Skittles and Communion: Reflections on the World Pride Parade and Reconciling Sunday 

National UMC is a Reconciling Congregation. Long before the United Methodist Church shed the denominational rules that prevented the ordination of LGBTQ individuals, National and other Reconciling Congregations worked to change those rules while welcoming and affirming members of the LGBTQ community into the whole life of the church. Now that the United Methodist Church has dropped its discriminatory barriers, we continue to work to welcome all. One way we do that is by participating in the June Pride festivities.  

As part of B-WARM (Baltimore-Washington Reconciling Ministries), National UMC marches in the DC Pride parade. For this year’s large World Pride celebration, the parade organizers limited the number of people who could march, so National was allotted five (joyful) parade marchers as part of B-WARM’s larger group. In addition, Methodist youth enthusiastically served water and lemonade to participants at the B-WARM lemonade stand in front of John Wesley AME Zion. It was truly a multi-church effort. 

Our group was mostly from Maryland and DC, but I was pleased to see clergy from Virginia involved in the B-WARM effort. Rev. Amy Beth Coleman from Calvary UMC (Arlington) joined our parade group this year, along with the UM chaplain at the College of William and Mary. The Pride parade is one of the ways that United Methodists – clergy and laity – work together across conference and state borders.  

We began the parade by having communion, led by the Rev. Will Ed Green of Silver Spring UMC. In true Methodist fashion, communion was open to anyone who wished to participate. Remember the communion invitation the clergy use about it not mattering where you came from, whether you are baptized, or who you love, etc.? That was this crowd. I helped distribute the communion elements. John Wesley preached outside coal mines in Wales; we shared communion at the Pride Parade. It was all very Methodist indeed. 

The parade took us down 14th Street to Constitution. The B-WARM group was introduced by name at all three announcement points. In addition, we handed out packages of Skittles (rainbow colors…) with a welcome message and a QR code that would help parade goers locate UM churches – including National UMC. We distributed 14,000(!) packages, and each sticker was put on by hand. That’s a lot of stickers and candy. We ran out well before the end of the parade. I was glad to see that people were carefully reading the welcome message. 

 I also noticed how parade goers reacted to the UM clergy who led the group, carrying the banner and wearing stoles and collars. The reactions were very positive. One of the pastors dressed up as a very realistic white Jesus character, beard and all. The crowd went wild seeing him and wanted photos with him. Think about that! People of all ages and religious backgrounds wanted a picture with Jesus! What an opportunity for the Church to spread the message of love! 

 Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol from Mount Vernon Place UMC received a World Pride 2025 Heroes Award and helped lead the entire parade. She was credited for her “courageous decision to perform same-sex marriages when they were banned by The United Methodist Church, putting her ordination at risk…and with her joyful embrace of marching in the Capital Pride Parade, demonstrating God’s love for everyone.”  It was great to see yet another United Methodist presence put front and center in the festival for everyone to see. She was the only religious leader in the group of 2025 honorees. (https://worldpridedc.org/events/capital-pride-honors/#honorees) 

 On Reconciling Sunday, it was a joy to welcome Rev. Joey Heath-Mason back to both of our campuses. I enjoyed preaching at the second service at the Metropolitan Memorial campus. Thanks to everyone who made that possible.  

Capitol Pride/World Pride was just one of many joy-filled Pride events in our area. At Pride parades in Baltimore and Frederick and a Pride street fair in Rockville, National UMC folk showed up to celebrate the diverse, wonderful humanity God has created. Through candy and communion, collars and stoles, stickers and photo ops, area Methodists – including National UMC -- helped spread the love of Jesus Christ during Pride. Thanks be to God. 

Letter from Pastor of Congregational Care

Grace to you and peace to the members and friends at National United Methodist Church. It is our mission to Make the Love of God Obvious for all those who encounter our ministries, as well as for all of those in our congregations as well.

Our clergy and congregational care team want to know about the best ways that we can share God’s love and care for you.

Here is one of the ways you can partner with us in this ministry. Each week as you fill out the prayer forms with your prayer requests, the clergy gather them together and pray over them immediately. If someone requests a follow-up from the pastor on that form we respond to those immediately. We also make sure to lift up concerns on our daily prayer calls at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m, if permission is given to do so.

It is an honor and privilege to serve with you in this way. We have heard the stories of lives being transformed and things made brand new. In our calling as pastors, we share the gift of helping all ages to walk through this journey of life in both the joy and the pain. With love, we give ourselves to care in ways we trust that God’s love shines through to you.

Congregational Care has allowed me to see firsthand the ways that God is at work in the lives of people when we cry with people in their hospital rooms or front porches, listen to their stories, walk them through life’s journey, and pray with people. I can remember responding to a call on the church emergency line in the middle of the night (see the phone number below). All they wanted was a listening ear and  reassurance  that God was with them in all that they were dealing with. It was a humbling and gratifying experience that I would not trade for the world. It was in this moment that I was able to see God’s grace at work, reaching out to someone to help them know they were cared for and cherished by God specifically. This is the gift of carrying out ministry, walking alongside people on their life’s journey.

Sometimes people feel overlooked by clergy folk, and we truly regret that.  We work in many ways behind the scenes and it may not be obvious that folks are receiving care. But maybe we missed a  need of yours.  We ask your forgiveness and also your help directing others to reach out directly when they or a loved one needs tenderness from a pastor. We want to make sure that we are being faithful to God’s call to provide comfort.

If you or someone you know has an upcoming surgery or has been hospitalized, please call the church office at 202-363-4900 and request to speak with Rev. Dr. Livingston. Please tell us the name and hospital they are located in. You can also shoot us an email at rlivingston@nationalchurch.org or communications@nationalchurch.org to update us on any pastoral care concerns.

If you are in crisis or have an emergency, you can reach out to us 24/7 at 202-510-8555. Please be patient and listen to the prompt, while one of our clergy prepares to respond to your call. You can call or text this number.

Peace and Blessings,

Rev. Dr. Rachel B. Livingston

Keeping Holy Time: Story Time

By Rev. Janet Craswell
 

“In the great, green room, there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon.”

If you have spent time tucking little ones into bed, you might recognize those words – the opening sentence from Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. One time I was at a party when a group of adults spontaneously broke into a recitation of this beloved children’s storybook. I have no idea why we started doing it, but clearly the book was burned into our brains from endless bedtime repetitions. It was especially funny because some of our children were well into their teens by then. But when you read a story every night for years, it sticks.

It is quite common for small children to have a favorite story as part of their daily ritual. Woe to you if you try to skip a page of Cinderella or If You Give a Mouse a Cookie in the interest of speeding up bedtime! The story is important, and the repetition is important. When children get to the point that they can retell a story, it is their story, and no one can take it from them.

At National UMC, our children’s Sunday school uses Godly Play, a curriculum that focuses on telling Bible stories and exploring faith together. Godly Play was developed by Dr. Jerome Berryman, who saw the importance of storytelling when working in a hospital with children who had attempted suicide. He realized that what these children had in common was that they all came from families that did not tell stories. “They did not tell stories about vacations, funny things that happened, sad things, grandparents, birthdays, deaths, pets, hopes, trips, dreams, or any other tales…The family members were like neighboring islands without any bridges. There was no narrative to connect them. What was the treatment? We set up ways to encourage them to tell stories face-to-face.”i

What stories do you tell? What stories live in your heart? What are the stories that tell you who you are? What are the stories that connect you to others?

This Sunday, we will again hear the words of the prophet Jeremiah, telling the Judean people in Babylon to seek the welfare of the city where they were exiled (Jeremiah 29: 1-14). Didn’t we just do this last week? Yes, we did. But the story is important, so repetition is important. Pastor Rachel preached at Wesley campus last week, Pastor Doug preached at Metropolitan Memorial. This Sunday, they will switch, examining this story from different angles.

Why does this story matter? Why bother with a Babylonian war crime from 2600 years ago? The Babylonian Exile remains a defining historical event for the Jewish people – a time of suffering, but also a time of deep spiritual reflection and theological development. In Babylon, they understood that God was with them wherever they went – not confined to Jerusalem or the land of Israel. As Christians, we share the Jewish scriptures that came from this time of exile. Jesus was shaped by this story, so were the apostles. The story of exile, the story of God’s presence in exile, and the story of return from exile, these stories lived in the hearts of the people who gave us our faith. They are our stories too.

But Jeremiah’s words do not just connect us to the ancient past. They do not just connect us to our Jewish neighbors. They also challenge us. “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you…for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” How do we seek the welfare – the wellbeing -- of the places we are? Not our personal wellbeing, but the wellbeing of our neighbors? Possibly, we start with storytelling. Better yet, we start with story-listening.

This Sunday, National UMC will host the second of three neighborhood festivals. The first was in Glover Park in the spring. September 17 we will host the neighbors around the Metropolitan Memorial campus at a fall festival; October 8, we will host the neighbors around the Wesley campus in Chevy Chase DC. The events will be fun, with games, music (possibly dancing!) and food. Most importantly, they are a chance to meet our neighbors and begin to hear their stories. As Jerome Berryman suggested, it is in sharing stories of “…pets, hopes, trips, dreams or any other tales…” that we build bridges and connect with one another.

Wherever you are, seek the welfare of the city. Hear a story. Tell your story. This is how we love our neighbors.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Janet

i Berryman, Jerome W., Stories of God at Home: A Godly Play Approach, Church Publishing, 2018, p. 28

Letter from the Senior Pastor

This Weekend’s Events

Grace and peace to you!  I’m writing to raise awareness around this weekend’s big events including the celebration of Rosh Hashana by Temple Micah on Friday and Saturday as well as the Community Festival on Sunday. Both events will take place on the Metropolitan Memorial Campus. I’m asking for your patience with unusual parking patterns, your participation in meaningful community outreach, and your prayers for the safety and wellbeing of all.

Temple Micah celebrates the high holy days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur on the Metropolitan Memorial campus in order to better accommodate the size of their full congregation.  From September 15 through September 25 a giant tent will spread over a quarter of the parking lot to shelter one of the three worship services occurring both weekends, Friday night, Saturday morning and afternoon.  If you had planned to casually visit the Metropolitan Memorial campus Friday or Saturday on these next two weekends, please consider alternate days.  We also ask that folks attending Sunday worship and the Community Fest utilize street parking so that those with mobility challenges and visitors can utilize more limited parking spaces. 

Sunday’s 11am to 2pm Community Fest will utilize that giant tent in the parking lot.  DJ Chloe will spin tunes from that tent while a catered Taco Bar is offered there too.  Yes, there will be lots of games, an inflatable slide, and opportunities for arts and crafts too, just as folks may remember from years past.  However, this Sunday’s Community Festival is different from the “Welcome Back” Picnics of the past.  Our training in “Catalyst Initiative” in 2022 and early 2023 invited us to listen more carefully to the needs of our neighbors so that worship, education, and outreach are relevant.  People are curious about what we do in these buildings and we need to be equally curious about what matters to community members. So here’s what I ask frequent participants of Metropolitan Memorial worship services to do.  Wear your nametag, and then prioritize the needs of those who are wearing hand-written name tags on Sunday.  Make sure they eat before you eat.  (We have food enough for 125 people, so we need to make sure students and neighbors get to enjoy it!)  But then please invite conversation around questions like these:

How long have you lived here?  What other towns have you known?

What has it been like for you living here?  (And share your own experiences too.)

If you have more time together, maybe share some things that are important to you and check what kinds of things may be important to them.  I like to kayak in Annapolis.  I might share that paddling helps me balance, literally and figuratively.  Maybe my conversation partner does Yoga for that same reason.  And the conversation can just go from there--two or three people expressing the joy or challenges of life. 

We offered the same kind of community event in Glover Park over the summer and will offer something similar in Chevy Chase on October 8th for the Wesley worshipping community to meet neighbors nearby.  Please join us praying that God can use these simple programs as a means for people who may feel isolated and alone to come into community with us.  The Spirit has led us toward the community and we pray this same Spirit will lead us to respond to them in love. 

Welcome New 9 am Director of Music, Rev. Grayland Snead.

Grayland Snead Jr., a native of Philadelphia, PA, was a very musical child. He matriculated through Richmond Public Schools in Virginia. He was a dedicated member of the Richmond Boys Choir for four years. He later studied voice and minored in piano at Virginia State University. Snead earned his Bachelors of Arts in Vocal Performance. In 2014, he attained dual Masters Degrees - a Masters of Divinity from Virginia Union University and Masters of Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. Snead has performed nationally, internationally both as a conductor, vocalist, pianist, band member, and solo artist. In May of 2015, Rev. Snead was ordained Itinerant Deacon. In May of 2017, Rev. Snead was ordained Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. Snead served as pastor of Holly Grove AME in Windsor VA, Bethel Rocky Mount AME church in Rocky Mount VA and Beulah AME in Farmville VA. Snead, served at the Co-Director of Music and Creative Arts at Metropolitan AME Church and Minister of Music at Ward Memorial AME Church in Washington D.C. Currently, Snead is the newest Director of Music at National United Methodist Church and Choral Director at School Without Walls at Francis Stevens in Washington D.C. He has over 17 years of experience at all educational levels, both public and private in music education to include: Mary Baldwin University (AVP) Choir Director, Artistic Director for (S.P.A.R.C) School of The Performing Arts Richmond Community, Richmond Public Schools All City Choir Conductor, Accompanist, Department Head, Lead Teacher, New Teacher Mentor, Homebound instructor and Coach. In his moments of leisure, he enjoys spending quality time with his two teenage sons, Tristan and Aidan.

On Sunday, April 30, the children and youth of National UMC wrote the liturgy for our Metropolitan Memorial campus services. This prayer was written by students between the ages of 10 and 13. Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church:

Dear God,

Thank you for spring, rain, and Easter. Thank you for giving us inspiration and creativity. 

There are many problems in our world, including climate change and extreme weather and the war in Ukraine. In our country and our city, there are school shootings and immigrants have a hard time. In our church we celebrate Easter, but people are sick and school is stressful. 

We didn’t create these problems, and they make us nervous. 

Dear God, how will the immigrants make it here, to the flowers in constant bloom? How will they bypass the likelihood of deportation? How may we help those who have less than us?

We don’t always have the answers. We do not always carry your message of love. We ask for your help.

Help us to love more than we are loved, add some of your beauty to our lives, and to step up when no one expects it. Grant us the strength to be the unlikely helper. Help us to help those who need it most, and save us from greed because others need it more. Help us to leave a mark, a trail of your message, a path to heaven on Earth.  

In Your name we pray. Amen.

The following reflection by the Reverend Doctor Rachel Livingston was delivered in sermons at Metropolitan Memorial and Wesley campuses of National UMC on January 15, 2023.  The letter was written in the style of the Apostle Paul who wrote letters to churches to guide their formation.  It was influenced by the prophetic teachings of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who encouraged the church to challenge the status quo and build Beloved Community.

Good morning,

This letter comes from the pen of Rev. Dr. Rachel B. Livingston, who has been appointed by Bishop Easterling as the associate pastor of National United Methodist Church, and given the gifts and graces to develop ministry in the life of the church. I stand here as a preacher of the gospel, as a spiritual leader that helps to shepherd God’s people in the formation of the church, to help to explore what it means to live faithfully, but most importantly, I stand here as a follower of Jesus Christ. It is by the will of God and the love of this community that I come to you. It is through God’s love and grace that we have been gifted the opportunity to be in fellowship and community together.

This letter is written to the Church of God, in America and abroad, but most directly to the National United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., with worshipping locations on Nebraska Ave and Connecticut Ave in the Northwest quadrant of the city. You have proven to be sanctified in Jesus Christ, as you are seeking to grow closer to God. You are saints, the people of God, who call yourselves Christian, and have bonded yourself together with the “Whole Church.” And because you proclaim to be the people of God, an active body of the church, you are united with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are united underneath the banner that is Christ, who has brought salvation and liberation to this world.

Grace to you and peace, as I greet you in the name of the Holy Trinity: Our God the Heavenly parent, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

You are such a great institution for Christ, and I commend you on all you have done to build up God’s Kingdom. You have done so many great things. You have built such great structures for God’s people that have allowed not only worship, but the ministry of God to thrive in. You have made advancements that have allowed people to worship with us in person and from their homes.  I am so proud of the things you have done on behalf of your faith to spread the love of Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God for you always, because it is clear that the grace of God has been given to you in Christ Jesus. God has imparted God’s grace on you because you have chosen to continue to follow Jesus Christ. I have heard so much of the work that you have been doing as you seek to make the love of God obvious. You have many ministries around the church like Campus Kitchen and Jazz at Wesley, great worship services, and great ways to engage our faith in Christian education programs, just to name a few. You have so many different ministries, and I fail to name them out of brevity and not because they are not present. You have reached beyond yourself in many ways to grow in God’s grace. Your heart is in the right place.

You have done so many things, but even in all you do, there is still some room for growth as we always seek to be better, as we internalize the teachings of Jesus. Our goal as the church is to take in Christ’s ways so much that we function in them without thinking. So, I write this letter to you that you might be different than the people of Corinth, that Paul was speaking to. Corinth was a diverse congregation that had strayed away from Christian conduct; they had marginalized the poor and separated themselves from the disadvantaged, the poor, and the outcast; and some of them thought they were better than others in the community because of certain gifts they held. They needed to be challenged to turn from their harmful ways that they might live as the body of Christ in the world. But I so desperately want more for you, that you may not fall into some of their mistakes. I also write you this letter, that you might be challenged to be the Beloved Community that Martin Luther King, Jr. challenged the American church to be. He challenged the American Church to not be shaped by a world that thrived in the three evils, that he identified as classism, racism, and militarism, but to be transformed to build the Beloved Community that s shaped in diversity, God’s love, God’s justice, and God’s righteousness. I want you to be all these things – the Body of Christ and the Beloved Community.

I am compelled to write to you about the responsibilities that we take on as we seek to be the followers of Jesus Christ, who define ourselves as the church, in the midst of a world whose status quo does not function in God’s love. Think about it! The world is much more likely to function in their own biases, violence, and selfishness, than change the way things are. The world only wants to enrich the status quo. The world is afraid to be different. They measure their morality on societal consensus rather than justice. It is more important to be socially accepted than to do what is right. But how can morality be shaped by society, when society has been rooted in a historical system that created laws to perpetuate racism, sexism, and classism – and over time has failed to fully reform from these original ideas of oppression that were put in place long ago. Society has rejected the inclusivity of the outcast, and even when society has given to the poor and the homeless, it is more about massaging ego than really helping someone. The world gives unfair treatment to people because of gender identity, sexual orientation, being the essence of who they are, and showing up in the skin they are in, all because these people are different. And despite the disposition of society, God loves all people and affirms their being. Society has leaned into hating one another for difference in political affiliation, and they function in ways that glorify violence, long before love is a consideration.

But I send my encouragement to you today, because what has been defined as the world is not the essence of who you are. As you seek to be followers of Jesus Christ, you are encouraged to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of your minds. That is what scripture tells us to do, because we are the people of God. And because we are followers of Jesus Christ, our goal is to declare the reign of the Lord and become co-creators with God to build up the Kingdom of God. This is all so that what we see in the world does not have to be the stagnant reality, but the world might be transformed so the ways of Christ might be present in and others can experience Christ. Because Jesus is the Way, the truth, and the life – but what good is that fact if the world cannot engage with Christ in that capacity or experience the fullness of Christ’s redemption and liberation for us all. And as you reflect Christ in the things you do, it is possible that when you do not show love, you cloud the vision of others to fully see Jesus.  So love one another, Beloved. We as the Church are seeking to build the Beloved Community – create community where everyone is cared so that there is the absence of poverty, hunger, hate, and injustice.  This will not happen overnight, and in some aspects, Beloved Community may take generations to achieve, but we seek to build a world that functions in God’s righteousness.

My siblings in Christ, for in every way, you have been enriched in Christ Jesus – as you have accepted the grace of God that was given to you freely, and you have been transformed as you seek to live more and more like Christ daily. So, as you dedicate your lives to sanctification, or being holy in God, lean into the ways of Christ and the movement of the Holy Spirit. As you do this, embrace being given the gifts, speech, and knowledge to function in the ways of the Lord. As a body, we are not lacking in any gift, meaning, you have all the gifts that are needed to do everything that God has set before us to engage in the mission God has given us, to be the church, to create Beloved Community, to love one another, to be the hands and feet of God in the world, and to bring others to Christ.

As you hold onto your gifts, know that you are tasked to use them for God. And in your use of them, your ultimate allegiance is to God, and not any man-made institution or societal structure. And quite often, it may be the case, that your allegiance to God and the work God has for you, will be in direct opposition to the maintaining of the status quo. So, know who you are – know you are a child of God – and the creator has designed you to transform the world as you remain connected to God. You were not designed to maintain allegiance to society or to uphold the status quo. Listen to the Holy Spirit to direct you on your path. When earthly things conflict with God’s will, it is our duty to stand against it – it is our duty to uphold God’s righteousness. So, use the gifts God has given you in their fullness to build up the Kingdom of God and build Beloved Community.

You are gifted by God. So, use your gift! We need all of your gifts for all that we have been tasked to do!

We are not lacking in any gift, which means we must use our gifts to not only become involved in the ministries we already to a full capacity, but we are to build what God would have us to build. So, we use the gifts we have been given. We do this by leaning on the teachers in our midst, who teach the ways of the Lord in Bible Study and Christian teaching – they will teach us the ways of Christ. We look to the prophets in our midst who challenge the status quo and call out injustice – the point us to what the Lord is saying. We look to those with the gift of faith among us, who will help us to see the ways God is with us, even when it seems unlikely or that God is silent. We look to those in our midst with the gift of administration to help us see how to use our funds wisely and faithfully. We look to those with the gift of knowledge in our midst, to help us to find ways to increase involvement in ministry. We look to those with compassion to help us welcome the outcast, give to the poor, and care for others. We look to those in our midst who speak in tongues to help us connect to people of different cultures and ages.  We look to all of you to use your gifts. We need all of you and your gifts to work together with all the pieces of the Body of Christ. We are not lacking in any gift. God has given each of you a gift to be brought together with those in our community. When we function in God’s love with our gifts working together, the testimony of Christ has been strengthened in you, because you are working to make the love of God obvious.

I must remind you, that you are the church, and that means that you are the body of Christ. You have been brought together in unity through the power of the Holy Spirit for a reason. Your gifts are used to bring you together in Jesus Christ, but they are also to aid in your building of God’s Kingdom. We are bound together under the banner that is Jesus Christ and together our gifts help us to function as the body, making up all the parts of the body to function together. Just as the eye cannot say to the foot, I am not in need of you, nor can the leg say to the heart I am no in need of you. We cannot say to one another we are not in need of each other.  We are brought together to function in unity. We must work together to do what God has called us to – to love the community around us. We might be multiple locations, but we are to unite together – to do ministry together and to love one another. Too often we war with one another as if we are separate identities, but quite frankly we are united. I am disappointed by the ways we divide. Our history says that we are National United Methodist Church – We are Metropolitan, We are Wesley, We are St. Luke’s, and We are Eldbrooke – we are the church! We are one! We are the united body of Christ. And God has brought us together to be in community. We must understand the human connection of the word, ubuntu, which means I am because we are – we are completely connected and there is a universal bond between us.

But more than that, we are connectional in that we are unified with our many different siblings on the Christian tradition. I am disheartened by the way we divide ourselves. We war with other denominations claiming that we have the absoluter truth, but we are all united as sibling in Christ – the Methodist, the Lutherans, the Episcopalians, the Presbyterians, the Pentecostals, the Baptists are all our people and we should love them as such. There isn’t a need for uniformity, but there is a need for love and unity in the Body of Christ. God is not Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or Catholic. Quite honestly, because God existed long before time and the creation of our theology, God is not even Christian. God cannot be bound in a box or forced to conform to the rules that we decide to place on God, and we do not have a monopoly on God. God can meet anyone, anywhere, and God is bigger that any of our divisions. We are to love one another and those beyond us. In 1967 Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.” This still rings true today. We must be dedicated to creating Beloved community, where everyone is cared for absent of poverty, hunger, and hate and the world is cloaked in God’s love. When you love one another the testimony of Christ is strengthened.

The church is the body of Christ, and when it is functioning in its true nature, it knows no division or disunity. So, live together in unity, Beloved. In this, I do not mean we will never have disagreements. That is not realistic. But what I mean, is that we must work together to love one another. We may disagree, but as we approach our disagreements and work through them. We are to push through in love with the realization that we are one in Christ. We are not to fall victim to hating one another but work through our differences in love with the understanding that we won’t let go until we approach healthy, loving resolution. We should not war with one another. Some of my strongest relationships were formed, not because me and my best friends agree on everything, but because we were willing to work through conflict. Our love was strengthened because we were so dedicated to loving one another and having each other in our lives that even when we offended or hurt one another, we held on and wouldn’t let go until the we understood the wrong, understood one another, and were able to learn and grow to better love one another. Love and unity are not always about being on the same page, but it is about knowing that our future is wholly and completely woven together. So, no matter what we are committed to make life work together in genuine love – that we might love one another in harmony.

So finally, my friends, my Beloved, love one another like Jesus has shown us, because love is one of the greatest virtues. So, love in all you do, because you can do the greatest ministries in the church, but if there is no love behind it, then it means nothing. We can give our good to fee the poor, we may put all we have into a ministry like Campus Kitchen, but if we don’t love each other and really love the souls of the people we feed, it is worth nothing. WE may give our money to non-profit organizations like Friendship Place, TraRon, Washington Interfaith Network, and many more, but it we don’t love one another and really love the souls of the people we are giving to than it is worth nothing. We may give our buildings to house migrants and the homeless, but if we don’t love one another and really love the souls of the people who seek refuge, it is worth nothing. We can dedicate our bodies to activism and lay our lives on the line, we can organize for justice in the community, but if we do not love one another and really love the souls of the people in this community, it means nothing. Our actions must be surrounded and guided by God’s love, otherwise it is just a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal and means nothing. But if we love one another and love those God has called us to, we are functioning in our partnership with God as the church, the body of Christ.

Our love is the thing that keeps the church moving, it is the thing that defines us, and it makes bringing our gifts together easy. Our practice of love is the movement of God in the world that allows those, ruled by time, to see the revelation of a God, not bound by time nor eternity. Our love helps to make the cross and the resurrection make sense to a world that has forgotten our God.

I hope this letter will find you strong in the faith. And may I live among you in faith, working together to grow in faith as we build up the Kingdom of God. May we embody the ways of Christ as we declare to follow Jesus Christ.

I, Rev. Dr. Rachel B. Livingston write this greeting from my own hand. Be the church and live out the ways of Christ. Use all that you are to follow Jesus Christ. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be upon you. My love be with all of you, In Jesus Christ.

Peace and Blessings,

Rev. Dr. Rachel B. Livingston

NUMC Catalyst Team: An update and invitation

As we enter 2023, our church is excited to continue the journey with a strategic planning program called the Catalyst Initiative. Our team (Caralee Adams, Dom Argentieri, Heidi Holgate and Angela Pupino) has been working with Pastor Doug and leaders from other churches in the area to explore creative ways to have a meaningful presence in our community.

Thanks to all of you who have shared your thoughts with us through the congregational survey and our one-to-one listening campaign. It is your feedback that has helped us identify our values, strengths, and potential next steps to put our faith into action.

In January,  we are reviewing our data and fine tuning our focus. Listening to the community’s voice, our congregation’s gifts and passions, and what energizes leaders, we are crafting a call in this moment: to be relevant to the world in our outreach and worship, as well as create a variety of spaces for connection and service.

The church-wide convocations identified four core values of 1) serving others; 2) offering welcome; 3) embracing young people; 4) being inclusive.

Next, our Catalyst coaches have asked us to design an experiment that we can launch between Feb. 1 and March 15. The idea is to be creative, take a risk, and try something that we hope might ignite our faith into action. The process has us thinking broadly, but coming up with a somewhat narrow activity or event to test.  We are considering ideas that are external-facing and can build/rebuild community.

This is not the one and only opportunity to experiment. Rather, we hope it is one of many and we can learn from this first process.

We welcome your feedback. Please contact anyone on the team if you’d like to share your ideas.  Send feedback to Doug@NationalChurch.org. 

We are meeting Jan 8 to review options and will be finalizing our proposal Jan 15. We will meet with our Catalyst coach January 23 to consult on the plan and share updates at the Jan 24 church council. Then we will reach out to the congregation and staff for support in carrying out the experiment.

Thanks to everyone for your trust in us as we work together to see what’s possible for our church.

A third-generation minister, Rachel is a provisional elder in the United Methodist and is looking forward to serving as the Pastor of Congregational Care at National United Methodist Church.

Rachel earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University and a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.

A scholar, Rachel completed her Doctor of Ministry at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, in May 2022. Her research explores connecting to young adults and communities through activism and community organizing. She is devoted to issues that seek out justice and build Beloved Community that is rooted in the love of Jesus Christ.

Locating herself in the Wesleyan tradition, Rev. Livingston believes that the church has a responsibility to nurture persons in both personal holiness and social responsibility. She maintains that one is not only called to a church but also the community. Therefore, one of her ministry goals is to find various ways to connect church and community. This is evidenced in her work as a community organizer for the Delaware Repeal Project, that sought to end the death penalty in Delaware, and as Executive Director for The Children's Defense Fund Freedom School at St. Paul's Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA, which sought not only promote literacy but encourage young people to make a difference in the world around them.

She has a strong passion for working with young people and Young Adults as she previously served as the Youth and Young Adult director at Towson United Methodist Church.  While there she developed a contemporary worship service that was created by and for young adults.  Her desire to work with Young Adults directed her toward her doctoral research that sought to meet Young Adults where they are.  She noticed that Young Adults were becoming a disappearing generation within the church, yet very involved in the movements of activism to make a difference in the world. This led to exploring ministry that allows Young Adults to learn community organizing principles and lead the church in activism and connecting with the surrounding community.  

Rev. Dr. Rachel B. Livingston is a native of Wilmington, DE and now calls the Maryland-DC-Metropolitan area her home.

She lives by the mantra of the United Methodist Hymn #536: “Take the name of Jesus with you,” which has been a family song to remind us that throughout life we must take Jesus along the journey.

 As the saying goes, “I love a parade. I have to because I’m in the band.”  And I was.

Rev. Doug Robinson reflected on his experience with the parade this year (yes, it is an intense experience) and I wanted to share some glimpses of my own.

First of all, thanks to Cora Cramer, Nicole Chao, Ann, Scott Michel, Jeanie  Mah, Angela Pupino, Tanner Carlson, and Rev. Doug for participating and representing both National UMC’s campuses so powerfully and ably.  American University chaplains Joey Heath-Mason and Bryant Oskvig also participated so we will claim them as ours as well.  Nothing occurs successfully without organization so I am grateful to Jim Early at Foundry for assembling the people and parts to make our float. 

The event brought UM clergy who have participated previously as well as other clergies who were newer to the event.  One such newer person, for example, was a Korean pastor who walked along the route joyously passing out bookmarks to the participants.  Participation in this parade has grown from one local congregation (Metropolitan Memorial) to a coalition of some 29(!) local congregations ranging from South Alexandria through Montgomery County, big and small churches, city and suburban, those new to the Reconciling Movement, and those well-experienced.  The clergy from the Reconciling United Methodist Churches of the National Capital Area wore collars and walked out front holding the big welcome banner being absolutely visible to the entire crowd.

As testimony to our outreach on our congregation’s website, I received an email from someone in western Fairfax county who saw the notice on our website and inquired about where to join the parade.  Thank you Joey Heath-Mason for directing her to our group. The Spirit is clearly on the move! 

We began the parade with communion, assisted by the various clergy in the contingent and led by Rev. Will Green associate pastor and Foundry and soon-to-be pastor at Silver Spring UMC.  One of the God moments in communion was when a drag performer in float next to us wandered over and joined us in grape juice and bread.  I later shared my observation with Will, to which he responded, “It shows that we must be doing something right.” Yes indeed, we are.  We are truly an open table and I daresay that John Wesley would have been proud of us.

Beads, though not a giveaway favored by the Capital Pride Committee, were passed out in abundance.  In fact we ran out of the many thousands of the bead strings about half-way through the route.  Interestingly, black beads were a frequently requested color this year.  This year, I had the theological insight that the beads aren’t only a physical reminder of the United Methodists the crowd met but also an act of flinging a reminder of God’s love to the crowd as we passed by.  The cheering crowd always reminds me of Jesus’ statement that “even the stones will cry out” despite the disapproval of the wider church.

One of my seminary classmates, newly commissioned in the Virginia Annual Conference, carried a sign for Washington Farm UMC, and brought her husband-a military NCO-and her two small kids to participate.  Her husband frequently came to me in the float to refill his arms with beads and then give them to their two kids to pass out to the crowd.  Their two small children absolutely delighted in running from crowd member to crowd member, giving them a set of beads.  Afterward, I overheard him suggesting that they could talk to folks at their church about how much fun they had in hopes that more people from the congregation might join them next year.

Finally, I would like to than Mike Heffner for the excellent design and materials of the altar area and how much it added to the service and the appearance of the room.  Tony Brown and I helped with putting it together, doing as we were told.  😊  .  I was unaware at the time when I asked him to help, that Mike is a professional graphic designer and does this sort of thing for a living in his business.  What a wonderful gift in our lives.  Visual art has a way of conveying messages that words alone cannot say.   I look forward to seeing more of his artistic vision in the future in our congregation.

We had church at the Pride Parade, sharing the love of God to the parade attendees.

New Appointment to NUMC Announced Sunday!

From Dee Dee Parker Wright, SPRC Chair

It was joyfully announced in worship services on May 15, 2022, that Bishop LaTrelle Easterling has appointed the Rev. Dr. Rachel Livingston as an Associate Pastor for National United Methodist Church beginning July 1, 2022.

The Staff Parish Relations Committee provided a Congregation Profile and had meetings with District Superintendent Gerard Green to share the needs and dreams of National UMC and the skills currently needed in an Associate Pastor around pastoral care, preaching, and implementation of our Catalyst Initiative strategic planning. We were delighted to have the opportunity to meet and talk deeply with Rev. Dr. Livingston. This prayerful process of appointment belongs to God and is implemented with great care by the Bishop and Cabinet of the Baltimore-Washington Conference.

Pastor Livingston recently received her Doctor of Ministry degree from Union Theological Seminary She also holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University. She has worked in previous positions directing youth and young adult ministries, community organizing, and leading Freedom Schools for the Children’s Defense Fund. She has most recently served as Senior Pastor at Cheltenham United Methodist Church in Upper Marlboro, MD. Pastor Livingston is originally from Wilmington, Delaware.

National UMC looks forward to welcoming Pastor Livingston and her dog “Ella B” to our National UMC community in July and working with her and the Conference to continue making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Our first Sunday to meet Pastor Rachel will be July 3rd and we anticipate a reception on July 10th.  If you would like to help provide a welcome to the Rev. Dr. Livingston, please contact communications@nationalchurch.org. 

Introducing the Readiness 360 Implementation Team!

The Readiness 360 Survey was administered in February with 126 responses from across our National United Methodist Church community.  The Readiness 360 program encourages the pastor’s selection of five members to read the detailed report and create a short-term plan to build on obvious strengths and shore-up obvious growth areas.  National UMC may be among those churches selected for a year-long partnership with a cohort of similar churches working toward more effective, impactful ministry and growth.  The Implementation Team, working in concert with the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, will bring those resources and gifts to our congregation to assist us all in longer-term strategic planning. 

Pastor Doug invited pillar staff members to offer names of those who have appeared passionately engaged in sharing, caring, serving, learning, and praising through NUMC.  There are numerous members and friends engaged in these ministries who might have served equally well on this team, however Pastor Doug prayerfully chose these five for this particular leadership while many of the others who might have been selected continue in different NUMC leadership.  Each member was asked to describe their typical breakfast.  Then each was invited to share the most inspiring moments they remember from their time at NUMC.

Marilyn Dickenson

My response to the breakfast question should be oatmeal or yogurt.  Unfortunately on most days it consists of coffee, panini sized toast with any one of the various toppings, cheese, an egg cooked in a variety of ways, tuna or avocado. Depends on what is in the cupboard. If nothing, butter is fine.  

The truth is my daughter chose Metropolitan. In New York I attended a church linked to the Caribbean Methodists and did not think much about it. While in graduate school upstate New York, I frequented the Baptist churches near campus. I grew up walking to church and so still like and appreciate being able to do that.  In coming to D.C I tried to exercise my right to choose a congregation, visiting the different methodists, AME, Af Am AME Zion, UM etc. When we visited Metropolitan Campus, my daughter's class was in the classroom that had a built-in bunk play area and a Sunday School Teacher Janet Hodges, may she rest in peace, and she decided that that was where she wanted to come.   Not shortly after, my car would not  start on a Sunday morning and we joyfully walked to church.  

Having decided to stay at Metropolitan Campus, a workshop that Pastor Drema gave about planning your funeral, as part of an Aging Series was Food for My Thoughts. I am very, very  scared, maybe hypocritical even etc  thinking about -when we all get to heaven. I sing the songs about the reunion but leap from earth to heaven in one fell swoop. That workshop gave me pause to think about small steps through the process.  It was the first time that I thought gee I have a voice. What do I prefer that  they sing?  The outline changes surely, and with COVID where some did not have a say or choices could not be respected brought another dimension. However, it has stayed with me, in a positive way.

Heidi Holgate

Breakfast:  I love all breakfast food but being a naturally lazy person usually opt for ease.  Coffee, cereal and toast.  Ironically the only times that I prepare and eat huge morning meals are camping trips with others.

NUMC Inspiring Moments:  Becoming an NUMC member was a circuitous journey stretching over a decade.  Along the way, I was pulled in by bible studies (first led by Pastor Kate and then Pastor Janet).  Those weeknights after work classes at Wesley deepened and broadened my faith. Almost all of my inspiring moments have involved getting to know community members better.  I can't tell you the number of times someone has mentioned something about themselves that challenged my worldview.  

Angela Pupino

Breakfast: Usually just coffee (so glad it's not just me). I didn't drink coffee at all until graduate school, when Carnegie Mellon gave out free coffee at every coffee shop on campus for "Grad Student Appreciation Week"... which was also midterms. It was all very predatory, and now I require caffeine. 

National: I'm inspired by pretty much anything that happens in the middle school Sunday school class or in the garden at St. Luke's. I feel like National is constantly challenging and expanding my ideas of God, community, holiness, and who I am. I've been working on an essay about working at St. Luke's garden last summer, so that definitely inspires me. (The essay, the garden, and Pastor Ali are all a huge hit with my writing groups. Sorry Pastor Ali, this is why you never should invite writers to participate in things.)

I also have some truly iconic moments in the Metropolitan Memorial campus courtesy of my campus ministry days at American. Lots of laughter, tears, existential dread, job interviews, pizza eating, and last minute studying took place in the AU lounge. 

Caralee Adams

Breakfast: When I'm being healthy, oatmeal or granola. When kids are home and I'm splurging, Lucky Charms.

Inspiring moments at church: fellowship at UMW retreats, getting to know members of all ages while chatting at Bike Collection or Great Day of Service, evening in advent carol sings, meeting visitors, anytime I kneel at the altar.

Dominic Argentieri

What do you typically eat for breakfast on a weekday? 

Unfortunately, I am not the best role model for my children when it comes to consistently eating breakfast on the weekdays and I am overly dependent on having a cup (or two or three) of coffee in the morning. But, when I do take the time to have breakfast on a weekday, it is typically a bowl of hot oatmeal. 

What is one of the more inspiring things that has happened for you at National UMC? 

There have been numerous inspiring moments at National UMC… certainly high on the list were some of the first worship services Megan and I attended almost 15 years ago now (we knew this was a home for us), the days our two daughters were baptized in the church, and many unique service offerings such as Jazz at Wesley, various Gun Violence Prevention services (e.g. TraRon Center and Stephanie Mercedes art service), the 9/11 vigil and several others. What I may put as one of the more inspiring events was attending the Kwanzaa service at Wesley in 2019. It was so much fun and brought joy to our entire family. It opened a door to a cultural experience I never previously sought out. Learning of the 7 principles of Kwanzaa spoke to me and while I do not successfully live to those principles on a daily basis I find myself revisiting them from time to time as a reminder of what behavior I should be working to infuse into my life. 

While not a singular experience, I am inspired by the people of National UMC. We speak of culture at work and most companies have a core set of values that are written and printed. But, it is about your behavior at work, and away from work, that really defines what one individual, or group, values. At National UMC I am inspired by our Vision and it is inspiring when I get to see that Vision at work thru the behavior and actions of others in this spiritual village/community.

Social Action Team Forming

From Pastor Doug

On Sunday, January 30th, several members of our National UMC community met on Zoom for town hall conversations about ministries of worship (4pm) and social action (6pm). 

In the social action conversation, I invited participants to listen as NUMC member and social concerns advocate, Richard Schleicher, shared how he first became involved in faith-based social action decades ago.  Most recently, Dick has been advocating with the District for a hypothermia shelter to return to the Northwest community in one of the NUMC facilities. 

Many years ago, NUMC covenanted to:

Continue Christ’s work for human wholeness by addressing both immediate needs (mercy) and long-term sustainable solutions (justice) by engaging in a variety of social justice ministries with both local and global partners.

Four ministry initiatives are included in the www.NationalChurch.org social justice ministries website link above:  Gun Violence Prevention, Reconciling Ministries, Welcoming Strangers, and Washington Interfaith Network.  Please read more about these commitments. Current advocates and champions of these initiatives spoke passionately about the important work of these local and global partners and why we continue to resource these with our time and money. 

In 2022 worship at NUMC, participants have heard an additional call to social action:

As followers of Jesus, we commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and pledge to stand in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed.

On January 30th, NUMC Racial Justice Team guest speaker Elliot Smith invited NUMC to stand in solidarity with the Poor People’s Campaign, especially it prepares for a June 18, 2022 rally in Washington DC. 

Lois Weaver invited NUMC to stand in solidarity with the TraRon Center children recovering from gun violence. In addition to the work of Gun Violence Prevention through education about the causes and implications of gun violence and advocacy for laws that reduce gun violence in order to promote public health and public safety, a new goal of building relationships with one or more non-profits engaged in direct support of gun violence victims and gun violence prevention was identified in 2022.    

Anita Seline celebrated the work of Campus Kitchen which now includes food service to TraRon Center as well as a new pantry which members can resource through https://nationalchurch.org/online-serving.  Anita also invited NUMC to join the work of Project Transformation DC—a United Methodist organization which meet the academic, physical, social-emotional, and spiritual needs of children from under-resourced communities—by not only volunteering personal time reading with youngsters but also sharing Shalom Place lodging in the NUMC Mission Center with twenty Project Transformation DC summer interns this year.

Bill Scoffield invited NUMC to stand in solidarity with unhoused community members by participating in Grate Patrol.  Following the 9am worship service on Sunday, February 27th, participants will gather in the Metropolitan Memorial campus “vestry” to assemble sandwiches which will be combined with food from the Campus Kitchen and delivered by the Salvation Army to folks living on the margins. 

National UMC is engaged in numerous other ministries of mercy and justice which were not explored in detail on January 30, 2022.  And each newcomer to the church brings a wonderful new constellation of commitments which enriches our discipleship and broadens our outreach.  For example Amelia Duraska named the reality of food scarcity on campus at American University and wondered how God may be calling us to respond. In all of these ways we seek to make the love of God obvious.

At the conclusion of the Social Action Conversation I invited advocates of mercy and justice to join a newly forming Social Action Team which will help us continue this work of identifying immediate needs (like food scarcity or refugee housing) while sustaining ongoing, life-giving local and global partnerships (through United Methodist Women, NUMC budget, and seasonal advocacy like “Raise the Dough” (Campus Kitchen), and “Silence the Violence” (Gun Violence Prevention). 

Will you join the social action team?  E-mail communications@NationalChurch.org.

The S.A.T. will first work on five social action opportunities which offer NUMC newcomers the best “on-ramps” to service including:

1.     Poor People’s Campaign

2.     Gun Violence Prevention

3.     Campus Kitchen Pantry Supply

4.     Project Transformation

5.     Washington Interfaith Network-Affordable Housing Initiative

 February 1, 2022 | A Message from Bishop LaTrelle Easterling

Claiming the opportunity to recognize the breadth and depth of this nation's African-American presence

Black History Month begins today. If I am completely honest, I have never really cared for this observance. It feels like a participation trophy for an entire race that has been as much a part of the history of this country as almost any other. There is no United States of America without the Black men, women and children who are central to her being. Perhaps that was the impetus for the week that gave birth to the month. In 1926, Carter G. Woodson declared the second week of February to be “Negro History Week,” because it held the birthdays of both Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Woodson and other scholars encouraged schools to include in their curriculum the achievements, contributions and sacrifices of Black people in the formation of the nation.  

In 1969, Black leaders from Kent State University proposed turning the week into a month-long recognition, with the inaugural celebration taking place on that campus a year later in 1970. The words of President Gerald Ford capture the honorable intent, albeit concomitantly shameful need for the celebration, “[Americans should] seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” The neglect of recognition preceded and precipitated the need for an intentional emphasis.

As with many ideas or efforts of noble origin, however, what was meant to open the door to a fuller and more inclusive recognition quickly turned into a misguided relegation. Centuries of information was summarily crammed into one month. And yet, it has only been through this month that many came to know such figures as Henry Blair, Sarah E. Goode, Garret Morgan, Elijah McCoy, Madam C.J. Walker and countless others. How many households across America uttered the phrase, “I didn’t know that” about the brilliance and ingenuity of Black explorers, inventors, scholars and poets because of articles written during this month?

Almost a century after Woodson’s week, we have yet to see the full integration of the contributions of African Americans included in the history of America. Black history is American history. There is no legitimate, complete or honest retelling of this nation’s past without the inclusion of all of her progeny. Worse still, there is an effort presently underway to rewrite or remove much of that history. Books are being banned in schools. In some places the transatlantic slave trade is being denied or grotesquely distorted as humane.

Attempting to erase the truth is dangerous. It always has been, and it always will be.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we should always be proclaiming, heralding and seeking the truth – the whole truth. The whole exacting, complicated, painful and beautiful truth. Refusing to tell the truth of the unadulterated history of this country does not erase nor change that history. Quite to the contrary, refusing to squarely face our history could lead us to repeat some of its darkest moments. The current assault on voting rights, renewed efforts at gerrymandering, and the rise in supremacist groups portends a regression of many gains achieved during the civil rights era.

Today begins another Black History Month. Rather than recoil at or ignore its arrival, we are invited to recognize, revel in and rejoice at the breadth and depth of the African American presence, participation in, and contributions to our great nation and beyond. Whether we engage a new literary work such as The Warmth of Other Suns or Caste,by Isabel Wilkerson; listen to insightful podcasts like, Code Switch or Historically Black; watch movies such as A Raisin In the Sun, Selma or Just Mercy, may we immerse ourselves in the rich history and painful past that is the Black journey in America. You may be interested in exploring: a collection of feature length and shorter videos and podcasts; or reading something from this curated reading list; or sharing some of these images and quotes on social media. The important thing is to engage so that we can begin today to more fully understand the whole truth of this country and build a better, more just and inclusive tomorrow.

Blessings and Peace,

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling

Peninsula-Delaware and Baltimore-Washington Conferences

The United Methodist Church

Lessons Learned from Sunday’s Town Hall Meetings

Part One

It was a pleasure greeting 65 participants of Sunday’s Worship virtual town hall and 55 participants of the Social Action town hall later that day.  Facilitating both groups, I shared that worship and social action are essential to our church’s integrity and that one relies on the other for sustained strength.  Our intention for these meetings was to gather perspectives on the music in worship that makes our hearts sing and the menu of mission that allows new participants to join long-timers in addressing community needs.  Participants offered helpful suggestions we will initiate right away like putting the “QR” codes on worship bulletins so folks can easily search mission and ministry there.  Other suggestions require more reflection together, such as the right balance of resources between both in-person worship and online worship, or the right balance of lodging at our Mission Center—how can it serve Project Transformation interns for the summer, youth work teams, and pilgrims participating in the Poor People’s Campaign march in Washington, DC? 

We will be forming:

• A Communications Workgroup—Developing a communications calendar which ensures every mission and ministry has proper exposure and engagement.

• An 11 am Worship @ Metropolitan Memorial Workgroup—Considering best practices for classic churches in a digital age.

• A Worship Inspiration Team—studying scripture together, sharing inspiration for the upcoming season of Easter.

• A Social Action Team—passionate advocates of mercy and justice meet to coordinate plans and elevate emerging needs.

To participate in any of these follow-up teams, write to communications@nationalchurch.org. 

Some of what we heard around Worship:

A few people who couldn’t join with us in person said they love gospel music, music from Faith We Sing, music from Mark Miller, freedom songs like “If you miss me on the back of the bus and you can’t find me nowhere, come on up to the front of the bus, I’ll be riding up there.” Those who appeared on zoom mentioned “Be Still My Soul,” “The Gospel Train,” songs by Carrie Newcomer, “Be Thou My Vision,” “Amazing Grace,” and “anything that engages people in body, voice, and spirit.”  One person shared “Lift High the Cross” as a preferred song for her funeral!  That is the resurrection hope; that one may hear the chorus on earth and in heaven simultaneously!  We are interested in preserving diverse, progressive hymnody.

There is strong interest in hearing live choral ensembles again as soon as possible.  A live bell choir will present in worship this coming Sunday at both campuses, and choirs will return to in-person rehearsals this month.  The first anthem is scheduled for February 20th.  Interested in joining choir?  Contact the church office: communications@NationalChurch.org. 

Many of us struggle with imperfections in LiveStream worship.  We are hiring a tech firm to help us simplify our system and train additional volunteers. We also anticipate hiring a Worship Media Director in late February or early March to help us refine use of visuals and ministry clips which enrich our teaching ministry and help us reach new communities via social media. 

Want to join the conversation?  Send your responses to Doug@NationalChurch.org or Adeleo@NationalChurch.org.

Part Two:  Social Action Town Hall COMING SOON