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.

The Mount Olivet Foundation offers zero-interest student loans and need-based grants for secondary education. You may have received a brochure in the mail detailing other ways the Foundation supports students and community organizations. See our website for more information.

Endangered Species Day is May 15 and this year’s theme is “Celebrating America’s Wildlife Comeback Stories. Championing the Endangered Species Act.”  From the Endangered Species Coalition:  ‍

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This year’s theme highlights the powerful recovery stories made possible by the Endangered Species Act, including species such as the southern sea otter, whooping crane, and American alligator. These comeback stories show what is possible when conservation is guided by science, supported by communities, and backed by strong federal protections.  ‍

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“For more than 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has given imperiled wildlife a fighting chance,” said Susan Holmes, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition. “Endangered Species Day 2026 is a chance to celebrate the species that have come back from the brink and to remind the country that these successes did not happen by accident. They happened because people chose to protect wildlife, defend habitat, and uphold America’s most effective conservation law.”  

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An unfortunate counterpoint to those good news stories is the Administration’s decision to issue a blanket exemption from complying with the Endangered Species Act’s requirements for the oil and gas industry in the “Gulf of America,”  a decision that is being challenged in court.  Endangered Species Committee Order  

Like other women whose contributions to scientific advances were not sufficiently recognized, Chien-Shiung Wu's achievements were only belatedly acknowledged. Learn more about this Chinese-born physicist now hailed on both sides of the Pacific.

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.

The latest class of students is graduating from the We Do Together sewing class for refugee women. This is the fourth class of students in this initiative supported by our Mount Olivet refugee ministry, along with Fairlington United Methodist Church (which hosts the classes), and the refugee ministry at Christ Church Episcopal. As in the past, each graduate will receive a new sewing machine donated by supporters. 

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Can you help? For those who have supported us, thank you! If this is your first time, this is a wonderful way to support newcomers starting new lives in our area.  

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Congratulations to the Students. We celebrate their accomplishment and the skills they have learned. We Do Together teaches the newcomers sewing skills they can use to make extra income for their families. Plus, the items they sew are now being offered for sale in the We Do Together Pop-up Shop. It has appeared at area farmer’s markets, holiday bazaars, church gatherings, and local store events. These items are sold under their own brand and logo: Afghan Threads.  

Donate a Sewing Machine to Our New Graduates. If you can donate a new machine, here is an affordable choice: Brother XM3700 Machine, 37 Built-in Stitches, 5 Included Sewing Feet, 17.5 x 7.6 x 14.25 inches, White. Amazon has an affordable one here. We hope you can help support this welcoming and beneficial program. Recently, We Do Together received 501 (c) (3) nonprofit status, so donations are tax deductible. If you can take advantage of an online purchase, send it to We Do Together, 1524 N. Ivanhoe St, Arlington, VA 22205. Or, you can send a donation by check for the price of the sewing machine made out to We Do Together. The price on Amazon is currently $138.33.

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Thank you for your kind support. For information, contact Kenn Speicher.

On May 11, our intern, Rev. Jett McReynolds will be graduating from Wesley Seminary. Jett has been with us for three years using his gifts to impact the life of the church in many ways including: the choir, preaching, young adults and the youth.  

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Jett has already been appointed and begun at a two-point charge (two churches) in Chilhowie Virginia, a part of the Holstein Conference. His last Sunday with us will be on May 17 and he will be preaching that day. We are having a potluck dessert reception between services. You are invited to contribute to a love gift for Jett. Donations can be made online at our giving link https://www.mountolivetumc.com/giving or by using the offering envelope in the pew rack on Sunday (for either, please designate Jett Love Gift). Thanks!

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.