Dumbarton United Methodist Church banner

 

Sunday Service - 10:00am
(summer)

wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair
Accessible

listening assist
Listening Devices

Resources Available on Sexual Orientation, Transgender, Intersex and the Church

DUMC Cookbook

Dumbarton Cookbook Seasonings of the Spirit, Revival version of our 1983 Cookbook with all the original recipes in PDF files.

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Guess the DUMC item

                     

   

Join in This Fall...
Come for worship and Christian education at Dumbarton
as we all search for meaning and peace in our increasingly busy world.

Worship begins at 11 a.m.
Child care available during both Sunday school and worship.

During worship -- Godly Play (Sunday School for Children ages 3 - Third grade) Children are in worship through the Children's Story time, then they go downstairs for Godly Play. Greeted by an adult, each child puts a sticker on the "attendance calendar" and quietly enters the Godly Play space. In this innovative program, children experience a Bible story told using figurines. Then they create art that reflects the story.

Sunday School Classes begin at 9:45 a.m.
for older children, youth and adults

Intermediate Class (Grades 4 - 6) "Mean Girls" will be the theme, helping young people prepare for the difficult years ahead in middle school and high school. Older children will recount difficult experiences they've had as they grow up and how they've dealt with them. The curriculum is applicable to both boys and girls.

Youth Class (Grades 7 - 12) Led by Joel Walther, our youth minister. Joel, a student at Wesley Seminary, also directs an active youth program in addition to Sunday mornings that include social events, mission projects and drama for 7th through 12th graders.

Adult Education (Begins at 10 a.m, preceded by refreshments and fellowship at 9:30). Upcoming schedule:
  • Oct 11: Joe Eldridge Honduras--What We Learned and What We Accomplished--sharing from June mission trip
  • Oct 19 -- Prof. Michael Manson "Matthew and the Pharisees"
  • Oct 26 -- John Firsching Belief Statement from a Determined Agnostic (Note: This date is also the Annual Marine Corp Marathon, for map and street closings, check the Washington Post website)

As always, come as you are!


What draws people to Dumbarton

A diverse mix of folks from throughout the Washington metropolitan area meets every Sunday at our historic Georgetown church because it fills a spiritual need they may not find elsewhere. Many in our midst are dropouts from other congregations. Others are Biblical scholars who are seeking new avenues for finding God. Still more are traditional Methodists seeking fellowship and a better world.

Dumbarton Sign

Founded in 1774, Dumbarton has transformed itself from a traditional neighborhood Methodist church into a beacon of social justice for the poor, the oppressed and forgotten. Besides customary worship, the congregation has long brought comfort to undocument immigrants and ministered to gay and lesbian people. Many of its members help teach disadvantaged children through the Washington Interfaith Network and have campaigned for world peace.

To find out just what appeals to them about Dumbarton, we recently asked our members, and here are some of the answers we received:

Dumbarton group

  "The church offers an interesting mix of traditional liturgy and very progressive theological freedom."

"If new people come and stay, we love them. If they don't stay, that's OK, too."

"You're free to express doubts."

"It's rewarding to be in a circle at communion and sign songs with deep emotion and spirituality."

 

Dumbarton Children's Story

"I brought a friend to Dumbarton. Her best friend died. She stood up for him at the 'joys and concerns' segment of the service."

"I worshiped with my parents here after coming out as a lesbian. There is no stigma about who you are."

"When someone got up and said his best friend had just died, people stood with him for five minutes and waited until he could go on."

 

Dumbarton Christmas Pageant

"It is such a supportive environment for children. They can get up and share about their birthdays."

"When you are in need there is this assumption that someone else will be there to give."

"We have a congregation chock full of exceptional ministers."

Dumbarton Retreat

 

 

"I never intended to get so involved with WIN (Washington Interfaith Network) but it's fantastic, and I couldn't quit if I wanted to."

"I was supported for working in a women's shelter."

 

 

Dumbarton Sanctuary in worship

Dumbarton's Sunday worship service begins at 11:00 am.

The church office is open from 9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Church staff members:
Dr. Mary E. Kraus, Pastor
Doris Warrell, Deacon
Rick Latterell, Director of Music
Joel Walther, Minister of Youth
Melany Burrill, Church Administrator
Michael Slagenweit, Ministry Intern