1) The Stillspeaking Campaign is still launching today!  It is important to keep our eyes on the prize that we have begun the biggest evangelism and identity program the UCC has ever undertaken.  The original design was for 75% of the ads to air on cable stations and 25% to air on network.  With the networks refusal, more ads are now being purchased on cable stations in order to accomplish our goal that 60% of the television viewing audience will see our ad at least 3 times this month.  The campaign will not be silenced. God is Still Speaking!
 
2) A Coordinated and Vigorous Response to the Networks is underway.  You would be proud to know that our national staff are working around the clock to both launch this campaign and to launch a publicity and advocacy campaign about the networks refusal at the same time.  Rev. John Thomas will most likely appear on CNN this evening (Wednesday) at 7 pm PST to speak about this decision.  Support is pouring in from our ecumenical and interfaith partners.  News is going out to major news outlets and ironically may result in more news for this campaign then we could have purchased!  We are now setting up a Conference Ministers' Press Conference  for tomorrow morning (Thursday) and hope that it will get some airtime as well.

3) You certainly can personally complain to NBC and CBS as you wish.  Our best suggestion is that you look up the telephone number for your local NBC and CBS television stations. Look in your TV guide for the names of those local stations.  You can call them and express your disappointment that their network will not allow this commercial to be aired.  You can tell them to look at it for themselves at http://www.ucc.org.  You can tell them that you feel that their network is interfering with freedom of expression and the exercise of religion.  You can stress that this ad is not a referendum on gay marriage but an invitation to anyone who is anywhere on life's journey to come attend your church and to find there the kind of welcome that Jesus taught.  You can tell them how much you want to see this ad aired on that local TV station.  In addition to calling your local affiliate you can also call the viewer complaint lines at NBC at 212-664-2333 and CBS at 212-975-1008. 

4)  Check the Conference website http://www.ncncucc.org for the press releases and  links to the national God is Still Speaking campaign. Check http://www.ucc.org/news/u113004a.htm for talking points on this issue.  Keep checking on www.ucc.org for more information.  The website will be updated each time a new step has been taken or a new press release is sent out.    Be forewarned that the website may move a little slowly.  As of noon today about 1,000 people at a time were trying to get on the website.  The church has bought more server space to accommodate more visitors but it still may move more slowly than usual. 

 Blessings to all of you!