August 2023

What an amazing Summer it’s been – all glory to God!

by Director of Mission & Outreach, Shireen David

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20

First, as is appropriate, we started with prayer.  Specifically, with a 24-hour Prayer Vigil for Missions. We gathered virtually, and every time slot had at least one - or more! - parishioners, staff, or clergy who had volunteered to specifically pray during that time. The beautiful booklet prepared in advance for our use guided us through a precious time with the Lord as we lifted up our mission partners both near and far.

Next, we kicked off Vacation Bible School (VBS) at All Saints Church and “Summer Lights” camp in SE DC.  At VBS here at home, we shared the Gospel, engaged new families, and collected almost 200 pounds of toiletries for the Rockville Women’s Shelter! We also had an amazing week serving the Little Lights community in SE DC by participating in their annual “Summer Lights” camp. This was our third year Sharing Christs’ Love by taking All Saints high schoolers to be camp counselors in Anacostia. The kids did arts and crafts; science projects, such as creating their own slime; played outside; and went swimming. It was a lot of fun for everyone!

All Saints Vacation Bible School

Little Lights "Summer Lights" camp

Back here in Chevy Chase, our wonderful clergy planned and delivered a truly marvelous summer sermon series, in which they expounded upon the Great Commission - Jesus' mission for His Church, preaching on one sentence per week. He has commanded us to Go – this is not a suggestion, but a command to share the Gospel so that all can come to know Christ as Lord and Savior, reconciling and restoring us back to God and to one another. This has been God’s strategic plan from the very beginning, and He has made a way through Christ for us to be participants in building His Kingdom here on earth, as it is in heaven.

During four Adult Education classes in June and August we gathered in the library to study God’s plan and mission throughout the Bible. Each Sunday that covered this topic (two on the Old Testament and two on the New Testament ) were well-attended and led to enthusiastic discussion about being "on mission" as followers of Christ: we are called to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind, and love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Technology allows so many more of us to "visit with" or global mission partners!

Zoom Around the World (ZATW) returned for four Sundays in July and, as always, it was a delight to hear from our global partners: Rev. Bisoke in the Congo, Dr. Silvia in the Dominican Republic, Richard and Catherine Ranger in Uganda, and Bishop Deo in Rwanda. (See below for pictures from the Rangers in Uganda , Rev. Bisoke in the Congo, and Dr. Silvia in the Dominican Republic.)

ZATW from Rwanda also introduced us to a new extension of our mission: this month we kicked off a Sponsorship Program for schooling for the children at the Feeding Program in Kigali, a ministry we have supported for many years. To learn more about the Program, click HERE.

And finally, for 8 weeks this summer, we hosted Monday Movie Nights at Knollwood Retirement Community, where we screened Season One of The Chosen – a wonderful television series about the life of Christ. We began every session with dinner, followed by watching an hour-long episode that all came together with discussing the Biblical basis for that episode. It was a blessing to spend an evening with about twenty of our friends at Knollwood reflecting on Jesus and His ministry and how He is still working in the world and in our lives. 

Praise God that He has invited us to participate in His mission for the world: reconciling and restoring us to God and to one another! 

From Rev. Bisoke in the Congo ...

From the Rangers in Uganda ...

From Dr. Silvia in the Dominican Republic ...