By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

Jericho and Gum Drop are spreading God's message through laughter.

The two clowns, aka Richard Jones and Amy Cowgill of Hamilton, have started their own clown ministry program, Clownflower Alley, to use their theatrical talents for a higher purpose.

"We're not just making people happy, we're spreading God's word," Cowgill said. "If we're able to make one person happy, we're showing them that God loves them."

Cowgill, who performs skits as a 5-year-old, white-faced, female clown with curly blue hair, met Jones through an e-mail mailing list for people interested in clown ministries.

"We knew God put us together somehow," Cowgill said.

Now the two are teaching others to minister through clowning with the group of eight performers. The troupe, which performs at churches, nursing homes and the YMCA, is already booking for events in September.

"It's still part time, but its really starting to fill up our lives," Jones said.

He had been in theater for 30 years before starting to work as a clown.

"Once I put that face on, I could hardly take it off," Jones said. "I saw it as a way to do theater without a lot of collaborative effort. With clown ministry, I could go into a place with a boom box and a couple of props and put on a show."

For Jones, his characters, Jericho, a silent, tramp clown, and Ambassador Salvador Daluni , are also an important expression of his own faith.

"A clown is a metaphor for the Christian life. The white face is death and the colors you paint on afterward is resurrection," he said. "The clown is the shadow of the human soul. It's us looking at the world from a different way, a childlike way."

Clownflower Alley will meet next at 7 p.m. July 6 at the Hamilton Zen Center, 114 Main St., Hamilton. For more information, call 768-8362.

Block party for God

More than 600 volunteers from churches, businesses and community groups will throw a block party called Serve Cincinnati 11 a.m. today at Woodward High School, 7001 Reading Road.

The event, which is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine, will include a children's carnival, health fair and booths from community services. The churches involved will also distribute 35,000 pounds of free groceries.

Organizers expect between 7,000 and 10,000 people.

More than 40 churches involved with the party will also distribute free soft drinks in their neighborhoods as part of the event.

"We hope that people understand and walk away with a greater appreciation that God loves them," said Kande Wilson, project manager of Serve Cincinnati.

"We're throwing a party for God and they are the guests of honor at God's party.

"If that can give them some sense of hopefulness, all the better. We can encourage people that things can get better."

To submit religion news, e-mail kvance@fuse.net or send a fax to 755-4150.