Dear Christ Church Family,
One of the highlights of living in Northern Virginia are the cherry blossoms that give unparalleled beauty to our nation’s capital. This week, the trees are in full bloom. In case you haven’t had a chance to see them this year, I’ve included a few photos.
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OUTSTANDING ALPHA RETREAT
As most of you know, the
Alpha course
is our premiere starting place for everyone seeking a safe place to ask questions and explore what it means to be a follower of Christ. It is also an excellent opportunity for those who have been a Christian for years but want to renew and revive their faith. At Christ Church, Alpha includes a weekend retreat, which is the highlight of the course. Bonds are created, and life-long friendships are made during the weekend. This semester’s Alpha retreat was last weekend, and I received a letter from one of the participants. Here is an excerpt:
"The gospel life was lived out in a bold way this past weekend as 12 participants of the Alpha course spent time coming to know the Holy Spirit on our thirty-first Alpha Retreat. A weekend in the mountains communing with each other and God is a major element of each Alpha course. From Friday night until Sunday morning participants worshiped, listened to testimonies, engaged in small group discussions, and transformed their priorities from the noise of a DC metro-centered life to the peace of a God-centered life. During the retreat, seekers proclaimed Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and participants released the life-long barriers that prevented them from inviting the Holy Spirit into their hearts. Alpha celebrates each moment of the disciple-making journey, but when we have the opportunity to get away and fully engage and witness the power of God, we celebrate with arms wide open! We give glory to God for the amazing experiences during the weekend and for the tool of Alpha that is turning hearts, minds and spirits toward the joy of being a disciple of Jesus."
If you’ve never taken Alpha, I encourage you to do so. Nearly 500 people at Christ Church have participated in Alpha, and I hope that you will consider doing so next semester.
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THANK YOU DANILA SERRANILLA
Each month, the people of Christ Church come together to pack 600–700 meals for the homeless. These meals are distributed to those living in tents, boxes, and the open air of vacant lots along Route One in Lorton. Each meal contains a handwritten “Love Note.” Many of these notes have been written by one person: Danila Serranilla. Since Danila began writing these notes in January 2018, she has faithfully written 200–500 notes each month to encourage those receiving the meals. She and the “Love Notes” team have these notes ready for packing at each
Community Serve night
. Danila has a quiet, humble and gentle spirit. She is thoughtful and kind—qualities that are evident in the cards that she’s written. From the Bible verses she selected to the creative design of each card to the personal notes of encouragement, Danila has used her God-given talent to reach the least, last, lost and lonely. As she prepares to move out of the area, we wanted to express our gratitude to her for all she’s done for the ministry. May God continue to use Danila’s passion for his glory.
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THIS WEEK IN WORSHIP
This Sunday brings to a close our
Life’s Healing Choices
series. I’ll focus on the last of the eight choices you need to make to break free from the hurts, habits and hang-ups that hold you captive. Sunday’s teaching is called “
The Sharing Choice
.” Let me ask you a question: How do you know that you have recovered from a hurt, habit or hang-up? The answer is, when you are able to help others who are going through the same stuff. When you share your journey and the healing you are experiencing, that is evidence that you are recovering. I’ll explain all this in worship on Sunday. Also, you will hear a testimony from Jennifer who is doing just that.
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HOLY THURSDAY AND EASTER
Don’t miss our Holy Thursday and Easter services. On Holy Thursday we will retrace the steps of Jesus from the Upper Room to his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane to his crucifixion. The climax of this service is when we literally nail our sins, faults and failures to the cross.
Holy Thursday
will be on April 18 at 7 p.m.
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Easter will be a joyful celebration of the resurrection.
Easter
worship begins on
Saturday, April 20, at 5 p.m
. It is followed by services on
Sunday morning at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
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I look forward to seeing you this Sunday. Enjoy the cherry blossoms!
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Connect In Our Community!
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TODAY is the last day to get tickets for the simulcast TOMORROW, April 6!
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We also hope to see you for Holy Week and Easter.
Click an image below for more details.
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As part of the Christ Church family, your giving has huge potential. Everything we do at Christ Church is to help us follow the God-given mission to
Love God, Love Others, and Live Out the Gospel Life
.
Your financial support funds programs for our children, youth, young adults, families, differently abled, men and women as well as Celebrate Recovery, community projects, our work in Kenya and a lot more.
Prayerfully consider challenging yourself to ask God to help you stretch your level of financial commitment so that together we can reach our full potential.
Greater things are coming!
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7600 Ox Road
Fairfax Station, VA 22039
703-425-3580
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