The Messenger
December 10, 2012 Volume XXII, No. 12 Nationalchurch.org
This Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love
As cold weather sneaks up on us in this season of Advent, it gives us a moment to pause to reflect on a warmer time of year, two summers ago, when Metropolitan’s congregation traveled to Southeast to worship with Brighter Day Ministries, a four-point United Methodist parish who describes itself as “a growing multi-ethnic church engaged in local and global mission projects.” It was a powerful scene to see the two congregations worshipping together as we enjoyed Brighter Day’s Mighty Men Chorus and heard our own Dr. Charlie Parker preach. The morning ended with members of the two congregations encircling the sanctuary, holding hands in prayer. That was Metropolitan and Brighter Day’s first step together to build a bridge across our church’s connectional system and our city divided so starkly along racial and economic lines. It’s a journey we embark on with enthusiasm but determined to see our relationship grow and not just become a one true experience. It is heartening to know that in the months since that July morning, we have grown our efforts to help Brighter Day Ministries in serving its community in A.P. Shaw, Congress Heights, and Anacostia. This month alone we have transported five car and van loads of clothes and food for Brighter Day’s clothes and food pantries. This collection, which included donations from Metropolitan’s nursery school, continues through Advent. Last month, we supported Brighter Day’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner Basket distribution with a gift of $2,000 to purchase turkeys and staples from the Capital Area Food Bank. Please continue to bring in your donations of food and clothing for Brighter Day Ministries’ food and clothes distribution centers throughout Advent. Items may be dropped off on the silver shelves in the foyer. We will continue to take loads of donations to Brighter Day as the shelves fill up. Clothes donations may be new or used clothing (but in good condition). We are accepting donations of men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing. Please DO NOT give expired food, which we will discard rather than pass on. Also, if you are considering donating pet food, please save donations for animal shelters. This food drive is for people not pets. Thank you again for your donations, keep them coming! It has been exciting to see the service opportunities taken up by different ministries in our church from the nursery school supporting several families with Christmas gifts last year to our youth tutoring young children in the Summer Academic Camp Explosion through their Youth 4 the DC Cause service work. Individuals from our congregation visited Brighter Day on their own last summer to share with campers their career experience or to simply assist with craft making. But a relationship doesn’t become stronger on service efforts alone. Pastors at both churches, Rev. Ernest Lyles at Brighter Day and Dr. Charlie Parker here, have continued communications in hopes of steering our congregations towards other areas of potential growth. The pastors are challenging our congregations to grow in fellowship opportunities and worship time. What those next steps are will be determined by a new steering committee of the two congregations – which formed after our highly successful Evening in Advent -- which will meet in early January to plan a year of activities together. A social justice revival on the mall, a pulpit or choir exchange, church picnic are among the many ideas under consideration. This Christmas Eve, our annual special offering will be dedicated to children’s development programs at Brighter Day Ministries. But our challenge will be not just to provide funding for these programs but rather for Metropolitan and Brighter Day to continue to reach out to each other so that together we may grow in Christ’s love to build a better and brighter future for our city. Together, we can. Blessings,
Anita Seline, Director of Children’s Ministires