UMW Newsletter

UMW Newsletter THE METROPOLITAN CHURCH

December, 2014 Metropolitan Memorial, St. Luke’s & Wesley United Methodist Churches 202-363-4900 (MMUMC office)

Table Of Contents

Mark Your Calendar December

pg 11

Reflections

pg 2

2 Tu

Giving Tuesday

8M

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

14 Su

UMW Recognition Lunch

15 M

AARP Holiday Luncheon

24 W

Christmas Eve

25 Th

Christmas Day

 UMW Diaper Drive through Dec 14 (p. 4)

8M

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

 UMW Reading Program books in the church library (p. 6)

22 Th

Jana’s Campaign (7pm, AU campus)

UMW News

2-10

Metropolitan News

11-13

3

Circles

14

13

Appendix

15

Highlights

January

5

 Bazaar Wrap-Up (p. 7)

February 6–8 F-Su

Women’s Retreat PriestField

9M

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

17 Tu

Shrove Tuesday

March 8M

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

14 Sa

UMW Book Sale

May 16 Sa

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

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UMW News

Women’s Retreat at PriestField February 6-8, 2015

UMW Book Sale Save the Date!

March 14, 2015

Priest Field Pastoral Center 4030 Middleway Pike, Kearneysville, WV

Details to Follow….

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UMW News

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN RECOGNITION LUNCHEON Sunday, December 14, 12:30 pm, Great Hall We are pleased to announce that four outstanding women have been selected for special recognition at our annual recognition event in December. As always, there are many women in our church who contribute in countless ways. The four women we will recognize this year are Jane Cunningham, Barbara Green, Cynthia Pugh, and Joyce Shields. Each one of these women has made significant contributions to our church, to our community and beyond. We look forward to hearing more about each of their achievements and contributions at the Recognition Luncheon on December 14, at 12:30 pm in the Great Hall. In addition, we will welcome new UMW members, recognize babies born in our church family this year, as well as honor the lives of women in our church family who passed away within the last year.

A catered luncheon will be served. A donation of $10 is suggested for UMW members; guests are free. This annual event promises to be a special day of celebration for all women in the Metropolitan Memorial Church community.

If you have questions, please contact Carol Schleicher, rschlei@verizon.net or Sandy Yeager, syeager42@yahoo.com

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UMW News Diaper Drive through December 14 Every year as part of our Recognition Sunday in December, The United Methodist Women of Metropolitan dedicate flowers on the altar to the women in our church community who have passed from our midst during the previous year. We also dedicate a gift to mission in honor of the babies who have been born into our church community during the previous year. This year, our mission gift will take the form of a “diaper and baby supply drive” on behalf of the DC Diaper Bank. The DC Diaper Bank distributes diapers and supplies through partners like Bread for the City, Bright Beginnings, the Polaris Project, and Sasha Bruce Youthworks.

WHY DIAPERS?  Families that are not able to afford an adequate supply of clean diapers often must leave their babies in a single diaper all day, which can result in diaper rash and other detrimental health issues.  Nonprofits working with families and individuals consistently list diapers as an ongoing and high priority need. Despite this need, government food subsidies do not cover the cost of diapers or other hygienic supplies.  The pain that a parent or caregiver feels at not being able to meet their children’s basic needs adds stress and tension to the already difficult task of parenting.  Babies exposed to stressful environments for long periods of time are affected negatively both  Excessive crying, often the result of diaper rash or discomfort, is the number one cause of child abuse.

Beginning Sunday, Nov. 30, and culminating at the Recognition Luncheon on Dec. 14, we will be collecting the following items – look for the baby-themed boxes!  Diapers of all sizes, but sizes 4 and up and pull-ups are most needed  Opened packages of diapers are OK, but please label the size and # of diapers left  Unopened, unexpired formula, diaper wipes, and diaper cream  Unopened baby shampoo, bubble bath, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other baby hygiene items  New toddler underwear  New bottles/nipples/teethers  New and gently used board books  New and gently used sleepsacks If you can help tally up the number of diapers after the luncheon on Dec. 14 th, please contact MetroUMW@gmail.com.

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UMW News Love Shouldn't Hurt Exploring Relationship and Gender Violence with Jana's Campaign Thursday, January 22, 2015, at 7pm, Gianni Lounge, American University (Gianni Lounge is in Conference Room 200 of the Mary Graydon Center)

The United Methodist Women, along with the PEERS group of American University, is hosting an evening with Curt Brungardt of Jana’s Campaign, on Thursday, January 22, at 7pm in Gianni Lounge on the AU campus.

In 2008, Jana Mackey was found dead in her ex-boyfriend's home. The 25-year-old KU law student was an advocate for women's rights and had spent years volunteering to aid victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. In honor of Jana and other victims of domestic violence, a committed group of activists created Jana's Campaign with the single mission of reducing gender and relationship violence. Jana’s Campaign seeks to reduce and respond to gender violence by pursuing a strategy built on six program areas. Through public awareness and community action; education, prevention and intervention; public policy advocacy; campus action; and engaging men and boys to reduce gender violence, the Campaign’s goal is to play a significant role and be a catalyst for real change.

Our speaker, Curt Brungardt, is Jana’s stepfather and a founder of Jana’s Campaign. We learned about the organization through Elizabeth Landau, who also attended KU law school and is a board member of the Campaign.

PEERS are American University's Peer Educators for the Elimination of Relationship and Sexual Violence. They run educational workshops for students at AU to raise awareness about dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking. Ultimately, their goal is to promote a culture of love and consent.

Although we are hosting this event at AU to promote participation among younger women, we as aunts, mothers, teachers, confidantes, grandparents and great-grandparents also need to be aware of how we can build strategies that protect ourselves and those we love.  The UMW will be providing refreshments to encourage a large audience at this event. Please e-mail MetroUMW@gmail.com if you can contribute some munchies or drinks.

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UMW News UMW Reading Program 2015 The following books are available in the church library as part of the 2015 UMW Reading Program. Stop by and check one out!

Education for Mission: Chasing Chaos: My Decade In and Out of Humanitarian Aid

by Jessica Alexander What’s So Blessed About Being Poor? Seeking the Gospel in the Slums of Kenya by L. Susan Slavin and Coralis Salvador Spiritual Growth: No Longer Silent: The Empowerment of Women in the Gospels by Susan Dehn Matthews Praying to Change Your Life: A Guide to Productive Prayer by Suzette T. Caldwell The Seven Paths: Changing One’s Way of Walking in the World by the Anasazi Foundation Eat With Joy: Redeeming God’s Gift of Food by Rachel Marie Stone Social Action: Americanah: A Novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ecoliterate: How Educators Are Cultivating Emotional, Social and Ecological Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Lisa Bennett and Zenobia Barlow Kind of Kin: A Novel by Rilla Askew Leadership Development: Fulfilled: Living and Leading With Unusual Wisdom, Peace and Joy by Kirk Byron Jones Sum It Up: 1,098 Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses and a Life in Perspective by Pam Summitt Nurturing for Community: Across Many Mountains: A Tibetan Family’s Epic Journey From Oppression to Freedom

by Yangzom Brauen The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe January First: A Child’s Descent Into Madness and Her Father’s Struggle to Save Her by Michael Schofield

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UMW News UMW Bazaar, Updated Wrap-Up What a bazaar! The parking lot was full from before our 8:00 a.m. opening and it remained full until after 2:00 o'clock. All those listserve postings by so many of you really paid off! And, as you already know, we certainly had sufficient inventory for our shoppers this year.

So, drum roll, please. Including the jewelry pre-bazaar sale and the post-bazaar "better leftovers" sale, we took in over $18,000. That's huge. To everyone who donated and sorted and priced, to those who worked set-up and the bazaar itself, to those who baked and knitted and sewed and shopped, and to all who helped with clean-up on Saturday as well as at the very end on Sunday -- THANK YOU. You made it happen.

In terms of expenses, we need to pay our wonderful Rafael Reyes and his crew of helpers of course, the Northwest Current block ad must be paid for, and the costs of the lunch supplies must be reimbursed. But that's about it. Most other supplies are donated by our members, and most of the advertising we do is free (or is low-cost, with the amounts covered privately by our members). With a few checks and a few reimbursement receipts dribbling in from here and there, totals are not yet final. But suffice it to say that we will have a VERY healthy sum to spread around amongst the worthy projects we support which benefit the welfare of women and children locally, nationally and globally!

It was indeed a day of celebration. As always, it was wonderful to have so many giving of their time, working and shopping and sharing in the fellowship of the day. Thank you especially to our section leaders -- Bobby Turnbull (sorting & pricing), Diane Moody (Attic Treasures), Alison Daifuku (Jewelry), Connie McWorkman (Jacket Mania), Kitchen Items (Charlotte Carter), Suzanne Vieth (Accessories), Collectibles (Ann Cochran), Alternative Gifts (Caralee Adams), Clean-Up (Ellen Bachman) and Pick-Up of Leftovers (Ann Michel), Lunch & Bake Sale (Circle 6 co-leaders Mary Jo Marchant/Ann Michel)), Clem Gaskill (Security), Treasurer (Mary Rollefson) -- and the fine teams they pulled together.

Thank you as well to those who pitched in at the Gifts & Crafts and Children's boutiques to help make them happen, despite a lack of official leadership for those areas.

We're praying for two women to step into these roles next year! Things go so Sorting donations: much more smoothly when there's a designated "point Lorraine Marsh with turkey person." Also, while the Christmas section is officially part of Attic Treasures, donations in that category have been so generous during the past couple of seasons that a Christmas section leader

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UMW News (UMW Bazaar Wrap-Up, continued)

Sorting donations: Bobby Turnbull with a fish that sings Christmas carols

may very well be a good idea in the future -- thus, special thanks are due to those who dedicated their efforts to the Christmas tables this year.

"It takes a village" to pull off a major event like this. To the many church "regulars" we can always count on, thank you so much. Special thanks are particularly owed to those who didn't have the time to give and found a way to give it anyway. You all know who you are, and I hope I've had the opportunity to thank you in person. There are so many who come to mind who made new or extra efforts this season.

We couldn't have done it so well without you. Bless you.

That said, in addition to the section leaders named above and in addition to the many others whose names have not been listed but whose faces are before us, knowing full well that I'll undoubtedly miss someone inadvertently, in order to illustrate the broad-ranging community that is Bazaar I will go out on a limb here and share some special causes for rejoicing -

Faces new to bazaar and/or to our congregation who joined us for pricing and setup (Rachel Rogers, Alex McPherron, Rachael Gorbutt, Marilyn Dickenson, Pam Ellsworth), and as bazaar-day workers (Esther Barkat) or leaders (Beth McConnell). From Wesley UMC, Anne Poe for her handmade items donated to Gifts & Crafts, and xxx who joined with the sorting & pricing team on Tuesday mornings.

Non-members from the neighborhood who help every year, Maggie (apologies...her last name escapes me at the moment) and Robin Clement, who is always at the ready for sorting & pricing and for working on bazaar day.



Family from near and far, such as Heidi who helped her mom Connie McWorkman in Fashion Mania, Marian Johnson who helped her daughter Caralee Adams with the Alternative Gifts booth, and Becky Watson (India!) who came in with her cousin Anne Mathews Younes and worked all day in Gifts & Crafts.



AU students who shopped and worked, including Rachel Ternes (whose attendance of the 2014 UMW Quadrennial we sponsored)



Long-time members who can't always make it in to Metropolitan but who came to experience bazaar. It was great to see relatively nearby folks such as Alma Stewart, Kathryn Broderick, Agatha Sigmund, Yolanda Augustine and Jane Bishop. And it was great to see old friends now living elsewhere, including Charlotte Walch (what a surprise!) from the opposite coast. Did I miss anyone here? It was indeed a treat to have you all with us again

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UMW News (UMW Bazaar Wrap-Up, continued) Thanking you for the pleasure of your company and the gifts you bring, signing off for now, Barbara Barbara Gaskill, 2014 UMW Bazaar Coordinator Barbara@bgaskill.com P.S.#1 -- Someone asked me when it's O.K. to start dropping off stuff for next year. Are you kidding? Eek. Let us recover from this one! Seriously, though, random drop-off at the church doesn't begin until June. While very dedicated to the cause, our bazaar volunteers have the next 6 months off and are not "on duty" again until June. However, in special cases, if you can't hold on to the goods until June, do contact the bazaar coordinator directly and it may be possible to help you out with special arrangements of some sort. We do want to help and we do want your stuff; it's just that we can't constantly monitor the closet area year-round. Thanks.

P.S. #2 -- Is there a book sale in early 2015 and if so, when? Yes, and the date selected by the executive committee at the November meeting is -- Saturday, March 14. We're still looking for a coordinator for the event. So, it's not yet time to drop off books. Please stand by. Thanks.

P.S. #3 -- SO many things to be thankful for, I really must continue with: 

Thanks to the Prayer Shawl Ministry members who donated knitted items to the Crafts area



During sorting and pricing, thanks to Addie Owen for her many sewing-related contributions (especially for the gazillions of donated buttons she sorted and sewed onto index-size cards to make them more buyer-appealing); Alex McPherron for sorting the mixed-up rock collection; Charlotte Carter for taking so much of the glassware home to run through her dishwasher; all of the 80+ and 90+ ladies who came in to help (O.K. to age-bracket you? You're an example to us all!) -- Anita Charles, Bonnie Edwards, Lorraine Marsh, Connie McWorkman.



During set-up week, in addition to the leadership mentioned earlier in this document, special thanks to Cynthia Pugh and her daughter Ellie for the many hours they spent in the Children's section; Debbie Gustowski for clearing off the long-neglected Crafts Club cart; Lorraine Marsh and Debbie Gustowski for sorting the huge boxes full of paper and plastic bags for use on bazaar day; Jack Blaylock for polishing donated silver items and for his sense of humor; Carol Griffith, Carol Schleicher and Debbie Gustowski for setting up the Christmas area; .



Great appreciation for the church office staff and volunteers who fielded many bazaar-related questions and requests from June through November and graciously dealt with disruptions to routines , especially Bill Potts and Rafael Reyes.

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UMW News (UMW Bazaar Wrap-Up, continued) 

Thanks to those who gave up their usual spaces when the bazaar took over the ground floor (!) -- the Bible Plus class for turning over the Christie room to Jewelry on pre-sale day, Chancel and Dayspring choirs for giving up their rehearsal space to Attic Treasures during set-up week, and to the Metropolitan Nursery School and other renters who gave up use of the Vestry for a full week.



And yet, there are still others who have not been singled out by name who contributed much. Section leaders, please tell all of those in your respective teams how greatly we value their time and efforts. It takes a village....

 For more pictures from Barbara Gaskill, see the Appendix

Jewelry-Making Group On hiatus until January The Jewelry-Making Group meets the fourth Wednesday of the month after the Community Dinner during Food for Thought classes. For questions, contact Kelly D'Angelo at kellysclothes@aol.com

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Metropolitan & Community News

Move over Black Friday and Cyber Monday Here Comes “Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2)” !

Lillian Wallace, director of the Rural Health and Community Development Clara Swain Hospital in Faridpur, India, and a missionary that our unit has supported, alerted us to an annual opportunity for mission giving, called Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2).

Lillian writes: “Last year on UMC #GivingTuesday … we

received $14,832.55 and thanks in part to those gifts, we were able to develop a village outreach program, buy equipment for cataract surgeries, and subsidize staff salaries.

On December 2, 2014 as part of UMC #GivingTuesday, gifts made to the Clara Swain Hospital through Advance #01075A will be matched. As always, when you give to us through The Advance, 100% of your gift directly supports our ministry; overhead costs are covered through other channels.“ Global Ministries will allocate the matching funds dollar for dollar up to the first $1 million in gifts to Advance projects received online on Dec. 2 between 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. EST Last year on UMC #GivingTuesday, United Methodists collectively raised a record $6.5 million on line in through The Advance. 11,000 individuals and churches in 34 countries gave more than 16,300 gifts to mission and ministries they believe in.

UMC #GivingTuesday is part of an international movement to extend the spirit of giving thanks into the Advent season. It offers an opportunity to start off the holiday season by giving instead of getting by supporting organizations that are transforming the world.

Visit http://www.umcmission.org/give-to-mission/search-for-projects/Advance-Project-Search to search for Advance projects and give.

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Metropolitan & Community News Food for Thought Wednesday evening adult Christian formation programs Dinner 6 pm; Classes 7 pm Childcare available

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 4: December 3-17, 2014 Bible Study: The story of Christmas in Matthew, Luke and John Matthew and Luke are the only two gospels that contain stories of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, and the stories have some significant differences. John doesn’t have a birth story, but opens with a poetic hymn to the pre-existent Christ: “In the beginning was the Word…” Prepare for Christmas by studying these scriptures and seeing what their differences and similarities have to say to us today.

Advent Experience: “The Shade of the Living Light: Walking and Listening with Hildegard of Bingen” As we move toward Christmas, take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season by walking the labyrinth and enjoying the art and music of Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard was a 12th century German nun, abbess, writer, physician, composer, and mystic. Our Great Hall labyrinth will be open 7 pm-8 pm for you to walk, pray, and contemplate at your own pace, with readings, illustrations and music from Hildegard to enhance your Advent preparations.

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Metropolitan & Community News

(Food for Thought upcoming sessions, continued) Session 5: January 7-28, 2015 Bible Study: 2nd Samuel The saga of the Israelite kingdom continues with 2 nd Samuel. King David is on the throne, but all is not well. David vacillates between his desire to please God and his desire to please himself. Political conniving, sex, violence, and betrayal ensue (If you think House of Cards is dark, you need to read 2nd Samuel). Despite his flaws, David is still beloved by God. 2nd Samuel is a saga of the consequences of sin and the power of God’s grace.

Topical Study: “Worthy Before God: An LGBTQ-inclusive theology.” Led by Ahnna Lise Jennings.

This small group will provide a theological basis for what it means to be a reconciling congregation. We will explore what it means to be a reconciling community through Bible study, conversation, service projects, prayer, advocacy, discipleship, and cross campus cooperation. We will discuss what it means to be an LGBTQ person in the Church, and do projects that will help to continue making our community a fully welcoming and inclusive one.

Ahnna Lise Jennings received her Bachelors' degrees in History and Religion, both with focuses on gender studies, from Emory & Henry College in 2012. She was the president of her college's Gay Straight Alliance, and Campus Christian Fellowship where she worked to facilitate cooperation and friendship between the two organizations. She is the current president of the advocacy group Of Sacred Worth at Wesley Theological Seminary, where she is working towards Masters of Divinity .

AARP Holiday Luncheon December 15, noon Please join us at noon on Monday, December 15 in the Vestry for our annual holiday luncheon. The cost is $15.00 per person.

Besides a delicious meal of turkey and all the trimmings, we will have musical entertainment and will sing holiday songs.

Please send your check made out to AARP Chapter 2183 to our treasurer, Bobby Turnbull, 5708 Ridgefield Rd., Bethesda, MD 20816 to arrive by December 11.

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Circles

The Annunciation, 1989 James C. Christensen

2

Contact Jane Cunningham or Charlotte Carter, char.carter@cox.net

6

Christmas is Coming! Please join Ann and I for our annual Christmas Cookie Exchange, December 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the Parlor. Bring a batch or two of your favorite treats to share, don't forget a container to take home your Christmas cheer! We will also watch the DVD, HAPPY, from Academy Award director, Reko Belic, that many missed seeing in October. HAPPY takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real life stories of people from around the world and powerful interviews with the leading scientist in happiness research. HAPPY explores the secrets behind our most values emotion. Some of those interviewed are The Dali Lama, Ed Diener, a world leader in the happiness research, Michael Pritchard. We will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. (so we can have time for sharing at the end; run time: 75 minutes). Questions: Mary Jo Marchant, mjmarchant@verizon.net and Ann Michel, amichel@wesleyseminary.edu

8

Circle 8 will meet in the parlor on Tuesday December 2nd at 7:30pm. It will not be our Christmas meeting. Contact Eugenia Evans,

setevens@comcast.net

9 10

Circle 9 will have our annual Christmas luncheon on Wednesday, December 10 at noon at the home of Connie McWorkman. Please contact Bobby Turnbull, bobbyturnbull@comcast.net Contact Caralee Adams caralee.adams@verizon.net or Suzanne Vieth

msvieth@verizon.net The next UMW Board Meeting will be held December 8, 2014.

Newsletter prepared by Alexandra McPherron. To add items to the next newsletter, email alexmcph@gmail.com by Monday, December 15, 2014 (email version only).

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Appendix

UMW Bazaar 2014 Pictures from Barbara Gaskill

Getting organized

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Appendix

Sorting great finds: Penny Pagano with snake

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Appendix

Setting up in the Vestry: Joyce Shields

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Appendix

Entrance sign for Attic Treasures

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