February 2017

METROPOLITAN CHURCH

February 13, 2017 Volume XXVII, No. 2 Nationalchurch.org

A MULTI-SITE UNITED METHODIST COMMUNITY

The Messenger

Justice for Our Neighbors: Where God Calls Us As I mentioned in a recent sermon, it has been a discouraging time as regards our nation’s treatment of immigrants and refugees. The one bright spot has been the extraordinary levels of protest that the President’s recent executive order has stirred.

Rev. Janet Craswell and I have begun conversations with American University about how we can be supportive of their international students, and we have collected information on some of the implications of being a sanctuary church. Many folks in our church family have expressed interest in exploring how our church can respond to the challenges our country is facing around immigration.

In thinking about ways to frame this issue, I was inspired by the words of our Baltimore Washington Conference Bishop, Rev. LaTrelle Easterling: “’I assure you that when you have done it to one of the least of these … you have done it for me.’”

- Matthew 25:40 “As United Methodists we must live the gospel we proclaim. For such a time as this we must preach the courage of our Wesleyan convictions, teach a theology that welcomes the stranger, and advocate a witness that stands with the marginalized and oppressed... Now is the time for us to stand on the side of justice. In the words of Dr. King, 'The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.' Now is the time for us to stand on holy ground.” – excerpted from Bishop LaTrelle Easterling’s Statement on Jan. 31, 2017 Justice for our Neighbors (JFON) Justice for our Neighbors is a United Methodist immigration ministry. There are JFON clinics at: Salem UMC in Baltimore, Emory UMC/Emory Beacon of Light in Northwest DC, First UMC of Hyattsville, and Epworth UMC in Gaithersburg.

The Baltimore Washington Conference has developed a resource list to help leaders and congregations discover how to find and stand on holy ground instead of siding with one party or another. Sometimes the line between faithfulness and politics can be difficult to find. But as Jesus’ followers, let’s not allow our fear of “being political” to prevent us from acting out of our grounding in the Great Commandment and Matthew 25. One way of staying on solid ground is to not participate in name-calling or blaming, but to speak to and act on the issue at hand that is not in line with the values and life example of Jesus.

Let’s be love and light together even though we may not agree on specific political parties, agendas and tactics. As John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement said: “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences.”

Our Metropolitan Church family will be exploring where God is calling us as a community of faith to engage in the many dimensions of immigration at a meeting on Sunday, February 19, at 1pm in the Great Hall at Metropolitan Memorial to discern how we live out our church’s vision of Extending radical hospitality, transforming lives, and pursuing justice in the context of immigration. A light lunch will be provided. An RSVP (to pastorsoffice@nationalchurch.org) would be helpful for planning purposes, but is not mandatory.

Please be thinking about some ways that you think we could be involved as a community of faith, and together we will discern where it is we think that God is calling us to stand up for justice in these challenging times. I welcome your thoughts on this at any time and you can reach me at pastorsoffice@nationalchurch.org.

Blessings,

Charlie

Vacation Bible School 2017 - Register Now! July 10-14, 9am – 12pm Join us for an epic adventure alongside Biblical heroes and discover the qualities that make them truly heroes in God. Hero Central VBS uses music, science, crafts, games and Bible stories to help kids discover their strength in God! Metropolitan’s VBS is geared toward kids age 4 to rising 5th graders. Middle schoolers may serve as junior counselors. The program runs from 9am till Noon and costs $60 per child. Register at Nationalchurch.org/vbs!

Serving at the Metropolitan Church Raise the Dough 2017 February 17 - 24 It’s almost time again for the annual Campus Kitchen Project’s Raise the Dough Fundraiser! In the event, Campus Kitchens from all over the country compete to see who can raise the most money. Last year Campus Kitchen at Washington D.C. came in first place in the contest by raising over $10,000. We want this on everyone’s radar because only donations given during the 17th – 24th of February count towards the Fundraiser.

Keep an eye out for the donation link on our nationalchurch.org website and in our weekly events email the Metro Update on Friday, February 17! Don’t get the Metro Update?

Sign up at nationalchurch.org/metro_update. Learn more about Campus Kitchen DC at nationalchurch.org/Serving/Campus_Kitchen.

Ward 3 For All Take Action to Support Temporary Housing for Families on Idaho Ave., NW. The city’s plan to close the deplorable and dangerous homeless shelter at DC General Hospital calls for a network of new, smaller, more family-friendly temporary housing facilities spread across all eight wards of the District. In May, the City Council approved a plan designating the sites to be developed. This legislation calls for the Ward 3 facility to be constructed on District-owned land at 3320 Idaho Ave., NW on the site of the 2nd District Police Station. Metropolitan is standing in support of this Ward 3 Temporary Housing Facility together with other faith communities in the Ward 3 for All coalition, brought together by the Washington Interfaith Network and the Good Faith Coalition. Eighteen members of our church were among the many faith community advocates showing support for this proposal at an ANC (Area Neighborhood Commission) meeting on January 28. The next critical step in the process is approval of necessary zoning exemptions by the Board of Zoning Adjustment.

Please take a stand and show your support for this initiative so that Ward 3 can do its share in making possible the closing of DC General. You can show your support in the following ways: 1. Send a letter of support to the Office of Zoning before February 28. It can be sent by email to bzasubmissions@ dc.gov. The subject line of the email must reference the case number 19450 and the case name 3320 Idaho Avenue, NW. Particularly if you live in Ward 3 and in the neighborhood immediately proximate to the proposed facility, your support is critical.

2. Attend the Board of Zoning Adjustment hearing on this matter Wednesday, March 1 at 9:30am at 441 4th Street NW Suite 200S Washington, DC 20001.

3. Add your name to an online petition at ward3forall.com.

For more information, contact Shelley Marcus, Shelley. jeanne1@gmail.com or Ann Michel, amichel@ wesleyseminary.edu.

Food for Thought Gun Violence and Our Communities In our February 1 session, Kathleen Krepps, MOMs Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, gave our audience much to digest including: •More of us are victims of gun violence or the potential of gun violence than we realize. You're a victim if you've lost a friendship or relationship over the possession of a gun.

You're a victim if you feel you cannot allow your little boy to play at a friend's home because a gun is kept in that home. You're a victim if you feel you cannot allow your teenage daughter to go out in a car with a friend because a gun is kept in that car. You're a victim if you'd leave Giant or Walmart if you suspected a customer was carrying a concealed weapon. I'm a victim and I didn't realize it.

•More of us can sign up to work on changing this culture than we realize. MOMs Demand Action respects the 2nd Amendment but lobbies for, among other things, universal background checks so MOMs reaches out to women and men and gun owners and non gun owners. Everyone of us fits into two of these categories. We can rise up and sign up.

•More of us can do something than we might realize.

MOMs Demand Action needs volunteers to write letters, make phone calls, attend vigils, rally with other sympathetic MOMs volunteers, even work on The Mothers Dream Quilt Project. Go to momsdemandaction.org/campaigns. If you can write an email you can write a letter. We can all do something.

We have more dynamic sessions coming up this month.

On February 15, we’ll look at Policing with DC Ward 5 Council member and Chairman Pro Tempore, Kenyan R. McDuffie. On February 22, Eileen Zeller, Lead Public Health Advisor at Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will present a session on Suicide (two thirds of US gun deaths are suicides).

For more information about the Metropolitan Church’s Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) group, contact pastorsoffice@ nationalchurch.org.

Blessings, Lois Weaver

2

The Arts at the Metropolitan Church Learn to Salsa Dance Friday, February 17, 7pm, Wesley Fellowship Hall* Come and enjoy a night of salsa dancing! Sponsored by The Arts Council, the Blue Zones Lifestyle study group and The Wesley leadership team. Cost: $5/person or $20/family. Refreshments will be served. No experience required. Contact: Janet Burkhart, janetburk@hotmail. com. *5312 Connecticut Avenue, NW.

Jazz@wesley Saturday, February 25, 6:30pm, Wesley* Enjoy the jazz sounds of the Bobby Felder and the Capitol All Stars Jazz Ensemble with featured jazz vocalists, Dick Smith and 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. 25th Anniversary “Sing Out for Shelter” A Cappella Concert Saturday, March 4 8pm, Sanctuary Once again, Metropolitan Memorial is pleased to be hosting the annual “Sing Out for Shelter” concert featuring DC’s own Augmented 8. The concert proceeds are awarded to three local homeless service providers – our own homeless ministries, Friendship Place, and Christ House.

This year’s concert marks the 25th Anniversary of this important annual fundraising effort that has raised more than $250,000 over the years to fight homelessness in the Metropolitan DC area. This year’s concert will feature several other a capella groups including the Princeton Tigertones, the Vassar Devils, and the WashingtonWaldorf School Chamber Singers. You can purchase tickets or sponsor the event online at Eventbrite.com.

Tickets: $30 I $20/senior citizens I $15/students. Let’s show our gratitude to the Augmented 8 for all they have done to help the homeless and support our ministry by turning out for this milestone event.

Art Show Concert Sweet Sounds of Scarlett Sunday, March 12 3pm, Sanctuary Millicent Scarlett first sang for us in 2011, when she appeared in Eileen Guenther's program called "The Power of Spirituals." Since then she has sung two solo recitals, and we're greatly looking forward to her third solo appearance on Sunday, March 12. Among the composers whose work she'll sing are Mahler, Richard Strauss, and Barber, along with some spirituals. Millicent has an absolutely lovely soprano voice, and whether it's your first or fourth time to hear her at Metropolitan, you'll want to be there. The recital, sponsored by the Arts Council, will be followed by a reception in the Great Hall and the opening of a show of watercolors (see below) -an afternoon of beauty, to be sure, on this welcome first day of Daylight Saving Time.

Art Exhibition Reception Different Angles Watercolors by Karen Norman Sunday, March 12 4:30pm, Great Hall Sometimes it is freezing at this time of year, sometimes it is mild--no matter the weather outside, you will enjoy the work of Karen Norman. Join us for this exquisite exhibition opening on Sunday, March 12.

Monthly Financial Summary Report To view our 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, wpotts@nationalchurch.org or 202-363-4900, ext.

101.

3

Caring Ministries The Voyage of Life: A Discussion Led by Rev. Chris Holmes Sponsored by the Life Transitions Team March 5, 12:30pm, Great Hall Join us for a presentation and discussion based on “The Voyage of Life,” series of paintings created by Thomas Cole in 1842. The series represents an allegory of the four stages of human life: childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. The Cole paintings currently hang in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. In addition to the art, each stage of life will be matched with poems by renowned poets such as Mary Oliver, Dawna Markova and David Whyte, as well as scriptural references to each stage from the sacred texts of Christianity. As a professional coach, Rev. Holmes Chris Holmes, PCC, and Founder will also help identify some of the “Looming Questions” that accompany each stage of of the Holmes Coaching Group life’s journey and lead a discussion about the uniqueness of how we might answer some of those questions from a faith perspective.

Rev. Chris Holmes has been coaching church leaders across many denominations since 2008, with over 1000 hours coaching laity, clergy, denominational leaders and bishops. In the United Methodist Church he leads the coaching team working with new district superintendents and directors of connectional ministry, as well as several conference leadership cabinets. Chris states, “What I love about coaching is that it brings about transformation faster and with greater impact than any other form of engagement. When I complete a day of coaching pastors I am usually so fired up I can hardly stand it, and gratefully amazed at how God has been at work through the coaching process.”

Chris authored, along with George Howard, the Coach Approach Skill Training (CAST) for ministry, which is an approved training program of the International Coach Federation. CAST has now trained over 800 church leaders in the basic and advanced skills of coaching for ministry. He also is co-creator and faculty for Auburn Seminary’s coach training and author of many articles on coaching.

As a founding member of the Maryland Chapter of the International Coach Federation, Chris served as President from 2012-2014. Prior to coaching, he pastored churches for 26 years and served as District Superintendent of the Annapolis District in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Chris and Margaret have been married for over 35 years, have three grown children, and Chris is an accomplished watercolor artist.

Lunch and More Thursday, February 16 Noon, Great Hall Join us for Lunch and More! After eating together, we will have the opportunity for playing a game (like Banana-grams, Trivial Pursuits or bring your favorite!), bridge, or watch a movie.

The movie this month is Sully: Miracle on the Hudson, starring Tom Hanks, directed by Clint Eastwood. On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed the “Miracle on the Hudson” when Captain “Sully” Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and his career. Come and enjoy friends and good food!

If you committed to bringing a game, please don’t forget.

Contacts: Phyllis Kokus, pkokus@aol.com and Mary Jo Marchant, mjmarchant@verizon.net.

Congratulations To Carolyn and Roger Johnson on the birth of their granddaughter, Anna June Johnson, on January 18th. Parents are CJ and Suzanne Johnson.

Prayer Shawl Ministry Sunday, February 19 12:15am, Parlor Come and enjoy a time of fellowship, ministry and fun! If you are interested in joining, contact Barbara Tate, Bdtate@verizon.net.

Weekly Meditation Practice Wednesdays, 9am, Sanctuary New comers welcome! Nurture a sense of inner peace, calm and balance with guided and walking meditation.

Contact: Mary Jo Marchant, mjmarchant@verizon.net.

Gentle Yoga with Cathryn Ellen Pethick Thursdays 4pm, Great Hall Join our yoga practice of standing, seated and reclining yoga poses, breath awareness exercises, and meditative relaxation. Contact: Cathryn, cathryn@yogawell-being. com or 301-946-7045/301-642-3889. Sponsored by the Congregational Care Committee.

4

Life at the Metropolitan Church Metropolitan Book Club Monday, February 20 7:30pm, Parlor All readers are invited to our book club discussion of Fredrik Backman’s New York Times bestseller, A Man Called Ove. For questions, contact Suzanne Clewell, reader1021@aol.com or Joan Topalian, topajoan62045@gmail.com.

February Men’s Retreat Finding Center February 24 - 26 Camp Manidokan* The men of Metropolitan are hosting a retreat focusing on prayer and how we can incorporate prayer disciplines into our busy lives.

There will be time for contemplative prayer, and the chance to develop deeper friendships as we hike and sit around the campfire. The cost is $120/person (scholarship money is available). We can accommodate 20 people for the event, so sign up early by emailing pastorsoffice@nationalchurch.org! *1600 Harpers Ferry Rd., Knoxville, MD 21758.

Pancake Supper February 28, 6pm, Vestry The annual Pancake Supper is coming up! The event is free. There will be crafts for the kids as well as all you can eat pancakes, bacon, sausage, egg casseroles. Join us for the pre-Lenten fun.

Ash Wednesday Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion Wednesday, March 1 7:30pm, Sanctuary

Men’s Breakfast Saturday, March 4, 9am, St. Luke’s Mission Center* You are invited to enjoy a delicious breakfast prepared

by Chef Anthony of our Campus Kitchens Ministry. Enjoy fellowship with other Methodist men and discussion of topics relevant to our church and our faith. Please contact Dave Sproul at davesproul@aol.com if you plan to join us for breakfast. *3655 Calvert St.

Tables of 8: Sign Up Time - Deadline – Friday, February 24 Tables of 8 is an informal way for members and friends of the Metropolitan Church to get to know each other. You can host (once) or sign up to attend one, two, three or four of the dinners. You can also sign up to be a substitute for any or all of the dinners, which will be held on Saturdays, March 11, April 8, April 29 and May 20. The host provides the main course and beverages. Guests bring bread, salad, a side dish or dessert. Email or mail the completed sign-up sheet below to Sharon Smith or to the office at Metropolitan Memorial.

Tables of 8 Spring 2017 Sign-up

Please mail, fax, email or deliver your completed form by February 24 to:

Sharon Smith @ OR Mail to: Metropolitan Memorial UMC SharonLynn.Smith@wellsfargoadvisors.com Attn: Sharon Smith (202) 861-4513 (office fax) 3401 Nebraska Avenue NW Washington DC 20016 YOUR NAME(S):___________________________________________________________________ STREET ADDRESS:________________________________________________________________ PHONE NUMBERS:________________________________________________________________ EMAIL ADDRESS(ES):______________________________________________________________ PLEASE CIRCLE ONE OR BOTH FOR EACH DATE: March 11: Attend Host

April 8: Attend Host

April 29: Attend Host

May 20: Attend Host

If you can host: I am able to host a total of _____ people. Even if you say you can host all three months, we won’t do that to you! But multiple possibilities are appreciated.

Allergies? I/we cannot eat the following foods: ____________________________________________________________ Additional comments: _______________________________________________________________________________

5

The United Methodist Women Discussion Series Women and Leadership: Founding Mothers March 12, Noon, Parlor The United Methodist Women Circle Six will offer the second of a four-part discussion series on Women and Leadership. “Founding Mothers” led by Jane Ward, will build on the themes from the initial discussion of this series, the roles of women in Colonial/Revolutionary times as “behind the scenes” leaders, mothers, caregivers, and managers of property left behind as their men went to war, and attend the Continental Congress. Discussion will be stimulated by the book, Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts (not necessary to read the book in advance, but it might be helpful!). The series continues over the next several months (Sundays May 7 and June 11) examining early women’s rights leaders, and contemporary issues related to women as leaders.

Please invite someone to join us. For more information, contact Mary Jo Marchant, mjmarchant@verizon.net or Ann Michel, amichel@wesleyseminary.edu.

Woman’s Retreat 2017 Our annual retreat was held on February 3-5 at the PriestField Pastoral Center in Kearneysville, WV. Our leader, acclaimed Biblical Storyteller Tracy Radosevic, led us in a program on the Spirituality of Storytelling. A wonderful time of reflection and bonding was had by all who attended. If you have pictures from the weekend, please share them with us by sending them to Jeff Clouser, jclouser@nationalchurch.org. Thank you all who attended the retreat and we look forward to seeing you next year!

UMW Book and Bake Sale Just a few more days to make your donation of books, DVDs, records, and CDs to the annual UMW Book & Bake Sale. Our book drive will take place Sunday, February 19 and Monday, February 20 from 10am to 2pm. Drive into the Metropolitan parking lot with your donations and wait while volunteers unload your boxes and hand you a receipt.

We also are accepting donations in the Vestry through set-up week until February 23. Please do not donate cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and items for the bazaar.

The Book and Bake Sale will be Friday, February 24 (9am - 1pm), Saturday, February 25 (8am - 3pm) and Sunday, February 26 (9 -11am). Peruse the 1000s of titles that are well organized and priced to move. Check out the bake sale featuring brownies, cookies, and two homemade soups.

Proceeds from the sale benefit Educare, a preschool program for DC kids living in poverty in Wards 7 and 8 and a group of AU students traveling to West Virginia in March to work for the Appalachia Service Project creating safer, warmer, drier homes.

For more information about the book and bake sale go to nationalchurch.org; email metroumw@gmail.com; follow us on twitter @metropolitanumw; like us on Facebook, United Methodist Women of Metropolitan Memorial.

Contact Anita Seline, amseline@aol.com or Martha Mizroch, martha_miz@hotmail.com if you wish to help with set-up or if you have any questions.

Youth Ministries Save the Date! ASP Auction Sunday, March 12, 12:30pm, Vestry Help us celebrate 43 years of service in Appalachia through ASP! Join us for our annual Youth in Mission Auction. We will have lunch (including both a gluten free and vegetarian option), an auction, and a talent show featuring our youth choir.

This year, we will be taking 30 youth with us to rural Appalachia. Funds raised at the ASP auction will go to support our high school students on ASP and our middle school students on Youth 4 DC. Your generous support allows us to offer these experiences for no cost to our tweens and teens.

This is an auction and silent auction, and we welcome your donations.

In the past, we have had restaurant gift cards, weekend stays at vacation homes, landscaping, dinners, physical trainers, and other services. To donate items, please contact Patrick Landau at plandau@ nationalchurch.org or stop by the church office.

Our 2015 ASP Team in Tennessee

Youth Blog Read up on what’s happening with our youth and our many activities at youthmetropolitan. wordpress.com.

6

Campus Ministries Faithful, Faithless, and Everyone in Between – Faith on Campus “Family Orbit” by Emma-Claire Martin As a senior in high school, my list of college requirements covered available majors, regional temperature, and proximity to a city, but made no mention of religious life. Seeking out a Christian community wasn't on my radar, and I didn't even know American University was Methodist affiliated until I was moved into my freshman dorm. How do I reconcile that with the fact that just this week I spent a total of 17 hours in church and church-related activities, not counting the six hours spent in religious studies classes and the time spent reading theology books for fun?

The transition from high school to college can be a time when young adults lose whatever remnants of religious commitment they had sustained in youth group meetings and a few weeks Emma-Claire Martin at summer camp, and I struggle to articulate exactly why that didn't happen to me. There was American University nothing particularly inspiring or sustainable about my interest in joining a faith community, and Class of 2018. yet here I am. Church went from something I might want to do in between the rest of my schedule to the centerpiece around which the rest of my schedule now orbits. I schedule my classes around my various Methodist commitments.

So how do I make the connection between the freshman vaguely interested in church to the junior who attends multiple services a week while also working and interning in a church? I found a family.

That word is often used to describe college communities, but a family isn't just made up of siblings. Families span across all ages, and that's why church has made my college experience more than just an academic one. I get to spend mornings with toddlers, going from holding them as infants to having conversations with them as they run around the daycare room. I've been embraced by older members of the Metropolitan congregation who provide warm meals and free Bibles. I've built connections with many adults that I now see as mentors, and I hope to provide mentorship to the middle and high school students I interact with through MYF programs. All this is shared with my fellow campus ministry students and the long list of UMSA alumni that are more like distant cousins than strangers.

I say all this in declaration of "family" as the church's most important function. Metropolitan and the United Methodist Student Association (UMSA) have taught me to be a person of radical hospitality and active love not from the pulpit, but from the seemingly endless stream of snacks and conversation that has defined by college career thus far.

If you are interested in finding ways to connect with our AU Campus Ministry, contact Rick Sullivan, Associate Chaplain, rick@aumethodists.org.

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 Coordinator, 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/Sharing Pillar Coordinator, ext. 112, plandau@nationalchurch.org Pam Murdoch –– Finance Coordinator, ext. 103, finance@nationalchurch.org Bill Potts –– Executive Director of Operations, ext. 101, wpotts@nationalchurch.org Stephanie Quammen — Serving Pillar Coordinator, ext. 111, squammen@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 Non-Staff Ministry Partners Rick Sullivan — AU Associate Chaplain for Community Engagement, rick@aumethodists.org

7

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.

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: March 13, 2017

NEXT DEADLINE: Noon on March 7, 2017