Weekly E-News
Monday, May 7, 2018
Worship Last Sunday, May 6:

The children and youth of Westmoreland performed 'It's A Hit!"

Click on the first video to the right to watch a clip from the musical, when the children and youth sing 'Play Ball.' Click on the second video to watch them perform 'All Stars.'

Click here for photos of the musical taken by Alton Frye.

We are so grateful to all of the children, youth, parents, volunteers, and staff who made the musical a hit! Thank you all!

NOTE: We found a blue 'Battle Gear' catcher's helmet, a pink and black Franklin baseball mitt, a tan Rawlings baseball mitt, and a pink Pogo water bottle that were left in the Sanctuary after the musical. If any of these items belong to you, please contact Samantha (samantha@westmorelanducc.org) in the Church Office. Unclaimed items will be donated on Monday, May 28.
Worship Next Sunday, May 13:
Tim will preach "Murderers and Mothers" on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13 .

Church School will be available for children age 3 to 5th grade. Children begin worship in the Sanctuary with their parents, then go to Church School following the Time for Children.

Nursery Care will be available for children under 2nd grade.
Wonder, Wow & Wisdom:

We are beginning something new, and you are invited to take part!

It’s called Wonder, Wow & Wisdom: Spiritual Tidbits from Westmoreland Church.

This new online experience will be a place to take a brief break, a place for spiritual refreshment, a place to pause, a place to think about the wonder of life, a place to ponder wisdom, a place to say, "Wow."

Here’s how it will work: occasionally (not daily or weekly, just occasionally), we will email out a spiritual tidbit. It may be a brief video, a short prayer, a photograph, or a link to a song.

In addition to the email, these tidbits will be a posted to the Wonder, Wow & Wisdom website and Facebook page. Go to the Wonder, Wow & Wisdom website for more information, or click here to sign-up for the emails!
A Sermon Series on Exodus: April & May

Tim will lead a Sermon Series on Exodus entitled 'Finding Faith in the Pharaoh: Exploring Resistance, Resilience, & Renewal.' Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:00 am here at Westmoreland!

Sun, Apr 8 - Meeting God finding a fire in your soul
Sun, Apr 15 - Be Still doing nothing can be everything
Sun, Apr 22 - Jesus Matters liberating captives is our job
Sun, Apr 29 - Funerals in a Post Christian World burying each other
Sun, May 13 - Murderers and Mothers seeing the good in all
Sun, May 27 - A Runner’s Prayer experiencing grace
Sun, Jun 3 - The Names on our Bones honoring our DNA
Sun, Jun 10 - Locusts and Depression living with mental illness
Upcoming Events at Westmoreland: Mark Your Calendars!
        
  Sunday, May 13: Mother’s Day Worship with Baptism
Sunday, May 20: Graduation Sunday*
Saturday, June 2: Festival Chorus Concert Benefitting Bethesda Cares
Sunday, June 3: Retirement Celebration for Janet Moyer
Sunday, June 10: Last Day of Church-Year Schedule
Hello Summer Picnic & Construction Open House
Sunday, June 17: Summer on the Circle Schedule Begins
Farewell Celebration for Adam Barth

* On Sunday, May 20, we will honor all who are graduating this spring (high school, college, and graduate school graduates). If you are graduating (or if you are the parent or family member of a Westmorelander who is graduating), please email adam@westmorelanducc.org by noon on Wednesday, May 16, so that we may include your (or their) name in the bulletin on that day.
Summer Vacation Hours - Help Needed!

Samantha Steinfeld, our Office Administrator and Communications Coordinator, will be on vacation from Wednesday, June 27, 2018 to Wednesday, July 11, 2018. She will return to Westmoreland on Thursday, July 12, 2018.

While she is away, the building will remain open, but Westmoreland's Church Office will not be open for regular office hours .

We are looking for a group of volunteers who would be willing to run the Church Office for a few hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday while Samantha is away. They would be responsible for opening the office, greeting visitors, answering the phones, sorting the mail, and assisting Tim with simple tasks.

If you would be willing to volunteer, please click here to learn more and to sign-up! Contact Samantha (samantha@westmorelanducc.org) for more information.
A Tribute
Fellow Westmorelanders:

Just before summer begins, we will be losing the services of a remarkable woman and a faithful staffer who has given her heart and soul to our church for many years.

Janet Moyer is retiring. Her official title is Membership Coordinator, but we all know that she has been so much more - historian, recruiter, welcomer, master of all details large and small. She set the mold for what will later be called the Director/Minister for Congregational Care. From attending and arranging memorial services and comforting grieving families to overseeing wedding logistics and planning special tributes, she has done it all with grace and commitment.

She put the sanctity into our Sanctuary, concerning herself with every aspect of worship: changing the color of the paraments, creating a checklist for head ushers, assuring the presence of pew bibles, counting attendance, and distributing the weekly bulletin.

Janet has welcomed many visitors and introduced new parishioners to us. Now, it’s time for us to demonstrate our appreciation and celebrate her service and dedication to our church.

You are invited to make a financial contribution toward a special retirement collection that we will present to Janet on her last Sunday, June 3. If you would like to express your appreciation to Janet in this way, please mark your gift “Janet Moyer Retirement.” You may place your gift in the Offering Plate any Sunday in May, mail or deliver your gift to the Church Office, or you may give online . And, of course, please plan to be present on Sunday, June 3, as we honor Janet’s years of work.

Sincerely,
Greg Perla, Personnel Committee Chairperson
Upcoming Memorial Services

A service to celebrate the life of Mary Lois Williams will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 11:00 am here at Westmoreland. Mary Lois passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 17 at her home at Grand Oaks Retirement Community. She was 95.

A service to celebrate the life of Nona Cox will be held on Saturday, May 19 at 2:00 pm here at Westmoreland. Nona passed away on Sunday, November 5, 2017. She was 99. Please note the change of time!
Lincoln-Westmoreland Housing Featured in Smithsonian Exhibit

The Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum (1901 Fort Place SE) has opened a new exhibit that Westmorelanders will find interesting. Titled "A Right to the City," it highlights the good work of Lincoln Westmoreland Housing and Westmoreland Congregational UCC, Lincoln Temple UCC, and many others around the city over so many years to build low-income housing and involve the community in development. See Dr. Martin Luther King's address in the Shaw neighborhood as well as a description of the new Channing E. Phillips Homes dedication. The museum is open every day from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information, go to http://anacostia.si.edu/.
Roy Grossnick Honored for Service to Westmoreland

On April 21, at a service held at National Cathedral, Roy Grossnick was honored by Seabury Senior Resources for his long-standing service to Westmoreland Congregational UCC. Each year local UCC and Episcopal congregations are invited to nominate an individual “senior” who has demonstrated outstanding service to his/her congregation. Previous honorees have included Nona Cox, Patricia Frye, and George Singleton.

In the 32 years that Roy Grossnick has been a member of Westmoreland Congregational UCC, he has worn many hats.

A member of the Board of Membership and Fellowship, he created and served as the webmaster for the church’s first website. He served two three-year terms on the Board of Deacons with a role in supporting the worship services and served as an usher for thirty years. He chaired the Westmoreland Volunteer Corps Board (responsible for a group of five college graduates who serve the metropolitan DC area) and served as property manager for the Volunteer Corps house, including oversight of the construction of an additional bedroom in the house.

Since he joined and became chair of Westmoreland’s Property Committee in 2014, Roy has tirelessly worked to champion and oversee the refurbishment of the Sanctuary and the parlor and is currently working on a refresh of the Social Hall as well as a new design for the Memorial Garden. He has put his carpentry skills to work to build new tops for tables and the sanctuary altar, a large cross for use at Lent and Easter, and even a manger for the annual Christmas Eve pageant. 

As another hard-working member of the congregation has said about Roy, “He year by year has assured that our buildings remain ready to welcome all users…and has led and enlisted others in enhancing our experiences and refreshing our building…”

Roy’s service to the Westmoreland faith community is wide and deep.
Memorial Garden Renovations

The Westmoreland Memorial Garden is undergoing a transformation. It was originally opened in 1977 for the interment of ashes of members and those with close ties to the church. It was rededicated in 2007, when bricks with the names of those whose ashes are interred were laid in a semi-circle. Recently, we found that the bricks were becoming covered over with soil and being chipped by the lawn mowers, so the new design features a four-foot brick wall that will hold bronze plaques with the names. The wall will give us enough spaces to take us well into the future and can be added onto should the need arise. The Garden will continue to serve as a quiet place for reflection, and we thank all those who have helped to realize this vision. A rededication is planned for the fall.
It’s Not Too Late to Make an Easter Donation

Westmoreland’s generosity touches people’s lives each year through its Social Justice and Action Grants. The funds for these grants are collected from your donations only at Christmas and Easter. This year, these SJA grants are helping 16 agencies in the DC metropolitan area provide relief to the homeless, employment opportunities to those returning from incarceration, medical care for the uninsured, language classes for non-English speakers, and after-school programs to enrich the education of children in Title I schools. You can still make a contribution online or by writing a check to Westmoreland and indicating SJA on the bottom left line. Please help us carry out this important mission.
Chaperones Needed for Youth Mission Trip

Westmoreland youth will be traveling to Hazard, Kentucky to work with the Housing Development Alliance from June 24-30, 2018, and they are in need of one male and one female chaperone! We encourage you to take this opportunity to get to know these wonderful people who will soon become the next leaders of our church! Email Adam (adam@westmorelanducc.org) for more information.
New Coffee Hour Procedures

Coffee Hour is a wonderful opportunity to meet new members, have a snack with your coffee, and participate in fellowship. The Board of Membership and Fellowship (BMF) now supplies packaged cookies, crackers and other non-perishable snacks, like Goldfish, etc., to make it easier to host. All you need to bring are perishables like baked goods, cut-up fruit, cheese, veggies and dip, hummus, or whatever you’d like. You don’t need to bring any paper goods. Martell will set up the tables and cover them with tablecloths, make the coffee, put out the other beverages and the paper goods, and put them away afterward. Please take home or discard any leftover food and wash the serving dishes.

We currently have one opening: May 27th, Memorial Day weekend—and then none
until September. There are no hosts in July and August. Instead, BMF will provide packaged
cookies and non-perishable snacks.

Please use the Sign-Up Genius or directly contact Linda Ernst, the new Coffee Hour coordinator. If you need to change your sign-up date, finding someone to fill in on the original date would be greatly appreciated.

If you need help using the Sign-Up Genius or have any questions, Linda’s email is lindaernst@me.com. Thank you for your willingness to volunteer. Coffee Hour isn’t possible without everyone’s help and support. 

-- Board of Membership & Fellowship 
Register for Peace Camp

All children in kindergarten through rising 6th graders are welcome to register for Peace Camp, which will be held from June 18 to 22, 2018 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm!

Peace Camp is an annual summer experience for elementary school-aged children that explores themes of peace and co-operation. We will meet in the Maby Room each day for a light supper, music, art projects, games, and storytelling. This year, our broader theme will be 'Living in Palestine,' focusing on five cities in Palestine, their biblical significance, and what life is like now for children who live and go to school there.

For more information, please contact Pat Nelson at nelsonpatb@gmail.com. Click here for the Registration Form!
Leaders and Helpers Needed to Teach Church School
Westmoreland has a wonderful group of young people. They are cute, funny, thoughtful, intelligent, and much more. They represent the future of our church and we invite you to spend some time with them by signing up to lead or help in one of our three classrooms: Yellow (ages 3-5), Red (grades K-2), and Blue (grades 3-5). For more information and to volunteer, please contact Pat Nelson at nelsonpatb@gmail.com or sign-up below.
Ushers Needed
The Usher Service (US) here at Westmoreland is looking for folks who are willing to usher a few Sundays a year. We’ll train you! If interested, email Greg Perla, the Usher Coordinator, at greg.perla@yahoo.com. Please join US!
Donate Flowers for Worship
Flowers add beauty and meaning to our Sunday worship service. Individuals or families may sign up for a date to donate with a dedication in the worship bulletin. Please contact the Flower Chairman, Judy Fogt by phone (301-229-1183) or email (judyfogt@gmail.com) and she will give you the details. And THANK YOU!
The church's Office Hours are:
Mondays & Tuesdays, 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesdays, 12 - 3
Thursdays & Fridays 10 - 5