Journey UCC takes next step on 'StillSpeaking' path

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Journey UCC takes next step on 'StillSpeaking' path

> Written by Jeff Woodard
> January 25, 2011

> Push to Play

It's certainly not all about winning ? although
the Rev. Sandy Damhof thinks that's pretty cool, too.

"Someone asked me what we'd get if we won, and I
said, 'I don't know, we're just gonna win!' "
said Damhof, pastor of Journey UCC in
Slingerlands, N.Y., which did, indeed, take top
honors in the UCC's fall "Friend Raising"
campaign led by the StillSpeaking Ministry. "Then
all this stuff starts arriving, like the
StillSpeaking welcome mat and the banner and the comma pins."

In addition, Damhof and her congregation at

Journey ? a new-start church less than two years
old ? received on Jan. 16 a visit from the Rev.
Felix Carrion, StillSpeaking coordinator, who led
several workshops attended by members of five local churches.

"It was good for us to hear more of the history
and the foundation of what StillSpeaking is all
about," said Damhof. "I think it was really good
for our congregation to have that connection to
someone from the national church. Most of them
are really new to the UCC. They didn't grow up
UCC. They grew up Catholic, or grew up Methodist, or grew up nothing.

"Any opportunity they have to connect to the
wider church and have a light-bulb moment is really good."

Journey won the per-capita invitation prize

during "Friend Raising" Sunday on Nov. 9 when its
36 members welcomed 33 guests. Using technology
such as e-vites, Facebook and the UCC's video
messages, visitors were treated to a guest
speaker from a Ugandan mission partner and a
pancake breakfast after the service.

"Our current space has a 70-person occupancy, so
we were packed," said Damhof. "After worship it
was a miracle to watch the tables roll out, the griddles come out."

More than 315 congregations participated in

Friend-Raising. As a new twist to the familiar
invite-a-friend weekends, the UCC made available
an online form on which congregations could
record results and share experiences.

At least 4,200 people visited UCC congregations
that reported their results ? a 6.2 percent
increase over their average worship numbers.

"This wonderfully confirms that there is a power
in combining the wizardry of today's technology
with the tried-and-tested word-of-mouth
invitation," said Carrion. "Everyone is so into
their church at Journey; they love being there
and being a part of it. They're an inspiration to all of us."

As for the November 2011 Friend Raising, Damhof
has already issued a friendly challenge to fellow churches.

"We're planning on winning again next year," she said with a laugh.

Testimonials can be found at

<ucc.org/god-is-still-speaking/friendraising.html>.