The Rev. Derick Wilson, Pastor of Healing Stream United Church of Christ, a poor, multiracial Kensington congregation, eloquently made a case for why local and national churches within the United Church of Christ should be out front leading the dialogue about racism, stereotypes, and at the heart of it, the fact that as Rev. Wilson said in his twenty minute sermon, “At the root of each setback is nothing but pain. Pain is pain. If you can understand what it means to be on the margins, for whatever reason, you have enough to work with to combat racism.” The church’s first “sacred conversation” is a prelude to many more “sacred conversations” and what promises to be a growing mission relationship with Healing Stream UCC. The United Church of Christ at Valley Forge has a long history of networking with new and struggling congregations and, although a suburban congregation, sees a strong cooperative mission posture in Philadelphia and places like Norristown. A feature article in the Philadelphia Inquirer (Monday, May 19th) titled, “In Pursuit of a Quieter Discourse on Race”, along with pictures, can be found at
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/20080519_in_pursuit_of_a_quieter_discourse_on_race.html
RAISING THE ROOF
As most of our members are aware, the UCCVF is seeking to learn how approaches such as those in the book Raising the Roof by Alice Mann might help us to better define who we are as a church, what we might want to become, and how we might get there. To learn more about the results of our efforts to date, click here.
The Essence of Dialogue: Rules of Engagement
Pennsylvania Southeast Conference
United Church of Christ
1. Use “I” statements, speaking only for oneself. “I believe…” vs. “a faithful UCC person would believe…” or “I understand the Bible to say…” vs. “The Bible says…”
2. Share the floor – don’t interrupt or speak too long.
3. Practice listening – a good listener will want to understand, not necessarily agree.
4. Inquire for deeper meaning: “What did you mean,” or “Tell me more.”
5. Please don’t try to “win,” “prove your point,” or “prove someone else is wrong.”
6. Ask a question to explore a statement further, listen to the answer and ask another question and so on until there is true understanding of your colleague’s belief system.
7. Don’t seek consensus, agreement, or the “correct answer.”
8. Be open to new ideas.
9. Respond through inquiry and sharing. Watch out for being reactive and/or defensive.
10. Disengage if you feel yourself being reactive.
11. Aggression, attack, blame, or accusations are not appropriate for the day.
12. Have fun and approach the dialogue in good spirit.
13. Silence is OK.
14. Maintain confidentiality.
15. Empower the moderator.
16. Do not seek consensus or conclusion.
17. Everyone is responsible for the process.
MUSIC OF NOTE CONCERT SERIES
The 2007-2008 concert series has come to an end, but the 2008-2009 concerts are well in the planning stage. We will have the Philadelphia Brass in the spring of 2009 and the Wheatland Chorale will return. Dates for the other concerts are being coordinated with the musicians and there will be more information a little later. In the meantime, thank you for your support the past three seasons.
UCCVF EXPLORES OPEN AND AFFIRMING
Sponsored by the Board of Elders, and with Council’s approval, our church is ready to embark on an educational process to explore the United Church of Christ’s “Open and Affirming” designation for our church. To view the materials available, click here.
