Announcements

It’s time to volunteer for Community Assistance! Please volunteer to help our neighbors in need receive some much-needed help with food and gift cards. Slots to volunteer are available from 8 AM through 12:45 PM. Sign up on the SignupGenius.

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You can make a financial contribution to Community Assistance, at mountolivetumc.com/giving and indicate Community Assistance. Thanks for your continued support of our Community Assistance Ministry.

Join us for the Youth Concert on July 10 at 7 PM in the Phoenix Room (third floor). Featuring Didi Kumalo, Thomas Joyce, and Brent Baxter from The Way Band and our youth singers, Sebastian Keeling, Emma McDonnell, Jesse Brown, and Marta Carlson. They have all worked really hard and would love to see you there. Refreshments served! No charge for the concert, but reserve your spot!

The Capital Pride Parade will be on June 20, 2026. We invite United Methodist congregations/organizations and individuals to join us! Please email Pastor Sara if you'd like to attend so that we can register for the correct number!

Next week we will celebrate Juneteenth, commemorating the announcement to the enslaved people of Galveston in 1865 that the Civil War had ended and they were free. See what events are available locally to celebrate this historic event and even if you can't attend in person, use the resources to find out more about the importance of the day. Learn More

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Historically organized religion was hostile to congregants who were LGBTQ+. In 1968 a former Pentecostal minister, Troy Perry, founded Metropolitan Community Church as an intentionally welcoming church and it has grown to an international Christian denomination.

Have you chosen your summer reading material yet? Now would be a great time to check out Creation Justice Movement’s curated list of books about trees. “This curated list gathers books that explore the ecological, cultural, spiritual, and imaginative significance of trees. From forest ecology and climate science to memoir, history, theology, and fiction, these titles invite readers to deepen their relationship with the living world and to see trees as central to community health, justice, and resilience. Many of the titles are available at the library.

As we head into the summer break, the Outreach Committee would like to share with the congregation some of the highlights from our church-wide engagements:

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Lenten and Advent contributions totaled $40,000. This generous amount was distributed among the Arlington Free Clinic, NOVA Friends of Refugees, Just Neighbors, Offender Aid & Restoration and the United Methodists Apportionment Fund. Many of these community-based organizations are providing critical services to the immigrant population in Arlington - our theme for this year, and           Mount Olivet is happy that we can assist them.

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Youth Outreach Committee Representative Roxanne Carnahan organized a clothing drive to benefit Arlington Clothesline, a clothing bank that helps prepare low-income students for success in school.

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Outreach Committee members assisted Sarah Whiddon in starting an Access Small Group designed to welcome congregation members with disability challenges. The initiative has been well received. It meets every two months and all congregation members are welcomed to attend.

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The Outreach Committee also provided oversight for Mount Olivet’s annual participation in the Arlington CROP Hunger Walk, which raises funds for Arlington Food Assistance Center and global hunger relief programs. We also oversee activities of Mount Olivet’s refugee response ministry and Haiti education project.

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We continued to provide financial support for a number of Methodist Church Ministries (UM Family Services, UM Special Offerings) Local United Methodist Ministries (ESL, Just Neighbors, All God's Children’s Camp, Refugee Relief) and other Local Ministries (Kitchen of Purpose, Friends of Guest House, Meals on Wheels, Alternative House, VA Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Doorways, and Offender Aid and Restoration OAR).  

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This summary does not include all of the outreach activities undertaken by other groups and committees at Mount Olivet - such as Community Assistance, Youth Group mission trips, and more.

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Please contact the Committee Chair Jose Collazo if you have a suggestion or a deserving community-based organization the Outreach Committee could work with. We also encourage you to get involved in some of the activities mentioned here. Serving others is a vital part of our spiritual growth.

As a reminder, Mount Olivet is a secure building and the building is locked at all times. Church office hours (when you can meet with staff/clergy or need access to the building) are Tuesday-Friday from 9 AM – 2 PM, no office hours on Monday. Staff/clergy will continue to work flexible hours and have other meetings and appointments, so it is best to make an appointment as needed. You can email an individual staff member or clergy or call the church office at 571-447-3619.

As a reminder, Mount Olivet pastors, staff or congregation members will never ask individuals for financial assistance, gift cards or any kind of personal information through email. Always look at the actual email address of any email you receive regarding these issues. Pastor and staff emails will always come from the mtolivet-umc.org exchange. If you have any question about an email you receive that you think is questionable, always reach out to us. Contact Tina.

Please join us for Coffee Fellowship in the Gathering Space (exit the doors on the right of the Sanctuary towards 16th Street) on Sunday mornings after Traditional worship. Enjoy our new space, coffee, snacks and fellowship.

The end of Mount Olivet’s fiscal year is upon us (June 30). If you have not already done so, catch up on your pledge, make a donation or make a pledge. Give Now. Thank you for your continued support of Mount Olivet’s ministry and mission.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has pledged and continues to give faithfully to Mount Olivet. Thanks to the generosity of our congregation, giving has increased compared to last year. This growth has enabled us to keep pace with rising expenses and continue supporting the mission and ministry of our church.

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As we reflect on “Why Church” and give thanks for being fully open again, we would love to hear how God’s presence is evident in your life. If you feel led to share, please follow this link. Share Your Story

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Whether your experience was big or small—a quiet reassurance, an answered prayer, or an unexpected blessing—your story can encourage and uplift others in our community. Please consider sharing so we can celebrate together how God is at work among us.

Clothesline is an organization that takes donations of “cool” school-ready clothes for kids and teenagers whose families are struggling. This is a great opportunity to donate like-new clothes your kids have grown out of, and they especially need coats, pants, shoes, and pajamas. Adult sized clothes are also welcome. Twice a year Clothesline has a free store where kids can shop in a retail environment. You can drop off your donations on Sundays in the Youth Area through the summer.

During these difficult times, we are helping the families at Glebe Elementary School put food on their tables by donating canned goods. Place your items in the basket in the Preschool Lobby on Sunday or leave in the bin on the 16^th Street porch (entrance door #1). The following low sugar and low sodium items are needed:

• Canned fruits

• Canned tuna

• Canned soups

• Canned vegetables

• Canned tomatoes

• Peanut butter (in plastic jars)

• Cereal

Contact Linnea Carlson with any questions.