Thanks for stopping by. We hope to get to know you and we would love for you to get to know us. The following are some of the things that are important to us: the values that shape us, commitments we have made, our mission/purpose, our denomination, and our history.
Help us get to know you by filling out the form below.
Our MISSION
Rock Spring is a progressive Christian community — welcoming, compassionate, and joyful. We love and care for one another. We strive to discern God’s still-speaking voice through worship, study, fellowship, and service. We work for peace and social, economic, and ecological justice. We seek a greater understanding of others, and thus ourselves, recognizing that all persons are members of our one human family. Our community prepares and sustains us as we work together to bring about the world that we believe God intends.
Our Values
When we need to make decisions, the following guidelines are the ones that guide us. We are:
An Inclusive Community
We recognize that all people are an integral part of the human family, created in the image of God. We strive to be a place where all people know they are valued for their unique experiences and gifts. We actively seek to include everyone around our table.
A Caring, Generous Community
We recognize that people of all ages and in all communities have both needs and gifts. We are committed to sharing with each other, and with our neighbors in the community and around the world, the talents and gifts we have been given.
A Learning Community
We are curious, open-minded people of all ages who meet to nurture our intellectual and spiritual development. We help each other listen for the still-speaking God.
A Justice-Seeking Community
We seek justice and peace through building relationships and through making small, deliberate choices. We advocate for individual human rights, and social and ecological justice. Together, we seek to bring about the world that God intends.
A Faith-filled Community
We approach faith and worship in many different ways with respect and a desire for engagement with other traditions. We strive to use our Christian faith to guide our decisions and our actions.
A Joyful Community
We are grateful for the gift of life and for each other. Fun and laughter are woven into the fabric of our lives together. We strive to bring a spirit of joy to all that we do.
Our Commitments
Here at Rock Spring we express our commitment to our values in tangible ways. We are:
An Open and Affirming Church
Everyone is welcome at our table. Gay, straight, single, married, widowed, divorced, rich, poor, healthy, ill, left, right, sure, or unsure. For many years, Rock Spring and the United Church of Christ have welcomed members of the the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, and we seek to continue to widen that welcome.
The congregation voted to be “Open & Affirming” in 2000, and LGBTQ+ people are fully a part of our community and our church’s leadership. While we are advocates for marriage equality and seek to further understanding about sexuality, several of our members have been known to say something like, “I love it that we are welcome here, but I am especially glad that my sexuality is not considered all that interesting.” Be who you are. Love who you love.
A Safe Church
Children are a vital and vibrant part of our community. We want them to have so much fun here that they become the ones pushing their parents to attend. We want them to build meaningful friendships and learn the stories of our faith. We want them to experience the love of God and this community. And, we want them to be safe. In 2010, Rock Spring adopted a resolution affirming its commitment to being a safe church. With this resolution, we made the commitment to be sure that everyone working with children and youth have background checks on file and that there are always two adults with every group of children.
A Just Peace Church
“We now need to put as much effort into defining a just peace as we have done in defining a just war.” This was the challenge from Dr. Robert V. Moss, the second president of the United Church of Christ, in 1971. The UCC has defined “Just Peace” as the interrelation of friendship, justice, and common security from violence. Our commitment to being a Just Peace church inspires us toward direct service, legislative advocacy, and courageous witness.
A Global Mission Church
This isn’t your grandparents’ mission work. We recognize that we are a global community and that our world will be stronger when we can learn, share, and grow together.
Our Denomination
Rock Spring is a part of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a denomination known for welcoming all, loving all, and seeking justice for all. Read more about the UCC.
Our History
Rock Spring began as a neighborhood church located, at the time, in the midst of open farm lands. In 1912, the group of neighbors who had been gathering together for Sunday School decided to become a church. Read more about Rock Spring’s History.