We will only buy as much air time as grassroots fundraising allows. Therefore, big-time success is needed with our online push.
The ad is Steeples. Check it out here if you haven't seen it.
Our target airdates are the last two weeks of September, with additional airtime in October if we can raise the money.
We will air it on national cable channels that reach the broad demographic of the UCC.
The thrust of the fundraising will be done through weekly email blasts that begin July 9 and continue through August. This timeline has been carefully planned so as not to overlap with the important Neighbors in Need promotions that occur in September.

The Fun!

For the first time ever, we will be using a really nifty fundraising tool that enables churches, groups, families, etc to create their OWN fundraising webpages. This means that individual entities - say "United Church of Chapel Hill" or "Williams Family" or "Andover Newton Alums" or "8th Floor PIC Chicks" - can create their own fundraising homepages, set goals, track success, and enlist/encourage people to give through their respective pages. It's like raising money from your friends and family for that charity fun run you're doing, but you get to do it with all the ease and benefits of the web!

We are very excited about how this could enhance all sorts of church fundraising in the future, so we will be looking to you - our church leaders - to help us make the inaugural use of this tool a success! Don't worry about details. We'll walk you through it when the time comes.

What To Do If People Ask....

For now, most calls and emails we get regarding the ad buy will likely come from folks within the church. When we get closer to air time, we will cover questions that will come up from folks outside the church.

Following are a handful of questions you might get. In general, though, remember you are not obliged to answer any questions you don't want to! You should always feel free to direct questions, comments or anything in between to Gwen Thomas at ex. 2179 (thomasg@ucc.org), Felix Carrion at ex. 2144 (carrionf@ucc.org) or Lisa Gaebelein at ex. 2183 (gaebelel@ucc.org).

Q. Why are we airing Steeples? I thought you guys said it wasn't edgy enough to get a good response on TV.

A. The climate is different now. Back in 2004, the UCC was barely known. Now folks know who we are, but they mostly know our prophetic side. Now it's time for them to see our pastoral side.

Q. I can't find the link to the campaign on the website. Where do I go?

A. www.ucc.org/allthepeople/

Q. How much is this going to cost us? Are we going to go into debt because of this?

A. No, we are not going into debt. Our initial fundraising goal is $350,000 but we will only buy as much air time as our fundraising allows. That means if we raise $100,000, we buy $100,000 worth of time. If we raise $1 million, we buy $1 million worth of time.

Q. Are we really ready for this? Are our churches ready for this?

A. Yes, we are. We laid the foundation four years ago and we have been building on it ever since. That said, you can always brush up on your welcoming skills by visiting www.stillspeaking.com

Questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us.

Blessings and THANKS for your incredible spirit, energy and commitment to our United Church of Christ,

Gwen, Felix and Lisa
The Stillspeaking Ministry

StillSpeaking Theatre Opens July 12th

stillspeaking2

Performances:

Fridays/Saturdays @ 8pm Sundays @ 3pm
July 12 through August 3, 2008

PREVIEW PERFORMANCE
July 11 - Tickets $15
Group Discounts
$10 Tickets for Groups of 10 or more
(same performance)
July 12 - August 3

Pilgrim Press New Releases

We at the Conference Office aren't sure what you receive from national bodies but don't want you to miss good stuff. So here is a link to a new piece coming out bi-weekly from Pilgrim Press. We won't send you all---from now on we leave it to you to subscribe to it. But some really fine sound pieces here and fun, too (Balaam fans from Synods will love the new book!).

Los Angeles County Offers Faith Community Leaders Informational Sessions

From the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health

Have you been approached by a member of your congregation seeking help with a mental health problem and been unsure about how to respond? Have the requirements and regulations governing mental health care confused, stymied and frustrated you in your attempt to obtain help for one of your members? Would you like to know more about state of the art mental health care in order to better advise those who come to you seeking assistance?

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health will present a series of informational sessions for clergy and faith community leaders on mental health issues and resources for healing the hearts and minds of those afflicted with mental illnes.

Sessions will be on the 4th Tuesday of each month from 1:00 to 2:00 PM in the 9th floor conference room of the Department of Mental Health, 550 S. Vermont Street; Los Angeles, CA 90020. Each Session will begin with a presentation followed by a question and answer time. Light refreshments will be served. The topics for the coming months will be:

July 22nd - The View from Within: Causes of Mental Disorders

August 26th - Mental Health Interventions and Services

September 23rd - A Day in the Life of a Person with Schizophrenia

For more information, please e-mail Ms. Jackie Yukawa or call her at (213) 738-2739.

For The BIBLE Tells Me So

FREE Public Screening

Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating homosexuals and Christianity too wide to cross? How can the Bible be used to justify hate? These are the questions at the heart of Daniel Karslake's FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

You are invited to this free public screening of Daniel Karslake's award winning documentary. Coffee and desserts will be available on the patio, at 6:45 p.m. Film begins at 7:30 p.m. with an introduction by co-executive producers, Sandra Hartness and Karen Ellis, and a Q & A period immediately following the 90 minute film. Donations accepted.

Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families -- including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson -- we discover how people of faith handle, or sometimes tragically fail to handle, having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the cross-hairs of scripture and sexual identity.

For information contact Julie Phillips at (949) 497-2343.

Where & When
Neighborhood Congregational Church

340 St. Anns

Laguna Beach, CA

Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 6:45 P.M.

Annual Gathering Information

Many requests have come in to the Conference office for the staff reports and other information from Annual Gathering. We will soon be posting pictures and resources from the workshop leaders.

In an effort to meet the most pressing requests, here are:

Jane Fisler Hoffman's Report to the Annual Gathering

David Cavanaugh's Board Report to the Annual Gathering

Jane Fisler Hoffman's Opening Worship Sermon

Glendale First Congregational UCC has posted several pictures from Annual Gathering at their website.

Theology & The Environment

Disciple Seminary Foundation

Presents a special course on

Theology &
The Environment

What do major environmental issues such as global warming and extinction of species have to do with the Bible's exhortations to care for the widow, the poor, and the orphans? Environmental issues have recently received a large amount of media attention through movies and magazine cover stories.

Just how good is the science behind all this publicity?
How severe are the consequences of inaction?
Should creation care be relegated to a relatively low place in Christianity's overall priority scheme, or does it deserve to be in the top tier of 21st century religious issues?

Come to this highly interactive course to learn more about the biblical basis for caring for God's creation. this course gives you practical answers to your questions and concerns. The up-to-date information presented will help you to decide your personal response to the major environmental challenges facing humanity today.