Announcements

Help us spread the word—this matters. Mount Olivet is fully reopening after the 2022 fire, and we want the wider community to be there for this milestone celebration. Please take 60 seconds today to post (or reshare) the event—your share is the fastest way we can reach neighbors beyond our walls.

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Post in 2 easy steps:

1. Grab this image
2. Copy/paste this text and add the event link: Mount Olivet UMC is fully reopening—and you’re invited! Join us on Saturday, May 2 for a community celebration with music, free food, and family activities. All are welcome. https://www.mountolivetumc.com/events/grand-reopening #MountOlivetReopens #ArlingtonVA

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Thank you for helping to spread the word!

Creation Justice tips for May relate to being outdoors and in nature, teaching the next generation to revere nature, being a good steward by staying on paths to preserve habitat, and protecting wildlife, among other things. On May 3 you can practice being in nature with Mount Olivet’s Spirit and Nature Group at Glencarlyn Park picnic shelter 1 at 2 p.m. Please let Jaydee Hanson know at jaydeehanson@gmail.com 703-231-5956  if you plan to join them.

Join Caretakers of God's Creation for a walk at Glencarlyn Park (301 S. Harrison Street, Arlington) at 2 PM on Sunday, May 3. Meet at the park picnic shelter number 1. Please let Jaydee Hanson know if you plan to join the walk.

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The Racial Equity Team invites you to show up, listen, and make your voice heard at the Arlington County Board Town Hall on Monday, May 4, from 6:30–8:30 PM at the Central Library Auditorium (1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22201). These meetings are an important opportunity to engage directly with local leaders about issues that shape our community—including education, housing, public safety, and equity. Your presence helps ensure that decisions reflect the needs and values of all residents, especially those whose voices are too often overlooked. Whether you plan to speak or simply attend, your participation matters. Join us in practicing faithful civic engagement and advocating for a more just and inclusive community.

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.

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Learn about Dr. Margaret Chung, for whom becoming the first American born Chinese woman to graduate from an American medical school might be her least remarkable attribute.

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!

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.

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 at mofoundation.org for more information.

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.

Few people know everybody in the church. Even in the smallest churches it’s sometimes difficult to remember everyone’s name. As new people arrive, that task becomes even more difficult. Name tags provide a way to overcome the struggle. Please wear a name tag! Need one like this? Just request one when registering your attendance.

The church office is open! Office hours (when you can meet with staff/clergy) are Tuesday-Friday from 9 AM – 2 PM, closed 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.

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.