Annual Report 2020

241st Annual Congregational Meeting January 31, 2021

3115 P Street NW Washington, DC 20007 202.338.1644 www.gtownpres.org

Table of Contents

• Administration and Personnel 6 • Associate Pastor for Discipleship 3 • Anti-Racism Coordinating Committee 9 • Buildings and Grounds 11 • Care Team 19 • Children’s and Families Ministries 21 • Christian Formation 13 • Communications 26 • Finance and Budget 45 • Flower Ministry 44 • Heritage 27 • Hospitality 29 • Long Range Planning 31 • Membership and Nominating 32 • Member Team 34 • Mission 37 • Session Committees 5 • Stewardship 40 • Vestry Letter 2 • Worship and Evangelism 42

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Vestry Letter

Dear Friends,

2020 was an absurd year! Each week was something new–a new problem, a twist in events, a change in plans. It just kept happening and the church did its absolute best to be steady and faithful despite it all. I think the year brought out some of the best in us, and it also exposed some of our flaws. Ultimately, I believe we will be a better church because of this year, and more creative, faith-filled and resilient Christians.

In 2020, we learned we could minister in meaningful ways to people remotely. We realized there are far more unmet daily needs in our city than we knew before. We remembered how much we love our church community, our coffee hours, our hymn singing, our weekly rituals. I am proud of the ways our church has grown this year. We had hard conversations about racism and have committed to being part of meaningful and lasting solutions. We have drawn far more people into online worship and have had young and old contribute to our virtual services. We shared meaningful faith testimonies, which have inspired each other in our own walks of faith. We have pivoted, adapted, and grown. We also have made careless mistakes, poor assumptions, and bloopers–lots of bloopers. We have learned that we are not perfect and polished all the time, and that we NEED grace and forgiveness and the witness of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the ways we have been able to help each other this last year and am hopeful we will continue to find new ways to be a community of faith. We need a church community because going at it alone in our lives of faith is really challenging.

We never could have imagined at the start of last year–virtual communion, an online adult education class, standing on our front porches and singing Alleluia to a video camera, or puppets gaining traction at GPC. We have been pushed to new levels and I really hope we will not return to pre-COVID existence. I hope we will have been reformed by God’s sustaining graces.

It has been a challenging year to say the least but maintaining a public witness of faith in this year has been also incredibly rewarding. I am proud that in our 241st year of ministry we rose to the occasion and served and worshipped and pledged and prayed in new ways. It must have been the Holy Spirit in our midst urging us onwards and never allowing us to give up hope. I am more grateful than ever for our church. I miss each and every one of you. You have been in my prayers. Thank you for being our community and faithful witnesses throughout this last year. Thank you to the staff team for keeping the show on the road with humor and perseverance and energy. Thank you to the officers and volunteers who ensured each corner of our ministry was being carried forward. This annual report is a reflection of those acts of service.

Thank you to God for nourishment in long days, for grace in times we erred, and for guidance when we did not know the way. Blessings and love to all of you.

Respectfully submitted, Rev. Dr. Camille Cook - 2 -

Associate Pastor for Discipleship

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

January started with the ambitious Dinner Table project. A group made up of half GPC folk and half non-GPC folk created our “Founders Council,” that included Catholics, a Jew, and an agnostic; young and old, elders, deacons, and new members. The conversations around the dinner table and tacos with that group shaped my faith and reminded me of the importance to connect with people outside the church, hearing what moves and troubles them, and working with them towards the common good—with tacos.

We had one wonderful event in February, which drew a remarkably diverse group of about 40 neighbors (a dozen children with their parents, retirees, die-hard Methodists, and a Russian atheist!).We came together over a meal, shared our understanding of prayer, read scripture, and connected by sharing our struggles. It was a holy night. As we planned for our March gathering, the pandemic reared, and it was no longer appropriate for strangers to gather over food. I told the group that there will be a need for us to come together again after the pandemic is over. And when that time comes, we will be ready.

Spring brought unique challenges with the pandemic, and the national and local reaction to the death of George Floyd. It was painful to not be able to gather as a congregation as we grappled with racial division in our country, and in our city. I felt torn. How could we minister to our traumatized members, and at the same time continue to dialogue about the overall injustice of systemic racism in our country— especially when the topic of race was essentially taboo at church, which meant that we could not discuss the very issue that was causing the pain.

I am grateful to the whole Session, and the tireless work that Elders Katie Seaman, Marianne Roos, Nicholas Gray, and Priscila Rodriguez put into the summer listening sessions on race and faith. We had 88 members and friends of GPC come together in small groups over Zoom to thoughtfully grapple with the reality of race in our lives. One of the most important lessons gleaned from this listening ministry was that we needed to learn more about what it meant that “Jesus loves all people.” I have to tell you that these were the most challenging, and maybe the most blessed weeks of my ministry here at GPC. I am so grateful to everyone who spoke up and everyone who listened. This is a church that cares deeply about its witness, its history, and its future. God’s Spirit was present and sustained this church, and for that I am grateful.

In all of this, I also enjoyed working with Mark on stop-motion Legos, puppets, and other “movie magic” that we could think of. A huge thank you to the many volunteers who have creatively cared for our children through videos, Zoom calls, book deliveries, prayers, and other love. And a big thank you to everyone who made sure that the church remained connected to one another. Thanks to all who continued to serve dinners safely and creatively. Thanks to everyone who helped make the Christmas pageant as magical as ever!

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To the stalwart and faithful Deacons, a huge thank you: Mary Beth Ray, Ashley Mattison, Margaret Carvin, David Slentz, Gonzalo Ferro, Lucy Coble, Brian Stocker, Joelle Justus, Beverly Jones, Doug Hillhouse, Claire Craik, Mary Margaret Hart, Gerardo Martinez, Jen Patterson, Brian Proett, Meredith Wilson, Deanna Johnson and Ann Abanto.

For serving on the Dinner Table, I thank GPC members Victoria Pedrick, Sam Cunningham, Ashley Mattison, and Mary Margaret Hart; along with community members Donna Marsh, Emily Maletta, Amanda Quesada, Ben Chartoff, and Levi Bevis. (Also, a thank you to the Metropolitan Methodist Church for lending the space at St. Luke’s Mission Center for this experiment.)

Thanks to Jennie Lopez for her creativity and “can-do-itiveness.” Thanks to Mark for dreaming big and taking risks. Thanks to Pastor Chris for his thoughtful debates and faithful service. Thanks to Latesha for the ways she keeps me on track, and for the ways she invites me to see things differently. And thanks to Pastor Camille, for her incredible partnership and leadership as we shepherd this congregation into 2021.

Peace,

Rev. Rachel Landers Vaagenes

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2021 Session Committees

Admin and Personnel Marianne Roos, Chair ′22 Worship & Evangelism Dwight Smith ′21 Priscila Rodriguez, Chair ′21 Shelley Jennings ′23 Lisa Baly ′23 Tracy Davis ′23 Buildings and Grounds Rick Lawson, Chair ′21 Deacons 2021 Shelley Jennings ′23 Leo Krusius ′23 Care Team Beverly Jones, Chair '21 Communications Gerardo Martinez '22 Emma Marshall, Chair ′22 Claire Hunn '23 Brian Boda ′22 Rick Lawson ′22 Children and Family Ministries Finance and Stewardship Brian Stocker, Chair '21 Louis Sterchi ′22, Chair (Finance) Ann Abanto '22 Brian Boda ′22, Chair Louise Sumner '23 (Stewardship) Leo Krusius ′23 Christian Formation Committee Long Range Planning Will Quinn, Chair '23 Jennifer Hillman, Chair ′21 Meredith Wilson '22 Tracy Davis ′23 Sam Cunningham '23 Emma Marshall ′22 Jillian Kutner '23

Membership & Nominating Hospitality Lisa Baly, Chair ′23 Joelle Justus '21 Priscila Rodriguez ′21 Deanna Johnson '22 Louis Sterchi ′22 Mary Margaret Hart '21 Claire Craik '21 Mission Dwight Smith, Chair ′21 Marianne Roos ′22 Member Team Jennifer Hillman ′21 Doug Hillhouse, Chair '21 Jen Patterson '22 Brian Proett '22 Lauren Fish '23

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Administration and Personnel Committee

Names of Chair and Members: Elizabeth Avery, Chair, Marianne Roos and Katie Seaman

Resiliency, creativity, dedication, faithfulness, compassion, grit. These are just a few of the adjectives that describe the work of GPC’s personnel in their approach to leading the church through 2020—a year that forced the building, but never the church, to close in order to keep members safe from COVID-19, and that brought the sins of racism into full light for us to study and act upon. In August, we said goodbye to Associate Pastor for Mission and Young Adults, Rev. Christopher Chatelaine-Samsen, as he and his wife left for new opportunities in Minnesota. The Session concurred with the Pastors’ recommendation to take several months to discern the best way to move forward in filling the vacancy in 2021. In this interim phase, Rev. Cook has assumed Chris’ work with Mission Committee and Rev. Vaagenes is the liaison for Young Adults. Outlined below are performance highlights for each member of the team. The review process involved the A&P Committee and several other members of the congregation with a working relationship with the staff. The Session has discussed and approved compensation recommendations.

Rev. Dr. Camille Cook, Senior Pastor, exhibited enormous leadership this year, particularly in the earliest days of COVID-19 with her commitment to ensuring Sunday services were telecast from the sanctuary without missing a single week, and creatively tapping the talents of the congregation and staff in producing deeply meaningful services that keep us connected to one another and to God. The A&P Committee lifts up Rev. Cook’s five main areas of focus in 2020: (1) leading the church through the pandemic and the consequent shutdown of most in-person work and worship; (2) providing pastoral care, the need for which during the pandemic significantly exceeded that of prior years; (3) fulfilling the Head of Staff role given the disparate needs of each staff member relative to the pandemic; (4) the church’s response to the murder of George Floyd and the resulting activism around anti-racism; 5) the Reopening Task Force and subsequent efforts that went into offering hybrid church services.

Rev. Rachel Landers Vaagenes, Associate Pastor for Discipleship, continued to grow as a leader across many areas of focus in 2020. Her leadership of the Deacons, Adult Education and Youth Education (including developing the very popular puppet ministry) contribute greatly to the church. Of special note in 2020, was Pastor Rachel’s whole-hearted willingness to step forward to help GPC respond to racism, first with the design and execution of the summer listening sessions, and then with her leadership of the Anti-Racism Coordinating Committee (ARCC). She created and led a robust virtual confirmation class with confirmands and sponsors meeting weekly to discuss faith and study the Bible. Finally, she also stepped up to serve as “Zoom Master” for all church-related electronic meetings, a very large - 6 -

responsibility that has been critical to our functioning in 2020.

Mark Willey, Director of Music, transitioned from part-time to full-time last March to lead the video production of the Sunday morning services, in addition to providing the music. GPC is profoundly blessed that Mark has not only the technical knowledge to produce the services, but also the passion and creativity to do so in a way that draws us closer to God. The Session has approved making Mark’s position full-time on a permanent basis and looks forward to his continued work not only enabling video production and recording of the Sunday services, but also other forms of discipleship and outreach.

Latesha Kelly, Communications Director & Office Manager, continues to manage the church’s website and social media platforms, provide assistance to members, manage the church database, assemble and distribute various communications for dissemination, and coordinate office management matters. Latesha was critical in helping support the Re-opening Task Force by creating signage, managing online sign-ups, and ordering appropriate supplies. Furthermore, Latesha managed the improvement of GPC’s office management systems to include, phones, and bookkeeping processes. She continues to enthusiastically support the work of the church, committees, and staff remotely.

Jennifer Lopez, Director of Children’s Ministry, excelled in creativity and connections with our children and families throughout the past year. Meaningful mailers helped parents engage in liturgical activities, book clubs kept our Den members connected, and video engagement enabled the church to not drift apart during our time apart. Jennie brings enthusiasm and contagious joy to her work; it is a blessing to all who work and minister with her.

Regina Andrade, Director of Children’s Music; Gathering with Regina has been missed by our Sunday morning singers. That did not stop her from connecting with the children on zoom singalongs and then leading the whole church in Sunday morning singing. Regina is a spiritual presence for our community and helps us know and articulate our faith through song. We are grateful for her love and gifts.

Other Employees: our beloved youth and childcare Sunday school leaders - Casey Nolan, Gamage Perera, Swama Nawarathna – all took a pause when in-person services were suspended.

Contracted Employees: Cliff Ford, Custodian adapted to the new schedules and building needs along with implementing new cleaning procedures. He has remained our point person on the building and was helpful in the reopening committees work and building renovation efforts.

Officer Rodney has not missed a Sunday and has been an ever present and vigilant - 7 -

caretaker of our church, our members, and our neighborhood. He brings great care to his work and creates a safe and hospitable place on a Sunday morning.

Bookkeeper “Your Part-Time Controller” continues to provide bookkeeping services on a consulting basis. Improvements, such as ACH reimbursements, were implemented in 2020. An ongoing challenge is the rotation of individuals managing GPC’s accounts, but we are pleased to have gained stability with the oversight provided by Carol Melvin.

Respectfully Submitted,

Elizabeth Avery, Chair, Marianne Roos and Katie Seaman

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Anti-Racism Coordinating Committee

Names of Chair and Members: Emma Marshall (Chair), Robert Bell, Sam Cunningham, Jeremy Ebie, Gonzalo Ferro, Cynthia Johnson, Marianne Roos, Dwight Smith, Rev. Rachel Vaagenes

Mission

The Anti-Racism Coordinating Committee’s mission is to oversee and coordinate thoughtful, prayerful, and meaningful work at Georgetown Presbyterian Church in pursuit of active consciousness about race and racism and community actions to end racial inequities - anti-racist work. Believing in the equality of humankind inherent in God’s creation (Genesis 1:27) and in God’s command to love one another as God loves us (John 15:12), we affirm that racism is incompatible with Christian belief and that anti-racism is inseparable from Christian belief. Given that racial identity leads to inequitable experience in a racialized society, anti-racist work seeks to address those inequities in our community and beyond in pursuit of the fruition of God’s kingdom on Earth.

The Committee will oversee the development and implementation of anti-racism work including: anti-racist educational programming for congregants that prioritizes the theological and personal perspectives and experiences of people of color; an expansion of the mission program to include activities and partners that specifically seek and promote racial justice as well as investment in mission partners led by people and communities of color; implementation of policies and processes that promote anti-racist hiring and nominating practices; and financial commitments to promote the economic thriving of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals and communities.

Main accomplishment of committee in 2020

Recruited liaisons across GPC’s ministries to coordinate and facilitate programs aligned with anti-racist practice

Planned a suite of Lenten programming to accompany the “Take Up Your Cross” Lenten worship series for 2021

Other accomplishments of committee in 2020

Created and distributed a model for evaluating programming at GPC according to anti-racist metrics

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Challenges of 2020

Answering the question, “What is GPC called to do in the face of the grave sin of racism?” has not been an easy task. We are blessed with many resources, many enthusiastic and driven members, and many opportunities to do God’s work in the world. Anti-racism work encompasses a huge range of things and identifying the places where we might be most effective in bringing Christ’s Good News into anti- racism work, in a time of division, isolation, and strife, will be an ongoing challenge for this committee.

Goals for 2021

Support GPC’s ministries in hosting a transformative and prayerful suite of activities promoting anti-racism and racial justice during the Lenten period

Consider ways in which anti-racism might become more permanently enmeshed in the policies, practices, and programs of GPC

Participate in trainings for church leaders and members on anti-racism

Expand current mission partnerships and identify potential mission projects that promote anti-racism in our communities

Acknowledgments or thanks to those who helped

A particular thanks to all of our liaisons across GPC’s ministries: Lucy Coble, Priscila Rodriguez, Jillian Kutner, David Slentz, Jennie Lopez, and Mark Willey. And many thanks to all those who have expressed interest in and supported this effort – by sharing ideas, participating in programming, and sharing your experiences with honesty and openness.

Respectfully Submitted,

Emma Marshall (Chair), Robert Bell, Sam Cunningham, Jeremy Ebie, Gonzalo Ferro, Cynthia Johnson, Marianne Roos, Dwight Smith, Rev. Rachel Vaagenes

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Buildings and Grounds Committee

Building & Grounds Committee Chair, Rick Lawson; Members Tom Lotterman and Louis Sterchi

Buildings & Grounds found itself changing course and learning to be flexible over the course of 2020. The changes and some of the new focuses are detailed below.

Front of Church

Restoring the church doors of GPC had been a priority for a quite a while. With the front doors not in use for most of the year, GPC had time to repair and ready them for when they stand open again on Sunday mornings. Restoration of all five of the front doors was undertaken. The arches over the three large doors that lead into the narthex and the fourth which enters outside the coat room were likewise restored along with two large front windows.

All of these surfaces were caulked, sanded, and primed as needed. The doors, arches, and windows were all then restored to their previous colors and front door hardware was preserved. All of the wrought iron hand railing in the front of the church was sanded and re-painted.

Ceiling over the Choir Loft

The ceiling over the choir loft had developed serious, very noticeable areas where the paint was peeling and, on occasion, falling into the choir loft. The job was anticipated to be and was over a week’s length in duration. Since church services were being live streamed, the opportunity to make the repairs without interfering with church services or the choir presented itself and the loft was repaired.

Prior to commencing the work, two bids from contractors GPC has used very satisfactorily in the past were solicited. The proposed costs for the same scope of work were virtually identical so the decision basically hinged on which contractor could start the soonest.

Prior to any work starting, the cause of the paint’s peeling was explored. It traced back to a malfunctioning drip box under one of the HVAC units in the attic. That box had been repaired some years earlier, but the ceiling damage was already done. It is easily accessible in the attic so the problem area should not become saturated again. The choir loft furniture had to be moved and covered and, much more importantly, the organ had to be covered before any plaster removal or ceiling painting could begin. It is much more visually appealing for a returning congregation.

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Limestone Facade

The limestone facade on the front of the church that contains information about GPC started crumbling and large chunks of stone literally began falling off. Fortunately, all of the pieces that had fallen were discovered inside the church or in the front garden area. These were reattached to the facade and sanded to have them blend as much as possible. Since limestone is a soft stone, further issues with the facade are likely.

Manse

Near the end of 2020, GPC’s manse tenant gave notice of vacating the property. Over the course of the year, several projects like the removal of a dead tree and mice were undertaken. Thankfully, overall, the property was left in wonderful shape with repairs all falling under the category of normal wear and tear. A contractor has been selected to address these repairs as the property is being readied to be placed on the rental market.

Staff Offices

The staff offices, library, copy room, entry area, and space around the elevator had deferred maintenance issues that needed addressing. The walls and bookshelves were prepared for fresh paint and painted; the flooring, ceiling tiles, and overhead light fixtures were all removed and replaced. The area is now brighter and better positioned to serve both the staff and congregation.

Security Cameras

The newly installed security system was tested for any blind spots after it was installed. Four areas of possible vulnerability were discovered, and four new cameras have been purchased and installed. The cameras are now thought to cover the church and church grounds without any gaps in coverage.

Respectfully Submitted,

Chair, Rick Lawson; Members Tom Lotterman and Louis Sterchi

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Christian Formation

Committee Members - Lucy Coble (Chair), David Slentz (Vice Chair), and Meredith Wilson (Vice Chair) - Fred Hart, Jane Lewis, and Alan Wisdom (Liaisons)

Mission Statement

- The purpose of the Christian Formation Committee is to provide programming for adults in the congregation that creates opportunities for them to explore, develop, and strengthen their faith and their relationship with God and the connections among our church community. The Christian Formation Committee understands that Christian Formation is a lifelong process; therefore, it seeks to reach and engage all adults in the congregation, no matter their age or stage of life. With that aim and understanding, the Committee works with our pastors to manage programming in the following areas: Adult Education; Bible Study; Young Adults; and Special Events and Intensives.

2020 Accomplishment Highlights

Despite the challenges faced by all in 2020, the Christian Formation Committee (CFC) had a successful year. The emergence of the coronavirus early in 2020 heavily impacted the CFC’s plans for the year. However, all CFC subcommittees were able to adjust and then quickly continue to provide programming in a safe and meaningful way. Virtual Adult Ed. classes were up and running in April and continued throughout the year (with high attendance from all over the globe); Young Adults held weekly virtual check-ins and small group discussions; and Bible Study went virtual as well. A new pilot program – “Spirited Discussions” – was launched in response to the new landscape the church and the world found itself in. Pastor Rachel and Sam Cunningham led the initial discussion entitled “What is the church for anyway?” that resulted in a meaningful conversation among GPC members.

In the summer of 2020, following the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent protests that shined a light on the systemic racism in our country, CFC again adjusted, pivoting its programming to address racial inequities and injustices. Adult Ed. classes initially focused on learning about the roots of racism in the US. We had many superb scholars and experts speak to us, thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of Mary Beth Ray, David Roll, and Victoria Pedrick. Adult Ed.

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classes then turned the focus to the current racial inequities and injustices in our society. Adult Ed. Chair David Slentz did an outstanding job leading this planning effort, helping to schedule Adult Ed. classes through the Spring of 2021 (while also running all virtual Adult Ed. classes from the start of the pandemic, which was no small undertaking). Young Adults also sought to address anti-racism in its programming and has taken the lead on a church-wide Anti-Racism Book & Film Club. Additionally, CFC also took part in the work of the GPC Anti-Racism Coordinating Committee and continues to work with ARCC members to ensure CFC implements anti-racism programming.

The CFC also had some internal movements throughout 2020. GPC unfortunately started off the year with the loss of a giant of a member (literally and figuratively), Steve Hopkins. This hit CFC particularly hard because Steve was the tireless leader of Adult Ed. for 12+ years. He is dearly missed as an invaluable supporter of Adult Ed., as a member of GPC, and as a friend.

Deacon Claire Craik transitioned from the CFC to the Hospitality Committee. Claire’s contributions and input brought so much value to the CFC, and we are thankful for all of her hard work. It has been a pleasure to see how much she has now brought to the Hospitality Committee as well.

Young Adults leadership had some changes. Deacon Meredith Wilson stepped into the leadership role, taking on a lot of responsibility right away. The other Young Adults subcommittee members are Jillian Kutner, Kathleen Jennings, and Will Hadden. Additionally, following Pastors Chris’s move, Pastor Rachel stepped-in as the staff liaison for the Young Adults. We are thankful for the continued efforts of the Young Adults leadership group, especially with all of the unanticipated changes throughout the year.

CFC reconvened the Adult Ed. subcommittee, putting into place a new structure consistent with other deacon subcommittees. The subcommittee currently consists of Judi Crowson, Victoria Pedrick, and Bill McDermott, as well as CFC Deacons and pastoral staff. Deacon David Slentz is serving as the Adult Ed. Chair. In addition to being grateful for the current subcommittee members, we are thankful for countless hours of effort contributed by prior subcommittee members such as Mary Beth Ray, David Roll, and Ann Hunt and non-subcommittee members such as Cynthia Johnson that make Adult Ed. so successful.

And finally, the three CFC Liaisons – Fred Hart, Jane Lewis, and Alan Wisdom – confirmed that they are all willing to serve an additional year on the CFC, which is great news. We are thankful for their commitment to the church and their continued service to the CFC.

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2020 Accomplishments by Program

Adult Education

As mentioned above, Adult Ed. continued to bring in fascinating speakers from both in and outside of the congregation, all touching on issues of concern to our faith and our community. The Adult Ed. work included

- January 5—Pastor Rachel Vaagenes began the third of our series, Grace in Four Movements, with an introduction to the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as told in the Gospels. - January 12—Elder Vickie Pedrick discussed the grieving mother in classic literature. - January 19—Elder Sheldon Ray, just back from a week in Hong Kong, updated us on conditions in Hong Kong as well the implications for world financial markets. - January 26—GPC member Meredith Sumpter, Head, Research Strategy and Operations, Eurasia Group, discussed “Geopolitical Recession: Top Risks in 2020.” - February 2, 16, and 23—Pastor Rachel Vaagenes tirelessly lead us through the fourth of our series, Grace in Four Movements, with an introduction to the story of John of Patmos in Revelation. - March 3—Washington Post Climate Reporter Steven Mufson discussed how climate change has “come home” to the US. - March 8—Pastor Chris led Part I of the Farewell Discourse: Jesus’ final teaching in John, and the content of our Lenten sermon services, The Last Testament of Jesus. - April 26—Victoria Tigwell, Deputy Executive Director of the Eisenhower Memorial Committee, gave a presentation on the Eisenhower Memorial. 22 people attended via Zoom. - May 3—Pastor Rachel presented on “Spiritual Growth in Solitude.” - May 10—Author David Bland, Elder Marianne Roos's spouse, presented his recently released book "Slings and Arrows" about his banking work with Native American reservations. - May 17—Dr. John Marshall offered his thoughts on the changes that COVID- 19 is causing in health care and in our backyard. - May 24—Abigail Keller, AEI research assistant to COVID-19 thought leader Dr. Scott Gottlieb and colleague of Marissa Simone, presented a behind the scenes look at AEI's Roadmap to Reopening America through and following the COVID-19 pandemic. - May 31—Kara VanderKamp offered an update on the Remember Niger coalition and GPC's involvement with the organization. - September 13—GPC Town Hall/State of the Church - September 20—Children's and Adult Education Update - 15 -

- September 27—Pulpit Swap Racial Justice in our Community Conversation with Reverend Selena from Mt Zion - October 4—Professor Adam Rothman, a Georgetown University History Professor and Curator of The Georgetown Slavery Archive, gave a talk entitled “Historical Overview of Racism in America, 16-19-Today.” - October 11—John Molina-Moore, General Presbyter of the National Capital Presbytery, explained PC(USA) and the National Capital Presbytery's role in today's racial justice issues. - October 18 and November 1—Professor Rothman returned to talk about racism in the 19th century, including the Civil War, Abolition and Emancipation. - November 8 and 15—UMBC Professor Derek Musgrove offered an African American perspective of DC history and presented insights from his book "Chocolate City." - November 22—Susan Page, USA Today Washington Bureau Chief, offered her insights on the 2020 election. - December 6 and 13—Dr. Renee Harrison of Howard University School of Divinity led an interactive discussion on "Invisible Wounds: The Church and Slavery in the Nation's Capital." - January 10, 2021—Victoria Pedrick offered an introduction to the prayer practices at the heart of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola: Ignatian Contemplation or imaginative prayer with scripture, and the Ignatian Examen. - January 17, 2021—Dr. Edit Frenyo provided insights from her more recent work and research in the field of migrant and refugee advocacy, in the US and Canada in a talk entitled, "For We Are All Sojourners-Bearing Witness and Migrant Advocacy, in the Era of Global Displacement.”

Thanks to all of the current and former members of the Adult Ed. subcommittee in 2020 for their hard work throughout the year.

Young Adults

The Young Adults subcommittee worked hard throughout the year to ensure the YAs felt cared for and stayed connected to both their faith and the church. The YA work included:

- In December 2019, the “YA singers” (~15 courageous YAs and a few choir members) caroled at Ingleside Rock Creek retirement home on December 15. In particular, the YAs visited longtime GPC member and leader Jill Fri. - Tracy Davis and Ralph Voltmer hosted the YAs on January 11 to celebrate the epiphany. This has become an annual event that all YAs look forward to. - The YAs continued the “Grace and...” series on February 27 with a conversation on grace in our daily lives.

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- YAs held virtual "check ins" with about 10-15 people participating each time. The check-ins involved a devotional, followed with a more informal discussion of how everyone is coping under social distancing. - YAs participated in the church's response to COVID-19 - calling older members to check-in, delivering groceries for the Excel Academy ministry, etc. - YAs held weekly bible studies for small groups, with guidance provided by Pastor Chris for the group leaders. - YAs held a socially distanced YA picnic on September 20 in the GPC courtyard. - YAs held a few “dinner and discussions” in the Fall via Zoom. - YAs held a “Young Adult Nature Day in Rock Creek Park,” going on a hike in Rock Creek. - Jillian Kutner began working with ARCC to arrange for the YAs to lead the anti-racism book & film discussions in the Spring.

Thanks to all members of the Young Adults subcommittee for their hard work throughout the year, helping to keep the YAs engaged and connected.

Bible Study

Bible Study continued regularly throughout 2020, transitioning to Zoom when needed. The sessions started out with discussions of the Bible readings from the prior week’s sermon. Additionally, daily scripture readings of Exodus and then Ephesians were sent to the congregation via email during portions of the year.

Thanks to all of those that participated in and helped with Bible Study this year.

Special Events and Intensives

- Spirited Discussions—A pilot program was held asking the question "What is the church for anyway?" We had about a dozen participants and Pastor Rachel worked with Sam Cunningham on some guiding questions. There was a lot of discussion, which was excellent. Pastor Rachel worked with CFC Liaisons Fred Hart and Jane Lewis to get this pilot off the ground, and that group continues to discuss ideas on cleaning up the format and on next topics.

Thanks to those who participated in the Spirited Discussions pilot and to the effort of those that helped to put it together.

Goals for 2021

For 2021, our goal is to ensure we are continuing to brainstorm new ideas for how the programming areas can reach and serve even more adults in the GPC congregation.

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Finally, a very big thank you for everyone’s hard work on the Christian Formation Committee and each of the individual program subcommittees, and to the Pastors for their hard work and commitment.

Respectfully submitted,

Lucy Coble, Chair David Slentz and Meredith Wilson, Vice Chairs Fred Hart, Jane Lewis, and Alan Wisdom, Liaisons

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Care Team

Chairperson: Ashley Mattison

Members: Margaret Carvin, Beverly Jones, Gerry Martinez

Committee Mission Statement: The mission of the Care Team is to care for GPC members during their times of trouble, celebration, illness, faith, isolation and grieving.

Main accomplishment of the committee in 2020: Caring for our members during the time of COVID-19 by calling and emailing those in need to see how they were doing and to offer the deacons’ and the pastors’ support.

Other Accomplishments of committee in 2020: • Began a prayer program that included a new wooden prayer box and a new online prayer box, a new Sunday morning prayer group, and a continuation of the emailed prayer chain. • Welcomed new babies to our congregation with a gift bag that included diapers, wipes, a devotional book for moms, a GPC baby onesie and a $50 gift card. The gift bag replaced sending meals to the families of new babies. • Introduced a new birthday card by Ginnie Luster. • Sent members birthday cards as well as cards of condolence, congratulations, etc. • Sent 13 Harry and David gift baskets to isolated members for Christmas.

Challenges of 2020: Of course, during the time of COVID-19, concerns included isolation, stress, health fears, safety, food and job insecurity, and learning a new way of life. Luckily, the Care Team was still able to mostly care for GPC members virtually. Some means of support, such as giving rides to church, were not necessary while church services were online only.

Goals for 2021: Serve, support and care for GPC members in the same ways we did in 2020. Add or amend programs or services as needed.

Acknowledgements or thanks to those who helped:

The Care Team is so grateful to Pastor Rachel for her leadership, guidance and support. She leads with humor, intelligence and kindness. And she helped us to accomplish our goals in 2020 as we cared for GPC members during the pandemic.

Thanks to the committee members who specialized in their own areas in addition to all their other committee responsibilities. Beverly Jones wrote hundreds of - 19 -

birthday cards. Margaret Carvin inspired the Care Team’s new focus on prayer through the prayer box programs and developed a new brochure about the Care Team. And Gerry Martinez began a Sunday prayer group and helped greet families with new babies, relating to the parents as a new father himself.

Respectfully Submitted,

Chairperson: Ashley Mattison, Members: Margaret Carvin, Beverly Jones, Gerry Martinez

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Children’s and Families Ministries Committee

Chair, Brian Stocker ’21; Members Ann Abanto ’22 and Gonzalo Ferro ’20

In all of our work, the Children’s and Family Ministries (CFM) Committee is guided by these primary goals:

● To deepen the faith of our children, our youth, and their families in the love of Jesus Christ

● To grow their understanding of the Bible and Christianity

● To build confidence and to provide tools to incorporate faith into the rhythm of their daily lives

● To create with them, a vibrant, welcoming, and living community in Christ at GPC, at home, and in the world

Main Accomplishments and Events of 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact to almost all aspects of daily life, and directly impacted Children’s and Family Ministries. With in-person worship coming to a halt in Spring 2020 and for almost the entire remainder of the year, the CFM Committee adjusted to come up with creative ideas to try to stay engaged with our children, our youth, and their families. A highlight of the new, virtual programming that was created included:

· Young Children in Worship (YCW) stories posted to YouTube: These stories followed the same format and readings during in-person YCW, however leaders often used their own supplies from home to creatively share the stories

· Book Club: Weekly Book Club for 3rd-5th graders (6-10 participants) during the Spring and Summer, discussing a total of 10 books. It was wonderful listening to children and laughing together. They had some great insights about the books and equally great insights about their own feelings as we navigated during this strange time.

· Fall 2020 began the largest confirmation class in over a decade. Twelve kids and their mentors met virtually over five months with Pastor Rachel. Confirmation is scheduled for Sunday, February 14, 2021. Highlights include a virtual visit to a - 21 -

Pentecostal worship service at Historic St. Paul Church in DC, led by Rev. Bernie Dorsey; and some fun virtual scavenger hunt "pop quizzes."

2020 Confirmands and Mentors

o Laine and Wilson Holeman (Mentor: Sue O'Donovan) o Virginia Boatwright (Mentor: Lynn Cannon) o Noushin Howe (Mentor: Stuart Campbell-Jourdan) o Alienor Campbell-Jourdan (Mentor: William Howe) o Henry Sumner (Mentor: Ralph Voltmer) o Eaddy Holmes (Mentor: Marissa Simone) o Katie Krokowski (Mentor: Michele Wilson) o Watts Colclough and George Bankoff (Mentor: George Colclough) o Eleanora and Fiona Metelski (Mentor: Ashley Mattison)

· Youth Group in 2020 met mostly virtually. Chris Griswold and Tory Gentry, along with Cameron Giles and Tessa Glenn, virtually shepherded the group through the spring and then occasionally in the summer. The group took a break in the fall and has just begun again in January with new leaders Deacons Gonzalo Ferro and Mary Margaret Hart. Thanks to all who contribute to the faith of our young people!

· Monthly mailer packages were sent to 60 families, including coloring and children’s crafts which aligned with the Church calendar and themes of GPC.

· Singing with Ms. Regina, Music for Tots via Zoom on Friday and Sundays during the spring/early summer, with kids logging in from across the country and even London. Singing with Ms. Regina took a hiatus during the summer but started back on select Sunday mornings from September through December.

Other notable accomplishments and events of 2020 included:

· In February, Sunday school teacher Casey Nolan created a new weekly email format for families with young children, keeping it consistent with other emails that go out from GPC. It continues to be very well received by our families, and we saw new children at Sunday School as a result.

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· With service transitioning from in-person worship to virtual worship, Pastors Chris and Rachel led the charge with creative ideas like using puppets to talk about the pandemic environment and the resulting different and difficult feelings and circumstances.

· Pastor Rachel and the Youth Group leaders were able to effectively execute a successful Youth Sunday in April, despite the significant challenges of not being able to gather to work through all the planning and preparation that generally goes into a Youth Sunday service. This experience called on each of our youth group members to step up and work independently yet collectively to bring the full service together. We had 15 youth contribute video clips which were edited together to make the service.

· In September, the Committee sent out a CFM Survey to parents to understand how virtual programming and communication was going. Some takeaways included: weekly emails are the most commonly preferred communication method; most prefer a monthly mailer/package with accessible downloads; and most commonly preferred types of content include YCW stories, blessings/prayers/graces, traditional Bible story, and Bible verses.

· Many children participated in Advent readings and the Christmas Pageant which were recorded and part of worship service throughout the month.

· In addition to the Sunday worship service recordings, Ms. Regina led the Christmas music sing-along on Zoom on December 13 before service, as well as Christmas caroling during the virtual St. Nick’s dinner on December 19.

· In line with the GPC’s overall Anti-Racism Coordination Committee that was started up in September, the CFM Committee’s liaison is Gonzalo Ferro.

Challenges of 2020

The major challenge of 2020 was switching from in-person programs and church services to completely remote, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This happened very abruptly in March, and everyone’s plans and routines inside and outside of GPC were transformed. It was difficult for the Committee to look for inventive ways to try to maintain connectedness to families while operating in an all-virtual environment. Often the team had to compete with other screen-time activities, namely virtual school and virtual work, and the Committee tried not to over- burden both parents and children as much as possible with added Zoom meetings. - 23 -

Goals for 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic will continue well into 2021, so the team plans to continue to find creative ways to remain connected to GPC families as best we can. Starting in January 2021, the following new and existing programs are planned:

· Zoom check-ins with various age groups: Sunday school teachers leading twice per month, and parents leading once per month

· Singing with Ms Regina on the first Sunday of each month

· Gonzalo Ferro and Mary Margaret Hart will lead 6th -12th graders every other week over Zoom. The group plans to read the book Stamped, as well as plan a project focused on anti-racism work

Additionally, the Committee will be planning how we can work toward meeting our primary goals once in-person worship and CFM programming re-starts in person again.

Acknowledgements or thanks to those who helped

Many individuals have supported CFM programming over the past year. We are so very grateful to every storyteller, Sunday school leader and greeters, Committee lay members, and all other folks that have helped us move toward our CFM goals. To highlight a few specific individuals:

-Louise Sumner, for her layperson duties and leading the Book Club & Advent readings

-Liza Boyd and Sherry Krokowski, for their creative ideas and support as Committee laypersons

-Youth Sunday Service Leads: Lauren Scott who cut and compiled the overall service, Elson Bankoff for the CoVideo idea, and Betty and Virginia Boatwright for virtual communion. Thanks to all the parents, to Mark Wiley for doing post- production work, and to Tory Gentry who was able to be with us remotely because of the pandemic. The end result embodied their creativity, thoughtfulness, connection with each other and dedication to their faith and their church.

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-Casey Nolan, for her support in the CFM survey and communication throughout the year

-Regina Andrade, for her willingness to make a joyful noise, no matter the circumstances.

-Jennie Lopez, Children’s Ministry Director, for her positive energy and passion in all of GPC Children’s programs

-Mark Willey, for his professional and excellent video production work on many Children’s-related recordings throughout the year

-Our Pastors, who faithfully foster all of the GPC’s Children’s and Family Ministries programming

Respectfully Submitted,

Chair, Brian Stocker; Members Ann Abanto and Gonzalo Ferro

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Communications Committee

Names of Chair and Members: Emma Marshall (Chair), Jennifer Hillman, Latesha Kelly, and Priscila Rodriguez

Main accomplishment of committee in 2020

Managed a robust suite of communications to the congregation (email, website, social media, mailers), which became especially crucial during suspension of in- person worship. Supported the transition to live-streamed worship, including advertising, managing comments, and recording viewership data. Designed and implemented critical signage during re-opening efforts.

Other accomplishments of committee in 2020

Grew the reach of GPC’s social media platforms, increasing followers by 17%, increasing number of posts by 40%, and increasing engagements by 89% (aggregated across three platforms – Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter). Onboarded congregants to SimpleChurch platform. Increased overall website visits and email subscriptions.

Challenges of 2020

GPC is blessed with a number of active and vibrant committees carrying out God’s work inside and outside the church. One of the main challenges of the Communications Committee is to ensure that all these activities are communicated to the congregation clearly and effectively, in accessible and consistent formats, especially when in-person communication is constrained.

Goals for 2021

Continue to grow the church’s online presence and use it as a tool for sharing GPC’s mission and ministry with the broader DC community.

Acknowledgments or thanks to those who helped

A particular thanks to Latesha Kelly, GPC’s Communications Manager, for all her excellent work managing and directing communications to the congregation (and so much more!).

Respectfully Submitted,

Emma Marshall (Chair), Jennifer Hillman, Latesha Kelly, and Priscila Rodriguez

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Heritage Committee

Chair and Members: Chuck Schilke, Chair Jolene Blozis, Ann Hunt, Members

Committee Mission Statement

The mission of the Heritage Committee seeks to manage the church’s historical records and artifacts according to the Book of Order and the Presbyterian Historical Society. Specifically: to collect, organize, protect, and preserve church records, documents, manuscripts, books pertaining to our church, photographs, sound and video recordings, architectural drawings, fine arts, and historical artifacts according to recognized archival standards to make appropriate records available for the perusal of members to narrate and distribute the story of Georgetown Presbyterian Church; to highlight events and persons in GPC history by telling their stories, to research other collections such as the National Archives, Library of Congress, museums and archives of our church history, and to verify or debunk church myths to train future archivists, GPC historians, and Heritage Committee members

Main Accomplishment of Committee in 2020

The Committee created an extensive draft description of a commemorative History of Georgetown Presbyterian Church for the Church’s 250th anniversary in 2030. The Committee also developed an approach for restoring the historic pew cushions in the chapel, using a textile restoration facility at St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York City

Challenges of 2020

Covid interfered with some committee work, such as taking the historic pew cushions to St. John the Divine for restoration

Goals of 2020

An important goal of 2020 was to transition the Chair of the Heritage Committee from Jolene Blozis to Chuck Schilke. We achieved this goal.

Goals of 2021

To persuade the governing bodies of GPC to agree to commission the 250th anniversary history of GPC.

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Acknowledgments or thanks to those who helped

Jolene Blozis and Ann Hunt consistently do a quietly efficient job of keeping up with the heritage and archival dimensions of Georgetown Presbyterian Church, the oldest and most historic Presbyterian Church in the National Capital Region. GPC’s heritage percolates into the Church’s operations in a thousand small ways and animates the daily life of the church immensely. It is a great tradition we are upholding in order to inspire us in the 21st Century.

Respectfully Submitted,

Chuck Schilke, Chair, Jolene Blozis, Ann Hunt, Members

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Hospitality Committee

Committee Members Joelle Justus, Chair Mary Margaret Hart Deanna Johnson Claire Craik

Mission Statement

The mission of the Hospitality Committee is to create and sustain a fellowship space for the congregation, visitors, and neighbors to energize the Church for God’s work.

Main Accomplishments in 2020

Four lunch bunches and five punch bunches were hosted in 2020. The hosts included five GPC families, the Young Adults group, the outgoing class of Deacons and Elders, and the Hospitality Committee. The Hospitality Committee continued the St. Nick’s tradition with a virtual St. Nick’s Party held via Zoom on December 19, 2020. Crafts were mailed to participants in advance. At least 45 families logged on, with an estimated participation of more than 70 individuals. Activities included visits with Santa, caroling with Ms. Regina, a family roll call, and a scavenger hunt.

Other Accomplishments in 2020

The Hospitality Committee welcomed Deacons Deanna Johnson and Claire Craik as members in 2020. The Committee also developed a plan to streamline donation collections when normal lunch/punch bunch resumes. The plan includes creating laminated handouts/centerpieces with directions on how to donate, and creation of a Venmo account to receive donations.

Challenges

The Hospitality Committee stopped hosting lunch and punch bunch after the March 1, 2020 service due to public health concerns. The Committee did provide food for those working on site at GPC during Easter, and several circles hosted “virtual” punch bunches following online services.

Goals for 2021

The Hospitality Committee looks forward to re-launching lunch and punch bunch when safe to do so. The Committee also hopes to recruit more volunteers, and once again host a barbeque with Mt. Zion United Methodist Church.

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Acknowledgments

The Hospitality Committee would like to thank all of the volunteers that hosted in- person and virtual lunch and punch bunches, as well as those that contributed their time, talents and efforts to the St. Nick’s Party.

Respectfully Submitted,

Joelle Justus, Chair, Mary Margaret Hart, Deanna Johnson and Claire Craik

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Long Range Planning Committee

Members: Jennifer Hillman (Chair), Dwight Smith, Nicolas Gray

Accomplishments in 2020: The Committee began the year working on plans for a 240th anniversary celebration in the fall of 2020 that could potentially launch a much larger undertaking for GPC’s 250th anniversary in 2030. The Committee used as the base of its preliminary discussions the outcome of the long-range planning survey conducted in September 2019. That survey found most respondents drawn to the GPC for the depth, breadth and quality of its services, including first-rate preaching and beautiful music; its opportunities for fellowship around Lunch Bunch, Adult issues classes, St. Nick’s dinner and more; and its increasing number of mission opportunities. As a result, the preliminary focus of the long-range planning committee was on keeping those prized elements of GPC thriving and growing, while exploring what the church should aspire to over the next 10 years and beyond. The hope was to use the 240th anniversary as a springboard for deeper conversations about the church’s role in providing for its congregation and in increasing its outreach to its community and the world.

The initial concrete discussions centered on the need in the not-to-distant future for a major rehabilitation of the church’s organ and its choir loft. Such a project would be a multi-year, potentially multi-million-dollar endeavor but would allow the church to continue to offer excellent music with updated spatial arrangements for the choir.

But once the coronavirus pandemic made in-person worship services unsafe, the Committee tabled discussions of any projects that would involve significant fundraising efforts or longer-range planning, focusing instead on supporting the work to transition to on-line services and later planning for eventual re-opening in- person worship services.

Goals for 2021: With the shift in focus brought about by the pandemic, the 2021 Long- Range Planning Committee (Jennifer Hillman, Tracy Davis, Emma Marshall) intends to focus its efforts on developing a long-term, sustainable, and enhanced mission and outreach program for the church, seeking to find one or more signature programs where GPC could play either a lead role or a significantly enhanced role with our mission partners to meet the needs of GPC’s neighbors and community. These efforts could involve a different use of the church’s facilities, including potentially the manse, to serve as the home or headquarters for such endeavors along with a different approach to fundraising for such efforts and recruiting volunteers to join in the work on a regular and long-term basis. The goal would be to determine where there are gaps that GPC could fill in manner that would energize GPC members while making a difference for those in need.

Respectfully Submitted, Jennifer Hillman (Chair), Dwight Smith, Nicolas Gray - 31 -

Membership and Nominating Committee

Mission: To annually identify and nominate officers and members of the Nominating Committee to faithfully administer God’s plan for Georgetown Presbyterian Church; and to ensure that the membership rolls of the church are accurate, as required by the Book of Order.

Committee Members: Katie Seaman – Chair, Brian Boda, David Slentz, Marissa Simone, Rick Del Sontro, Jay Grauberger, Claire Gillum and Nancy Kuhn

Nominating Process: The Committee met in January and February 2020 to identify a candidate to fill the remaining Deacon spot for the class of 2020 and was pleased that Jennifer Patterson accepted the nomination to join the 2020 Deacon class. On June 7th Jen was elected as a new Deacon via a congregational meeting. Jen was ordained and installed on June 28th along with Elder Brian Boda, who missed the previous ordination and installation ceremony. In September and October 2020, the Committee identified a slate of candidates for the 2023 Elder and Deacon classes as well as the 2022 opening created after Nicholas Gray stepped down from the Elders. Additionally, the Committee also developed the slate for the 2021 Nominating Committee. The Committee was deeply grateful for the willingness of the candidates to accept the calling to serve GPC despite the challenges we all faced in 2020 and continue to face in 2021. I am so thankful to the Committee members for their flexibility in scheduling and holding virtual meetings and our prayerful discussions to identify this group of servant leaders. The following individuals were presented and elected at the Congregational Meeting on December 6, 2020 and will be ordained and/or installed as 2023 and 2022 Officers of GPC on February 7, 2021.

Elders, Class of 2023: Tracy Davis Shelley Jennings Leo Krusius Lisa Baly

Elder, Class of 2022 Emma Marshall

Deacons, Class of 2023: Louise Sumner Claire Hunn Will Quinn Lauren Fish Sam Cunningham Jillian Kutner

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Nominating Committee: The following members of the congregation were elected to serve on the 2021 Committee: Meredith Ferro, Catherine Johnson, Robert Bell, Katherine Buckley, Anne Colclough

Church Membership: Three people requested to be removed from the rolls in 2020 and seven transferred membership due to relocation. Over the course of 2020, four new member classes were conducted, and 17 individuals joined GPC.

Finally, with both thanksgiving for their lives and with deep sadness, the Nominating and Membership Committee noted the deaths of several cherished Members of GPC in 2020: Stephen Hopkins, Ed Emes, Janet Lanman (2018 but reported and noted in 2020), Jim Close.

Respectfully Submitted,

Katie Seaman – Chair, Brian Boda, David Slentz, Marissa Simone, Rick Del Sontro, Jay Grauberger, Claire Gillum and Nancy Kuhn

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Member Team

Chair: Mary Beth Ray; Vice Chair: Doug Hillhouse; Members: Brian Proett, Jen Patterson

Committee Mission Statement:

The aim of the Member Team is to encourage engagement by new and existing members, to build and strengthen community among members, and to develop and cultivate leadership to foster spiritual growth. Specifically, the Member Team works with pastors to manage: o Circles o Welcoming and integrating new members o The Directory

Main accomplishments of Member Team in 2020:

• The main accomplishment of the Member Team in 2020 was to maintain regular outreach with members through Circle leaders, despite quarantine. These monthly email dialogues and online gatherings provided a creative way for members to stay connected, engage with those who may feel isolated, discover potential pastoral care needs, and share favorite hymns, Bible verses, recipes and family news.

• Our May 3 photo shoot for the Directory was scrapped due to COVID, and we pivoted to an online Directory. This meant undertaking a thorough analysis of Life Touch, Simple Church, and several other programs to determine the best format at the lowest cost. Privacy and security concerns were also key aspects of the analysis. After a thorough review by Brian and all team members, and coordination with pastors, Session, and Latesha Kelly, we shifted from in-person Life Touch to online Simple Church.

Other accomplishments of committee in 2020:

• New member classes moved from in person to Zoom, and video clip welcome messages were played in the service. GPC swag bags were given to new members, and Deacons were encouraged to reach out to welcome new members.

• We worked with pastors and other committee leaders to draft a Time & Talent spreadsheet showing GPC volunteer opportunities, including time commitment and contact info, to make it easier for old and new members to get engaged in church life. - 34 -

• We worked with various stakeholders to try to make Directory categories of member groups more consistent. We also created groups to increase the Directory’s functionality including adding groups for Circles, Staff and Youth. We created and communicated easy directions for members to update Directory photos and listings. • New Member breakfasts and boutonnieres were provided pre-lockdown. • We regularly updated Circle lists to reflect changes to membership, brainstormed creative ideas and prompted Circle outreach, supporting Circle leaders. • We wrote and presented several Minutes for Mission to update congregation on Directory, Time & Talent and Circles.

Challenges of 2020

• Our biggest challenge has been finding new and creative ways to connect with Circle leadership and members, when we’re still not able to meet in person, and there is Zoom fatigue. • Another challenge is getting members to update their Directory listings and photos. Brian generously offered to upload photos and make changes for those who needed some extra tech help. • Finding creative ways to promote volunteer opportunities was difficult with most activities virtual.

Goals for 2021

• Continue to identify and inspire co-leaders for each Circle, and to find creative ways to stay connected with members • Launch another round of Directory photos when we’re back to in-person worship, and Directory updates, including edits to cross- reference spouses who use a different name • Promote use of the spreadsheet showing GPC volunteer opportunities, including time commitment and contact info, to make it easier for old and new members to get engaged in church life • Continue to welcome and integrate new members by participating in new member conferences, providing information about volunteer activities and the Directory and distributing GPC swag bags

Acknowledgments and thanks to those who helped

Huge thanks to Doug Hillhouse, Brian Proett and Jen Patterson! Thanks also to our enthusiastic Circle leaders:

Arlington: Amy and Randy Hopper; Kathleen Jennings - 35 -

DC East: Christopher Hanson; Doug Hillhouse DC NW: Nancy Kuhn; Mary Beth Ray Dupont: Katy Novaria; Mary Margaret Hart Georgetown East: Brian & Katie Proett; Lucy Coble; Joelle Justus Georgetown West: Jennifer Krusius; Lauren Wright Maryland: Kuang Chiang; Katy McBride; Laura Simmons Virginia North: Sherry Rutherford Krokowski; Bill Krokowski; Sue Jennings Virginia South: Cynthia Bader; Alice Close; Alan and Esther Wisdom

Respectfully Submitted,

Mary Beth Ray; Vice Chair: Doug Hillhouse; Members: Brian Proett, Jen Patterson

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Mission Committee

2020 was an especially difficult year for many of our friends and neighbors. The congregation responded, and we were able to expand our efforts to help meet various needs both locally and globally. In particular, GPC responded to local food security needs well beyond the budgeted amounts thanks to very significant contributions from many members. We were sorry to see Pastor Chris go, since he had taken the lead on many of the church’s projects, but we have continued to manage the participation of many GPC members in the various projects.

GPC now supports 14 different mission-related programs. Our work in 2020 included the following:

Education and family

• Excel Academy. This Academy originally was organized as a charter school for girls only; it has been absorbed into the public school system but retains its core mission. Virtually all of the girls come from families at or below the poverty line. Over the years, we have made various contributions to the school. In 2020, we organized several food deliveries to Excel as well as the fixings for 100 Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

• Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop. Free Minds is an organization that uses the literary arts and other vehicles to connect young people that are or have been incarcerated with the wider community. Several members of GPC have participated in a specific program, Write Night, in which participants read and respond to poems from incarcerated writers.

• Aged Woman’s Home. This facility on Wisconsin Avenue (just below N Street) is the home for eleven single elderly women on modest incomes. Much as in the past, in 2020, GPC provided Easter and Christmas baskets, as well as a financial contribution.

Homelessness

• Saturday and Sunday dinners. Under the direction of Pat Davies and Victoria Tigwell, respectively, we served dinners to the homeless and food- insecure on one Saturday and one Sunday each month. (The other weekend days in a month are handled by other congregations, notably Holy Trinity.)

• Winter shelter. For over 20 years, GPC has participated in the winter shelter for the homeless that is organized by the Georgetown Ministry - 37 -

Center. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shelter was abruptly terminated in late winter before the shelter was scheduled to arrive at GPC. We nevertheless supported GMC’s winter activities in several ways. The shelter also will not operate in 2021, but (under the direction of Veronique DuPont) we are supporting dinners at Grace Episcopal Church over several evenings.

• Georgetown Ministry Center. GPC continued its work (through Victoria Tigwell) on the board of GMC, the core organization that addresses homelessness, specifically in Georgetown. In 2021, Claire Hunn will replace Victoria on the board.

• Friendship Place. Our association with this organization was new in the fall of 2020 as an outgrowth of our work with GMC. Friendship Place focuses on locating and providing housing to homeless or housing- insecure individuals and families throughout the northwest quadrant of the District, and its footprint is expanding. Several congregations support Friendship Place (which also receives significant corporate funding), and Victoria Tigwell now sits on the congregation advisory committee.

International

• Remember Niger. GPC has been partnering with Remember Niger for over 10 years to provide quality education opportunities for girls in Niger, Africa. In 2020, GPC provided financial support to the organization and raised additional funds to help it respond to extreme hardships brought on by COVID-19 through targeted individual donations and member participation in a virtual 5K run/walk continued our financial support.

• Children of Uganda. GPC’s 2020 donation went to sponsor three elementary school children and programing/supplies to address COVID-induced hardship. CoU’s primary focus shifted to ensure the well-being of the students as the country locked down. CoU was able to deliver 552 emergency food bundles including over 41,000 pounds of rice/beans/maize. COU also delivered hundreds of supplies to address malaria, provide solar light for studies and assorted other health supplies and check-ups.

Refugees

• Girowal family. The refugee committee continued to support this refugee family from Afghanistan (the father worked with the U.S. military). There have been job and health challenges – notably everyone in the family

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contracted the coronavirus – for which we provided necessary financial assistance. Everyone is now healthy.

• Lutheran Social Services. This organization oversees the entry of refugee families such as the Girowals and focuses on these families’ first months in the United States. We have contributed financially to this entity.

• Outreach Foundation. This foundation supports Presbyterian churches and missionaries in regions who confront particular challenges in their church work, including in Syria and several African countries. GPC makes an annual contribution to this foundation.

Other

• Presbyterian Disaster Relief Fund. Presbyterian churches are encouraged to donate to this fund, which is managed by PCUSA and contributes to relief efforts in response to various disasters around the world. GPC makes a modest annual contribution.

• Mount Zion United Methodist Church. In recognition of Mount Zion’s work with the Saturday suppers for the homeless, GPC made a contribution to support Mount Zion’s efforts to tailor its worship services and other programs to the exigencies of the coronavirus pandemic.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dwight Smith, Chair, Marianne Roos, and Jennifer Hillman

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Worship and Evangelism Committee

Names of Chair and Members: Priscila Rodríguez (Chair), Rev. Camille Cook, Louis Sterchi.

Main accomplishment of committee in 2020:

Thanks to the vision of our pastors and of the Director of Music, Mark Willey, the worship service did not stop despite the pandemic and, in fact, it has provided new opportunities to reach out to more people and minister them through an interactive, creative, God-centered online worship service.

Other accomplishments of committee in 2020:

The Worship Committee helped lay the groundwork for the reopening of the church in 2020 in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines issued by DC government. Former member Nicholas Gray was the chair of the reopening task force that successfully helped to restart in-worship services at the end of 2020. We assisted the pastors in some of the activities to help prepare for worship service, including setting communion.

Challenges of 2020:

Without notice and little preparation, GPC’s worship, mission and congregational activities had to be moved online because of DC mayor’s directive to physically close the church. The church, through its pastors and Music Director, faced the challenge of providing meaningful ministry to the congregation in new and creative ways.

Goals for 2021

Continue to provide ministry in new and creative ways to our congregation with the hope that this year we are able to physically reopen and worship together in person again.

Acknowledgments or thanks to those who helped

In this time of crisis that the nation is experiencing and that has inevitably impacted our church and the way we conducted our worship service and day-to-day activities, we've seen our pastors’ leadership and reassurance provide a steady course for the congregation. Rev. Camille Cook and Rev. Rachel Vaagenes have more than stepped up to the various challenges that our church is facing and have managed successfully to turn these challenges into opportunities to grow. We are confident that these seeds of growth that are being planted are going to give a lot of fruit and are going to continue positively impacting the life of our church and its - 42 -

members.

Mark Willey’s new role as 'creative director' for the Church's live streamed service has been a true blessing to our Committee and to the congregation as a whole. Mark has done an enormous amount of work mostly by himself and has been directing and live streaming the service on his own. His work and efforts have allowed for worship to continue on a weekly basis and for our congregation to connect through the services. The worship service would not have been able to continue throughout this pandemic, or at least not in such a successful manner, without him.

Respectfully Submitted,

Priscila Rodríguez (Chair) Rev. Camille Cook, Louis Sterchi.

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Flower Ministry

Founded 30 years ago, the GPC Flower Ministry serves our church community with flowers for worship, receptions, weddings, baptisms, and memorial services. Our committee of 10 members, ranging from novice to experienced floral designers, shares a passion for flowers and a dedication to their role in church services and celebrations.

Despite disruptions of Sunday services from COVID 19 outbreaks, we were pleased to create pulpit flowers during the year. Our traditional Easter tulip and lily displays were placed in the beautiful hall window overlooking the columbarium. We provided flowers for three weddings and several baptismal wreaths. In December, we hung large outside wreaths and placed Christmas arrangements in the Narthex and pulpit.

Our capacity for floral work continues to be strengthened by the dedication and talent of committee members including Nancy Roll, Marlene Wright, Darla Jackson, Meredith Ferro, Lissie Hunsiker, Christine Miller, Victoria Pedrick, Pat Davies, Laura Simmons, and Vicki Tigwell. In the past two years, Marlene Wright, Darla Jackson, Laura Simmons and Pat Davies completed the National Cathedral Altar Guild Training, expanding our church floral repertoire for Sunday flowers, baptism wreaths, wedding and memorial flowers,

The work of the Flower Ministry would not happen without the combined dedication of time, talent and treasures from our floral team, clergy, congregation, and administrative staff. A special note of thanks goes out to Clifford Ford for his assistance during preparations for Sunday flowers and wedding arrangements, and to our exceptional ministers, who continually encourage our work through flowers.

Respectfully submitted,

Patricia Berl, Chair

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Serving our city, united in Christ.

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