April 10, 2017 Volume XXVII, No. 4 Nationalchurch.org
The Messenger
METROPOLITAN CHURCH
A MULTI-SITE UNITED METHODIST COMMUNITY
The Mystery and Awe of Holy Week
This Messenger is being published during Holy Week. We’ve already been through Palm Sunday, the day the church marks Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The gospels report that the crowd waved palm branches and shouted hosanna as Jesus rode by on the back of a donkey. It was an act of political theater meant to contrast with the pomp of the Roman Empire, but also to symbolize the peaceful Son of David who would rule over Israel as foretold in Jewish scripture.
Maundy Thursday Worship at Metropolitan Memorial* 7:30pm Worship with Communion and Chancel Choir Good Friday Services Worship at Metropolitan Memorial* Noon – 3pm “Seven Last Words” Worship at Wesley 7:30pm Tenebrae Service (5312 Conn. Ave., NW) Saturday Easter Vigil Worship at Metropolitan Memorial 7:30pm
Easter Sunday– April 16 Worship at American University 7am - Sunrise Service at Kay Spiritual Life Center (4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW) Worship at Metropolitan Memorial* 9am & 11am - Festival Choirs, Brass, Timpani, and Handbells Brunch after each service Rockin’ Gospel Worship at Wesley 11am - 5312 Conn. Ave., NW *Free Childcare Available
The rest of this week, we move through the final days of Christ’s human experience. This is a time to remember that God loves us enough to live our lives, suffer our suffering, and die our death. There is nothing we experience that Christ does not understand. Maundy Thursday marks Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. The word “maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum, or commandment. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another” (John 13: 34). He demonstrated that kind of love by washing the feet of his disciples – an unexpected act of service. Jesus gave us tangible, everyday ways to remember him – water and towels for dirty feet, wine and bread for hungry bellies and empty souls. Good Friday doesn’t seem very good, does it? It is a horrible memory: a travesty of a trial, torture, Jesus’ humiliating death on the cross, his burial, the sorrow of his friends and his mom. We mark Good Friday with quiet, contemplative worship centered on Jesus’ last words from the cross, words of pain and abandonment, but also words of forgiveness and love. The candle light dims as we remember Christ’s human life dimming. But through it all, we remember that resurrection comes after death; that Easter comes after Good Friday. The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate example of how God can use a bad situation to bring about something good, how hope can be born from ashes. This year, we will mark Holy Saturday with an Easter Vigil service. The service begins outside, near a fire, and then moves into the darkened sanctuary. We will hear the story of God’s work throughout time and history. With music, scripture, and dance, we will remember God’s actions to redeem humanity, culminating in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We will move from darkness into light, celebrating Easter hope, remembering our baptisms, and sharing Holy Communion together. It is traditional to wear white for Easter vigil – an ancient symbol of our baptism – so we invite you to wear white for this service. Holy Week is a time to worship, pray and contemplate the final week of Christ’s human life. (Worship times at Metropolitan Memorial and Wesley are listed in the sidebar). Allow the mystery and awe of Holy Week to bring you closer to the God who loves you. Blessings,
Rev. Janet Craswell
Life at the Metropolitan Church Metropolitan Book Club Monday, April 17, 7:30pm, Parlor All readers are invited to our book club discussion of J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. For questions, contact Suzanne Clewell, reader1021@aol.com or Joan Topalian, topajoan62045@gmail. com.
New Church E Mails for Communications and Operations With the significant turnover in our administrative staff, the Staff-Parish Relations Committee is taking some time to look at how to best meet our organizational needs. During this time of discernment, you can send your requests and questions regarding the following to: •
For requests to schedule an event in church space, or questions on giving statements, or other financial matters, please contact operations@nationalchurch. org
• Covenant Bible Study New Sessions - Sign-up today! Begins Thursday, April 20 7pm, Wesley Art Room* Join us for the next 8 week session of Covenant, an • in-depth group Bible study. No previous Bible study or Covenant experience required! Please register in advance so we can order enough books at www.nationalchurch. org/covenant. For more information, contact Rev. Janet Craswell, jcraswell@nationalchurch.org. *5312
For information to be included in the Messenger, Metro Updates, or bulletin insert, or other communications questions, please contact communications@ nationalchurch.org If you are not sure who to contact, you can always send your requests to Helen Simon, Executive Assistant to Dr. Parker, at hsimon@nationalchurch. org and she will direct your question to the appropriate staff person.
Food for Thought Special Combined Class Heaven and Hell: What Do You Believe? Wednesdays, April 26-May 17, 6pm - Dinner* I 7pm - Class Metropolitan members Kris and Randy Oberdick set out to explore beliefs about the afterlife in a video called, “Heaven and Hell: What Do You Believe?” Featuring interviews with clergy and lay people from the Metropolitan Church and wider community, this video will lead us into a broader discussion of what we believe about heaven, hell, and the afterlife. Our usual Wednesday evening Bible study and topical study classes will combine for this course. Our class schedule will be: •
April 26 - “Heaven & Hell: Why think about it?”
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May 3 - “Heaven & Hell: Who said what and why?”
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May 10 - “Heaven & Hell: Science doesn’t care what you believe.”
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May 17 - “Heaven & Hell: Do choices now, impact the life after?”
Community dinner available at 6pm, $8 per person/College students pay what you can. For more information, contact Rev. Janet Craswell, Director of Christian Education, jcraswell@nationalchurch.org or 202-363-4900, ext. 115.
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!
Faith Over Fear The InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington co-sponsored an amazing dialogue event at the Washington Cathedral on March 22nd, that drew more than 150 people into small discussion groups on the theme "Faith Over Fear." You are invited to participate in the next discussions on "Welcoming the Stranger." On two Sundays in May, these dialogues will be held in private homes throughout the metropolitan area. On these occasions you will meet people from any of the eleven faiths constituting the IFC. Each year these events have great transformative potential -- especially for young people. Each session allows you more time to share thoughts with other people from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. To learn more and to register go to ifcmw.org/dinnerdialogues or contact, E. Maynard Moore, emaynard8@yahoo.com.
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The Arts at the Metropolitan Church SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 6:30-8:30 P.M.
MONKTIFIED The reason Thelonious Monk danced
Celebrating the birth of Ella Fitzgerald with swinging music by her centennial improvisation dance partners Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk featuring
Iva Ambush and Ambuscade
Iva Ambush-vocals | DeCosta Brown-guest vocalist| Wade Beach-piano | David Marsh-bass | Francis Thompson-drums
Iva Ambush celebrates Ella Fitzgerald, her legacy and influence that defined a classic era of jazz singing, with swinging music by her centennial improvisation dance partners, John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. Witness how the art of jazz music and great lyrics can make us all dance. Iva Ambush and Ambuscade, will demonstrate why the "First Lady of Song" remains the epitome of syncopation and take the music that made Ella, Dizzy, and Monk dance, what she calls MONKTIFIED, because it got Monk off the bench, like she wants the audience to do, and dance! DeCosta Brown partners with Iva for a little "Ella and Joe Williams."
Art Exhibition Different Angles Watercolors by Karen Norman There is still time to catch the new exhibit in the Great Hall! There are a variety of subjects including a lakescape, a rustic cabin in the woods, and still lifes that are seen from different angles...several set up to be viewed from above. Sort of the way that God would see from Heaven! The show is here until after Easter so you can see it several times!
Wesley United Methodist Church 5312 Connecticut Avenue, N.W (at jenifer ~enter on connecticut thru glass doors) 202-966-5144 X325 <> www.wesleydc.org <> wesleyinfo@nationalchurch.org
www.facebook.com/JazzatWesley <> www.twitter.com/jazzatwesley $10 entry ~ $7 seniors ~ $5 students ~12 & under free entry
Tickets available online at www.instantseats.com Sweet and savory items available for purchase Complimentary Coffee and Tea
Bring a nonperishable food item to jazz up someone else’s life. Donations for Friendship Place at St. Luke’s Mission Center
Organ Recital Sunday, April 23, 3pm, Sanctuary Join us as Ben Teague presents an organ recital at Metropolitan Memorial. Benjamin Teague originates from Newport, South Wales. After composition, harmony and piano studies with Alison Bowring at the Royal Welsh College Music and Drama, he continued to the BMus (Hons) course with a principal study in composition, with Mark Boden, Owen Lloyd, Joseph Davies, Ceri Tippetts and the late Peter Reynolds. He is a keen performer as well as composer, on both organ and piano. He takes a particular interest in French music, especially Ravel and Debussy, as well as Widor, Vierne and Fauré of the Late French Romantic, and Messiaen, Duruflé, Langlais and others of the 20th century school.
Musicians Wanted! Do you play an instrument? The Dayspring service invites you to join our pick-up orchestra to lead the hymns and service music on the first Sunday of each month. Our next rehearsal will be Sunday, May 7 at 8am. Music can be acquired in advance by e-mailing Melissa, Dayspring Choir Director and 9am Worship Leader, mchavez@ nationalchurch.org. Ring A Bell? You’re invited to join a fun and forgiving group of dedicated ringers (high school age through retirement) who rehearse Sunday evenings and ring once a month in Sunday morning services. For more information, contact Susan Staines, staines@rcn.com. Sing with the Dayspring Choir! If you want to join in the fun of singing and serving together, Dayspring is open to all, regardless of ability or prior experience. Contact Melissa Chavez, Dayspring Choir Director, mchavez@nationalchurch.org for more information.
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Caring Ministries Life Transitions Educational Forum Music and Alzheimers Sunday, April 30 12:15pm, Great Hall Join us for a showing of the documentary “Alive Inside,” a joyous cinematic exploration of music’s capacity to reawaken our souls and uncover the deepest part of our humanity. Filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett chronicles the astonishing experiences of individuals with dementia who have been revitalized and awakened by the simple act of listening to the music of their youth. The film is 78 minutes long and will be followed by facilitated conversation by Life Transitions team members. Light lunch provided. Lunch and More Thursday, April 20, Noon, Great Hall Join the Lunch and More Crowd for lunch, a bridge game, a board game or the movie, “Big Eyes.” “Big Eyes” is a 2014 American biographical film about the life of artist Margaret Keane and her husband, Walter Keane, who took credit for Margaret’s phenomenally successful and popular paintings in the 1950s and 1960s. Come and enjoy friends and good food! If you committed to bringing a game or playing cards for bridge, please don’t forget! Contacts: Phyllis Kokus, pkokus@aol.com or Mary Jo Marchant, mjmarchant@verizon.net.
April AARP Meeting April 24, 1pm, Vestry
Please join us as Sandy Clunies presents a program on “Washington, DC: Some Lesser Known Histories and Mysteries.” Social time is at 12:30pm. Refreshments will be served.
Save The Date! Trust Circles Saturday, July 15 or Saturday, August 26 9am - 3pm, Great Hall (Lunch provided) Are you longing to discover where God is moving in your life and the world around you? If so, we invite you to learn more about Trust Circles. Mark your calendar for one of the two introductory workshops we are offering this summer. Attending a workshop does not obligate you to join a Trust Circle. There is no charge. There is no homework. It is simply an opportunity for you to learn more. Advance registration is requested. To register, contact Janet Burkhart, janetburk@ hotmail.com or 330-904-2101. Want to learn more before registering? Contact Janet Burkhart, janetburk@hotmail. com or 330-904-2101 or Megan Blanchard, 704-7873072 or megan.b.blanchard@gmail.com.
Weekly Meditation Practice Wednesdays, 9am, Sanctuary 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! Contact: Cathryn, cathryn@ yogawell-being.com or 301-946-7045/301-642-3889. Sponsored by the Congregational Care Committee.
Creation Caretakers April Update There are many exciting opportunities ahead during Earth Day month!
March with Us!
March for Science Saturday April 22 - Earth Day Join the Science and Religion Class and Wesley Nexus to support both Science and Religion as we march in downtown DC with thousands in support of Science. Learn more at earthday.org/marchforscience. Peoples’ Climate March in DC & Nationwide Saturday, April 29 Join the Peoples Climate Movement this April 29th in Washington, D.C. and across the country to stand up for our communities and climate. Learn more at content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/01/activistsannounce-major-climate-march-dc-nationwide-april-29th.
National United Methodist Caretakers for God’s Creation Climate Justice Conference Friday April 28, 8am-9pm, Mt Olivet UMC* In preparation for marching together on Saturday, join us at Mt. Olivet UMC in Arlington for the Climate Justice Conference. $75 Registration fee. Register at eventbrite. com/e/united-methodist-caretakers-for-gods-creationclimate-justice-conference-tickets-31790218399. *1500 N. Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA 22207 Your questions, suggestions and your participation are welcome! For more information and to join our programs, contact Jane Ward: jane@rideforsaferoutes.com.
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Serving at the Metropolitan Church Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) Group
Our team members have been busy! Jane Ward and Lois Weaver met with the legislative counsel for Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to voice our support for the Congresswoman’s efforts to prevent Sen. Marco Rubio’s legislation from repealing DC’s gun violence prevention laws.
Jane Ward and Lois Weaver met with the legislative counsel for Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton
Courtney Leatherman joined a phone bank of volunteers with the MOMs Demand Action for Gun Sense in America team connecting New Mexico voters with the voicemails of their representatives and senators urging them to vote against Senate Bill 446 Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017. Shelby Harrington was down on the Mall for a project titled “91 of Us,’ bringing attention to the 91 people who die every day from gun violence.
Shelby Harrington and Lois Weaver were at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill to hear Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) address the climate in Congress for gun violence prevention efforts. He said 90% of the American people support universal background checks for all gun purchases and what 90% of the American people want will eventually happen. And, if I understood Sen. Murphy correctly, MOMs Demand Action for Gun Sense in America has as many members as the NRA. It’s just that the NRA has the money, LOTS of it. How can you get involved? Join us May 3-4 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington as Americans for Responsible Solutions (Gabby Giffords’ group) and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence present a summit to hear from leading experts in gun violence prevention efforts, to participate in message and advocacy training, to meet with members of Congress and key Congressional staff and to advocate for an end to gun violence. Learn more here: eventbrite.com/e/a-nationunited-for-a-safer-future-tickets-32324334956. The GVP group at the Metropolitan Church is not anti-gun. We are pro-gun-safety. If you are interested in finding out more about the group go to nationalchurch.org/serving/GVP or contact pastorsoffice@nationalchurch.org. Blessings, Lois Weaver
Grate Patrol - Opportunities to Serve! April 23, 10:15am, Vestry April 24, 6:45pm St. Luke’s Mission Center* On Sunday, help make sandwiches and prepare meal bags at Metropolitan Memorial. On Monday, volunteers are needed at the St. Luke’s Mission Center to load additional meals prepared by Campus Kitchen into the Salvation Army van and distribute them throughout downtown DC. To volunteer to put together meal bags on Sunday, come to the Vestry or, if a group, contact Anita Seline, amseline@aol.com. If you can go out on the van Monday night, sign up at nationalchurch.org/servenow. *3655 Calvert St., NW. May 7, 6pm, St. Luke’s Mission Center* Help assemble meals (provided by our Campus Kitchen Program) in to-go containers, load meals into the Salvation Army van and distribute them throughout the city. You can volunteer for one or all opportunities. No experience necessary. Volunteer at nationalchurch.org/volunteerhub! *3655 Calvert St., NW
DC Zoning Board Approves Short-term Housing for Homeless Families in Ward 3 On April 5, the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) unanimously voted to approve the zoning variances and exceptions for the construction of short term family housing in Wards 3. This vote is an important milestone in the process of closing the dilapidated DC General Family Shelter, and helps the city to more equally share the responsibility for caring for the most vulnerable among us. Many thanks go to Metropolitan members and other faithcommunity advocates who wrote letters of support and packed both ANC meetings and board of zoning hearings to help win approval for the zoning variances and exceptions for the construction of this much-needed facility.
Serve Now! Sign up for our many service activities with our online volunteer scheduling system at nationalchurch.org/ servenow. 5
The United Methodist Women UMW Great Day of Service 2017 Counting diapers, packing school kits, painting birthday cards, mixing trail mix, and braiding dog chew toys were among the many projects undertaken at the recent Great Day of Service. About 60 people, including AU students and children, participated.
To help welcome residents to the shelters at Metropolitan Memorial and St. Luke's, service day volunteers assembled hygiene kits filled with grooming essentials such as soap, razors, shampoo and lotion.
"We made 70 cards and could have made more, but I ran out of supplies! That's a record," said Jeanie Mah, who organized the birthday card ministry project table, in which people made handmade cards for ill and elderly people in the congregation. The Great Day of Service is organized by the United Methodist Women at our St. Luke's Mission Center. The day started with breakfast with Chef Anthony and a short discussion of Educare, a preschool program in Ward 7, run by Pyper Imperial and supported by the UMW.
The day was a chance to help others and visit with good friends at the same time. "This was a Great Day! Delicious breakfast from Chef Anthony and a very inspiring story about the Educare program that we support," said Jane Ward, who volunteered. "I enjoyed helping with the dog toy braiding and also catching up with a few other UMW members regarding other church projects that I hope to get started." Not all work was done at St. Luke's. A team of volunteers traveled to the DC Diaper Bank in Silver Spring to count diapers -- 9,100 in two hours -- and package them for distribution. Another tended the church's rain garden. "It was great to have some families join us," said Ellen Bachman, the UMW President who volunteered at the Diaper Bank. "What a great way to help children learn to think of others." Below are some pictures of the day!
Discussion Series: Women and Leadership Early Women’s Rights Movement May 7, Noon, Parlor Join the United Methodist Women’s Circle Six as they discuss the Early Women’s Rights Movement in America. Building on our discussion of Women of the Bible and Founding Mothers, we will examine the lives of women who have made notable contributions and often had pivotal roles to change how women are seen in the world. Noah and Liam help Ellen pack school kits for Educare, pre school program for DC kids living in poverty in Ward 7 & 8. The kits included paper, a folder, eraser, markers, crayons, and a backpack that the kids could decorate themselves.
Elena and December count out diapers and package them for distribution. The teens were part of a contingent from the UMW Service Day who worked in the DC Diaper Bank warehouse in Silver Spring, Md.
Please join us as we learn about the work of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the organizers of the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Assembly and author of the first Women’s Bible; Francis Willard, head of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, an advocate for women’s suffrage, and a voice for women’s leadership within the Methodist Church;Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to graduate from medical school in the US in 1849; Rebecca Lee Crumpler, first African American female physician in the Unites States awarded her MD in 1864; Ellen Swallow Richards, who in 1873, shortly after MIT opened in 1865, became MIT’s first woman graduate, first woman instructor and latter the first sanitary engineering laboratory in the US; and Susan B. Anthony, a social reformer and women’s rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women’s suffrage movement. Please join us for light refreshments and a lively discussion. The last topic in this series will be Women as Leaders on June 11.
No Bazaar Donations 'Til June: Thank you to all of you well intentioned people who are leaving the United Methodist Women bazaar donations. But please STOP. Bazaar donations may be dropped off in June. NOT EARLIER. The front of the UMW closet is now packed with stuff, creating extra work for the UMW before our sorting timeline. Please do NOT donate your items now. You may think that your one or two boxes are ok to leave but really, it adds up. Thank you very much.
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Youth Ministries
Youth In Mission Auction Sunday, April 23 in the Vestry Silent Auction - 10am I Lunch 12:15pm I Live Auction and Program - 12:45pm Join us for our annual Youth in Mission Auction. This year we will be celebrating 43 years of service in Appalachia through ASP. We will have lunch, an auction, and a talent show featuring our youth choir. This year, we will be taking 30 youth with us to Central Appalachia, which may be our largest group ever. Funds raised at this event 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 a silent auction, and we welcome your donations. In the past, we have had restaurant gift cards, 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. Lunch will include both a gluten free and vegetarian option.
Campus Ministries Faithful, Faithless, and Everyone in Between – Faith on Campus “Love without Condition” by Chrissandra Jackson I never intended on being a church goer in college. Not because I thought church was weird, mostly because I had spent so much time in church throughout my childhood. I'm a military brat, which means I travelled a lot as a kid, so our "home" church was usually the chapel on Chrissandra Jackson, base (or nearby churches). We never American University stuck with a single denomination. B.S. Neuroscience ’19, Hospitality and Fast forward, freshman year was Outreach Co-Chair quite difficult, to say the least. I dealt with roommate problems, family problems and health issues. I later found out about some church service that was in the evening at Kay (I didn’t like morning services). So, I wandered into Kay one evening to attend service. I don't remember much from it. I know I kept the bulletin as a reminder for when other services were. That led to my next service I attended, a healing service. I couldn't really explain why or how Thursday night healing services drew me into the UMSA community. However, I just know that there was something unique about having a simple service at 11pm where you pray, you sing, a student speaks and you do communion. It felt like something I'd never experienced before. Of course, the service is like what we do on Sunday, but a student speaks instead of our pastor. Maybe that was the difference, hearing the many stories of students struggling just like me was comforting in a way. Possibly, even hearing their insights on life was inspiring. Again, I'm not sure what about the service drew me in but it did.
Later, I started going to Sunday services consecutively. The Sunday services were also nice. I remember for faith questions Sunday, a service where we can submit questions anonymously and listen to the pastor answer them, I asked why did God talk to the devil about Job? I don't know what I was expecting, but the answer I got was quite comforting. There was more fluff said around it, but put simply: he didn't know. I was in awe of the humility of my pastor. I'm sure pastors have not known something before, but in my mind, I was convinced that all pastors were walking Bibles/Jesus Geniuses. I was again comforted by his not knowing. It made me feel like he was at a similar place I was in life. I felt confused and lost about almost everything: what major I should choose, what career I wanted, why I was even in college. Another question I had submitted was why does this community welcome LGBTQIA+ people? His answer was something I hadn't heard a pastor say before. I traveled to many churches as a kid, where they all preached that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Yet, the pastor that evening said, "We believe that God’s love is for all people without condition." One thing I know to be true about my faith as a college student is that God's love is for me without condition. I feel like it's taken me awhile to realize this, but I am thankful for how this community has helped me to discover the unconditional love that God has for me. If you are interested in finding ways to connect with our AU Campus Ministry contact Rick, Associate Chaplain, rick@aumethodists.org.
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Our Mission: Building an inclusive, caring Christian community that invites all into a deepening relationship with God and challenges all of us to grow as disciples, seeking justice and joy for the transformation of the world. Our Vision: Extending radical hospitality, transforming lives, and pursuing justice. Reconciling Statement: Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church affirms that all individuals are of sacred worth without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, education, marital circumstances, economic status, physical and mental condition, or criminal history. We declare ourselves in support of the reconciling movement and welcome the full participation in the church of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered persons and their families, as a reflection of God’s unconditional love. At the same time, we recognize differences of opinion on issues of sexuality and seek to journey together in faith toward greater understanding and mutual respect. Pastoral and Administrative Staff - 3401 Nebraska Avenue, NW, DC - 202.363.4900 www.nationalchurch.org - Pastoral Emergency Number - 202.510.8555 Rev. Dr. Charles Parker –– Senior Pastor, ext. 108, cparker@nationalchurch.org Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson — Minister of Congregational Care, ext. 104, dwilson@nationalchurch.org Rev. Janet Craswell—Director of Christian Education, ext. 115, jcraswell@nationalchurch.org 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 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
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: May 8, 2017
NEXT DEADLINE: Noon on May 2, 2017