Briggs Center for Faith & Action ESL Program

Saturday, March 25, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm,
Westmoreland Social Hall

 

Please join us for this unique Craft & Beauty Market. 30% of all sales will be donated to the Briggs Center ESL Program. Students and teachers will offer the following services and handmade items for sale:

 

 

All Westmorelanders are invited to attend and/or participate. If you would like to provide a service, sell your homemade items, or if you have any questions, please contact Stacey Fannon at csfannon@gmail.com or 301-564-4330. 

Sunday, March 26, 2:30pm, National Cathedral

You are invited to attend the screening of "Open Bethlehem" next Sunday at the Washington National Cathedral and to participate in a discussion about justice and human rights in the Holy Land.  We are an official Sponsor of this timely film series.  "Open Bethlehem" spans seven momentous years in the life of Bethlehem, revealing a city of astonishing beauty and political strife under occupation. Drawn from 700 hours of original footage and rare archive material, Open Bethlehem follows the story of director Leila Sansour as she returns to her hometown as it is soon to be encircled by The Wall. Chronicling Sansour's campaign to stop occupying Israeli forces encircling Bethlehem, this fierce and poignant story maps a determined and ongoing effort to unite Christians, Muslims and Jews in the desire for free access to the Holy City.  Rev. Tim Tutt, Pastor of Westmoreland Congregational UCC will open the session with an interfaith Welcome Prayer.  Aziz Abu-Sarah, Cultural Educator working with National Geographics , will moderate the audience Q&A discussion after the screening. Leila Sansour, Producer of "Open Bethlehem" will attend and participate in the discussion.

 

Showing on March 26th at 2:30 at the National Cathedral's Perry Auditorium

 

After 11 years and many requests, the church has embarked on a new pictorial directory for our congregation.  Photo sessions will be held in the social hall April 20-22 and April 27-29 as follows:

 

Thursday, April 20, 2:00 - 8:30 PM

                                    

Friday, April 28, 2:00 - 8:30 PM

Saturday, April 29, 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM

 

The pictorial directory will make it easier to get to know other Westmorelanders and we need YOU to make it a success.  There is no cost to participate and each household will receive a complimentary 8x10 portrait and free pictorial directory.  You will also be able to purchase additional pictures for your personal use.  The photo sessions are open to friends and neighbors (although of course, they won't appear in the directory).  This is a chance for people you know to have lovely photos taken by professional photographers at our group discounted rates.

 

To sign up click here. 

Vickie Allin is coordinating this project.  However, we'll need volunteers to help with registration during the photo sessions.   If you can spare 3 hours of your time on any photo session day, or if you can help in other ways, please contact Vickie at church or by email: vickie.allin@verizon.net.

Now through April 23

The Westmoreland Arts Committee is announcing an exhibition featuring Fabric Artist, Ann Harwell. Her work is displayed in the Lee Hansley Gallery in Raleigh, NC, in Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery in Winston Salem, NC and in many homes. You might recall Westmoreland Arts Committee's winter 2015 exhibition of Ann Harwell's beautiful astronomy-themed quilts. This spring's exhibition will run until April 23, 2017, and features Ann's floral-themed quilts. Please enjoy the quilts with your eyes and not your fingers.

 

There is a valley to the east of Bethlehem, where Ruth and Naomi gleaned fields and where shepherds watched their flocks by night.  This area has grown into a small town, now home to the closely knit Palestinian Christian community of Beit Sahour. In the 1990's, Beit Sahour led a creative nonviolent movement for their civil and human rights (watch the documentary The Wanted 18 ).  It is also where the stars, gifted to our Westmoreland children each year, are lovingly carved from the wood of nearby olive trees.

Read the complete report here.

You are invited to join me in the Library at 9:00 on Sunday mornings. As you may know I am in a doctoral program at Wesley Seminary, focusing on how the church engages (or not) in public life. I will lead this class based on material I am reading in my program. Each week I will bring paragraph, an idea, or an article for discussion. 

 

This Sunday, March 26, we will discuss the possibility of a Truth & Reconciliation Committee. South Africa created a Truth and Reconciliation Committee to investigate the injustices of apartheid. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada explores the injustices of the aboriginal school system.

 

Razors and Shaving Cream for Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington

 

Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington is a community partnership bringing together homeless people and others in need in Greater Washington, with support and volunteers from churches in a joint effort to improve the lives of all.

 

We will collect and donate the following for their clients: disposable razors (men and women) and shaving cream.

ImmigrantsWelcome.org 

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