Any change can be difficult, especially in times of great joy (like the birth of a baby) or great sadness (like the loss of a loved one). The Covenant Care Ministry seeks to facilitate care and support for such people of CHUMC Church during their times of personal need. The program includes: Sharing prayer requests sent out on e-mail and/or telephone; Visits to home or hospital; Cards and calls of support; Arranging transportation; and / or Making food deliveries.

If you are in need of assistance; or would like to participate in helping others in need contact Abby Wright - abbycwright@gmail.com

A CHUMC Greeter is the first face a visitor sees when she comes through our doors and the first to voice our message: “You are welcome here.”

Responsibilities of Greeters and Ushers

A team of four will:

• Arrive 15 minutes before worship;

• Greet visitors and members as they enter the church;

• Answer questions and create a welcoming atmosphere;

• Hand out bulletins;

• Encourage worshipers to wear nametags;

• Receive offering plates from the pastor, pass the plates, and return them to the front of the church;

• Usher worshipers to the front of the church and back to their seats for communion or special events; and

• Help collect bulletins and replace hymnals to tidy the sanctuary after worship.

One of the team will:

• Open the church, including unlocking doors and turning on lights;

• Light the altar candles before service, extinguish them at the end, and carry Christ’s light out to the world (acolyte); and / or

• Carry the crucifix and lead the choir procession and recession (crucifer).

You can do this! Whether you’re new to CHUMC or you’ve been here for decades, ushering and greeting are great ways to get to know your fellow disciples and to stay connected to our faith community.

The time commitment is small as we won’t ask you to attend monthly meetings or do any work outside of worship services. All we ask is for your presence during worship (when you’d already be here anyway) and special worship events (if you are available). Plus, we provide training!

How can you get involved?
We are seeking volunteers to join a four-person team that is always responsible for one Sunday per month (e.g., the First Sunday Team). These are the names you will see printed in the back of your bulletin each Sunday.

Alternatively, we welcome your participation as a part of a pool of trained Greeters / Ushers on whom we call on an as-needed basis, to fill in for a Sunday team member who is traveling or ill, or to help with a special event (i.e. Musical Monday concerts, Ash Wednesday services, funerals, etc.).

If you have questions or would like to attend a training session, please contact Kristin Goodman (kristin.griswold92@gmail.com).

CHUMC Choir

The CHUMC Choir is a vital and historical part of the Sunday service. Known for its excellent contribution to the church, the choir rehearses from September to May on Sunday mornings at 9:45 prior to the worship service. Strong section leadership enables anyone who is comfortable singing in a group to participate fully and help to raise the spirits of the congregation through music. The instruments that accompany the choir include a magnificent pipe organ (click here for the specifications) and concert grand piano.

We engage in a variety of musical styles that may include major works such as the Saint-Saens Christmas Oratorio, performed with full orchestra. The choir is off during July and August thus providing an opportunity for choir members (and others) to perform solos.

We welcome your voice! Learn More

For more information, contact Jon Kalfleisch (jonkalbfleisch@comcast.net).

Here is how Food and Friends functions during “normal” times. . .

Each Wednesday we share in a Bible Study discussion, but the other mornings we also listen to and briefly discuss a short devotional.Each weekday morning at 7:30am, folks start their day at the church with breakfast. Both housed and unhoused neighbors join together in this meal while relaxing in the atmosphere of the Parlor. The breakfast offers a bit of dignity, order, relief from the weather, food, coffee, and, most of all, friendship – for all who attend.

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In keeping with our commitment to being an anti-racist church, CHUMC’s Racial Justice Task Force has now grown into the CHUMC Racial Justice Ministry Band. The Task Force had begun to examine every aspect of our church to help us resist and deconstruct any and all forms of racism. NOW – the Racial Justice Ministry Band is helping CHUMC center anti-racism in all it’s dealings and to create, cultivate and maintain that culture. To fulfill our longstanding commitment to be “the heart of God in the community,” we hope to ultimately work to achieve the same anti-racist goal in our Capitol Hill community.

Learn More

The Reconciling Ministry Team works to ensure that everyone who walks into the doors of our church are welcomed, and we shout our welcome to all persons during the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Capital Pride Parade and Festival each year in Washington, DC. Some members of our team have participated in panel discussions on equal rights, and we are always welcome to new ideas and unique ways to declare God’s love for ALL of God’s children.

If you are interested in getting involved with CHUMC’s Reconciling Ministry Team, please don’t hesitate to e-mail Xavier Hodge - office@chumc.net

Learn more about CHUMC as a Reconciling Church.