Weekly E-News
Monday, August 28, 2017
Worship Next Sunday,
September 3:
Tim will conclude our "Lettuce Pray" Sermon Series with "Picnics, Parties, and Such."

During August, our Sunday schedule is modified with a time of worship at 10 am, followed by Fellowship Hour. Nursery care is available at 10 am for children through age 2.
Worship Last Sunday, August 27:
Tim preached "Packing Lunches: What a Pastor Learned from an Imam While Seated by a Rabbi" as part of our "Lettuce Pray" Sermon Series. 

Our Sunday Morning Fall Schedule Begins September 10:

Education Hour for All at 9:00 am
* Nursery Care for Infants, Toddlers and Twos
* Children’s Choir for Pre-K - 5 th Grade
* Youth Group for 6 th -12 th Grade
* Adult Discussion Group
* Chancel Choir Warm-Up


Worship in the Sanctuary at 10:00 am

* Nursery Care for Infants, Toddlers and Twos
* Church School for Children

Our children begin in the Sanctuary with their families, help gather the Children’s Collection, take part in Time for Children, then go to Church School. We have three rooms for Church School with volunteer leaders.


Social Hour After Worship

After the service, we have Coffee Hour in the Social Hall with refreshments provided by church members. On September 10, our social time will be our outdoor
Welcome Back Picnic.
 

The church's Office Hours are:
Mondays & Tuesdays, 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesdays, 12 - 3
Thursdays & Fridays 10 - 5 
Join the Central Atlantic Conference Justice & Witness Action Network

You are invited to join the new Central Atlantic Conference Justice & Witness Action Network. It is the CAC’s goal to reach 1000 members from across the Conference by the end of 2017. Join now by clicking here !

The Justice & Witness Action Network serves as the primary arm for the Conference to carry out it's mission and agenda for justice and witness ministries. It is a grassroots advocacy network composed of
individual members, clergy, and churches across the Conference.The Network educates and engages members in community organizing, grassroots advocacy, prophetic witness and action, and shaping public policy that advances our vision of securing a just and compassionate world for all.

Our work is grounded in Central Atlantic Conference and General Synod resolutions, consonant with historic UCC witness, informed by a biblical understanding of justice, prophetic ministry and action, and a set of guiding principles to define our witness.
Chancel Choir Rehearsal Resumes Thursday, August 31 at 8:00 pm
Join the Chancel Choir for their first rehearsal on Thursday, August 31 at 8:00 pm in the Choir Room! Our Festival Chorus will resume rehearsals on September 14 at 8:00 pm.
 
Labor Day Weekend
Picnic & Swim Party:
Last Call to RSVP!
Sunday, September 3, 5:00 pm
Wednesday is the last day to RSVP for the
Picnic & Swim Party on Sunday, September 3 at 5:00 pm! Everyone is invited, but the Staleys need to know that you are coming so that they order enough food for the crowd. You can call (301) 229-7766 or email Keller by this Wednesday, August 31 with (1) the number of adults and children in your group and (2) what you are bringing to the picnic. Bring a towel and wear a bathing suit if you plan to swim. 
Adult Discussion Group Resumes
Sunday, September 10 at 9:00 am
You are invited to join Jill Johnson, Katie Taylor, and Rick Sullivan in the Library at 9:00 am every Sunday morning, beginning September 10. They will facilitate a conversation based on Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II's book,  The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement . Jill, Katie and Rick will do the hard work of reading the book and distilling it down into some key quotes and ideas to talk about, all you have to do is show up ready to share your ideas and listen to those of others. The first week's session will focus on an article that provides some background information:  Religious Liberals Sat Out of Politics for 40 Years. Now They Want in the Game.
Welcome Back Picnic
Sunday, September 10 at 11:00 am
The Board of Membership and Fellowship is hosting the annual Welcome Back Picnic on Sunday, September 10 after worship! BMF is providing Rocklands BBQ (plus corn muffins) and Carmen’s Italian Ice (and other desserts)! Members of the congregation are asked to contribute sides and salads. There will be face-painting for the kids and fellowship for all! 
Birth of a Nation?
How Movies Shape Myths on Race
Sunday, September 10 at 4:00 pm
Charlottesville. White supremacy. Black Lives Matter. The New Jim Crow. The removal of Confederate statues. The turmoil of racial injustice swirls around our nation.
 
In 1915, the epic film, “Birth of a Nation,” projected onto the big screen a series of racial myths. The movie portrayed black men as unintelligent and aggressive, and portrayed white people as romantically defeated, menaced by racial justice, and in need of rescuing by heroic Klan members. The images of this film still shape our racial myths.
 
Join us for a conversation on the influence of films on today’s racial understandings and misunderstandings with Dr. Greg Garrett, "one of America's leading voices on religion and culture"
(BBC Radio) at 4:00 pm on Sunday,
September 10.
 
Professor Garrett is currently at work on a book on race and film, and on a race and film initiative with the National Cathedral. He is the author of over twenty books, including critically-acclaimed works on film, popular culture, religion, and politics. Dr. Garrett is Professor of English at Baylor University, a licensed lay preacher in the Episcopal Church, and is the Theologian-in-Residence of the American Episcopal Cathedral in Paris.
"500: A Study of the Reformation"
Join Tim for a Pastor's Class beginning on September 13th and continuing every Wednesday from 12:00 to 1:00 pm through October 25th at Westmoreland. Everyone is welcome to take part!
Sign Up to Host Coffee Hour
Coffee Hour is a time to welcome guests and to strengthen relationships within our church community. This ministry is vital to the life, spirit, and growth of our church. Beverages (coffee, tea, water, juice/lemonade) and tableware are provided by Westmoreland. Food is a welcome addition and is provided by Coffee Hour Host(s). Please sign up to host coffee hour (once per year is recommended) with your family or pair-up with another member of the church.
Donate Flowers for Worship
The flowers on the chancel add much beauty to our worship. Individuals or families may sign up for any given week to provide flowers with a dedication included in the Sunday bulletin. Please contact Judy Fogt and let her know that you are interested. The cost is $50. You can mail your check the church office or drop it in the collection plate with a notation that it is for chancel flowers.
Giving to Westmoreland
Look for information in the mail and via email about ways that you can support Westmoreland and our work in the world.
  
2017 Annual Giving
Gifts to support the ongoing life of our church -- music and worship, spiritual formation programs, fellowship events, staff salaries, and building maintenance. 
             
Capital Campaign
Gifts to our four-year campaign to build a new entrance, add a new elevator, add a gender neutral restroom, and an updated kitchen. 
 
Children's Collection
Items collect by our children in worship each Sunday to give to local helping groups.
 
Special Offerings
The five UCC offerings (plus our own outreach offering) that go across the country and around the world to meet needs.