The Messenger

The Messenger

January 14, 2013 Volume XXIII, No. 1 Nationalchurch.org

Mission South Africa: 2013 Strengthening our Relationship with the Bokamoso Center

Our congregation has been blessed over many years by the annual visit of South African youth from the Bokamoso Youth Center in Winterveld South Africa. Through their music and drama, we have learned of the challenges of life in a remote township – challenges that include limited opportunities, AIDs, and crime. But we have also been inspired by their resilience and hope, as we have learned how the Bokamoso Center has transformed the lives of individual youth and their broader community.

This year, we have the opportunity to renew our fellowship with the Bokamoso youth when they visit Metropolitan on Wednesday, January 30.

And this event will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our long-term relationship with the Bokamoso Center, as we prepare to send a Volunteers in Mission team to South Africa this coming summer. We invite every member of our church – those who can join the mission team and those who will support their work and witness in a myriad of ways -- to journey with us in the coming months as we extend our mission to South Africa.

Volunteers in Mission Interest Meeting Friday, January 25, 6pm, Great Hall

Interested in learning about the 2013 volunteer in mission trip to South Africa? On Friday, January 25, there will be an informational meeting for anyone who wants to learn about the 2013 VIM trip to South Africa (A light supper will be available for $5). Proposed dates for the trip are in late July and early August 2013. The team will spend time at the Bokamoso Center, engaging youth in skill-building and mentoring activities and leading a Vacation Bible School at the Bokamoso orphanage. The group will also visit Central Methodist in Johannesburg to engage in their work with refugee and homeless populations.

On Wednesday, January 30 anyone interested in the Volunteers in Mission trip is invited to a fellowship gathering with the Bokamoso youth before their concert. This gathering will be in the Great Hall at 6pm.

Bokamoso Youth in Concert at Metropolitan Memorial Wednesday, January 30, 7:30 pm

Young men and women from the Bokamoso Youth Center will once again present the original music, drama, and poetry that give voice to their individual struggles and community concerns. Their unique and expressive performances are an important means of self-expression, growth, and empowerment for these at-risk youth The concert is free, open to the public, and appropriate for all ages. So invite your friends and neighbors! A goodwill offering will be taken to support the Bokamoso Youth Foundation.

Metropolitan Memorial in the News “Churches merge to unleash opportunities for all”

By Carrie Madren, UMConnection Correspondent

Kris Oberdick was in Florida, taking care of her mother in hospice care, when she received a package in the mail. The prayer shawl group at Metropolitan Memorial UMC had sent her a warm, pink shawl to wrap around herself, almost like a long-distance hug. “I felt comforted knowing that I had that community back home,” Oberdick recalled. “It made the miles between D.C. and Florida seem like a lot less distance.”

One of the best ways a vital church can reach more people is to create ways for the congregation to support each other.

“If you can provide a ministry that the people of the church can take out (into the world), then you’re providing members a way to care for others,” said Oberdick.

At Metropolitan Memorial, the Rev. Charles Parker, the senior pastor, has noticed an explosion in ministries, and he credits people within the church’s three campuses for starting these new projects. “It feels more like the growth has been more about permission-giving rather than top-down planning,” he said.

Nestled in the heart of Washington, D.C., and a stone’s throw from American University, Metropolitan Memorial UMC includes the campuses of Metropolitan Memorial, St. Luke’s, and Wesley United Methodist churches.

While every local church makes efforts to care for the needs of its own members, one of the things that sets this partnership of churches apart is its vast array outreach to the community and the world.

With creativity, passion and enormous vision, members are involved in a wide range of ministry – including St. Luke’s Shelter, Metropolitan House, and the new Campus Kitchen Project at the St. Luke’s Mission Center. Metropolitan Memorial has also partnered with Brighter Day Parish, a cooperative parish in Southeast Washington, D.C. The two churches have been coordinating donations for Brighter Day’s pantry and clothing distribution, resources for Brighter Day’s summer camp, and more.

The sense of untamed possibilities also filters in the worship experineces. The tri-campus church has services in four different styles that attract a diverse group of worshippers each week. In turn, all aspects of the parish have become more diverse and rich. “When we engage in service work and learning opportunities together, we become a richer community overall,” Parker said.

Metropolitan merged with St. Luke’s UMC in 2009, just as they were forming a cooperative parish with Wesley, which recently became an official merger that had unanimous support from both churches.

The merged congregations are proving that the whole indeed is greater than the sum of its parts.

“There are things we can do as a single church that would have been more challenging as separate churches,” Parker said. For instance, members of all three campuses went on a mission trip to Nicaragua this year; such a trip would have been less feasible for St. Luke’s or Wesley before.

“It also allows for a more effective administrative and budget structure,” Parker said. “Rather than three different church councils, boards of trustees and SPRCs, we can do that with

single committees, so we use up less of our volunteer resources doing administration and can focus more on actual ministry, which I think is very empowering for everybody,” he said.

One of the ways Oberdick, who has led the Caring Pillar for six years, has helped empower this vital congregation is through a variety of caring ministries, including: care cards, available for anyone to send to individuals who need a lift; a prayer shawl group; Stephen Ministers; Tables of Eight, the visitor ministry; and Care Cats, stuffed animal cats that become gifts to let people know that someone cares.

Oberdick even wove a caring element into the annual Easter brunch, which typically serves some 450 parishioners. Last year, they focused on the senior ministry and honored the church’s older members by providing transportation, helping them with the buffet and making them feel special. One 100-year-old, long-time member was extremely appreciative of the brunch. Later that week, she passed away. “I was so glad that she had that time to see her friends and was able to be there,” Oberdick said.

Since connections, both new and old, are so important, you might say that having a well-designed Web site is vital for a vital church. “People – and not just young people – are very quick to ‘Google’ and search,” said Lara Kline, a member of the sharing/evangelism team, for elements they want to include in their life, including church and ways to grow their spiritual life.

As the population shifts, so do the ways in which we find and absorb information, Kline said, so an engaging Web presence is one important way for a church to live its mission and vision in modern times. “It never will replace face to face, but I think an electronic witness is a very real thing in the 21st century,” said Kline, who has helped shape the church’s new visual identity that includes a new logo, branding, and a new Web site that features a digital calendar synced to all three campuses.

Their D.C. location means a highly international group of worshippers. That diversity calls for a diverse worship experience using music from global cultures, said Pam Rogers, the music director at Wesley. “My goal is to have music that’s representative of people in the congregation, so that we can connect culturally as well as spiritually,” she said.

That could include traditional hymns or music in Spanish, German or African traditions. In the past she’s even included reggae, hip-hop, gospel and Caribbean beats.

“No matter what your age or no matter what your background, when you go to church there should be something that inspires you,” Rogers said.

“United Methodism is a denomination that has for years specialized in small churches,” Parker said. “That was a very powerful model for a lot of years.” But, Parker continued, it’s been a less effective model in urban areas for the last generation or so. Small churches can get insular, and there may be a greater good in pooling resources with other nearby congregations. In addition, churches or cooperative parishes can work together across a city or region. “There are some really exciting models that we developed, that I would hope other churches can learn from.”

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Life at Metropolitan Memorial

Congratulations!

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On the marriage of Mark Krafft and Brooke Press who wed on December 29. Mark is the son of Judy Edstrom.

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On the birth of Ethan Andrew Clapp, to Vicki Hill, Nate Clapp and big sister Disa; Ethan is the grandson of Martha McCachren.

Our prayers go out to...

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the family and friends of Thelma Rummell, who died on November 12.

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the family and friends of Seth Tillman, who died on November 16.

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the family and friends of Elizabeth Gray, who died on December 28.

Our Members in the News!

In our January 2102 issue of The Messenger, Barry D. Wood wrote a feature article on Yeiichi (Kelly) Kuwayama, a long-time member of Metropolitan Memorial. Since then, we discovered a new interesting fact about Yeiichi. He's the former Army medic credited with saving the life of then future Senator, Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) after he was badly wounded in Italy during World War II, with injuries that caused his right arm to be amputated. In an article for Hawaii News Now, reporter Keoki Kerr reports that, “Kuwayama...put a tourniquet on Inouye's arm to help stop the bleeding that day in 1945, but he's very modest about the whole thing...He said he was just one soldier doing his job to give medical treatment to another.” Yeiichi states, “When I worked on these various people who were wounded, I just treated them to stop the bleeding first and then to put the bandage on them. That’s all I knew. That’s all I was thinking of. And I didn’t think of anything else,” Kuwayama said. He said he remained in contact with Inouye over the years and last saw him about four or five weeks ago. To read Barry Woods article in the January 2012 issue go to nationalchurch.org/About/archived_messengers.

A Good Samartian

It was no ordinary Christmas Eve For Bruce Caviness, Organist and Choir Director for Metropolitan Memorial. As preparation was well under way for our Christmas Eve services and his role of playing Santa and delivering gifts to the staff completed, Bruce decided to return home for a few hours before our services began. While at home, he...by the grace of God...decided to check his email and discovered a Silver Alert from Montgomery County.

A Silver Alert is a Maryland public notification system that broadcasts information about missing persons over 60 years old who suffer from Alzheimer’s, Dementia or other mental conditions and helps aid in their safe return. The e-mail gave a description of a ‘05 Blue Jaguar with Maryland plates and also showed a picture of a missing women.

On his return to the church, Bruce heard a noise coming from a car driving on Nebraska Ave. NW. and recognized the car described in the Silver Alert. He also noticed that the lady was driving on the rim of her tire. After getting her attention, she told him that something was wrong with her car and he told her to pull over at the next cross street. After pulling in behind her, Bruce called 911 and explained the situation and that the women appeared confused but was otherwise in good health. Soon a MPD officer arrived at the scene and was able to safely unite the lady with her husband and daughter. Incidentally Bruce was late for rehearsal but no one seemed to care. What a Christmas Blessing!

Combined Celebratory Worship Service Sunday, February 3 11:15am, Wesley Campus*

Join us as all three campuses, Metropolitan Memorial, Wesley and Crossroads, come together to celebrate the merger of Wesley United Methodist Church with Metropolitan Memorial! *5312 Connecticut Ave., NW

Roping off the pews

Many of you have noticed that we have begun roping off some of the back pews during the 11:15am service. In doing so, we are trying to encourage 11:15am attendees to sit closer to one another for better fellowship and singing. We have already heard comments on how much better the singing sounds, and hope that you will try participating from a different pew to see how the service feels! Please know that if you feel strongly about sitting in one of the roped off pews, you are welcome to slip under the ropes and sit wherever is most comfortable for you.

Please Help! Missing Laptop and Briefcase!

On Sunday, January 6, one of our Metropolitan House residents left his laptop computer in a soft, black, briefcase on top of the coat rack outside of the Great Hall while he attended a class. When he returned, his briefcase and the laptop were gone. If you have any information about the missing laptop, please contact the church office, 202-363-4900. It would be a great help to someone who is trying to rebuild his life. Thank you.

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Life at Metropolitan Memorial Prayer Shawl Ministry Tuesday, January 15, 1:30pm Sunday, January 20, 12:30pm

Join us in the parlor for a time of knitting, crocheting, fellowship, ministry and fun! Interested in joining? Contact Barbara Tate, Bdtate@verizon.net.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Saturday, January 19 9:30am - 9:30pm

Join us for MLK, Jr. Day of Service at St. Luke’s Mission Center (3655 Calvert St., NW) as we work with our partners at American University to cook and serve meals for our hypothermia shelter, Regency House, and others in our community. We will use recovered food to provide meals to those in need, and reduce the isolation of some of the homeless and seniors in our communities. Come for an hour or join us for the whole day!

Redhot and Blue Concert Saturday, January 19, 7:30pm, Wesley Campus*

Yale University’s oldest co-ed a cappella group is bringing their syncopated talent to Washington, DC. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear a truly great group apply their talent to this time-honored vocal tradition! Free admission: $10 suggested donation. *5312 Connecticut Ave. NW.

Metropolitan Book Club Monday, January 21, 7:30pm, Parlor

Join us as Karen Howard leads our discussion of Douglas Brinkley’s book, Cronkite. Brinkley reveals the legendary newscaster as a physically and morally courageous figure, but one who had many fears. All are welcome. Questions? Contact Suzanne Clewell, sfclewell@ verizon.net or Joan Topalian, jtopa62045@aol.com.

Jazz@Wesley Saturday, January 26 6:30pm, Wesley Campus*

Come and enjoy jazz by “The Greater U Street Jazz Collective.” ($10 cover, food available for purchase). *5312 Connecticut Ave. NW

2013 UMW Retreat “Journey to Inner Trust” February 8-10, Priest Field Pastoral Center Mary Elizabeth Marlow, Retreat Leader

Join the United Methodist Women as we confront the issue of trust head-on through story-telling, guided imagery, drawings and ritual…and where we reawaken innocence, trust in the moment and in ourselves. Mary Elizabeth Marlow is an international speaker and seminar leader, storyteller, counselor, and author of several books including Jumping Mouse: A Story about Inner Trust. Registration forms can be found at nationalchurch.org/serving/annual_events.

Sing out for Shelter Concert Saturday, February 9, 8 pm

Metropolitan Memorial will once again host the annual Sing out for Shelter concert at 8 pm on Saturday, February 9.

For over 20 years, The Augmented Eight, a local men’s a cappela group has organized this popular benefit concert which provides funds to Metropolitan House, Friendship Place, and other local homeless service providers. In addition to the Augmented Eight, this year’s concert will feature performances by Venus d Minor, an all women’s group; Eat at Joe’s, a group from Georgetown Day School; and Euphonism, a co-ed ensemble. Tickets are available at the door, for $20 and up.

UMW CRAFT CLUB

The United Methodist Women’s Craft Club is in full swing!

The group, which meets every second Sunday of the month in the Vestry at 12:30pm (except for this coming February, when they will be attending the UMW Women’s Retreat) gets together for crafting fun and fellowship. A huge thanks goes out to Mary Rollefson for putting in so much work on sewing bags for the men and women we see on Grate Patrol rides each month and residents of our Metro House Shelter. The bags, filled with shampoo, lotion, kleenex, and many other items, were all delivered on December 31st when Mary Keenan Townsend, coordinator of the craft club, rode along with the Grate Patrol. If you have any questions about the Craft Club, contact Mary Townsend, maryleekt@gmail.com or 202-534-2022.

2013 Art Exhibit “Fantasy and Reality” Sunday, January 27 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m., Great Hall

Come and enjoy the first Metropolitan Arts Council Exhibit of the new year!

Bend in the Road by Silas Cheo

Nathaniel Rees and Silas Cheo, seniors at Walter Johnson High School, are presenting their visions of the Realm of Fantsy and the Domain of Reality.

Nathaniel, the grandson of Fran Cleaver, is familiar to many of you as he attended Metropolitan and was active in our mission trips and the Metro Players. Silas is Nathaniel’s best friend. They grew up together and now paint together. Lunch will be provided.

Journey to the Stars by Nathaniel Rees

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Metropolitan Memorial invites you to participate in

Tables of Eight 2013

Four Saturday Night Dinners: Feb 23 March 23 April 20 May 18

Tables of 8 is an informal way for members and friends of our parish to get to know new people and strengthen friendships.

Its success depends on how many people sign up and on how many new people sign up so we have fresh faces around the tables.

How it works:

• You sign up (by Friday, January 25) – the form is attached or enclosed, depending on whether you are receiving this information by The Messenger, email or U.S. mail. You can sign up as an individual, or with a spouse or a friend for a Saturday dinner at a different home each month you can attend, February through May. • Email or mail the completed sign-up sheet to Ann Cochran (address below) or to the office at Metropolitan Memorial.

• In early February the groupings will be arranged. You will receive all the details by mid-February: who is hosting, the other participants’ names, and food assignments.

• Hosts provide the main course and beverages. Participants bring side dishes, salad, bread and dessert.

• The host should call the guests about two weeks before the dinner to confirm attendance, answer any menu questions, set a time, and give directions to their home.

Don’t worry about scheduling so far in advance:

Few of us know our May schedules in January; don’t let that concern you. Sign up for the number of Saturdays that feels comfortable. If you cannot attend, you can get a substitute from a list that’s provided or ask someone at church if they’d like to attend. Contact: Ann Cochran, 6718 Tomlinson Terrace, Cabin John, MD 20818, ann@annpcochran.com; 301-229-2114

Sign-up

Please mail, fax, email or deliver your completed form by Friday, January 25 to: Ann Cochran 6718 Tomlinson Terrace Cabin John MD 20818 ann@annpcochran.com 301-229-2115(fax)

or

Metropolitan Memorial UMC 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW Washington, DC 20016 202-686-2056 (fax)

Name(s): ________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________ Phone Numbers:__________________________ Email(s):_________________________________

February 23

I can (A)ttend, (H)ost or (S)ubstitute the following nights Write A, H or S under each date you can participate.

March 23 April 20

May 18

I am able to host a total of _______ people.

Even if you say you can host all four months, we won’t do that to you! But multiple possibilities are appreciated. If you can host, please indicate your maximum capacity. When we have a host shortage, seating for more than 8 is helpful.

I/we cannot eat the following foods:_____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Additional comments/preferences: _____________________________________________________ 5

Caring and Learning Weekly Meditation Practice Wednesday Mornings Beginning January 16 8:30am, Sanctuary

This guided and walking meditation (20 minutes of each) will nurture a sense of inner peace, calm and balance during this new year. Under the guidance of Betty Rogers, participants will share an opportunity for health and emotional benefits that include receptivity to the presence of Spirit, increased self-awareness, and skills to manage stress and release from negative emotions. All are welcome from beginners to experienced meditators. For more information, contact Drema McAllister-Wilson, dwilson@nationalchurch.org or 202.363.4900, ext. 19.

Lunch and More Thursday, January 17 Noon - 2pm, Great Hall

Gather for a delicious lunch, fun fellowship, and an opportunity for three activities: bridge and games; Bible Study with Dr. Charlie Parker; or watching “Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story,” a movie about the 1920’s and 30’s social activist, Dorothy Day, and her fight against social injustice.

She worked for the benefit of the ‘angels’ at the bottom of the social ladder for whom she fought daily against those who would hold them down. Dorothy Day is now in the process of being canonized in the Roman Catholic Church. Questions?

Contact Phyllis Kokus, PKokus@aol.com, Mary Jo Marchant, mjmarchant@verizon.net or Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson, dwilson@nationalchurch.org or 202-363-4900, ext. 19.

Caregiving Opportunities at Metropolitan Memorial

Greeters are needed the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month in the Great Hall from 1:15pm – 3pm for Club Memory (an informal social organization for people in the community with memory impairments and their caregivers, sponsored by Sibley Senior Association and MMUMC Caring Ministry).

Visitors are also needed to visit members of MMUMC who are homebound and would benefit from a caring presence.

Orientation will be provided. Many rewards will be received!

For both opportunities, contact Drema McAllister-Wilson, Minister of Congregational Care, dwilson@nationalchurch. org, 202.363.4900, ext. 19.

Dementia Support Groups

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Support Group for caregivers - 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 12:30pm, Iona (4125 Albemarle St., NW). Registration required. Call 202-895-9448.

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Support Group for caregivers - 2nd Wednesdays of the Month, 6:30pm, Arden Courts of Potomac, 10718 Potomac Tennis Lane, Potomac, MD 20854, Potomac@ arden-courts.com; 301-983-3620.

Soup and Study Wednesday, January 23, 6 p.m., Vestry

Join us for “Soup and Study,” Metropolitan’s Wednesday evening study program. Supper of soup, bread, salad and dessert will be served at 6 p.m. with classes beginning at 7 p.m. Questions? Contact Barbara Green, bgreen@nationalchurch.org. Classes include: Disciple I - Leader: Barbara Gaskill; Bible Study - Leader: Charlie Parker; Cloud of Witnesses: Christian Writers - Leader Barbara Green.

Contemplative Communion Services February 17, 24; March 3, 10, 17, 24 7pm, Great Hall

Metropolitan Memorial is offering contemplative communion services on each of the six Sunday nights in Lent. Join us for worship with scriptural reflection, silent contemplation, music, and the sacrament of bread and wine as Charlie Parker, Senior Pastor, and Drema McAllister-Wilson, Minister for Congregational Care, co-lead this worship series.

The liturgy will illuminate the theme of Cultivating Happiness within a supportive spiritual community. Prayer, reflection and sacred music will nurture awareness of the living Spirit among us. Contemplative silence in its fullness allows participation in God’s being from the depth of our own. John Wesley marveled after preaching on “calling upon the Lord while He is near” at the silence when “not a cough was to be heard” and “although squeezed together, everyone stood silent and still.”

This service is for all who seek a deeper encounter with Divine Presence and a Lenten experience of renewal and healing. Please join us for one or all of these evening celebrations.

Science and Religion: Evolution Discussion Sunday, February 10, 5:30pm BWC Mission Center (11711 East Market Place, Fulton, MD)

The Baltimore Washington Conference Mission Center will host “Evolving Universe, Evolving Faith,” a conversation on the intersection of science and religion on Sunday, February 10. A live feed from darkwoodbrew.org will feature a discussion with a scientist and a theologian on the subject, led by Dr. Eric Elnes, senior pastor of Country Wide Community Church in Omaha, Nebraska with a group discussion following the presentation. The evening is sponsored by WesleyNexus, a group of Washington area people interested in the interplay of science, religion, and faith (wesnex.org.)

This program is planned for Evolution Weekend, a weekend in which the mystery of science and faith are celebrated for the way in which they can lead us into deeper relationship with God and with each other. Questions? Contact, Maynard Moore, emaynard8@yahoo.com or Kent Weaver, kenthweaver@gmail.com who both have leadership roles with WesleyNexus.

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Children’s Ministries Now Accepting Applications

Pancake Supper Tuesday February 12, 6pm, Vestry

Shake off the doldrums of winter and feast before Lent begins at our annual Pancake Supper! The entire church turns out for this Fat Tuesday celebration at which we serve pancakes, bacon, sausage, egg casseroles, syrup, butter, milk, juice, coffee and tea. There will be performances by the children’s choirs and activities for the kids. Dinner is free, but please bring canned food to support the Friendship Place food pantry. Please contact Anita Seline at aseline@nationalchurch.org for questions.

Metropolitan Nursery School is now accepting applications for the 2013-14 school year. Metropolitan parishioners will be given priority for admission to the Nursery School if their applications are received by February 1, 2013. For more information on the nursery school or to apply online go to nationalchurch. org/learning. If you have questions or would like to visit the school, please contact Director Linda Smith, 202-362-8746 or lsmith@nationalchurch.org.

Scenes from Christmas Eve Family Service

Thank you to all the children and youth who were a part of our Christmas Eve Family Service and to their parents who helped get the group together for rehearsal the day before Christmas Eve.

Our Holy Family: (left to right) Baby Jesus: Grant, Mary: Melanie Dougherty-Thomas, Angel: Grace, Joseph: Scott Thomas.

The bunnies and lambs await the Holy Family.

An expectant nativity await the arrival of the Three Kings.

The Three Nativity Cows: Caroline, Elena, and Julia

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Our Mission

Building an inclusive, caring Christian community that invites others into a deepening relationship with God and challenges them to grow as disciples for the transformation of the world.

Our Vision

Extending radical hospitality, transforming lives, and pursuing justice.

Reconciling Statement

Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church affirms that all individuals are of sacred worth without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, education, marital circumstances, economic status, physical and mental condition, or criminal history. We declare ourselves in support of the reconciling movement and welcome the full participation in the church of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered persons and their families, as a reflection of God’s unconditional love. At the same time, we recognize differences of opinion on issues of sexuality and seek to journey together in faith toward greater understanding and mutual respect.

Pastoral and Administrative Staff - 3401 Nebraska Avenue, NW, DC - 202.363.4900 www.nationalchurch.org - Pastoral Emergency Number - 202.510.8555 Rev. Dr. Charles Parker –– Senior Pastor, ext. 11, cparker@nationalchurch.org Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson — Minister of Congregational Care, ext. 19, dwilson@nationalchurch.org Rev. Barbara Green – Director of Learning, ext. 25, bgreen @nationalchurch.org Rev. Jimmy Sherrod — Associate Pastor, ext. 24, jsherrod@nationalchurch.org Rev. Kate Murphey — Associate Pastor, ext. 21, kmurphey@nationalchurch.org Bruce Caviness — 11a.m. Organist-Choirmaster, ext. 15, bcaviness@nationalchurch.org Jeff Clouser — Director of Communications and Outreach, ext. 23, jclouser@nationalchurch.org Dona Collary — Director of Finance, ext. 18, dcollary@nationalchurch.org Casey Elliott — Dayspring Choir Director and 9 a.m. Worship Leader, ext. 12, celliott@nationalchurch.org Caleb Frazier — Campus Ministry Coordinator, ext. 14, campusministry@nationalchurch.org David Hosey — Campus Ministry Coordinator, ext. 14, campusministry@nationalchurch.org Patrisha House — Director of Worship, Music and Arts, ext. 28, phouse@nationalchurch.org Ohemaa Nyanin — Interim Associate Director of Youth Ministries, youthministry@nationalchurch.org Bill Potts –– Executive Director of Operations, ext. 17, wpotts@nationalchurch.org Rafael Reyes — Director of Building and Grounds, ext. 20, rreyes@nationalchurch.org Anita Seline — Director of Children’s Ministries, ext. 22, aseline@nationalchurch.org Helen Simon - Executive Assistant to Dr. Parker, ext. 42, hsimon@nationalchurch.org Linda Smith — Director of Nursery School, 202.362.8746, lsmith@nationalchurch.org

The Messenger is published by Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church Metropolitan Memorial - 3401 Nebraska Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20016 Tel: 202.363.4900 Fax: 202.686.2056 E-Mail: jclouser@nationalchurch.org website: nationalchurch.org St. Luke’s Campus (3655 Calvert St., N.W.)/Wesley Campus (5312 Conn. Ave., N.W.) NEXT ISSUE: February 11, 2013 NEXT DEADLINE: Noon on February 5, 2013