At our annual Foundation Weekend board meeting, Pastor Stephanie opened with “we are ‘a foundation that sustains, a faith that grows’ and I encourage you to commit this way of talking about and understanding the Foundation to your mind and heart as we continue to spread the good news about the work we are doing with God’s help.” Originally scheduled for November 14-16 in person, the Foundation Weekend board meeting moved online due to the government shutdown and continued travel complications. Despite the shift in plans, board members served the national church from across the denomination and joined via Zoom from seven different states, bringing their deep joy for the Foundation and their wide range of expertise.
During their time together, the Board reflected on a year of significant growth. Our staff team e welcomed two full-time staff members, filling out the growing and ongoing needs of our building and ministry. The Foundation also welcomed three new tenant organizations to our space, partnering with organizations creating an impact locally in the DC metro and nationwide. Continuing the theme of welcome, the Foundation hosted more weddings and events than any year since before the 2020 pandemic. Our 2025 event calendar included thirty-three free Music at Midday concerts, five weddings, and thrity other concerts and events. These events create a wide welcome to musicians, artists, performers and audiences from across the country, expanding the welcome that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) creates in the nation’s capital.
As we expanded our welcome onsite, we also celebrated the launch of our new online publication The Meeting House in 2025. Inspired by Alexander Campbell’s call in 1851 to, “have the largest meeting house in Washington…” this once a month newsletter aims to keep the wider church and friends of National City informed and engaged in the denominational and ecumenical work of being a national gathering space for the Church to shape our growing faith and engage in justice work. The readership of the Meeting House continues to grow as we create a space for connection.
Looking forward, the Board celebrated the decision to purchase a refurbished 19th-century Steinway piano. This purchase is a final step as we prepare to reopen the Howland Center’s in spring of 2026 . The Howland Center has historically created space for fine arts performances, weddings, and community gatherings and we joyfully anticipate its reopening as part of our ever expanding welcome. Meanwhile plans proceed for the opening of the Kathleen Swihart Office of Denominational Collaboration in early 2026, as space we envision welcoming leaders and organizers across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and our ecumenical partners
As we look toward our centennial in 2030, Board discussions focused on positioning National City for the future. We will continue this work in 2026 as we expand our rentable office space and increase our calendar availability to host partner organizations for concerts and events.
The board meeting closed with communion and the installation of Rev. Victoria Wick (Tori) as our Executive Minister. Rev. Wick joined the National City team in April, the virtual ceremony formally completed Tori’s onboarding and blessed her continued ministry with National City Christian Church Foundation.