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Worship Series for Eastertide: "No Greater Love" The writings of John's community – the Gospel and Epistles of John – discuss love more than any other collection of books in the New Testament. This sermon series explores the teachings of the community of the Beloved Disciple (as John was known) about God's love. What does it mean to say God loves us? How can we experience it? What difference can it make in our lives? Except where noted, Dean Snyder will be preaching this series. March 30 April 6 April 13 April 20 April 27 May 4 The Pastoral Corner: "Sound of Silence "
A few years ago I tried entering into silence as part of my learning and growing in a program for Spiritual Directors. I lay on the floor, asking my roommate at the training to time me – I was supposed to “do” five minutes. As I stretched across the carpet, I kept asking if my time was up yet. I was, obviously, not very successful. Silence for me requires letting go. It requires trusting that the world will not cave in on me or anyone else if I’m not thinking deep thoughts or imaging beautiful pictures in my head. In her book Eat, Pray, Love, Liz Gilbert writes that: “Letting go, of course, is a scary enterprise for those of us who believe that the world revolves only because it has a handle on the top of it which we personally turn, and that if we were to drop this handle for even a moment, well – that would be the end of the universe.” The practice of silence is not merely the absence of words or speaking. The practice of silence is an opportunity to enter into a place of nothingness and everythingness. In a world of noise and chatter – a world where even our calendars and computers talk to us – we owe it ourselves and the One who created us and this world to spend some time in the quiet, listening. Try listening without anticipating your response. Try listening without anticipating what you might hear. Allow yourself to feel the time pass, to sense your own resistance, to allow for images and words and thoughts that are from you to melt away. The practice of silence is not a clearing of one’s mind; it is an opening of one’s spirit to the Other that accompanies us and guides us in all times and all places. We Can End Homelessness
On April 27, 2008 , Foundry will welcome special guest preacher, Rosanne Haggerty. Haggerty is the President and Founder of Common Ground Community H.D.F.C., Inc., a New York City-based non-profit organization dedicated to finding innovative solutions to homelessness. For years, downtown churches such as Foundry have struggled with how to respond to homelessness. We have programs such as our Friday morning walk-in mission, the Susanna Wesley House, groups of volunteers who cook at So Others Might Eat (SOME) and Christ House. Some churches house shelters within their buildings; others offer meal programs. Most churches such as Foundry have people sleeping on our steps, a disturbing reminder of our inability to solve this problem that causes so much suffering in people's lives. Rosanne Haggerty's vision is bold: she believes there are solutions to homelessness, and through her accomplishments she has won over many skeptics. Common Ground's ground-breakingStreet to Home program reduced street homelessness by 87% in the 20-block Times Square neighborhood , and by 43% in the surrounding 230 blocks of West Midtown. Common Ground has created 2,000 units of transitional and permanent housing, with the goal of 4,000 more by 2015. Foundry first came into contact with Common Ground in 2007, when Logan Alley and Jana Meyer and members of other WIN churches and the Committee to Save Franklin Shelter went to New York City to visit Common Ground’s programs at the Prince George Hotel. There we witnessed a beautiful building which provides permanent housing for formerly homeless people as well as low income workers. The housing is linked to the services and support that people need in order to rebuild their lives. Common Ground's projects make economic sense: Their housing costs approximately $36 per bed per night to operate – significantly less than public expenditures: $54 for a city shelter bed (in New York City), $74 for a state prison cell, $164 for a city jail cell, $467 for a psychiatric bed, $1,185 for a hospital bed. Common Ground's success has inspired Foundry and other Washington Interfaith Network churches to organize for supportive housing as a way to end homelessness in Washington DC . Supportive Housing is permanent apartment style housing with supportive services such as mental health, case management, employment service, etc. attached to the housing. It requires consolidating capital housing dollars, operating dollars often in the form of Section 8 or rent supplement vouchers and service dollars. Currently programs such as SOME, Pathways to Housing, and Catholic Charities provide supportive housing programs. The WIN churches are asking that the city invest in permanent supportive housing as the primary means of housing people, rather than shelter, although some low barrier shelter (often the first step off the street, has minimum restrictions in terms of identification, time limits or other program requirements) will always be needed in the downtown area. They have secured Mayor Fenty's commitment to implementing the Homeless No More goal of 2,500 units of supportive housing in the next 7 years, starting with 350 units this year. Our WIN team, led by Bo Billups and Gwen Johnson, will continue to hold the Mayor and Council accountable to this goal, as well as the overall Neighborhoods First agenda, with your support. In several of his sermons, including on March 9, Rev. Snyder has talked about how he had lost hope of ever ending homelessness until he heard about Rosanne Haggerty's solutions to homelessness through Common Ground. On April 27 Foundry will have an opportunity to hear more of her innovative vision, both during the sermon time as well as after the 11:00 service where there will be a time for question and answers. Please join us as we respond to the call to end homelessness now. For more information on Common Ground, see their website at www.commonground.org.
the building’s historic character while redeveloping it into housing for 652 low-income and formerly homeless individuals.
Baptisms on Mother's Day: Pentecost Sunday Every other month, we offer a baptism orientation for those preparing for the sacrament and/or their parents. Here we explore the meaning of baptism in the Methodist tradition; the various commitments made by the baptized, their parents (if children are being baptized), and the church congregation; and how baptism is seen as an important step in what is hoped to be a long and fruitful journey of Christian discipleship and discovery. The next Baptism Orientation will be held on Saturday, May 10 th from 9:30-11:00 a.m. If you are interested in having your child baptized on Mother’s Day or in the upcoming months, please contact Robert McDonald , Director of Membership Services at the office or by email at rmcdonald@foundryumc.org. Gay Men's Retreat April 18-20 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Join us at the Foundry Gay Men’s Retreat which will be held in Rehoboth Beach , DE on April 18-20. Rev. Neil G Thomas, Senior Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church, Los Angeles will speak on “Making the Sacred a Part of our Everyday Lives”. The retreat begins around 7:00PM on Friday and ends after lunch on Sunday. The cost is $85 each for a double room ($170 for a single) at the Breakers Hotel and $10 if you don't stay at the hotel. Send checks (made out to Foundry UMC) to Brian Langdon at 2720 S. Arlington Mill Dr #801 , Arlington , VA 22206 by March 30. Include your name, address, email, roommate (one will be assigned if you need one), can you drive, do you need a ride, and phone number. ( registration form at http://foundrylgbt.org/2008-registration.pdf) Contact Paul Keefer at paulk@visi.net or Brian Langdon at blangdon@yahoo.com if you have questions. Don't Miss "That's Amore! Songs of Love" on Friday, April 25
It brings you, the audience, into a labor of love that for the 15th time since 1991 has raised voices and much-needed funds to help people living with HIV/AIDS in the DC metro area and in Africa . Since its inception, the all-volunteer Concert for Life artists and organizers led by Foundry members and staff has raised more than $600,000. Every dollar from ticket purchases and donations – 100% of all CFL proceeds – have gone directly to beneficiary organizations who serve people living with HIV/AIDS. Great Music and Music Makers Musical expressions of love, chosen to inspire hope and uplift spirits, will be performed by a talented array of featured artists with the Concert for Life Choir and Orchestra, assembled and directed by Stanley J. Thurston, Foundry’s Interim Music Director. The program includes love duets, Broadway songs, choral master works, excerpts from Mozart’s beloved opera, The Marriage of Figaro, and, for loving fellowship within the audience, a sing-along! Foundry folk will see familiar faces. Singers from our own Foundry family are featured, including Foundry Choir members Kathy Peery, Martha Lawrence, and youth choir director Charlotte Knapp who are part of the vocal ensemble Seraphim, 9:30 singer Greg McGruder, longtime member and choir member Pam Wanamaker, and choir soloist Darren Perry who will perform with his fiancé, Vanessa Potena. Guest artists include The Rock Creek Singers, the Thurston Jazz Quartet, and several soloists Foundry has enjoyed hearing in recent choral special presentations including Foundry favorite Marymal Holmes. Behind the scenes, Concert for Life co-chairs Ted Tym czyszyn and David Page are leading a volunteer committee who have been working for the past several months organizing, and raising funds for the concert. A special feature will be the 6:30 p.m. reception in Fellowship Hall that offers light fare before the concert for donors and those purchasing the $75 ticket. CFL’s Act of Love Long after the music fades, your support of the Concert for Life will still be at work for the beneficiary organizations: Whitman-Walker Clinic: The Max Robinson Center Get your tickets now! Tickets are on sale now each Sunday in Fellowship Hall or you may purchase online with your credit card at www.concertforlife.org. Tickets for the concert with reception are $75 per person, for the concert only, $50 ($25 for seniors, students, and persons living with HIV/AIDS). New Care Notes: Topics for You The new Caring Mentors series features well-loved Christians of our age, such as Thomas Merton and Mother Theresa. Each booklet contains a biography, insights and inspiration addressing a specific theme, including C.S. Lewis on Grieving the Death of a Spouse and Helen Keller on Living Fully with Your Limitations. Care Notes are $ .50 each; please put your payment in the box by the display. New Members Orientation on May 4th We have an orientation for those who are interested in becoming a member of Foundry Church or simply learning more about us. The session starts off with a free lunch after the 11:00 am service on Sunday, May 4th. Those wishing to become members will join at the services on Sunday, May 18th. If interested, please complete a registration form available at the church office or online. If you have any questions, you can contact Tim Wedding at weddingt@verizon.net or by phone at (202) 431.3502. Save the Date: Adult Forum on Homelessness
“Clap your hands O ye people, shout unto God with a voice of triumph!”
The VIM silent auction is Foundry’s yearly fundraiser that supports trips by VIM members to help with housing rehabilitation in areas of the Gulf Coast that are still suffering from hurricane damage. It also provides funds for Foundry VIM to develop relationships with the Methodist Church and several related social service organizations in Nicaragua and with groups in Ukraine that are developing Methodist congregations in that country. This year we are hoping to expand the missions to local DC housing rehab projects and to support for the United Methodist Church in Liberia . This year’s auction is scheduled for Sunday mornings on May 4, 11, and 18. Last year’s event raised almost $10,000 because Foundry members had contributed so many wonderful items. Once again we’re seeking contributions such as: antiques; almost new decorative items; international crafts; weekends at vacation homes; hosted dinners in homes; certificates for local restaurants and hotels; tickets to ball games and plays; services such as babysitting, massages, and financial advice. Contact Jane Northern at lensrink@yahoo.com or Bill Schaeffler at brn.bill@verizon.net if you have a treasure that you can contribute. You can deliver your contributions to Fellowship Hall at the church any Sunday in April. Assembly Delegates to Consider Over 1,500 Petitions
Staff members Blanca Longhurst (right) and Alma Perez sing during the opening worship service of a directors meeting of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. Directors voted to ask the 2008 General Conference to form a committee to develop a new hymnal for The United Methodist Church. UMNS photos by Maile Bradfield.
Nearly 1,000 delegates to the United Methodist General Conference are now wading through 1,564 pieces of proposed legislation to be considered during the April 23-May 2 meeting in Fort Worth , Texas . On February 15, United Methodist Publishing House mailed 1,540 copies of the Advance Edition of the Daily Christian Advocate to delegates, first alternates, bishops and others. Portuguese and French editions later were sent to delegates in Africa . Delegates received a 157-page Handbook for Delegates, which includes the proposed plan of organization and rules of order for the assembly and a listing of delegates and committee assignments. They also received the hefty two-volume Advance DCA, which includes reports from churchwide agencies and proposed legislation. The page count is 1,560, up from 1,411 in 2004 when the last assembly was held. Most petitions sent by agencies, annual conferences, local churches and individuals propose changes in the Book of Discipline, which is the church's book of law, and also in the Book of Resolutions, which outlines the church's positions on social-justice issues. These petitions are assigned by subject matter or disciplinary paragraph to one of 14 legislative committees. Committee members consider each petition and then recommend approval as submitted, approval as amended, or they recommend defeating the petition. When a petition not involving money or a change in the denomination’s Constitution receives 10 or fewer negative votes, it is placed on a time-saving consent calendar and is voted on as a bloc along with other non-controversial proposals. Since so many petitions relate to social justice issues, these 414 petitions are assigned to two Church and Society legislative committees. The Legislative Committee on Ministry and Higher Education will consider 229 petitions, the highest number of petitions assigned to any single legislative committee. The Petition Process The Rev. Gary Graves, a pastor in Beaver Dam, Kentucky , serves as petitions secretary and is responsible for sorting and filing all petitions. While there are nearly 1,600 different pieces of proposed legislation, many submissions were identical. While sorting through thousands of petitions, Graves suffered three kidney stone attacks, resulting in the same number of trips to the emergency room. "I don’t attribute that to the petitions process," he said.
Graves is especially grateful for petitioners who have transitioned to e-mail submissions, which decreased the number of boxes of "snail mail" to his office from 47 in 2003 to just over two boxes in 2007. For the last assembly, Graves shipped 18 boxes of petitions to the site of General Conference. This year, he will ship four boxes to Fort Worth and the rest of the petitions will be handled electronically. Graves praised petitioners for limiting the rationales behind their legislation to 50 words––the word count permitted to be printed in the Advance DCA. If the explanation for the proposed changes exceeds that total, the rationale is sent to the chair of the legislative committee considering the petition. Here is a roundup highlighting some of the petitions to be considered this spring: Reorganization The most far-reaching petition comes from a six-member task force that proposes to make the church's five U.S. jurisdictions into a regional body, similar to the church's central conferences that exist outside of the United States . That action requires a change in the Constitution and must be approved by two-thirds of the General Conference delegates and two-thirds of the aggregate total of annual conference delegates. Homosexuality The issue that seems to grab most of the headlines also received the highest number of petitions. Petitions from 616 groups or individuals ask General Conference to make no change in the existing statements on homosexuality within the church's Social Principles.
That statement declares homosexuals to be "individuals of sacred worth," but declares the practice of homosexuality to be "incompatible with Christian teaching." The United Methodist Board of Church and Society, the church's social action agency, is asking the assembly to delete the incompatibility clause and replace it with: "While Christians of good faith differ on what Christian teaching reveals regarding gender and homosexuality, we affirm God’s grace is available to all." The Iowa Annual (regional) Conference offers a similar petition Another 326 petitioners are asking delegates to make no change in the present statement supporting laws that define marriage as the "union of one man and one woman." However, petitions wanting to delete that clause are from the Board of Church and Society along with the Kansas East, Northern Illinois , Minnesota , California-Nevada , Oregon - Idaho , New England , California -Pacific and New York conferences. Abortion The United Methodist Church now recognizes the "sanctity of unborn human life" but also respects the "life and well-being of the mother, for whom devastating damage may result from an unacceptable pregnancy." Seventy-six petitions want to replace the words "an unacceptable" with "a life threatening." Another 322 petitions want to make it clear that abortion is only acceptable if the "physical death of the mother" would result from the "continuation of a pregnancy." A total of 370 petitions, including the North Carolina and Northwest Texas conferences, call for churchwide agencies to withdraw their membership from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. They argue that the church opposes partial birth abortion while the coalition supports the practice. Eighty petitions, including one from the Mississippi conference, ask for a resolution supporting the coalition to be deleted from the Book of Resolutions. A total of 375 petitions support parental notification if an abortion is being considered. Health care The Board of Church and Society wants the church to call for legislation which will "entitle all persons within the borders of the United States to the provision of health care services, the cost of such services to be equally shared by American taxpayers." Public funds would be generated by individual premiums and a payroll tax. New Hymnal The Board of Discipleship and the United Methodist Publishing House are asking delegates to authorize the creation of a 27-member Hymnal Revision Committee to "prepare and present to the 2012 General Conference a single-volume hymn and worship book." The discipleship agency also wants the assembly to create a nine-member committee to study the possibility of publishing "an official United Methodist hymnal for North American Christians of African descent in the Wesleyan heritage." That Nashville, Tennessee-based agency also wants to continue the Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century initiative – a program started in 1996 and renewed by the following two General Conferences. Finances The General Council on Finance and Administration will propose a denominational budget of nearly $642 million for the 2009-2012 period, up 4.8 percent. That four-year total includes $333 million for World Service, a 4.96 percent increase for ministries of churchwide agencies. The agencies have been asked to develop their budgets around four areas of focus: 1) leadership development; 2) church growth; 3) ministry with the poor; and 4) global health. GCFA recommends no increase for funds supporting ministerial education, black colleges, Africa University or interdenominational ministries. The proposed budget for the operation of bishops’ offices would increase 13 percent to more than $94 million. The administrative cost of operating GCFA, General Conference, Judicial Council and the Commission on Archives and History would total nearly $37 million, up almost 9 percent from the 2005-2008 period. A full listing of all petitions is scheduled to be available by early April on the General Conference Web site at http://gc2008.umc.org.
J. Richard Peck is a retired clergy member of New York Annual Conference and has attended 10 General Conferences, four of which he served as the editor of The Daily Christian Advocate. News media contact: Marta Aldrich, Nashville , Tenn. , (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org. United Methodists Seek Change in Tone at Assembly United Methodists wanting to change the tone of conversation and debate at the denomination's General Conference, which meets April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas, have endorsed "Guidelines for Holy Conferencing - What God Expects of Us" as a blueprint for such conversation. The guidelines are in response to long-held concerns that the General Conference more resembles the style and conduct by secular political bodies than the higher expectations of a faith-focused group, according to Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, who leads the Houston Area and is president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. The set of 10 principles focuses on respect, civility and mutual understanding, as well as ensuring that diverse voices are heard in the consideration of legislation and resolutions. Here are the guidelines:
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I have never been very good at being silent. My mother used to say that the only time I was quiet was when I was sleeping, and sometimes not even then. I just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book Pigs in Heaven and in it the child Turtle is often overheard talking herself to sleep – working things out with the angels, her mother calls it. I wonder if that’s what I was doing as a child as I mumbled my way to sleep. 
Acquired by Common Ground in 1991, the Times Square is the largest permanent supportive housing residence in the nation. A once stately neighborhood fixture that had fallen into serious disrepair, Common Ground carefully preserved 
Taking a seat in Foundry’s sanctuary on Friday evening, April 25th at 8:00 pm for the Concert for Life: That’s Amore! Songs of Love, promises more than a wonderful evening of music in delightful company. 
Join deacon for Social Justice Amy-Ellen Duke for a three-week study on homelessness with Bible study, reflection, and guest speakers. May 4, 11 and 18th at 9:30 am. 
We welcome back the Thurston Jazz Quartet on Sunday, April 6, for both the 9:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Holy Communion services. Come let us worship the Lord with joyful hearts, as we bring back some of Foundry’s favorites. These talented musicians, led by our own Stanley J. Thurston, will surely engage our collective worship experience. 
Foundry United Methodist Church
1500 16th Street, NW * Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 332-4010 * Fax: (202) 332-4035
Email: foundryumc@foundryumc.org
Web: www.foundryumc.org
Pastoral Care Emergency Phone
(after normal office hours): (202) 306-2659