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November 25, 2008
Pilgrims on the Journey:
1. This Sunday we begin the season of Advent, the four-week period leading up to Christmas. (Thanks to Karen Garrett for our new Advent graphic!)
Advent is a time of waiting and watching, of longing and hope.
Gail O'Day, who teaches at Candler School of Theology, describes Advent in this way:
The waiting and anticipation that are at the center of Advent are not simply for the birth of the Christ child... Advent invites the church to place the coming of the Christ child in a cosmic context in which even time is redefined by God's anticipated in-breaking into the world. Advent is the season of new beginning and new hopes in which the cycle of Christian life starts afresh in its anticipation of the dawning of God's new age... Advent invites the church into a temporal world shaped by a hope in God's continuing presence and God's will for the future... Without this eschatological vision [a vision grounded in hope for the future], our celebration of Christmas can become solely an occasion of nostalgia and sentimentality rather than a bold enactment of God's hopes for the world.
Reflecting on that theme, I came across this lovely poem by Macrina Wiederhehr, titled "The Sacrament of Waiting"
Slowly
she celebrated the sacrament of letting go.
First she surrendered her green,
then the orange, yellow, and red
finally she let go of her brown.
Shedding her last leaf
she stood empty and silent, stripped bare.
Leaning against the winter sky
she began her vigil of trust.
Shedding her last leaf
she watched its journey to the ground.
She stood in silence
wearing the color of emptiness,
her branches wondering;
How do you give shade with so much gone?
And then,
the sacrament of waiting began.
The sunrise and sunset watched with tenderness.
Clothing her with silhouettes
they kept her hope alive.
They helped her understand that
her vulnerability,
her dependence and need,
her emptiness,
her readiness to receive
were giving her a new kind of beauty.
Every morning and every evening they stood in silence
and celebrated together
the sacrament of waiting.
2. As a way of expressing our faith and hope, each Sunday in Advent we will receive a Special Offering, during worship. This Sunday we will gather juice bottles plus travel size toiletries and tube socks for our own Open Table program. Open Table is our program where we serve lunch to the homeless after church on Sundays. Because many of our "cooks" prepare the meals at home, we are not collecting food items this year. Instead, you are invited to bring large bottles of shelf-stable, non-perishable juice. In addition to the juice, Open Table needs travel size soaps, lotion, razors, shampoo, conditioner, feminine hygiene products and shaving cream (please, no alcohol-based products such as mouthwash or handcleaner). We will also collect tube socks of any size to help keep folk’s feet warm and clean. (You may also make a cash donation to support Open Table.)
Future Weeks:
December 7: Comfort Baskets for Food & Friends
December 14: Shoe-Box Gifts for SOME (So Other Might Eat)
December 21: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance for Sudan
3. In addition to our Special Offerings, we will have two resources to share this Sunday: An Alternative Gift Catalogue prepared by Jeff Francisco and the Outreach Team, listing charitable causes that you can give to in lieu of gifts, and a book of Advent Meditations prepared by our parish associate Margee Iddings. Both will be available this Sunday, and future Sundays.
4. There are no Sunday school classes this weekend, but on December 7 we will start a new three-week Adult Forum:
"The First Christmas"
What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’s Birth
Led by Jeff Krehbiel, 9:30 a.m. in the Bird Room
Drawing on the recent book of the same name by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan, together we will explore the meaning of the nativity stories in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, reading them as "parabolic overtures" to the first and third gospels, telegraphing in their stories of Jesus’ birth the dynamics that are at the center of their gospels. Moving beyond a sentimental reading of these powerful stories, we will ask what they meant in their first century context, and what they mean for Christian discipleship today.
5. Habitat Dedication: The homes we helped build in NE DC through National Capital Presbytery's Habitat build days are being dedicated on Saturday, December 6, at 1 p.m. and we are invited! Come celebrate with the homeowners as they take possession of their new homes. (Mary Lib and I plan to attend, and would be glad to offer a ride from the church-- let me know.)
6. Construction is Underway! Work crews arrived 6 a.m. Monday morning to begin tearing things up to prepare for renovated bathrooms and a new ADA bathroom on the first floor. The mess will be cleaned up by Sunday, but the bathrooms on the first floor will be out of commission for the next four weeks.
7. Have your turned in your pledge? In these lean financial times, every pledge counts. Church leaders are working hard to develop next year's budget in a time of increasing costs and diminishing resources. Every pledge counts! If you have not turned in your pledge for next year, please do so as soon as possible!
8. Prayer Concerns:
- Congratulations to Annie (Leonard) Schwendinger and her husband, Jon, on the birth of Audrey Jane, born November 20, 7 lbs. and 8 oz. and is 20 1/2 inches long. Big brother Will is excited about the new addition to the family.
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- Jeanne Mayer's mother passed away earlier this week. Jeanne is on her way to Ohio for the graveside service, which will take place Wednesday morning.
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- Holly Dalton's mother, Marie, is recovering from bone marrow transplant, and is in considerable pain. Please keep Marie and Holly in your prayers.
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- Penny Sandora is home from the hospital following a series of tests.
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- Rob Passow's mother, Barbara, has returned to rehab for help with her hip. Please keep Barb and Rob's dad, Bob, in your prayers.
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- I will be traveling with my family this weekend, along with many of you. Please keep all travelers in your prayers for a safe journey.
Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
www.churchofthepilgrims.org <http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org>
November 18, 2008
Pilgrims on the Journey:
1. There was tremendous energy last week for Stewardship Sunday. If you were not with us, my sermon should soon be posted on our website: http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org/sermons.html
Thanks to all of you who turned in your Stewardship Commitment Card. If you were not with us in worship, please bring your commitment card this Sunday, or drop it in the mail to the church. We need everyone's participation for our Stewardship campaign to be successful, and to enable church leaders to plan for next year. If you did not receive a commitment card, let me know, and we will be happy to provide you one.
2. We continue this week exploring our Homecoming theme, "Living in God's Way," by asking different members and friends to share a story about a spiritual practice in their own life.
Today, Shera Jenne reflects on the "Spiritual Practice of Gardening"
In today’s hectic world, for me, feeling connected to God has always been about getting away from traffic, bills, housework, and busyness to a place where the pace slows and I try to remember What Life’s All About. For me, that “place” has always been outside-- ever since I was a little girl. I’ve prayed better in the woods than anywhere else. So living in God’s way has always included these times alone in the world God made.
So it was not a big surprise that when Bill and I bought our first house I took to gardening immediately. The first year was the most exciting. After a long day of getting dirty I felt wholesome and alive. Every weekend was a vacation from my very stressful job. Digging in the dirt brought me back to “the basics”-- what could be more pure, what could be closer to God’s plan for us than toiling in the dirt?
The next year changed my tune. If anything, the next year I came to a clear understanding as to why God’s punishment for Adam and Eve was to condemn them to eking out a living working the soil! My first passionate gardening project was an attempt to grow tomatoes. I just stuck some seeds in the soil and waited for the magic to happen! They would be organic! The magic, as it turned out, was a tomato blight that withered every leaf of my garden no matter how much I watered. (And apparently watering can make it worse.) It was very disappointing to buy tomatoes at the farmers market that summer, but I was willing to try again.
The next year I found all sorts of remedies for tomato blight-- both organic and not. I did them all. And while my neighbor’s plants withered, mine thrived. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. So did the squirrels. Nearly every other day the clever squirrels harvested a tomato and deposited it-- HALF eaten-- on my picnic table for my inspection. I quickly covered the tomatoes in netting. They quickly figured out how to get in. I sprayed a pepper concoction on them. They said salsa is good. I left my cat out in the yard… and he watched with detached amusement as they ravaged my garden. I began to fantasize vividly about bb-guns and slingshots- or keeping a bobcat as a pet.
After a several weeks of this I understood many of the reasons why wildlife was obliterated as settlers marched across America. They were competing for food. This animal instinct rose in me, too. I wanted all the squirrels… dead. What happened to the pure and wholesome feelings I’d had in those early days? What happened to being outside making me feel closer to God? What about squirrels being part of God’s creation? This gardening thing had clearly thrown me a curve ball. It was making me frustrated and angry. I have considered finding a new hobby.
But now that frost has settled on my blighted beds, it’s easy to see the simple metaphor at work here. I always expect things to come easy-- my faith and my tomatoes. And it doesn’t always work that way. It’s cliché, I know, but sometimes the weeds really do choke out the good news in our lives, or-- the squirrels eat it. If I want to continue gardening as a means to live in God’s way I’ll have to take the bad with the good. It will sometimes be a struggle-- and I’ll have to realize that even connecting with God is not always that easy. But every now and then, if you’re disciplined, you get a sweet red tomato out of the deal.
You can read other "Stories of Living in God's Way" at our website: http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org/homecomingstories.html
3. This Sunday we conclude our Adult Education class led by Jerry McPike, at 9:30 a.m. in the Bird Room:
Forgive us our Debts—America on the Precipice.
This week's focus: Limits to Power
4. Urgent Appeal! The 21st Annual Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walkathon is Saturday, November 22. Please join the Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place in walking to raise awareness and funds to help us serve our less fortunate neighbors. You can register online here <http://www.helpthehomelessdc.org/goto/cchfp> to walk for Friendship Place. CCHFP walkers will meet on the Mall at 12th and Independence SW, by the Smithsonian metro station, beginning at 7am with coffee, orange juice, donuts, and bagels. The 5k walk around the National Mall and Tidal Basin will start at 9am. They will have signs and posters, but feel free to bring your own. Registration costs $15 for youths (25 and younger), $25 for adults, and $30 adult day-of registration. All participants receive a Help the Homeless t-shirt. Your registration fee and additional donations will go to Friendship Place, helping us to serve our less fortunate neighbors. And, if we get a large crowd out to the Mall, we’re eligible for a $25,000 walker incentive bonus! The Help the Homeless Walkathon provides about 10% of Friendship Place’s funding. And if you can’t walk, you can still donate here <https://secure3.convio.net/hth/site/Donation2?idb=478352097&df_id=1040&FR_ID=1000&PROXY_ID=1218&PROXY_TYPE=22&1040.donation=form1> .
5. Pilgrims will host the Rotating Winter Shelter the week of November 30-December 5, when a homeless family will spend the week in our Pilgrimage. Jack Womeldorf and Mary Lib Pate are coordinating helpers to provide meals and help transport guests belongings. If you would like to help, contact Jack at jwomeldo@verizon.net or call Mary Lib Pate at 202-966-0194.
6. Alternative Gifts Ideas: This year the Outreach Team is putting together an "Alternative Gift" catalogue for Christmas, which will include giving opportunities for church members and friends who prefer not to buy their loved ones one more item from the L. L. Bean catalogue. Criteria for inclusion are: 1) Projects where Church of the Pilgrims is directly involved, or 2) Where a member of the congregation is actively involved as a volunteer, board members, active supportive, etc. If you have a project that you would like to have included in the catalogue, send a note to Jeff Francisco including a description of the program, your personal involvement, and instructions on how to give. jefranci@yahoo.com <mailto:jefranci@yahoo.com>
7. ADA Construction Update: At long last, the accessibility improvements to our first floor are about to begin! Starting next Monday, construction crews will arrive to begin demolition and asbestos abatement. The janitor's closet and the first floor men's and women's bathrooms will be out of commission for 3-4 weeks (meaning you will have to go down one flight of stairs to the Fellowship Hall mezzanine level, or up to the second floor). All construction is scheduled to be completed by Christmas, leaving us with new electronic doors off the playground, and new bathrooms on the first floor!
8. Middle East Dialogue: Presbyterian Women of National Capital Presbytery are sponsoring "Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision," this Sunday, November 23 from 2:00-4:00 at Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church. The three women, one Jewish, one Christian, one Muslim, who share about their joint efforts to reduce violence in Israel/Palestine.
9. Congratulations to Erin Sharpe and David Bailey on the birth of their daughter, Iona Kathleen, born 8:20 p.m. Sunday night, 8 pounds 11 ounces, 21 inches. Erin is the former pastor of Calvary Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, now pursuing graduate studies on pastoral counseling. She and her husband, David, have been worshipping with us for the past several weeks as they settle on a new church home (we hope they settle here! How could we not welcome a child named Iona!).
10. Finally, Karen Kinney shares that she has been approved as an "Inquirer for Ministry" by the Committee on Preparation for Ministry of the Presbytery, and sends along this note to the congregation (note: Several Pilgrims contributed gas gift cards to help ease the cost of her commute to Richmond):
Dear Friends,
I wanted to tell you again how much it means to me to be under the care of Church of the Pilgrims while I pursue my Masters of Divinity. I had so hoped to get to church more frequently, but am finding that many hours in the car over the course of the week puts a dent in getting back in the car on the weekends! That and two very busy teenagers! School is wonderful and I am finding through my classes and the pastoral care I am giving that I am on the right journey and thank God for that realization.
Thank you so much for the amazing gift of nearly $400 in gas money. I was speechless (really!) and am filled with gratitude for this wonderful community of faith of which I am privileged to be part. The gas money is so appreciated. Even with dropping prices, I am still filling up three to four times a week so this gift is both timely and incredibly helpful. Michael still has not been able to find a job and we have found out that none of his coworkers have either, but I rest assured in the arms of God that all will be provided and Pilgrims' gift is certainly a gift of God.
I must say though that being in a car for hours on end is not all bad. The fall colors have been glorious in my journey through horse farm country, rolling hills and even 95 South below Fredericksburg! They are a reminder each day of how much our Creator cares for us to give us such a lovely world to live in. I have often wondered how one can deny the existence of God when witnessing the blazing reds, oranges and yellows set against a clear blue sky. It is a sight too beautiful to behold.
So thank you again for supporting and praying for me. I am ever grateful.
Blessings,
Karen
Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
www.churchofthepilgrims.org <http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org>
November 13, 2008
Pilgrims on the Journey:
1. My note this week is a day late because I was attending an "Evangelism Consultation" sponsored by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. (More about that next week.) This Sunday is Stewardship Sunday, an annual ritual in the church where members and friends are invited to reflect on their commitment to the church in the coming year. If we have your "snail-mail" address, you should have received by now a letter from me and Calva, with a 2009 Stewardship Commitment Card enclosed. Please bring your card with you this Sunday, or send it in the mail if you will be away.
2. We continue this week exploring our Homecoming theme, "Living in God's Way," by asking different members and friends to share a story about a spiritual practice in their own life.
To help prepare for Stewardship Sunday, Gerry Hendershot offers a reflection he titles, "Tried and Tested: Money, Trust, and Community"
At our November buffet we showed a video that I made from photographs of Pilgrims’ “Kingdom Moments:” WIN Actions, Pilgrimage Service Day, Fall Festival, a Habitat build, a Halloween walk for affordable housing, the Pride Parade...and the Lord’s Supper. The video and words by Calva Leonard kicked off of the stewardship campaign (see video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Yt4ji-xzo.)
The video background song is “Tried and Tested,” by Bruce Cockburn. Charles Briggs wondered aloud how that title fits Pilgrims’ stewardship campaign. I chose it for the music and because Cockburn is a disciple of Jesus, but prompted by Charles’ question, I reflected on the lyrics. “Tried and tested,” Cockburn writes, “Tried and tested...
By the planet's arc
By the falling dark
By the state of the art
By the beat of my heart
By dark finance
By the marketing dance
By the poverty trance
By the fateful glance . . .
Pierced by beauty's blade and skinned by wind
Begged for more--was given--begged again
I'm still here
I'm still here”
Pilgrims have been reminded recently of what it means to be tried and tested by dark finance, by the marketing dance, by the poverty trance, by the fateful glance. Early disciples of Jesus also faced financial tests: Luke says that when Jesus sent 70 disciples to share the Good News, he told them to take no money with them, but to trust in the generosity of others. “The 70 returned with joy!”
I heard an economist say the credit crisis is caused by bankers who do not trust people to repay loans --the financial system is based on a fragile trust in other people. But our community proclaims “We are Pilgrims, together on a spiritual journey, trusting God to show us the way.” When we join in Kingdom Moments, we show the world a different way of living, a way based on trust in God and each other.
We show the world a different way, too, when we practice the spiritual discipline of stewardship--spending in God’s way, spending to make more Kingdom Moments. We are “tried and tested” by this discipline and with Cockburn we can sing “Pierced by beauty's blade and skinned by wind, begged for more--was given--begged again, I'm still here, I'm still here.”
You can read other "Stories of Living in God's Way" at our website: http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org/homecomingstories.html
3. This Sunday we continue our Adult Education class led by Jerry McPike, at 9:30 a.m. in the Bird Room:
Forgive us our Debts—America on the Precipice.
This week's focus: Living Within our Means
Continuing upstairs Education Room, also at 9:30 a.m.
Pilgrim Parents and Spiritual Formation:
This week we will look at how to create a home for Advent. How do we make our home a place where faith grows during this incredibly hectic, commercialized time of the year?
4. Theology on Tap series on "Biblical dreams" concludes next Monday in the downstairs back room of the Brickskeller. We will meet for dinner at 6:30 , with Bible study at 7:30. The Planned with young adults in mind, all ages are welcome. This is Bible study even for those who have never done Bible study before. Even if you have missed the previous weeks, you are invited to join us Monday night. Send me a note for more information.
5. Friday Club, our monthly gathering for seniors (though all ages are invited!) will meet this week from noon to 2 p.m. Pat Goeldner will lead a discussion on Home – what is home, where is home? What does “at home” and “going back home” mean? You are encouraged to bring something to read or share your own thoughts. Please send Pat a note if you plan to attend so she can plan for lunch: PGoeldner@iona.org
6. Darfur Vigil: This Sunday is the monthly Presbyterian vigil in support of the people of Darfur at the Chinese Embassy off Connecticut Avenue near Kalorama. The vigil is from 1 to 2 p.m.
7. It’s WALKATHON time! The 21st Annual Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walkathon is Saturday, November 22. Please join the Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place in walking to raise awareness and funds to help us serve our less fortunate neighbors. You can register online here <http://www.helpthehomelessdc.org/goto/cchfp> to walk for Friendship Place or print out the attached brochure and mail it in. We’ll meet on the Mall at 12th and Independence SW, by the Smithsonian metro station, beginning at 7am with coffee, orange juice, donuts, and bagels. The 5k walk around the National Mall and Tidal Basin will start at 9am. The walk route can be viewed on the attached brochure. We’ll have signs and posters, but feel free to bring your own. Registration costs $15 for youths (25 and younger), $25 for adults, and $30 adult day-of registration. All participants receive a Help the Homeless t-shirt. Your registration fee and additional donations will go to Friendship Place, helping us to serve our less fortunate neighbors. And, if we get a large crowd out to the Mall, we’re eligible for a $25,000 walker incentive bonus! The Help the Homeless Walkathon provides about 10% of Friendship Place’s funding. And if you can’t walk, you can still donate here <https://secure3.convio.net/hth/site/Donation2?idb=478352097&df_id=1040&FR_ID=1000&PROXY_ID=1218&PROXY_TYPE=22&1040.donation=form1> .
8. Pilgrims will host the Rotating Winter Shelter the week of November 30-December 5, when a homeless family will spend the week in our Pilgrimage. Jack Womeldorf and Mary Lib Pate are coordinating helpers to provide meals and help transport guests belongings. If you would like to help, contact Jack at jwomeldo@verizon.net or call Mary Lib Pate at 202-966-0194.
9. Alternative Gifts Ideas: This year the Outreach Team is putting together an "Alternative Gift" catalogue for Christmas, which will include giving opportunities for church members and friends who prefer not to buy their loved ones one more item from the L. L. Bean catalogue. Criteria for inclusion are: 1) Projects where Church of the Pilgrims is directly involved, or 2) Where a member of the congregation is actively involved as a volunteer, board members, active supportive, etc. If you have a project that you would like to have included in the catalogue, send a note to Jeff Francisco including a description of the program, your personal involvement, and instructions on how to give. jefranci@yahoo.com <mailto:jefranci@yahoo.com>
Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
www.churchofthepilgrims.org <http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org>
November 5, 2008
Pilgrims on the Journey:
1. This note is going out a bit late today because, well, I didn't quite get in to the office early enough this morning! As pastor, I don't like to get too far out there in sharing my own political preferences. Nevertheless, let me just say that I count this the most significant political event in my lifetime (not to put too fine a point on it). My head and heart are still reeling.
2. We continue this week exploring our Homecoming theme, "Living in God's Way," by asking different members and friends to share a story about a spiritual practice in their own life.
To help prepare for Stewardship Sunday on November 16, these next two weeks we are focusing on "The Spiritual Practice of Giving."
Our story today is from our Parish Associate Margee Iddings:
My mother was the controller of the purse strings in my growing up family. An elementary school teacher and principal who loved math, mother taught us many things at home by how she lived her values. I think that one of the reasons that she was the first woman elected an elder in our small town Presbyterian Church was that she was a great teacher about the meaning of stewardship.
Picture this:
- it’s Saturday night. Time to pay the bills for the week.
- sitting at the dining room table, mother has a stack of bills in front of her. On the top of that stack is an unmistakable pledge envelope.
- before any other financial obligations are settled, my parents’ tithe is prayerfully placed in their pledge envelope.
I remember how excited I was when, as a child, I reached the age where children, also, got a box of envelopes. At first, it was a nickel or dime from mother that I put into my envelope on Saturday night. Later, as I got an allowance and then, eventually, had a job it was my own tithe.
The spiritual discipline of regular giving, and, especially, of tithing, brought incredible joy to my mother. She truly believed that everything that she had was a gift from the Creator. Giving, not until it hurt, but, rather, until one is filled with joy could be a descriptor of mother’s theology.
Now part of the great cloud of witnesses, I sense mother’s presence each time I place my pledge check in the offering plate at Pilgrims. I am grateful for her faithful modeling.
You can read other "Stories of Living in God's Way" at our website: http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org/homecomingstories.html
3. To further help us prepare for Stewardship Sunday, last week during buffet, Gerry Hendershot shared a brief video. The clip was developed using "animoto" (Gerry is younger than I am in using technology!). Think of it as a sort of "Pilgrim's Greatest Hits for 2008," a way to reflect on what the church has meant to you over the last year, as you consider your support for the coming year. More than 50 Pilgrims are featured in the video. It moves quickly-- see if you can spot yourself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Yt4ji-xzo
3. This Sunday we continue our Adult Education class led by Jerry McPike, at 9:30 a.m. in the Bird Room:
Forgive us our Debts—America on the Precipice.
The United States faces an array of economic and environmental challenges that are unprecedented. And yet, politicians at the highest levels refuse to tell the American public the truth about our situation. They seem to have a group understanding of what happens to messengers of ill tidings. And so we paper over the after-effects of each broken economic bubble with more debts and ever lower interest rates-setting us up for the next bubble.
In an adult education class beginning on November 2, we will outline the economic and environmental challenges facing us, the ways in which we live beyond our means, and how we might come to live within our means. And also how we might do this while reducing inequality and addressing the environmental situation.
We will also discuss a foreign policy that might complement our economic and environmental policies.
This week's focus: Living Beyond Our Means
Also beginning this week:
Pilgrim Parents and Spiritual Formation: At 9:30 a.m. in the upstairs Education Room
For two Sundays in November, Pilgrim Parents are invited to come and explore the connections between human development of young children and spiritual development. When do children have a understanding of God? What can they comprehend at certain ages about faith and formation? How do children grow spiritually? What nurtures their spirit at different points in their young lives? On November 9th we will explore these connections. On November 16th we will look at how to create a home for Advent. How do we make our home a place where faith grows during this incredibly hectic, commercialized time of the year?
4. Theology on Tap was cancelled last week because of the election, but will continue next Monday in the downstairs back room of the Brickskeller. We will meet for dinner at 6:30 , with Bible study at 7:30. The series focus will be "Biblical dreams." Planned with young adults in mind, all ages are welcome. This is Bible study even for those who have never done Bible study before. You do not need to attend each week, but may attend the weeks you are able. Send me a note for more information.
6. Outreach Team: Pilgrims who care about (or want to learn more about) our mission and outreach (both local and global), are invited to join Jeff Francisco for a gathering after coffee hour. Together, the group will review and discuss upcoming special offerings to be held during Advent and to look toward goals and priorities for next year. Contact Jeff for more information: jefranci@yahoo.com <mailto:jefranci@yahoo.com>
7. Urgent Open Table Alert: Our volunteer coordinator DeLania Hard's address book crashed, and she lost many Open Table contacts: Please send DeLania an email ASAP if you wish to continue as a volunteer and receive updates from her on Open Table opportunities: delania.hardy@gmail.com
8. Darfur Educational Forum and Fund Raiser: This Sunday, November 9th from 6:30 to 8 pm. Bethesda Jewish Congregation and Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church will host the third annual forum and fund raiser on Darfur. Speakers include Colin Thomas-Jensen, Policy Advisor for ENOUGH, Ian Schwab, National Grass Roots Organizer for American Jewish World Service, Pastor Jeff Krehbiel of Church of the Pilgrims, Washington, D.C. and Laura Lippman of Bethesda Jewish Congregation. They will discuss 1) the current situation in Darfur and the refugee camps, 2) efforts in the United States to stop the genocide and 3) why solar cookers are vital for the safety of women refugees. There will be a question and answer period as well as time for those in attendance with specific knowledge about Darfur to make comments. There will also be a solar cooker demonstration. We will collect money to purchase cookers for Darfuri refugees in the camps in Chad. Light refreshments, coffee, tea and soft drinks will be served. This event is open to the community so please urge your friends and neighbors to attend. The Church/Temple is at 6601 Bradley Boulevard, Bethesda, Maryland
Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
www.churchofthepilgrims.org <http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org>
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