Community

Better together is a group of Mount Olivet folks who are concerned for our democracy and the civil rights of all. We meet occasionally after church and share information on ways to contribute to cause. If you are interested, contact Holly Fletcher via 703-855-2547 or email holly_berkley@yahoo.com. 

Upcoming ways to get involved: 

Events:

Save the Date: 

National Action Network March on Washington, Friday, August 28, The Lincoln Memorial. marchonwashington2026.com

• If you would like to volunteer to help with shepherding attendees, sign up here: https://form.jotform.com/262055185399062

• Or in other ways: https://marchonwashington2026.com/volunteer

Next after church lunch/meeting: Sunday, September 13.  ‍

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Ongoing: 

The Trump administration has cancelled Temporary Protective Status for Haitian and other refugees, changing their status to undocumented overnight, denying them the ability to legally work, and making them subject to deportation to countries that are still dangerous and to which they may have no enduring ties. Please contact your Senators and Representative to demand the White House restore TPS. 

• An easy way to email all your representatives at once is at https://democracy.io/

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Bridge Brigades, weekly protests on overpasses. 

• Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-5:30 pm, 1644 N Lincoln St, Arlington

• Wednesdays, 12-1:30 pm,  1006 N George Mason Dr, Arlington 

• Sundays, 3-4:30 pm, 2100 21st St N, Arlington 

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Indivisible weekly zoom, Fridays, noon 

Hospitality is one of the simplest ways we live out Christ's love, and it starts at our door. Mount Olivet needs greeters to help extend a warm welcome to everyone who joins us on Sunday, and it only requires 20 minutes a month! It's a simple way to serve that makes a big difference!

It is hardly a secret that the last few years at Mount Olivet have brought many opportunities for resilience. We have recovered from a fire. We have made many changes and upgrades to our property. We have rejuvenated Community Assistance. Our clergy team and staff have seen changes, bidding farewell to some and welcoming new.

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Our UMC denomination has weathered the sorrow of schism, while Mount Olivet has remained a place of inclusivity and welcome.

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Throughout these shifts, our Mount Olivet community has responded with grace, hospitality, creativity, and flexibility.

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It is time to refresh our strategic plan which was completed in 2017.

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We begin our next season together with a time of dreaming, visioning, and planning that will allow us all to be proactive rather than reactive. And to be all God is calling us to be.

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With Council approval, a small team: Rudy Barnes, Jim Coates, Cindy Huber, Pastor Sara Keeling, Didi Kumalo, Kevin Togashi is in consultation with Rev. Dr. Jason Stanley of the Virginia Conference office on discerning a visioning and strategic planning process. We will begin this work late summer and through the fall to help focus our ministry and mission for the next few years.

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While there will be ample opportunities for congregational feedback and participation, our first step is very simple. We are beginning this process not with our own opinions and ideas and hopes, but by listening to God.

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We will begin with prayer.

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We are inviting all of the congregation to find a time each day for the month of July to pray the prayer that you’ll find below. This is a prayer that we have crafted inviting us to listen, to center down, to welcome God’s Spirit.

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Holy Spirit, quiet our hearts

   to hear Your voice.

Hold us in Your love,

   so that all are welcomed and valued.

Guide our discernment

   and shape our plans with compassion and courage.

Light a fire within us

   that renews and unites our church for joyful service.

Send us out in the light of Christ 

   to follow faithfully wherever You lead.

Amen.

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.

Can You Donate A Sewing Machine for Refugee Women? More than 100 refugee women have been helped by the We Do Together sewing class that Mount Olivet’s refugee ministry helped start. The class is a place for these women to learn sewing skills … to make new friends … and to help them succeed in their new community. 

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Our Latest Class Graduates Soon - And We Need Your Help. As in the past, each graduate receives a new sewing machine donated by supporters like you (details below). This is the fifth class of students in this initiative, which was started and led by former Afghan refugees and supported by Mount Olivet UMC, Fairlington UMC (which hosts the classes), and the refugee ministry of Christ Church Episcopal.

Whether you have donated before or this is your first time, the sewing machine you donate is a wonderful way to support newcomers in our area.

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About This Innovative Program. Now U.S. citizens, Forozan and Attaulhaq Mirwais founded We Do Together to assist others who, like them, came to the U.S. as refugees. The class teaches women from Afghanistan and other countries sewing skills they can use to find employment and make extra income for their families.

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The items they sew are also offered online on the We Do Together website and in its Pop-Up Shop which has appeared in area farmer’s markets, holiday bazaars, church gatherings, and local store events. These items are sold under their own brand name and logo: Afghan Threads.

Suggested Donation Details. To 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. Or, you can send a check for the cost of the machine. The class can also use donations of gift cards to obtain sewing supplies, such as threads, needles, etc. Direct donations of fabric are especially welcome. ‍

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We Do Together is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and all donations are tax deductible. The initiative and its supporting organizations are also exploring grant opportunities to help the initiative become self-sustaining.

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Send online purchases or checks and gift cards to: We Do Together, 1524 N. Ivanhoe St. Arlington, VA 22205. Have questions? Email Kenn Speicher for more information.

Time to dust it off and wear it Sunday! Don't have one yet or misplaced yours? Just make a request on the attendance card (indicate any desired pronouns). We look forward to greeting you by name!

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.

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.

The first modern Olympic Games to be held in the United States were the St. Louis games of 1904, coinciding with the World's Fair there. The World's Fair had its own athletic competition, "Anthropology Days," which were intended to demonstrate the superiority of White athletes compared to cultures represented at the World's Fair and have now become associated with both the World's Fair and Olympics.

The beginning of the school year is a good time to contemplate the environmental aspects of food waste in schools. It is estimated that US students waste the equivalent of 50 pounds of food per year, and that is not counting the plastic waste from wrappers and disposable items. That amount of waste would emit 600,000 tons of methane, which is the equivalent of emissions from 500,000 cars. If you are interested, here are food waste statistics from around the world.