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December 2004
Over a thousand members attended the ten All Saints Worship celebrations held throughout the state on or around All Saints Sunday, November 7, to gather in worship, celebrate their common identity as the United Church of Christ, and launch the Advent Still Speaking campaign.
Event leaders ensured that attendees experienced great music, great hymns, and powerful preaching. According to Minister and President, the Rev. Dr. Nancy S. Taylor, “there was a deep celebration as we all came together to honor the saints of the past and to celebrate the saints of the future, including the children, grandchildren and youth to whom we are called to transmit an exciting, transforming Christian faith.”
“These All Saints Worship events delivered on their promise to present exciting preachers and ‘knock your socks off’ worship and celebration,” said Taylor, “resulting in a powerful kickoff to the Advent campaign.”
In keeping with the Still Speaking Initiative's focus on hospitality, the Open Door United Church of Salem (formerly the Crombie Street Church) made sure every visitor was welcomed and provided greeters every step of the way, including parking lot directors, door greeters, hallway helpers and aides to assist stair climbing. The Reverend Linda Reilly, pastor of the host church, was delighted by the turnout. “We wanted most to create a welcoming atmosphere. We are the Open Door church and we were thrilled to open our doors to the churches in our surrounding area.”
The approximately 130 worshippers got to listen to stories from the UCC's past recounted by a minister in historic costume, watch a puppet relay Still Speaking messages to children in the church, and hear a variety of music forms from both folk and ‘a cappella’ groups. The Reverend Jean Sangster, preacher at the Salem event, agreed, “We had many congregations represented here. It was lively, uplifting, informal, and a wonderful celebration of the Still Speaking campaign.”
The Southeast Area Fall Fellowship members kicked off their All Saints Sunday celebration a little early when they met in late October. The Fall Meeting, held at the First Congregational Church in Hanover, brought together over 120 attendees and culminated in an All Saints Worship Service, with songs chosen on the fly as worshippers called out their favorite hymns. In his sermon, the Rev. Dale A. Hempen, Associate Conference Minister in the Southeast Area, urged members to practice hospitality. “The role of the church is to ask ‘who is not here; who is not at the table’ and then go out and find them. See what they need, invite them, and welcome them to Jesus’ table.”
The Metropolitan Boston Area celebration also combined several events. The day began with a mission fair as people were gathering, and then continued with a quick business meeting. The business session was followed by a rousing worship service with joint choir, and ended with a shortened version of the Still Speaking/ Invitation, Hospitality & Follow-up Training Session. More than 400 people attended the 4-hour event where retiring Jean Knibbs, administrative assistant for the MACUCC Metropolitan Boston Association for the past 30 years, was honored.
The Rev. Laura Lee Kent, Associate Conference Minister in the Central Area, said that she received positive feedback from attendees of all three of the gatherings in her area. “The events were wonderful, utilizing an amazing litany of poetry and music throughout the service. The celebrations were clearly invigorating and energizing.”
“When several churches come together, it is always more lively,” says the Rev. Dr. Peter Wells, Associate Conference Minister in the Western Area. “The events in the western part of the state were well represented and exciting. It is this excitement and belief in our faith and our church that will empower us to seek out and welcome others.”
Welcoming was the key to all the events. “It is our mission to reach out to all people and welcome them in to share Jesus' gospel message of love and hope,” explains Sangster. “Hopefully, every church will participate in the Still Speaking initiative so when people outside the membership see the new television commercials and decide to visit a United Church of Christ, they will be extended a gracious and hospitable welcome from churches ready to respond.”
Rev. Michael Penn-Strah, Associate Conference Minister in the Northeast Area, said the spirit and joy of the celebrations were affirmed by one of the attendees who approached him at the Dracut event. The woman told him that she had been a member of the UCC since its beginning and it really had come alive in the past few years. “The spirit of the celebration was really encapsulated by that one comment,” Penn-Strah admits.
“It is a sign of life when we come together,” says Wells. “Spirit, faith, and belief are the reasons the United Church of Christ was born, survived and will continue into the future.”