February 2016

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : January-February 2016 Page 1 of 18

Metropolitan Memorial, St. Luke’s & Wesley

United Methodist Churches

202-363-4900 (MMUMC office)

[email protected]

January pg

24 Su Deadline, Retreat

registration

3

30 Sa DC Stop Modern Slavery

One-Day Conference

(9am-4:40pm, Shiloh

Baptist Church, NW DC)

7

February

4 Th Deadline, UMW Legislative

Seminar registration

6

5-7

F-Su

UWM Women’s Retreat

(Priestfield)

3

10 W Ash Wednesday

17 W Jewelry Group (7pm,

Christie Room)

6

20 Sa GWD UMW Legislative

Seminar (9am-noon, Silver

Spring UMC)

6

March

5 Sa UMW Book Sale 8

27 Su Easter

30 W Jewelry Group (7pm,

Christie Room)

6

June

16-18

F-Su

Northeast Jurisdiction

UMW Quadrennial

Meeting (Syracuse, NY)

Mark Your Calendar The deadline for

registration for the

2016 UMW Retreat

is Sunday, January

24!

See page 3

Highlights Parting Thoughts from our outgoing

UMW President, p. 2

Hello from our 2016-2017 President,

list of new officers and committee

chairs, p. 3-4

Description of UMW Program

Resources, p. 5

Book & Bake Sale help needed, p. 8

Recap of the Recognition Luncheon

& Meeting, p. 9-10

Updates on our charitable giving,

income and thank you letters from

our benevolent giving recipients, p.

11-13

Book review, The Weight of Mercy,

p. 14

Circle info, p. 15

Appendix, p. 16-18

UMW Newsletter THE METROPOLITAN CHURCH

January-February 2016

mailto:[email protected]


UMW News

Reflections

Parting Thoughts

Well, two years have come and gone, and much has changed and much has

not. By the former, I mean that much has changed in me.

When I first joined the UMW at Metropolitan, I was a stay-at-home mom

with a young elementary school-aged child. When I first joined the board, I

had gone back to work half-time. Then coincidentally, the very month that I

was passed the presidency baton, my work status changed to full-time. Now, this is not

remarkable and every other woman I know manages much more than I do on her plate.

But for someone like me, who identifies as more of a Type B+ personality than Type A,

and who has never exactly been called “organized” by friends or family, let’s just say that

I knew I had a lot of praying to do.

And the angels arrived in every shape, size and incarnation that I could never have

imagined. Over the past two years, I have leaned heavily on the brilliant and dedicated

women on the UMW board and they were always there to encourage, analyze and bring

wisdom and caring to every challenge thrown at them. Another blessing of this position

was that I got to meet inspirational women from within and beyond our unit, whose love

and spirit of service filled my own tanks when my “reserves” were running low. Being

UMW president has presented me with more opportunities to stretch, learn and grow in

faith than any previous church position has.

Part of our purpose as United Methodist Women is to explore our full potential and to

support and develop women leaders who will go on to transform the world, whether by

nurturing and comforting a single child or by spear-heading a movement. This is the part

that has not changed since the UMW first began. A parlor-ful of women, who probably

did not possess certificates in management science, decided to act on an injustice that

was invisible to others. This is what the UMW has been and what it will continue to be.

Thank you for giving me a front row seat to all of the action for the past two years. I can’t

wait to see how far we’ll go… starting today!

~ Jeanie Mah

2014-2015 UMW President, Metropolitan Church


UMW News

A Message from Our 2016-2017 UMW

President

When my daughter was born, many

years ago, I found it helpful to

remember that, whatever her age,

that was how old I was as a mom. I

didn’t have to be an expert at it. I

was living into what it meant to be

a Mom.

I feel something similar as I assume my new role

as your President. I’ve never done this before. I’ll

have to live my way into the task of leading and

coordinating the many missions and endeavors

of our wonderful United Methodist Women’s

organization.

I take up this task with gratitude for the

leadership that has gone before, and for the

very talented group of officers that are part of

your Executive Board. I especially thank Jeanie

Mah and Suzanne Vieth, the most immediate

past presidents, for their example and support.

And I look forward to accomplishing our work,

the talent and experience of all of those on the

Executive Board, who are listed below (page 4)!

~ Ellen Bachman

2016 Women’s Retreat:

Provocative Women of the

Bible February 5-7, 2016, Kearneysville,

WV

Priest Field Pastoral Center

4030 Middleway Pike,

Kearneysville, WV

Registration due Sunday,

January 24

Don’t miss out on this

opportunity to connect one-on-

one with a wonderful, diverse

group of women, learn

something new, relax and renew!

The content of this year’s retreat

will be a dynamic exploration of

some of the most fascinating

women contained in the pages of

the Bible, led by Wesley

professor and Old Testament

scholar Dr. Denise Dombkowski

Hopkins. No prior Biblical study

experience is necessary—just an

open mind and a willing heart .

If you’ve never experienced this

brand of fun and fellowship, you

are especially encouraged to

consider attending! Open to all

women in the Metropolitan

community.

Financial assistance is available

on a first come, first served basis.

Deadline for registration is

January 24. A registration form

is attached, and more

information can be found here.

http://www.nationalchurch.org/Serving/Annual_Events


UMW News

The 2016 UMW Executive Board and Special Committee Chairs

President Ellen Bachman ([email protected])

Vice President Connie Sommers ([email protected])

Recording secretary Beth McConnell ([email protected])

Treasurer Rita Guenther ([email protected])

Mission Coordinators:

Social Action Anita Seline ([email protected])

Spiritual Growth Mary Rollefson ([email protected])

Membership Caralee Adams ([email protected]) &

Phyllis Kokus ([email protected])

Program Resources Helene Lilly ([email protected])

Communications Alex McPherron ([email protected])

Education Barbara Tate ([email protected])

Special Committee Chairs:

Bazaar Barbara Gaskill ([email protected])

Recognitions Regula Guess ([email protected]) &

Beverly Fleming ([email protected])

Staats Memorial Committee Jeanie Mah ([email protected])

Book Sale Anita Seline ([email protected]) &

Martha Mizroch ([email protected])

Nominations Suzanne Vieth ([email protected])

Circle Representatives:

1 Helene Lilly ([email protected])

2 Charlotte Carter ([email protected])

6 Mary Jo Marchant ([email protected]) &

Ann Michel ([email protected])

8 Kelly D’Angelo ([email protected]

9 Bobby Turnbull ([email protected])

10 Suzanne Vieth ([email protected]) &

Caralee Adams ([email protected])

Feel free to contact any one of us with your questions and ideas.










UMW News

Methodist Women’s Program Resources: 1870 to Today A New Year brings change, specifically a change in the leadership of our unit of United

Methodist Women. This year I am following in the footsteps of Connie Sommers as the

Secretary of Program Resources. It is my privilege and honor to serve as the Secretary of

Program Resources. In this role I am responsible for sharing information about the

Reading Program, Mission Studies, Program and other resources and to encourage your

participation.

I would like to share ‘A Brief History of the Reading Program’ which I found in the United

Methodist Women News Volume 8 Number 3 2015. The historical information was

gathered from “Pages from the Past” by Marion Baker, Response Magazine, December

1979:

“The first mention of a Reading Program is cited in the Heathen Woman’s Friend, the

magazine of the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church,

a predecessor of United Methodist Women, wherein the editor encouraged every circle to

start a missionary reading circle. The year was 1870.

In 1900, the program went ecumenical when the United Brethren adopted the Missionary

Society’s Reading Course, a program of 10 interdenominational mission study books

selected by a committee for all to read.

In 1907, the Woman’s Missionary Society of the Evangelical Association authorized a

Mission Reading Department. One hundred and thirty four missionary libraries sprung

up, providing books to 538 local groups.

As the years unfolded, it did not matter how our predecessor organizations splintered or

merged, the Reading Program remained intact and lively. At one time and for one group,

a single in-depth mission study was promoted, and for another time, a variety of books

were included reflecting the categories of Spiritual Life, Christian Social Relations and

Missionary Education.

When Evangelical United Brethren and Methodist Churches united in 1968, both aspects

– the single mission study and the ecumenical reading selections – became a part of the

ongoing offerings of United Methodist Women, a lively and intellectual organization

founded on tenets of reading, life-long learning and education.”

As you can see the Reading Program has a long history. It was a means to connect with an

interdenominational group of women and to broaden their understanding of mission work.

Today the Reading Program offers and excellent opportunity to deepen your spirituality

and to broaden your understanding of our mission work.

Please refer to the article on the UMW Reading Program in the November newsletter for

more information about the Reading Program. If you participate in the program, please

report the names of the books you read and their categories to Helene Lilly at

[email protected] no later than August 15, 2016. Those who complete a Reading Program

Plan will be recognized at a District meeting in the fall of 2016.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year of learning and growing with you.

~ Helene Lilly, UMW Program Resources Chair



UMW News

GREATER WASHINGTON DISTRICT United Methodist Women

2016 LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR Theme: “Growing in Blessedness”

Saturday, February 20, 2016

SILVER SPRING UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

(Formerly Woodside United Methodist

Church)

8900 Georgia Avenue

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Rev. Rachel Cornwell, Pastor

Katie Whitley, President, United Methodist

Women

9:00 A.M.-12:00 Noon

Topic: “Social Networking: Part of Your

Ministry”

Registration: $12.00 per person

Please register by February 4, 2016

(registration form attached)

Jewelry-Making Group

Next meeting Wed., Feb 17 at

7pm

(March meeting Wed., Mar 30)

The Jewelry-Making Group meets

in the Christie Room once a month

at 7pm during Food for Thought

classes after the 6pm Community

Dinner. We go over the unsold

pieces of jewelry from the la

Bazaar, revamp them, and get

them ready for the next Bazaar. For

questions, contact Kathy Portus.

On Being a UMW and a RUM! Membership drive in February

From the Reconciling Ministries team…

Many members of Metropolitan are proud that we have aligned ourselves with the Reconciling

Ministries Network (RMN) as a Reconciling Congregation. In so doing, we proclaim our

commitment to inclusion of LBGTQ persons in the life and ministry of the church, and support

the organizational work of RMN at the denominational level. YOU can also support this work

by becoming an individual Reconciling United Methodist, a RUM! The Reconciling

Ministries team will be holding an RUM membership drive in February. Please watch for

notices, and plan to join up!

The discriminatory statements and policies of the United Methodist Church can only be

changed at the quadrennial gatherings of the denomination at General Conference, which will

be held in May this year in Portland, Oregon. As we move toward GC, we will also be sharing

information regarding the various proposals being made to modify the denomination’s stance

toward inclusion, and working to provide advocacy opportunities to all Metropolitan members.

Please keep your eyes and ears open!


UMW News

DC Stop Modern Slavery One-Day Conference

Breaking Chains: A Faith Conference on Combatting Sex Trafficking in our Nation's

Capital.

Saturday, January 30

9am-4:30pm, Shiloh Baptist Church

The Faith Coalition to Combat Sex Trafficking in Our Nation’s Capital invites you to

attend this one-day event designed to help people of faith learn more about this

modern form of slavery and how to be involved in the struggle against it.

The event will focus on Information, Prevention, Intervention and Advocacy. Speakers

and panelists will include Tina Frundt of Courtney’s House, sex trafficking survivors,

representatives of the Department of Homeland Security, the US Attorney General’s

Office, The DC Office of Human Trafficking Task Force, DC Police Department

representatives, and organizations who advocate for and support sextrafficking victims

and survivors.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

9:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Shiloh Baptist Church of Washington DC

1510 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC

Registration is FREE! Lunch is free for all registered students!

Register at: http://breakingchainsconference.eventbrite.com.

Questions? Contact Rev. Dr. Alice Greene at [email protected].

The Faith Coalition to Combat Sex Trafficking in Our Nation’s Capital: Asbury UMC, Covenant

Baptist UCC, Dumbarton UMC, Shiloh Baptist, Mt. Vernon Place UMC, Wisconsin Ave. Baptist,

The Chapel

http://breakingchainsconference.eventbrite.com/



UMW News

The UMW Book & Bake Sale March 5 Keep those book donations coming! Our

annual Book & Bake sale is Saturday, March 5, so now

is the time to de-clutter and recycle your no-longer

wanted books. Please tell your friends and neighbors,

we are taking books! Drop them off on the shelves

located in front of the UMW closet in the Vestry

hallway. No cassette or VCR tapes, textbooks,

magazines. Please box up your books, if possible, as

this makes storing the donations easier until the sale.

This year, the Book & Bake Sale will benefit two

beloved UMW projects: The DC Diaper Bank, which provides baby essentials to poor

families, and Bright Beginnings, a program for homeless kids. Every book and cookie sold

will help these wonderful organizations.

We need your help now and through the sale to make it a success. There are many

jobs for many people. Can you help leaflet your neighborhood schools and businesses?

Sign up to be a master leafletter! Do you have a front lawn? Agree to take a lawn sign to

publicize our sale. Don't want to move books? Bake brownies for the bake sale! There are

a number of jobs that you can help with. Use our electronic sign-up system, volunteer

early and often. Click here:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0e4da8a6238-march2

But, if you are not comfortable using this system, simply

contact Anita Seline at [email protected] or 202-841-3453 and

she can sign you up from her end. Even an hour or two of your

time will help us make the UMW Book and Bake Sale a success.

We will have a special collection day Saturday, Feb. 27 from 10 am to 3 pm in the

church parking lot. Follow these simple steps: 1. Fill up your car with used books. 2.

Drive to Metropolitan and pull into the parking lot near the foyer entrance. 3. Wait while

UMW volunteers unload your donations. 4. Drive away!

Can't get your book donations to Metropolitan? Contact Anita Seline

or Martha Mizroch and they will come get the books from you

starting now through the first week of March. Anita can be reached

at [email protected] or Martha at [email protected].

Press time note: If the snow doesn't get us first, please join book organizers Sunday, Jan. 24, at 10 am on the Vestry stage to learn how to promote reading and recycling. If you are looking for an

opportunity to get involved in a fun event have we got some opportunities for you!

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0e4da8a6238-march2





UMW News

Recognition Sunday Recap

In the eye of the storm that was the 2015 holiday season, there was a moment to

exhale and give thanks. For me, that moment was the United Methodist

Women’s Recognition Luncheon, which was held on Dec. 6th. The Great Hall was

filled with about 60 attendees, including the families of two of the babies we were

honoring that day, Isabel Rose Snow and Eyram Evana Brown-Egue. The megawatts of

energy those two little babies imparted to a crowd of 60 was truly amazing!

The tables were beautifully arranged with poinsettias and the dessert table was a feast for

the eyes and palate of even the most jaded holiday party reveler. Deep thanks go to Mary

Jo Marchant, Ann Michel and the ladies of Circle 6 for so gracefully hostessing this

luncheon in the midst of their own busy holiday schedules. Thanks also go out to Helene

Lilly and Bobby Turnbull for coordinating members of Circles 1 and 9 to help round out

those scrumptious desserts.

The program truly expressed our unit’s thanks for gifts past, present and future. We

remembered with sisterly love the earthly lives of the following women:

Jackie Strange

Virginia Thompson

Gwen Loftin

Shelley Preslar

The altar flowers on Sunday, December 13, were

dedicated by the UMW in memory of these women.

We celebrated the blessings of new lives born to our church family:

Eliana Eno

Eyram Evana Brown-Egue

Blake and Brandon Witkowski

Isabel Rose Snow

In addition to a contribution of $50 to the DC Diaper Bank in honor of new babies, we

collected a nice trunk-load of diapers and supplies for the DCDB as well. Thank you to those

who donated these precious and essential items!

The presenters of our four honorees did a wonderful job “introducing” us to these

extraordinary women. Each presenter illuminated her subject in such a way that I felt I

was seeing each of them for the first time. A luncheon guest came up to me afterwards and

breathlessly told me how inspiring he had found that afternoon. And yes, you read that

pronoun right! We are so proud of our Recognition presenters and honorees:

Courtney Leatherman, presented by Caralee Adams

Helene Lilly, presented by Rev. Kate Payton

Alex McPherron, presented by Ann Michel

Mary Rollefson, presented by Courtney Leatherman

Continued, pg 10


UMW News

Recognition Sunday Recap (Continued from pg 9)

The program concluded with the membership voting to approve an amended 2015 budget

that includes a total of $14,000 in disbursements to the following nominated recipients:

Value USA

The Mabel Lossing Jones school for boys in Sitapur, India

Tree of Life Ministries, a mission to the Sicangu Lakota Nation (The Teton Sioux)

on the Rosebud reservation, SD

Capital Partners for Education, Wash, DC

Educare, Wash, DC

Bright Beginnings, Wash, DC

Clinical Dental Nicaragua

Courtney's House, Wash, DC

Sasha Bruce Youthworks, Wash, DC

Wesley Theological Seminary Scholarship

The Metropolitan-Wesley-St. Luke’s UMC

Nan McCurdy, missionary currently serving stateside after serving for years in

Nicaragua

Lillian Wallace, retired missionary who currently volunteers for Clara Swain

Hospital, Faridpur, India

Rachel Ternes, US-2 Global Mission Fellow serving in Philadelphia, PA

The membership also voted to approve our 2016 budget and

the 2016 – 2017 slate of officers. The planning for this

signature event started months in advance and many details

had to be lovingly attended to in order make the Recognition

Lunch the seamless and meaningful event it was. Thank you

to Carol Schleicher, Sandy Yeager and Connie Sommers for

the many hours they spent organizing, inviting and

coordinating for this year’s program.

~ Jeanie Mah

2014-2015 UMW President

See the Appendix for photos


UMW News

Holiday Cards for Heroes Update

Thank you to the dozen or so women who came to the Vestry on

Dec. 6, prepared with hundreds of holiday cards and stamps for

the Holiday Cards for Heroes project.

The good news is that over 150 cards were bundled and labeled

as instructed by the Capital Area Red Cross for delivery to veterans. The other news is

that although the Red Cross office had assured us that they would accept our

donated cards, when the cards were delivered to the Red Cross office, we were told

that they had already received 40,000 more cards then they could possibly distribute.

Therefore, the cards will be held until next fall and before

the first Mannheim Steamroller tune hits the airwaves, we

will be at the Red Cross’s front door with our contribution.

Got An Extra 2016 Calendar?

If you have an extra 2016 calendar that you

might have received for promotional or

marketing purposes, but you don’t need it,

Bread for the City will take them and give

them out to clients. You can give calendars

directly to Jeannine Sanford (Parker), put

them in the labeled receptacle in the

MMUMC office or get them to Jeanie Mah

([email protected]).

2015 Bazaar Summary (Gross)

Jewelry (incl. pre-sale) $3,376

Attic Treasures $2,730

Collectibles $1,711

Gifts/Crafts $1,705

Fashion/Accessories $1,678

Lunch Café/Bake Sale $1,056

Kitchen $970

Christmas $550

Children's $369

Pre-sales (except Jewelry) $545

Coins deposited $73

UMW t-shirts $20

Less Sun. starter cash box -$150

(as of 11/21/15) $14,633



UMW News

A word of thanks

From Pyper Davis Imperial, Executive Director of Educare:

“On behalf of Educare DC, I would like to thank you for

your generous support of me and of Educare’s work with

children and families. The support of donors like you is a

critical building block in establishing Educare as a

quality leader serving the children and families in DC’s

most high-need neighborhoods. Your generous gift will

help us to deepen supports for high-quality teaching in

the classroom, empower our parents as their child’s most

important teacher, and deliver at-risk children to

kindergarten on track and well-prepared for success.

Thank you again, for your commitment to helping young

children get the start they need to be successful in school

and in life.”

From Lillian Wallace, Clara Swain Hospital, Faridpur, India:

“Thank you so much for your faithful support of our work…Thank you for what your women

and your church have done for us as well as for so many others. God bless you and this is just

what our Lord Jesus wants us to do for those in need…I remember visiting your UMW when I

visited Bishop and Eunice Mathews several years ago and was so impressed with what your

church is doing for the poor. When I was the Director of the Clara Swain Hospital Bareilly, your

church gave our Hospital $95,000.00 so we could clear our large debit on our Provident fund

which is for our staff when they retire. Word cannot express my thanks.”

From Rachel Ternes, US-2 Global Fellow in

Philadelphia, PA:

“I'm touched and joyful to see that I was included in

the Metropolitan UMW's benevolent giving plan!

Please share my gratitude with the rest of the Circle

8 women (and membership). It's also great to see all

the other wonderful missions being supported, and

just to see what the UMW is up to! I'm… so grateful

for your generosity, and touched by your tradition of

sending gifts directly to missionaries! I was also

touched to receive a Christmas card from UMW's

Circle 8.”


UMW News

Update on One of the DC Diaper Bank

Excerpts from the DC Diaper Bank’s December 15, 2015 email news

Diapers serve as a “gateway

resource” because they break down

walls — families who otherwise

don’t reach out for help with food or

social services will contact our

distribution partners for diapers. In

doing so, they become connected to a range of social services offered by our partners.

What has your support for DC Diaper Bank meant this past year?

We busted through our Warehouse walls to double our space and expand our Baby &

Essentials Pantry inventory. We now offer adult food, baby food, breastfeeding

supplies, potty training supplies, adult hygiene items, tampons, adult diapers, cloth

diapers, and other critical resources.

Each month we distribute more than 100,000 diapers to more than 3,600

families. Since DCDB opened, we have distributed 2,714,000 diapers!

The Baby & Essentials Pantry, established with your help in 2014, has distributed

over 5,100 pounds of formula. That’s 57,630 prepared 8 oz. bottles for growing

babies.

Our network of Community Distribution Partners is 30 organizations strong, covering

DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

Our Ambassador program offers 100 donation drop-off locations – homes and

businesses – across the region.

We continue to receive national recognition for our work. DC Diaper Bank was

honored to be part of the CNN Heroes program in September and to be featured on

the Steve Harvey Show in November, gaining a national audience for our work and

spreading awareness about diaper need.

For more information about supporting us, visit www.dcdiaperbank.org or email me at

[email protected].

The diapers and other essentials provided by DC Diaper Bank connect our Community

Distribution Partners to some of our area’s most vulnerable families. We are committed to

making sure that all our families have the resources they need to thrive. In 2016, help us

bust through the barriers holding them back!

Love & Diapers,

Corinne Cannon

Founder & Executive Director

http://dcdiaperbank.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e9a90e265980767920ac693ef&id=c61a667baf&e=b749e8c752

http://dcdiaperbank.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e9a90e265980767920ac693ef&id=c949f78234&e=b749e8c752

http://dcdiaperbank.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e9a90e265980767920ac693ef&id=bf1da29c54&e=b749e8c752

http://dcdiaperbank.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e9a90e265980767920ac693ef&id=1b508f4abb&e=b749e8c752

http://dcdiaperbank.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e9a90e265980767920ac693ef&id=96da2aa5c3&e=b749e8c752

http://www.dcdiaperbank.org/



UMW News

UMW Reading Program Book Review

Here’s a review of a UMW Reading Program 2016 book from our own Margaret

Patterson. A complete list of program plans and book choices for the Reading

Program can be found online at

http://www.nationalchurch.org/Serving/United_Methodist_Women or e-mail Connie

Sommers at [email protected]. If you participate in the program, please report

the names of the books you read and their categories to Connie Sommers,

[email protected], no later than August 15, 2016. Those who complete a

Reading Program Plan will be recognized at a District meeting in the fall of 2016.

The Weight of Mercy by Deb Richardson-Moore (2012, Monarch

Books, 288 pp.)

What would you do if you were the pastor of a church where

parishioners were high on crack cocaine, neglected to bathe for weeks

on end, shouted or fell asleep during services, stole church property,

and behaved in other ways that required the presence of a full-time

security guard? Deb Richardson-Moore took on Triune Mercy Center,

a "run-down inner-city church where the homeless gathered" in

Greenville, South Carolina. Pastor Deb, a newly minted Baptist

pastor, accepts an assignment to run the center after a long middle-

class career in journalism. The story is as much her story as it is the

story of her parishioners, who struggle with homelessness, drug and alcohol addictions,

and a host of other challenges that follow deep poverty.

Triune Mercy Center was hosted by a once-glorious, now tiny Methodist congregation in

downtown Greenville. When Pastor Deb arrives and has a very rough first week dealing

with an extremely colorful cast of hundreds who stagger through the church doors, she tells

herself she will give it 8 weeks. She ends up staying 7 years. She slowly comes to terms

with the real problems her parishioners and the homeless face and comes to realize they

need much, much more than weekly worship services and a food bank. It isn't an easy

lesson, and she has to grow into her role as pastor just as she requires those who are served

to grow into their roles. "We offer hot meals, clothes, groceries, and laundry services," she

writes. "We offer a worshiping church community. We offer drug rehab, employment help

and housing. You can quite literally go from sleeping under a bridge to homeownership.

But you have to want it. We can't want it for you."

The story of how Pastor Deb gets to that point, of reaching out and drawing close to the

homeless and the addict, is at the heart of this book. She learns how much her congregants

need help, hope, and God's love. She starts her story by telling us, "I thought I'd be wise by

now... But I don't feel at all wise. I feel, by turns, cranky, humbled, incredulous, deflated,

energized, furious, exhilarated, tired...[So] I'll just tell you what happened." What

happened? It's a story of pain, triumph, loss, and reconciliation - well worth reading. But

I'll let Pastor Deb do what she does best, tell a story will amaze and intrigue you.

~ Margaret Patterson

http://www.nationalchurch.org/Serving/United_Methodist_Women




Circles

AU The AU UMW Circle meets Fridays at 7:00 p.m. in the "AU Lounge" at Metropolitan.

Contact Tori Lynn Gilkeson at [email protected]

1 Circle One will hold bi-monthly meetings beginning in February. The meetings will be

held on Sundays at 1:00 pm in the Wesley Church Library. The next two meetings will

be February 21 and April 17. We plan to continue our discussion on race. Contact

Helene Lilly at [email protected].

2 Circle 2 will have our “gathering” at Forest Hills on Wednesday, February 10th at 10:30.

Jennie Stathis will be playing the piano for a “sing-a-long” with residents there. We have

done this before, and it is always lots of fun --- and with punch and cookies served.

Contact Jane Cunningham, [email protected], 703-821-3486 or Charlotte Carter,

[email protected]

6 Questions or suggestions, Mary Jo Marchant, [email protected] or Ann Michel,

[email protected].

8 We will be meeting on February 2nd at 7:30 p.m. in the Parlor. Sara Humphreys

Sheppard will share with us about her mission trips that she has gone on. It should be an

interesting meeting. Contact Kelly D’Angelo [email protected].

9 Circle 9 will meet on Wednesday, February 3 at 10:30 in the Choir Room. Patrick Landau

will tell us about the Multi-Ethnic Conference he attended in September and will update

us on his work with the church youth. Please contact Bobby Turnbull at

[email protected].

10 Contact Caralee Adams [email protected] or Suzanne Vieth

[email protected]

The February UMW Board Meeting TBA

Newsletter prepared by Alexandra McPherron. To add items to the next newsletter, email

[email protected] by Friday, February 26, 2016.













Appendix

UMW Recognition Luncheon, December 6, 2015

Photos by Jeanie Mah


Appendix



Appendix


February 2016

Documents