THE MESSENGER
For the congregation of the Metropolitan Memorial Cooperative Parish
April 8, 2011 Volume XXI, No. 4 www.nationalchurch.org
Metropolitan Memorial, St. Luke’s, and Wesley United Methodist Churches
Resurrection Joy! As I loaded my children into the Jeep one morning this week, Joshua pointed with great excitement at the ground. “Daffodils!” he cried, delighting in the riotous yellow blossoms giving color to the somber, dark soil. It is easy to appreciate his enthusiasm: streets lined with cherry and magnolia blossoms and crocus peeking their heads out of the ground. From the earliest stirrings of human consciousness, we have celebrated the annual cycle of new life bursting forth in the world around us.
part of the family, it is our life together that is primary to who we are.
As we journey together through this Easter season towards Pentecost, we are going to look at what it means to be a community. We will look at how we can be in community with those whose opinions differ from ours. We will look at the healing power of forgiveness. We will look at what it means to be bound together by a common For us as Christians, this time of year is more than a simple call. biological cycle; this new birth is a metaphor for how God is This call to community is, of course, not uniquely Chrisalways acting in our lives to bring forth new life from the tian. From Aristotle’s Politics to David Brooks’ The Soapparent deadness of winter. But it is an inadequate meta- cial Animal, philosophers have written about our genetic phor, because while the seasonal cycle is a perpetual process, need to be with one another. We live in a society in which the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a single transforming act: people are longing to reach out beyond their isolation and the fulcrum point of all human history. connect with another person. From Facebook to “speed Through the resurrection, God takes all of the hate and dating,” people wrestle with how to establish genuine rejudgmentalism and violence and ignorance that we have to lationship. offer and transforms it into a new life, life filled with love and Through the power of the resurrection, God has given us acceptance and peace and wisdom. Because of God’s action the gift of life together as the Body of Christ. But it is not in the resurrection of Christ, nothing can ever be the same for a gift to be hoarded. It must be shared. This Easter, folus, and the entire journey of discipleship is about trying to low the example of the disciples, who were so amazed figure out how to live out of this new reality. and joy-filled at meeting their resurrected Lord that they One manifestation of this new reality is our life together as a felt no option but to share it with the world. Risk a little, community. We generally think of community as something step out in faith, and invite someone you know to share in that we come together to join, and then return to our indi- the Good News of life in Christ! vidual lives. The Biblical understanding is that we are only completely who we are when we are in community, and while we may step out of the community to reach out to those not
Holy Week at Metropolitan Memorial Cooperative Parish Palm/Passion Sunday Worship at Metropolitan Memorial - 9 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.* Procession with Eco-Palms and Children’s Choirs. “Eco-Palms” are purchased directly from communities where families harvest, process and sell them contributing to their family’s financial stability. For more information go to http://cinram.umn.edu. Worship at Wesley UMC - 11 a.m. Crossroads at St. Luke’s – 5 p.m. *
Metropolitan Open for Prayer and Reflection Prayer and Reflection - Monday - Friday, April 18- 22 - 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Sanctuary) Walking the Labyrinth - Wednesday, April 20 - 12 p.m. (Great Hall) Lectio Divina- Wednesday, April 20 - 7 p.m. (Rm. 204)
Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday Worship with Communion at 7:30 p.m.*
Good Friday Services “Seven Last Words” at Metropolitan Memorial - 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. Worship at Wesley UMC - 7 p.m. Worship at Metropolitan Memorial – 7:30 p.m.*
Easter Sunday - April 24 Worship at Metropolitan UMC with choirs, bells and brass - 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.* Join us for an Easter brunch after each service! Worship at Wesley United Methodist Church - 11 a.m. Crossroads at St. Luke’s - 5 p.m.* *Free Childcare Available in Our Nursery
Remembering Others at Easter Remember family and friends this Easter by donating altar flowers in memory or honor of loved ones. Our altar will be decorated this year with Lilies and Azaleas given in celebration of someone known and loved by a member of the church. I wish to donate # ____Easter Lillies ($30 each) I wish to donate # ____ Azaleas (not winter hardy) ($30 each) In Memory of:
_____________________________
In Honor of:
_________________________________________________
I will pick up these flowers following 11:15 a.m. worship
I wish to donate these flowers to the church for distribution to church members by the Visitor Corp
All donations will be listed in the Easter Sunday Bulletin. The deadline for gifts is Monday, April 18, 2011. Please drop off or mail your form and payment to the church office. Orders cannot be taken by phone.
My Name: _____________________________ Address: ______________________________
Phone: ______________ Total Enclosed: $___________
Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016
Congregational Care at Metropolitan Memorial Cooperative Parish Introducing Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson, Metropolitan’s Minister of Congregational Care by Barry D. Wood When Drema McAllister was growing up in the early 1960s on a farm near Staunton, Virginia she says there were three careers open to her—social work, teaching, or nursing. Even though she wanted to be a pastor she chose social work because her Evangelical United Brethren church didn’t yet allow women to be ordained. (The EUB and the Methodists merged in 1968) After obtaining her bachelor’s degree from George Mason University, Drema became a social worker in northern Virginia. “Being in protective services,” she recalls, “I was exposed to human conditions in ways I wouldn’t have expected.” There are similarities, she says, between social work and the ministry. Drema arrived at Wesley Seminary in 1982 and on her second day met the man who would become her husband. She and David McAllister-Wilson, since 2002 the president of Wesley Theological Seminary, have been married 28 years. They have two grown children and are awaiting their first grandchild in September. Ordained in 1986 Drema spent 16 years at Fairlington United Methodist Church in Arlington, first as associate pastor and then seven years as senior minister. A large church heavy on members of the military and government workers, Fairlington, she says, is not unlike Metropolitan. Since 2004 Drema has been heavily focused on the elderly and end of life care. As a volunteer at Joseph’s House in Adams Morgan, which works with HIV and cancer patients, and as chaplain at the Community Hospice of Washington, she says “I have learned much about the transition from this life to the mystery of the next.” This focus on end of life matters—thanatology—last year led to her teaching a course in spirituality and loss at George Washington University. “I’ve learned to listen and I see my job with the dying as being a midwife.” The dying, she says, have so much to share as they review their life and prepare to say good-bye. Drema never expected to be recruited to come to Metropolitan but she is very pleased to be here. “People are welcoming and caring,” she says. “Metropolitan,” she continues, “ is a church in transition with four pastors in eight years after 25 years with one.” She is not planning to go anywhere else. “This,” she says, “is my last stop,” doing relational ministry and reaching out to parishioners. Youthful member Tim Rousset, who has already worked with Drema in various church activities, calls her a tremendous asset, “a caring and graceful lady.”
Life at Metropolitan Memorial Cooperative Parish Learn about the August VIM to Nicaragua Tuesday, April 12, 7 p.m., Youth Room (206) Planning is underway for an August Volunteers in Mission trip to Nicaragua. If you are interested in learning more, please attend an informational meeting being held Tuesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Rev. Kate Murphey, 202.363.4900, ext. 21 or kmurphey@mmumc-dc.org. Aim Hire! An Employment Symposium Wednesday, April 13, 6:30 p.m., Great Hall You know how hard it is to get a job in this economy, imagine if you’d been homeless for years and now want to work. Friendship Place helps people get off the streets and into housing. One step in rebuilding their lives, many in their housing say, is regaining their dignity and confidence through working. Join us to learn about successful national and local programs as we explore the opportunities for and barriers to employment for people experiencing homelessness. Presented by your friends at Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place. To register contact Benjamin Bradburn, bbradburn@cchfp.org. Prayer Shawl Ministry Sunday, April 17, 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, 1:30 p. m. Join us for a time of knitting, crocheting, fellowship, ministry and fun! Questions? Contact Annette Fletchall at 301.216.5470. Monday Evening Book Club! Begins April 18, 7:30 p.m., Library Suzanne Clewell and Joan Topalian invite all readers to a new book club that will meet in the Library every third Monday of the month. Our first selection is Abraham Veghese’s “Cutting for Stone.” There are a few “rules of the road” for those who participate: All are welcome; all will be given a chance to talk; all will be on time; all will have read the book prior to the meeting; all will take turns in leading a discussion; all will arrive at the first meeting with one book they would like the club to read this year and tell us why. For more information, contact Suzanne Clewell, reader1021@aol.com or Joan Topalian, JTopa62045@aol.com. April AARP Meeting Monday, April 18, 12:30 p.m., Vestry Please join us on Monday, April 18 in the Vestry. Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of the Katzen Art Center, will tell us about the Katzen Gallery, and William Steffeck, a volunteer information specialist at the Kreeger, will tell us about that gallery. Social time is at 12:30 p.m., and the meeting starts at 1:00. Refreshments will be served.
Just Born! •Congratulations to Amy and Matthew Haverkamp on the birth of their son, Nash Andrew Haverkamp on Wednesday, March 23. •Congratulations to Lesli Bales-Sherrod and Rev. Jimmy Sherrod on the birth of their son, Henry James Sherrod, born on Thursday, April 7. Welcome New Members! We welcome our new members who joined our community of faith on February 20 and March 20. They include: Bob Benn, Jr., Nancy Clarkson, Laurie Hughes, Jane Lawson, Brad McKinney, Mary Margaret McLeroy, Karen Shah, Mark Vieth, and Suzanne Vieth. Let’s Rebuild Together! Saturday, April 30 This year’s Rebuilding Together (formally known as “Christmas in April”) has been assigned Ms. Nellie Johnson who lives on Alabama Ave. in Southeast DC. Unlike previous years, there is little painting to do! So, we will be focussing on cleaning up and a number of small repair jobs. If you think you have no skills, think again! We can always use people to help us move furniture in the morning and/ or help us move everything back in the afternoon. We could also use volunteer(s) to provide lunch (sandwiches, chips, drinks, etc.). You may volunteer for one or both of the two main shifts: the morning shift (8 a.m. - 1 p.m., or the afternoon shift (1 p.m. - 5 p.m.). We also request volunteers to come at 4 p.m. to put furniture back in place. We are also doing some preparation work on the morning of Saturday, April 16 that is mostly clean up. This is a great opportunity to help someone in need, meet other members of our church community (MMUMC, Wesley, and St. Luke’s), and hone your light home repair skills. If you would like to volunteer or provide lunch, contact Lee Crockett, leecrockett@verizon.net. Iona’s Art of Caring Free Concert with Mosaic Harmony Sunday, May 1, 4 p.m., The City Church (4100 River Rd. NW) Celebrate the community of care that nurtures and sustains Iona at the Art of Caring concert featuring Mosaic Harmony, an interfaith, multicultural community choir drawing on the rich heritage of African-American inspirational music to demonstrate and encourage unity in the midst of diversity. A reception will follow at Iona (4125 Albemarle St, NW).
Flower Workshop with Designer, Stephen McLeod Saturday, May 14 “Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul.” -The Koran The worship committee is sponsoring a flower arranging workshop on Saturday, May 14. Come feed your soul by creating a beautiful arrangement under the instruction of floral designer Steven McLeod. Flowers and containers will be provided and a minimal fee will be charged. The completed arrangements will be used on the altar that Sunday and sent home with you after the 11:15 a.m. service. If you have an interest in arrangThere is no Sunday School on Easter Sunday, April 24, so that ing flowers or have an interest in being part of the Flower Committee come feed your soul and enjoy fellowship with families may enjoy our Easter brunch together in the Great Hall. like minded people. Questions? Contact Trish Long, 301.320.6927 or pml1949@aol.com. 3 Veggie Tales! Good Friday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. We’ll be showing the new Veggie Tales movie, “Twas the Night Before Easter,” during the Good Friday service, which begins at 7:30 p.m. The children will view the movie in Room 106. The movie is about 50 minutes which will last the duration of the service. Questions? Contact Anita Seline, Director of Children’s Ministries at aseline@mmumc-dc.org.
Life at Metropolitan Memorial Cooperative Parish (cont.) Introducing our New Sunday Morning Acolytes You may have noticed some new faces on Sunday mornings. We congratulate our new acolytes Sean Gill, Elena Remez, Julia Parker and Caroline Sanford.
Mary Golladay, who heads the acolyte ministry, preps two new acolytes, Elena Remez and Julia Parker, before the service.
The new acolytes, Sean Gill, Elena Remez, and Julia Parker, (front row), get ready to acolyte for the first time under the guidance of veteran acolytes, from left in back row, Nathaniel Remez, Marisa Remez, and Anna Hukill.
Anita Seline, director of children’s ministries, poses with three of the four new acolytes, from left, Sean Gill, Elena Remez, and Julia Parker. Not pictured, new acolyte, Caroline Sanford.
United Methodist Women UMW Book Club - Upcoming Events The books that we are proposing to read complement the Discipleship Model that is guiding the implementation of our Church vision and mission. While our congregation and leadership have gifts in all of the five pillars of the discipleship model (praising, sharing, learning, serving and caring) we believe that it could be helpful to focus on two specific areas, namely “sharing” which relates to “evangelism” and caring which relates to “hospitality.” The three books that we will discuss this year are the following: Sunday May 22 - Hospitality: God’s Welcome for a Gospel-Hungry World by Amy Oden, Dean, Wesley Theological Seminary and professor of Christian History - Dr. Oden is an expert on the subject of Christian Hospitality and has spoken at the MMUMC Great Hall and is a wonderful presenter. Hospitality: God’s Welcome for a Gospel-Hungry World has been called “an amazing gift to a congregation. It has solid theological and Biblical grounding but is very easy to read. There are resources for small group and individual study in the back so that both an individual and perhaps a church group can work through it to deepen and widen their understanding of hospitality. It is short, so it would not be overwhelming, yet it is filled with valuable insights and reflections.” This book would clearly meet our “hospitality” focus and Dr. Oden has agreed to be with us to talk about her book and the significance of hospitality to sharing our faith. September 25 - Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis – This book is a classic about the transforming power of Jesus Christ in the life of an atheist. “Lewis seeks in Mere Christianity to help us see religion with fresh eyes, as a radical faith whose adherents might be likened to an underground group gathering in a war zone, a place where evil seems to have the upper hand, to hear messages of hope from the other side.” This book presents information in the form of a radio address to non-believers so will meet our “evangelism” emphasis. November 13 - When Christians Get it Wrong by Adam Hamilton, a United Methodist minister. Here is some information from some recent reviews of this book. “If there was one pastor in the United States to whom I’d go for pastoral wisdom on the issues that divide us and that need pastoral words of warning and compassion, it is Adam Hamilton. Even when one does not agree with each of his proposals, one will come away refreshed, enlightened, and determined to ‘get it right.’ Because we sometimes ‘get it wrong,’ we learn that the only way to get it right is the way of humility, confession, compassion, and renewed commitment to a deeper integrity.” Scot McKnight, author of A Community Called Atonement. “Who helps you think? Adam Hamilton pushes my thinking. I consider him a trustworthy friend. When he speaks, I listen. When he writes, I read. If you need some help thinking seriously about some of the more difficult issues of our day, read this book.” Mark Beeson, Senior Pastor of Granger Community Church. Books will be ordered by Anne Mathews-Younes for each group meeting which you will be able to obtain at cost from Helen Simon in the Church Office. Borrowing from Suzanne Clewell and Joan Topalian’s Book Club “rules” here are some “rules for the road” for those participating in the UMW book club: All are welcome; All will have a chance to talk; All will be on time; All will have read the book prior to the meeting. Meetings will take place in the Library at 12:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. Comments are welcome to Anne Mathews Younes, 301.983.3022 or amathews1@verizon.net.
Service and Advocacy Help the Homeless Walks Raised $19,878 for Metro House and St. Luke’s A check recently came from Fannie Mae for $19,878, which is a near record sum for our October Help the Homeless Walks. Thanks go to everyone who participated in this important fundraising effort! Metro House Clean Up Day Saturday, May 7, 9 a.m. With the Metropolitan House operating season coming to a close, the Metropolitan House board of directors has scheduled a clean up day for Saturday, May 7. Come, roll up your sleeves, and help tidy the shelter for our next group of residents.
Reconciling Congregations of the District of Columbia Join Forces for June 11th Pride Parade The seven reconciling United Methodist congregations of the District of Columbia will march together in the June 11th Gay Pride parade. Participating congregations include Capitol Hill, Dumbarton, Foundry, Mount Vernon, and the three churches of the Metropolitan Cooperative Parish – Metropolitan, St. Luke’s and Wesley. The churches will also have a booth at the June 12th street fair. Jim Pollack of Wesley UMC is serving as the point person for those from our cooperative parish who want to participate. Contact Jim for more information, pollockosky@earthlink.net.
Homelessness and Employment Symposium Wednesday, April 13, 6:30 p.m., Great Hall On April 13 Metropolitan Memorial with their Christmas tree and providing holiday food as well as Cooperative Parish will host a sympo- taking them shopping and on outings and picnics. Zeke’s House sium on homelessness and employ- for men on Western Avenue provides a safe haven for formerly ment. For 20 years our parish has had homeless men. Both of these houses have been the setting for a synergistic relationship with the social and community events. Recently, FP outgrew the Blue House Community Council for the Homeless and the administrative staff will move to St. Luke’s, sharing space at Friendship Place (FP). Four mem- with us. As the new Mission Outreach Center takes shape, who bers – Suzanne Forsyth, Penny Pagano, Leigh Rollins and Dick would be better office mates for us than the folks working at FP? Schleicher are board members. Dick Schleicher was part of the group that got FP started in 1991. We have hosted a Two years ago our Church hosted an educational event on the topic fundraiser, Sing Out for Shelter, for ten years – this year the of Homeless Veterans. Leigh Rollins put a big chunk of this prochurch was packed for the concert on February 5. We work gram together. And Circle 6 served as the hospitality committee closely with FP in the orchestration of our own shelter, Metro- cooking sweets and savories, welcoming and directing our guests. politan House. During the capital campaign a few years back, During the evening program a deep pocketed donor was moved the congregation made a major gift to FP as part of a tithe of when he learned about the huge number of homeless vets living that campaign offered to support various missions. Through on the streets; he donated the funds for FP to hire a returning Iraqi that gift, FP was able to create and fund a new position of war vet to do homeless vet outreach for two years! Over a hundred vets living on the streets of DC have been housed. Director of Volunteers. FP offers direct outreach to members of our community living If you would like to help host the FP symposium on April 13, on the street. “The Blue House” on Wisconsin Avenue known please contact Suzanne Forsyth at 202.686.8819 or as the Welcome Center has been a place of refuge for the home- suzanneforsyth@aol.com. Who knows how the Holy Spirit might less. Not only can one receive a warm welcome, a cup of cof- work the crowd this year? fee and medical help, case managers are available to help our Mike Durst, co-president of FP recently said that MMCP could neighbors with their transition to stability. There is a house on serve as a national model in connection with service to the homeMacArthur Blvd for formerly homeless women, Veronica less. House. Leigh, Suzanne and Penny have helped these women
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Study at Metropolitan Suicide Prevention Is Everyone’s Business – What a Congregation needs to know… May is Mental Health Month and focuses on educating the public about mental health, decreasing stigma about mental illness, and discussing strategies for making lasting lifestyle and behavior changes that promote overall health and wellness. We have much to celebrate in terms of what we know about how to prevent psychological distress and how to treat many mental health problems. One topic that can be on our “must learn” list is how to prevent suicide. Suicide is a painfully relevant topic to a large number of parishioners. We know that the church can be an effective means of religious instruction, pastoral care and social action and it can help prevent suicide. If a thousand teenagers are attempting suicide each day, the church cannot be silent. The United Methodist Church has an empowering theological stance regarding suicide and many clergy and laity have been trained in preventing suicide and providing support, caring and compassion to those who have either lost a family member or friend to suicide and/or may be at risk of suicide. To address this important topic, we have scheduled two Great Hall Sessions – May 15th and May 29th. The first session (May 15 at 10:10 am) will provide us with an overview about the topic of suicide prevention and its importance. It will include information about the warning signs, risk factors and the epidemiology of suicide and also provide information on resources available. Our presenter will be Dr. Jerry Reed, the Director of the National Suicide Prevention Resource Center and one of the nation’s leading experts in suicide prevention, particularly among the elderly. The second session (May 29th at 10:10 am) will provide us with a “hands on” skill building experience using the QPR system. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer. QPR is a simple educational program that teaches ordinary citizens how to recognize a mental health emergency and how to get a person at risk the help they need. It is also an action plan that can result in lives saved. QPR provides us with 3 simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as the use of the Heimlich maneuver saves thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone for help. Each year thousands of Americans are saying “Yes” to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor. QPR can be learned in the May 29th Gatekeeper course in as little as one hour. As a QPR-trained Gatekeeper you will learn to:
•recognize the warning signs of suicide •know how to offer hope •know how to get help and save a life The QPR course will be taught by Dr. Donna Barnes, a certified QPR trainer and author of the book, The Truth About Suicide. She is the Director of the Suicide Prevention Program at Howard University and teaches Suicide Risk Management in the Department of Psychiatry.
Adult Study at Metropolitan Science & Religion Class Sundays, 10:10 a.m., Parlor Join us as we study “the big questions.” For the next two Sundays, we focus on the Resurrection as Dr. Maynard Moore makes two substantive presentations with time for discussion. On April 11 we ask: “What does the New Testament actually say about Resurrection?” On April 17 we ask, “What can we in the 21st century say about Resurrection?” Background is available in the Parlor. Questions? Contact Maynard Moore, emaynard8@yahoo.com or Kent Weaver, kenthweaver@gmail.com. (Parlor) Questions of Faith
Sundays, 10:10 a.m., Conference Room Our discussion of “From Jesus to Christ - the First Christians” explores the life of Jesus and the movement he started, drawing upon historical evidence and interviews with New Testament scholars. Questions? Contact Diana Eskin, dianadc@aol.com. (Conference Room)
Bible Plus Class
Sundays, 10:10 a.m., Christie Room Join us as we study comparative religion through a conceptual approach as we look at the major similarities and differences between the Christian, Islam, Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu faiths. Questions? Contact Nancy Wolfe, nwolfe26@comcast.net. (Christie Room)
Bible Study Thursdays, 1 p.m., Starbucks (3301 New Mexico Ave.) Please join us for a Bible study class led by Charlie Parker on Thursdays at 1 p.m. at the Starbucks’ on New Mexico Ave. All are welcome to come every week or drop in whenever you can. Questions? Contact Helen Simon, hsimon@mmumc-dc.org. Lenten Bible Study Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., Wesley UMC (5312 Conn. Ave. NW.) Shake the Devil Off! Pastor Kate will lead the study using the text “Hard to Dance with the Devil on Your Back” by Ray Buckley.
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Children’s Ministry Veggie Tales! Good Friday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. We’ll be showing the new Veggie Tales movie, “Twas the Night Before Easter,” during the Good Friday service, which begins at 7:30 p.m. The children will view the movie in Room 106. The movie is about 50 minutes which will last the duration of the service. Questions? Contact Anita Seline, Director of Children’s Ministries at aseline@mmumc-dc.org. There is no Sunday School on Easter Sunday, April 24, so that families may enjoy our Easter brunch together in the Great Hall. Six Sundays of Service For six Sundays in June and July, we will do some of God’s work in the form of short-term service projects. During the study hour each Sunday, we hope that a few people (such as a family, a couple, or a group of friends) will step forward to lead a service project of their choosing. The service project should be completed in the study hour and include the participation of childen.
Enroll Now for 2011 Summer Camp!
Ideas include making Father’s Day cards for veterans staying at the local VA, assembling activity bags for clients of Bread for the City, making sandwiches for delivery to the homeless. Those are just a few ideas, you may have an even better one.
METROPOLITAN’S NURSERY SCHOOL SUMMER SENSATION May 31st through July 8th Six teams of service project leaders are needed for June Two-week Sessions Five Days a Week Mornings 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Extended day 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 19 and 26 and July 10, 17, 24, and 31. Only one team is Applications are being accepted now. Download the camp brochure and application from the church website.
needed for each Sunday so your commitment is for the Sunday of your choosing. Can you pick one date and step forward? Please contact Anita Seline, Director of Children’s Ministry at aseline@mmumc-dc.org.
Vacation Bible School Hits Metropolitan Mark your calendars for June 27 to July 1 to visit the Shake It Up Café! Here’s a description of this year’s Vacation Bible School from the Cokesbury website. “At Shake It Up Café Vacation Bible School 2011 your kids will explore the Bible as a cookbook filled with recipes for living out God’s word. Through interactive lessons, they will celebrate biblical festivals that reveal the secret ingredient for being a follower of God. Kids will enjoy heaping helpings of God’s word, create a lasting relationship with God through Jesus Christ, celebrate the life-changing love of Jesus, and take God’s recipe into the world.” After each VBS 2011 Bible adventure, your chefs-in-training will learn a Bible Bite memory verse that reinforces each Bible story. A Bible Bite activity ensures your chefs can understand and apply the verse. They will also receive a daily Scripture Treasure featuring the day’s secret ingredient and Bible Bite. Lessons covered will include Israelites Celebrate Passover, Festival Celebrations for the Israelites, Jesus Celebrates the Festival of Booths, Jesus Celebrates Passover, and Celebrating the Festival of Weeks and Pentecost. Activities range from science, music, outdoor fun, and crafts. Meet Scraps the Racoon, eat great snacks, wear fun chef hats and enjoy a week together with our VBS campers. VBS will run 9 a.m. to 12 noon each day. Please register by May 31, 2011. Cost is $40 for the week. For questions or concerns, contact: Anita Seline, Director of Children’s Ministries at aseline@mmumc-dc.org.
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Our Mission Building an inclusive, caring Christian community that invites others into a deepening relationship with God and challenges them to grow as disciples for the transformation of the world.
Our Vision Extending radical hospitality, transforming lives, and pursuing justice.
Reconciling Statement Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church affirms that all individuals are of sacred worth without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, education, marital circumstances, economic status, physical and mental condition, or criminal history. We declare ourselves in support of the reconciling movement and welcome the full participation in the church of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered persons and their families, as a reflection of God’s unconditional love. At the same time, we recognize differences of opinion on issues of sexuality and seek to journey together in faith toward greater understanding and mutual respect.
PASTORAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF - 3401 Nebraska Avenue, NW, DC - 202.363.4900
www.nationalchurch.org Pastoral Emergency Number - 202.510.8555 Rev. Dr. Charles Parker –– Senior Pastor, ext. 11, cparker@mmumc-dc.org Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson — Minister of Congregational Care, ext. 19, dwilson@mmumc-dc.org Rev. Jimmy Sherrod — Associate Pastor, ext. 24, jsherrod@mmumc-dc.org Rev. Kate Murphey — Associate Pastor, ext. 21, kmurphey@mmumc-dc.org Anita Seline — Director of Children’s Ministries, ext. 22, aseline@mmumc-dc.org Patrisha House — Director of Worship, Music and Arts, ext. 28, phouse@mmumc-dc.org Jeff Clouser — Director of Communications and Outreach, ext. 23, jclouser@mmumc-dc.org Rev. J. Cody Nielsen –– Associate for Campus Ministry, ext. 25, cnielsen@mmumc-dc.org Emily Bagwell -- Associate Director of Youth Ministries, ebagwell@mmumc-dc.org Bruce Caviness — 11a.m. Organist-Choirmaster, ext. 15, bcaviness@mmumc-dc.org Casey Elliott — Dayspring Choir Director and 9 a.m. Worship Leader, ext. 12, celliott@mmumc-dc.org Dona Collary — Director of Church Administration, ext. 17, dcollary@mmumc-dc.org Helen Simon - Executive Assistant to Dr. Parker, ext. 10, hsimon@mmumc-dc.org Bob Weintraub -- Bookkeeper, ext. 18, bweintraub@mmumc-dc.org Rafael Reyes -- Director of Building and Grounds, ext. 20, rreyes@mmumc-dc.org Linda Smith -- Director of Nursery School, 202.362.8746, lsmith@mmumc-dc.org
THE MESSENGER is published by: The Metropolitan Memorial Cooperative Parish Metropolitan Memorial, St. Luke’s, and Wesley United Methodist Churches Metropolitan Memorial - 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20016 Tel: 202.363.4900 Fax: 202.686.2056 E-Mail: jclouser@mmumc-dc.org website: http://www.nationalchurch.org St. Luke’s Campus - 3655 Calvert Street N.W., Washington, DC 20007 Wesley United Methodist Church - 5312 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20015 NEXT ISSUE: May 13, 2011 NEXT DEADLINE: Noon on May 10, 2011