Archbishop Tutu in Lesotho

A Report from Ron Kraybill

One of the Missioners of Seekers Church

On April 27th, the political parties of Lesotho pledged to accept the results of the upcoming elections. The HEads of Churches of Lesotho, with support from the UN heve been working for over a year to get parties ready for this following contested elections in 2007 and 1998 that caused large scale rioting in several cities.   Recent confrontations made it seem like things may be once again falling apart.  But Friday, with the help of Archbishop Tutu, shown here with the Catholic Archbishop (on Tutu’s right) and the Anglican Bishop (on his left in red), the Prime Minister and opposing political leaders signed a pledge to lawful conduct and acceptance of electoral outcomes. The number one priority for my work with the UN is supporting this "civil society-based mediation effort, so this day was for me both a personal and professional highpoint!

Click here for a local report on this event.

INTERNATIONAL GIVING
2012

 Seekers Church supports many missions and ministries in the United States and other countries. The amount budgeted for international giving is usually about 20% of what we expect to receive in offerings over the course of the year. Once our budget for the year is approved, and the overall amount available for international giving has been determined by the Stewards of Seekers Church, all members of the faith community are invited to request support for missions or ministries where they are personally involved.

For 2012 the community has affirmed support for 11 international missions and ministries:

DIRECT SERVICES

Bokamoso Youth Foundation – Winterveldt, South Africa

Othandweni Day Care and After Care Center – Winterveldt, South Africa

PAVA (Programa de Ayuda a los Vecinos del Altiplano) – Chimaltenango, Guatemala

Collegio Miguel Angel Asturias – Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) - Kabul, Afghanistan 

Hope Street (for Women’s Space) - Sydney, Australia

Partners in Health (PIH) - Haiti, Lesotho, Guatemala, and more 

New Story Leadership - Israel/Palestine  

Muslim Women’s Coalition “Turabi Manzil” - Mysore, India 

ADVOCACY SUPPORT

International Fund for Animal Welfare 

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY PASSIONS

Seekers Missioner - Japan

 First Meeting at Seekers Church

On March 15th, the Time and Space mission group of Seekers Church hosted a meeting of all the different groups that use our space to support the life of their communities. It was the first of what we believe will be an emerging effort to acknowledge and support the Community of Communities that nurture their life together in our space on Carrol Street. That evening six members of Seekers met with twelve building users from nine different groups. The groups represented included Sovereignty of God, Covenant Christian Community, Science of Spirituality, Blue Mountain Satsang, the Takoma Rush Hour Group, Argentine Tango, Inner Circle, a Women's Support Group, National Spiritual Science Center, and Seekers Church.

Based on the success of this initial gathering, we hope to offer other opportunities for this kind of community-building in the future.

DOMESTIC GIVING
2012

Seekers Church supports many missions and ministries in the United States and other countries. The amount budgeted for domestic giving, is usually about 20% of what we expect to receive in offerings over the course of the year. Once our budget is approved each year and the overall amount available for domestic giving has been determined by the Stewards of Seekers Church, all members of the faith community are invited to request support for missions or ministries where they are personally involved.

For 2012 the community has affirmed support for 32 domestic missions and ministries. For easy access to more information, the name ofeach organization is linked to its web site.

HOUSING

N Street Village

Interfaith Works / Community Vision

Sarah’s Circle

Manna, Inc.

L’Arche of Greater Washington

EDUCATION/CULTURE

Guatemala Pilgrimage Scholarships

I Have a Dream Foundation

FLOC

First Book

Luce Center for Arts and Religion

Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Religion (WATER)

Children of Mine

Our Place DC

CHURCH OF THE SAVIOUR

Joseph’s House

Potter’s House

Discipleship Year

Christ House Art Program

Servant Leadership School

Becoming Church

OTHER

AMEN (Arlingtonians Ministering to Emergency Needs)

St. Camillus Food Pantry

Charlie’s Place

Companioning the Dying

Compassion Over Killing

Washington Humane Society

ADVOCACY

Center for Medicare Advocacy

International Foundation for Gender Education

Learning Disabilities Association of Montgomery County

Jobs Not Jails

Forty-One Members

Part of our spiritual practice as a community is to listen to the prophets among us in ways that make the reality of the Realm of God more evident to us, and to the world around us, the world God is calling us to care for.

Each year we renew our commitment to Christ and to the Seekers Church in a conscious and intentional way. In Seekers, God's call and our commitments are linked together. Every choice you make, every call you answer changes all of us! Annual recommitment is a key element in the life of Seekers Church, maintaining a tradition of the Church of the Saviour begun with the initial commitment of founding members in 1947. This year "Recommitment Sunday" was the third Sunday of October, the 16th.

This year 41 of us renewed our commitment. Of those, 18 made the commitment as Stewards.

The time before Recommitment Sunday is an opportunity for all of us – recent arrivals, attenders, Members, and Stewards – to review our commitment to God and to Seekers Church. This year the Servant Leadership Team invited all Seekers to reflect on the call of Seekers Church and our commitment statements, and consider:

     † What is God's call on Seekers Church as one small part of the Body of Christ?

     † What am I being called to offer to God and God's creation?

     † How can being a part of Seekers Church support my response to God's call?

     † What do I need from and through this community to deepen my commitment to Christ?

Part of our traditional preparation includes a silent hour of prayer in the sanctuary before signing the Seekers membership log, the record of all Seekers members since our beginning in 1976.

On Recommitment Sunday all those who attend worship and other Seekers community activities regularly, who identify themselves as Seekers, Used the Member's Commitment Statement to renew their commitment to Christ as Members of Seekers Church. The Stewards made their commitment to support the missions and ministries of Seekers Church using the Stewrard's Commitment Statemnent.

To mark the occasion, each of us was invited to come forward an take a stone from the rocky path on the altar table, to remind us of our commitment to help open the Way.

Celebrating the Gift of Her Life

September 24, 2011

This morning we welcomed an overflow gathering to celebrate Kate's life. The altar table had a wonderful image of Kate taken by Keith Seat, a votive candle to mark each of the seven decades of her life, a magnificent bouquet from Senator Ron Wyden, and an unfired clay urn with Kate's ashes. The urn was made by Marjory Bankson and selected several years ago by Kate.

Kate's spouse Carole had selected some for their favorite music to share with us as we reflected on Kate's life. As we listened many of us wrote a reflection or memory to be placed in the memory book that is being gathered for Carole. An individual who had been part of Kates life in each decade lit a memorial candle for that period and shared from the richness of their experience with Kate. 

Five individuals who had known Kate well offered their reflections on the gift of her life. You can read their reflections by clicking on their names:

     Marjory Bankson

     Kate Lang

     Diann Neu

     Bill Cudlipp

     Carole Grunberg

Following the memorial, Koinonia Mission Group offered us an opportunity to share further reflections and some of Kate's favorite cookies which had been baked for the occasion by many Seekers.

One of the reflections offered included this core wisdom that Kate had found in Love and Death by Forrest Church:

Want what you have,

do what you can,

and be who you are. 

Do these things with reverence, humbled by awe, and your cup will overflow.

Kate and Carole were married at Seekers Church in June, 2010. Details of their wedding ceremony are available by clicking here. An earlier article remembering Kate is available here.

...Peace ...

Peter Bankson

†††