Sunday Worship:
In Person and
Streaming
at 9:00 and 11:15 am
This Week at Pender
February 24, 2022
By following Jesus
and reaching out to others,
we seek God's transformation
of ourselves and our world. 
Greetings!
Sunday, February 27, 2022
Rev Will White will preach on “Seeing the Glory” from the series "Love Never Ends: Being the Body of Christ" based on Luke 9:28-36

We step away from the Epistle text this week as we return to the gospel story of Jesus’ Transfiguration. Last week, we talked about our ongoing transformation. But here, it isn’t about us, but it is about Jesus. Some might ask what is our role on Transfiguration Sunday? Watch and praise. That’s it. We certainly shouldn’t be setting up tents and wanting to stay. Peter found that out rather quickly.

“Love Never Ends” is both a description and a promise. You are invited to journey with us, guided by the Corinthian epistles to let the light shine around you, and in you, and then from you as we seek to continue to become disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We who have seen the light of Christ now desire to reflect it in our community and in our world by letting others see Christ through our loving presence.

All of Pender's services are streamed live and in person. During Covid we are masked and socially distanced. Family clusters can sit together.



Join us live at Pender UMC
The Traditional Services are in person and live streamed at 9:00 am on Sunday.
The Common Ground Contemporary Services are in person and live streamed at 11:15 am on Sunday.
Sunday, February 20, 2022
Rev. Will White
preached on
“Raised in Glory”
from the series
"Love Never Ends:
Being the Body of Christ"
based on

Our discipleship path and our journey to heaven are the same journey. That is the glory that we are aiming toward; that is the promise that Paul reminds us of when he tells us that we will be raised in glory. Thanks be to God.
The Traditional Services are in person and live streamed at 9:00 am on Sunday.
The Common Ground Contemporary Services are in person and live streamed at 11:15 am on Sunday.
Prayer Requests
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ. " 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

Pender is a church committed to the power of prayer. Our "prayer chain" is a group of church members constantly in prayer for the needs of our congregation. To make your prayer needs known, you may email the prayer chain by clicking here to send an email to our group of prayer warriors.
Please join Rev. White for a virtual Bible study focusing on the scriptures we’ll be using through the beginning of Lent. 

Each week, there will be a “primer” covering Biblical texts and United Methodist beliefs. 


 
Sunday, February 27, at 4pm
 “An Opportune Time”
Primer: Authority of Scripture Within The UMC
With the current situation in Ukraine, now is a great time to dig into a variety of Christian perspectives on War and Peace.

Throughout history, the Christian community has struggled regarding the tension between faithfulness to the teachings of Jesus and the reality of aggression.

Rev. White will share four perspectives based on the work of the following Christian ethicists: Hauerwas, McClendon, Allen, and Bonhoeffer.

During this two-hour class, we’ll examine the origins of those three perspectives and will look at their Biblical roots.

Please let us know which dates and times you would be interested in attending using the sign-up genius.

Choose a date (or dates) that works for you at pender.church/signup
Care and Connect Team
 
A new team is being created at Pender called “Care and Connect”. 

This team will be involved in assisting Rev. White with routine pastoral care during busy seasons, help provide care when the Pastor is out for educational leave or vacation, and will also engage in periodic efforts to reach out to inactive members. 

An organizational meeting will be held on March 6 at 4pm. 

If you are interested or want information please contact church leaders at care@penderumc.org
Pender Night on the Streets

The FACETS temporary thermal shelter is coming to Pender UMC from March 27th to April 1st. 

On Friday, March 4th, adventurous teens and adults from the Pender Youth and Scouting groups will spend the night out on the church grounds to briefly experience homelessness. 

Rev. Will White, Minister Howard Finley, Ken Ferris (Lay Leader), and our scoutmasters will accompany them, while surprise guests will appear periodically throughout the evening.

This band of brothers and sisters will not be enduring long-term poverty—but in a very small way, our Christian Community has chosen to endure a portion of those struggles for one night to facilitate empathy and understanding.

Interested? Please contact Rev. White. 
What Will Happen to Those Hygiene Kits?  

Last Sunday, sixty people came to The Gathering Place at Pender to make UMCOR hygiene kits, and in under an hour and a half, we assembled almost 840! Special thanks to Greg, Maya, Steve, and Saundra, for leading this event!

After the kits are boxed up, I’ll take them to the 240th session of the Virginia Annual Conference in Hampton, Virginia.  There, I will add them to kits from 1,100 other United Methodist Churches, which we will load aboard tractor trailers headed to UMCOR’s “Sager Brown” supply depot in Baldwin, Louisiana.  

Sager Brown is close to the port of New Orleans and the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where our kits can be shipped out at a moment’s notice. They could end up halfway across the world, or in your own back yard. For instance, when I joined an Early Response Team (ERT) in 2005 to help stabilize the southeast after hurricane Katrina, my team distributed thousands of these kits to the residents of Gulfport, Mississippi. After days of “mucking out houses”, hygiene supplies were scarce; our own team members had to use them to clean ourselves of debris at night. No matter the situation, they will make a difference to someone! Thank you!

~ Rev. Will White

About UMCOR… 
 
Founded in 1940, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is the global humanitarian aid and development agency of The United Methodist Church. UMCOR is working in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the United States and its territories. Its mission, grounded in the teachings of Jesus, is to alleviate human suffering—whether caused by war, conflict, or natural disaster— with open hearts and minds to all people. UMCOR responds to natural or civil disasters that are interruptions of such magnitude that they overwhelm a community’s ability to recover on its own. UMCOR works through programs that address hunger, poverty, sustainable agriculture, international and domestic emergencies, refugee and immigrant concerns, global health issues, and transitional development. Learn more at: www.umcor.org, www.facebook.com/umcor, and www.twitter.com/umc_umcor. 
Updated slideshow below:
The Pender Nursery is available on Sundays during services and Sunday School classes.

Please let us know the ages of your children so we can best prepare for them at pender.church/signup.

Note that all children must wear masks and have their temperature taken.
GBE Outreach:

Thank you Pender for your generous support of the GBE Backpack Blessings meal program. 

We are currently packing 75 meal bags per week for the school counselors to distribute to families in need of them.   

Please look in the Narthex for the next round of donation bags. Bags and food items should be returned to the Narthex no later than Sunday, February 27.  

Thank you for your continued support of this ministry in our community!
Children's Sunday School resumed in person and on Zoom

Welcome to Sunday School!

The children's Sunday School is meeting face-to-face (at the church).

Please note, teachers and children need to wear a mask during class. All children will get their own bag of materials to avoid sharing.

We hope to see you soon!
Indoor Cornhole Saturday, February 26 at 9:30am

The Grow in God Cluster is sponsoring this church-wide event. Jane McKee is serving as the point of contact for this activity. 

This event will occur every other Saturday (2nd and 4th Saturdays).

Individuals can bring their own coffee, tea, or hot chocolate beverage -- doughnuts to be provided.

This activity will be conducted indoors in the Gathering Place.
Turning Point Youth
Sunday School
Topic: Youth Sunday School
Time: Sundays @ 10:oo am-11am
At Pender

Sunday Night Youth  from 7-8:30 PM. See you there!
The primary purpose of United Methodist Men is to declare the centrality of Christ in the lives of men and in all their relationships. Accordingly, Virginia Conference United Methodist Men works with the District organizations, in developing programs to meet the needs and interests of men of all ages.

Join The United Methodist Men (UMM) on Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. for a Love, Learn, and Lead webinar on Chris Folmsbee's book, "The Wesley Challenge: 21 Days to a More Authentic Faith" with David Bean.

Reading and discussing each chapter from The Wesley Challenge will deepen your faith and lead you and those you mentor to a closer relationship with Jesus.

Bean will lead the discussion about The Wesley Challenge and share best practices and training materials for preparing mentors and helping new Christians become disciples.

Meeting ID: 898 2460 7164

Webinar recordings from previous Love, Learn, and Lead webinars are posted on the conference website https://vaumc.org/UMM.
The United Methodist Women will host a general membership meeting for existing members and women who are interested in participating in this ministry.

UMW General Membership Meeting
March 5, 2022 at 9:30 AM

Ladies, please join us for a UMW general membership meeting on Saturday, March 5 at 9:30 AM in the Gathering Place/Fellowship Hall.

A boxed breakfast, orange juice and bottled water will be served. There is a lovely coffee bar in the Gathering Space where you will be able to make your own coffee.

We will be discussing gratitude and will talk about what we are grateful and thankful for. Think about what you are grateful for and can share with the group. Everyone attending the meeting will be taking home a gift bag with items to help us think and remember all our blessings.

Please contact Iris Salcewicz with questions.

Sign up at pender.church/signup
The Hypothermia Shelter at Pender is the week of March 27 to April 1st. Claire needs your help!

Please come to a planning meeting on March 5th in the Cornerstone Room (Rm 215) from 10 am to 11:00 am!

See you there!

Sign up to help with Hypothermia at pender.church/signup
Join us in worship with the young men and women at the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center.

You may feel like your individual participation doesn’t matter, but it does! Over and over again, the staff tells us how we make a difference in the young men’s and women’s lives and the lives of the staff!

This is not a commitment to sign-up for a firm date, but please indicate the months you might be available.

It is always on the 4th Sunday of the month at the Fairfax Juvenile Detention Center from 1:15 pm to 2:30 pm. 

Please review the available slots at pender.church/signup and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!
RUNNING TO THE END

Rick and Debbie Yorgey serve with Navigators in Washington D.C. The following is a communication from Debbie.

"Rick loves to run. After a number of slight injuries, he was recently able to run a 10K in his age group (69 minutes), an ongoing goal. He would love to be able to run through the rest of his life...Lord willing. We would also like to keep running in terms of ministry.

We have been called to win and train multiplying disciple makers in our neighborhood, church and wherever God opens doors. God has also placed us to encourage all U.S. Navigators to fully embrace the contribution of brothers and sisters from every ethnicity in God’s creation. This has been an extremely busy year running from one zoom meeting to the next (without even moving) but we both feel God is allowing us to make significant contributions to people’s lives— and we are not done yet! In the race toward the prize God seems to have quite a few more miles for us to go. I, personally, have hated running ever since I decided to be on the track team as a freshman in high school and in my first race, my head got ahead of my feet and I fell flat on my face, scraping most uncovered body parts on my way down. But running toward the goal of Christ’s calling on our lives is a joy for both of us! We are so grateful that many of you have prayed and given toward our ministry for years.

We thank God for all of you who run this race with us."
Missions Conference April 30-May 1

Rev. White is graciously relinquishing his pulpit on May 1 for our guest/keynote speaker for the conference. 

We now have confirmed that Chris Hanak will be our Sunday worship guest speaker. As you know, she is an ordained minister with the UMC, and we are thrilled to have her back at her home congregation where her missionary life began.
Western Fairfax Christian Ministries
The WFCM blue cart is outside the church.

All donations of food and toiletries are welcomed and needed.

Item of the Week: Canned Vegetables

Please no:
* Expired food
* Glass jars

Thank you for your continuing generous support of WFCM.
WFCM


Western Fairfax Christian Ministries ("WFCM") Current Request for Donations

The WFCM Food Pantry is accepting outside donations at their address below. There is a greater need for food but fewer donations.

You can also help by ordering from Amazon for delivery to WFCM. Rice, beans, canned fruit, diapers (Sizes 4, 5, 6), pasta, pasta sauce, etc.

                   WFCM
                   4511 Daly Drive, Suite J
                   Chantilly, VA 20151


Financial contributions are also accepted (cash, check or through our website). Please mark your tax deductible donation "WFCM Food Pantry." This will be recorded on your giving statement.

Thank you for your continuing support of WFCM. In 2021, Pender donated 6,128.74 pounds of food and personal care items to help the needy in the community. Thank you for your ongoing and generous support of WFCM.
Pender is an open and welcoming church. We accept and embrace all persons, period. All people are blessed children of God. Pender is a caring and praying church community; we believe as Christians that we are called to follow and practice the ways of Jesus Christ, who is our ever present and living God.

Our mission is to practice and embrace, providing unconditional love and acceptance of all of God's children as He loves and accepts all of us.

We do not discriminate based on age, mental, physical, or intellectual ability, culture, gender, race, religious belief or unbelief, or sexual orientation.
Save the Date

  • February 26, Indoor Cornhole
  • February 26, AHG Badge Day
  • February 27, Scout Sunday
  • February 27, Return GBE Backpack Blessings bags
  • February 27, Girl Scout Cookies
  • February 27, Bible Study “Seeing the Glory”
  • February 27, JDC, Juvenile Detention Center. Sign up to help
  • February 28, Last Day to order Mulch from the Boy Scouts
  • March 1, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner. Sign up at pender.church/signup
  • March 2, Ash Wednesday Service, 7:30
  • March 4, Game Night, 7:00 pm
  • March 4, Pender Night on the Streets
  • March 5, Hypothermia Planning Meeting
  • March 5, UMW General Meeting
  • March 6, Care and Connect Team
  • March 6, Girl Scout Service Project
  • March 15, UMM Webinar
  • March 27, Confirmation Classes begin
  • March 27-April 3, 2022, Hypothermia Center Sign up to help at pender.church/signup
  • April 14, Holy Thursday
  • April 15, Good Friday
  • April 16, An Easter Experience
  • April 17, Easter Sunday
  • April 22-23, Confirmation Class Retreat Weekend
  • April 23, Hope in Motion (The Chris Atwood Foundation)
  • April 30-May 1, Missions Conference
  • May 1, PUMC Confirmation Class Ceremony

Every Sunday - In Person and Streaming Services.
  • Traditional at 9:00 am
  • Common Ground Contemporary at 11:15 am

Weekly Events

  • Sunday
  • The Cornerstone Class meets at 10:00 am.
  • Children's Sunday School Class meets at 10:00 am.
  • Connections Video and Discussion meets at 10:00 am
  • Middle School Class meets at 10:00 am
  • Youth Sunday School Class meets at 10:00 am.
  • The Seeker Sunday School Class meets at 10:15 am.
  • The Turning Point Youth Group at 7:00 pm
  • Youth Group
  • Monday
  • Mary Martha Circle, in person and online
  • Boy Scout Troop 1530 meets in-person at 7:00 pm
  • Tuesday
  • Staff Meeting at 11:00 am.
  • Carillon Ringers at 6:45 pm
  • Joy Ringers at 7:30 pm
  • Wednesday
  • Ruth Circle meets on Zoom at 10 am
  • Thursday
  • AV and Worship Team Rehearsals in-person at 6:00 pm
  • Choir Rehearsal at 7:30 pm