THURSDAY MAILING

March 4, 2021

In this edition . . . . (ALL EVENTS ARE VIRTUAL)

March Birthday Greetings

Pastoral Concerns - Announcements

From the desk of The Rev. John Molina-Moore, General Presbyter

From the desk of Tara Spuhler McCabe, TDir. Of Congregational Dev. & Mission

Makers Youth Retreat Finding Faith through Creativity March 5 & 6 – Sponsored by NCP Spiritual Formation Team in partnership with The Grace Lab

2021 National Gathering BREAKING, BLESSING, BUILDING: A Call for The Common Good March 5-7 – NEXT Church

Spring 2021 Short Course Renewing Theology and the Church for Public Life: Reformed Voices March 6,13 and 20 – Reformed Institute of Metropolitan Washington

Adult Education – March 2021 featuring Dr. Marcia Riggs and Father David Grenier March 7,14,21, 28 – Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church

God’s Covenant with God’s People 2021 Virtual Lenten Wednesdays Series beginning February 24 - Heritage Presbyterian Church

Zoom Table Talk Dr. Susan Strasser - “A White Historian Confronts Residential Segregation” March 10 – Bethesda Presbyterian Church

Global Mission Network Survey for NCP congregations

Global Mission Network Matching Grants Proposal

Dismantling Racism Training offered in partnership with Service Never Sleeps March 30-31 with additional dates through May Sponsored by the Dismantling Racism Team of NCP

Together We Can Make A Difference! ON-LINE GIVING

Birthday Greetings for the month of March

Bruce Bowen, HR William Jokela, HR David Renwick Bill Clark, HR Lloyd Kinzer, HR Charlotte Spencer Laura Collins, HR Jill Lum Susan Wiseman Stephany Crosby, HR Jack Mathison, HR Rick Wurst Shannon Daley-Harris Rhoda Nixon, HR Dan Duggan Gary Pinder, HR Beth Goss, HR Mary Pullen, HR

From the staff of National Capital Presbytery dina, heather, jan, john, lajuan, tara

Pastoral Concerns:

Prayers for the families of

The Rev. Sterling Morse, the death of his mother-in-law, Barbara Petty and the death of his Aunt, Carrie Evelyn Morse.

The Rev. Richard Houghton, HR, the death of his wife, Anne.

Announcements:

Bookkeeper/Office Administrative Assistant - Position National Capital Presbytery comprises 103 Presbyterian (USA) churches in the Greater Washington DC region committed to service, education, and worship which is missional, pastoral, and prophetic, all to the glory of God. This position is part of a 7 person staff and reports to the Director of Business Affairs. Position description here.

Darnestown Presbyterian has a group of vaccine hunters that has secured appointments for more than 20 people in the last week. One of our team members, Erin Reed, has been especially skilled and diligent. She would like to offer her time and vaccine appointment hunting services beyond our congregation, especially to the most vulnerable members of our Presbytery, people of color, including those who work too many hours to secure an appointment for themselves, or those who have not developed the computer skills to work within the Maryland system. At this point, Erin has honed her skills within the Maryland system, so Maryland residents would benefit first. The hope is that some D.C. and Virginia vaccine hunters within our congregations would make the same offer. Find the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/884582065668731

Minister Information Form – ALL NCP CLERGY, especially if you are new to NCP. We have updated the method for submitting your personal information. Please visit Minister Information Form and submit this document at your earliest convenience. If you are not sure we have your current information, now is the time to update! For more information contact Dina Bickel, [email protected]. Form can also be accessed from NCP website, documents-committee on ministry.

Thank you to those installed pastors who have proactively sent their 2021 Salary Report. If you have not already, please email the 2021 Installed Pastor’s Salary Report or Terms of Call to Dina Bickel, the COM Administrator – [email protected] no later than February 28, 2021. The form may be found here under Compensation.

NCP churches looking to transition from Zoom/Facebook live/etc. into live streaming services from their sanctuaries we want to help take some of the guess work out of where to start. The proposal, “Hybrid Worship Proposal” posted on the TM page, is from Zeke Dowty. He has produced ALL NCP videos for more than 7 years (mission highlights, INSIDE with the GP, tribute videos), all found on NCP’s YouTube Channel and his wife, the Rev. Dana Olson, is a minister member of our Presbytery. Zeke has worked with several churches in our Presbytery, all very happy with his work. What Zeke is offering is designed to be easy to operate and can be done by any leader/volunteer in your congregation. This isn't intended to be the ONLY option for live streaming, but it is one we in the NCP office are fully confident in supporting. Tech Support Grant Request We are also offering our congregations information on web support through NCP’s provider, Tomahawk. Posted on the TM page is a proposal for services offering the ability to add streaming services for live church sermons, events, and other social events. For congregations that might find these options a financial burden we have resources to help. Contact John Molina-Moore or Tara Spuhler McCabe.

Together We Can Make A Difference! ON-LINE GIVING March 4, 2021

Greetings Partners in Ministry,

One of my favorite rappers is an artist named Jay-Z. I hope you’ve heard of him. Black entrepreneur. Married to Beyonce. His music has traveled with me from riding the bus in high school, to being quoted in papers during seminary, and played in the background while assembling cribs for a kid’s room. There’s a song he wrote halfway through his career that opens with “Allow me to reintroduce myself…”. The song was off what was supposed to be his last album. It was a chance to look back at what has been, but also to name the shape of the current reality. We are at a similar point in the life of our presbytery staff. Over the past year we have had a lot of transition, so I would like to take a few minutes of your time to “allow us to reintroduce ourselves”.

Here is the makeup of our current staff with a quick snapshot of some, nowhere near all, the work they do… Rev. John Molina-Moore – General Presbyter. The baseline that keeps NCP in the right tempo. Elder Jan Moody – Stated Clerk. Think of her role as PCUSA polity extraordinaire. The lead in the “decently and in order” dance that we all do together. LaJuan Quander – Director of Communication. How do you think the words you’re reading now got to your inbox? LaJuan. Website, Facebook, Instagram, Carrier Pigeon? LaJuan. Rev. Tara Spuhler McCabe - Transitional Director of Congregational Development and Mission. The Phil Jackson of The Church. Helping our congregations reach their highest potential for mission and ministry. Heather Deacon - Director of Business Affairs. The engineer for all the gears and levers that keep the enterprise we call NCP up and running. Dina Bickel – Administrative Assistant. The supportive hands for the work we do as a presbytery. From calling new pastors to helping candidates for ministry through the ordination processes.

You can find out more about each of our amazing staff members here: https://thepresbytery.org/about/staff-directory/

Debbie Golden is no longer with NCP. We all wish her well.

Our staff is always ready to serve our churches with pointers, answers to questions and sounding boards for ideas. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us and we’ll be glad to assist in any way we know how.

John

Greetings People,

Where are you this week?

• Are you joining the Black Presbyterians United 100 Days of Prayer, Mon – Friday, 12-12:30: 712- 775-7000 code 588775# ? • Are you attending Lenten services and Bible Studies with your respective congregations OR leading them regularly for your congregation? Thank you! • Have you shared with youth and young adults in your congregation about the Makers Retreat this weekend? • Have you signed up as a minister member or ministry professional of NCP for the Dismantling Racism and Allyship Training? • Has your Mission Team or committee of your congregation participated in the Survey Monkey from Global Mission Network yet? • Have you been one of a handful of congregations this past month and next month learning about HolyCow and the Church Assessment Tool (CAT)? • Are you one of the congregations or communities that is taking the CAT this month? • Have you been with leaders of Light to the Nations as they are coached with Rev. Yena Hwang in the discernment of their growth? • Have you been organizing and volunteering with the many relational and meal ministries that many of our congregations are engaged with weekly and monthly? • Are you attending the NEXTChurch Gathering this weekend? • What show did you binge watch this week? Ha! You read the list all the way through!

I will be attending the Makers Retreat this weekend and able to attend parts of NEXTChurch Gathering. I will also try not to binge watch Amend, which focuses on the 14th Amendment. I will be gathering with colleagues of NCP for prayer thanks to the organizing of BPU prayer time. And, I have already registered for the Allyship training. Some of this is the privilege of my work. Some of this is how my soul is restored in this work. And some of this is how I like to end the day with my husband, watching TV. Amid the grief of over 500,000 Covid deaths, the blurring of our pandemic days, and the sacredness of this season I am grateful for your energy, your work, your ministry, and your leadership in our presbytery.

Peace and Courage,

Tara

Calling all Makers, Creators, and Dreamers! The National Capital Presbytery invites all high school youth and college-age young adults in its churches to a weekend retreat of creating, resting, hoping, and playing.

Join us on Friday, March 5th and Saturday, March 6th for four hours of getting creative, socializing with peers, and reconnecting with the Creator God. Creative supplies of all kinds are welcome, but they are not needed. Our time together will challenge us all to create outside the box in unexpected ways. In so doing, we will celebrate the ways God is creating and resurrecting in our own midst — often in unexpected ways every day. Especially in these days. God is still creating, still reviving, still working! And God is doing it through you. So join us, Makers! Let’s create.

The Makers Retreat will be hosted virtually by The Grace Lab, with facilitators Emilee Williams and Ruth Tapp. Emilee (she|hers) is a Campus Minister at George Mason University and a spiritual director with The Grace Lab, passionate about finding God in our midst. Ruth Tapp (she|they) is Director of Family Ministries at Beverley Hills UMC and has a passion for the ways art connects us with God.

Come see the ways God is actively creating. We can’t wait to dream, pray, and create together!

$15 Registration fee. Scholarships available to any who need them. Click here to request a scholarship.

REGISTER HERE

2021 NEXT CHURCH NATIONAL GATHERING BREAKING, BLESSING, BUILDING: A Call For The Common Good

A FREE Live-Streamed Gathering for ALL Church Leaders

COVID-19, a pandemic of racism in the United States, economic distress. Our reality right now helps us know that things need to change for the good of us all.

What if church leaders (YOU, not just your pastor) could connect with other church leaders to learn together, be inspired by one another, and be challenged to grow?

What if we gathered together in such a way that inspired us to act so the Church and the world were never the same again? March 5-7, 2021 REGISTER NOW

Shavon Starling-Louis Lenny Duncan Bertram Johnson Christine Hong Otis Moss III

Spring 2021 Short Course (Virtual)

March 6, 13, and 20, 2021 Renewing Theology and the Church for Public Life: Reformed Voices

March 6, 2021 March 13, 2021 March 20, 2021 Renewing Church and Public Theology and Public Policy Cultural Disruption as a Witness Challenge to the Church

Presenter: Rev. John Molina-Moore Presenter: Rev. Jimmie Hawkins Presenter: Rev. Jessica Tate

John Molina-Moore was called as the Jimmie Hawkins is Director of the A lifelong Presbyterian, Jessica Tate General Presbyter of National Capital Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of became the Director of NEXT Church Presbytery in May 2019. He holds a Public Witness, which advocates for in 2012, where she had been in bachelor’s degree from Sterling College policy issues of the PCUSA General leadership since 2010. NEXT CHURCH in Communications, where he was a Assembly. He earned a BA in Social is dedicated to strengthening the scholarship student in both music and Studies from North Carolina Central relational fabric and transformation athletics. He has a MDiv. from Princeton University; a MA in Christian Education of the Presbyterian church. Prior to Theological Seminary, where he won the from the Presbyterian School of this ministry, she served as Associate Gerald R. Johnson Award in Speech Christian Education; and a MDiv. from Pastor of Fairfax Presbyterian. She Communication in Ministry in preaching the Interdenominational Theological also served as clergy co-chair of and communications. John completed a Center/Johnson C. Smith Theological VOICE, a broad-based interfaith, Certificate in Advanced Executive Seminary. For twenty years he served community power organization. Leadership for Ministers from Howard as the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian After graduating from the University University. John served pastorates at Red Church in Durham, NC. He also served of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she Clay and Calvary Presbyterian Churches as the senior pastor of Grace PC, served as a Young Adult Intern for the in Wilmington, Delaware. In National Holmes Memorial and Trinity PC in PC(USA) at the church’s Washington Capital, he has served as Stated Supply Western Virginia. He has been leader office. Jessica received a MDiv. and a Pastor of Northminster PC and Stated for the Moral Monday Movement MA in Christian Education from Union Supply Pastor for Community Life at since its onset in 2013. Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond. Western PC.

FREE AND OPEN TO ALL CHURCH LEADERS, MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: March 4, 2020 (online link will be sent before event) To Register Visit: https://reformedinstitute.org/events

REQUIRED READING FOR EACH WEEK WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON AND POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, https://reformedinstitute.org

Adult Education, March 2021 At Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church

Click Here to Join the Meeting Each Sunday Meeting ID: 857 6618 3170 You may also call in at (301) 715-8592

March 7, 14, and 21: Dr. Marcia Riggs, Columbia Theological Seminary – Reimagining Beloved Community in a Polarized Church and Society. In this special three-week Lenten series, Dr. Riggs will examine how people of faith respond in an age of protest and polarization. Questions guiding the series will be: • Why are we so afraid and angry? • What is moral courage? • What is moral advocacy? The series will use poetry, music, art, and video to reflect ethically upon these three questions. Participants will engage these sources as the basis for dialogical interpretation of scriptures for Lent (selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings).

Dr. Riggs is the inaugural J. Erskine Love Professor of Christian Ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. She has an undergraduate degree from Randolph-Macon Women’s College, a Master’s of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School and a PhD. in religion and ethics from Vanderbilt University. She is an award-winning teacher, researcher, and theologian.

March 28 (Palm Sunday): Father David Grenier ofm, Vicar and Secretariat of the Franciscan Monastery, Washington, DC -- History and Responsibilities of the Franciscans as Custody of the Holy Land. What better day to visit the holy sites of Jerusalem than Palm Sunday? Few can offer a tour as authoritative as Father Grenier, who has lived in the Holy Land for several years caring for the sites that are central to our faith. Heritage Presbyterian Church 2021 Virtual Lenten Wednesdays Series “God’s Covenant with God’s People” 7:00 P.M. via Zoom at https://bit.ly/3tJ63Mz

February 24 “God’s Covenant with Noah and Creation” featuring Professor Cliff Cain. Dr. Cain is a minister, teacher and author of Attunement: Living in Harmony with Nature, An Ecological Theology: Re-understanding Our Relation to Nature, and Down to Earth: Religious Paths toward Custodianship of Nature.

March 3 “God’s Covenant with the Generations and the Nations” through Abraham and Sarah with Rev. Dr. Rob Erickson, Pastor of Heritage. We’ll explore Genesis 17:1-7; Gen. 12:1-3; Gen. 18:9-15

March 10 “God’s Covenant of Freedom from Slavery with Moses” featuring Rev. Nancy Benson-Nichol. Rev. Benson-Nicol is currently the Director of Philanthropic Engagement for Austin Seminary. Previously she served congregations in Michigan and Arkansas, and college chaplaincy in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She authored the Presbyterian Women’s study Dispatches to God’s Household: The General Epistles.

March 17 “God’s Covenant with God’s Leaders and King David” featuring Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, from the Presbyterian Mission Agency Office of Public Witness. Rev. Hawkins was a Presbyterian pastor for 14 years at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Durham, North Carolina.

March 24 “God’s Covenant Written Upon Our Hearts”. Role of Faith and Prayer in Politics - presented by Rear Admiral Margaret Grun Kibben (Ret.), Chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Please call the church Office at 703-360-9546 with any questions. Zoom “Table Talk” Link at www.bethesdapresbyterian.org

Dr. Susan Strasser “A White Historian Confronts Residential Segregation” Wednesday, March 10 – 7:30-9:00 pm

Historian Susan Strasser seeks to serve those grappling with contemporary issues of race and racism by discussing the latest historical scholarship on residential segregation.

Join Us for Dr. Strasser’s presentation. Her other three in her “A White Historian Confronts …” series include presentations on Slavery, Voting Rights, and Lynching.

Dr. Susan Strasser (www.susanstrasser.net), Richards Professor of American History Emerita at University of Delaware, is a prizewinning historian of American consumer culture. As she quotes a friend, “The creativity of capital knows no bounds. What we need is a creativity of conscience.” Friends, The National Capital Presbytery (NCP) Global Missions Network is sending this to you and asking for your help to review the perspective of your Congregation on Global Missions.

The NCP Global Missions Network is a network of congregations with a passion for global ministry. For information about the network, see the Network page on the NCP website: https://thepresbytery.org/the-work-of-the-presbytery/committees/mission- coordination/global-mission-network/.

The NCP Global Missions Network funding is from congregational participation in the Unified Mission Giving, separate from Per Capita. The only way GMN can offer matching grants, financial support for new global mission partnerships, and staff support in cultivating and connecting Global Missions Network with local congregations is funding through Unified Mission Giving. We are asking for congregational input through the short survey at the link below to help the network understand ongoing global mission activities across the Presbytery and how the network can support congregational global mission efforts. The survey should take only ten minutes or less to complete, and the information you provide will be critical in helping us set priorities for action.

You can access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GVYD7TG If there is someone else in your congregation who is the right person in your congregation to complete the survey, feel free to forward this email to the right person! If possible, we would like responses back by 15 March. Thank you in advance! If you have question about the survey or the Global Mission network, fee free to contact Judith Dahmann ([email protected]) or myself ([email protected])

Many thanks in advance for your support! James Munthali, Global Mission Network Leader

Next Deadline for NCP Global Grants Program Matching Grant Proposals

As we have for the past several years, the National Capital Presbytery (NCP) Global Grants program is soliciting matching grant applications from congregations for new cooperative initiatives between congregations and their global mission partners. The next deadline for grant applications is March 31. These grants are offer through the NCP Global Mission network (https://thepresbytery.org/the-work-of-the-presbytery/committees/mission- coordination/global-mission-network/ ).

The intent of the program is to support interactive, hands-on global mission with impact on the community. Preference will be given to new initiatives; applications may be submitted for continued funding in years two and three of a given project. Some preliminary work should be done to assess feasibility before applying, so that the project has a reasonable chance of success and some way to measure when success has been attained. Priority will be given to projects where there is an established relationship and a high level of confidence in the in- country team and where there is a plan for project sustainability. Projects with Presbyterian ecumenical partners are encouraged.

This is a matching grant program; the contribution of your congregation toward the project in both money and labor will be considered. A congregation may submit only one application each year. Travel costs will not be considered, nor will reimbursement grants. Grant proposals requesting up to $5,000 will be considered, for $5,000 in matching funds.

A written report and presentation will be required in the year following the award outlining how the funds were spent, the progress of the project to date including impact on the community and plans for the future.

Proposals are due to NCP by email by March 31 to Judith Dahmann ([email protected]) using the NCP standard application (download part II of the application here)

For more information contact Dahmann ([email protected]). DISMANTLING RACISM -TRAINING- brought to you through partnership with Service Never Sleeps

COHORT ONE BEGINS DURING HOLY WEEK! Space is limited

to 50 participants for cohort one! Sign up today to reserve

your spot in this four-part series happening March through

May.

WHO: Minister members of NCP (encouraged for all clergy every 3 years) and ministry professionals of member congregations and specialized ministries

WHAT & WHEN: Four-part series on the following topics, (all classes held from 10:00am-1:00 pm)

• Class One: Allyship (class one is TWO sessions), March 30 & 31 (Let's make this our Holy Week devotional in action!) • Class Two: White Supremacy 101, April 20 • Class Three: Bias and Microaggressions, April 21 Register HERE registration for this cohort closes 3/25 • Class Four: Building Equity (TWO sessions), May 18-19

WHERE: Wherever you are! Join us on Zoom. WHY: Racism is more than individual acts of bigotry or prejudice. Racism is any system, institution, or cultural practice or tradition, which protects or prefers the lives, property, and status of White people--or any group which takes power over another, at the expense of our siblings of color or other marginalized persons or groups. Racism is contrary to the Gospel injunction to love God and our neighbor as ourselves.

*National Capital Presbytery is providing this series of trainings free of charge to participants. Those who wish to contribute continuing education funds toward this important educational series, to help make it available to the widest possible audience within our Presbytery, may make contributions to National Capital Presbytery, Memo: Race & Reconciliation Fund