Sunday Special Speaker
Tina Frundt, Executive Director/Founder of Courtney's House
Sunday, September 5, 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
Tina Frundt, founder and executive director of Courtney’s House is a leading figure in the crusade to help children sexually exploited for commercial purposes. Ms. Frundt, herself a survivor of domestic sex trafficking, now dedicates her life to helping women and children heal from domestic sex trafficking and commercial sex exploitation. Her organization, Courtney's House is committed to providing a safe space and loving home environment - in a therapeutic and emotionally healing atmosphere - for domestic sex trafficked girls between the ages of 12 and 18 years. Courtney’s House is dedicated to the mission of ending domestic sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of all children. Focusing their efforts on providing long-term group home and providing direct services. Courtney's House is in need of some help. Below is a list of items that are needed. If you would like to make a donation, please bring them to the church office. For more information go to www.courtneyshouse.org.

Courtney’s House Wish list
Group Home (Shae’s Place)

Kitchen Ware - pots & pans, toaster oven, waffle maker, plates (no glass), Plastic bowels, cups (no glass), measuring cups, cutting board, knives, silver-ware, aprons (6), bowls, baking dish, spatula, kitchen towels and oven mitts.

House Hold Items - Iron (1), Ironing board (2), Hamper (6), Shower caddy (6), Robes one size fit all (6), Slippers (2small,2medium,2large,2x-large), Green cleaning supplies, Energy efficient light bulbs, Night lights (8), Hangers (plastic), Laundry detergent, First aid kit (2), Toilet paper, Floor Lamps (4), Paper towels, Napkins, Recyclable shopping bags, Dish detergent, Gallon pitcher (2), Plastic bins (10) and Plastic cereal containers (3).

DC Office (Supplies for street outreach, art therapy, yoga therapy, & support groups)

Water 24pack (5), Snacks (small size, chips, crackers, cookies, gum), Yoga mats (12), Yoga pants (various sizes,s,m,L,XL 3 of each), Art supplies (poster board, markers, crayons, color pencils, Metro smart trip cards (10 with $10 on card) (needed so clients can get to appointments), Water cooler (with rollers 1), File cabinet, Journals (15), Juice box (5 pack of 12).

Adult Study at Metropolitan Memorial
Click here for a list of our Sunday morning study opportunities!

The Alpha Course at Metropolitan Memorial
Alpha Invitation and Alpha Course
Earlier this year the Alpha Course at Metropolitan was the place where people met to discuss and explore questions of faith and life. Each week a recorded or live talk was combined with a meal and time together in smaller groups. Everyone had a great time, and a few have asked to take it again!

We are getting ready to begin the Autumn Alpha Course and would love for you to join us. If you are already a Christian, a Member of Metropolitan, or outside the Church, it doesn’t matter. We all have questions that we would like to ask if we had the chance. The Alpha Course is a wonderful opportunity for anyone to learn, ask, and share. If you can think of friends or family that would like to explore the Christian faith please encourage them to come to the Alpha Invitation.

Click here to register for the upcoming Alpha Course starting on Wednesday September 29th in the Great Hall at Metropolitan. It will run for 10 weeks every Wednesday evening starting at 6:30 p.m. and finishing at 8:30 p.m. (you can register even you are unable to commit to all 10 weeks). More information is available on our Metropolitan Alpha website.

Invite Others
We are also hosting a special event for people to learn more about the Alpha Course. You are welcome to join us and we hope you will invite friends along as well. It’s called the Alpha Invitation and will be held at Metropolitan Memorial UMC at 6:30pm on Thursday September 9. We will have something to eat and drink, plus a short talk to give everyone a taste for the Alpha Course.

Please click here to register for the Alpha Invitation.

The Alpha Course is a wonderful opportunity for anyone to learn, ask, and share. If you can think of friends or family that would like to explore the Christian faith please encourage them to come to the Alpha Invitation.

We look forward to seeing you, and please forward this email invitation to friends and family.

UMW Welcome Back Luncheon
Sunday, September 12, 12:30 p.m., Great Hall
All Women are invited to the UMW Welcome Back luncheon where Pyper Imperial, chief operating officer of the Seed Foundation, will talk about Seed’s public college, preparatory, boarding school model.

2010 InterFaith Unity Walk
Sunday, September 12
On Sunday, September 12, the 6th Annual Unity Walk will welcome all people to “Building Peace by Serving Each Other.” Participation in this metro-area event will help forge a link between the people of Metropolitan Memorial, including the youth groups, and the students of American University. There are many opportunities during the day for participants to interact and be in dialogue with each other, deepening interfaith understanding and creating bonds of community.

Building on last year’s focus on service, the Unity Walk continues to empower diverse individuals to come together for dialogue and volunteer opportunities. Again, participants are invited to visit a variety of religious congregations for open houses and celebration located along Washington, DC’s picturesque Embassy Row. The walk begins with an Invocation at the Sikh Gurdwara (3801 Mass Ave.). For a full schedule of the day go to http://www.911unitywalk.org.

It’s Coming! The Fall Festival and Ministry Fair!
Sunday, September 19!
Our annual open house event and picnic promises to bigger and better than ever. We’ll have more games and amusements than before! Learn about our different and varied ministries at the ministry fair. Try to stump the pastor, (you’ll have to come to find out!).

The Children and Youth Ministry Team will provide the hotdogs and hamburgers, veggie burgers and chips, all the fixings, the lemonade and water. We hope you will help provide the rest. To avoid too many salads and to make sure we have some yummy deviled eggs, we ask that you follow these guidelines:

If your last name begins with the letter: A – I, please bring deviled eggs. A family favorite, the original, or a new recipe that you’ve wanted to try; J – O, please bring salad, such as potato, green, fruit, or something else; P – Z, please bring coleslaw, the original, or a new recipe that you’ve wanted to try. Don’t worry, there will be desserts! We are asking our nursery school families, who are invited of course because this IS an open house, to bring desserts. Look for more details in upcoming church publications. Want to volunteer? (we need grillers and food managers), contact Anita Seline or Jeff Closer.

Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) Congregational Feedback
Deadline is October 1
Each fall the Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC), together with the Senior Pastor and other clergy, evaluates the performance of the Senior Pastor, Associate Pastors, and church staff. Our pastors, staff, and SPRC welcome feedback from the congregation as part of this process.

At the end of this process, as required by our Conference, SPRC makes a recommendation to the Bishop as to whether each pastor should be reappointed. The Bishop considers the recommendation, along with other factors, in deciding whether to reappoint a pastor.

We encourage members of the congregation to provide feedback directly to our pastors and staff throughout the year. We also want to invite members of the congregation to write to the Chair of SPRC, in care of Metropolitan Memorial (there is a separate SPRC “box” in the mail room), or write to or talk with any member of the SPRC with your feedback concerning any pastor or staff. Our policy with regard to confidentiality is the following: SPRC will not consider any unsigned letters. We will, however, respect and agree to requests for confidentiality, if a member of the congregation fears embarrassment or retaliation. We encourage an open dialogue as the most constructive way to address issues of concern, and our goal is to achieve that type of dialogue whenever possible.

Please contact SPRC by October 1 if you wish to have your comments concerning any clergy or staff considered as part of this year’s evaluation process. Members of the SPRC are John Long (Chair), Phyllis Kokus, Eugenia Evans, Barbara Tate, Leigh Rollins, Eric Imperial, Bill Roach, Kris Oberdick, Ina Morgan (Wesley UMC), and Shirley Barnes (Wesley UMC).

"Moving Out of Pain"
Mondays and Thursdays Beginning October 7, 10 a.m., Great Hall
Feldenkrais/Anat Baniel lessons are scheduled for Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. in the Great Hall, beginning Thursday, October 7.  Entitled “Moving Out of Pain,” this series of 8 lessons will guide students through slow, gentle movements. Contact Pat Simpich, 202.966.1566.  

UMW Bazaar Preparation
All UMW members are invited to join in the preparation of jewelry that has been donated for the Bazaar,  From now until the Bazaar, we will hold sessions on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. and Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. in the Cristie Room. If you have questions please contact Kelly Kokus-D'Angelo, 202.210.2220, kelleysclothes@aol.com or Carol Tippett, 301.229.8944, tippett_c@msn.com. Come one! Come all and join in the fun.

New Handbell Ringers Welcome!
Have you studied piano for a few years? Did you perhaps play an instrument in your school band or orchestra? Would you enjoy spending part of Sunday evening with a forgiving and fun-loving group of youth and adults rehearsing bell music to ring in our worship services? Coming with a few years of musical training under your belt is wonderful preparation. We would be happy to show you the bell techniques. To learn more about Metropolitan Ringers, contact Susan Staines.

Share Your Reflections on “Transforming Lives – Transforming the World”
This fall, our congregation will be reflecting on the theme “Transforming Lives – Transforming the World” through the lens of the five pillars of our individual and collective lives of faith: Serving - Learning - Sharing - Praising - Caring.

Do you have a witness, faith story, reflection, personal prayer, or scripture meditation related to this theme and these expressions of faith? If so, we invite you to share it as part of a daily devotional series to be used in conjunction with a five-week sermon series Rev. Dr. Charles Parker will be preaching during our fall stewardship campaign. Like last spring’s popular Lenten Devotional, this promises to be spiritually enriching for both contributors and readers, as we engage many voices from among the members of friends of our church.

Dr. Maynard Moore will coordinate this project. If you are interested in contributing to this stewardship devotional guide, please sign up now to contribute an original devotional sketch (1 paragraph to 1 page, max). Send your devotional to Maynard Moore and indicate which of the five topics you will focus on. Begin to think about what you want to say. Dr. Moore will be back in touch with you concerning the details and the deadline date when your piece should be ready. That’s all there is to it. But the impact could be very significant, and this is a wonderful way for you to participate in this important ministry of our church.

Adult Study at Metropolitan

Bible Study
Thursdays, 1 p.m., Youth Room (206)
Please join us for a Bible study class led by Phil O’Hara and Charlie Parker on Thursdays at 1 p.m. in the Youth Room (Room 206).  All are welcome to come every week or drop in whenever you can. Questions? Contact Helen Simon at HelenMSimon@gmail.com.

Bible Plus Class, Sundays, 10:10 a.m., Christie Room
The Bible Plus class will be finishing the summer with discussions on various class-chosen topics. The schedule of topics is below:

September 5 - Which parts or ideas in the Bible give us trouble?
September 12 - What would we like to know about Islam ?  We can make a list  which we can check off as we proceed  and develop questions for our guest lecturer. ( TBA near the end of the series ).
September 19 - We begin a a new series from the Teaching Co's "Great Courses" -- on "Great World Religions", (intro). This will be a 12- week series on Islam, then continue with the four other major religions.
September 26 -  We will begin  the first of the lectures on Islam. Please come and join us in the Christie room at 10:10 a.m.

Questions of Faith, Sundays, 10:10 a.m., Conference Room
Join us in the Conference Room for a series of lectures on "Living the Questions" of our faith journey, reconciliation, and transformation given by 30 scholars and theologians, followed by a spirited discussion. 

Our class resumes the continuing discussion on September 5, focusing on Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Kent Weaver leads the discussion as we look at how the author Robert Pirsig views science and mathematics. Persons who have read this classic book will be welcome to join our discussion. We will have handouts in the Parlor at 10:10 a.m. for visitors. Everyone is welcome. For more information, Contact Maynard Moore or Kent Weaver.

Sunday Morning Gathering for College Students
Sundays at 10:10 a.m., Terrace Room
Looking for the donuts.... they're past the vestry in the Terrace Room this semester.... BUT, besides the donuts you should stop by as we look at Eric Elnes Book "The Phoenix Affirmations: A New Vision for the Future of Christianity" each week. We'll explore a different "affirmation" and discuss how it might impact you and your faith journey.  The gathering is casual and we are all friendly. Stop by, or just grab a donut on your way in or out. 

Sermon Ideas
One of the great ideas that I heard on our trip to the Church of the Resurrection was that Adam Hamilton periodically asks the congregation for their thoughts on what subjects he should preach. He takes those thoughts on retreat, prays about them, and starts to develop sermon outlines for the coming two years. I loved this idea, and hoped that you could share with me your thoughts on the following questions:

1. What life situations would you like to see addressed in the sermons? 2. Are there parts of the Bible or theological questions you would like to explore? 3. Are there places in your life where you’re hurting and need guidance? 4. What do you feel are your spiritual deficiencies? 5. Are there subjects that your non-churchgoing friends would come to listen to?

Please send your thoughts to me at sermons@mmumc-dc.org, or drop them in the box in the Narthex marked “Sermon Ideas.” I’m looking forward to hearing from you! Blessings,
Rev. Dr. Charles Parker

-Click Here For This Month's Calendar-

Our Clergy Staff:

Dr. Charles Parker / Rev. Jimmy Sherrod/ Rev. Kate Murphey

For more information, go to our main website http://www.nationalchurch.org.

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