RSN MAY 2012

Rock Spring CongregationalUnited Church of Christ

5010 Little Falls Rd. Arlington, VA703-538-4886

www.rockspringucc.org

The Rock Spring NewsMay 2012 Vol. 08 No.05

The Centennial Weekend is here...

Come Celebrate the roCk Spring Centennial

Rock Spring News May 2012 2

Friday6:30 p.m.

The Centennial Dinner BlastAt the Rosslyn Holiday Inn

Come dine with old friends and special guests Rev. Sid Lovett, Joanne Booth,

and Rev. Chuck and Anne Wildman

Saturday10:00 a.m.

The Strawberry Prep Party at Carpenter HallCome visit with Anne Wildman as we prepare for Sunday’s festival

2:00 p.m. - 4:30p.m.Celebrating Our Past:

A Time of Sharing and RemembranceSaegmuller Room

Come share your memories with Sid, Chuck, and the Centennial Historians

Sunday9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Centennial Worship Services

Join us for worship and the premier of the Centennial Anthem

After 11:00 a.m. service: A Strawberry Festival ReunionDine, visit, enjoy YORS hospitality, play games,

and support the summer mission trip.

Join us for a Centennial Celebration!

Come Celebrate the roCk Spring Centennial


Centennial newS

Celebrating Our Past:A Time for Sharing and Remembering

Join us for a time of sharing stories and memories of important times in Rock Spring’s 100-year history on Saturday,

May 19, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Speakers will share stories about “The Sunday Morning Experience,” “Stories

of Social Action,” “The Little Church and How We Grew,” and

“Congregational Life,” and attendees will have the opportunity to share their

own memories.

We hope to videotape the gathering for use by future church archivists. In ad-dition to providing an opportunity for

sharing stories, we hope this gathering will provide more time for out-of-town

guests to mingle with current Rock Spring members and friends. Light

refreshments will be served. RSVPs are not required, but are appreciated for

planning purposes.

Send an email to [email protected]

or phone Claudia Sturges-Scott at 703.538.6681.

Centennial muSiC noteS

As we approach our Centennial anniversary,

the music program is pleased to have had such

a wonderful kick off to 2012!

Our Palm Sunday presentations of Schubert’s Mass in G were extremely moving and helped us all prepare for Holy Week. The Clarion Brass on Easter Sunday helped proclaim triumphantly what the choir sang and bell choir rang enthusiastically: “Christ is Risen!”

We look forward to singing again our commissioned Centennial Hymn, “As We Loose the Bonds of Injustice,” beautifully written by UCC composer Barbara Hamm. Our choir will be hard at work preparing to present our commissioned Centennial Anthem to be sung during the May 20 celebration (for more information on the anthem, see Rev. Dwyer’s Reflections column on page 4.)

Sunday May 6, will be “Choir Appreciation Sunday.” If you happen to see a member of the Sanctuary Choir, Bell Choir, Men’s Choir, Choristers, or Youth Choir, give them a hearty “Thank you!” for a program year full of beautiful and inspiring music.

Sunday, July 22 at 4:00 p.m. will be the Centennial Concert, performed by three professional musicians who have brought music to Rock Spring for many years. Michael Howe, Ed Roberts, and Elizabeth Kluegel Niblock will be bringing you a classical concert of the music they love to sing and play. We hope you can come and hear this special performance.

-Elizabeth Kluegel Niblock, Director of Music

Elizabeth Kluegel NiblockDirector of Music


refleCtionS

It seems like only a few months ago that I sat down with our centennial planning committee in early 2011 to talk about what events we could plan for 2012 that would celebrate our past while focusing on our future. The committee has done an outstanding job of planning a celebratory year peppered with wonderful events; the centerpiece is the Centennial Homecoming Weekend, May 18-20.

This is truly a homecoming event. We will be joined by our former senior pastors, Sid Lovett and Chuck Wildman, and Rock Springers from near and far. I think the distance record holder will be coming in from Oregon, but we have had calls from former members in the Northeast and South, as well, who wish to join us for this special time together. The weekend has been planned with all ages and interests in mind, and I am sure you will enjoy any or all of them.

We will kick off the weekend on Friday with a special dinner event at the Holiday Inn, moderated by our own Dwight Rodgers. We have had a great response to our invitations to this event that we sent to members early April. During the evening, after we have had time to visit with one another, our special guests—Sid Lovett, Joanne Booth, and Chuck Wildman—will share their fondest memories of Rock Spring. I hear rumors that some singers will serenade us with an update to a witty song from our 75th anniversary. Sadly, the planning committee recently told me that there will not be a reprise of the four dancing flappers from that anniversary. I wish I had been here to see that!

On Saturday I hope you will join us for Celebrating Our Past: A Time for Sharing and Remembrance from 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. in the Saegmuller Room. This will be a time for us to share stories and memories of important times in Rock Spring history. Moderated by Sara Fitzgerald, the attendees will focus on four areas of our church life: Stories of Social Action; the Sunday Morning Experience; the Little Church and How We Grew; and Congregational Life. Sid and Chuck will join us for this event, as well as some of the writers from our Centennial History Project. Tea and refreshments will be served. For planning purposes it would be great to have a sense of who will be attending. Please let us know you are coming by calling the church office or sending an email to [email protected].

Rev. Kathy Dwyer

A Homecoming Event...

refleCtionS


-Kathy

Sunday, as we worship together at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., we will turn our focus to the future of Rock Spring. At both services the Sanctuary Choir will premier the Centennial anthem Come, All You Blessed Children by the noted opera and choral work composer Henry Mollicone. Many thanks to Gail and John Howell for generously commissioning this work for the Centennial Celebration! Following worship on Sunday, May 20 we will enjoy the Rock Spring Strawberry Festival. When I talk to older members, this festival always is remembered with great fondness. Please join us after the 11:00 a.m. service for a Strawberry Festival Reunion. YORS will be helping with the food, and a goodwill offering will assist them in their coming mission trip to West Virginia. There will be food and games for children of all ages. Please enjoy with us this family afternoon event and support the efforts of our youth.

There are other events on the horizon, too: a Centennial Concert with our former music director Michael Howe in July and special Sundays featuring preachers and transformational leaders Michael Piazza and Anthony Robinson. More information about these and other celebratory events will be forthcoming. In the meantime, please join me in expressing heartfelt thanks to our Centennial Committee: Gail Howell, Chair, Claudia Scott, Sara Fitzgerald, Karin Croft, Charlene Bickford, Carolyn Hart, Peggy Greenwood, Dwight Rodgers, Ann Rudd, Daena Kluegel, Denise Calvert, Martha Jolkovski, and Ashley Martinage.

Grace and peace,

The Rock Spring Centenial Celebration is Here!


refleCtionS

This month, I wanted to take an opportunity to provide an update on the process that was undertaken to engage the Alban Institute in a Staff Assessment. In December 2011, Council approved proceeding with the proposed assessment. Once the desire for the assessment surfaced, a gift was solicited to cover this unbudgeted expense; we are grateful for the generous donation that made this possible. The timing of this assessment could not be better. With over a year of permanent pastoral staff in place, we are well positioned to leverage the findings and insights of an independent, objective review of our congregational needs and staff configuration. Our consultant was quick to affirm that Rock Spring is a vibrant congregation that is healthy organization in many ways and has benefitted from many decades of strong lay leadership.

The core work of the assessment was conducted in February and March and the following is the scope and objectives from the contract with the Alban Institute:

“The leadership of Rock Spring Congregational UCC is hoping that by hiring an outside resource such as the Alban Institute they will be provided with an objective assessment of the current staffing situation in order to make any necessary short-term adjustments. In addition, it will be helpful for leadership to receive recommendations and options for improving the current staff team’s effectiveness as well as assistance in creating a staffing plan for the future as the congregation’s strategic plan is realized.

A staffing structure assessment helps leaders align staff energies in pursuit of the mission. The primary goal is to evaluate the current and planned staff configuration to determine if:

1. The staff configuration appropriately addresses both internal and external aspects of the congregation’s mission in the future,

2. Roles have been adequately defined to empower staff member performance,

3. Authority, responsibility and accountability relationships have been adequately aligned and articulated,

4. Staff size is adequate to support anticipated congregational size changes and emergent ministries.”

A Recap of the Alban Institute

refleCtionS


The consultant conducting the assessment reviewed documentation (e.g. attendance records, budget, job descriptions, annual report, history, IMAGINE results), performed one-on-one interviews, and engaged in some group sessions to gather information. On March 29th, the consultant returned to Rock Spring to review her findings and recommendations. Once again, she conducted one-on-one sessions and group discussions with staff, the Personnel Board, and Council to convey the information. As she presented, she was very intentional in highlighting that her recommendations should be viewed as a starting point. Furthermore, she provided information and educated us about the benchmarks she used to ground her approach and recommendations. These benchmarks are based upon the profile for churches our size as determined by both attendance and operating budget. After hearing these benchmarks, I heard more than one Council member comment on how refreshing it was to understand that we are not alone. Knowing that we are facing challenges that are inherent to our size (we are a mid-sized church) and that there were resources to help us, left many reassured that we have undergone a healthy assessment and we can move forward productively.

The information provided and recommendations are still under review. Our goal is to hold an informational meeting to discuss the findings and proposed next steps in June. In the meantime, please direct any questions or comments to Kathy Dwyer, Sarah Gilmour, or Rebecca Womeldorf.

Finally, my deep gratitude goes to the donor whose generous gift made this pos-sible.

With peace and hope,-Sarah

Staff Assesment

Sarah GilmourCouncil President


Congregational life

Register for May’s New Members’ ClassHave you been visiting Rock Spring for a while and would like to consider membership? The classes, spread over three weeks, include learning about the United Church of Christ as a denomination, Rock Spring’s history, and a look at our present structure, governance, current programs, and vision for the future.

Our next New Members’ Class will be held on Wednesday evenings in May:

May 9May 16May 23

7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in the Saegmuller Room. Childcare will be provided.

To register, please email [email protected]

Living the StoryThe Greater DC Area Guild of the Network of Biblical Storytellers, International is pleased to present a 4-week class, “Exploring the Gospel of Mark through Story.”

Session 1 June 3, 2012 11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. Peace Room

An Introduction to the Gospel of Mark: Mark 1:1-15

Calling the disciples: Mark 1:14-20

Session 2 June 10, 201211:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. Peace RoomHealing the Paralytic Mark 2:1-12

Session 3 June 17, 201211:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. Peace RoomThe Man at the Tombs Mark 5:1-20

Session 4 June 24, 201211:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. Peace Room

The Parables of the Kingdom of HeavenMark 4:1-34

Is That All There Is?The Problem with Mark’s Ending. Mark 16:1-8

Each session will be a self-contained unit, taught by a different Featured Storyteller. Come once or make a month of it! If you have questions please contact Janice Langholz 703.534.7037 or [email protected]

Caring Ministry Visitation Training SessionMonday, May 7 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Saegmuller Room

Sarah Anders of the Rockville United Church will again lead us. Here is how she describes

our time together:

The process of creating can help us discover new ways of being with ourselves and others. On Monday, May 7, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., we’ll creatively explore stories of illness, misfortune, and caregiving in scripture. In our first activity, we’ll arrange ourselves in sculptures, creating a still image that can be closely observed. The sculptures will help us engage in the story more thoroughly, offering insight into the people and the situation. We’ll identify and discuss the feeling evoked from being in the scene or observing the scene. Second, we’ll further explore scripture verses by taking a lesson from preschool and play with construction paper and glue. You’ll be surprised how creative you can be with a stack of colored construction paper!

You’ll be moving around a bit so please dress comfortably.


Spiritual growth & learning

Rock Spring Offers Healing Service in May

One of the gifts of the Worship Task Force has been to introduce a special service of worship on the first Friday evening of every month. Many people have been enjoying the Taizé services, which have been running since November. April will be the last Taizé service for this program year. Healing services will be held on the first Friday in May and in October, and special summer outdoor worship services will be held from June through September. All are invited to the first healing service developed under this new model. Seeking Shalom: A Service for Healing and Wholeness will be offered on Friday, May 4, at 6:30 p.m. Like the Taizé services, the service will be 30 minutes in duration.

Worship services of healing and wholeness are increasingly being offered in congregations of the United Church of Christ. Rock Spring is no stranger to these services, which were first introduced by Rev. Linda Carder and intern Matt Emery in 2005, and have been held several times since. These services seek to honestly present our brokenness and suffering before God to receive God’s abiding care, compassion, healing, and reconciliation.

Persons bring a range of needs to such services. Some bring bodies ravaged by disease or injury. Some courageously long to be healed from the deep wounds of abuse. Others present themselves weary of the cycle of addictions. Others desire to give over the torment of psychological depression, emptiness, and fear to God. Longing for forgiveness, many no longer can bear a wrong or broken relationship. We come to such services seeking healing in our bodies, our lives, but also wholeness in our families, our congregations, our communities, and our world. We seek God’s shalom, justice, healing, peace, and compassion. Come and join us on May 4. Come and receive God’s shalom.*

*Portions of this article are taken from “All Shall Be Well: Conducting Worship Services for Heal-ing and Wholeness,” from UCC Worship Ways, Copyright 2004, Worship and Education Ministries Team, Local Church Ministries, UCC, Cleveland

“firSt friday” ServiCe


welCome new memberS!

Thinking of Joining Rock Spring?

Next New Members’ Class to be held in MayHave you been visiting Rock Spring for a while and would like to consider membership? The

classes, spread over three weeks, include learning about the United Church of Christ as a denomination, Rock Spring’s history, and a look at our present structure, governance, current

programs, and vision for the future. Our next New Members’ Class will be held on Wednesday evenings in May: May 9, 16, and 23

from 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in the Saegmuller Room. Childcare will be provided.

To register, please email [email protected].

welCome to roCk Spring!

From left to right: Sara & Matt Bruce, son WillRobert Mansker & Randy Butler

Laura WatchmanLori Keasel


welCome new memberS!

Meet the Spring 2012 New Members Class!

Sara and Matt Bruce

Pictured here with their son, Will, Sara and Matt are looking forward to raising their family here. Sara grew up attending a UCC church in Maryland and moved to Washington DC for her medical residency in 2004. She and Matt recently moved to the Arlington area where she is a breast surgeon and Matt is the Vice President and General Manager of US East Astadia. Matt, having been raised Catholic, appreciates how Rock Spring positively challenges a lot of the beliefs he had while growing up. Matt enjoys golf, skiing, biking, and running; Sara also likes running, art projects, and family time.

Robert Mansker and Randy Butler

Bob and Randy have attended Rock Spring for several years and recently decided to make their commitment more formal. They appreciate Rock Spring’s Open and Affirming practices, and our beliefs and practices. When asked about children, they will tell you about their two beagles which get much of their affection. Randy is a proud Democrat from Texas and likes stamp collecting and dealing and computer games.

Lori Keasel

Lori has been drawn to Rock Spring because of our focus on outreach, social justice, and “living” the word of God and Jesus. A product manager for Fannie Mae, Lori loves antiquing, cooking, and outreach. She has jumped right into activity at Rock Spring; one recent weekend she took in the fellowship outing with Dar Al-Hijrah, the Women’s Retreat and a class on Wisdom Jesus! She has inquired about the possibility of beginning a 40’s-50’s social group at Rock Spring.

Laura Watchman

Laura is an environmental consultant who also enjoys hiking, camping, running, triathlons, birding, reading, and golf. Laura is impressed with Rock Spring’s commitment to social justice, openness to people at all points in their faith journey, activism in the community, and Sunday School. She and her husband, Greg Watchman, have two children: Sarah (9) and Samuel (7).

Rev. Hank Fairman

Children, youth, & familieS


Continuing our lenten Journey:May is here! Are you ready for all the fun?

This spring has been a wonderful mix of fun events and faith-filled response. On the heels of the April 5 Sunday, we begin the last month of our “regular” events calendar. And that means it’s time to get ready for summer!

On Sunday, June 6, we will honor all of our teachers with a special moment in worship. If you have shared your gifts with our children, youth, or adults this year, please mark your cal-

endar and come be celebrated!

During April, we will see many different ways to serve the needs of God’s creation. With Earth Day on April 22 and our 5th Sunday “Down to Earth” Sunday on April 29, we will be paying special attention to our role in care for creation, and love for all of nature.

Summer Sunday SchoolLooking ahead, we will move to a single service at 10:00 a.m. from Memorial Day to La-bor Day, with Sunday school during worship for children in preschool through fifth grade.

Signups for teaching will be in Saegmuller Room through the month of May. Please note, we need two adults each week to honor our Safe Church commitments. Come give it a try! You might find out that sharing your life with our youngest helps you on your faith journey! If you are interested in teaching in the summer ses-sion, please contact Kathy Hale or Molly McCracken, or email [email protected].

Making Churches Safe for All

Back in 2002, we began a journey with making our church a safe haven for people who had been victims of misconduct in their faith communities. In 2010, we took our actions a step further, developing our Safe Church Policy. The work on this helped us to look at best practices for ministry with children, youth, and at-risk adults, and has given us eyes to see the needs of the “least of these” in our midst.

While there are some very practical needs in living this policy, the heart of the matter is in our belief that God created us wonderful and whole. Safe Church is about respecting the beauty of God’s creation in each and every person who we encounter, wherever they are on life’s journey. It is a way of thinking and living our faith in the world (and in our encounters with everyone).

As this Sunday school year winds down, we will come to our summer sessions. Each week we need two people in each class to meet our basic needs. With larger groups, we may need to call out for additional support. If you’ve not shared in our ministry with children, this is a great way to sample the time! Please consider signing up for a week or two in the summer, and maybe you’ll get caught up in the joy for next year!

For more information on Safe Church at Rock Spring, please visit our website:

http://www.rockspringucc.org/church-life/christian-education/safe-church/



Godly Play

Our 9:00 a.m. Multi-age and 11:00 a.m. Pre-K classes will finish out this season with lessons that teach about the beginning of the church. From the experiences of the Disciples after Christ returned, to Pentecost and the tongues of fire, and to Paul and his change of mind, we will encounter the risen Christ and share in these stories of faith:

May 6Paul’s Discovery: The Road to Damascus

May 13The Part that Hasn’t Been Written Yet: Our Own

Story of Faith

May 20Centennial Sunday: Special Programming

May 27Change to One Service; Godly Play will return

in September!

Thank you to all who shared in this inaugural year of Godly Play, especially the great teaching teams:

9:00 a.m.Valerie Bell, Ann Parcell, Taryn Roman, Julie

Clark, Daena Kluegel and Lisa Wenger

11:00 a.m.Andy Schwarz, Mary Schwarz, Mary Black, and

Holly Krull

Seasons of the Spirit

Seasons of the Spirit is a lectionary-based curriculum. This means that the scripture lessons each week come from the “Revised Common Lectionary,” a three-year cycle of scripture readings. Each year focuses on one telling of the story of Jesus. This year, Year B, is a combination of the Gospels of Mark and John (a fun combination of viewpoints on the story of Jesus!)

Our regular offerings for Pre-K through fifth grade, Middle school, and Senior High will continue through May 20. Our Summer Sunday school will also be sharing in Seasons, with classes for Pre-K – 1st grade and 2nd - 5th grade. We are also planning a Middle High class; parents, please look for an email coordinating this!

3rd Grade Bible PresentationEach year, our congregation celebrates the growth of our younger friends as they journey in their life in faith. At the end of third grade, the Board of Deacons presents our children with a personal copy of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. This is the same version that we use in our pews and read in Sunday worship. This gift of Holy Scripture is one of the moments when the church marks the journey of our children towards the affirmation of their Baptismal promises—Confirmation.

The presentation of the Bibles will take place on June 10, as part of the Confirmation Sunday service. Parents of third graders, you will be receiving an email confirming your child’s grade and name. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Hank at [email protected].



Youth of Rock Spring (YoRS)

My, My May! We’ve got a lot of special activities coming up this month! We’ve got Skip Day, Mother’s Day, Centennial Day, and Memorial Day! Wow! What a month of Sundays!

Please note the varied calendar for the next few weeks. Of special note, the Annual Strawberry Festival & All-Church Picnic has been moved to the Centennial Weekend. We’ll need all YoRS hands to make this happen (we’ll have a lot of guests!). Please check the Weekly Update Email for signups!

It’s been a great YoRS year! Let’s come into summer with a great spirit!

YoRS DatesMay 6

May Skip Day (No Regular Meetings)

May 13MH YoRS: Mother’s Day Memory Makers;

SH YoRS: Help cook for SEEC Lunch Program

May 20Centennial Sunday:

Annual Strawberry Festival and Picnic (No Evening Meetings)

May 27Memorial Day Weekend (No Regular Meetings)

June 2SH YoRS Annual Seniors’ Lunch

(after church-3:00)

Confirmation Class of 2012This year’s class will conclude with a special dinner on Saturday, June 9, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Confirmands will share their Affirmations of Faith at a special service following the meal in the sanctuary, and prepare for leading worship on Sunday morning.

The Service of Confirmation will take place on Sunday, June 10. Please come and celebrate with the Confirmation class as they share their faith with us in worship and celebration.

As we come to the end of this year’s program, a note of thanks for the families of our Confirmation Class, and for the Confirmands! And, a blessing on those who shared their lives as Mentors! This year has been a good and fun time of learning and sharing in God’s love!



Mark Your Calendars: Vacation Bible Experience July 18 - 21, 2012

It’s the Family Vacation of a Lifetime!Bring your entire family to Babylon,

where Daniel had courage in captivity. You’ll travel back into Bible times--

without setting foot outside of our community.

Each day, we will become part of history as we see, hear, tough, and

even taste what it was like to live in Babylon!

We’ll explore the marketplace, visit Daniel, take part in games,

dance to lively music, and sample tasty tidbits as we discover more

about Daniel and his story from the Bible.

So mark your calendar, July 18-21 (with a special

Sunday worship on July 22.)

The adventure starts with dinner each night at 6:00 p.m.!

For more information, email [email protected]!

taSk forCe Corner

5th SundayS newS

Thanks to everyone who participated in our “Down to Earth” 5th Sunday!

The 5th Sundays Task Force would like to thank the Eco-Justice Committee for their amazing partnership to make our April 5th Sunday event happen. In particular, we thank Becky Halbe for her incredible work. She played a crucial role in virtually every project,

and we could not have pulled this off without her. Thank you, Becky! In addition, we are grateful to the Rock Spring Garden Club,

represented by Mary Nell Bryant, for their partnership.

Please mark your calendars now for our next 5th Sundays projects. For July 29, we are developing a partnership with Shaw Community Ministry

which we are very excited about. And on September 29, we will again be focusing on hunger, renewing our

partnership with Stop Hunger Now. Both events are in their very early planning stages, so please let us know if you have

ideas or are interested in being involved in their development.



SoCial JuStiCe

SoCial aCtion & miSSion newS

Supporting our Community Partners: Grant Applications Invited

Last year, Rock Spring adopted a new approach in allocating its wider mission budget. We now offer grants to our Community Partners, organizations that share our passion for social justice, based on applications from those organizations. We were delighted with the results, particularly because we were able to understand better the operations and real needs of our partners. A list of recipients can be seen in the Social Action and Mission chapter of the 2011 Annual Report (http://www.rockspringucc.org/2012/04/2011-annual-report) and full documentation of the applications is available in the Library.

Organizations can now apply for a grant from our 2012 mission budget, no later than June 15, 2012. Letters have been sent to existing Community Partners inviting them to apply. Applications from potential new partners are welcome, and if you know of an organization that you believe would be appropriate please invite them to apply or bring it to the attention of the grants committee (see below). More information is available on our website www.rockspringucc.org under “Special Info” on the home page; a link will take you to a description of the grants process, guidelines, criteria, and an application form. We anticipate that grants will be announced during the third quarter of 2012.

The grants committee consists of co-chairs Mi-chael Bell ([email protected], 703.536.5503) and Howard Hjort ([email protected], 703.536.1510), Hamilton Brown, Chris Healey, and Martha Huelsbeck.

One Great Hour of Sharing Update: At last count $11,486.00 has been collected for our OGHS offering. This is slightly up from our collection last year, so a huge thank you goes out to all who gave, all who did Moments for Mission, and all who helped behind the scenes. Thank you!

eCo JuStiCe newS

Save Electric Energy

Check your April bill from Dominion and sign up for Smart Cooling Rewards. From June through September during periods of high demand your A/C compressor will be cycled on and off for short periods.

The fan will stay on and continue to circulate already cooled air. The cycling will occur for about 4 hours per event and not on weekends or holidays.

Last year more than 30,000 people reduced peak electrical demand during each event by approximately 32 Megawatts, the equivalent to energy demand of 7,750 hours. In 2011 Dominion utilized demand reduction 20 times for a total of about 75 hours. As an added incentive, participants will receive a payment of $40 in November.

You likely will not notice the difference in your home’s temperature, but you will be making a tremendous impact on energy conservation.

Call 1.888.366.8280 or www.dom.com/smart cool.


Community & SoCiety

open and affirming newS

March with Rock Springers in Capital Pride Parade on Saturday, June 9

Rock Spring will be marching again in the Capital Pride Parade on June 9. We have been marching since 2001, the year after we voted to become Open and Affirming, and have

received overwhelming support and appreciation from the on-lookers every year. Marching in the parade is perhaps the most visible way in which we demonstrate our solidarity with the

lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The march starts at 22nd Street NW and P Street, travels through Dupont Circle, and ends at N street and 14th street. We typically step off around 6:00 p.m. You can see pictures and read descriptions of Rock Springers marching in the

parade in the previous years by going to:www.rockspringucc.org/church-life/open-and-affirming/ and scrolling down.

Inter-faith service on Tuesday, June 5You are also invited to attend an inter-faith service as part of the Pride Week on Tuesday, June 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Luther Place Memorial Church located at Thomas Circle. The guest speaker will be Dana Beyer, a well-known advocate for public health, good government, women’s rights, and LGBT civil rights. She is a transgender woman and a retired eye surgeon. The Rock Creek

Singers, a sub-group of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, will be the choir.


roCk Spring review

markerS & mileStoneS

In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Carolyn Emery. Carolyn passed away on April 20. A memorial service for Carolyn will be held at Rock Spring on Saturday, June 16, at 1:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary with a reception to follow in Carpenter Hall. Please keep Carolyn and the family in your prayers.

roCk Spring review

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Summer!Staff Schedule Updates

On Friday, May 18, the church office will be open until 2:00 p.m.; we hope to see you at the Centennial Dinner! On Monday, May 21, the church will be open but office services will not be available.

Kathy Dwyer, will be out on study leave beginning Friday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 15.

Hank Fairman, will be on vacaton beginning Sunday, May 27 through Saturday, June 2.

Janet Parker, will be away from Sunday, May 27 through Saturday, June 2.

REMEMBER! We switch to ONE SERVICE on Memorial Day

Weekend- Sunday, May 27.

See you at 10:00 a.m.!

Housing EventThe Alliance for Housing Situations (AHS), as part of their multi-media, six-month public education campaign to help our community better understand the bricks-n-mortar of affordable housing, is sponsoring the State of Affordable Housing in Arlington, 2012, Wednesday, May 16, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 S. 16th Street. County staff and affordable housing providers will provide property updates and AHS will preview the education campaign. Please RSVP to [email protected].

From the Bookshelf:New Library Books to not resist, in May.Chicken Chronicles, by Alice Walker; how keeping hens led the author to better understand herself.

The Heart and the Fist, by Eric Greitens; from Navy Seal to humanitarian

I Shall not Hate, by Izzelden Abuelaish; a Gaza doctor whose daughters were killed

Imagine: How Creativity Works, by Jonah Lehrer

Some Assembly Required, by Ann Lamott; becoming a grandma; not quite ready

Penny and her Song, children’s book

Betrayal of Trust, by Susan Hill; a cold case for Chief Superintendent Simon Serailler

Winter Palace, novel of Catherine the Great, by Eva Stachniak

Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos; children’s book

City of Bohaine, by Kevin Barry; in West Ireland, 2053

Every Day by the Sun; a Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi


SpeCial eventS Calendar

Tuesay, May 1 7:30 p.m. VOICE Membership- Listening Session - Saegmuller Room

Friday,May 4 12:00 p.m. Men’s Monthly Lunch - Mylo’s Grill 6:30 p.m. Healing Service - Sanctuary

Saturday, May 5 9:00 a.m. The Arlington Youth Orchestra Program - Carpenter Halll & Atrium

Sunday, May 6 Choir Appreciation Sunday 12:00 p.m. VOICE Membership- Listening Session - Saegmuller Room Monday, May 7 7:00 p.m. Caring Ministry Workshop - Saegmuller Room

Wednesday, May 9 12:00 p.m. Shirlington Employment Center Lunch 7:30 p.m. New Member’s Class - Saegmuller Room

Saturday, May 12 8:30 a.m. Girl Scouts CPR & Wilderness Training - Carpenter Hall

Sunday, May 13 Mother’s Day 8:30 a.m. Girl Scouts CPR & Wilderness Training - Carpenter Hall

Wednesay, May 16 12:00 p.m. Rock Spring News Deadline 7:30 p.m. New Members Class - Saegmuller Room

Friday, May 18 2:00 p.m. Church Office Closed 6:30 p.m. Centennial Dinner - Rosslyn Holiday Inn

Saturday, May 19 10:00 a.m. Strawberry Festival Prep Party with Anne Wildman- Carpenter Hall 2:00 p.m. Celebrating our Past: A Time of Sharing & Remembrance - Saegmuller Room

Sunday, May 20 Centennial Sunday 12:00 p.m. Strawberry Festival

Monday, May 21 Church Office Closed

Wednesday, May 23 7:30 p.m. New Members Class - Saegmuller Room

Sunday, May 27 10:00 a.m. Switch to One Service 10:30 a.m. Adult Ed Video Series - Intern’s Office

Monday, May 28 Church Office Closed

roCk Spring review

alleluia! roCk Spring CelebrateS eaSter Sunday!

Friday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m.The Centennial Dinner at the Rosslyn Holiday InnCome dine with old friends and special guests Rev. Sid Lovett, Joanne Booth, and Rev. Chuck and Anne Wildman

Saturday, May 19 at 10:00 a.m.The Strawberry Prep Party at Carpenter HallCome visit with Anne Wildman as we prepare for Sunday’s festival

Join us for a Centennial Celebration!

2:00 p.m.Celebrating Our Past: A Time of Sharing and Remembrance Saegmuller RoomCome share your memories with Sid, Chuck, and the Centennial Historians

Sunday, May 209:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Centennial Worship ServicesJoin us for worship and the premier of the Centennial Anthem12:00 p.m. A Strawberry Festival ReunionRock Spring CampusDine, visit, enjoy YORS hospitality, play games,and support the summer mission trip

Documents

RSN MAY 2012