Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC)

This active group of women of all ages offers spiritual growth, mission, service and fellowship.

Women’s Fellowship (WF) represents all women who are members and friends of Rock Spring Church. This group engages in activities and projects that offer opportunities for spiritual growth, community service, fellowship and fun. If you are interested in participating in any of the Women’s Fellowship programs noted below, please send an e-mail to wf@rockspringucc.org.

Upcoming Activities

• April 16 – 17:   Women’s Spirituality Retreat

Women’s Fellowship Retreat: April 16 – 17, 2010

Women’s Annual Spirituality Retreat 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.   Click here to download the registration form and submit it as instructed.

Women’s Spirituality

Sacred Circles. There are over 75 women at Rock Spring who meet regularly in small groups throughout the year. These “circles” represent women of all ages and in all stages of life. Each group creates its own “mission” and activities – some delve deeply into issues of spirituality, others focus on community service, while others simply enjoy the fellowship and support of their Sacred Circle “sisters.” New Circles can be formed at any time, and some existing Circles are in need of new members.

Women’s Retreat. Each spring the women of Rock Spring spend a day or two away from their normal routines to explore issues of spirituality. The retreat is organized by the Women’s Spirituality committee and is lead by outside pastors and facilitators who always offer new and important perspectives.

Women’s Sunday. Each year, the women of Rock Spring develop and lead the worship service for our annual celebration of UCC Women’s Sunday. We have been blessed to witness an amazing process as together we weave Scripture, prayers and music in new ways.

“Calling all Cooks!”

Women’s Fellowship keeps an e-mail/phone list of members of the church who love to bake and cook, and who are willing to share their talents. The large and diverse members of the “Calling all Cooks” list support many important church events, including:

Memorial Services. Women’s Fellowship provides cookies and refreshments for memorial service receptions held at the Church – a small but important role in helping celebrate the lives of our members.

Fall Bazaar. Women’s Fellowship raises money through the Fall Bazaar in order to support many local benevolences. Our cooks prepare a delicious lunch as well as stock the baked goods table.

Annual Meeting. Women’s Fellowship has traditionally prepared lunch for this important event where the goals and budget of the church are finalized for the upcoming year.

Community Service

Benevolences. Women’s Fellowship makes donations each year to over 20 organizations, including:

• Arlington Food Assistance Center
• Shaw Community Ministries
• Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network
• Arlington/Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless
• Arlington Free Clinic
• Doorways for Women and Children
• Hoffman Homes for Youth
• Lancaster Seminary
• Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry
• Whitman Walker Clinic for AIDS patients

The money to support these donations comes from the annual pledges made by the women of Rock Spring to Women’s Fellowship and from the proceeds of the Fall Bazaar.

Community Projects. Each year Women’s Fellowship selects projects in which to participate that serve the local community.

Social Events

Ladies Lunch Out. Women’s Fellowship coordinates Ladies Lunch Out periodically through the year at various local restaurants. This is an important social event for many of our senior ladies, and it is a wonderful inter-generational opportunity to hear stories and learn from this amazing group of women.

Beading. A dedicated group of women meet regularly to make paper beads from unused Rock Spring Church Bulletins to create beautiful necklaces. Typically this group meets the 2nd Wednesday each month during the day and the 3rd Monday during the evening in the Counting Room on the 2nd Floor of the Hunter Building, and is always looking for new members. The items are sold at the Women’s Fellowship Fall Bazaar.

Fall Bazaar. Women’s Fellowship organizes this very popular Rock Spring event, which includes a delicious lunch, a “treasure” room/yard sale, crafts and baked goods tables, and a silent auction. The Bazaar is held the 1st Saturday in November.

Other Social Events. Women’s Fellowship will be organizing several new social activities in 2008. If you have suggestions or are interested in helping plan an event, please contact WF@rockspringucc.org

Supporting the Church

Special Projects: Money raised through the WF pledge campaign and our fundraising events is used to support local benevolences as well as to fund special projects at the church. Women’s Fellowship has funded the furnishings, carpeting and small kitchen in the Saegmuller room, the appliances in the Carpenter Hall kitchen, a DVD/projector/audio visual system, the choir robes, and much, much more.

Rohrer Memorial Library. Women’s Fellowship funds and operates the church’s wonderful library through a small and dedicated group of women. This library, which was founded in 1915, was the first public lending library in Arlington County. Volunteers are needed to staff the Sunday desk, help with book selection, and to work the fourth Wednesday of the month.

*Updated on March 9th, 2010