Introducing the new God is Still Speaking Commercial
The Language of God from United Church of Christ on Vimeo.
Isn't it time for religion with relevance? Watch and share this new powerful message from the United Church of Christ. God is still speaking,
Keep the Momentum Growing!
UCC members and friends have responded to the launch of the new “Language of God” ad by posting the video on social-networking sites and by blogging, texting and emailing this inspiring message to friends and family. The word is getting out!
Here are some suggestions for local churches:
- Post the ad on your congregation’s home page or blog. It’s simple! Use the “embed” button on the video screen at ucc.org/god-is-still-speaking/
ads, and copy the HTML code.
- This Sunday, ask your congregation to visit the UCC website, watch the ad, and let their friends know about it by sending the ucc.org address to their email contacts.
- Purchase the ad DVD. Use it to inspire conversation on the many ways God speaks to us.
What does it mean?The comma is the symbol of our "God is Still Speaking" campaign—an outreach through television, radio, blogs, web communities and the hospitality offered by thousands of UCC congregations throughout the country. The symbol was inspired by legendary actor and singer Gracie Allen (1895-1964) who said, "Never place a period where God has placed a comma." God has spoken, but God is still speaking.
The comma connects us through the centuries to the words of John Robinson, one of the UCC's ancestors in faith, who told the Pilgrims before they embarked on their journey across the sea that God "hath yet more truth and light to break forth from his holy Word."
We share John Robinson's hope for the Pilgrims. We hope to be a church that does not shut but opens doors to the spirit.
Written by Andy Lang @ ucc.org
The Stillspeaking Ministry was initiated in 2004 as a proclamation, identity and communication effort designed to:
- Speak to the alienated, the un-churched and those seeking a spiritual home
- Let people know that “No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."
- Embrace a common brand and theme that would enable the United Church of Christ to be instantly recognizable to those both within and outside the denomination.
Our strategies have been two-fold:
- Provide branded marketing & advertising resources that enable all settings of the church to proclaim the good news of our United Church of Christ community and nurture our collective ability to use these resources with enthusiasm and to manifest fully the church of extravagant welcome.
Since Stillspeaking was launched, more than 2,500 churches, representing 60% of all United Church of Christ members, have joined the Stillspeaking movement. What’s more, in that same time frame, nearly 90 churches representing more than 8,500 people in 40 states have joined the UCC! Together they have chosen to say, "No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here." This unprecedented strength is a sign that our God is indeed at work among us!
Read more about how the Stillspeaking movement has changed peoples' lives.
Is your church interested in joining the Stillspeaking movement? It’s FREE!
Go to God is Still Speaking main website, Click Here
Still Speaking Magazine
The United Church of Christ is launching a subscription campaign for its new high-end-design StillSpeaking Magazine, an oversized, full-color publication that will debut in late April.
The 88-page StillSpeaking Magazine will be published twice annually in Spring and Fall. An inaugural, three-year subscription is $29 if purchased before July 1. After that date, subscriptions will be $39 each. Order online at ucc.org/magazine.
"StillSpeaking Magazine promises to be a full-sensory experience for readers, with compelling writing and expert photography that will communicate stories of inclusion, involvement, transformation and the best aspirations of the UCC, its members and its churches," said the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, the UCC's director of communications. "We're being very clear that this is not a newsmagazine. Instead, we want a quality feature publication that tells moving accounts of our people and the ways their lives have been impacted by the UCC."
The UCC's hard news will continue to be offered online at ucc.org/news and through its weekly e-zine, Keeping You ePosted.
When United Church News ceased distribution of its print edition last September, Guess said the comment most often heard at the UCC's national offices was regret that readers would miss the sense of "holy intrusion" they often experienced every time the periodical arrived in their mailboxes.
"What people said they would miss most about United Church News was something that a newsprint-quality newspaper was never intended to be," Guess said, "so we decided to develop a new from-scratch publication that will inspire, encourage and speak equally to our loyal members as well as our potential ones."
StillSpeaking Magazine will be successful, Guess said, if it is substantial and attractive enough that people will not only read it, but display it and pass it along to others. "Our hope is that individuals will willingly subscribe and churches will buy extra copies in bulk to distribute to newcomers," he said.
Guess will serve as the magazine's publisher. The Rev. Gregg Brekke is editor. The UCC's next quarterly all-church mailing will include promotional materials for use in churches.
Click HERE for a direct link to this article.
