Nearly 500 people from 150 churches came to Super Saturday this past weekend, attracted by an array of quality workshops, an inspiring keynote speaker and a robust marketplace.

But for many, the most valuable part of the day was simply the chance to talk to folks from other churches like their own.

"I loved that a lot of ideas were bounced around. It was a great way to share and take ideas from one church and bring them back to our own," said Gail Clement of the First Congregational Church UCC in Whitman, MA.

The event was co-sponsored by the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Conferences of the UCC, and held at Keefe Technical High School in Framingham. Ninety percent of Rhode Island Conference churches - 28 out of 31 - were represented 

"It’s great to experience church from each other. It’s events like this where you see how church is really done. It’s great for personal growth, intergenerational contact, and to see that church is alive and well and thriving. It’s good stuff," said Peter Hainsworth, Moderator of the Rhode Island Conference.

Kate Sturgis, who came with 13 other members of the Pilgrim Church UCC in Duxbury, said her group "got great ideas by listening to some of the people in our workshops." She said one person talked about how her church had some success in asking sports leaders in town not to schedule games on Sunday mornings, a problem the Duxbury church has also been facing. "Now we are inspired to go to our town interfaith council and ask them to bring this up to the sports leaders in our town."

Those in attendance overwhelmingly gave high marks to the workshops they attended,on topics ranging from "honest encounters with the spiritual but not religious" to how to be a church delegate. They also praised the Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister of the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries for her remarks during the opening worship..

"Worship was a great way to start the day. Linda’s sermon was inspiring," said Kim Wronski, of Edwards Church  in Framingham, MA.

Attendees also had the opportunity to meet with a variety of vendors and activists in the marketplace, and to have their free professional portraits taken, both for their own use and for use on the Conference website and in other Conference materials.

The next Super Saturday will be held March 21, 2015, at Ludlow High School. Workshop proposals are now being accepted - visit macucc.org/supersaturday for details.

View the Super Saturday Facebook Album to see more pictures (no Facebook account needed to view.)