United Methodist Women

UMW Newsletter THE METROPOLITAN CHURCH

May, 2015 Metropolitan Memorial, St. Luke’s & Wesley United Methodist Churches 202-363-4900 (MMUMC office)

Mark Your Calendar May 11 M

UMW Board Mtg (7-8:30pm, Conference Rm)

15-17 F-Su

Charter for Racial Justice Seminar

18 M

AARP mtg (1pm, Vestry)

23 Sa

Greater Washington District UMW Prayer Breakfast (9am, Great Hall)

Table Of Contents Reflections

pg 2

UMW News

3-8

Metropolitan News

9-11

Circles

11

Appendix

12-14

Attachments, forms

end

July 29-Aug 2

National Seminar, Chicago

31-Aug 2

Mission U, Bethesda

UMW Board Mtg (7-8:30pm, Conference Rm)

September 14 M

UMW Board Mtg (7-8:30pm, Conference Rm)

27 Su

UMW Sunday

November 7 Sa

UMW Bazaar

December 6 Su

 Mission U information (p. 3)  Calls for volunteers & advocacy

August 24 M

Highlights

District Prayer Breakfast (p. 4) Family detention issues (p. 7-8)  Recap of Wesley Circle meeting (p. 4)  Great Day of Service Recap (p. 5) Photos (Appendix p. 12-14)  Start thinking about the Bazaar! (p. 6)

UMW Recognition Sunday

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 1 of 14

UMW News

Reflections

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2015/12/image/a/ NASA Unveils Celestial Fireworks as Official Hubble 25th Anniversary Image. The sparkling centerpiece of Hubble's silver anniversary fireworks is a giant cluster of about 3,000 stars called Westerlund 2, named for Swedish astronomer Bengt Westerlund, who discovered the grouping in the 1960s. The cluster resides in a raucous stellar breeding ground known as Gum 29, located 20,000 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Carina.

"There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~ Albert Einstein “The idea that there's a force of love and logic behind the universe is overwhelming to start with, if you believe it. Actually, maybe even far-fetched to start with, but the idea that that same love and logic would choose to describe itself as a baby born in straw and poverty is genius, and brings me to my knees, literally. To me, as a poet, I am just in awe of that. It makes some sort of poetic sense. It's the thing that makes me a believer, though it didn't dawn on me for many years.� ~ Bono, U2 lead singer Christianity Today by Cathleen Falsani, March 1, 2003 http://www.atu2.com/news/bonos-american-prayer.html http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/marchweb-only/2.38.html Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 2 of 14

UMW News

UMW Recognition Luncheon - Nominations Needed Each year the UMW celebrates four outstanding women who have made significant contributions to our church, the community, and embody the spirit of United Methodist Women. The Recognition Luncheon will be held December 6, 2015. We are seeking nominations for honorees and need your input. Since we prefer to honor women not previously recognized, please see Page 6 of your new 2015 UMW Directory, which lists people who have already received this honor. Should you not have a Directory, a list of previously recognized women is also available, upon request, from Carol or Sandy (see below). To nominate someone, please contact Carol Schleicher - rschlei@verizon.net, or Sandy Yeager - syeager42@yahoo.com.

Charter for Racial Justice Seminar May 15-17, 2015 The Baltimore Washington Conference UMW is holding a Charter for Racial Justice Seminar from May 15 - 17, 2015, at Blackstone United Methodist Conference Center, Blackstone, VA. Please e-mail MetroUMW@gmail.com or contact a UMW board member if you are interested in attending. Our Unit has set aside funds for UMW regional meetings and we may be able to provide some financial support (e.g., registration fees).

For potential bus transportation contact Pamela Randall at (410)257-7132.

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Mission U July 31 - August 2, 2015 Start thinking about Mission U – It’s closer than you think!

July 31 – Aug 2, 2015 THE BETHESDA MARRIOTT 5151 Pooks Hill Road Bethesda, MD 20814 This year’s three areas of study:  Created for Happiness: Understanding your life in God  Latin America: People and Faith  Social Issue: The Church and People with Disabilities Early bird rates close on June 30, general registrations due by July 11. See attached brochure at the end of this newsletter.

Some scholarship support available, contact MetroUMW@gmail.com or Jeanie Mah

Page 3 of 14

UMW News

GREATER WASHINGTON DISTRICT ANNUAL PRAYER BREAKFAST Theme: “Welcomed by God – Welcoming All”

Saturday, May 23 9am-noon Many volunteers are needed to help our unit host the Greater Washington District Annual Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, May 23, 9am- 12pm. This event traditionally draws nearly 100 UMW members from across our District so if you are in town that Saturday, we need you: advance egg casserole-makers, greeters, breakfast décor and set-up, kitchen support, program support and clean-up. A sign-up genius will be sent out soon. Meanwhile, contact Helene Lilly j718hel@aol.com or others on the planning team: Ann Michel, Mary Jo Marchant and Ellen Bachman, to find out how you can be involved in this monumental event. See the full flyer attached at the end of this newsletter.

Volunteers helping on May 23rd do not need to register.

Expanding the UMW Circle On April 12th, a group of eleven women met in the Library of Wesley UMC to talk about the history of our national UMW, our unit at Metropolitan and the interests and UMW experiences of each person sitting around the table. It was a wonderful time to learn about each other and begin to dream about how we can work together to support women and children and therefore transform the world. Circle formation at Wesley has begun – hallelujah! A Circle name has yet to be chose, and it was noted that “Circle One” is still up for grabs! Special thanks go to Helene Lilly for setting up this much anticipated meeting.

If you would like more information about the Circle starting up at Wesley, contact Helene at j718hel@aol.com.

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 4 of 14

UMW News Great Day of Service Recap Thank you to all who pitched in to make the 2015 Great Day of Service on April 25 th so worthwhile. The fruits of our labors at St. Luke’s Mission Center included:  At least 100 Bags of Grace to be distributed at the Welcome Center of Friendship Place. Each bag contained a turkey and cheese sandwich, a bottle of water, a granola bar and a baggie of cookies.  72 Outreach bags for Courtney’s House, containing a bottle of water, chips, fruit gummy snacks, a breakfast bar and a pack of gum.  60 “Good morning, Sunshine!” bags for the children served by A Brighter Day Ministries and their families. Each bag contained a comb, hairbrush, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, washcloth and soap with a soap box.  46 watercolor cards painted with love for the Birthday Card ministry, which reaches out to seniors of the Metropolitan community.  Dozens of onions, apples and carrots chopped for future Campus Kitchen meals.

Chef Anthony was overheard saying that a week’s worth of prep work was accomplished in 3 hours!

Our unit budgeted $1,000 for Great Day of Service supplies, but many items were donated by members. …And that’s not all! Our fearless volunteers who represented our UMW at the DC Diaper Bank warehouse in Silver Spring helped bundle 6,025 diapers during their 3 hour stint.

Bundles of 25 diapers get distributed through partners like Bread for the City and Bright Beginnings. Find out more from Cindy Love, Susan Roach, Ellen Bachman, Anita Seline or Penny Andrews.

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who set us up for success: Chef Anthony -- who arrived early to prepare a hot breakfast for the St. Luke’s volunteers, Rev. Dottie Yunger and Leigh Finnegan (Campus Kitchen); Anita Seline for facilitating the diaper bank opportunity; Suzanne Forsyth and Alex McPherron (Bags of Grace); Cynthia Pugh, Connie Sommers, Anita Seline, Martha Mizroch and Caralee Adams (Good Morning, Sunshine); Suzanne Vieth (Courtney’s House) and Jeanie Mah (Birthday Cards). ~ Jeanie

For more pictures, see the Appendix

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 5 of 14

UMW News UMW Bazaar Saturday, November 7, 2015 With the book sale behind us, it must be time to start thinking about the November Bazaar.

In JUNE, we can begin dropping things off next to the UMW closet. If you have to donate before then, please contact Bazaar Coordinator Barbara Gaskill so she can put things away (email BETQGaskill@gmail.com) There will be more about pricing sessions, other bazaar preparations, and what else you might be able to do to help, in the June newsletter.

What can you donate? What’s for sale? All manner of gently-used items, such as: Things for the kitchen / China and other Collectibles / Puzzles and games / “Attic Treasures” / Christmas decorations / New and like-new items for the Gifts boutique / Hand-made crafts / Accessories, Scarves, Belts, Handbags. All of the preceding

categories may be dropped off at any time outside the UMW closet beginning in June. 

Jewelry (must be delivered to the church office, not to the UMW closet area)



Boutique-quality ladies’ wear such as jackets, sweaters and gowns (please hold on

to these for now; do not drop with other donations outside the UMW closet area since we lack appropriate space to store them adequately)

And yes, the Bake Sale and Meals-to-go, as well as Lunch on site featuring our renowned Harvest Soup and more, will continue! Also continuing will be the Alternative Gifts table, where you may purchase a gift that will directly support a specific UMW-sponsored project.

What we don’t take: 

No furniture (we have neither storage nor display space)



No used electronics or old phones (these don't sell well)



No books (Save them for the spring book sale; we don't have



No clothing (Except for Boutique-quality ladies’ jackets,

storage space to take them now. The only exception: We will take children's books for sale in the children's section at the bazaar. Again, children's books only.) sweaters, and gowns. See above. But again, don't drop these at the UMW closet -- we don't have good storage space for these.)

For more information contact Barbara Gaskill at BETQGaskill@gmail.com

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 6 of 14

UMW News UMW Advocacy This call to advocacy was just received from Carol Barton, the United Methodist Women’s national executive for Community Action and coordinator for Immigrant & Civil Rights.

This is just one way the UMW uses our resources to mobilize for social justice.

New UMW Campaign to End Family Detention Greetings to you in this time of resurrection! We want to let you know about the United Methodist Women Campaign to End Family Detention, part of our Immigrant & Civil Rights Initiative. This new campaign provides continuity inour ongoing efforts to end detention and deportation and stop dividing families. It also builds on United Methodist Women members’ compassionate response last summer to Central American women and children refugees fleeing violence at home.

Since that time the Obama Administration has reconstituted large-scale family detention in three sites: Berks County, PA; Dilley, TX and Karnes, TX. United Methodist Women members in Austin had worked hard to successfully end family detention at Hutto detention center several years ago. Now it is back and growing. Both Dilley and Karnes are privately run sites, and Dilley is built to house over 2000 people. Those detained are mothers and children, including infants and toddlers through teens, who are being treated as criminals when they have come seeking asylum. Some have faced sexual abuse. Some children are refusing to eat and facing health problems.

Our long term effort to End Family Detention involves a collaboration with Grassroots Leadership, based in Austin, TX. We are inviting UMW members to screen the video “No Sanctuary: The Big Business of Family Detention” (30 min, which includes Deaconess Cindy Johnson), in circles, unit meetings, coffee hour after church, schools of mission, annual meetings, etc. My office will send a free video and study guide to the first 100 UMW groups that commit to hosting a screening.

For details, see: http://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/what-we-do/service-and-advocacy/missionfocus-issues/global-migration/familydetention This web page includes a hand-out and a letter or postcard to President Obama that members can download, invite people to sign, and mail to the White House. This campaign will also be lifted up in Mission U plenary, in connection to Latin America study. Please consider ways you can use the video and get our members involved.

Our short-term efforts are through a coalition of members of the Detention Watch Network. United Methodist Women national office is a member of DWN. This coalition has organized ten days of action to #End Family Detention from May 1 – May 10, focused on Mother’s Day. Details about this effort can be found on a short-term website that United Methodist Women is co-sponsoring, www.endfamilydetention.org. UMW will be sharing this through our social media. We invite you to share it through your communications networks.

Continued on page 8

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 7 of 14

UMW News Continued from page 7

United Methodist Women members are invited to: 

Go to www.endfamilydetention.org, and sign a petition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Sara Saldaña to end Family Detention. (There are efforts to arrange a meeting with her).



Join the “Thunderclap” on Mother’s Day – this allows all participants to send the same message at the same time through Facebook or Twitter to #End Family Detention. Details will be on United Methodist Women social media and at www.endfamilydetention.org



Via the website www.endfamilydetention.org, see if there are vigils or rallies on May 2 to coincide with the UMW rally at the Dilley Family Detention Center in Dilley, TX. UMW members are traveling from Brownsville, Houston and Austin. We are collaborating with Good Neighbor National Mission Institution, Justice for Our Neighbors, the General Board of Church and Society, and Hispanic/Latino Ministries of the United Methodist Church.

In addition to this site, there are other ways United Methodist Women members can get involved in very tangible ways. These include:  

Support backpacks through the Interfaith Welcome Coalition of San Antonio for families released from detention and left in the downtown bus station (details on ecumenical handout, attached at end of Newsletter) Send Mother’s Day cards to women in Dilley Family Detention center, via Church World Service (details on ecumenical handout, attached at end of Newsletter)

Last week United Methodist Women General Secretary, Harriett Jane Olson signed a Faith Leaders’ letter to President Obama urging him to end family detention. She shared this with UMW Conference presidents and our national Program Advisory Group, inviting them to sign and to share with others. We are happy to say that the call to faith leaders includes lay women in United Methodist Women! Please consider signing (electronically) and sharing with others. Deadline is May 1. Ecumenical partners are seeking a meeting with the White House office of faith initiatives to present this letter, and the number of signers will be visible on a sign at the Dilley, TX rally. Here is the link to sign: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Qt4idWyrbrcntdsKg5jdiK4rCStIZkN0QBc5VaIDM8/viewform Thank you for all you do in ministry to women, youth and children. We are so grateful for your witness!

Blessings!

Carol Barton Executive for Community Action Coordinator, Immigrant & Civil Rights Initiative Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 8 of 14

Metropolitan & Community News

Lunch and More May 21, noon, Great Hall UMW ladies please come and join us May 21 (the third Thursday of the month) at noon in the Great Hall for lunch followed by fellowship time which can be Bridge, Games, or a Film. Cost $5. Food from Lidos. Reservations not required. Just come and enjoy.

Contact Phyllis Kokus pkokus@aol.com or Mary Jo Marchant mjmarchant@verizon.net.

AARP Meeting May 18, 1pm

Please join us on Monday, May 18 in the Vestry. Nancy Weinberg, a physical therapist at Sibley Memorial Hospital, will give a program on fall prevention. Social time is at 12:30 p.m., and the meeting starts at 1:00.

Refreshments will be served.

Educational Opportunities Tour trip to Italy with EO Tours November 3 – 12, 2015 Dear Friends, My name is Esther Barkat. I have recently joine d Metropolitan church. My husband and I moved to Springfield Virginia from West Virginia where my husband served UM Churches for 45 years. At present he is a part time pastor at St. Luke’s UMC in Falls Church, Virginia. I am a retired psychology professor. I have been very active in UMW since 1973. At this point I am serving on UMW organization Board of Directors.

My husband and I are hosting a trip to Italy in November and would like to invite you to come and join us on this part religious part pleasure journey.

I am attaching a brochure (IT15_14180_Barkat_Layout 1.pdf) that would explain the trip and all the expenses. If you have any question, please contact me at eunica99@aol.com. http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/italy-2015#eotours Blessings, Esther Barkat

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 9 of 14

Metropolitan & Community News

Food for Thought Spring 2015 Wednesday evening adult Christian formation programs Dinner 6 pm; Classes 7 pm Childcare available by request Food for Thought: Every Wednesday, Every Week Every Wednesday evening, everyone is welcome to a community dinner in the Vestry between 6 and 7 pm. Enjoy a chef-prepared meal with friends old and new. Dinner is $7 per adult, $4 per child, with a maximum of $20 per family. AU students pay what you can. Reservations are appreciated for planning purposes; to reserve your meal, go to http://www.nationalchurch.org/Learning/Adult#wednesday.

After you feed your body, feed your mind and soul with a mid-week study. Food for Thought features two different study opportunities: a Bible study and a topical study.

Studies change monthly, so you can choose a Bible study one month and a topical study the next, without missing pieces of either.

The Bible study is led by Bob Olson, co-chair of the Learning Pillar, and Rev. Charlie Parker, the senior pastor of the Metropolitan Church. Topical studies will be led by different individuals throughout the year.

Upcoming sessions: Session 9: May 6-27, 2015 Bible Study: The Acts of the Apostles In this sequel to the Gospel of Luke, the writer tells of the birth of the early church, the ministry of Peter, the conversion and missionary journeys of Paul, and the activity of the Holy Spirit as Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire. With healings and miracles, persecution and suffering, contentious church dinners, shipwrecks, snakes and trials, the Acts of the Apostles tells a fascinating story of our beginnings as a faith.

Topical Study: “Understanding Islam�

Led by Dr. Homayra Ziad According to the Pew Research Center, there are more than 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, making Islam the second largest religion globally. Islamic extremists dominate the headlines, but what do we really know about Islam? Dr. Homayra Ziad will lead us through a study of the origins and central beliefs of Islam, and explain the differences between various sects of Islam. She will also discuss the role of women in Islam, and the Muslim experience in the United States.

Homayra Ziad is the Muslim Scholar at the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, and formerly Assistant Professor of Religion at Trinity College in Hartford.

After receiving her first degree from Bryn Mawr, she earned a doctorate in Islamic Studies from Yale. Dr. Ziad is deeply involved in interreligious education, as well as interfaith Continued on page 11 Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 10 of 14

Metropolitan & Community News

Continued from page 10

initiatives and educational outreach on Islam. She is recently co-founder and co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Interreligious and Interfaith Studies Group, and an editor for Palgrave’s upcoming series Interreligious Studies in Theory and Practice. Dr. Ziad finds a home in Scriptural Reasoning and Jewish-Muslim and Abrahamic dialogue.

She works regularly on projects of inter-religious learning with Andover Newton Theological School and Hebrew College in Boston, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College of Philadelphia, and the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. She is a member of the WISE Women’s Shura Council, co-author of a fatwa against domestic violence, and a contributor to the Huffington Post’s HuffJummah. She is working on two books, the first on the intersections of spirituality and literary aesthetics in the work of the eighteenthcentury Sufi theologian and poet of Delhi Khwajah Mir Dard, and the second a popular work on Islam and humor. Dr. Ziad is inspired in her work by spiritual and pluralist traditions within Islam.

Circles 2

Circle 2 will meet for our annual “Book Club” at Suzanne Clewell’s on Wednesday, May 13th at 10:00. All are invited. Contact Jane Cunningham, jtc3rd@aol.com, 703-821-3486 or Charlotte Carter, char.carter@cox.net.

6

Here is the circle six May meeting announcement, please feel free to attend circle eight's too! "End of Season Celebration"!! May will be our last meeting until September.

Please join in with your favorite dessert, a favorite book you read this year and come with suggestions for programs next year. We will meet May 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the parlor.

Questions or suggestions, Mary Jo Marchant, mjmarchant@verizon.net or Ann Michel, amichel@wesleyseminary.edu.

8

The program for Circle 8 will be an organ demonstration by Bruce Caviness. We'll meet in the parlor at 7:30 on Tuesday May 5th. Everyone is welcome. Contact Eugenia Evans, setevens@comcast.net

9

Circle 9 will meet on Wednesday, May 6 at 10:30 a.m. at Forest Hills (formerly the Methodist Home). Mary Walker will tell us and show us pictures about her family’s around-the-world sailing trip. Please contact Bobby Turnbull, bobbyturnbull@comcast.net.

10

Sunday, May 17 – 4:30-6 p.m. Gather in the Great Hall for the art exhibit and reception, followed by our own meeting in the Parlor from 4-5 to talk about summer – past memories, future plans, gems to do with kids in the city, travel tips, etc. Contact Caralee Adams caralee.adams@verizon.net or Suzanne Vieth msvieth@verizon.net

The next UMW Board Meeting will be held May 11, 2015.

Newsletter prepared by Alexandra McPherron. To add items to the next newsletter, email alexmcph@gmail.com by Wednesday, May 27, 2014.

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 11 of 14

Appendix

UMW Great Day of Service 2015

Making care packages: Rachael Goldman-Gorbutt, Suzanne Vieth & Alison Daifuku (top) Joan Davenport, Connie Sommers & Holly Adams? (left)

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : April 2015

Page 12 of 14

Appendix

Our work: Watercolor greeting cards for Birthday Card Ministry (top) A very tiny example of one of the 6,025 diapers bundled at the DC Diaper Bank (left)

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 13 of 14

Appendix

Before

After

DC Diaper Bank: Penny Andrews, Susan Roach, Ellen Bachman, Cindy Love, Anita Seline (top right) Susan Roach, Ellen Bachman & Penny Andrews (right)

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : May 2015

Page 14 of 14

WELCOME Come join the Board of Global Ministries and United Methodist Women for spiritual growth and to expand your knowledge and concepts of mission. The 2015 studies are: Created for Happiness: Understanding your life in God - The early Methodist tradition used the language of happiness often. Not only did John Wesley preach and teach about happiness but his brother Charles wrote hymns about happiness that the early Methodist sang.

The happiness they sought was happiness in God. This study examines the understanding of happiness.

Latin America: People and Faith is an overview of the richness of Latin America and its people for readers on the North America continent. The study examines the history of the region pre-Columbian times until colonization and the struggle for independence. It

also explores the current challenge of the nations, along with their rich art, culture and the ongoing contributions of women.

Social Issue: The Church and People with Disabilities - Unlike other categories of human experience, disability crosses all lines of gender, orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic position, age, and culture. People with typical bodies can be thought of as temporarily able-bodied because disabilities can happen at any time to anyone. The intent of these mission studies is to promote awareness, inclusion, accessibility and advocacy for people with disabilities — including youth and children.

REGISTRATION Please complete each line. Will need an email address to send confirmation.

REGISTRATION / MEAL INFO.

NAME STREET ADDRESS CITY STATE

ZIP

PHONE

Registration begins at 10 AM on Friday, July 31.. Opening worship will begin at 12:30 PM with the first class to follow.

The MISSION u event will conclude around 2:30 PM on Sunday, August 2. Meal Plan: 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners. Commuters receive 3 lunches and 2 dinners.

Single (one person) Double (2 in a room) Triple (3 in a room) Quad (4 in a room) Commuter rate

Postmarked before 6-30-2015

DISTRICT

Select one of the studies below

ACCOMMODATIONS Rooms

EMAIL

Postmarked after 6-30-2015 thru 7-11-2015

$395 $285 $250 $230 $175

$420 $310 $275 $255 $200

Included in the cost is an $75 non-refundable registration fee.

____Latin America - or - ____ Church/Disabilities

Health/Dietary Concerns ___________________________________

Accommodations __ Interpreter __Sign __Language________ __Tactile __ Mobility

Room Choice ____single ____double ____triple ____ commuter

____quad

No registrations accepted or refunds given after 7-11-2015

AMOUNT ENCLOSED ______________Ck #__________

The above costs are for EACH PERSON sharing a room.

The School will not assign roommates. Separate registration forms are required for each person.

Roommates should send information together.

___________________________________

Include payment in full with check payable to “SOCM” and send to: Zilpha Pinkney, 6705 Eilerson Street, Clinton, MD 20735 Questions? Contact Zilpha at 301-868-8324 or zapinkney@yahoo.com

ROOMMATE (s) ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Laity __ Clergy __ Female __ Male __ 1ST TIME TO MISSION U? Yes ___ No ___ United Methodist Woman? Yes ___ No ___ If an officer, list position Are you applying for CEU’s? Yes ___ No ___

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SIDE

STATISTICAL INFORMATION Youth chaperone _____ Christian educator ______ Member of Missions/Outreach for local church, District or Conference? Yes ___ No ___ .

2015 MISSION u OFFICERS DEAN Rev. Frankie Revell Revellfa@gmail.com ASSISTANT DEAN Colleen Cates craftyme53@yahoo.com DEAN, YOUTH SCHOOL Minister Michael Parker michaelaparker2@yahoo.com REGISTRAR Zilpha Pinkney zapinkney@yahoo.com

Zilpha Pinkney 6705 Eilerson St Clinton, MD 20735

THE BETHESDA MARRIOTT 5151 Pooks Hill Road Bethesda, MD 20814 GOOGLE: MARRIOTT BETHESDA MD POOKS HILL

Sponsored by United Methodist Women and Conference Board of Global Ministries

GREATER WASHINGTON DISTRICT ANNUAL PRAYER BREAKFAST Theme: “Welcomed by God – Welcoming All” Metropolitan Memorial/St. Luke’s/Wesley UMC 3401 Nebraska Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016 Rev. Charles A. Parker, Pastor Jeanie Mah, President, United Methodist Women

May 23, 2015 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Topic: Confirming the Community of Faith as Prayer Stations In our World ************************************ Geraldine Whitley, President, Greater Washington District-UMW Elizabeth Mitchell Stemley, President, BWC-UMW Mission Team Rev. Joseph W. Daniels, Jr., District Superintendent Rev. Dr. Marcus Matthews, Resident Bishop

Registration: $10.00 per person - Please register by May 7, 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Registration Form Annual Prayer Breakfast, May 23, 2015 Name --------------------------------------------Number of Persons---------------------Address------------------------------------------Amt. of Payment ------------------------Telephone---------------------------------------E-Mail-------------------------------------Church Affiliation----------------------------------------------------------------------------Please make check /money order payable to: GWD District Treasurer-UMW Mail to: Wilhelmina Goff, GWD Treasurer, 1716 Albert Drive, Mitchellville, MD 20721.

Wg20721@verizon.net

There are A LOT of ways that you can help END FAMILY DETENTION Support families in Dilley with Bibles, Cards, and Prayers   

Encourage kids and moms with gifts of Children or Adult Spanish Bibles. Find out how to donate here: http://bit.ly/1DqbSQp Write “Angel to Angel” Cards of Care to children and mothers in detention: http://bit.ly/1DO4T5X Participate in a Prayer Vigil for children and mothers in Dilley on April 22nd. See flyer at: http://bit.ly/1z0dknj

Sign the Faith Leaders Open Letter, and recruit other faith leaders to sign on as well. 

 

The letter begins: “We, the undersigned faith leaders, write to you with grave concern about the practice of family detention in the United States. We oppose family detention on the grounds that it is immoral, inhumane, and unnecessary. We call upon the Administration to immediately halt the practice of family detention and employ alternatives that allow children freedom and dignity while they await due process.”

You can see the whole letter and sign it at http://bit.ly/1G0qCWQ We’ll be delivering this letter to the White House in early May and hope to have hundreds of signatures from the faith community!

Come to Dilley, TX on May 2 (or join a solidarity action in your city!) 

 

On May 2, come gather outside of the Dilley Family Detention Compound to support the mothers and children on the inside, and to protest the use of family detention. The day will begin with a march and culminate in a rally in front of the center led by families affected by detention. Faith groups will have a strong presence at the event.

You can find out more information, register, and ask questions here: http://bit.ly/1GMonr3 Build momentum for the Week of Action through Mother’s Day; find social media ideas and templates; and sign a petition to ICE Director, Sarah Saldaña, calling for an end to family detention here; here: http://www.endfamilydetention.org or contact Aurea Martinez (amartinez@detentionwatchnetwork.org)

Host a film screening 

Host a house-party or church gathering to screen the 30 minute video by Grassroots Leadership, No Sanctuary: Big Business and Family Detention. There is an accompanying study guide for group discussion. Contact Cristina Parker (cparker@grassrootsleadership.org) at Grassroots Leadership for a copy of the film and the study guide.

Call your Representative or Senator  

Find your Senators’ contact information at: http://1.usa.gov/KxiTHC. Find out who your Representative is and his/her contact information at: http://1.usa.gov/1e8pAws. Suggested script: My name is _____ calling from _____. I am a [name of your faith community] and a constituent, and I oppose immigrant family detention. Central American families held in DHS custody are seeking protection from violence, trafficking, and domestic violence. Children require specialized medical, educational, and legal support that detention facilities cannot provide. I hope you will publicly speak out against family detention and contact the White House to express your alarm over this practice. I want to see the Karnes, Dilley and Berks family detention centers closed, and the use of family detention ended.

Send a postcard to President Obama 

Organize your Sunday School class, committee, or entire church to send postcards. To request a batch of postcards, contact Mary Small (msmall@detentionwatchnetwork.org; 202-350-9057).

Sponsor a refugee backpack 



The Interfaith Welcome Coalition provides families who are released from detention with basic supplies as they begin their long bus trips to reunite with loved ones around the United States. An average trip is two days on a bus with several stops in between, and mothers often have several children to feed, with little or no money.

It costs $25 to provide one family with these supplies; help us fill a Refugee Backpack by sponsoring one with a donation of $25 here: http://www.raicestexas.org/pages/backpack

Get educated about family detention and share what you learn      

The Interfaith Immigration Coalition’s Toolkit: http://bit.ly/1FsQKGa Backgrounder from Detention Watch Network: http://bit.ly/1MHflwO The Shame of America's Family Detention Camps from the New York Times Magazine: http://nyti.ms/1IMvI8U Locking Up Family Values, Again; Report by Women’s Refugee Commission and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service: http://lirs.org/familyvalues/ For-Profit Family Detention: Meet the Private Prison Corporations Making Millions by Locking Up Refugee Families; Report by Grassroots Leadership: http://bit.ly/1I0vqha Share what you learn via social media by using: #EndFamilyDetention