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Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : February 2015 Page 1 of 15 Metropolitan Memorial, St. Luke’s & Wesley United Methodist Churches 202-363-4900 (MMUMC office) Table Of Contents Reflections pg 2 UMW News 2-12 Metropolitan News 13-14 Circles 15 Highlights Women and Climate webinar, p. 4 Attend the UMW National Seminar, p. 5 UMW Charter for Racial Justice and Seminar, p. 7-8 Help wanted: Book Sale, p. 6 Help wanted: Grate Patrol lunches, p. 12 Book review, p. 9-10 Updated list of UMW Reading Program books available in church library, p. 11 Mark Your Calendar January pg 28 W Sacred Worth, Sacred Earth webinar (3pm) 4 February 6–8 F-Su Women’s Retreat PriestField 3 9 M UMW Board Mtg (7-8:30pm, Conference Rm) 13 F Application for UMW National Seminar due 5 17 Tu Shrove Tuesday 18 W Ash Wednesday 25 W Jewelry Making Group 2 March 9 M UMW Board Mtg (7-8:30pm, Conference Rm) 14 Sa UMW Book Sale 6 29 Su Palm Sunday April 5 Su Easter 13 M UMW Board Mtg (7-8:30pm, Conference Rm) Tentative 25 Sa Great Day of Service May 15-17 F-Su Charter for Racial Justice Seminar 7-8 23 Sa Greater Washington District UMW Prayer Breakfast (9am, Great Hall) UMW Newsletter THE METROPOLITAN CHURCH February, 2015

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Page 1: United Methodist Women

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : February 2015 Page 1 of 15

Metropolitan Memorial, St. Luke’s & Wesley

United Methodist Churches

202-363-4900 (MMUMC office)

Table Of Contents

Reflections pg 2

UMW News 2-12

Metropolitan News 13-14

Circles 15

Highlights

Women and Climate webinar, p. 4

Attend the UMW National Seminar, p. 5

UMW Charter for Racial Justice and Seminar, p. 7-8

Help wanted: Book Sale, p. 6

Help wanted: Grate Patrol lunches, p. 12

Book review, p. 9-10

Updated list of UMW Reading Program books available in church library, p. 11

Mark Your Calendar

January pg

28 W Sacred Worth, Sacred Earth

webinar (3pm)

4

February

6–8 F-Su Women’s Retreat PriestField 3

9 M UMW Board Mtg (7-8:30pm,

Conference Rm)

13 F Application for UMW National

Seminar due

5

17 Tu Shrove Tuesday

18 W Ash Wednesday

25 W Jewelry Making Group 2

March

9 M UMW Board Mtg (7-8:30pm,

Conference Rm)

14 Sa UMW Book Sale 6

29 Su Palm Sunday

April

5 Su Easter

13 M UMW Board Mtg (7-8:30pm,

Conference Rm) Tentative

25 Sa Great Day of Service

May

15-17 F-Su Charter for Racial Justice Seminar 7-8

23 Sa Greater Washington District UMW

Prayer Breakfast (9am, Great Hall)

UMW Newsletter THE METROPOLITAN CHURCH

February, 2015

Page 2: United Methodist Women

Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : February 2015 Page 2 of 15

UMW News

Jewelry-Making Group

4th Wednesday each month

Next meeting February 25 at 7pm

The Jewelry-Making Group meets in the Christie Room on the fourth

Wednesday of the month at 7pm during Food for Thought classes. The

Community Dinner is 6pm in the Vestry. We go over the unsold pieces of jewelry from the last

Bazaar, revamp them, and get them ready for the next Bazaar. For questions, contact Kelly

D'Angelo at [email protected].

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Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : February 2015 Page 3 of 15

UMW News

Women’s Retreat at PriestField

February 6-8, 2015

Priest Field Pastoral Center

4030 Middleway Pike, Kearneysville, WV

Calling all women: mark your calendar for the 2015

Metropolitan Women’s retreat. This year our theme

is Overcoming the Weariness of Well-Doing: Exploring the Essential Art of Self-

Care. During this special time away from the stress of our everyday lives we will pause

to reflect on how our responsibilities as care-givers and volunteers in ministry can

sometimes overwhelm us and sap our inner resources. Using the creative process we

will focus on strategies for self-care that can help us reboot, renew and refresh.

Our leader this year will be Martina Martin, M. Div., MA, and Certified Art Therapist. This

event is sponsored by the United Methodist Women but open to all women in the

Metropolitan/Wesley community.

Registration forms are available here or paste

http://nationalchurch.org/Uploads/file/UMW/2015_retreatreg.pdf in your browser.

Space is limited, so don’t delay. Final registration deadline is January 30, 2015. For

questions contact Suzanne Vieth at [email protected].

Labels for Education and Box tops

Are you saving your Labels for Education and

Box tops for a school of your choice? If not

please save them for the Board of Child Care

in Baltimore. These are both of great value to

any school. In the past before Box tops, the

Board of Child Care purchased mobile vans

for their Robert Strawbridge School with Labels

sent to them by Methodists. It's helpful to keep

the box tops and labels separate. Thanks!

Information on where to drop them off will be coming soon…….

For more information on the programs, see:

http://www.labelsforeducation.com/About-the-Program/LFE-Tools

http://www.boxtops4education.com/

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UMW News

Sacred Worth, Sacred Earth:

Exploring the Intersections of Women and Climate"

WEBINAR

January 28th at 3pm ET/2pm CT/12pm PT

In the creation story of Genesis 1, we find a message of identity and purpose for

humankind. Created in the divine image, each person has both sacred worth as a child of

God, and sacred responsibility as a steward of the earth. When we fail to uphold the God-

given mandate to care for our environment, the earth fails to thrive. The resulting

environmental changes, such as droughts and floods, decrease access to food and water for

the world’s poorest, most of whom are women. While disproportionally affected by climate

change, women are also at the center of bringing restoration and healing to our planet.

On Wednesday, January 28th at 3pm ET, we invite you to join The General Board of

Church & Society and the Healthy Families, Healthy Planet project for a webinar focused

on the intersections of women and climate and how congregations can take action in their

communities. The webinar will feature Kim Lovell who serves as the Program Director of

the Global Population & Environment Program at the Sierra Club in Washington, D.C.

https://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50192/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=80600

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UMW News

UMW National Seminar An opportunity to attend the quadrennial UMW National Seminar, July 29 - August 2,

2015, in Chicago, IL, with expenses paid by the UMW National Office!

Application deadline February 13

Interrupting Indifference: Jesus, Justice and Joy

National Seminar is an opportunity for United Methodist Women to explore God's

actions in the current moment in the world and dialogue about how we must respond.

In a gathering that reflects our rich diversity of race, ethnicity, age and geographic

makeup, the National Seminar 2015 will equip and empower participants to engage

as leaders for social justice by:

exploring the life and ministry of Jesus for practical application and concrete

social action

building practical skills and tools to respond to current social issues

visiting local organizations and learning from grassroots leaders

building community and connection with others

engaging in dynamic worship

Together we will celebrate the extraordinary work that God is accomplishing through

the witness of United Methodist Women in ministries of justice, service and advocacy,

through four issue areas: Climate Justice; Maternal and Child Health; Criminalization

and Racial Justice; Gender and Economic Justice. We will develop new tools to

strengthen the witness of Christ's mission and ministry in the church and the world.

Find out more about National Seminar 2015 and apply to receive 1 of 25 scholarships

(deadline is Feb. 13th) here:

https://ww2.eventrebels.com/er/Registration/RegistrationForm.jsp?ActivityID=12238&I

temID=46990

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UMW News

Attention Book Lovers: Get Rid of Your Books!

The United Methodist Women wants your books, as

many as you can part with, for our upcoming used book

sale, Saturday, March 14. The usual rules apply:

please no textbooks or magazines, as those are not

sellable, but everything else, including paperbacks,

hardbacks, coffee table books, children's books,

cookbooks, recorded books, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl

records are welcome! Drop them off at the UMW closet,

located at the end of the hallway off the Vestry, (near

the parlor). If you are a senior citizen and unable to

transport books easily, please contact the sale organizers, Martha Mizroch, at

[email protected] or Anita Seline at [email protected] and we will be happy

to arrange a pick-up. The Book and Bake Sale will be Saturday, March 14 from 8 am to 3

pm. There will be a special members-only sale for the congregation on Sunday, March 15

before all the leftovers are cleaned up and taken away. The sale benefits women and

children's programs globally and locally, so hand over your books!

Help Us Publicize the Book Sale

Are you a member of a local neighborhood list serve? Do you

frequent a coffee shop that has a community bulletin board? Do

you know anyone who likes to find a bargain and to read a good

book? Please help us publicize the upcoming Book and Bake Sale

by posting our flyer (see separate attachment to this email),

posting an announcement on your list serve, and telling your

friends about the event. Publicity (especially the free kind) can't

be done too early or too often, so please use our flyer and help us

spread the word.

Would You Sell Some Books or Some Brownies?

This year, we are using an electronic sign-up system to organize

ourselves for the upcoming Book and Bake Sale, March 14. The system

is through an organization called Sign Up Genius and it's easy to do.

Click the link below, and add your name to the slot(s) when you can

work. You do NOT need to set up a Sign Up Genius account to do this.

Or, if you prefer, contact Anita Seline, at [email protected] and she

will be happy to sign you up. Even an hour or two of your time will help

us make the Book and Bake Sale a success. Thank you United

Methodist Women!

Here is the link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0e4da8a6238-march

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UMW News

Making Connections…United Methodist Women Beyond Metropolitan

Did you know that in 1978, The Charter for Racial Justice (see below) was created and

adopted by the United Methodist Women (known as the Women’s Division of the

United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries at the time)? In 1980 the division

successfully recommended adoption of the charter by the whole denomination.

General Conference has consecutively readopted it, every eight years since, most

recently in 2008. The charter continues United Methodist Women’s urgent call for study

and action on the principles and goals of its vision.

Charter for Racial Justice

Adopted by the 1980 General Conference of The United Methodist Church

Because We Believe:

1. that God is the Creator of all people and all are God’s children in one

family;

2. that racism is a rejection of the teachings of Jesus Christ;

3. that racism denies the redemption and reconciliation of Jesus Christ;

4. that racism robs all human beings of their wholeness and is used as a

justification for social, economic and political exploitation;

5. that we must declare before God and before each other that we have

sinned against our sisters and brothers of other races in thought, in word

and in deed;

6. that in our common humanity in creation all women and men are made in

God’s image and all persons are equally valuable in the sight of God;

7. that our strength lies in our racial and cultural diversity and that we must

work toward a world in which each person’s value is respected and

nurtured;

8. that our struggle for justice must be based on new attitudes, new

understandings and new relationships and must be reflected in the law,

policies, structures and practices of both church and state;

We commit ourselves as individuals and as a community to follow Jesus Christ in word

and in deed and to struggle for the rights and the self-determination of every person

and group of persons. Therefore, as United Methodist Women in every place across the

land ...

…………..……………………….Continued page 8

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UMW News

Continued from page 7……….

We Will Unite Our Efforts with All Groups in The United Methodist Church:

1. to eliminate all forms of institutional racism in the total ministry of the church

with special attention given to those institutions which we support,

beginning with their employment policies, purchasing practices and

availability of services and facilities.

2. to create opportunities in local churches to deal honestly with the existing

racist attitudes and social distance between members, deepening the

Christian commitment to be the church where all racial groups and

economic classes come together.

3. to increase our efforts to recruit women of all races into the membership of

United Methodist Women and provide leadership development

opportunities without discrimination.

4. to create workshops and seminars in local churches to study, understand

and appreciate the historical and cultural contributions of each race to the

church and community.

5. to increase local churches, awareness of the continuing needs for equal

education, housing, employment and medical care for all members of the

community and create opportunities to work for these things across racial

lines.

6. to work for the development and implementation of national and

international policies to protect the civil, political, economic, social and

cultural rights of all people such as through support for the ratification of

United Nations covenants on human rights.

7. to support and participate in the world-wide struggle for liberation in the

church and community.

8. to support nomination and election processes which include all racial

groups employing a quota system until the time that our voluntary

performance makes such practice unnecessary.

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. The registration brochure is attached or go to

http://www.wpaumc.org/files/ministries/um_women/charter_for_racial_justice_2015

_registration_form_2_sided.docx-----final1.pdf Please note that Early Bird rates apply

only until Feb. 28th. Please e-mail [email protected] 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).

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Metropolitan UMW Newsletter : February 2015 Page 9 of 15

UMW News

Book Review

Check out a book from the UMW Reading Program at the MMUMC library! Here’s a review

of a 2014 Reading Program book from Bobby Turnbull.

Radio Shangri-La by Lisa Napoli

This is a very interesting book about Lisa’s visit to Bhutan, known as the Happiest

Kingdom on Earth. They measure Gross National Happiness there rather than a Gross

National Product. Bhutan is a kingdom where the king is revered. Just before she went

there, the king abdicated in favor of his son to allow him to reign for a few years before

democratic elections were held. The country is now a constitutional monarchy. Its primary

religion is Buddhism. She was in the capital city, Thimphu.

Lisa was living in Los Angeles and working for a public radio show. As she says in the

preface, “This is the story of my midlife crisis – and how I wrestled with and then

transcended it, thanks to a chance encounter that led me to a mysterious kingdom in Asia …………………………………………………………………………………………..Continued on page 10

Thank You for a Memorable 2014 Recognition Luncheon!

Thank you to all of the women who contributed their time and talent to our Recognition

Luncheon on December 14th. It was an inspiring day with about sixty-five of us

gathered to honor the women who are no longer with us in body but whose spirits shine

on in our hearts; delight in the newest babies among us; welcome new women into the

fellowship and commitment to mission of our UMW unit; and celebrate four unique and

fabulous women whose spiritual gifts are as varied as their life experiences.

Special appreciation goes to Sandy Yeager and Carol Schleicher of Circle 2, who

started planning way before December; and to Mary Jo Marchant and Ann Michel

and their sisters in Circle 6 for keeping us well fed and in good spirits! Congratulations

to our honorees: Jane Cunningham (Circle 2), Barbara Green (Circle 8), Cynthia Pugh

(Circle 10), and Joyce Shields (at-large), and kudos to the women who crafted such

loving and entertaining tributes: Sandy Yeager, Barbara Gaskill, Martha Mizroch, and

Judy Edstrom, respectively.

This year, our gift to mission in honor of new babies took the form of a Diaper and

baby goods drive for the DC Diaper Bank. The response was generous and constant,

and with the help of Anita Seline, we were able to deliver the items below, as well as

a cash donation:

1,178 diapers

648 pull-ups

1,238 wipes

324 oz of dry formula

48 oz. liquid formula

Due to a mix-up in the office, the altar flowers traditionally given in memory

of women who have passed away in the past year did not arrive in time for

December 14th. The arrangement has been re-scheduled for February 1st

and there will be a dedication in the bulletin.

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UMW News

Continued from page 9………..

few have visited.” She was unhappy with her life and her job, though she had a rich circle

of friends whom she enjoyed. She was 43 at the time, in 2007.

At a party she met up with a friend who was going to Bhutan soon

and a man named Sebastian who was going with him. Then she

received an email from Sebastian suggesting that she come help a

start-up radio station in Bhutan. She ended up taking a six week

leave of absence from her job and going there to work for Kuzoo FM

as an advisor. Kuzoo was started by the crown prince for the youth

of Bhutan and started broadcasting in September 2006. It is well

loved by the citizens. Listeners are encouraged to call in, talk with

the radio jockeys, sing songs, or ask questions. While Lisa was there,

they had a Valentine’s Day singing contest called Symphony of Love.

Contestants called in to sing on air, and the listeners voted for their

favorite. The fact that Buddhists were celebrating a holiday that started in honor of a

Christian saint was completely lost on the people there.

Lisa ended up falling in love with Bhutan, finding it captivating and magnificent. It is a

beautiful country, and the people are captivating. It is moving forward at warp speed,

from not allowing TV or Internet until 1999, to becoming a constitutional monarchy and

modernizing. The slower pace, happier way of life, and Buddhist teachings helped her feel

better about herself and to realize that she was living a rich, full life in her own unique

way. She formed close friendships with the staff of Kuzoo and with others she met.

Lisa’s descriptions of the country and its people, how isolated they have been, and current

changes are fascinating. One comment was that she had heard about people her age who

grew up in the villages not having seen paper or wristwatches until they were teenagers.

There was no paper money until 40 years ago.

Lisa returned to her old life but with a changed attitude. She realized everything she

needed was inside her. She met with Bhutanese in LA and kept up with the people at

Kuzoo. She returned to Bhutan every several months. The she left her job and planned to

volunteer at Kuzoo for the summer of 2008. First she volunteered at the Smithsonian Folk

Life Festival, where Bhutan was one of the featured countries. She has continued to return

to Bhutan on a regular basis. Growth and changes there are happening rapidly.

An interesting sidebar to Lisa’s story starts with a photo-essay about Bhutan in the April

1914 issue of National Geographic. A woman named Kathleen Worrell was captivated by

the pictures. She noted a resemblance between the landscape of her city of El Paso and

that of the kingdom. When the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, of which her

husband was the dean, burned down a few years later, she convinced her husband to

rebuild the school to reflect the style of Bhutan. It turns out there really is no resemblance

between El Paso and Bhutan, but the school now known as the University of Texas at El

Paso looks a lot like Bhutan, with its unique architecture. The university has a close

connection with the country and brings students from there to the school. It even markets

itself as “Bhutan on the Border.”

I’ll close with Lisa’s observation about happiness: “By now, I’ve learned that the

ingredients for happiness are simple: giving, loving, and contentment with who you are.”

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UMW News

UMW Reading Program 2015

New books added!

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

What’s So Blessed About Being Poor? Seeking the Gospel in the

Slums of Kenya

Awake: Doing a World of Good One Person at a Time

Radio Shangri-La: What I Discovered on My Accidental Journey to the Happiest Kingdom on

Earth

A Twist of Faith: An American Christian’s Quest to Help Orphans in Africa

Spiritual Growth: No Longer Silent: The Empowerment of Women in the Gospels

Praying to Change Your Life: A Guide to Productive Prayer

The Seven Paths: Changing One’s Way of Walking in the World

Eat With Joy: Redeeming God’s Gift of Food

Embraced by God: Celebrating Who and Whose You Are

Strong Was Her Faith: Women of the New Testament

You’re Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be

Social Action: Americanah: A Novel

Ecoliterate: How Educators Are Cultivating Emotional, Social and Ecological Intelligence Kind of

Kin: A Novel

Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority

Finding Higher Ground: Adaptation in the Age of Warming

Year of Plenty: One Suburban Family, Four Rules, and 365 Days of Homegrown Adventure in

Pursuit of Christian Living

An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive and an

Unlikely Meeting with Destiny

Leadership Development: Fulfilled: Living and Leading With Unusual Wisdom, Peace and Joy

Sum It Up: 1,098 Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses and a Life in Perspective

King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny and the Inspiring Story of How She

Changed an African Village

Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership: Where Grace Meets Power

Lord, I Love the Church and We Need Help

Nurturing for Community: Across Many Mountains: A Tibetan Family’s Epic Journey From Oppression to Freedom The End

of Your Life Book Club

January First: A Child’s Descent Into Madness and Her Father’s Struggle to Save Her

100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Age-Related Memory Loss

Please Look After Mom: A Novel

Small Things with Great Love: Adventures in Loving Your Neighbor

~Connie Summers

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UMW News

Wanted: Circles to volunteer to assemble lunches for the Grate Patrol Pick a Sunday study hour, Vestry (see dates below)

Every month, Metropolitan assembles about 50 or more lunch bags that are distributed

to the homeless through a Salvation Army program called The Grate Patrol. The Service

Ministry Team has recently retooled how it recruits volunteers for the once-a-month

Grate Patrol duties. Anita Seline is coordinating the scheduling of this volunteer activity

and encourages all UMW circles to consider taking a date. The groups that sign up

don't have to do the shopping nor the distribution on Monday night, but simply show

up in the Vestry on the last Sunday of the month during the study hour, make

sandwiches, and assemble the bag lunches. It's a fun activity while also providing a

great service (and it doesn't take that long). If you are looking for a short but useful

service activity, see if any of these dates fit in your circle's calendar and contact Anita

Seline at [email protected] to schedule.

As of press time, the following 2015 dates are open:

Feb 22

March 29

April 26

June 28

July 26

August 30

September 27

October 25

November 29

December 27

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Metropolitan & Community News

Food for Thought

Winter/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 5: January 28, 2015

Bible Study: 2nd Samuel

The saga of the Israelite kingdom continues with 2nd 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: Life Transitions.

Join us as we gather together and work in transition groups. Sabine O’Hara will speak on

her experience with her husband’s extended illness to the Illness/Caregiving group.

Session 6: February 4-25, 2015 (no class 2/18)

Bible Study: Hosea

The prophet Hosea wrote during the 8th century BCE, calling the Northern Kingdom of

Israel to account for its lack of faithfulness to God. Hosea’s own marriage to his unfaithful

wife, Gomer, became an allegory of God’s relationship to unfaithful Israel. The book of

Hosea offers a tragic picture of people turning away from God, and how far God is willing

to go to woo back his beloved. …. Continued page 14

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Metropolitan & Community News

February 18, 2015

Continued: Session 6: February 4-25, 2015 (no class 2/18)

Topical Study: Continuation of “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.

AhnnaLise Stevens-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.

Session 7: March 4-25, 2015

Bible Study: The Gospel of Luke

From birth to resurrection, the Gospel of Luke presents Jesus of Nazareth as the savior

of the entire world, and focuses on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Luke

offers parables such as the prodigal son, the shepherd and the lost sheep, and the woman

with the lost coin to show the great extent to which God will go to reclaim the least, the

last, and the lost.

Topical Study: Continuation of “Worthy Before God: An LGBTQ-inclusive theology”

See February description above.

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Circles

Circle 2 News: The January meeting was held on January 14th. Everyone brought a Christmas

present she didn't want. We exchanged and some went home with something

special. We learned that it is true, "One man's trash is another man's

treasure." Leftovers were donated to charity.

Circle Two is happy to report that our donations to charity in December came to a

total of $1640.00. $890.00 to The Literacy Council of Washington, DC, $500.00 to the

Children's Home at NIH, and $250.00 to Friendship House.

~ Submitted by Jane Cunningham, co-chair of Circle 2

Circles

2 The February meeting will be held on February 11, at 10 AM, at the home of

Lorraine Marsh. Barbara Green will be the speaker. All are invited. Contact

Jane Cunningham, [email protected] or Charlotte Carter,

[email protected]

6 Circle Six will meet February 12 at 7:00 P.M. for a Bible study lead by our

own, Ann Michel, who always picks provocative and challenging passages

from the Bible for us to discuss; and on March 12, same time and place,

Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson will lead us on the topic of "Art of Sacred

Listening". Please feel free to invite friends that might be interested in either

program. Any questions, please contact Mary Jo Marchant,

[email protected]

8 Circle 8 will meet in the church parlor at 7:30pm on Tuesday, February 3rd.

Our program will be a tour of our church's art conducted by Marilu Wood.

Contact Eugenia Evans, [email protected]

9 Circle 9 will meet on Wednesday, February 4 at 10:30 a.m. in the Choir

Room. Rev. Charlie Parker will tell us about his sabbatical last summer. In

addition, we will select books from the UMW Reading Program to read and

review in March. Please contact Bobby Turnbull,

[email protected]

10 Contact Caralee Adams [email protected] or Suzanne Vieth

[email protected]

The next UMW Board Meeting will be held February 9, 2015.

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

[email protected] by Wednesday, February 25, 2014.