On Sunday, Jan. 20, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church will proudly open their new building and ministry located at 222 M St., SW. The Dedication Worship and Celebration will take place at 2:00 p.m.
The program will begin with a dedication of the apartment building, followed immediately by celebration worship and a dedication of the church building. Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, will preside over the dedication of the church building and Rev. Michael Bledsoe, Pastor of Riverside Baptist Church, will preach. Bishop of the Metropolitan Washington DC Synod, Rev. Richard Graham will dedicate the apartment building. The Children’s Chorus of Washington will serve as a special musical guest.
The worship service will be followed by a light reception. Limited parking will be available in the underground garage off of M St. and Delaware Ave., SW. All are welcome.
After 20 years of redevelopment, the congregation is excited to see their vision for the building come to fruition. “We designed the building with the community in mind,” shares Rev. Phillip Huber, one of the pastors at St. Matthew. “The worship space doubles as a performance venue. Sacred Grounds Café—‘coffee with a purpose’, our coffee shop, will be a place where people can meet for conversation and a cup of coffee. The lower level of the church building features classrooms and meeting spaces for community groups, and can also serve as an emergency shelter.”
220 residential apartments, managed by Greystar Management, are also part of the building complex, offering approximately 10% affordable units.
By Judson James