by Chuck Wildman

By the time this article reaches you, the General Synod of our United Church of Christ, gathered in Hartford, CT June 22-25, will have celebrated the 50th Birthday of the UCC.   I am sure that delegates and visitors to this historic synod will have experienced grace-filled worship celebrations.  Thanks will have been offered for our diversity, openness to all people and courage in struggles for justice and peace.

Anne and I will have been there for two days, including for the luncheon in which she will have been recognized as one of this year's "honored lay women."  We humbly thank Rock Spring women, and the Central Atlantic Conference, for nominating her for this honor.

Rock Spring member Greta Lahr acknowledged for her long time work with AMEN an excerpt from the AMEN Newsletter

 "Ms. Greta Lahr, who has for many years served as one of AMEN'S daily volunteers assisting those in need, will soon move to Massachusetts to be closer to her family. Greta has been a mainstay of our organization, and she will be sorely missed. We thank her for her many years of service to AMEN and wish her well in her new living arrangements."

CHURCH COUNCIL INVITES YOU TO JULY 5th FINANCIAL MEETING
By the time you read this you will have or will shortly be receiving a letter from Treasurer Steve Hawkins asking the Congregation to accelerate, automate, and/or increase their financial gifts to Rock Spring yet this year.  The intent is to avoid the summer financial "pot holes" we frequently experience and conclude 2007's deficit budget in the black.  The Church Council hopes you will support this effort.  But additionally the Council remains concerned over the financial challenges facing the Church in our 2008 transition year with Chuck's departure in April and our need to maintain Rock Spring as one of the financially strong UCC churches in the Central Atlantic Conference, and a church with a dynamic program of outreach and caring.  To keep us moving in the right financial direction, members of the Council and others associated with the Pledge Drive for 2008 will meet with Rev. William Vander Wyden, an ordained UCC minister, who now heads Vander Wyden Consultants, Inc., at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 5, in Agnes Carpenter Hall, to hear a presentation on how his company can assist us to develop a compelling and successful program of giving.  By consensus, the Council decided that the meeting be opened to others in the Congregation who may be concerned with the financial health of the Church.  You are especially invited to attend if you interested in taking part in the Pledge Drive for 2008. Beth Porter, Council President

CENTRAL ATLANTIC CONFERENCE HOLDS 43rd ANNUAL MEETING
 
The Central Atlantic Conference, our regional United Church of Christ organization, gathered for its 43rd annual meeting at the University of Delaware June 9-11.  Using the General Synod theme, "Let It Shine," the meeting served as a very positive prelude to the denomination's 50th anniversary celebration, which will take place in Hartford, Connecticut June 22-26.
 
Members of Rock Spring were very much involved in the CAC meeting. Jacki Brown is now bringing her many years of experience with the Rock Spring Endowment Fund to her new role as chairman of the CAC Endowment Committee. (At the meeting, we celebrated the receipt of a substantial gift to the CAC Endowment from a UCC church in Westminster, MD, which had recently received a substantial and unexpected gift to its own endowment. This designated gift will be in support of youth ministry.) Rev. Hank Fairman was busy working with other Christian Education leaders from the Potomac Association and the conference on final plans for the contingent of more than 50 CAC youths who will attend General Synod. Rev. Janet Parker spoke eloquently and effectively in support of a resolution calling for action to address the crisis of climate change, which the conference ultimately approved. During a roundtable time, I shared information about Rock Spring's process for considering the marriage equality issue with a small group of representatives of other churches who were seeking ideas about how best to discuss these issues within their own congregations. And Anne Wildman was recognized as one of three laywomen from the conference whose gifts will be celebrated at General Synod. (The Wildmans were off celebrating their own 40th wedding anniversary by having Chuck perform the wedding of the daughter of Alan and Donna Baughcum.) Rock Spring was also recognized for its strong record of financial support for Our Churches Wider Mission and all four of the special offerings of the United Church of Christ.
 
As many of you may know by now, the meeting marked my election as president of the conference board of directors.  I was greatly touched when the Rock Spring contingent came forward immediately afterwards with hugs and a gift bag of spiritual resources on behalf of the Church Council. I appreciate your affirmation and prayers the next day in church.  I am humbled to be following in the footsteps of persons such as George Booth, Hugh Appling, Jeanne Barnett and Chuck Wildman who were called to assume leadership positions in the wider United Church of Christ.  If I were not sustained by the support and love of God as manifested by the Rock Spring congregation, I would not have accepted this responsibility.
 
At the meeting, we were inspired by many speakers and preachers, including Rev. Bernice Powell Jackson, now the president for North America of the World Council of Churches and interim pastor of Beecher Memorial UCC in New Orleans, and Rev. Linda Jaramillo, executive minister of the UCC for Justice and Witness Ministries. Rev. Barbara Brown Zikmund, one of the UCC's preeminent historians, guided us through the diverse theological history of the Central Atlantic Conference and its congregations. (Her banquet dinner PowerPoint presentation was enhanced by a conference map that had been created by our own Martha Jolkovski.)
 
A particularly poignant moment occured when Rev. Kelly Sisson, pastor of Glade UCC in Blacksburg, Virginia, spoke of the impact that the Virginia Tech shootings had had on her congregation. Her members included emergency medical technicians, persons responsible for hazmat clean-up, the editor of the university alumni magazine and the university housing official responsible for accompanying grieving parents to their dorm rooms to pick up their children's effects.  More than half of the congregation are counselors or mental health professionals. "The UCC was present," she asserted, in the pain and tragedy of Blacksburg on April 16, 2007. A short time later, as we were called to reflect on ways in which we see God present in our world, she observed that five years ago, her church had not even existed.
 
During the business portion of the meeting, Conference delegates approved a budget under which 35 percent of churches' contributions to OCWM will be forwarded to the national offices, and 65 percent put to use in the conference. In addition to the resolution on global warming, a resolution calling for justice for workers at the Tar Heel, NC, plant of Smithfield Packing Inc. was approved. (Both of these have been submitted to General Synod, but will face a tougher standard for consideration because they were received so close to the start of Synod.)
 
You'll be able to follow the proceedings of General Synod on the Web at www.ucc.org. I hope you will join us in the continuing celebration, and let any of us know if you have additional questions.
 
--Sara Fitzgerald (on behalf of Jacki and Charlie Brown, Rev. Janet Parker and Rev. Hank Fairman)

ROCK SPRING PARTICIPATES IN
CAPITAL PRIDE EVENTS
 
June 9 marked Rock Spring Church's 7th participation in the Capital Pride Parade in support of the rights of the gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual community. We marched for the first time in June 2001, following the church's passing of the original Open and Affirming statement in the previous year. Carrying two banners,  a Rock Spring Church banner made by Susan Nelson Johnson and a UCC God is Still Speaking banner, 14 Rock Springers including four children, friends of Rock Spring members, and three from the Lincoln Temple walked in the march, under the sponsorship of the Board of Social Action. The onlookers shouted "Go, Rock Spring, go!" and "Thank you for being here." There were chants of "UCC! UCC!" Many stepped forward to shake our hands, especially the children in our midst.    Rock Spring was also a sponsoring church for the first Gay Pride interfaith service in Northern Virginia on June 12 at Hope UCC in Alexandria.  The service was sponsored by People of Faith for Equality in Virginia, and a new Northern Virginia Pride Interfaith Coalition has been formed to organize future interfaith Gay Pride services in Northern Virginia.  Next year the service will be held at Clarendon Presbyterian Church.  Rock Spring was well represented with 7 adults and one child in attendance, and Janet Parker participated in the leadership of the service.  The spirit was high, the music lively, and the testimonies and readings and prayers inspiring. Representatives from Unitarian, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian faiths were present.  All present felt blessed to be there and to celebrate our diversity and claim our place at the table in the Commonwealth of Virginia.