The Messenger

The Messenger

August 12, 2013 Volume XXIII, No. 8 Nationalchurch.org

Change in Roles for our Associate Pastors

Hopefully, by now many of you have had the chance to meet the newest member of our pastoral team, the Rev. Dottie Yunger. As we welcome Dottie on board, our pastors and staff have taken the opportunity to look at our program areas and discern the best match of skills and passions and expertise to our ministries. Growing out of that discernment process, we decided that Dottie will be the clergy lead for Crossroads and for our Serving Pillar, and Kate Murphey will be the clergy lead for Wesley and for our Sharing Pillar.

Mark Your Calendars!

Annual Community Picnic Sunday, September 15

Join us for fun, fellowship and food at our annual community picnic on Sunday, September 15! More details to follow.

Dottie and Friend

Dottie brings a host of gifts and enthusiasm to our Serving ministries, including finding ways to emphasize eco-justice issues; she also brings a wealth of experience and contacts from her positions in the nonprofit world. Before joining Metropolitan, Dottie led efforts to equip and empower houses of worship in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to be good stewards of environmental resources in the Chesapeake Bay. She also led efforts to clean up the Anacostia River, providing wonderful synergy to our growing partnership with Brighter Day. Dottie has worked to educate, train and organize people of faith about environmental and theological understanding and responsibility of earthcare. We look forward to partnerships that will be created around earth justice and a broad range of food security and homelessness issues under Dottie’s leadership.

Kate will bring her wonderful energy to taking a fresh look at evangelism and what it means for the Metropolitan community today. We want to create a culture of evangelism that invites people in and helps them to share their stories with us as we share our stories with them. Kate will be working to build an even stronger Sharing team, who will build on our past successes and set new and dynamic goals for the coming years. Part of this effort will include focusing on cross-site communication as we work together to realize the power of our three-site Metropolitan community.

Both Dottie and Kate would welcome your thoughts on Kate enjoys a moment of joy their respective areas of ministries, including ways in with congregation members which you would like to be involved. Contact Dottie at dyunger@nationalchurch.org or 202-363-4900, ext. 24 and Kate at kmurphey@nationalchurch.org or 202-363-4900, ext. 21.

Yo Ho Yo Ho! A Pirate’s Life for Us! MET-FLIX: “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” Friday, August 23, 8pm, Parking Lot

Join us for our annual outdoor movie “Met-Flix!” Come dressed as a pirate and enjoy a pirate extravaganza! Get your picture taken with an 8-foot pirate, walk the plank, enjoy pirate booty refreshments, and other pirate crafts. The piratical fun all starts at 8pm with the movie shown at dusk in our parking lot.

A Pirate Joke to get you in the mood: Where do pirates keep their eggs? In the crow’s nest!

Life at Metropolitan Memorial Our prayers go out to • the family and friends of Baldwin Tillman, who died on Monday, July 29.

ISO Garden Enthusiasts

Several gardening types at Metropolitan are trying to coordinate efforts to tend the church’s flower beds. While our hired crews tackle the bulk of the weeding, we’ve kept them out of several beds with more unusual plantings. That’s where you come in. We want to build a weed team whose members could work together on scheduled days and go solo when the spirit moves them. We’ll meet once to familiarize volunteers with what’s what in each flower bed.

No experience necessary, but willingness to dig, sweat and get dirty is essential. If interested, contact Courtney Leatherman, c_leatherman@ix.netcom.com or 202-363-4247.

Jazz@Wesley Saturday, August 24, 6:30pm, Wesley*

Join us as the Russell Carter Quintet plays the music of The Miles Davis Quintet (1964-1968). Tickets available online at instantseats.com. $10/entry l $7/Senior I 12 and under free.

Bring a non-perishable food item or slightly used coat to jazz up someone’s life. *5312 Conn. Ave., NW.

Metropolitan Book Club Monday, September 16, 7:30pm, Parlor

Welcome

We welcome Penny Andrews, who joined our congregation on Sunday, July 23. Penny joins us from the Cleveland Park Congregational Church and was a long-time member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. She recently retired after 54 years in the child care field and shares her home in Glover Park with a beautiful sheltie named Misty May.

Congratulations

• to Marina and Tim Roussett on the birth of their daughter Milana Margaret Rousset, who was born on July 31.

• to James Comey, Jr. on his appointment as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. When introducing him as the new FBI Director, President Obama stated, “It is in large part because of my confidence not only in his experience and his skill, but (also) his integrity, that I’m confident that Jim will be a leader who understands how to keep America safe and stay true to our founding ideals, no matter what the future may bring.” For more information, go to umconnections.org.

Our Monday night Book Club resumes on Monday, September 16. Sharon Smith will lead a discussion on the book TransAtlantic. For those who want to read ahead, members have selected books for October and November. In October Connie Sommers presents And the Mountains Echoed. In November Barbara Tate will talk about Fall of Giants.

We welcome anyone who enjoys reading and discussing books. We always meet on the third Monday of each month except in the months of July, August, and December.

Summer Office Hours M-Th 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Fri 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Please note our summer office hours. We will return to our regular office hours in September.

September Art Exhibition “Framing the Image of God”

It was the fall of 2010 and the Arts Council of Metropolitan held a photography exhibition, showcasing the work of members with a camera. The show was such a success that we decided to have another exhibit of these images. After all, it has been 3 years since then and there are a lot of shots that have been taken! A least, we hope so.

The title of the exhibit has been lifted from a recent sermon by Dr. Parker. Can you remember which sermon?

The exhibit titled, Framing the Image of God, will officially open on Sunday, September 29, and will run through the month of October. We invite members of all three campuses of The Metropolitan Church to participate in this show, in which we are seeking images that the photographers feel fit the theme. If you are interested in exhibiting your work or *need advice about matting and/or framing your photograph(s), please contact Carol Schleicher, rschlei@verizon.net or Marilu Wood, shedelwood@gmail.com. The image of God is everywhere and we would like to see how many images you can find!

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Life at Metropolitan Re-Keying Project

We have begun a re-keying project for all three of the Metropolitan Properties (Metropolitan Memorial UMC, St. Luke’s Mission Center, and Wesley UMC). Currently, staff that have responsibilities at all three locations are carrying between 50 and 60 keys to be able to access the various properties and doors. In addition, there is a huge security risk with the structure of our existing keying system with such a large number of keys available.

The current re-keying project is underway and will take between 2 and 4 weeks to complete. Every door in all three properties will be re-keyed to a new structure as well as a new key card pass system at a few of the key doors. We have a large amount of outside groups who use our facility periodically for special and/or regular meetings. With this new system, we will be able to provide most of them with a limited access key card in lieu of an actual key to our properties. We will be starting with a few installations of this product on a few select doors. We believe it will be highly effective and anticipate adding additional access points in the future.

Please look for future announcements relating to the progress of the project. Also, near the end of the project, we will be calling for all of the old keys so that we can get new keys into the hands of those who genuinely need access to the property. If you have questions, please contact any of the members of the Board of Trustees; Chuck Cochran, Chairman, cmcochranjr@gmail.com; or Bill Potts, Executive Director of Operations, wpotts@nationalchurch.org.

Office Renovation Project

We are excited to be in the middle of a wonderful renovation to the office area under the Great Hall. For those of you who have visited the office, you will have noticed the many stains and wear on the existing carpeting. Also, the current reception configuration restricts the needed security and observation of those entering the office area. We will be completely overhauling the common areas within the office to better accommodate the day to day traffic flow and security as well as making the space a more inviting and accommodating space for those visiting the church and entering the administrative offices.

There will be new flooring, a new reception area, freshly painted walls, a new coffee area, improved workroom, updated conference room, etc. Please stop by the office in the next couple of weeks and look at the story board on the wall.

There is even an opportunity for you to vote on your favorite wall color from the three options selected.

In the next couple of weeks, there will be several days when the offices will be closed while some of the work is being completed. Please watch The Messenger, the Metro Updates, and listen to the church voicemail for updates on those dates. We would like to thank Trish Long for her diligent work with Bill Potts in the development of this project.

Service and Advocacy Commemorating 50 Years: Jobs, Justice, Freedom & Our Faith Tuesday, August 27 Panel Discussion - 4pm, Mount Vernon Place UMC* Healing Worship - 7pm, Asbury UMC**

The Methodist Federation for Social Action invites you to attend an interactive panel discussion in the spirit of the march for Jobs, Justice, and Freedom, ("Climate of Suspicion: the Criminalization of Race in America") to be followed by a healing worship service in the heart of Washington DC. Special Guests Include Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, Preacher, Associate Dean at Boston School of Theology, Ordained Elder & Scholar; Charles Thornton, Panelist, Director of The Office on Returning Citizens Affairs, DC Mayor's Office; and Rev. Gil Caldwell, Panelist, Co-founder, Black Methodists for Church Renewal & retired UMC Elder. Visit MFSAweb.org for more information about the week's activities and for up-todate posts. *900 Massachusetts Ave., NW. **926 11th Street NW. Both buildings are located in downtown Washington DC, accessible by Metro

Grate Patrol 25,000 Meals and Counting!

Sunday, August 25, 10:10am, Vestry Kitchen This month the Grate Patrol will have prepared and served 25,000 meals to those in need on the streets of DC! Celebrate our Second anniversary and join us in making sandwiches and preparing the meal bags that will be distributed the following day to those in need in our area. For more information or to volunteer, go to nationalchurch.org/servenow.

Serve Now!

Sign up for our many ongoing parish service activities! It is easier than ever for you to get connected with our online volunteer scheduling system at nationalchurch.org/ servenow!

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Service and Advocacy Campus Kitchen Reaches Milestone

Tuesday, August 6 was a major milestone for student leaders around the country as well as the Campus Kitchen at Washington, DC (CKWDC), a program of St. Luke’s Mission Center. CKWDC is one of the newest kitchens part of the national Campus Kitchens Project, a program of DC Central Kitchen. Our kitchen was honored to host the two millionth meal served by the more than 30 campus kitchens around the country. This intergenerational meal was shared with Glover Park Village, a local aging in place organization, at Guy Mason Recreation Center in Glover Park. It was amazing to watch students from around the country break bread with Village members and watch barriers break down over shared conversation.

Some of the students even exchanged contact information with members of the Village!

However, this meal is also two million too many. Student leaders around the country, as well as those involved with CKWDC, are looking to not just provide meals but also address the root causes of food insecurity.

We are grateful to the many members of the Metropolitan community who have played a critical role in our expansion. In May of this year we received the Good Neighbor Award from Rachael’s Women’s Center, a local nonprofit that works with homeless women. We recently received designation as one of 10 engageDC nonprofit partners with George Washington University. We are excited about building new partnerships and bringing in new volunteers. If you are interested in getting involved please e-mail ckwdc@campuskitchens.org.

Support the National Reconciling Ministries Network Attend the Sunday Night Celebration Sunday, September 1, 7:30pm, Sanctuary

Over Labor Day weekend (August 30 - September 2), Reconciling Methodists from around the country will join together to celebrate God’s wondrous love and the ministry of the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) at their biennial Convocation. On Sunday, September 1, Metropolitan Memorial is hosting a worship celebration for the Convocation attendees and other area United Methodists and we need your help with a reception to follow the service. To volunteer, please contact Ann Michel, amichel@ wesleyseminary.edu. Register or learn more about the convocation at rmnetwork.org.

United Methodist Women Save the date UMW Sunday - September 8, 2013

We are delighted to announce that our featured preacher on United Methodist Women Sunday will be our new associate pastor, Dottie Yunger. Stay for the welcome back luncheon at 12:30pm in the Great Hall: reconnect with your UMW sisters and learn more about the work that our UMW unit financially supports at Brighter Day Ministries – a cooperative parish in SE Washington. Brighter Day and Metropolitan have enjoyed a deepening partnership that has enabled us to live out our commitment to social justice and service.

UMW Bazaar Donate Now!

The United Methodist Bazaar is accepting donations for the fall bazaar which may be left at any time beside the UMW closet.

We take kitchen items, china and collectibles, puzzles/games, “attic treasures,” Christmas decorations, unused nicer items for the Gifts boutique, and women’s accessories. Sorry, no books at this time. Sorting and pricing of donated items happens every Tuesday from 10am - noon. Many hands are needed and all are welcome! For more information contact, Barbara Gaskill, barbara@bgaskill.com.

Help Recognize Great Women Deadline: September 30

Send us your nominations of women who have done remarkable work for our church and our community by September 30. We’ll select four to honor at our annual recognition lunch in December. Your 2012-13 UMW directory lists the names of past recipients, so look for new blood. To nominate someone, contact Phyllis Kokus, pkokus@aol.com or 202-3627861.

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Caring and Learning

Prayer Shawl Ministry Celebrates Seven Years of Caring

by Mary Jo Marchant The Prayer Shawl Ministry combines knitting and crochet- Project sponsored by Holy Trinity Church. Two years ago we ing with prayer and has been practiced in many dominations added the gift of baby blankets to our ministry with the blansince its inception in the late 1990’s. In the summer of 2006, kets presented at baptisms. We have also participated in we began our ministry, an active group of all ages including creating a stole to be part of the Reconciling Church Project a gentleman. Meetings include prayers for the shawl recipi- that circulates around the country in support of the Reconcilents known and unknown, and blessings of the shawls for ing Ministry. members and their families, neighbors or co-workers who Bind us together, Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot are: In need of comfort after a loss; undergoing medical be broken. procedures; caring for a family member or friend; making a Bind us together, Lord, bind us together, bind us together with life style change; or needing to be reminded of God’s love. love.

Our prayers are that each shawl will carry our strength, love The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets on the third Sunday and and energy to each who receive one and that they be re- Tuesday of each month and welcomes all ages, experienced minded of God’s love as the shawl is wrapped around their or beginners. Members are always willing and happy to help shoulders. anyone get started. Our joy is in sharing the talents that we To date, we have given approximately 390 shawls to friends have been given enriching the giver as well as the receiver. locally, and mailed many to states including Hawaii in addition If there is someone in your life who needs to be enveloped to Palestine and Belgium. Others who have been touched by in the loving care of a prayer shawl, contact Congregational this ministry include Katrina flood victims, students at Vir- Care Minister, Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson, dwilson@naginia Tech, our ministers moving to other appointments, our tionachurch.org or 202-363-4900, ext. 19. To join us, contact shelter members, ASP families, the world-wide programs of Beverly Fleming, beverly.fleming@gmail.com or Barbara the United Methodist Women through donations at General Tate, bdtate@verizon.net.

Assembly and a local project, and The Ignatius Spirituality

Soup and Study Offers New Features in the Fall

“Soup and Study” returns to Metropolitan on Wednesday, September 11! New this year will be a year-long series of classes following the Pillar structure of our church’s ministries. The Learning Leadership Team has designed the series to provide theological reflection and support for our diverse ministries. Anyone can come to whichever sessions interest them.

The series begins with the Learning Ministries in September. In October to December, Ann Michel leads a Serving series titled “Focus on South Africa,” building on Peter Storey’s July presentation. In January and February, Rev. Kate Murphey leads a four-part series on Evangelism. In March and April, Jane Ward leads a four-part series on “Creation Care for the Caring ministries.” In October and November, Phil Wogaman, Pastor Emeritus of Foundry UMC and retired professor of Christian ethics, leads a three-part series on “What Can Christianity Learn from Other World Religions?”

His new book on the subject is due next year from Westminster/John Knox Press.

In 2014, the schedule for our Leadership Development curriculum is somewhat different. From January to March, six sessions are offered on alternate Wednesdays from the rest of Soup and Study classes, meeting on the first and third Wednesdays. All other Soup and Study classes continue on the second and fourth Wednesdays (Dinner and child care is available for all sessions.) Those moving into new leadership positions at all three sites are encouraged to come to the Leadership Development sessions.

Bible study with Charlie Parker and Bob Olson continues throughout the year. Bible study at Wesley UMC moves to a different week night, so that Wesley members can participate in Soup and Study classes at Metropolitan. Join us for dinner in the vestry at 6pm and classes at 7pm! Questions?

Contact Barbara Green, bgreen@nationalchurch.org.

Advent Retreat Weekend

You’re invited to join Sylvia Boorstein and Sharon Salzberg for an experience of joy to the world this coming holiday season. In their first joint-DC appearance, these renowned teachers and authors each bring four decades of teaching and meditation experience to nurture our natural capacity for an open and loving heart.

• December 13, 7:30pm - An evening of talk and meditation on cultivating kindness • December 14,10am - 4pm - A Quiet Day to nurture peace and good will toward oneself and others (onsite lunch provided) Discounted early-bird tickets are available at ajoyfullife. brownpapertickets.com. For more information on our teachers go to sylviaboorstein.com and sharonsalzberg.com.

Sunday School: Two New Adult Classes to Open

Two new adult Sunday School classes will begin at the Metropolitan site in September. The first is “Parenting and Pastries: A Drop-in Option for Parents.” Designed for parents with children in Sunday School, the class will solicit questions parents are facing in their own parenting and encourage discussion with the group. In addition, leaders will seek out curriculum as needed addressing those issues. Parents will be invited to take turns bringing the pastries.

The second new class, “The Gospel and the News” will start with news of the week. Led by Lisa and Jon White, the class will explore the relationship between the news and the Gospel. The Whites will suggest topics, and class members are encouraged to bring their own news clippings and topics for discussion.

Our existing adult classes: Bible Plus, Questions of Faith, and Science and Religion will continue.

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Caring and Learning Fall Discipleship Academy Enroll Now!

Registration for the fall Discipleship Academy is now available at bwcumc.org/academy/cls/washington. Below are the Academy details along with class offerings: Central Maryland District Academy October 12, 2013 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and October 13, 2013 3 – 5:30 p.m.

Location: Conference Mission Center, Fulton, MD Basic Lay Servant Advanced Lay Servant – How to Plan Effective Worship Advanced Lay Servant – Ministry with the Marginalized Advanced Lay Servant – Media in Ministry Greater Washington District Academy October 19, 2013 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and October 20, 2013 3 – 5:30 p.m.

Location: Conference Mission Center, Fulton, MD Basic Lay Servant Advanced Lay Servant – Worshipping with the Bored and Burned Out: Planning worship experiences for people who don’t like church Advanced Lay Servant – Ministry with the Marginalized Please note that you must attend all 10 hours of training in order to receive your certification. Be sure to register by October 1, 2013. Due to space we cannot accommodate walk-in registrations. All registrations must be received before the deadline.

If you have any questions or need help registering, please be sure to contact your district administrator: Greater Washington District Administrator - Olivia Gross, ogross@bwcumc.org or 410-309-3443 Central Maryland District Administrator - Pam Mullay, pmullay@bwcumc.org or 410-309-3493

Youth Ministries Fall is coming up fast! Before we begin our fall programming, we have a couple of exciting opportunities for youth in our congregation.

Youth In Mission Report Sunday, August 18, 10:10am, Great Hall

During the Sunday School hour, we we will be sharing with the congregation our experiences on our mission trips.

Come hear how the high school students repaired homes on ASP and how the middle school students served the DC area through Youth 4 the DC Cause.

Youth Lock-In Friday, August 23, 8pm

On Friday, August 23, following Met-Flix, we will be hosting a youth lock-in from 8pm to 8am Saturday morning. It will be an evening filled with fun and games and running around the church in the dark. This is open to all rising sixth graders through seniors in high school. For more information, please contact Patrick at plandau@nationalchurch.org.

Youth Fun at Nationals Stadium

Well, the Nationals did not have a good day, but our youth had fun! Below are some pictures from our recent outing at the ballpark.

Upcoming Dates for Youth Ministry

August 18 - Mission Report August 23 - Youth Lock-In

September 8 - Youth/Parent Meeting at 10:10 AM September 15 - Sunday School begins September 22 - Youth Choir begins September 22 - Hunger Games Series begins For a calendar of youth events or to see reflections on our youth program, visit the youth ministry blog at youthmetropolitan.wordpress.com.

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Children’s Ministries Back Packs for Brighter Day Ministries

Thank you to everyone who picked up back packs for the upcoming Brighter Day’s Back-to-School event. Please remember to bring your filled back pack to the church office by Thursday, August 15. If you missed picking up a back pack, feel free to buy your own and fill it or simply purchase school supplies for the effort. Any donations must be received by August 15. Many thanks again.

Bibles for Third-Graders for Next School Year Deadline September 5

Will your child be in third-grade next school year? Metropolitan’s tradition is to present a “first Bible” to these children in the fall of the new school year. If you would like your son or daughter to be a part of this presentation, please contact Anita Seline, aseline@nationalchurch.org. Please provide your child’s full name for the Bible’s personalization. Deadline is September 5, in order to have the Bibles personalized for the presentation September 22.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

September 8 - Children’s Choir and Cherub Choir begins during the 9am worship service September 15 - Sunday School begins September 22 - Presentation of Bibles to Third-Graders at 9am service

Sundays of Service

The children of Metropolitan wrapped up a successful Summer Sundays of Service last month. Over the course of eight Sundays, the children tackled a number of service projects such as packing care packages for our teams heading to Appalachia Service Project, creating craft kits for the children of Brighter Day Ministries Summer Academic Camp, and preparing sandwiches for the Grate Patrol. Thank you to all the children who helped out with this effort every week and for the parents who pitched in to help as well. Sunday School resumes Sunday, September 15.

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.

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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. Kate Murphey — Associate Pastor, Sharing, Lead Pastor at Wesley UMC, ext. 21, kmurphey@nationalchurch.org Rev. Dottie Yunger –– Associate Pastor, Service/Advocacy, Lead Pastor at Crossroads, ext. 24, dyunger@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 David Hosey - Pastoral Associate for Crossroads and Campus Ministry, dhosey@nationalchurch.org Rebecca Ballard — Director of St. Luke’s Mission Center, rebecca@stlukesmissioncenter.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 — Pastoral Care Assistant/Wedding and Funeral Coordinator, ext. 19, dcollary@nationalchurch.org Casey Elliott — Dayspring Choir Director/9am Worship Leader/Youth Choir Director, ext. 12, celliott@nationalchurch.org Patrisha House — Director of Worship, Music and Arts, ext. 28, phouse@nationalchurch.org Patrick Landau — Director of Youth Ministries, ext. 24, plandau@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 St. Luke’s Campus (3655 Calvert St., N.W.)/Wesley Campus (5312 Conn. Ave., N.W.) Fax: 202.686.2056 E-Mail: jclouser@nationalchurch.org website: nationalchurch.org NEXT ISSUE: September 16, 2013 NEXT DEADLINE: Noon on September 10, 2013