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ContactNorth Bethesda
United Methodist Church
Volume 47 Issue 1
January 2018
Lessons and Carols!
Sunday, December 17 welcomed the Lessons and
Carols worship service. Surrounded by beautiful
poinsettias, small trees, and wreaths, worshippers
and participants joined together to sing carols, listen
to the Word of God, and rejoice at Jesus’ birth.
Many thanks to Tony Ashur for organizing and
conducting. Many thanks to our enthusiastic readers: Irving Williams, Elvira Williams,
Ed Swanson, Penny Clarke, Sabrina Clarke, Mark Aehle, Natalie McManus, Carol Malmi,
and Valerie Blane. Many thanks to the choir for its hard work on lovely and varied
anthems. Many thanks to our soloists: Wayne Huff, David Tardif-Douglin, Mark Aehle,
Vera Jennings, Mary Lou Griffith, John Welton, and Valerie Blane. And many thanks to
our congregation for supporting this beautiful service! Valerie Blane
Family Christmas Service – WOW!!!
Renee Newman and the children presented an incredible service on Christmas Eve. Renee and Ed Swanson rigged a screen at the front of
the church to enable shadow drama. During the beginning of the service, Christmas images appeared in rotation on the screen. The first
part of the service showed the many talents of our children: Tendai Ball playing piano, Matthew Stanton singing “The Twelve Days of
Christmas,” Emily Akpebu keying on baritone, a large group singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” a trio performing “Mary Had a Little
Lamb” on recorder, and Tayo Ball playing “Little Drummer Boy.”
Lillyanna Poole was the narrator for the Christmas story. This included
children acting out the story behind the screen, so we saw their shadows. Very nicely done! Between the narration, other children
performed: Emily Akpebu on baritone, Noelani Sithole as soloist and on violin, Ikaia Sithole on drums with Tayo Ball accompanying him,
Sydney Akpebu as soloist on “O, Holy Night,” and Malaika Newman
singing “Breath of Heaven.”
This performance was such a treasure! Many, many thanks to Renee, the children, their parents, Ed Swanson, Colton Hammond, and
everyone else who made this service a truly Christmas experience!
Valerie Blane
Page 2 January 2018 Contact
North Bethesda United Methodist Church
10100 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda MD 20814
Phone: (301) 530–4342
E–mail: [email protected]
Website: www.NorthBethesdaUMC.org
Office Manager: Chris Lee
Office Hours: Tuesday -Thursday
8:30AM– 3:00PM
Pastor: Pastor Jeff Jones
cell: (240) 994-1505
Minister of Visitation: Linda Thompson
Music Director: Tony Ashur
Coordinator of Education: Renee Newman
Contact Newsletter Editor: Valerie Blane
Contact Newsletter Publisher: Chris Lee
2 Mame Amoa-Awua
3 Brendan Lewis
6 Isabel Nogues
8 Jacqulyn Thorpe
10 Rosemary Gibson
11 Andrew Follman
13 Mary Jane Blane
15 John Griffin
16 Kathy Devadas
18 Safohene Amua-Awua
22 Brian Matos
23 Flo Finlayson
23 Sarah-Aline Duncan
28 Mark Santoro
29 Valerie Blane
30 Connor Leidl
30 Mark Patkus
31 Tendai Ball
Famous Birthdays!
1 Diamond White
6 Eddie Redmayne
18 Chris Connors
20 Buzz Aldrin
31 Minnie Driver
If you have corrections or addi-
tions you can contact Diane Ta-
batabai at 301-983-6878 or
A Prayer By Marilyn Chandler McEntyre
What do to do in the darkness
Go slowly.
Consent to it.
But don’t wallow in it.
Know it as a place of germination.
And growth.
Remember the light.
Take an outstretched hand if you find one.
Exercise unused senses.
Find the path by walking it.
Practice trust.
Watch for the dawn.
Submitted by Rev. Joye Jones
Volume 47, Issue 1 Page 3
Preacher Feature Elaine and I thank you for
your very generous gift to our great staff and for
showing your love in this fashion. Blessings on all of
you in the year ahead.
The New Year brings a fresh perspective to all
our lives. We tend to look back and remember what happened and look forward
for a better year. Spiritually, it is the same. How we connect to God during 2018 is
important to us. We want to make our spiritual journey more important and helpful
to us as we face so many challenges in the world around us.
My main responsibility from a New Testament perspective as a pastor/teacher is to help you
grow in your faith. “God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love -
like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of all we do.
He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing
us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.” (Eph. 4: 15-16 The
Message)
Part of my responsibility is to provide
guidance for your faith development; to show ways you can draw closer to God, closer to
Jesus’ example; and to suggest ways in which you can learn about the characteristics of a
Christ follower. This helps you figure out what Jesus would do or what he would say, in our
various situations.
May this New Year bring you blessings and an
adventure in living by faith. Let us discover ways we can become the most loving
congregation to each other.
Pastor Jeff
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
For Christ followers, there are many ideas to help you become more
focused and helpful Christians:
Read a One Year Bible. With fifteen
minutes a day, you will cover the whole Bible in a year. Each day’s
reading includes an excerpt from the Old Testament, Psalm, Proverb, and
New Testament. Buy one or have it emailed to you or go online.
YouVersion app and Biblegateway.com are very helpful.
Pray more often. St. Benedict had his gatherings pray eight times daily. The
Bible recommends seven pauses to praise: upon rising, at each meal, at
breaks, during mid-afternoon, and upon retiring. Use a devotional guide,
book on prayer, or internet resources to expand your time with God.
Invite a friend, acquaintance, or a neighbor, to join you in worship.
Eighty-six percent of new members join a church through friends. There
are probably six people in your network that you could ask.
Increase your giving financial support to your church. We face escalating
costs and need your support rather than curtail services. Five dollars a
week or ten dollars a month would help. Can you tithe? See how God
blesses your faithfulness.
Worship more often. We’d love to see
you!
Pastor Jeff
Page 4 January 2018 Contact
Worship Themes
We use the Narrative Lectionary, a four-year rotation
to match the four Gospels. In January, we read the Gospel of John. We invite you to read the Gospel in
preparation for the themes and messages.
1/7 Holy Communion John 1:35-51 Jesus invites the
curious to come and see what he is all about. Every trip is planned to study where we will go and what will
we see.
1/14 Epiphany 2 John 2:1-11 Jesus changes water into wine at a wedding in Cana.
1/21 Epiphany 3 John 2: 13-25 Jesus cleanses the Temple. Let us get rid of what comes between us and
God.
1/28 Epiphany 4 John 3:1-21 Jesus talks with
Nicodemus, reminding us how much God loves us.
In worship, we give God our attention and thanks for
all God gives us. We show God how important He is in our lives. We demonstrate, by our prayers and support
for His people, that we are ever thankful for the gift of life and eternity. May the new year bring you a greater
appreciation for all that God has done is doing and will do in your life. Pastor Jeff
The Lectionary January 7 Gen. 1:1-5
Ps. 29 or UMH 761 Acts 19:1-7
Mark 1:4-11 January 14
1 Sam. 3:1-10 (11-20)
Ps. 139:1-6, 13-18 or UMH 854
1 Cor. 6:12-20 John 1:43-51
January 21 Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Ps. 62:5-129 or UMH 787 1 Cor. 7:29-31
Matt. 1:14-20 January 28
Deut. 18:15-20 Ps. 111 or UMH 832
1 Cor. 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28
Many Gifts, One Spirit Gifts of Caring Cards A heartfelt “Thank you, and God bless you!” to the
congregation! Your generosity shone through again with the 2017 Gifts of Caring. In honor of our friends and loved ones,
we donated $2,521.35 to our less fortunate brothers and sisters in the neighborhood and around the world. The holidays are a
time to rejoice and give thanks, and nobody shares the blessings like NBUMC! And that slightly odd number? One of
NBUMC’s littlest members donated $1.35 “for the children.”
Donors: Be sure to check your 2017 tax statement from
NBUMC for your wonderful GOC donation.
Remember, instead of another trip to the mall for a bathrobe or a tie, you can give
a Gift of Caring card anytime during the year! Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings – just contact Dayna Fellows or any member of the Missions Committee to give a
gift that will stand out among all others and quite possibly make a difference in a needy person’s life. Dayna Fellows
Volume 47, Issue 1 Page 5
CHRISTIAN UNITY SERVICE
SUNDAY, JANUARY 28th - 3PM
SHRINE OF ST. JUDE CATHOLIC CHURCH
12701 VEIRS MILL ROAD, ROCKVILLE, MD
The North Bethesda United Methodist congregation will join with other
Christian churches of Montgomery County in the 24th annual celebration of
song, scripture, and prayer in fulfillment of the Lord’s will “that all may be
one.”
The theme of the 2018 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity -
Your Right Hand, O Lord, Glorious in Power - was developed by the Churches
in the Caribbean.
Pastor Jeff will preach. Special music will be provided by a combined choir of the participating churches and the Trinity Lutheran Church handbell choir. A
free-will offering will support needy communities in the Caribbean. A reception and fellowship will follow the service.
Greentree Women’s Shelter
Natalie McManus and Valerie Blane, decked out as
Santa’s elves (thanks, Natalie!), delivered two carsful of donated clothes, diapers, toys, hygiene products,
and books to the Greentree Women’s Shelter on Monday, December 18. Many thanks to members of
NBUMC and Fernwood Montessori School for your great
generosity. Valerie Blane
Page 6 January 2018 Contact
Nancy Kane has been a member of the Library Committee since joining North Bethesda in 1989, shortly after the retirement of Betty Horrigan as NBUMC
librarian. She was raised in Abington, Massachusetts, about 20 miles southeast of Boston. Her father was a self-employed photographer who
specialized in fraternity portraits, while “Ma” stayed home and did the secretarial work and some retouching. If you should chance to go into any of
the frat houses at M.I.T., Princeton, Yale, or another university, you might see his work in the composites on the walls. Thanks to dad’s work, mother’s older sister
met her husband, an M.I.T. man. When her dad became ill in her sophomore year of high school, Nancy began working in the local public library branch as part of the Neighborhood
Youth Corps.
Nancy’s home away from home growing up was her aunt’s home, which had been the home
for Nancy’s mother and her five siblings as well. Aunt Barb, a church deacon, also saw that
Nancy got to the little Baptist Church in North Abington.
In high school, a big part of Nancy’s student life was band. Playing the flute in the “Green
Cloud” (the football team was the Green Wave; the band became the Green Cloud) got Nancy to a Patriots half-time, Expo ’67, and even playing in Symphony Hall as part of
“American Youth Performs.”
Library work continued to be a source of work-study income in college, on supplementing
the student loan. However, one of Nancy’s other interests won out when it came to a major: French. Three months before graduation, with no clue to a job, Nancy’s Italian instructor
gave her a list of “non-teaching language jobs.” Among the jobs listed was that of library technician at the then-Defense Mapping Agency Topographic Center. After college, Nancy
did one summer at the French School at Middlebury College and was hired by DMATC for the library tech position. Over the next several years, Nancy took courses toward being
rated as a cartographer, although she ended up getting certified as a Technical Information Specialist without ever working in a cartography slot.
In addition, Nancy took graduate level French courses to transfer to Middlebury. She used
her own leave and money to finish her M.A. at Middlebury during the summers of 1978 and 1983 with her former Italian professor.
In 2000, Nancy was selected for Long Term Full Time Training by her employer (from 1996-2003 the National Imagery and Mapping Agency.) Her course of study was Library and
Information Science at the Catholic University of America. Upon returning to work, one week before 9/11, Nancy worked three days a week in map cataloging and two days a week
in reference. A year later, she was asked to come to the reference library full-time. In September 2005, Nancy took Voluntary Early Retirement, and three weeks later (after a
fabulous retirement trip to Italy with her cousin Lois) went back as a contractor, doing the same job, at the same desk. With the arrival of a new customer service representative,
Nancy worked as full-time book cataloger. On Nov. 24, 2010, her resignation took effect.
Since being “NGA (National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency)-free,” Nancy has dabbled in the
Honor Flight program, being an avid reader on WWII, and assisting a lady with age-related macular degeneration through Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind. After the passing of Marge
Ellis, she took over as altar flower coordinator at NBUMC. Two of her favorite pastimes are
walking in her community, doing laps, and hanging with friends at the Parkside (the condo community where she lives) pool.
Nancy Kane
This is My Story, This is My Song
Volume 47, Issue 1 Page 7
Christmas
At
NBUMC
Dear Family and Friends,
On behalf of AHEAD, Inc., Board of Directors, AHEAD staff, and the many citizens of Tanzania, we thank you very much for your
generous donation of $2,500 for your continual support of AHEAD, Inc.’s project and programs in Tanzania. Your contributions go
beyond mere aid; they help to make a difference in the lives of children and families in rural communities in Tanzania .
With your support, we will continue to MOVE AHEAD.
Sincerely,
Ruby Burgess, PhD
Elvira Felton Williams
President
Executive Director
An expanded list of accomplishments and pictures will appear in the February Contact.
Page 8 January 2018 Contact
Family Christmas Service
Christmas Eve, 2017
Volume 47, Issue 1 Page 9
Page 10 January 2018 Contact
dream: both index fingers
open and close from temple up and right.
holiday: Both open H
hands, thumb at upper chest, taps several times.
(Like snapping suspenders.)
Martin Luther King:
fingerspell MLK
freedom: Both F hands palm
in at chest, cross wrists then twist to palm out.
Sign Language Corner: Martin Luther King, Jr. signs
Valerie Blane
British Mystery Words:
tealeaf: thief, from Cockney rhyming slang
gansie: a sweater, jumper, pullover nesh: cold, as in the weather
yonks: a long time The tealeaf wore a gansie because the weather was
nesh for yonks.
Valerie Blane
Save the Date!!! On Saturday, June 30, the Arts Committee is
sponsoring a trip to Toby’s Dinner Theatre to see “Mama Mia.” Tickets are $60.65 per person which
includes the show, dinner, dessert, and coffee, tea, or water. We have room for 30 happy trippers!
The Arts Committee
Volume 47, Issue 1 Page 11
Book Corner: The Olive Grove by Deborah Rohan
The book flap reads: “The Moghrabis have lived in Palestine for
centuries. Near the end of the First World War, Ottoman soldier Kamel Moghrabi is imprisoned by his Turkish masters. Reunited
with his family after being freed by British soldiers, he marries
his childhood friend, Haniya.
“But their happiness is short-lived as their homeland is ravaged by violence between the local Arab population and Jewish
immigrants fleeing Europe. Any hope of an independent Palestine is shattered, and the Moghrabis are foced to flee their home with
its cherished olive groves.
“Based on a true story, this family saga is a universal depiction of Palestinian life
and culture with a warm and engaging love story at its heart.”
I learned much about Palestine that I never knew, the things one is not taught in
school, such as how well Jews and Arabs got along in earlier times. I didn’t know how Britain divided Palestine. I didn’t know the Germans bombed Palestine in WWII.
I didn’t know that Britain bailed and left the Zionists to form armies to force Arabs off lands they had held for millenia. I didn’t know that the Zionists used bulldozers
to destroy homes, stores, and farms of the Arabs. The title of the book comes from the Palestinian tradition of planting an olive grove for each child. The olive grove
and child take about the same amount of time to mature. When Kamel flees his home, bulldozers are destroying all of his olive groves that he had planted for his
children.
This was most enlightening for me. I urge anyone with concerns about Palestine to
read it and learn. Valerie Blane
Pancakes and Performance! The Arts Committee cordially invites you to attend
the Shrove Tuesday “Pancakes and Performance” fun evening! Come for pancakes, sausages (meat or
veggie), eggs, and applesauce. Stay to enjoy as your friends sing, dance, play an instrument, do
cartwheels, whatever their talents are! Tuesday, February 13, 2018. Dinner at 6:00; performance at
7:00. Natalie McManus will have a sign-up sheet during coffee hour soon.
And we would love to see those exceedingly talented kids (I’m talking Sydney, Emily, Noe, Ikaia,
Matt, Lilly, and the rest!) sign up. We’ll let you go first!
The Arts Committee
Page 12 January 2018 Contact
Tony and His Musical Boys!
Tony Ashur, music and choral teacher
at Georgetown Prep, took his singers
on a field trip to sing for Kitty Johnson
at Brightview Senior Living. Kitty and
the other residents were thrilled at the
wonderful variety of Christmas songs.
Kitty thanked them for her special
Christmas present
Valerie Blane
Dear NBUMC Family,
Thank you for your generous Christmas
gift. Your kindness and support are most
appreciated!
Pastor Jeff, Linda ,Tony, Tripta, Chris,
and Renee
Honoring Lynn DeForge
On December 10, the church family honored Lynn DeForge for her extensive work
in coordinating the many varieties of Easter flowers and Christmas poinsettias. This
is a huge job, requiring a spread sheet, patience, and a fine attention to detail. The
care that Lynn takes with this job is behind the scenes. Did you know that she
waters each plant each week, keeping the plants fresh for all services? She makes
sure that all of the dedications are perfect. Kudos to Lynn!!! Valerie Blane
Volume 47, Issue 1 Page 13
Georgetown Prep Welcomes Christmas!
Kudos to Tony Ashur and his choirs from
Georgetown Prep who presented a wonderfully diverse, musically sound (pun intended), and
enthusiastically articulated Christmas program on December 12. Tony started the choirs and
Christmas program twenty years ago.
The Prep singers, all freshmen, sang six pieces,
ranging from the hauntingly beautiful “Twas in the Moon of Wintertime” (whose incredible
arrangement was Tony’s) to the boisterous “Australian Jingle Bells” (complete with props) to
the complex gospel carol “Oh, What a Wonderful Child.” They also sang “Gaudeamus Hodie” in
Latin, “Merry Christmas Medley,” and Bruce Springsteen’s rocking “Santa Claus is Comin’ to
Town.”
The larger choir did eight pieces. “Brightest and Best” is a shape note hymn from
the southern Appalachians. This has at least several tunes: the one they sang, the one the NBUMC choir sang for Lessons and Carols, and a third one that I learned
years ago.
“Madre Del Desaparecido” is a lovely song sung in Spanish with a few lapses in
English. The boys sang it completely from memory, as they did all of their pieces.
“O Holy Night” was most impressive, with all six seniors singing solos as well as
chorally.
“Sleigh Ride” had percussion, including a wooden “whip” that cracked. This was
obviously a favorite!
“Oh! Christmas Tree???” was a hoot. Starting out somewhat like “Oh, Tannenbaum,” it quickly devolved into a wonderful parody with the singers mocking themselves
(“I’m singing to a pine tree!”) and then anthropomorphizing the tree! This piece had synchronized movements as well.
But the crowning musical tribute was “The Christmas Can-Can,” with the well-known music from Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld” interspersed with a few other
holiday tunes, including “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel.” And, yes, some of the boys did a can-can, arms linked, legs saluting the air.
After the choirs sang, the audience joined them and the string ensemble for Christmas carols. Lovely!
From the comments of the folks around me, everyone LOVED this concert and LOVED Tony for his musical skills. The boys had good diction and articulation, they
looked at Tony, and they seemed to have a good time singing. Thanks to Tony for opening this up for the rest of us!
Valerie Blane
Page 14 January 2018 Contact
Jackson Coviello School address: 478 E. Calder Way State College, PA 16801
Home address: 2800 Cabin Creek Dr. Burtonsville, MD 20866 Phone 301-312-9442 EDUCATION: Penn State University, University Park Campus, State College, PA Major: International Political Economy
Minor: Business Expected graduation date: May 2019
Honors: De La Salle Scholars Program WORK EXPERIENCE May - August 2017 Moore & Associates Leasing Intern
Brainstormed marketing strategies to promote properties owned by the company Managed the Lyft ride-sharing project for our Northern Virginia properties
Tasked with cold-calling tenants interested in buying space Drafted and designed online marketing material sent to brokers and potential
tenants
May-August 2016 Moore & Associates Property Management Intern Assisted with the maintenance of our Bethesda property
Communicated with CEO’s of various tenants in the property to resolve all problems within the space
Organized floor plans for available spaces to assist contractors
Gained hand on experience maintaining commercial property LEADERSHIP/ ACTIVITIES
November 2016 – August 2017 Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity Assistant Philanthropy Chair
Assisted with the planning of various philanthropy events Attended numerous alumni meeting in order to raise money for charity Maintained a positive relationship with the community around State College
January 2016 – September 2017 Active Member of the Sports Business Club Participated in club meetings over the last four semesters
Attended numerous events with prominent guest speakers Networked with numerous members who have become successful in the sports
business industry
December 2014 - Lead Kairos Retreat at St. Johns College High school Arranged events for the religious retreat
Wrote speeches for myself and other retreat leaders Managed a small group of my peers throughout the process
My Friends,
I need a favor. My grandson Jackson is a junior at Penn State, and he is looking for an internship for this summer. He would prefer a paying internship, but beggars can't be
choosers. His major is International Political Economy, and he is planning on pursuing a law degree. If any of you have any connections that might help him get an interview
for an internship, I would greatly appreciate it. He is studying abroad the second semester and would be home by the end of April.
I have attached his resume, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart if any of you can help him knock on a door.
Sending you love and light. Margie
From Michele Bernot’s friend:
