Submissions for MetroLiner Notes, our events-based e-news, as well as MetroLines other synod communication tools should be sent to Karen Krueger, editor. Feedback invited.
 

Consider buying a Gift of Hope this Christmas season and support an area social service agency, educational institution or Companion Synod.  A shopping upgrade allows online shopping for items such as non-alcoholic cold and flu medications for N Street Village residents or books for a Namibian seminary, but traditional catalog shopping works too! "Check out our updated website and 'like' us on Facebook," says Carolyn Sowinski, GOH director. "Thanks to all the volunteers who make this Gifts of Hope season possible." 

In a great use of technology, the 5th Annual Bethlehem Prayer Service will be held Sat., Dec. 17 at 10:00 a.m. at Washington National Cathedral. Bishop Graham will again take part in this exciting joint simulcast service of local worshipers and worshipers in Bethlehem. Prayers, readings and hymns alternate between Washington, D.C. and Bethlehem via the Internet, bringing together people of different lands, languages and ethnic backgrounds in celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace.  EXTRAS
          Can't make it in person? Tune in to the live webcast from Cathedral's home page. 

TIM will be here just after Christmas!

The 2012 Together in Mission (TIM) event, an annual synod-wide gathering, will take place on January 21. Find info on our keynote, Brian McLaren, plus workshop descriptions and more on the flyer, available from the synod Web site. Find Together in Mission online registration on the synod site under the "Events" tab. Don't miss this chance to energize your congregation with new ideas and enhance relationships between us as we carry out exciting ministry in the Metro D.C. area.

Enjoy a few quiet moments on the labyrinth in Arlington at Advent Lutheran on Wed., Dec. 14. Kids walk at 6:30 p.m. then enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, while adults walk at 6:45 p.m. All come together at 7:00 p.m. in a peaceful, candle-lit atmosphere for simple, melodious songs and prayers in the Taize tradition, followed by hot chocolate and cookies for everyone! Take a deep breath before the rush of the holiday season begins in earnest. For more information contact adventlc@hotmail.com or 703-521-7010.

 

 The synod's Middle East Working Group (MEWG) welcomes all to a Wine and Cheese Reception celebrating Bright Stars of Bethlehem's (BSB) mission and ministry in the Holy Land on Fri., Dec. 16 from 5-7:00 p.m. at Lutheran church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill (www.reformationdc.org). MEWG representatives and Beth Nelson Chase, BSB vice president, will give an update on educational, vocational and health-and-wellness ministries of Christmas Lutheran Church and the Diyar Consortium in Bethlehem. BSB is a fellowship of concerned and active Americans who are called and committed to working with the people of Bethlehem to spread hope in conditions of poverty and military occupation (www.brightstarsbethlehem.org). RSVP to Nathan@wiamep.org or 240-391-8226 appreciated.

 

Your family can enjoy a New Year's Eve tradition at beautiful Mar-Lu-Ridge in Jefferson, Md. The 2011-2012 New Year's Family Celebration begins Fri., Dec. 30, and lasts until Sun., Jan. 1. Fees cover two-nights lodging, meals, snacks and plenty of great activities onsite, including crafts, games, decorating, square dancing, hiking and more - and worship to ring in the new year! Lodging in cabins on the ridge. Learn more at www.mar-lu-ridge.org.  EXTRAS

 

The next Lutheran Lay Fellowship Luncheon will be held Jan. 5, 2012. The Rev. Dr. Maria Erling, Assistant Professor of North American History and Global Christianity at Gettysburg Seminary will speak on "Whatever Happened to Luther League?" Lunch and presentation run from noon-2:00 p.m. at St. Luke Lutheran in Silver Spring. RSVP no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday by contacting Vicki Porter at luncheon@lutheranlayfellowship.org or 301-229-9884. Cost of the meal is $9. Learn more at www.lutheranlayfellowship.org.

 

Author Signing at Village at Rockville 
Author Allison Leotta will discuss and sign her latest book as part of the Meet the Author Series at the Village at Rockville. Law of Attraction is part love and part murder mystery. Leotta is a former federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia and Assistant U.S. Attorney for D.C. This event on Fri., Jan. 13 from 2:30-4:00 p.m. is free and open to the public. The Village at Rockville is located at 9701 Veirs Drive, 20850 (www.thevillageatrockville.org). For more information, call 301-354-8447.

Churches Planting Churches
 Church consultants tell us that the best way to reach the unchurched is by planting new churches. That's why this seminar was developed, which is coming to our area cosponsored by the ELCA Metro D.C. Synod, ELCA Delaware-Maryland Synod, and Southeastern District-LCMS. "Churches Planting Churches" will take place Jan. 27-28, 2012, at St. Stephen Lutheran in Arbutus, Md. Pastors, congregation leaders, mission executives and district presidents who have taken this seminar have developed a contagious spirit and become advocates for churches planting churches. Mark your calendars and learn more from www.metrodcelca.org/events/daughter-church-planting/. Flyer available. Register by Jan. 4th.  EXTRAS

Companion Synod Sunday
 This year's Companion Synod Sunday will be observed on Jan. 29, celebrating our synod's relationship with the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Slovak Republic. Mark the date on your congregational calendar. Preliminary materials from the Global Missions Committee, including country facts and prayer ideas, can be found online.  EXTRAS

Strathmore Venue for St. Olaf Choir 

The St. Olaf Choir will perform in concert at the Music Center at Strathmore on Mon., Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. the Strathmore is located in North Bethesda. St. Olaf College is a liberal arts school in Northfield, Minnesota, with ties to the ELCA that is known for its excellence in music. The concert is part of the Centennial Celebration Tour. For ticket info, see www.stolafchoir.com.

SWO Spring Convention
 The Metro DC Synodical Women's Organization will hold its Spring Convention on Sat., March 31. It will take place at Christ Lutheran in Fairfax from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Registration fee is $25/person (no fee for women under 40 or first-time attendees). The convention includes celebration of 25 years as Women of the ELCA; guest Anita Gutschick, dramatic presenter of women of the bible; and the Rev. Dr. Marguerite Rourk leading worship and bringing the keynote address.  EXTRAS

Sojourners Connect Retreats at Mar-Lu-Ridge in Jefferson, Md., continue to host "Tuesdays with Eric." On Tue., Dec. 13, the Rev. Dr. Eric W. Gritsch will discuss "Moralism" from 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Cost is $30 including lunch. Register by contacting Sarah Lefler at sarah@mar-lu-ridge.org. Next up will be antidotes to toxic 'isms' on Jan. 10, 2012.  EXTRAS

Students learn about God, themselves and the world while exploring diversity multiculturalism, ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, and local and global issues related to wealth and poverty through Youth in Mission programs at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC).
          Consider the Serving Christ in the World option, June 16-30.  Young congregational leaders will engage in theological discussions and more at LSTC and will also travel to Mexico City and Cuernavaca, Mexico for an immersion experience. The final application deadline is Feb. 24. Learn more at www.lstc.edu/yim.
          Church youth groups will connect with Chicago area organizations for urban service-learning experiences with the Beyond Belief program. Summer months fill up quickly, so reserve dates that fit your group's spiritual and scheduling needs by visiting www.lstc.edu/yim or calling 800-635-1116, ext. 725.