from the website of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church

About Be the Change

a national gathering of youth, young adults, and adults
to make history during inauguration week 2009

 

The United Methodist churches of the Washington DC area are opening our doors to youth, young adults and adults to be part of the change happening in our nation.

Hospitality

Our doors will be open Sat. Jan. 17 through Tues. Jan. 20 for those seeking a quiet place for prayer, some hot chocolate or cider, information, or conversation.

Our fellowship hall floors and Sunday School rooms will be available for overnight guests, especially youth and young adults groups.

Service and Learning

Guests to our city will be invited to join our members in a variety of ministries of mercy and service to the children, youth, and marginalized peoples of our communities.

We will offer a series of workshops throughout the region on change -- local and global. Topics will include education, homelessness, HIV-AIDS, hunger, immigration, organizing for change, and spirituality for change.

Our churches will be collection centers for food to restock our region's food cupboards and will host blood drives to refill our blood banks.

Hope

Sunday morning all of our churches will celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday with prayers for our nation and our new president. Guest preachers will include Bishop Greg Palmer, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops.

Sunday services in our churches throughout the Washington region on the theme: "A Rebirth: A New Spirit" based on Ezekiel 11: 19-20 "I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, so that they may follow my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God."

We invite youth choirs from throughout the nation to sing in our churches on Sunday morning and at our prayer services.

Prayer services and vigils for our nation, for our president, for Congress, and for the world will be held daily in our churches.

Additional information will be posted for how to reserve space, sign up your youth choir to sing, or other ways to get connected or involved. Please keep checking back with us at http://www.bethechangeyouwanttosee.org.

Statement about "Be the Change" (Word Document)

Bishop Schol's letter to Barack Obama

Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church | 7178 Columbia Gateway Dr., Suite D | Columbia, MD 21046 | 410-309-3400 | 800-492-2525


bethechangeyouwanttosee.org
 
The city of Washington is preparing to welcome the largest number of people to ever attend a presidential inauguration.  The mayor of Washington, DC recently forecasted that as many as 4 million people will descend upon our community when President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in as our nation's 44th President on January 20th.
 
As United Methodists, we proclaim that we have open doors.  Will we open  our doors to the many who are coming to be part of inauguration week?  Can we, as the Baltimore Washington Annual Conference, bring about new  manifestations of Christ's Kingdom by providing radical hospitality, workshops and speakers to engage our hearts and minds, and opportunities to serve in the city, allowing visitors to not only stand on the sidelines to watch a parade but to also take part in the pain and hope of our community?  Can we provide people with an opportunity to rethink what it means to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God?
 
bethechangeyouwanttosee.org is a nonpartisan United Methodist expression of hospitality, service, learning and hope extended to United Methodists and others who want to be in Washington DC for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration.  It is not a partisan endorsement.  It is an expression of our commitment to a loving and just world at a time when the eyes of the world will be on our city. In the midst of a global economic crises that hurts the most vulnerable, while others focus on balls and parades, let United Methodists serve, learn, and pray as a witness to who we are and whose we are.


Dear President Elect Barack Obama,

Peace and Grace in the name of our Creator.

The United Methodists of the Washington, D.C. Region congratulate you and give thanks to God for your election as the 44th President of the United States. We believe God has called you for such a time as this to bring hope and change that will further peace, justice, prosperity and healing within our nation and world. We pledge to pray for you and to work with you for the good of our nation and the world.

United Methodists in the Washington Region have already begun to pray for you during this time of transition and we are committed to pray for you throughout your presidency. We also believe that your election represents change our nation seeks and the inauguration will attract one of the largest outpouring of people our nation's capital has ever seen. As United Methodists, we are preparing radical hospitality for those coming, particularly for the large numbers of youth and young adults that we believe will travel to Washington, DC.

Our plans for the inauguration weekend call for:

Attached is a further description of our plans.

As we serve our Creator, we are called to serve you and your family. There are many congregations of all denominations within Washington, DC that you will find to be places that will minister to you and your family's spiritual needs. There are several outstanding pastors and spiritual leaders of all faiths who are equipped to provide spiritual guidance for you, your family or your staff while you serve in our nation's capitol.  A listing of United Methodist churches is attached. Our congregations would be glad to welcome you, your family, your staff and their families to be part of our communities of prayer and service. Your message of personal responsibility and social justice are important United Methodist themes.

Today, we want you to know that we care about you and your family during this time of transition, that we are ready to serve, and that we are praying for you. Please feel free to contact me personally with any ways that we can support you.

God is with you and may the blessing of God Almighty grant you strength, peace and joy.

Bishop John R. Schol