Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC)

Rock Spring News  Vol. 06   No. 03   March 2010

Markers & Milestones

Congratulations on the baptism of Oliver Nolan, son of Julie and Matt Nolan, which will take place at the 11:00 service on March 7.
Condolences are offered to the following Rock Springers who suffered the loss of one of their parents within the past month:  Charlene Bickford, Julie Clarke, Sara Fitzgerald, and Elizabeth Gearin.

In Memoriam
Rock Spring mourns the loss of Janet Moore, who passed away on February 7th after struggling with a long illness.  Our condolences are extended to Allen Moore.  A beautiful memorial service was held for Janet Moore on February 15, hosted by First Christian Church of Falls Church due to the lack of parking available at Rock Spring.
On the evening of Friday January 22 2010, George Barber peacefully passed away at Virginia Hospital Center.  Mary Jane, his wife of 59 years, was at his side.  Surviving George, in addition to Mary Jane, are his son Stephen and wife Janice of Parker, CO; son Michael of Alexandria, VA; grandchildren Allison Barber and Robert Barber of Parker, CO; and two sisters-in-law,  many nieces and nephews and a cousin. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held in the church on Saturday, April 10, at 2 p.m. with a reception to follow in the Saegmuller Room.  We keep the family in our sympathies and affection.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Capital Improvement Fund of the Rock Spring Congregational Endowment Fund.  Please make checks payable to “Rock Spring Endowment Fund” and on the memo line line write “George Barber/Capital Improvement Fund.”

News and Notes

Farewell to Rico

Ricco Picarrieillo drove the shuttle bus on Sunday mornings for six years.  Due to very light ridership, this service was discontinued this budget year.  If you’d like to make a contribution towards a gift for Ricco, please contact Susan Peters.

The William & Mary Choir In Concert, March 19th at 8pm in the Sanctuary

The Choir of the College of William & Mary will return to Rock Spring once again this year for the first stop on their annual East Coast tour.  Last March, Rock Spring member and WM alumnus Katherine Rubida brought the 65-member mixed chorus to Arlington to perform for a packed house and it was a hit!  This year the Choir’s set will be a wide variety of choral music including a very solid set of African-American spirituals.  If you’d like to help out with the pre-concert dinner for the singers or volunteer to house a couple of them for the night of March 19th, please contact Katherine. We hope to see you there!

From the Council President

By the time you read this, the Church Council will have met for its annual retreat.  The retreat had two main areas of focus.  First was providing all members of Council with a briefing on Rock Spring processes and procedures to lay the groundwork for a successful year.  Second was beginning a discussion about the mission and vision of Rock Spring.
A sampling of the questions before our church includes:  How do we define “benevolences” and how do we allocate those resources?  How much should we rely on the Endowment to fund the operations of the church?  How do we grow our membership, and inspire all members to give of their time and their treasure?   None of these questions has an easy answer, and none stands alone.  They are intertwined, and with limited time and financial resources, the answer to any one necessarily helps to define the answer to every other.
Over the coming year, we will continue to wrestle with these issues.  Based on our conversation at the Council Retreat, we will be seeking input from all members of the congregation.   I hope we will be able to clearly articulate a mission and vision for Rock Spring, and then make decisions that will allow us to achieve that vision.
Before we could get to the Council Retreat, however, there was the minor matter of a couple of blizzards.  When I agreed to take on the job of Council President, I expected that there might be some “storms” to deal with over the course of the year.  I did not, however, expect it to be quite so literal!
I can’t thank enough the Rock Springers who worked tirelessly to ensure that church could open on Feb. 14 .  “My kingdom for a parking lot!” was a common refrain as it became painfully obvious that the streets around Rock Spring would not be cleared for parking.
Instead, through a combination of fortuitous encounters, creative thinking and good old-fashioned hard work, a small group was able to develop and implement a remote parking and shuttle system that allowed us to worship together and enjoy Women’s Sunday.  My thanks to everyone who contributed ideas, who worked to clear the bus from under its thick blanket of snow (and a fallen tree!), and who provided the “boots on the ground” to keep the system working smoothly.  My thanks, too, to the congregation for their patience and good humor!
Thinking spring thoughts,
Ashley Martinage

Safe Church Listening Session – March 7

Per the Congregation’s charge at the Annual Meeting in 2008 to develop a Safe Church Policy, a task force – comprised of members of Christian Education, Personnel and Deacons – drafted a Safe Church Policy. The policy is designed to ensure a safe environment for all in our church family, including those most vulnerable. It seeks to create and maintain a community of faith and ministry in which its members, friends, staff and volunteers can worship and work together in an atmosphere free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, exploitation or intimidation. (The draft policy and background information is available for review at http://www.rockspringucc.org/church-life/christian-education/safe-church/.)
On March 7, immediately following the 9 AM and 11 AM services, listening sessions will be held in Carpenter Hall to field questions and comments on the policy. (Additional listening sessions TBD.)
After input from the listening sessions has been compiled, the Safe Church Task Force will finalize a Safe Church Policy that will be brought before a special congregational meeting (to be held no later than the first Sunday in June). If adopted, the policy will go into effect in September 2010.
Please join us on March 7 to engage in discussion about this important issue.

Prayerful Illumination

Almost There but Lengthened Shadows

Did you know that the word “Lent” comes from an old English word for “lengthen”?  As the short, cold days of Winter begin to lengthen, welcoming the Spring, so the weeks of Lent get closer to the festival of Easter.  We look for warmer days and begin inspecting the soil for the blossoms of Spring to poke their heads from their wintry resting places.  Similarly, Easter’s promise of new life breaks through the cold weariness of ordinary toils and tears.
In an age of instant access and immediate results, Lent reminds us of the power of hope.  The shadows are as much to be embraced as are the celebrations.  Resurrection is not so much an accomplished fact as the perception of what can be.  The passages below inspire us to hope in what is coming, but remind us that we are not there, yet.  The way to what is eternal is often through the path of death’s shadows.
The sixth Sunday in Lent uniquely encompasses this paradox in its recounting both the cries of “Hosanna” and “Crucify him.”  The one is often heard in the company of the other.  And for many of us we hear them both within ourselves!Almost There but Lengthened Shadows
Did you know that the word “Lent” comes from an old English word for “lengthen”?  As the short, cold days of Winter begin to lengthen, welcoming the Spring, so the weeks of Lent get closer to the festival of Easter.  We look for warmer days and begin inspecting the soil for the blossoms of Spring to poke their heads from their wintry resting places.  Similarly, Easter’s promise of new life breaks through the cold weariness of ordinary toils and tears.
In an age of instant access and immediate results, Lent reminds us of the power of hope.  The shadows are as much to be embraced as are the celebrations.  Resurrection is not so much an accomplished fact as the perception of what can be.  The passages below inspire us to hope in what is coming, but remind us that we are not there, yet.  The way to what is eternal is often through the path of death’s shadows.
The sixth Sunday in Lent uniquely encompasses this paradox in its recounting both the cries of “Hosanna” and “Crucify him.”  The one is often heard in the company of the other.  And for many of us we hear them both within ourselves!

Learning & Fellowship

Christian Education News

A Green Lens for Lent

Rock Spring is getting even more green during Lent!  Christian Education, in partnership with the Eco-Justice Committee, will be taking a “green lens” for all ages during Lent.  Using various models, all Christian Education at Rock Spring will be centered on five themes, exploring God’s creation, humanity’s connection to creation, and our response to the call to care for all of creation.
Adult Education offering: Through he 21st of March, we’ll be blazing a trail through the recently published “Green Bible,” looking at theology through a “green lens”.  Come to the Peace Room at 9:30 a.m. (snacks and coffee provided) to explore the themes of finding God in and through Creation, being connected to Creation, how Creation Care is justice, how Creation is harmed by human sin, and how the whole Creation is part of God’s redemption.  This will be a Bible study supplemented by essays, the arts, and a call for action.  Led by Parish House Intern Mollie Landers.
Middle High and Senior High YoRS will also join in the journey, looking at the deeper impact of the Green Bible.  YoRS will be focusing on the same themes as the adults, and may even get to take a field trip.  The youth will be looking through the green lens, to see how being an active part of God’s creation touches every part of our lives.  It’s a lot more than just Bible study!
Sunday School: During the 11am Sunday School hour, CE will introduce not only the “green” theme, but will also a pilot the Rotational Sunday School model for grades K-5. (Note: The Pre K, middle high and senior high classes will continue with their regular programming during this time period.)  Using Rotation, students study the same passage or concept over many weeks using different approaches  (i.e., “stations,” such as a music station, a craft station, an acting station, a reading station, etc.).
For example, students might study the story of Noah. In week one, the student might study the story primarily through music. In week two, the student might act out the story in the “theater station.” In week three, the student might study the story by creating a craft, etc.  Students will be “shepherded” to stations each week by one adult leader and an additional teacher will staff and run each station. As we get closer to the pilot program, parents with students in grades K-5 will receive more detailed information.
**The “Green Bible” (which is an NRSV Bible with essays and bible studies on the theme of creation care and eco-justice) is available for purchase for $20.  See Janet Parker to obtain one.  Copies that are not purchased will be available for borrowing from the Library.
Please take this opportunity to be a part of a church wide “green” Lent.

New Members Information Sessions start in March

Each year at this time, we reach out to those who have visited our church in worship, gatherings, and programs.  We hope that your time spent with the Rock Spring family was memorable, and that you would consider learning more about the mission, vision, and ministry of our congregation.
We also know from past gatherings many people come and visit, and participate as “Friends” of the church for many years.  This invitation goes out to you as well.  Maybe you are feeling God’s gentle tug to share more deeply in the ministry of Rock Spring.
In either case, you are invited to come and share in this year’s New Member Information Sessions.
These gatherings will take place on Wednesday evenings in March, from 7:30-9:00, following our Lenten Vespers service at 7:00.  The Sessions will begin on March 3, 2009.  Childcare and light snacks will be provided.  The sessions will cover:
3/3    UCC History and Identity
3/10    Rock Spring UCC’s History, Commitments, and Beliefs
3/17    Congregational Life at Rock Spring
3/24    Rock Spring’s Present: Our Interim Time and Joining the church
These gatherings are offered to help familiarize you with the many faces of the ministry at Rock Spring.  We welcome you to learn more about our ministries of Christian Education and Fellowship; Worship and Music; Mission, Advocacy, and Outreach; and Pastoral Care in our community and our congregation.  At the conclusion of the sessions, you are invited to join in membership with the congregation. If you have any questions about membership at Rock Spring UCC, please call us at the church office.  You can RSVP to the sessions by email to: joinus@rockspringucc.org.

Intergenerational Communion—March 7

In the traditions of the United Church of Christ, all are welcome at the Communion table.  This extravagant welcome extends to our children, who will carry the faith and traditions of the church to the coming generations.  Two years ago, we began holding two services of Communion designed to engage all of the members of the church, regardless of age.
On Sunday, March 7, children and youth grades 2-5, Middle High, and Senior High, are encouraged to remain in the sanctuary for the entire Service of Word and Sacrament.  For our younger ones, our regular Sunday School programs will take place.  Parents, please use this time in worship and celebration to engage your child on the meaning of Communion, and your family’s individual traditions and beliefs
2010 SH YoRS Summer Mission Experience
Details for this year’s Summer Mission Experience are in the works.  We’ll be returning to Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity-Franklin, WV…  and we’ll be bringing friends!
The Youth of Rock Spring will be joined by the youth of United Christian Parish-Reston, VA; Little River UCC-Annandale, VA; and Christ Congregational UCC-Silver Spring, MD for a joint work trip!  We’ve been talking about doing something “bigger” than us for a couple of years, and this is the beginning of that journey.
The organizational meeting for the trip will take place on January 31 at 1:00.  All Senior High youth are invited to take part.  Please note: there is a limited number of bed spaces reserved per church.  We’ll need to commit our numbers at the 1/31 meeting.  More information will be sent directly to the SH YoRS + families.

Into the Spirit! Returns.  Save These Dates!
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 or 2:30 p.m. Sessions:

Into the Spirit explores traditions of Christian spiritual practice and how they might apply in our congregational setting and in our personal lives.  Led by Dick Metzger and Barbara Kinney.  All meetings are to take place in the Peace Room.
Into the Spirit
Sunday, March 7:
Into the Spirit
Sunday, May 2:
Into the Spirit
Sunday, June 6:
Into the Spirit

Living the Questions Returns to Rock Spring!

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 or 2:30 p.m. Sessions:

The First Light: Jesus and the Kingdom of God program is a series produced by Living the Questions organization and featuring Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan on video and with written material by Crossan.  The program begins by setting Jesus in his Jewish and Greco-Roman context, and works toward addressing Crossan’s four vital questions:  What is the character of your God?, What is the content of your faith?, What is the purpose of your worship?, What is the function of you community?  Led by Dwight Rodgers who can be contacted via e-mail for further information.
Sunday, March 14:
First Light 11:  Resurrection as Resistance
Sunday, March 28:
First Light 12
Sunday, April 4th:
No Classes, Easter

Eco-Justice News

Green Lent Calendar Available!

Look in the pews and on the Rock Spring website for the 2010 version of Rock Spring’s Green Lent Calendar.  This calendar offers suggestions for action and reflection throughout the days of Lent on how to green your lifestyle and care for God’s creation.  An alternative to more traditional Lenten disciplines, the Green Lent Calendar offers a spiritual and practical way to observe Lent while honoring God’s creation.  Brought to you by the Eco-Justice Committee.

Green Tip

Don’t be foiled:  Aluminum production is a resource and energy-intensive process.  Use foil sparingly, and where possible, wash and fold it for reuse.  Recycle it when it’s no longer usable.  When there’s no other option but to use aluminum foil, use a foil made from 100% recycled aluminum.  Recycling aluminum uses one-twentieth of the energy needed to smelt the original aluminum from ore.  Try it!  Brought to you by Rock Spring’s Eco-Justice Committee.

The Eco-Justice Green Fest FREE LUNCH

Has been postponed from January 31 to March 14. Don’t miss our vegetarian free lunch while enjoying fellowship and our slide show celebrating accomplishments in greening the church. Hear about upcoming eco-justice initiatives at Rock Spring.  Everyone is invited after the second service March 14 to come to Carpenter Hall for the FREE LUNCH.

Earth Sunday 2010

Sunday, April 25th, our service will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.  It will be a culmination of our Green Bible Study and the Green Bible and Earth Care themes used by the CE program.  The Eco-Justice Committee welcomes all who would like to be part of the planning for this service, and for the beginning of our Green Living Challenge program after the service.

Women’s Fellowship News

Sign Up Now for the Annual Women’s Spirituality Retreat April 16-17

Sign up by March 14 for the 14th Annual Rock Spring Women’s Spirituality Retreat, which will be held Friday evening April 16 to Saturday afternoon April 17 at Shepherd’s Spring Retreat Center in the countryside outside Sharpsburg, MD. The theme of this year’s retreat will be “Understanding and Nourishing Your Spiritual Energy;” it will be led by Rev. Laura Swett, an experienced retreat leader, who will help us discover ways we can sustain a spirit of energy and joy amid our daily lives and responsibilities. We will explore ways to open ourselves to the Spirit through such practices as prayer and meditation and look at ways to close those “files” in our lives that deplete our spiritual energy. Rev. Swett has a background in ministry and psychotherapy and has been a church revitalization specialist. We are returning to Shepherd’s Spring Retreat Center (http://www.shepherdsspring.org/) after our positive experience there last year. Fees for the retreat start at $155 for a double room. Spaces are available on a first-come, first served basis. Registration materials  are available iin the Saegmuller Room and sign-ups and checks can be left in the box there or mailed to Kathy Morland at 3161 N. 20th Street, Arlington, VA 2220. Contact Judy McDowell, Kathy Morland, Sara Fitzgerald, Eileen Jinks, Collette Dziemian or Ann Divecha for more information.

Warm Up America, Come knit or crochet no matter your age or gender

Saturday March 20, 2-4pm, Saegmuller Room. Enjoy fellowship with other Rock Springers  of all ages. Come for one hour, 30 minutes, whatever time you can spare. We are knitting or crocheting   7×9 inch rectangles to donate for afghan making by Warm Up America. These go to someone in need. Bring needles, bring yarn ,or share some of ours. We can get you started.  Light refreshments. See www.warmupamerica.org for more information on the cause. Contact Judy McDowell, Carol George, or Peggy Greenwood for more information.One Great Hour of Sharing enables one great year of action

One Great Hour of Sharing enables one great year of action

During Lent, on March 14, we will have the opportunity to contribute directly to our church’s global relief and development ministries.  One Great Hour of Sharing, as part of Our Church’s Wider Mission, is the special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that carries God’s message of love and hope to people in more than eighty countries, including the US.
The UCC works with international partners to provide sources of clean water and food, education and health care, small business micro-credit, emergency relief, and advocacy and resettlement for refugees and displaced persons. One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) also supports domestic and international ministries for disaster preparedness and response. From 9/11 and Katrina, through the Asian tsunami and cyclones in Bangladesh and Myanmar, to the earthquake in Haiti, OGHS dollars contributed rapidly to the rescue and recovery efforts. And for the vast numbers of people affected by the daily, invisible crisis of poverty, OGHS dollars help to provide the basics: health, education, and the tiny micro-projects needed to help families stand on their own feet.
Look for more details in your mail and email boxes and in the pews about this powerful tool for sending forth God’s message of love in these challenging times.
Michael Bell
Chair, Board for Social Action and Mission

COMMUNITY & SOCIETY

Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2010:  A Place to Call Home: Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Peoples

Worship, study and dialogue with hundreds of people of faith at the annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days. Then join us as we go to Capitol Hill to advocate for our members of Congress to remedy these global injustices. The 2010 conference will be held March 19 – 22 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Crystal City, Virginia just outside Washington, D.C. Register online at http://advocacydays.org/registration/index.php

Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a movement of the ecumenical Christian community, and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in biblical witness and our shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Our goal, through worship, theological reflection and opportunities for learning and witness, is to strengthen our Christian voice and to mobilize for advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues.  The United Church of Christ is a sponsor.

Interesting Times

Senior Pastor Search Committee Update

The Search Committee continues to move forward in its quest to find out next Sr. Pastor.  We have now had 2 candidates in town for live interviews and to give sermons at Neutral Pulpits.
We have invited a third and are checking references on a potential 4th candidate as well.  As we meet with these candidates, we have been asking many pointed questions about how they might fit in to this congregation, lead us in exciting ways and provide us with a vision for the future.  We have remained true to our Profile as well as the suggestions of the Congregation in the Survey we all responded to last year.  We are very aware that this Search is not for the committee, but for the entire congregation.
We look forward to the day that we call a new Sr. Pastor, but we still have much work to do before that happens.  We still have candidates in all stages of the Search, and we want to ensure we get the best possible candidate for Rock Spring.

Talents & Treasures

2010 Pledge Campaign Review

While it’s never too late to make or change your pledge, this is probably as good a time as any to compare this year’s pledge campaign to last year’s.  As of the end of January, we had received pledges from 193 people/families totaling $574,163.  This compares to a 2009 total of 209 pledgers and $605,899.  In the aggregate, the 2010 campaign is down by 16 pledgers (7.7%) and $31,736 (5.2%) compared to 2009 levels.  The difference in the two percentages is because the average pledge actually increased from $2,899 to $2,975, an increase of 2.6%.

Looking at the pledge patterns between 2009 and 2010, we had 21 pledgers in 2010 who did not pledge in 2009 (new pledgers).  Sadly, this was not enough to make up for the 37 who pledged in 2009, but did not continue in 2010 (this includes some folks who have moved away, or even passed away, but that is just the way pledge numbers work).  Of the 172 pledgers who made pledges in both 2009 and 2010, 63 pledgers (36.6%) were able to increase their pledges, 81 pledgers (47.1%) held constant between the two years, and 28 pledgers (16.3%) decreased their 2010 pledge compared to their 2009 pledge level.

To look inside the pledge statistics just a little further, the median pledge for 2010 (half were larger, half smaller) was $2,000.  The median pledges within the five quintiles were $6,540, $3,900, $2,000, $1,020, and $500, respectively.  This means that the median pledge among our 39 largest pledgers was $6,540 and the median pledge among the second largest 38 pledgers was $3,900, etc.  While the Financial Secretary is forbidden by the constitution from sharing individual pledge information, these values might serve as a useful guide.  Where do you place yourself within this continuum?  If you think that your family situation and support of the church should put you among the group that you think of as “Rock Spring’s most active supporters”, then you might think of the top quintile as your peer group.  It might be useful to think about where your pledge is compared to others in this group.  Remember that each of these quintiles has as many people above the median as it does below that figure, so there is plenty of room to give more, or less.

Of course, it takes a lot more than money to keep Rock Spring the vibrant community it has always been.  Many folks give richly to the church in ways that don’t show up in the Annual Pledge Campaign and these contributions are valued just as much as the financial gifts.  However you contribute, and at whatever level you are able to contribute, we would like to repeat the theme from this year’s campaign at least one more time – Thank You.

Submitted By Steve Hawkins, Financial Secretary

V.O.I.C.E. NEWS

Public Action Gathering

On Tuesday, March 2, V.O.I.C.E.  will hold a Public Action in Richmond at a church near the Capitol.  At the public gathering we’ll be asking our elected officials to endorse an exciting effort to secure $5 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) emergency (stimulus) funding for Virginia residents who need urgent dental care. We estimate that as many as 7,000 Virginians could be served in the near term.  This public action has become more urgent since Gov. McDonnell recommended massive budget cuts totaling $2.3 billion that the Senate and House of Delegates are seriously considering.  K-12 education & human services would see the largest cuts (see for details:  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/02/post_595.html).  According to an analysis from the Virginia Health Care Foundation, Governor McDonnell’s proposed cuts would eliminate  all local health department dental programs in the Commonwealth and substantially reduce dental services at community health centers and free clinics across the state, leaving 30,000—50,000 children and adults (estimated) without dental care who currently receive it.
VOICE must now organize the March 2nd Action to fight these cuts to maintain current dental services first and then to secure financing to implement VOICE’s proposed dental service expansion.   VOICE must use its March 2nd Richmond Action to challenge the current political dynamic in Richmond so that Virginia’s budget does not get balanced on the backs of its most vulnerable citizens.
V.O.I.C.E. is a broad-based citizens’ organization with 47 religious institution members representing 150,000 NOVA residents in Arlington, Fairfax, and Prince William counties as well as Alexandria City. It has organized hundreds of low-income adults many of whom live in the woods and stay in church-sponsored homeless shelters.
They are in desperate need of dental care to allow them to work and rebuild their lives.
The V.O.I.C.E. core team welcomes all Rock Springers to ask questions and learn more about V.O.IC.E. as Rock Spring enters into a phase of considering full membership in the organization.  One way to learn more is to attend the Richmond Action on March 2.  Another way is to attend the V.O.I.C.E. Annual Meeting, which will be held on March 25 at 7:30 p.m., location TBD.  The members of the core team include:  Rose Mary Garcia, Joe Kelly, Hamilton Brown, Michael Bell, and Megan Fletcher.

From the Bookshelf

New Books are Here!

Following is a list of the newest books purchased and prepared for checkout, from our library.
14 Cows for America; (Masai village gives gift to America after 9-ll, their most precious possession) Carmen Deedy;
Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World, Novogratz;
Clang! Clang! Beep! Beep! Listen to the City, Robert Burleigh;
Don’t Sleep, There are Snakes… Daniel Everett;
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, N. Kristoff;
La’s Orchestra Saves the World, Alexander McCall Smith;
River of Doubt; Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey, Margaret Wild;
True Confections: a Novel, Katharine Weber
Distant Neighbors: A Portrait of the Mexicans, Alan Riding;
Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark: A Life of Service, Mimi Clark Gronlund. (Speak to Bettie Clark.)
Thanks to Peggy Greenwood, Pam Henriksen, and Don Hall, who worked to ready these books for your reading pleasure.

Board of Deacons News

Extend a Welcome, Wear a Name tag!

Isaiah 43:2 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
Our names are important to us, are a part of us.  Sharing our names  is a special part of the hospitality extended in our welcome.  Wearing our name tags can make the welcome even more effective.  More than sharing our names, a name tag can make it easier to form new connections and foster existing ones.  It acknowledges that some people are helped by visual information as well as audible.  A committee name on the tag can help a person feel more included by knowing their ideas and/or concerns have gone to the right place.  It can relieve the awkward situation of having to ask “What was your name again?” and therefore make it easier to greet one another.  Guests are so busy trying to figure out the room that they simply don’t ask and we miss the opportunity to connect.  The first name especially needs to be legible at a glance – without squinting.
So, now you’re thinking “How do I get a name tag?”  The church office is ready to help out!  Simply contact the office by phone or email and they will create a name tag and have it waiting for you on the table at the back of the Sanctuary.  They will even email you to let you know it’s ready.  Another way to notify the office is to leave a note next to your name in the Friendship Pad in the pews.  You don’t even have to be a member to get a name tag!
Until you get your name tag, or for the times when you forget to bring it to worship on Sundays, there are blank adhesive name tags in the pews next to the prayer cards.
I look forward to sharing my name with you and connecting with who you are.

Celebration of the Seder meal

Lent is a time to open ourselves to the still-speaking voice of our ever-present God.  As part of our congregation’s continued effort to deepen our spiritual and fellowship life, the Board of Deacons invites you to an interfaith moment on our journey to Easter.
On Sunday, March 21, all Rock Springers are invited to come and share in a celebration of the Seder meal. This meal marks the Jewish holiday of Passover, commemorating God’s blessings in the Exodus from the oppression of Egypt.  In our Christian tradition, we remember that on the night of his betrayal and arrest, Jesus joined the disciples and friends in an upper room, sharing in the Seder.  Our meal will honor both traditions, with the help of our friends at Temple Rodef Shalom in McLean.  Please come and experience this wonderful meal as we celebrate together all that God is doing in our lives.  In keeping with the traditionsl fo the Seder, this is an intergenerational event, with a special invitation to our families with young children!  All are welcome to the table!
Where:    Carpenter Hall
When:    3/21/2010, from 5:00-8:00
Who:    YOU!
Since we’ll be serving the traditional Seder foods, we do need to know who is coming.  Also, to make this celebration more interconnected, we’ll be sharing in creating the different parts of the meal.  Please see the sign-up sheet in the Saegmuller Room. For more information, please contact Collette Dzemian, Emory Hackman, or Pastor Hank.

Music Department News

The 2010 Rock Spring Recital Series

The Rock Spring Recital Series is pleased to announce that the Clarion Brass concert that was postponed due to snow, has been re-scheduled.  The concert will now be on Sunday, March 14th at 4:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.  The Clarion Brass has been our Easter brass for over 15 years now, and we are thrilled to bring them to you in concert.  Suggested donation of $10.00 per person.