The Messenger

THE MESSENGER For the congregations of the Greater Metropolitan Parish

Special Edition September 17, 2010 www.nationalchurch.org

A Congregational Conversation on Vision Dear Friends, Our church has been blessed with the most amazing opportunities in the past several years! The cooperative parish enlarges our ministry presence and offers many exciting ministry possibilities. The Crossroads worship experience is connecting with a new generation of worshipers. And building on St. Luke’s strong legacy of mission outreach, we are envisioning new ways to serve the community from that location.

At the same time, we have had some wonderful developments in ministry at Metropolitan. We have strengthened our ties to American University. We have successfully launched the Alpha program inviting newcomers to study the basics of the Christian faith. And we have a new emphasis on connecting with young adults. All this on top of the strength of our ongoing witness in worship, study, service and engaging our children and youth.

In the midst of all this change, our church still faces many challenges. We must:   

Grow our membership, worship attendance, participation in ministries, and giving.

Expand and re-energize our spiritual life as a discipleship community.

Develop a holistic structure for ministry, putting appropriate emphasis on essential areas of ministry – praising, learning, serving, caring, and sharing.

This fall, we are inviting every member of our parish to be part of a "Congregational Conversation" around our vision and priorities. This will begin with a brief congregational meeting following both worship services on Sunday, October 3. And in the weeks that follow, there will be a variety of opportunities for you to engage in small group dialogue. (See schedule on page 3.)

This special edition of The Messenger is designed to inform the conversation.

This is indeed an extraordinary time in the life of our congregation. The pace and magnitude of change is challenging. But there is also a sense of tremendous potential as new possibilities unfold before us and we begin to discern the calling that God has for our congregation in the midst of this new reality. Please join us as we take the next step in discerning that call.

Sincerely, Vision Implementation Team Members Suzanne Forsyth John Long Ann Michel Ken Millian Anne Mathews-Younes

Charlie Parker Phil Potter Pam Settlage Joyce Shields

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Our Mission, Vision, and Objectives In 2007 and 2008, Metropolitan’s Church Council worked to revised and update our congregational mission statement and to define a set of objectives to help the church fulfill that mission. Recognizing that the merger with St. Luke’s and the addition of Wesley UMC to our parish diverted the attention of our leaders from the implementation of this vision, Rev. Charlie Parker convened a Vision Implementation Team in late 2009 to refocus energy around these goals. The starting point for this group was the reaffirmation of the following mission, vision, and goals: 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

Our Call:

Praising, Learning, Serving

Strategic Objectives: 1. Develop mission outreach that engages the congregation and transforms communities.

2. Create and provide new diverse worship experiences to attract broader communities.

3. Nurture the next generation of disciples. a. Reclaim a sense of purpose around shaping the spirituality of young adults and AU students b. Create and sustain a thriving youth program that is a centerpiece for youth life and spiritual growth c. Celebrate and expand our commitment to children’s spiritual growth 4. Develop a culture of radical hospitality and fellowship that welcomes the stranger and expands our connections to one another.

5. Deepen our spiritual journeys through small group prayer, study and accountability in the Wesleyan tradition.

6. Expand our leadership in interfaith dialogue and collaboration.

Need for Change: The urgency of this calling is underscored by the following trends: 

Attendance Decline: Our congregation and the denomination as a whole have suffered a sustained and significant decline in attendance over the past forty years. While large churches have generally fared better, there are still significant challenges for church the size of Metropolitan.



Financial Challenges: Currently, our financial support comes from too limited a percentage of the community. Over many years, the trend has been for fewer people to give more money.

We must work to increase our giving to prevent overreliance on the foundation and provide adequate funding for all areas of ministry.

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A Congregational Conversation on Vision Let your Voice be Heard!

This fall, there will be a congregation-wide discussion of our vision with numerous opportunities for church members to learn and express their opinions. With the help of an Alban Institute consultant specializing in congregational planning, our Vision Implementation Team will facilitate a process of dialogue and exchange.

Congregational Meetings: Sunday, October 3 This conversation will kick-off with two brief congregational meetings following our worship services on October 3.

Worshipers will be asked to remain in the sanctuary following each service for a 20-minute overview of where we are and where we are headed with our vision process.

Sermon Series: October 17 – November 14 Transforming People, Transforming the World Rev. Charlie Parker will preach a five-week sermon series this fall focusing of the five core elements of ministry that relate to the implementation of our vision – serving, learning, sharing, praising, and caring.  October 17 –Making Church a Verb (Serving) The only real measure of a church is, “how is our church changing the world around it?” Everything else feeds that goal. This sermon will encourage you to discern how you can serve and engage the world.  October 24 –Growing People (Learning) The purpose of Christian education cannot simply be our own intellectual enjoyment. This sermon considers how learning can prepare us for more active ministry.  October 31 –Reclaiming Evangelism (Sharing) People in our culture desperately seek meaning in their lives, but traditional methods of evangelism no longer attract them.

How can Christians live in a way that is so radically different that people are naturally curious about how they can life in such a way? That’s evangelism!  November 7 –A Life of Praise (Praising) Worship is central to who we are. How can we engage in it more fully? How might new worship opportunities enrich our experience?  November 14 –Body Building (Caring) How do members of the Body of Christ build up and nurture one another? This sermon will consider how small group relationships can have a life-changing impact on us.

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Schedule of Small-group Discussion Sessions You are invited to participate in one of the following small group discussions.

Please choose the time and place that best suits your schedule.  Sunday, October 3 at 10:30 am in the Great Hall  Sunday, October 3 at 12:45 pm in the Great Hall  Monday, October 4 at 7:30 pm in the Conference Room  Wednesday, October 6 at 10:30 am in the Choir Room (Circle 9)  Thursday, October 7 at 6:30 pm in the Choir Room  Sunday, October 10 at 12:30 pm in the Great Hall  Wednesday, October 13 at 6:00 pm in the Choir Room  Thursday, October 14 at 7:00 pm in the Parlor (Circle 6)  Sunday, October 17 at 7 p.m. at the home of Robin and Mike Emery.  Monday, October 18 at 12:30 pm in the Great Hall  Wednesday, October 20 at 6:30 pm in the Choir Room (Dayspring)  Sunday, October 24 at 12:30 pm in the Great Hall, lunch served  Tuesday, October 26 at 5:30 pm the Great Hall, dinner served

Where we are Now: Our Current Reality Our congregation currently faces twin challenges: the need to strengthen Metropolitan’s core ministries by implementing our vision and strategic objectives while simultaneously moving into a multi-campus model of ministry. This reality is defined by both opportunities and challenges.

Opportunities:  We have a compelling vision to guide us. Despite the significant changes of the past two years, the visioning team believes that the church’s core mission, vision, and calling are still valid and applicable.  We have been blessed with wonderful facilities and ministry assets. The merger with St. Luke’s has multiplied our physical assets and extended the reach of our ministry.  We have been blessed by a stronger ministry presence. Our sister congregations bring some key strengths to our combined witness, most notably the diversity of the worshipping community at Wesley UMC and the strength of St. Luke’s homeless ministry.  We have been blessed with amazing leaders. While there is a need to deploy some of our personnel resources differently, God has blessed us with the leadership capital, energy, and skills necessary to propel our vision forward.  We have been blessed with significant financial resources. While some may see the glass as half empty in these challenging economic times, Metropolitan Memorial has a strong giving capacity and the endowment has grown significantly as a result of assets inherited through the merger with Eldebrooke UMC and some unexpected bequests.

Challenges: 

Momentum toward implementing our vision and strategic objectives has dissipated with two additional congregations joining our parish. There is a need to refocus our attention and redouble our leadership efforts to propel our vision forward.



Our staff resources have been spread too thin and are focused disproportionately on worship. In our current staffing configuration, Service, Advocacy, and Study lack appropriate staff support while Hospitality and Evangelism lack an overarching plan and organizational infrastructure.



An economically sustainable model of ministry must be developed—one that draws on the gifts and resources of each congregation without compromising Metropolitan’s financial integrity or core ministries.

Key Questions: In light of these challenges and opportunities, a number of key questions come to mind: 

Building usage. How can we leverage the assets of our physical plant to support our vision? What is the best use of St. Luke’s building? How can Wesley UMC sustain its building? How will Metropolitan fund its long-term facility needs?



Pattern of worship services. How can we offer multiple services at multiple sites without expending so much staff time? How can we promote unity among our different worshipping communities? How can we make sure that all worshipers are connected with other ministry opportunities beyond worship?

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Staff configuration? How can we reorganize the staff to provide adequate support for Metropolitan’s core ministries and implementation of its strategic objectives while also supporting the ministries of the St. Luke’s campus and sharing a pastor with Wesley UMC?



Effectiveness of leadership structures? Do we need to streamline or redirect some of our committees and organizational structures? What is the role of our church council? Do we need a smaller executive committee?

How might a separate 501 (c) 3 structure strengthen our outreach and mission? How can we improve our informational infrastructure and communication?



How can we best use our resources? How can we best use our financial resources and other assets to meet our needs? Do we have our priorities straight? Are we focused on the right needs?

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Update on our Cooperative Parish Plans for Mission Outreach Center at St. Luke’s Move Forward

Task Force Recommends Wesley UMC Remain in Cooperative Parish

In considering the best use of the St. Luke’s property, a consensus has formed around using this building primarily as a mission outreach center.

Several months ago, District Superintendent David Argo convened a special task force to study the ministry of Wesley United Methodist Church.

The vision of a mission outreach center begins with a commitment to maintain and strengthen several ongoing ministries housed at St. Luke’s.

These include:

Pursuant to Paragraph 213 of the United Methodist Book of Discipline, this task force included clergy and laity from other district churches and representatives of Wesley UMC. This process is employed when the future viability of a congregation is in question. It can result in a recommendation that the congregation merge, relocate, or be discontinued.

 Operating the St. Luke’s shelter for homeless men which has run successfully since 1991  Continuing to host the city-run hypothermia shelter for men during winter weather  Expanding the Shalom Place hostel ministry which provides economical lodging to mission teams, youth groups, and others staying in DC  Integrating the Crossroads worship community with the work of the mission center.

The 213 task force report notes that Wesley UMC has a core of very committed members who want to see their church succeed and grow. But it also noted the congregation’s significant financial challenges.

Observing that Wesley UMC is not currently inclined to support a merger with Metropolitan Memorial, the task force instead recommended that the current cooperative parish relationship between Wesley UMC and Metropolitan Memorial be maintained with the hope that Wesley can grow its ministry and eventually achieve self sufficiency. The task force set out a number of financial, programmatic, and membership growth bench marks and suggested that Wesley UMC be given until 2014 to meet these goals.

Another part of this vision involves leasing office space to the Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place. This will reinforce and strengthen our existing on-site homeless ministries while honoring our longstanding partnership with CCH/FP. Additionally, service ministry team leaders are exploring options to use the kitchen at St. Luke’s as a ministry resource, possibly developing a Campus Kitchen’s program.

The short-term implication of this finding is that Rev. Kate Murphey will continue to split her time between Wesley and Metropolitan.

However last year’s cooperative parish agreement, which combined the leadership committees of the two congregations, will be redrafted to allow Wesley to develop its own leadership teams. Our two churches remain independent of one another financially.

Steps are being taken to create a separate 501 (c) 3 entity to manage these mission activities.

This will allow us to attract external leadership and funding to support these programs.

Anyone interested in being involved should contact Kate Murphey (kmurphey@mmumcdc.org) or Ann Michel (amichel@wesleyseminary.edu)

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Praising, Learning, Serving, Sharing, Caring What staffing pattern and lay leadership structures would best support our vision and strategic objectives? Currently, most of our ministries are organized around worship, study, and service (or praising, learning, and serving as they are named in our new mission statement). But something seems to be missing. These core areas of ministry seem to lack vibrancy because the structures for engaging people in these ministries may be inadequate. The church does not devote enough resources to faith sharing and evangelism, inviting and connecting people, or building community.

The Discipleship Adventure model has been a valuable touchstone as the Vision Implementation Team considered how to better balance the emphasis of our work. Articulated by our Bishop John Schol, this model names five aspects of congregational life that are vital to discipleship and fruitful ministry. They include: dynamic worship (praising); small groups (caring); Christian education (learning); missions (serving); and evangelism (sharing). This schema provided a valuable point of reference, pointing to the need for more emphasis on ministries of connecting and sharing.

Five Pillars of Discipleship: Praising  Learning  Serving  Sharing  Caring Combining this framework with the language of our own mission statement, the Vision Implementation Team sees five elements of congregational life that are critical to the enacting our vision and objectives: 1) Praising = worship 2) Learning = study 3) Serving = missions 4) Sharing = evangelism and outreach 5) Caring = internal connections and community building These “five pillars” are not only the fundamentals of our corporate expression of faith; they also are key aspects of each person’s individual Christian journey. As we move forward in implementing our vision, each of these functions needs adequate staffing and leadership support. Therefore, the Vision Implementation Team is recommending that we adopt this five-part model as way of organizing our congregational life.

It is important to note, however, that this organizational scheme does not in and of itself constitute the vision for our congregation. These categories and functions are means employed toward our vision of extending radical hospitality, transforming lives, and pursuing justice.

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A New Vision for Managing our Foundation Metropolitan Memorial is blessed to have a foundation with a current balance of $19.1 million which operates much like an endowment, although the foundation is not a separate legal entity. The funds have been accumulated through contributions, bequests, sales of real property, and funds transferred through merger with other churches. The current policy is to distribute actual cash income from dividends and interest, not including realized or unrealized capital gains or appreciation in total value of the funds invested. Over many years, it has frequently been the case that additional draws on the principal of the foundation have been needed to balance church budgets.

Over several years, as the Church Council and others have discussed the proper use of the foundation, a number of different and sometimes competing objectives have been articulated: 1) the desire to use the foundation more aggressively to support and grow the ministries of the church; 2) the need to provide reliable funding for long-term building maintenance; 3) the need for better budget discipline and accountability; and 4) concern about relying too much on the foundation and depleting its resources.

Recommended Changes in Foundation Policies A special task force was appointed about a year ago to consider best practices for managing the foundation in light of these various goals. This task force has proposed the following changes, which will be considered at our annual Charge Conference meeting on October 17, 2010.

1) Adopt a Total Return Model. Many other endowment funds distribute revenues using a “total return� model which prescribes a set percentage of the total value of the endowment fund be distributed each year as opposed to an income-based rule. The total value is normally calculated on a rolling multi-year or quarter average. The predominant rate used is 5%. Some endowments use a range of rates, but with a specific rate determined each year. The Foundation Task Force has recommended that MMUMC adopt the Total Return model with a rate of 5% for distributions from the foundation based on a rolling 12 quarter average to determine the total value. This would be phased in over a three year period.

2) Create a Capital Reserve Account. The Foundation Task Force is recommending the creation of a Capital Reserve Account for necessary capital repairs, maintenance, replacement and upgrades of equipment and structures of the church building. It would be a sub-account of the normal operating budget of the church. The objective of creating the Capital Reserve Account is to build up a fund by putting $250,000 in the reserve account each year with any balance of funds not needed in the current year to roll over and accumulate. The $250,000 would be charged against the 5% annual disbursement from the Foundation. This recommendation is based in part on an engineering study commissioned by the Board of Trustees two years ago which estimated that an estimated $2,500,000 would be needed over the next ten year to repair replace, or upgrade building equipment and structures. However, the proposed Capital Reserve Account would not be limited to these anticipated expenditures.

Should there be a deficit in the Capital Reserve Account in any given year, it could be borrowed from the Foundation and repaid out of the $250,000 from the following year. It would be the responsibility of the Trustees to manage the need for capital repairs to not exceed the total of $2.5 million over the next 10 years, but they would not need to restrict each year’s expenses to $250,000.

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Questions or Comments?

Please Contact a Member of our Vision Implementation Team Suzanne Forsyth

202-686-8819

suzanneforsyth@aol.com

John Long

301-320-6927

JRL11148@aol.com

Anne Mathews-Younes

301-983-3022

anne.mathews-younes@samhsa.hhs.gov

Ann Michel

202-885-8582

amichel@wesleyseminary.edu

Ken Millian

202-342-9482

kymillian@gmail.com

Charlie Parker

202-363-4900

cparker@mmumc-dc.org

Phil Potter

202-338-7926

phil.potter@verizon.net

Pam Settlage

301-641-2468

pam.settlage@LFG.com

Joyce Shields

703-740-7523

joyceshields@ymail.com

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 Please contact the church office for a complete listing of staff contact information.

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: October 8, 2010

NEXT DEADLINE: Noon on October 5, 2010 8