June 2016

June 13, 2016 Volume XXVI, No. 6 Nationalchurch.org

The Messenger

METROPOLITAN CHURCH

A MULTI-SITE UNITED METHODIST COMMUNITY

June

Worship at Metropolitan Memorial 9:00am Dayspring Choir 11:15am Chancel Choir + Organ Worship at Wesley 11:00am Rockin’ Gospel Choir

July and August

Worship at Metropolitan Memorial 10:00am Blended Service Worship at Wesley 11:00am Rockin’ Gospel Choir

Come, Come Everybody Worship!

Metropolitan Memorial - One Service at 10am in July and August Wesley - 11am

Summer has arrived after a very rainy spring, bringing fresh air, green grass and flowers, and beautiful blue skies. Our seasons are changing as are our schedules at our churches. This summer as we continue to grow into our shared identity with our Wesley brothers and sisters, we will begin a new model of preaching. Each congregation will hear the same message, although worship styles and music will continue to maintain their unique identities. At Metropolitan Memorial this summer, our congregations will merge to worship together at the 10am hour. Our music and worship will be a blend of both our 9am and 11:15am services. Our choirs’ members will sing hymns together and our soloists will provide special music. This is a wonderful opportunity for ALL of our congregation to share in the music and worship styles of both services, to hear some spectacular music — I happen to know there is some really fun and creative collaboration planned — you won’t want to miss it. If you would prefer a later morning worship, consider joining with our Wesley community at 11am. We will return to two worship times at Metropolitan in the fall with minor changes being made to encourage more opportunities for community both here and with Wesley.

Although summer vacations and travel always take people afar, for when you are in town we have an exciting summer planned. During the month of July, our sermon series will be on Exploring Mental Health at the Movies. As in the past, we will offer a showing of the movie with popcorn in the youth room on Friday evenings. Stay tuned for the movies and schedule. August will be looking at axioms often attributed to the Bible … but, surprise, they are not found. As is tradition, the last Sunday in August will be a welcome back to students, particularly from American University.

Summer is a great time to kick back and try new things. What fun it will be to all worship TOGETHER and share in one another’s music and traditions.

- Patrisha House

UMC General Conference Reflections Sunday, June 19

Please join us for a briefing and question and answer time on the recent United Methodist Church’s General Conference in Portland, Oregon. Charlie Parker served as a delegate and he will share his thoughts on the highs and the lows, and answer questions that you might have about the process and the implications of some of the actions taken at General Conference.

We have planned two opportunities for you to hear Charlie’s reports and ask your questions: •June 19 at 10:10am in the Great Hall at Metropolitan Memorial, 3401 Nebraska Ave., NW •June 19 at 1pm in the Fellowship Hall at Wesley UMC, 5312 Connecticut Avenue, NW

Life at the Metropolitan Church 8th Annual Reconciling Sunday Celebration

Metropolitan Memorial and Wesley congregations welcomed Matt Berryman, Executive Director of the Reconciling Ministries Network on Sunday, June 5, as we celebrated our commitment to inclusion of LGBTQ persons in our community, as Reconciling Congregations. Matt preached at Metropolitan Memorial, drawing on Jeremiah 29: 1-2 and 4-7 in his reflection on being "Home in Exile." We are not where we want to be in our denomination, and yet we go forward, living into the faith and action we want for our church and for the world, claiming God’s loving grace and welcome for all people, and teaching our children that everyone is part of God’s world.

Hear Matt Berryman's sermon as well as past Reconciling Sunday sermons at nationalchurch.org/Serving/Reconciling_Sermons.

In addition, Matt shared reflections on actions taken (and not taken) at General Conference at both the Metropolitan Memorial Great Hall session between services, and at Wesley’s More Than Coffee following their worship service. Although many are discouraged at the initiatives that failed to become policy at General Conference, Matt takes hope that the Bishops have been challenged Matt Berryman Preaches on to take leadership and find ways of permitting conservative churches to leave the denomination, and to find ways of allowing North American Methodists to enact rules consistent with application Reconciling Sunday. of Wesley’s Quadrilateral (Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience), with freedom similar to Photo by Kevin Walter that enjoyed by the international Central Conferences.

The Reconciling Leadership team will continue to share information on actions we can take to advocate for the work of the Commission which will be established to negotiate a way forward. Charlie Parker will present a briefing and question and answer time on the recent United Methodist Church’s General Conference on Sunday, June 19. Charlie served as a delegate and will share his thoughts on the highs and the lows, and answer questions that you might have about the process and the implications of some of the actions taken at General Conference (see page 1). To learn more about our Reconciling Community, contact Ellen Bachman, ellenbachman@comcast.net or Kerm Towler, flautobasso@yahoo.com.

We welcome our new members who joined on Pentecost Sunday, May 15! New members include: Nancy and Charles Butler, Pete & Jeane Fahrenthold, Jennifer Fahrenthold, Alexander Gamcsik, Charles (Chuck) Kluepfel, Shelley Marcus, Stacy Patlovich, and Millicent Wasell.

Metropolitan Book Club Monday, June 20, 7:30pm, Parlor

All readers are welcome to join us as we review Nathaniel Philbrick’s, In the Heart of the Sea. Over June and July we will read A Nation of Nations by Tom Gjelten for our September meeting. For questions contact, Joan Topalian, topajoan62045@gmail.com or Suzanne Clewell, reader1021@aol.com.”

Monthly Financial Summary Report

To view our brand new monthly “Finance and Trustees” report go to nationalchurch.org/ financialsummary.

In the report, you will be able to see the summary of where we are for the month with regards to the church’s budget as well as a listing and updates of active Board of Trustees projects.

If you have any questions, please contact Bill Potts in the church office, wpotts@nationalchurch.org or 202-363-4900, ext. 101.

Our prayers go out to the family and friends of Hugh James Byers III, who died on May 19.

The Metropolitan Church currently hosts three additional worshiping communities at our three locations: • Metropolitan Memorial hosts a Latin Seventh Day Adventist group.

• St. Luke’s Mission Center hosts CommUnity on the Hill (Unity).

• Wesley hosts River City Church (Baptist Church – International Congregation).

Congratulations • To Cindy and Mark Love on the birth of their granddaughter, Brooke Love La Londe on May 23 (Parents are Rebecca Love and Ryan La Londe) • To Chuck and Ann Cochran on the birth of their granddaughter Caroline Francine O’Brien born on June 6 (Parents are Tiffany and Kevin O’Brien)

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The Arts at the Metropolitan Church Welcome New Dayspring Choir Director, Melissa Jean Chávez

We welcome Melissa Chávez as our new Dayspring Choir Director, 9am Worship Leader and our Youth Choir Director. Melissa has been leading in church music since she was in high school and is delighted to share her passions, interests, gifts and graces with Metropolitan Memorial. Her career in ministry has encompassed all facets of music ministry, youth ministry, and Christian education. In addition to church work, Melissa is an accomplished singer. She did her operatic apprenticeship at the Castleton Festival under the direction of the late Lorin Maazel and performs regularly in the DC area. Melissa recently graduated from Shenandoah University with a Doctorate of Musical Arts in voice performance.

Melissa spent her childhood growing up in lots of places, as far north as Ontario and as far south as Louisiana, but considers herself most at home when she is in Virginia. She attended both Penn State University and Shenandoah University and in her free time enjoys cooking, playing tennis, going for runs, and challenging friends to games of Bananagrams. Melissa can be reached at mchavez@nationalchurch.org.

Jazz@wesley June 25, 6:30pm, Wesley*

Jazz@wesley presents the Alex Jenkins Trio featuring Tiya! Tickets available at the door and at instantseats.com. Entry $10 I $7 Seniors I Children 12 and Under Free. For more information email wesleyinfo@nationalchurch.org or call 202-966-5144, ext. 325. Bring a non-perishable food item to jazz up someone else’s life. *5312 Connecticut Ave., NW.

Creativity Reminder: Think About It - October 23

The Arts Council invites you to share your work in a Congregational Craft and Art Show. Among the handmade things we’re interested in showing are: fabrics, jewelry, knitting, crocheting, wood carving or fabrication, photos, paintings, drawings, glass, ceramics, baskets, weaving -- and this is not a complete list. The items that can be hung on walls will be left in place for a few weeks, but the three-dimensional things can be shown for only a single day. If you have any questions about the art show, contact Carol Schleicher, rschlei@verizon.net or Marilu Wood, shedelwood@gmail.com. Our Arts Council Chair is Carol Griffith, carolgriffith33@hotmail.com.

New Book by Member Pat Nicolette

Pat Nicolette’s latest Nick Mercante mystery, A Drug To Die For, is now available on Amazon or you may order a copy directly from Pat at zoomaster@verizon.net.

Rachel Whitaker, a hospital chaplain, asks Nick Mercante to look into the death of her journalist brother Seth who died just before publishing a big story. Nick discovers clues that suggest Seth was murdered while investigating a possible cover up by a pharmaceutical company whose drug caused illnesses to Gulf War veterans. But to prove it, Nick must locate Seth’s story and his evidence.

Check out our blog at nationalchurch.blogspot.com!

Read up on what’s happening at The Metropolitan Church and discover what’s on the minds of our Ministers and congregation members

The Cuban Photograph Show Lives On!

The show of Cuban photographs has come and gone! The show was memorable--not just because of its beauty and historical significance, but because every photograph was sold! A record!

You have your photograph and the artist, Yvonnick Renard has about $4,000 to send to the ballet studio in Cuba.

Yvonnick met the owner Laura Alonso and was invited to visit the studio the next day. The ballet studio (Yvonnick does not remember the name) has about 20 students, teenagers to young adults, and a separate choreographer. There seem to be about the same number of male and female students.

When he saw the students, Yvonnick said they were doing the final rehearsal for a show the next week, so he could not talk to either choreographer or students.

Yvonnick gives a good summary of his visit stating, “When we got there at the school, the kids were performing on the outdoor porch on the back of the school in 90 degree weather and were hot and sweaty . . .(and) they didn't mind and were so committed to do well and be good for the choreographer!

[I had asked Yvonnick if the students seemed to working for “the state” or for themselves?] . . . Such dedication and that is why I know and could feel and want to help them out!”

He thought that the owner, Laura Alonso, would use the money to buy some fans (probably no. 1 priority!), fabric and costumes for up-coming shows, and shoes--ballet dancers always need shoes!

A goal further down the road: the ballet studio comes to the States to perform--and of course they would come to DC. Yvonnick says “wouldn’t it be awesome (if) she could take the troupe to DC because of our action?” We will let you know if the trip materializes--would it not be wonderful to see your money at work? Way to go--Metropolitan!

-Marilu Wood

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The United Methodist Women UMW Daughter's Tea

Sandra Clarke, Elizabeth Jordan, Helene Lilly and Connie Sommers enjoy the tea and conversation.

It was a lovely afternoon of fellowship and fun at Wesley as friends and family gathered together for the United Methodist Women’s Daughter’s Tea. Attendance was estimated at 65, and included a table of AU alumnae hosted by Angela Gildner and neighbors invited by Paula Pree (a Ms. Senior DC pageant winner among them). All women mingled freely over small bites of homemade savory and sweet delicacies and several cups of tea. Treasured teapots and serving trays were shared which added a personal touch. Live music, door prizes, conversation Jeanie Mah and LaTonya and laughter made the afternoon complete.

Jackson, Ms. Senior DC 2014

UMW Mission U July 29-July 31, Marriott*

The United Methodist Women’s Mission U is coming up July 29 - July 31 at the Bethesda Marriott (Pooks Hill). Courses will be held on: The Bible and Human Sexuality; Latin America: People and Faith; and Climate Justice: Call to Hope.

The commuter rate is $175 if you register

by June 30. That includes three lunches and two dinners. To register, go to BWCUMC.org and look under events. Select Mission U and follow the instructions. *5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.

BAZAAR DONATIONS

The United Methodist Women are now accepting donations of gently-used items to be sold at the annual fall bazaar! You may drop off your contributions beside the UMW closet at any time. Sorting and pricing sessions will begin in July -- stay tuned!

UMW Recognition Lunch - Call for Nominations

Each year the United Methodist Women of Metropolitan Memorial hold a Recognition Luncheon honoring women who have made a significant contribution to the church, the nation and the world. This year the luncheon will be held on Sunday, December 4. We are seeking nominations of outstanding women to honor this year. Please submit nominations to Beverly Fleming, Beverly.fleming@gmail. com or 703-978-7654.

Study at the Metropolitan Church Racial Justice Task Force - A Book Review by Kerm Tolwer Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotype Affect Us and What We Do by Claude M. Steele

Recently, a group of people at The Metropolitan Church convened to discuss issues of racial justice in church and society and from those discussions developed a list of books that they recommended for reading. I chose the above title because it is being read by administrators in my workplace as part of the discussion around race and its relationship to student achievement. In short, the question being asked is: Why can a student’s future academic achievement level be predicted (primarily) by race?

The statistical data bear out the proposition that race is a primary predictor of student achievement.

The question to ask is “Why?” The title is taken from the experience of a young black man who found that whistling Vivaldi’s Four Seasons while in white neighbors noticeably reduced the tensions of those same white people.

The author, Dr. Claude Steele, is a social psychologist by education and work experience and at the time of publication, provost of Columbia University. He began the “journey” about this question at the University of Michigan and followed it through subsequent university appointments. Steele uses the term “identity contingencies” as the technical term to describe an identifier which someone has to deal with in order to surmount a situation. The contingency could include identifiers such as: black, white, gay, cancer patient, mentally ill person, woman, man, Hispanic, lesbian. One might look at it as the “elephant in the room” when trying to negotiate a difference or problem.

The author then lays out a number of experiments performed by himself and others centering on the issue of how the pressure of a single demographic when put on a single person, actually causes them to deliver substandard results, despite performing well in other ways. Most of the experiments deal with issues of gender or race and academic performance.

Example: lower-class French students performed higher than their upper-class compatriots on a language exam when they were told it was not diagnostic of language ability. When the lower-class students were told that the test was a diagnostic of language ability, the same students performed significantly poorer. In short, Steele asserts that one of the reasons that women in the sciences, for example, don’t perform at the same level of their peers is not due to lesser ability than their counterparts but because of the intimidation felt as being a “fish out of water” instead of being treated as an individual.

While Steele is an academic, he does not write for academics but for wider audiences, avoiding jargon and analysis requiring advanced knowledge. He summarizes the various experiments he cites succinctly so the reader understands the intentions as well as limitations of the study results.

Learn more about the Racial Justice Task Force at nationalchurch.org/Learning/Adult#RacialJustice.

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Serving at the Metropolitan Church How Volunteers Turn Unwanted Produce Into Meals For 5,000 People

by Whitney Pipkin*

The mounds of eggplant that hit the chopping room floor on Tuesday didn’t look like much. They, along with the carrots, cauliflower, sweet potatoes and onions that flooded in for processing that morning, were too large, misshapen or otherwise on-their-way-out to display uniformly on a grocery store shelf.

Dominika Jarosz, Feeding the 5000’s campaign manager, says D.C. was a natural location for the team’s second U.S. event because of its proximity to national policymakers — and it was a boon to partner with a handful of organizations that already are pioneering in the food waste space, like DC Central Kitchen.

But, in the hands of the Feeding The 5000 event crew and dozens and dozens of volunteers, the 2,000 pounds of otherwise wasted produce became its own sort of miracle: Volunteers from José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup chop yellow squash the pièce de résistance that produce wholesalers were of an event aimed at unable to sell due to their size, color, transforming not only or shape. Photograph by Jed Winer, “ugly” vegetables, but also our mindsets about National Geographic them. Bonus? Some of Washington, D.C.’s top chefs helped turn them into curry, paella and chili.

DC Central Kitchen’s cooks already turn about 2,000 pounds of “underutilized” produce into 5,000 meals each day to relieve hunger in the city, in addition to the 7,000 meals the nonprofit makes for area schools. “Welcome to Feeding the 5,000,” DCCK’s chief executive officer Mike Curtin said as he opened up the event, “Or, as we like to call it at DC Central Kitchen, Wednesday.”

Organizers say 6,750 people were fed at the event in D.C. on Wednesday.

“It’s often the case that we have more than we need,” says event coordinator Pascale Robinson. “When you’re dealing with food waste, the initial sourcing can be difficult, but then you have more than enough to make the point —waste is abundant.”

Changing mindsets about such food waste was the goal when Tristram Stuart and the organization he founded first fed 5,000 people with what would have otherwise been landfilled in London in 2009. Since then, he says, the United Kingdom has seen a 21-percent reduction in household food waste and “a sea change in attitudes.”

“It was supposed to be a one-off event,” says Stuart, a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and founder of UKbased Feedback Global. But it was so popular, he planned more.

Wednesday was the organization’s 36th event, and only its second in the U.S. “These events are really powerful,” says Zia Khan, vice president of initiatives and strategy at The Rockefeller Foundation, which gave a $500,000 grant to Feedback Global. “There are a lot of reports out there that show the analytics of how much food is wasted. These events can help change what we consider normal.”

In the U.S., the event’s message focuses on the low-hanging fruit that organizers see as the country’s next steps for reducing that 40-percent number of food that is never eaten or used here. A recent report also has set a goal of reducing food waste in the U.S. by 50 percent by 2030.

And, in the halls of Congress, Senators Chellie Pingree from Maine and Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut were introducing legislation aimed at curbing food waste. They want to clear up customer confusion surrounding “use by” and “sell by” date labels at supermarkets.

DCCK helped Feeding the 5000 organizers procure produce—600 pounds of sweet potatoes, 400 pounds of eggplant and 200 pounds of parsnips among them—that had been rejected from local retailers or languishing in storage.

Local food distributors like Coastal Sunbelt Produce, Lancaster Produce and Hungry Harvest donated vegetables to the event that might have wound up in landfills. Other organizations that help divert food waste to feed the hungry, such as the Capital Area Food Bank and the Campus Kitchens Project, which replicates DCCK’s model of food recovery and meal distribution on high school and college campuses across the country, also partnered in the event.

Alexander Moore, DCCK’s chief development officer and the event’s de facto emcee, says Feeding the 5000 can help reduce any stigmas still associated with using imperfect food to produce perfectly good meals. And it helps shine a spotlight on the work his organization and others do every day.

“These are good fruits and vegetables that just haven’t made the cut or the grade to get into the commercial food system,” Moore says.

The more than 5,000 people that wandered through the event space also got a taste of food-waste creations from some of D.C.’s favorite celebrity chefs. José Andrés’ and chefs from his Think Food Group stirred two, seven-footwide pans of fragrant paella as he riffed from the event’s stage on the need to end food waste in this country. “Here we are eating food that would have ended up in some pile somewhere,” Andrés said.

Spike Mendelsohn, a chef and chairman of D.C.’s newly christened Food Policy Council, said chefs have to demonstrate at events like this and in their restaurants that this food can be turned into delicious meals. On stage, he turned beef hearts from a Virginia meat processor into a food waste-based “kitchen sink chili.”

“It all goes back to awareness,” says Mendelsohn, whose Miami fast-casual restaurant, Sunny’s, turns leftover pulp from juicing and farro from breakfast bowls into a veggie burger. “Once it’s in your Rolodex to use this food, you practice it in daily life.”

View a video from the Disco Chop party at theplate. nationalgeographic.com/2016/05/19/how-volunteers-turnunwanted-produce-into-meals-for-5000-people. *Whitney Pipkin is a freelance journalist and writer covering food, farms and the environment from Alexandria, Va.

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Caring Ministries Trust Circles Orientation Workshops Register Now! Saturday, July 30 OR August 27, 9am -3pm, Great Hall (lunch provided)

Summer has finally set in here in the DMV area! For many, summer is a time for a break.

Schools let out in June and students and teachers are free from studies for nearly two months. The House, Senate and Courts take recess. Many people take vacations or staycations from their jobs. Yet for others, summer is a busy time…a time for planning and preparation for the year ahead. Here at Metropolitan Memorial folks are already gearing up for the fall.

One new ministry that will be launching in September is Trust Circles. Trust Circles are groups of 3-4 members plus an experienced facilitator who come together on a monthly basis for group spiritual direction. The group commits to listen, recognize, and respond to God's presence in their individual lives, and to do so for the other members of their group.

Some of you may recall that I spoke about Trust Circles at a mission moment in November of last year. I spoke about how I first participated in Trust Circles through my home church in Davidson, NC. At the time, I was discerning my call to ordained ministry. I was feeling as though God was calling me to serve in a deeper and more intentional way. After attending an introductory workshop to learn more, I was immediately hooked.

My participation in Trust Circles created a space for me to wrestle with some tough questions I was facing in my own discernment process. Through Trust Circles, I was able to work through these questions and listen to the ways that God was calling me to respond. I was also able to be a co-listener for others in their own discernment. My discernment process led me to the decision to leave my job, move to DC and go back to school full time.

Yet perhaps even more important than the outcome of my own discernment process was the way that Trust Circles shaped me along the way. Through Trust Circles, I became part of a deeply sacred group that was committed to helping one another discern where God was moving in the midst of our very busy and full lives. Within a couple of months of joining a Trust Circle group I began to notice some of the ways that my participation in this group was changing me from within. My Trust Circle practices and disciplines were infiltrating other areas of my life. I was learning how to be a good listener – a deep listener – to my husband, my family, my friends, my co-workers. I chose to listen and be silent in instances where I previously would have opened my mouth too quickly. I was better able to discern God’s will in the midst of my day-to-day life and not just within the confines of our monthly gatherings.

If you’re interested in learning more about joining a Trust Circle starting Fall 2016 come to one of the two introductory workshop sessions we are offering at Metropolitan Memorial this summer. Attending a workshop does not obligate you to join a Trust Circle. There is no charge. There is no homework. It is simply an opportunity for you to learn more. Advance registration is requested. To register for a workshop or for more information, please contact Megan Blanchard, megan.b.blanchard@ gmail.com or 704-787-3072.

-Megan Blanchard

Lunch and More Thursday, June 16, Noon, Great Hall

Weekly Meditation Practice Wednesdays, 9am, Sanctuary

Nurture a sense of inner peace, calm and balance with guided and walking meditation. All are welcome. Meets every Wednesday at 9am. Contact: Mary Jo Marchant, mjmarchant@verizon.net.

Gentle Yoga with Cathryn Ellen Pethick Thursdays 4pm, Great Hall

Gentle Yoga Class continues this summer! All are welcome to join. We practice standing, seated and reclining yoga poses, breath awareness exercises, and meditative relaxation. To register contact Cathryn, cathryn@yogawellbeing.com or 301-946-7045/301-642-3889. Sponsored by the Congregational Care Committee.

Bring your favorite dish and sing in summer with our potluck!

Join us for Lunch and More! After eating together, we will have the opportunity for playing a game like Banana-grams, Trivial Pursuits, bridge, or watch a movie. This month’s movie is “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” a 2014 American comedy-drama adapted from Richard Morais’ 2010 novel.

The film stars Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal and Charlotte Le Bon and tells the story of a feud between two adjacent restaurants in a French town. Since it is set in France it would be sort of a mini vacation start for summer!

If you committed to bring a game, please don’t forget. Also, bring a friend! Contacts: Phyllis Kokus, pkokus@aol.com or Mary Jo Marchant, mjmarchant@verizon.net.

AARP Meeting Monday, June 20, Noon, Vestry

Please join us for our spring luncheon. The cost is $10/ person. Make your reservation by June 16 by contacting Bobby Turnbull, bobbyturnbull@comcast.net or 301-3204154.

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Going to Carolina! ASP 2016

This summer, our youth and a dozen and a half adults will head out for our 42nd trip to rural Appalachia to build houses as part of the Appalachia Service Project (ASP). Founded by a Methodist pastor nearly 50 years ago, ASP provides a transformational opportunity for youth in their engagement with the people of Appalachia. It is a hallmark of our youth programs here at the Metropolitan Church and continues to be supported by the generosity of church members, their friends, and their families.

ASP began in 1969 when Pastor Tex Evans noticed that many of the people of Appalachia with which he worked needed assistance with home repairs. He gathered together fifty youth and adults who worked during the day and worshiped at night. By the end of that summer, four homes were repaired and the foundation was laid for what ASP would become.

Today, ASP has over 16,000 volunteers in the summer and repairs 500 to 600 homes throughout Central Appalachia.

In addition to helping some of the poorest people throughout Central Appalachia have warm, dry and safe homes, our youth have a deeply meaningful experience that often results in lasting transformations. For many of our youth, the first experience they have of building something is on ASP. It is also one of the few times in which they get out of their comfort zone for an entire week to learn about a different culture and to build relationships with people who in many ways are not like them.

ASP has been a long tradition here at Metropolitan. Some of our adult leaders have been going on trips for well over a decade. Many adults have told me about how their ASP experience helped shape their values and push them in the direction that their career has now taken them. We ask that you keep our youth and adults in your thoughts and prayers as they head off on this important mission. To learn more about our Youth in Mission work, contact Patrick Landau, Director of Youth Ministries, plandau@nationalchurch.org or 202-363-4900, ext. 112.

Confirmands 2016

We celebrate our confirmands who joined on Sunday, June 12. Confirmands include: Holly Grace Adams

Olivia London Lordos

Carlisle Davis Imperial

Ashley Elizabeth Rommel

Maria Elinore Klick

Katelyn Ann Rommel

Children’s Ministries Children’s Summer Sunday School Sundays, 10:10am, Room 202

We’re doing something new this summer: Lego Summer Sunday School!

We'll be using "Building Faith Brick by Brick," a fun and easy Sunday school curriculum. Each week there is a Bible story, a snack, and a chance to re-create the story through building with Lego bricks. During June, Sunday school will be from 10:10am – 11am. During July and August, there will be a single worship service at Metropolitan Memorial at 10 am, followed by Sunday school from 11:10am – noon.

Volunteers are needed. Sign up for one Sunday or many!

Sign up at nationalchurch.org/childmin_volunteer.

VBS - Register Now! July 11-15 Join us for a week of music, arts and crafts, games and Bible storytelling.

Metropolitan’s VBS is geared toward kids age 4 to rising 5th graders.

Rising 6th graders may enroll and serve as junior counselors. The program runs from 9am till Noon and costs just $75. VBS kicks off with a family event, including a pot-luck dinner, on Sunday evening July 10.

Vacation Bible School is open to all. This year’s program, Abundance Orchard, focuses on the Hebrew Bible’s stories of food and faith and aligns with Metropolitan’s effort to help end hunger in our city. Register now at nationalchurch.org/ vbs!

Children’s Chorus of Washington Auditions

Love to Sing? Join the premier youth choral program in the national capital area in its 21st season with new artistic director Margaret Nomura Clark.

For singers ages 5 to 18, schedule an audition today on selected dates in June. Call 202-237-1005. No previous experience necessary. Dates available: Tuesday, June 7; Tuesday, June 14; Monday, June 20; Tuesday, June 21; and Saturday, June 25 Also, check out our programs for younger singers 5 to 8, an introduction to the choral experience with no audition necessary.

Register for Prep Class directly online at childrenschorus.com/programs/prep-class (next session in September).

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Our Mission: Building an inclusive, caring Christian community that invites all into a deepening relationship with God and challenges all of us to grow as disciples, seeking justice and joy 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. 108, cparker@nationalchurch.org Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson — Minister of Congregational Care, ext. 104, dwilson@nationalchurch.org Rev. Janet Craswell—Director of Christian Education, ext. 115, jcraswell@nationalchurch.org Princess Bethea — Office Coordintor, ext. 102, pbethea@nationalchurch.org Bruce Caviness — 11a.m. Organist-Choirmaster, ext. 152, bcaviness@nationalchurch.org Melissa Chavez — Dayspring Choir Director/9am Worship Leader/Youth Choir Director, ext. 151, mchavez@nationalchurch.org Jeff Clouser — Director of IT and Communications, ext. 113, jclouser@nationalchurch.org Dona Collary — Pastoral Care Assistant/Wedding and Funeral Coordinator, ext. 106, dcollary@nationalchurch.org Patrisha House — Director of Worship, Music and Arts, ext. 114, phouse@nationalchurch.org Patrick Landau — Director of Youth Ministries/AU Campus Ministries, ext. 112, plandau@nationalchurch.org Bill Potts –– Executive Director of Operations, ext. 101, wpotts@nationalchurch.org Rafael Reyes — Director of Building and Grounds, ext. 116, rreyes@nationalchurch.org Helen Simon — Executive Assistant to Dr. Parker, ext. 109, hsimon@nationalchurch.org Linda Smith — Director of Nursery School, 202.362.8746, lsmith@nationalchurch.org

The Messenger is published by The Metropolitan Church - A Multi-site United Methodist Community Metropolitan Memorial - 3401 Nebraska Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20016 Tel: 202.363.4900 St. Luke’s Mission Center (3655 Calvert St., NW)/Wesley UMC (5312 Conn. Ave., NW) Fax: 202.686.2056 E-Mail: jclouser@nationalchurch.org website: nationalchurch.org

NEXT ISSUE: July 11, 2016

NEXT DEADLINE: Noon on July 5, 2016