members, from our advisor who is Catholic, to Unitarian members, Jewish members and those with no religious ties. Our club has received a lot of hate from the school's Christian Learning Club, and at our meetings many of the members are baffled, feeling as though they are part of Christianity despite their sexuality. When I saw your commercial it brought tears to my eyes, because I felt like it said exactly what needed to be said about peace, acceptance and love. I just wanted to thank your church for spreading the Christian message the way our GSA wishes it were spread, instead of with undertones of exclusion and hate. So, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Holly
Baltimore, MD

Rockies Still Speaking

In the Rocky Mountain Conference, 50% of our churches have opted in to the Stillspeaking initiative! Thanks for the work you do... it is making a great deal of difference here in the Rockies!
Rev. Dr. Michael J. Leite
Rocky Mountain Conference