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Volume 27Issue 7

August 2020

More Light • Open and Affirming • Reconciling

Continued on p. 5

If you missed the July VBS blast-off, another launch

is scheduled for August 24-28.

Details on pg. 2

As we strive to stay healthy in body and spirit amid the covid-19 pandemic and divisiveness across our country, know that the United Christian Parish faith com-munity is here for us all. We may not be with each other in person, but we remain strongly connected with one another and God.Gradual Reopening and OptionsSafety is the top concern of UCP leaders as we develop a strategy for eventually reopening the church campus. Th e plan is to reopen in stages, likely starting with small functions/groups/worship op-portunities under structured conditions. We will be following state, county, and denominational guidelines. A key factor informing the reopening process is the will of our members. UCP

has therefore sent out a brief survey for all members of each family to complete. It asks about comfort level with return-ing to in-building activities and in-sanc-tuary worship, safety concerns, and how to celebrate communion while we await reopening. We need your input! So please fi ll out this anonymous survey if you have not already done so. If you did not receive the survey, please contact the church offi ce (703-620-3065). We will keep you informed about our progress toward reopening.Making the sudden transition to virtual church has not been easy. Pastor Beth, Pastor Marcus, Misha Tumanov (music is such an important part of worship!), Kate Hoing (who does the editing, creative production, and hosting of the

worship service on Facebook) and our entire administrative team, as well as many volunteers in the congregation, have done an amazing job keeping us connected! Th ank you to them all!We have learned a lot about stay-ing in touch virtually since March, and there have been some benefi ts. People who were unable physically to come to church can now participate. Also, meetings and prayer/discussion groups are much easier for many to attend online. Th erefore, even when we are back in the building, we will continue online accessibility through livestreaming the worship service and keeping a Zoom meeting option.Preschool PlansAfter surveying current parents, the UCP preschool has carefully de-veloped plans to reopen with fewer

UCP phone and poll campaignsBy Marilyn Silvey

All UCP members and regularly-participating friends should have been contacted in late July in two ways: an individual telephone survey from the Congregational Care Ministry and an email survey concerning moving church programs back into the building. Th e telephone survey, involving 19 volunteer callers, was the second one sponsored by Congregational Care since the pandemic hit in March. It has three purposes: to express our parish’s ongo-ing commitment to the care and support to all in our congregation, to confi rm that current contact information is cor-rect in the UCP online directory, and to encourage everyone to complete the UCP Campus Reopening Survey, sent to everyone by email.

What’s inside?VBS p. 2Callahan, Lay Co-Moderator p. 3Steinbronn, PMC Lay Co-Chair p. 4Board Devotion p. 5 July Board report p. 6Communion...in worship p. 7What UCP means to me p. 7I Can’t Breathe Answering God’s Call p. 8Presbyterians affi rm BLM p. 9JPMT hosts racial series p. 10Missions Corner p. 11 “UCP West” p. 12Beware of scamming p. 13Prayer List p. 14PL Editor’s notice of retirement p. 15Faith Formation p. 15

If i d th J l VBS

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What the future holdsBy Laurie Callahan, Lay Co-Moderator

Continued on p. 4

United Christian Parish of Reston

VBS: A Virtual Blast!

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VBS” praised by families, including this mom:“I want to thank you and your entire team for making Vacation Bible School such a wonderful experience. I was so impressed with how you adapted the program to a virtual for-mat. The materials and organization that went into the boxes was extremely well done. All the pre-recorded material was

extremely engaging. The music, as al-ways, was fantastic. Every morning my kids could not wait to start watching the videos and getting into the activities! The Zoom meet-ings were particularly effective for reflec-

tion, and my kids got a lot out of those interactive sessions. As they proclaim every year, and they said again this past week, this is their favorite part of sum-mer! They wish it could last more than one week.”

Then each day during the week-long “To Mars and Beyond” themed pro- gram in early July, the children tuned in to pray, sing, dance, make crafts, try scientific experiments, cook yummy snacks -- all in the safety of their homes. The only outdoor activity was the mis-sion of the week: collect gently-used books for donation and drop them off in a box left outside the church. The theme of “To Mars and Beyond,”

developed by Cokes-bury publishers, was chosen to lift up fami-lies living in unprec-edented times and in desperate need for empowerment to go beyond: “with Faith! with Boldness!

with Kindness! with Thankfulness! with Hope!”While some churches canceled or post-poned their VBS programs this summer due to the pandemic, UCP took advan-tage of CDC guidelines, brainstorming sessions with former VBS directors and leaders, plus results of surveys emailed to potential volunteers and VBS families, to come up with the best plan. And a bunch of dedicated and talented volunteers and staff members started the summer events with a fabulous “virtual

By Bissi BadouEPH 3:20 - Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us! - VBS 2020 memory verse.

In a summer of pandemic, the Vacation Bible School program went online at UCP - and 21 children had a blast!

Among them were Pastor Beth’s grand-kids who were certainly excited to see the familiar face of their beloved grandma on TV, welcoming voyagers and being part of the Bible storytelling. They and all the registered children aged 3 to 11 years old received ahead of time the Zoom invite to connect

daily as well as VBS-boxes stuffed with the materials they’d need to com-plete hands-on science and craft

activities, plus the list of ingredients and additional materials to gather in advance.

Aug. 24-28: A Second Launch to “Mars and Beyond” Virtual Vacation Bible School for ages 4 – rising 6th graders!

If you missed our first launch in July, it is not too late to experience this wonder-ful virtual VBS. Given the success of our first launch, we will be offering a second opportunity, Aug 24 - 28 to join us virtually “To Mars and Beyond” with a combination of prerecorded com-ponents and time with each class on Zoom. The students will enjoy an interactive, energizing, Bible-based good time from the safety of their homes as they explore where God’s power can take them. They will become Voyagers and discover how to serve God and God’s mission for their lives.

Families will be able to watch the prerecorded components at their con-venience allowing flexibility for each family’s schedule. Those components will include: Opening Time, Bible Story-telling Station, Craft Station, Music Sta-tion, Snack Station and time exploring the wonders of creation at the Science Station. Those registered by August 7 will receive a package at home with the supplies needed for the craft and science stations as well as the music and bible lessons. The cost to join us on this journey is $15 per voyager.

Each day will also include a Zoom time with their “crew” where they will have Interactive Bible lessons which reveal Power Launcher (key learnings) to equip them for an active life with God.The Voyagers will also discover our Vec-tor Verse (Bible memory verse), Ephe-sians 3:20 - Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us!We hope you Blast Off on this Epic Ad-venture with Us! To register or to see a video of high-lights of our first launch, go to the www.UCPReston.org/vbs

Mission ProjectMission ProjectBook DonationsBook Donations

Laurie Callahan – Parish Board Lay Co-Moderator (co-moderator with Pastor Beth Williams)By Marilyn SilveyLaurie Callahan’s life has been one of frequent change – until now. She has lived in five countries, attended three high schools and three universities, and held myriad jobs, running the gamut from ESL teacher, bookstore clerk and photographer to writer of public affairs radio and TV programming and director of communications/public relations.

She moved to Reston in 2003 and joined UCP in 2012. In 2018, she retired, and this year she married UCP member Steve Webb (a second marriage for both).

“And we aren’t going anywhere!” Laurie laughed. “We are here to stay!”

The early moves were due to having a military father, so the family lived in Ja-pan (“My first words were in Japanese”) and later in France for 3-1/2 years, returning to the US when Laurie was 12. She started her college years at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, trans-ferred to St. John’s College in Annapolis/Santa Fe, took a year off to teach ESL in Iran, and returned to Georgetown University where she earned a degree in Applied Linguistics, with a minor in French.

A series of jobs followed, including working for the French Department of the European Book Company in San Francisco; writing scripts for AARP’s Prime Time radio and Modern Maturity TV shows, as well as the German Mar-shall Fund of the United State’s Atlantic Dateline radio program—all produced by Eli Productions in DC; and handling communications and public relations for Northern Virginia Community College, Marymount University in Arlington, VA (where she was director of public rela-tions from 1996 to 2014), and the Soci-ety of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Energy (SNMMI) in Reston.

“My favorite jobs were working on Atlantic Dateline, which dealt with inter-national affairs with the aim of promot-ing understanding of different perspec-tives, and being at Marymount, where I loved working with the students,” Laurie

noted. “SNMMI was also fun, as I love learning about cutting-edge research.”

Along the way, Laurie married and had a daughter, Erin, who now lives in Edmon-ton, Alberta, with her husband and their three children.

Laurie’s parents were Jewish, but in 1964 her mother, along with Laurie and her sister Lynn, converted to Christian-ity and joined the Presbyterian church in Fairfax. Her mother, Terry Franklin, joined UCP when she moved to Reston in 2001 and was an active member until her death in 2013. A retired antique dealer, Terry always supervised the “valuables” section of UCP’s then-annu-al flea market.

“UCP was wonderful to my mom,” said Laurie, who attended UCP for years be-fore becoming a member in 2012. Then she made up for lost time.

“I joined the choir right away, and a few years later Jean Banks asked me to join HARC (Human and Administrative Resources Council),” she noted. “I also joined the ITOR (In the Other Room) book discussion group.”

A colleague in all three of those activities was Steve Webb. After a long friendship, the two were married this year on March 7.

“I plan to change my name to Webb, but I can’t yet because places where I need to fill out forms are closed due to the pandemic,” Laurie explained. “We were so lucky we were able to have our wedding, which included family and friends from San Francisco, Atlanta, New York City and Canada, as well as many UCP friends. Best of all, nobody got sick from attending! We had to cancel our planned honeymoon to Barcelona, but we hope to go next year.”

Laurie has been on UCP’s Parish Board for the past two years and is stepping up be the Lay Co-Moderator for her final year, working with Pastor Beth, the Min-isterial Team Co-Moderator. Covid-19 will make it an especially challenging year.

“Dealing with the changes necessary because of the pandemic will take a lot of our time, but we are really fortunate with the remarkable way our pastors and staff are meeting this challenge,” Laurie pointed out.

Another focus will be on inclusion—looking for new ways to be more inclusive across all UCP endeavors and being better listeners—open to recogniz-ing when we are not living up to being a beloved community where all are welcomed and honored.

Laurie knows it will be a busy, challeng-ing year. She will be praying to discern God’s will as the Board moves forward, and she is grateful in advance for the assistance of the pastors, other Board members and the congregation.

“We have a really good team,” she said. “I love UCP’s diversity, the people are wonderful, and I am thankful to have found this church and to have it be such a big part of my life.”

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United Christian Parish of Reston

It is not too late to participate in both of these, so if you did not receive a phone call or an email about these subjects, please let the church offi ce know at heidi@ucpreston.org or 703-620-3065.Th e main reason for the phone calls, according to Menda Ahart, chair of the Congregational Care Ministry, was to check on people and see if there were needs that could be met.“We off er help year round, such as meals during illnesses and following hospitaliza-tions, and when we can’t meet in person for worship and other activities, we are concerned that we don’t know who

might need help. Th is time, the aims of the phone calls were also to update our church records, and to alert folks to watch for the reopening survey.”Pastor Beth Williams said that survey will be used to determine how people feel about returning to worship services and other programs in the church build-ing.“We are waiting to plan our Sunday ser-vices, Faith Formation classes and other activities for fall until we know what our parishioners want. We have had wonderful response to our forced change to using Zoom for many things, and I think we’ve proved that the church could

indeed leave the building successfully. Now we do not want to move back until people are comfortable doing that.”Several smaller polls have been taken on this subject, including one of about 45 church elders that was compiled by Jerry Hebenstreit, that resulted in a wide range of responses as to how and when returning to “regular” worship might be resumed. As one respondent put it, “It’s obviously more than just no handshakes and hugs.”Pastor Beth said that results of all the surveys will be important resources for the Parish Board as it makes decisions in the coming weeks.

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Leah Steinbronn – Parish Ministries Council Lay Co-Chair (co-chair with Pastor Marcus Leathers)By Marilyn SilveyWhen Leah Steinbronn joined UCP a year ago, she made it clear she wanted to be involved.

“Being active in a church is my way of being involved in a community,” she said then. “I am a highly trained volunteer. There is nothing that I haven’t done in a church—audio-visual, worship soft-ware, working with youth, leading Bible studies, running Sunday school and VBS programs.”

So why isn’t she a pastor, like her father and grandfather?

“Because for 36 years I’ve been told girls can’t do that!”

Leah’s father is currently district presi-dent – like a bishop – of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in New Jer-sey. He was formerly a missionary, and Leah, who was born in Nebraska, grew up in Indiana (elementary school), Botswana (middle school), South Africa, New Mexico, and South Dakota (all three for high school). After graduating from Concordia University in Nebraska, where she was student body president, she went to graduate school in Idaho, where volunteering at a local Lutheran church turned into a paid job and a call as Director of Christian Education.

Along the way she became a close

friend of Kristina Belcourt, then an Air Force officer, and in 2016 when Kristina and her husband had their first child, Leah moved in with the family. Now Jane is 4 ½ and Alden is 2 and before UCP went online, the children attended UCP regularly with Leah and Kristina, who is also a UCP member.

Leah is looking forward to her new posi-tion as the Lay Co-Chair of UCP’s Parish Ministries Council (PMC), of which Pastor Marcus is the Ministerial Team Co-Chair.

“I am very excited to step into leader-ship at UCP. I did not expect it now, though the church has always been a home for me. This is a serious respon-sibility, and I’ve been learning about the four-denominational structure and read-ing UCP’s governance book. The PMC is the nuts and bolts of the church, when it comes to day-to-day operations; the Parish Board guides the big decisions – such as when the church will reopen for services – but the PMC is responsible for each ministry and individual group.”

Leah originally found UCP through a website search for churches that treat women affirmatively and support the LGBTQ+ community since, she says, “I don’t believe anyone is born wrong.” What she especially likes now is how

church members are work-ing to stay together.

“Relation-ships are so foun-dational. We (UCP) are dedicated to staying con-nected with each other even though we can’t physically see each other, and we are loving other people by first tak-ing care of ourselves [to help slow the spread of COVID-19]. And things are still happening – the weekly Bible study class and fellowship time have some 40 participants.”

As for her own future, Leah says that she has been asked by some at UCP why she is not attending a seminary of a denomi-nation less conservative than Missouri Synod Lutheran, returning to profes-sional life in churches instead of being a volunteer.

“I haven’t felt the push from God. But I know a change is coming, I just don’t know yet what it will be.”

CampaignsContinued from p. 1

students and only those who have already attended and are 3 or 4 years old. In accordance with Fairfax County Public School policy, classes will begin virtually at a reduced cost. (Please see details in the July 20 Parish Board Notes on page 6.).Transparency of Leadership MeetingsPlease know that members of the con-gregation are always welcome to attend Board meetings and other leadership meetings. As we are currently meeting via Zoom, please contact Heidi Kharbanda

(703-620-3065 and heidi@ucpreston.org) if you would like to attend a par-ticular meeting, and she will provide the Zoom link. Th e Board meets the third Monday of each month at 7 pm.Staying Strong Together in FaithWe still face a lot of uncertainty as we go through the months ahead. Let’s be there for each other and our community, holding fast to our faith and knowing God is with us. Let’s listen better, reach out more (albeit virtually), and speak up in support of our brothers and sisters

Devotion

Loving our neighbor in a time of pandemicBy Bob PitulejCitation: Taken from the Concordia University Irvine public website at www.cui.edu, and modified

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Th erefore, we will not fear…” Psalm 46:1-2The emerging situation with the co-vid-19 coronavirus and the many news reports around us are creating anxiety and worry for the future and our well-being. In times like these, it is especially important to remember God’s promise to be with us. God who made us and gave his own Son for the salvation of the world, will not leave his children in this time of need.

God is with us as he invites our prayers. Prayer is not a last resort, but a lov-ing promise from our Lord that he will hear us. Pray for those suffering from the coronavirus, those caring for the ill, those seeking a vaccine, and all others who serve in these times. Pray for those experiencing anxiety.

God calls us to serve our neighbor through our vocations – our callings. God works through us to provide for hu-man needs. Thus, this crisis is one where God calls each of us to be a blessing to others.

In this time of crisis, each of God’s people might ask themselves, “How is God calling me to serve?” There will be many tangible needs in our communi-ties. Prior to this outbreak, loneliness and isolation were serious problems in our nation. Social distancing, so very important now, will exacerbate these feelings. As Christians, we need to reach out in tangible ways to let our neighbors know that they are not alone.

Question for Discussion - Consider how God might be calling you to listen to others or speak a comforting word, to help provide food or necessities to those who are lacking, or to share other blessings with those who are struggling. A phone call can be very encouraging to

those who are isolated. Consider writing letters and placing them in your neigh-bor’s mailboxes with your contact infor-mation. Encourage them to reach out if they need to anything; dropping off extra supplies to an elderly person who was not able to prepare can be done safely. Even in times of social distancing, we can safely reach out in mercy and love. God is calling his people to be a blessing and, most importantly, to pro-vide hope to those who are fearful.

There will be many inconveniences, challenges, and frustrations in times like these. God grant us a spirit to see these as avenues of service to others. God is at work in each of us.

dealing with injustice. Following Jesus’ example, we can help love prevail. Yes, the church has left the building, but we remain strong together and continue to learn and grow on our faith journeys, traveling side by side.

Donations of supplies and food for Cornerstones Pantry

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What the future holds Continued from p. 1

United Christian Parish of Reston

July 20 Parish Board Notes By Laurie CallahanUCP Task Force on Reopening the Church CampusAt the July Board meeting, an update was provided about planning for the even-tual reopening of the church campus in stages. Congregational responses to the survey on preferences and safety concerns will be key, along with county, state, and denominational guidelines. Most small groups contacted by the task force said they want to stay with Zoom meetings for the foreseeable future. Th e task force is also looking at small worship opportu-nities on the property – perhaps outside. In addition, it will develop plans for when and how we will bring renters back. Congregational Care Ministry It was reported that the second round of calls to members of the UCP family would start right away. It’s vital that we stay connected with each other, share what’s happening in our lives, and learn of one another’s concerns and needs. UCP’s PreschoolPastor Beth reported on the preschool’s plans for the school year. After a survey of parents, the plan is to off er 3-day and 4-day plans for children already in the preschool. Th ere will be a waiver to sign and a new parent handbook. Parents would contract for the year. Th e hope was to start classes in the building (with eight students per class), only going

virtual if we had to close—in which case the cost would be lower. However, the UCP Preschool follows Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) policy and, since the board meeting, FCPS made the decision to begin the school year fully online and evaluate at the end of the fi rst quarter. Th erefore, our Preschool is going to begin virtually, but is asking families to register and select their preference for continuing fully virtual or opting for in-person as soon as that is permitted. Th e Board reached consensus to sup-port the preschool plan for the school year according to the guidelines they have provided; the board understands the preschool will be working at a defi cit this year and that the board will receive regular reporting on the fi nancial status as the situation evolves. HARC Administrative Review CommitteeHARC Chair Anne Hochstrasser report-ed that an Administrative Review Com-mittee is examining the actual respon-sibilities of staff , which have changed signifi cantly with the church leaving the building. In addition, the HARC building-use sub-committee is recommending that a staff member be responsible for coordinating and scheduling building use activities. Th is recommendation was made after reviewing the current process and then

completing a survey of staff , members, and committee chairs. It was noted that most of the coordination could be done online, and there would still be a role for volunteers. Debbie Aschenbach, who has long been taking on more and more of this work, has graciously off ered to help with the transition and training. Th e administrative reviews will clarify where this new responsibility could fi t (with boundaries on the scope of work clearly defi ned). When back in the building, we would introduce the new system.Monthly DevotionTh e board decided that it will provide a devotion at the beginning of each month, which can be used by other groups as they wish, or they may choose to use their own. Each group is currently doing its own devotion, while previously ev-eryone used the same devotion. Th e new plan gives groups fl exibility.Approval of Chairs for the Year AheadTh e board approved the following leaders by consensus: Menda Ahart as chair of Congregation-al Care Ministry Jerry Hebenstreit as interim chair of Worship, while discernment for a new chair continues Anne Hochstrasser as chair of HARC John Moore as chair of Finance

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funds conservatively invested. In early May, the church and the preschool received a small loan from the Small Business Administration under the Payroll Protection Program. We expect a portion of that loan to be forgiven, and UCP fi nances will improve to the extent the loan is converted to grant status. We will not know the loan-forgiveness outcome until late 2020 or early 2021. Rental income will decline signifi cantly this year. Fortunately, rentals are only about four percent of 2020 budgeted income.

in giving that sometimes occurs during summer months. With the building clo-sure, church operating expenses are under budget so far this year, as are building and ministry expenses. Staff expenses continue on budget for the entire staff . Our overall 2020 budget, as has been true in recent years, did anticipate some use of our reserve funds. Due to the volatility in the fi nancial markets and our continued dependence on our reserve funds, the Finance Council keeps those

Despite the economic diffi culties so many are facing during the co-vid-19 crisis, UCP’s fi -nancial health is stable. Our pledge income as of the end of June is only about 2% below budget, an indication of our members’ continuing fi nancial commitment to UCP. With the greater use of conve-nient giving, the Finance Council hopes we do not experience the decline

The fi nancial picture By John Moore, chair, UCP Finance Council

Communion—the “sweet spot” in worshipBy Rev. Dr. Marcus Leathers

Hopefully you have received, completed and returned your UCP Cam-pus Survey. This survey asked for our responses to some basic questions related to our confidence in returning to in-person

gatherings at UCP. I am so appreciative to those who prepared the survey as well as those who will be reviewing the responses, which will be an important component of the Parish Board’s consid-eration of approaches to gatherings such as worship.

In the survey, two questions related to the observance of communion. Within my faith tradition, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the service of com-munion is the most essential component of every worship. Recently, my son mentioned to me that he has appreci-ated communion as the “sweet spot” in worship—the time in worship that leaves us with a “sweet taste” after we have experienced the other aspects of worship. My son said that “the sweet taste of communion is an important part of the whole experience [of worship]!” He may not perceive the full theological concept of the sacrament of communion but he recognizes that this small meal possesses big meaning. Traditionally, with our hands, we break off or pinch a piece of bread from a loaf of bread con-secrated for our consumption through prayer, and as we put this portion of bread into our mouths, we accept the cup of grape juice [in other traditions, perhaps wine]--a sweet taste in spite of the bitterness that our life may presently know.

Reverend Dr. Michael Kinnamon is the past general secretary of the Consulta-tion on Church Union and the Na-tional Council of Churches. A People Obsessed with Bread is one of his numerous books. As the pandemic has required changes in both individual and institutional practices, I have been more aware of my sentimental appreciation for the way we break bread together. The meal of communion is vital—as

Christ’s disciple, his bread and his cup are staples. Indeed, I am someone with a healthy “obsession” for bread.

One of the consequences of these months of adhering to “stay-at-home” orders has been the numerous shared stories of folks enjoying their “obes-sions” with bread. These stories have been shared on a global scale. James Frater has written about a water mill in southwest England existing for one thousand years. This mill has witnessed global pandemics such as the plague in the 17th century and the 1918 influenza pandemic, and now it has resumed production in order to meet demand for flour during the current coronavirus outbreak.

Trending stories suggest that the unof-ficial snack of the coronavirus pandemic has been the sweet, soft loaf of home-baked banana bread. In her writing about the subject, columnist Cydney Contreras wrote that Chrissy Teigen (wife of vocal artist John Legend) made head-lines when she traded a loaf of her signa-ture banana bread for a bag of romaine lettuce in a church parking lot.

Baking during the pandemic has served as a means to reducing stress. Like com-munion, baking offers a sensory experi-ence. Even the simple, repetitive move-ments of baking, such as stirring batter, cracking eggs and kneading bread, can bring mental health benefits. There’s a psychological term called ‘cadence.’ When you do something over and over again, it creates stability, feelings of com-fort—perhaps “a sweet spot.”

According to author C. Michael Hawn, “Vital worship is done to some degree by heart, as an expression of bodily wisdom and deep memory of how we are to be in the presence of God. What a community knows by heart becomes stamped upon our hearts.”* As disciples of Jesus Christ, the celebration of com-munion, the meal instituted by Him has made an impression upon our hearts. In remembrance of Jesus, our Savior of-fers this “sweet spot” to His community again and again.

*C. Michael Hawn, One Bread, One Body: Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations, Exploring Cultural Diversity in Worship,

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What UCP means to meBy Joan Denchfi eldAre we there yet? Probably not. As earthly children of God, certainly we are not perfect. But we have vast, unlimited possibilities to share our spiritual journey with others we meet along the way. During this time of the COVID19 pandemic, perhaps it has allowed you time to reflect on your spiritual journey. One way to share your journey is to take part in a new and unique video project that the Witness Ministry is embarking upon to capture your reflections on “What UCP Means to Me.”

There are many wonderfully different ways we all have discovered this loving and caring community of worship. The Witness Ministry asks you to tell your story through an exciting video experi-ence, one that will touch the hearts of your fellow congregation members, while also providing insight to others yet to join our church family.

Your comments on the video might provide a living roadmap that serves as an invitation to others, that they too can find peace and tranquility, civic and community spirit, while worshiping God here at UCP. No, we are not perfect, but hopefully we are maturing in our faith. So, what does UCP mean to you?

For details on how you can share your story, please contact Debby Bailey at debbybailey@verizon.net. Our fabu-lous, competent office staff will take care of the technology and ease your concern about the process.

United Christian Parish of Reston8Continued on p. 9

I Can’t Breathe: Rethinking policingpolicingBy Rob Gehring

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteous-ness like an ever-fl owing stream. Amos 5:24. “We are not fi ghting some disconnected incidents. We are fi ghting an institutional, systemic prob-lem that has been allowed to permeate since we were brought to these shores. And we are fi ghting wickedness in high places.” — Al Sharpton

Where We Stand: Th e Chris-tian Church (Disciple of Christ) refl ected upon recent police killings stating “We are hurting. We are haunted and outraged by the anguished cries of George Floyd, the gasp of ‘I can’t breathe’ as a police offi cer knelt on his neck until the breath was completely taken from him. Floyd’s murder, like that of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery in recent weeks, is just the latest in a long history of violence against Black and Brown people in our country. Th e protests that are happening in big cities and small towns across the nation are an outpour-ing of grief and anger born of centuries of pain and injustice.As members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we condemn this injustice. We weep not only for George Floyd, but for the entire system of op-pression that has kept us from seeing each other as beloved children of God.Racism and the denial of human dignity is counter to the call of Jesus Christ. Racism is a sin that breaks the heart of God…. We know that this moment calls for more than statements and prayers. In this moment, God is calling us to act.” (Emphasis added.)

Policing Basics: On July 14 I participated in a video training on “defunding” police organized by Faith in Public Policy and the Working Families Party. Five main points were made about policing:

1) It’s not a matter of a few bad apples and mostly good police personnel. It is about the racist system of policing preva-lent in most of the county.2) Our policing system was founded upon racist ideology and the protec-tion of property. Police forces aren’t broken; they are functioning exactly as they were designed to do. For example: From the beginning of European Settle-ment, militias were used to grab land from indigenous peoples and force them into labor in mines and agricul-ture

In the 1600’s, laws were passed and forces established to defi ne and main-tain African slaves as property, and es-tablishing White supremacy

Even in northern colonies, laws defi ned people of color as lower status. For ex-ample, a 1703 Boston law set a curfew for Blacks and indigenous people.

3) Data show that increasing the number of police does not prevent or decrease violence. 4) We spend more on policing and in-carceration than we do on education and reducing poverty.5) Increasing education and decreasing poverty reduce crime.

“Defunding” Police: Jim Wal-lis and Adam R. Taylor wrote in Sojourn-ers: (What is required is a change in ) … the culture of policing and (transformation in) a whole system of racial injustice. Calls to “defund the police” (which) have … been growing louder from the streets (are) being misunderstood, caricatured, and distorted. For many, … it is a call to radically rethink and recreate policies, systems, and practices that will lead to public safety for all Americans and ensure that equal justice under the law is inclu-sive of black people. Our nation has been addicted to an over-ly punitive and racially biased justice sys-

tem, characterized by an over-reliance on police and an underinvestment in many communities. Many cities spend one-third to half of their budgets on policing. Now is a time to ask why, and to examine ways to redirect funding to the kinds of community services and evidenced-based approaches that will more eff ectively reduce both violence and crime, as well as improve community well-being. Th ese demands do not equate to saying all offi cers are bad. Th ere are good, honor-able police offi cers who work long hours, build relationships in their communi-ties, and who truly want to protect and serve. Th is call, this plea, this demand for reimagination, is about transforming systems permeated by racism that often ask good offi cers to operate under a set of rules that are broken and unjust.

What Can I Do? Doing Nothing is NOT an Option! Learn more about racism in policing and in our criminal justice system and racism more broadly: Join in UCP’s Adult Faith Formation on Zoom on Sundays at 11:15 AM as we continue the JustMatters program on racism with study of Michelle Alex-ander’s book Th e New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color-blindness. Participate in UCP’s JPMT discussions on racism. Find out more about our denomina-tions’ stands on racism, justice and po-licing on each denomination’s website. Th ere are many books available to educate yourself on our racist history

9

and what you can do about it such as How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi, Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson, On the Other Side of Freedom, by De-ray McKesson, Between the World and Me and We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nahesi Coates. Study the priorities of the Virginia Leg-islative Black Caucus for the upcoming special session at https://www.vablack-caucus.com/news/c/0/i/47508787/vlbc-special-session-priorities

Answering God’s CallContinued from p. 8

Presbyterian General Assembly affi rms Black Lives MatterBy Steve Webb

Th e Presbyterian Church (USA) held its bi-annual General Assembly in mid-June with two days of massive Zoom gather-ings. Each presbytery in the country is invited to have delegates, called commissioners, and standing committee members may also participate. I took part as a member of the Advisory Committee for Social Witness Policy. Although the compressed meeting schedule tried keep the focus on “essen-tial business”—approving personnel and budget decisions—insistent commission-ers opened up some space for social wit-ness, particularly on racial justice. Th e Committee on the Offi ce of General As-sembly, which is headed by Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson, chief spokesperson for the denomination, had proposed a rela-tively mild statement “On the Church in Th is Moment in History.” Rather than approving this quickly, as expected, com-missioners debated for three hours how to expand and make the statement more forceful. With the new title “Responding to the

Sin of Racism and a Call to Action,” the statement begins:“Th is 224th General Assembly of the PC(USA) declares that black lives mat-ter; that our country’s most important institutions have been built to sustain white privilege, to protect white lives and white property at the expense of our siblings of color; and that the church, through ignorance, denial, and in some cases deliberate action, has participated in this injustice. We have been slow to face the reality of systemic racism. We have been slow to acknowledge the pain of our fellow Presbyterians, of our fellow Christians, of our fellow citizens, and of those who have come to America for a better life, whose value has been judged by the color of their skin. We pledge to join hands and hearts with our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) siblings to actively confront and disman-tle systemic racism in our church and in society at large, and to work for a more just, merciful, and peaceful country that allows all of God’s children to fl ourish.”…“We, in particular white people, and as a predominantly white denomination, must confess our complicity in perpetu-ating systems of oppression against our

BIPOC siblings. Th e church must be the fi rst place seeking racial justice and rec-onciliation, the dismantling of structural racism, and the healing of our marginal-ized communities. It has, unfortunately, not often been so. We must have our own denominational and congregational houses in order. We must dare to be an image of hope for those around us.“While we recognize and honor the work towards justice that has been happen-ing and continues at every level of the PC(USA), we also name that in this time it is not enough. We must become actively antiracist in our theology, policy, and praxis (action). When our colleagues, siblings, and neighbors protest in the streets to say that being black should never be an excuse to be targeted and killed, when so many stand in solidarity to say #BlackLivesMatter, and when our own communities are weighed down in grief and anger, it is the time to stand alongside our BIPOC siblings in voice and in action.”While the General Assembly will not meet again until 2022, other Presbyterian USA committees will continue work on issues of racial justice, including the Racial Equity Advocacy Committee.

Take Action: Write your state legislators in support of items on the VA Legislative Black Caucus agenda.

Write your representative and senators in support of racial and police reform legislation, such as the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act and the Police Training and Independent Review Act introduced in the House of Representa-tives.

Join or support an advocacy group such as Reston-Herndon Indivisibles, NAACP, OAR Northern Virginia, the Sentencing Project, and Interfaith Ac-tion for Human Rights. Sign a justice petition - Our denomina-tions’ websites off er several. Support political candidates who refl ect your views and

Vote.

United Christian Parish of Reston

More food and supplies donated for Cornerstones Pantry. Please drop off your food donations every Wednesday from 9 am – 1 pm and first Saturday of the month, 2 pm – 4 pm at the door at the back of the church parking lot.

10

Prayers and concerns especially in this time of a pandemic unrest.Editorial Note:In addition to the Prayer List, Parish Life will print any Prayers and Concerns like those off ered in our regular church service prior to social distancing. Prayers relating to the pandemic , economic distress and racial injustice will be included here. Death of African Americans and the anger and frustration that has spilled out into the streets. Lack of leadership from our highest offi ce. (submitted by Josephine Franklin)

Our country and an honest election, those with covid-19 (submitted by Kathy Schauer-Schmidt)

Concerns for our country during this trying time of racial discrimination and coronavirus deaths (submitted by Bar-bara Schell)

Please pray for our nation. For those who don’t understand the importance of wearing masks and washing hands.

For those who believe there are no alternative means of peace keeping besides aggressive policing. For those who are in denial about the corrosive eff ects of racism. May God help us touch their hearts. (submitted by Cheryl Fields) Anyone hospitalized, out of work, lonely or having trouble this week. (submitted by Trudy McCrea) Covid-19 victims and the protestors willing to stand up for equal justice (submitted by Carol McLean) Children at the border who have no protection from this terrible virus.

God in your mercy, hear our prayers.

JPMT hosts racial justice seriesBy Kristy Pullen, Co chair, Justice and Peace Ministry Team (JPMT)

Th e dramatic events leading up to and after the murder of George Floyd awakened the US and the world to the need to reform policing and public safety and the racial injustice that has been happening in our country. In response, UCP’s Justice and Peace Ministry Team (JPMT) scheduled a three-session online program. Th e fi rst session was on June 19—a fi tting launch since that date, also called Juneteenth, marks the day in 1865 when slaves in Texas fi nally learned about their emanci-pation. Th e focus of that fi rst session was a macro view of history we haven’t been taught, scratching the surface of how we got to where our country is now on race and racism. A second session was held on July 17 and led by Dr. Landi Turner, a professor at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA. Dr. Turner led a group of about 30 people in looking at white privilege, implicit bias, microaggressions, and how white people have been socialized unconsciously to not even recognize the unearned privileg-es, protection and power granted them by a system that believes that whites are superior in many ways to people of other races.Part three, to be held on Friday, August 21, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., will explore how UCP uses our resources and infl uence and how we can better use them or redi-rect them to make a diff erence in helping to dismantle racism in our congregation, our community and our world. All are welcome whether or not you at-tended the fi rst two sessions. Look on the UCP website and in the church’s Weekly Connection email for the Zoom link.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of com-passion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive fr om God. —2 Corinthians 1:3Th is is a comforting text for times when we worry, are in pain or mourning, feel troubled or are anxious, feel lonely or lost— and at the same time it reminds us to take action to comfort others. Be-ing God’s church means taking care of others, being compassionate, helping and comforting where there is a need, just like Jesus did all his life and was the role model for us. During our Missions Ministry team meetings we’re keeping that in mind when we are asking, Where is the need the greatest? What is the urgent need at this specifi c time? Where do our funds have the biggest impact? Which projects do we want to support on a continuing basis? As we are living in a time with many challenges at our June meeting we thought it important to support:Minority groups especially hurt by co-vid-19. Th erefore we donated $ 500 each to “Th e National Congress of American Indians Covid Relief Fund” and the “Pro-tect the Sacred-Navajo Nations Covid Relief Fund” Th e “Black Lives Matter” movement, and we set aside $1000 to be given to organi-zations that work to dismantle systemic racism and to build anti-racist multicul-tural diversity within constitutions and communities through education and

training, that help individuals, communi-ties, organizations and institutions move beyond addressing the symptoms of rac-ism to undoing the causes of it to create a more just and equitable society. Th e “Works Sunday” activities that began 25 years ago and normally take place in the summer have been moved to the spring, but there will be a food col-lection in August for Cornerstones at the Giant at North Point, which will be orga-nized by Debbie Aschenbach. Th e food collections at our church on Wednesdays will continue as well. Please check the UCP e-mailed “Weekly Connection” for times. Volunteers to help with those activities are very welcome. One of UCP’s outreach programs is supporting the activities of “Th e Closet.” Barbara Schell, our UCP representative —together with Judy Roe—wrote the following update for this article, starting with some of the history:

Th e Closet of Herndon has been a charitable nonprofi t

which we at UCP support with volun-teers from the congregation. It opened for business in April 1974 in Sunday school rooms at Trinity Presbyterian Church supported by women from Trin-ity and St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church.Th e Closet has had several homes in the Herndon area and fi nally purchased an auto shop on Station Street which opened in 2000 after much renovation.

Currently there is a staff of about a dozen employees and volunteers from 16 area churches and one synagogue. Some local business have also off ered their employ-ees’ time to volunteer there.Th e profi ts from Th e Closet have been used to provide scholarships to seniors at local high schools, a voucher program which provides free clothing for men, women and children, donations to vari-ous local charities, and truck deliveries of goods to western counties in Virginia. Th e current manager is Patricia Rhoads. Th ere is an Executive Committee and a Board of Directors which includes Bar-bara Schell and Judy Roe from UCP. Th e president of Th e Board is Gene Wiley, who leads a team of enthusiastic support-ers without whom Th e Closet could not function. Th e covid-19 epidemic caused the hours of Th e Closet to be scaled back, but Th e Closet continued to pay its employees and continued their health benefi ts. However, once again it is open from 10 - 5 Monday thru Saturday and will start Th ursday hours from 5 -8 pm. Th ere are senior hours from 9 -10 am Monday and Th ursday. Due to overwhelming dona-tions, the hours for receiving donations are now 8 -12, but check the website as that may change. Organizations are not being asked to commit volunteers at this time. Instead there will be a Sign-up Genius website where anyone can volunteer for specifi c jobs. Th e staff and management are working to provide a safe environment for both customers and volunteers.Th e Closet is more than a business, it is a family where people come to buy clothes and household items at reduced prices and relationships have developed with staff and volunteers.More help is always needed, and this is a good place to spend some time. God’s presence is with us as we go about our daily tasks at home, in the workplace, and wherever we go. May this light shine in your heart as well to warm, enlighten and support you always.

11

By Annerieke Owen

Helping greatest needs

United Christian Parish of Reston12

“UCP West”: Surviving the PandemicBy Shonnie JohnsonLooking back, it was the Rudiselles who first moved to the Ashby Ponds retirement com-munity. Then, in 2015, the Silveys and John-sons arrived and the six of us started having dinner together at the Windows restaurant on Sundays. Since then, the Oishis, Connie Walbert, Lois Male, Bonnie McKenna and the Stevens are now our neighbors. And until the pan-demic, 13 of us ate dinner together each Sunday. But now…thanks to Roy, each Sunday is ZOOM time with each other.

What a great network of “up close” friendships and support! We all have reasons to share…birthdays, anniversaries, health issues, family news, needs and favors, updates, and so much more. How special to be only steps, a phone call, a text or email away from each other.

As of this writing, Maurice is awaiting possible surgery. Al and Ken are recovering from theirs, and Lois Male had a recent fall. So ongoing prayers, help needed and provided, are con-stants. But we also often share joyous celebrations. And we count our many blessings every day!!!

Have we missed being in the church sanctuary, at least from time to time, since the virus interrupted our lives? Absolutely! Have we missed seeing long-time friends and families there? Definitely! But at least we ARE able to hear and see the virtual Sunday services…and that is a true and welcomed gift…as is this newsletter.

Sending each of you love…and praying that you remain safe from this virus! GOD BLESS!

At its recent General Assembly, leaders of the Pres-byterian Church USA commended this poem to congregations for reading, reflection, and meditation. The author is unknown.

A knee on a necklaying bare for all to seethe evil ofcalloussoullessentitledpowerchoking the life fromGod’s belovedjust because.

We know what must change.Will we, church?

We have written manytrue, signifi cant,sometimes even sincerewords.

We have confessed:Belhar, C’67, Barmen…

Enough words?Never enough witness. We know we must change.Will we, church? Kairos.

A poem

WITS book group selectionsWITS Book Group book selections through September are listed below:

Aug 27 News of the World by Paulette Jiles

Sept 24 Flowers for Brother Mudd -- One Woman’s Path from Jim Crow to Career Diplomat by Judith Mudd-Krijgel-mans who plans to join us for our meeting

The book group meets each month. With current staying at home, we are setting up a Zoom session for face to face discussion. Please contact Karen Skatoff at kskatoff@hotmail.com for a Zoom invite.

13

BEWARE: scamming increase accompanies pandemicBy Marilyn Silvey

My computer was seriously scammed recently, as many of you know. I lost everything - all fi les, records, email, ad-dress list, etc. And my address list was used to send out an email request for help to the several hundred people on it. While many recipients of the message realized immediately it was a scam, many others did not. Th ose who hit “reply” and off ered their assistance then received another email saying I was “traveling” and needed gift cards totaling $400, sup-posedly as a birthday gift for my “niece,” and that I would reimburse them. Of course I wasn’t traveling now and I do not have a niece. But sadly, some friends went out and bought gift cards and, fol-lowing another emailed instruction, sent the numbers on them to the scammers.I have no idea why I was chosen to be hacked, but Comcast representatives told me that such illegal actions are happen-ing at a 60% higher rate since the pan-demic began, as more people are home now and more likely to have lost jobs and be desperate for money. According to security offi cers, it is impor-tant for recipients of any email, if they start to hit “reply,” to look at the address to which that reply will go. In this case, while my correct address was used to send out the initial email, the address to which a reply was sent was completely diff erent. In some instances, friends exchanged emails with the scammers sev-eral times - for example, asking why and where I was traveling, and how to fi nd and send the numbers on the gift cards - and the friends still did not notice the fraudulent address their emails went to or question the answers. Many phoned me, but I was totally overwhelmed with calls and could not return all of them immediately.In the past few weeks, I have started no-ticing how many fake emails I frequently receive. For example, I got two offi cial-

looking requests on Comcast letterhead asking me to “update my fi le,” and the reply addresses actually said Comcast. I called the Comcast fraud offi ce and reported this and suggested that Comcast send users an authentic email stating that fi nancial information is never requested online. I’m sure that this is also the policy of other reputable organizations. A fake request from Amazon Prime asked for my credit card information in order to renew my subscription - but I have never subscribed.For more than a week, I spent many hours a day dealing with the repercus-sions of the hacking. I advise everyone to review your address fi le at least annually and remove anyone with whom you are not currently in contact, and to create a paper copy of that list, even if you have to write it by hand. A friend who lost $400 in my scamming asked why I had not notifi ed people of the scam imme-diately after I was made aware of it. But without email addresses, I had no way to send out a notifi cation.More advice: make a printed copy of anything stored in your computer that you would hate to lose, including any fi nancial or other personal information. I know that computers are supposed to

cut down paperwork, but paper fi les in a home fi ling cabinet can’t be stolen, used by others, and or forever lost by you.I do not know the long-term problems my scamming may cause. Th e follow up details have been many. I took my computer to Best Buy’s Geek Squad for a complete check-up. I spent several hours eliminating the security system that was on my computer and replacing it with Norton. I called all the credit bureaus to freeze my credit. I checked with my banks and other fi nancial institutions to see if there had been suspicious recent actions. Etc. etc. etc. And I continue to deal with Loudoun County security offi cials to see if there are any actions that may be taken to help the friends who believed they were helping me. I am humbled by their actions while feeling very badly about the results. I am grate-ful to Debbie Aschenbach for putting a notice of the scam on Facebook, which may have kept others from taking part in it, and also to Dan Venese for his post-scam advice.I will never be able to totally put this behind me, and many papers and photos that I had in my computer are not re-placeable. And I will never stop trying to keep such scams from happening to oth-ers. Be very, very careful, especially now.

Good Samaritan for the month of August is

Marilyn SilveyIf you or someone you know is in need of care—a

visit, a ride, or a couple of home-cooked meals—call August’s Good Samaritan, Marilyn Silvey,

marilynsilvey@comcast.net or (571) 918-0317

CONGREGATIONAL CARE MINISTRIES

f

CONGREGATIO

United Christian Parish of Reston14

Frances Hurley(Suzanne Rudiselle’s friend)

Mary JacksonKen Johnson

Josh (Ancilma Peter’s coworker’s

brother)

Jamie Kauffman(Yvonne Kauffman’s

granddaughter)

Karen(Trudy McCrea’s friend)

Helene Kerr (Jeff Smith’s aunt)

Conrad Kilinski and family (Jane & Ken Plum’s grandson)

Greg Leatherwood(Kathy Leatherwood’s

brother-in-law)

Tammi Leathers’ co-workerTim & Sara Loomis(Patty & Rob Gehring’s son & daughter-in-law)

Donald Lowell (Debbie Aschenbach’s father)

Millie LyonsElla MacKenzie

(Judy Pew’s great-niece)

Joyce Mahan & Nancy(Steve Webb’s family members)

Joe McGregor(Karen Young’s father)

Jim McKeowan Jack Moore

Richard Moore (Marcus & Tammi Leathers’

friend)

Mother of Kim Baum’s former scoutPam Olmes

Barbara & Adrian Pelzner’s son and son-in-law

Ed PelznerBarbara & Adrian Pelzner’s son

To submit prayer requests, you may go to the UCP website at www.ucpreston.org/prayer or call/email the Church Office at 703-620-3065 or

heidi@ucpreston.org. Any changes to this list should also be reported to the church office.

Prayer RequestsWill and Sandra Cravens(Barbara Pelzner’s request)

Amanda T. Dance(Tammi’s friend)

Delia(Rev. Rosemary Welch’s relative)

Eleanor DickeyJoyce DukeDick Eimas

(Barbara Schell’s neighbor)

Keith Elder (Kathleen Elder’s brother)

Rev Drew Ensz(and his work at George Mason

University)

Susan & Ben ErdmanCheryl Fields’ father

Jeff FloodLynn Franklin

(Laurie Callahan’s sister)

Norma Freeman(Brenda Meyer’s mother)

Gary(Beth Hetzler’s brother)

Patty GehringRev. LaVerne Gill

Teresa GreenMargaret Grey

Douglas Hallar(Kim Baum’s father)

Ruby Hamilton’s family members

Debby Harter(Sandy Kereluk’s daughter)

Nelson Gutierrez(Sonya Vaughan’s relative)

Dawn Hochsprung‘s Family (Cheryl Fields)

Sherri Hunter(Tammi’s friend)

Please keep in your prayers:

The vulnerable & all inhabitants of this earth in this time of covid-19

For healing a relationship with a family member

All who are serving in the military

Milton Arnesen(Kristy Pullen’s father)

Omilara Badou Barb

(Kathy Leatherwood’s sister)

Sona Bajema(Ruth Bajema’s daughter)

Kathy Baker(Trudy’s cousin)

Gloria Barber (Larry & Jan Gsellman’s friend)

Phillip Barber (Richard & Eloise Williams’

godchild)

Sally BaughmanKim Baum’s mother-in-law

Scarlet Bell(Eloise Williams’ niece)

Barbara Bonner Joe BocchiaroDiane Brady (Lee Schmidt &

Kathy Schauer-Schmidt’s friend)

“De” Brown(Diane Truman’s siser)

Joseph CofieHersy Coaldwell

(Tammy Leathers’ step-dad)

Raeven Coleman and her new baby, Alani Noel(Tammi Leathers’ neice)

Corey (Jeff & Cheryl Smith’s nephew)

Rebecka Cota (Rudiselles’ family member)

Marisa Peterson (Barbara Schell’s friend)

Walt Peterson(Jeff Smith’s friend)

Larry PullenCorky Rainey

(Al Stevens’ relative)

Andrew Rademaker(Charlette Gilbert’s friend)

Rev. Melinda Reed Rob Reed (Somalia)

(Bob & Annette Reed’s son)

John Richardson (Patty & Rob Gehring’s cousin)

Rick (Rev. Melinda Reed’s cousin)

Joe Rohrbach(former UCP member)

Maurice Rudiselle Rev. Suzanne Rudiselle

Janet Ruhan(Sheila and Richard Allen’s

daughter)

Kathy Schauer-SchmidtBetty Seddon & children

(Lesley Irminger-Block’s relatives)

Marsha SiglerRachael Simasek

(Debbie Aschenbach’s friend)

Father Michael Stewart(Brenda Meyer’s cousin)

Frank Sundstrom family (Judy Pew’s nephew)

Theogin (Arlene Brown’s teacher)

Patrick Waugh (Debra Bailey’s brother)

Kathy Wicks Barbara Youngberg

(Geneva Youngberg’s mother)

Adult Faith Formation By Pastor Elisabeth Williams

Sundays, at 11:15am -12:30 pm on ZOOM

JustMatters: Faith and Racial JusticePart 1 – August 2, 9, 16

Part 2- September 6, 13, 20, 27

Last month we wrapped up the Lenten Study, Faith and Racial Healing, that was so rudely interrupted by the corona-virus, and this month we are moving on into the next JustMatters: Faith and Racial Justice.

Faith and Racial Justice invites partici-pants to formulate their own Christian-rooted responses to racism in their churches, workplaces, and communities. Through new learning from articles, videos, and resource books (The New Jim Crow and The New Jim Crow Organizing Guide) it lends new insights to participants’ awareness of privilege and racism. By encouraging new spiri-tual practices and informed action, it cultivates an expanding community of Christians who work to dismantle racism in their respective contexts.

We hope that this process will chal-lenge our own thinking about racism, its causes, and its impact, while helping us discern practical steps to address it.

Theology of our HymnalsAugust 23 and 30

We will take some time this summer to compare our four hymnals, looking at the theology reflected in them through the way in which they are organized, which songs were included or not in-cluded, what language was changed or not changed, etc. Misha will be play-ing some of the hymns with us as we explore how we understand God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit through our sacred music.

15

Letter from the editorDear UCP,

The August issue will be my last newsletter as editor of Parish Life. With all the changes that are happening at UCP and in com-puter technology I believe this is a good time for rethinking the newsletter as it fits in with those new changes. I have enjoyed working on the newsletter. It was my contribution to the work of the church.

Twenty-seven years ago, Dave Roe, a Washington Post editor, and I, an assistant production supervisor for the Connection newspapers, designed the newsletter layout and the banner title, Parish Life. In addition to Dave’s contri-bution, Bob and Marilyn Orr produced alternate issues with me for a few years. Currently Marilyn Silvey as Editorial Co-ordinator has brought the newsletter to a new editorial high covering the details of the church’s work. Heidi Kharbanda,

Joellyn Kinzer, Parish Life Editor

UCP’s Administrative Assistant and Kate Hoing, UCP’s Communications Director, have also contributed their proofreading and computer skills. I am very thankful for all their help over the years.

I am pleased to announce that Kate will take over as editor of the newsletter. Articles and photos should be sent to her at parishlife1@ucpreston.org by the fifteenth of each month. (Because Kate will be on vacation in August, the August deadline date will be Aug 13.)

I want to end by thanking all the people who have contributed over the years to the newsletter, both in submissions and technology. While I laid out the issues, the contents from UCP members and pastors made Parish Life a meaningful publication for the church. Three whose contributions were constant were Rob Gehring’s Answering God’s Call series, Annerieke Owen’s Missions Ministry stories and Marilyn Silvey’s reporting. Thank you.

Parish Life has been very fulfilling work for me over the years. May God bless UCP’s future parish life.

Sympathy forRachel Amaya and family on the death of her husband, Gilberto Amaya Herrera, on June 2

Cynthia Shearer and family on the death of her uncle, Albert Whiting, on June 4 at age 102

Rhonda Savage and family on the death of her uncle, Robert Legg, on June 15

the family of Bev Banser, Carol McLean’s friend

Bruce Anderson, UCP’s piano tuner, and family on the sudden death of his son

Dick Babione, Dick’s daughter Michelle and family on the death of her son, Christopher Babione-Putnam, on July 16.

A monthly publication of the United Christian Parish, Res-ton, VA, an ecumenical ministry representing the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ, and the Christian Church (Dis-ciples of Christ).Editor and Production: Joellyn Kinzer Editorial Coordinator: Marilyn SilveyPhotos: John Moore,Diane Truman, Katarzyna Kryca

Email articles to ParishLife1@ucpreston.org.

16

Welcome to The United Christian Parish of RestonAn ecumenical church uniting in ministry four denominations: the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church

Ministerial Team and Pastors EmeritiCo-Pastor of Congregational Care and Development: -------------------- Rev. Dr. Marcus LeathersCo-Pastor for Faith Formation:--------------------------Rev. Beth WilliamsParish Associate: ---------------------------------------- Rev. Lloyd W. KinzerPastor Emerita: --------------------------------------- Rev. Suzanne Rudiselle

Parish Staff

Administration: ------------------------------Kate Hoing (Communications) Heidi Kharbanda (Admin Assistant)

Bissi Badau (Admin Assist)Micaela Hanney (Bookkeeper & Financial Secretary)

Rhonda Savage (Membership Secretary)Preschool Director: ---------------------------------------------- Amelia ClarkDirector of Music Ministries:- -------------------------------Misha TumanovChoir Directors: ---------------------------------Seraphim - Misha Tumanov

Genesis - Yvonne Kauffman Handbells - David Tiller

Total Praise Dance - Beth Hetzler & Cheryl Fields UCPraise! Band - Jen Whitney

Child Care: ---------------------------------------- Sonali Silva, Adama SillahTreasurer: --------------------------------------------------------- Gerry Havran

Parish Board Members

Ministerial Team Co-Moderator ------------------------ Rev. Beth Williams

Ministerial Co-Chair of PMC -------------------- Rev. Dr. Marcus Leathers

Lay Co-Moderator --------------------------------------------Laurie Callahan

Lay Co-Chair of PMC----------------------------------------Leah Steinbronn

Lay Members--------------------------------------- Bob Pitulej, Cheryl FieldsAnne Hochstrasser (Human and Administrative Resources Council)

Shelly Johnson, Claudia Stallings, John Moore (Finance Council)Clerk -----------------------------------------------------------Annerieke Owen

Commonwealth Trustees --- Steve Webb, John Melnick, Annette Reed

Sunday Worship – 10 am Online

Parish Ministry Council (PMC) MembersEcumenical Advisory Group -----------------------------------------Art Banks

Ministerial Co-Chair ------------------------------ Rev. Dr. Marcus Leathers

Lay Co-Chair --------------------------------------------------Leah Steinbronn

Faith Formation Ministry ---------------------------- Jane Plum & Jeff Smith

Missions Ministry ------------------------ Annerieke Owen & Ray Whitney

Witness Ministry --------------------------------------------------Debby Bailey

Worship Ministry -------------------------------------------- Jerry Hebenstreit

Congregational Care Ministry ---------------------------------- Menda Ahart

Building & Grounds Team --------------------------------------- Lee Schmidt

Fellowship ------------------------------------------------------Nancy VollmerJustice & Peace Ministry Team --------------------------------------------Kristy & Larry Pullen

Technology Team ------------------------------------------------- Matt Aguirre

Contact

11508 North Shore Dr., Reston, VA 20190 ucpreston@ucpreston.org • 703.620.3065

www.ucpreston.org

For online Sunday service and other services go to www.ucpreston.org

Board and PMC members

Human & Administrative Resources CouncilAnne Hochstrasser Amy MillarRay Whitney Eulene Bevans Karen YoungRachel AmayaRichard AllenKaren McDonaldJacob CudjoeFinance Council Joan Denchfield Jo FranklinJohn MooreGerry HavranMicaela HanneyBuilding & Grounds Debbie AschenbachRyan TillerLee Schmidt

Preschool Advisory Committee Lorrie-Ann Melnick Suzanne Venteau-Koch Rebecca TurnerTiffany WilsonLisa DiRisioPaul SzczenskiJoe YoonLay Leadership Nominating Committee Phil Hunter Nancy Vollmer Kim Baum Carol VeneseSonja VaughanJames (Jim) McConnellCongregational Care Ministry Menda Ahart Sheila Allen Jean Banks Joan Braxton Marilyn Silvey Ruby Hamilton