Pender has a powerful group of individuals who pray for the needs of the congregation. This group offers prayers of thanksgiving, for strength, for healing power for family and friends and for other issues in your life.

Please contact Iris Salcewicz with any prayer requests you have and if you would like to become a prayer warrior for Pender. 

Your joys and concerns will be added to the prayer list.

The Source of Comfort



When you find yourself in pain, it’s natural to seek comfort. Everyone wants the agony of injury, illness, or heartbreak to disappear as quickly as possible.  If you touch a hot stove, you might grab a ice for your burn. If you get caught in a rainstorm, you might immediately look for shelter. 

If you experience the loss of someone you love, you might do whatever you can to distract yourself from grief.  We can also seek things like food, shopping, work, drugs, alcohol, technology, or entertainment as mind-numbing agents to attempt to ease our suffering.

But only one God can truly bring us comfort: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT

When Paul and Timothy use the word “comfort,” they’re describing a God who comforts, consoles, encourages, helps, strengthens, instructs, and refreshes. That’s the God He was to Paul and Timothy, and that’s the God He still is.  

No matter how bad things get, God can comfort you in a way that no one else can. You can lean on Him.  And because God’s Spirit is within His people, His people can also comfort others. He works in them and through them to offer a hope that’s beyond any present or future pain.  Are you hurting physically, mentally, or emotionally? There’s a God who cares. There are people who want to help. So cry out to the source of all comfort. You can trust Him with your pain.  

“The Source of Comfort.” YouVersion, 16 August 2023.  https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/.

Prayer

God, You are an unlimited God. There is nothing that is too hard for you, and there’s nothing you cannot do. Lord, help me to understand the areas in my life where I can use the resources you gave me to help others Help me be a light to others. In Jesus Name, Amen.

“Unlimited God Prayer.” YouVersion 28 August 2023.  https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/

Board of Discipleship Presentation of the Denman Award for Clergy for Pastor Bruce Johnson.

Award presentation and dinner to be held at 4:00 PM October 8 in the Gathering Place.

District Superintendent Sarah Calvert will be present along with representatives from the Virginia Conference UMC.

The Harry Denman Evangelism Awards honor a United Methodist clergy, youth, and layperson in each annual conference who has exhibited outstanding efforts in Wesleyan evangelism by faithfully carrying out the mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ.”

The award is named for the late Dr. Harry Denman, a distinguished lay evangelist whom Dr. Billy Graham called “my mentor in evangelism.” The awards are made possible by The Foundation for Evangelism (www.foundationforevangelism.org), founded in 1949 by Dr. Denman, who felt it was the business of every Christian to be an evangelist. It is most fitting that annual conferences today honor persons who carry on the spirit of Harry Denman.

Those eligible for this prestigious award practice the Great Commission. This can involve personal witnessing, speaking, and inspiring individual persons or the local church to be actively involved in helping people experience God’s transforming love through Jesus Christ. Neither the size of the local church with which the person is affiliated, the age or gender of the person, nor the length of their service should limit one’s eligibility. What is essential are the persons whose lives have been changed by the life and ministry of the nominee.

The Virginia conferences honor an individual each year and present the awards at the Virginia Annual Conference gathering.

The selection process is directed by the Board of Discipleship of the Virginia conference, and all nominations are collected through the nomination process set by the board.

UMM Exploratory Meeting

It has been decided to consider re-establishing a United Methodist Men group here at Pender.

In order to evaluate the viability of forming a new UMM organization we will beholding an exploratory discussion with all interested male members of the congregation in the Gathering Place on Sunday, 24 September directly after the second service. 

Since we will be serving lunch at the meeting, we are requesting that interested people let register in advance by e-mailing Keith Saddler at keith.saddler@verizon.net

We are optimistic that we will be able to re-establish a UMM fellowship which can become a valuable entity in our church experience and in Pender’s community outreach.

Jim and Roberta Pont will be offering Fun With Music again starting in early October. They could use a few more toys for children ages 0 to 5.

Also any children's books also for ages 0 to 5 that would be in good condition to give to the children on their birthday month. During their birthday month we sing Happy Birthday and the children get to pick a book to take home. 

They are really looking forward to beginning this program again after the pandemic when we had to shut down.

Please bring toys and books to Pender. Roberta has left a bin marked Fun With Music in the narthex. 

Any questions? Please feel free to call or email Roberta Pont.

Fun With Music will start October 2nd, Monday, beginning at 9:30am for registration. There is a fee of $25.00 to cover the food and supplies for the semester. This is per family. 

The  program will start at 10AM and end at 11:30AM. 

This program is for children 0 thru 5 and their parent, grandparent, or caregiver. The program will begin with age appropriate singing for the children for 30 minutes. 

It is a very interactive session, making use of instruments, parachutes, stuffed animals and other props. 

The children then will have a snack and then play with toys . The adults are served breakfast and have time for fellowship while the children play. 

We will meet in the Cornerstone Room. 

Please feel free to call Roberta Pont at 703-725-7597 or email at jimandrobertapont@gmail.com. 

The United Women in Faith will have a membership meeting on Saturday, September 16 at 10 AM. 

We will be meeting in the Gathering Space and will be having a light breakfast. We will be discussing Luke 13. 

All ladies are invited and please bring a friend with you. Questions, contact Maya Berry.

Hi Sunday School Families & Friends, 

There are some wonderful family/children's activities happening ithis year. Please come and enjoy! All are welcome -- and invite a friend!

Thursday, September 14. The Music Experience is a weekly 45 minute session for third through sixth grade children from 4:30-5:15.

Children can perform, read, write, and experience music, no prior music knowledge necessary.

October 1, 2023 - Youth Ministry Event: The Power of Clean Clothes

Pender's Impact for Youth will host a youth ministry event: filling water bottles with powdered detergent that will enable the homeless and the poor to clean their clothes.

Oct 15: Maui hygiene kits

Nov 5: making 100 sandwiches

Nov 19: birthday in a box

Dec 3: Christmas party and kitty catnip socks

Sanctuary Choir Rehearsals continue this evening Thursday, September 14 at 7:30 pm.

This rehearsal will be kicked off by our Director of Music candidate, Patrick King. Patrick will rehearse the first two anthems (the initial 30 minutes of our practice session). Thereafter, Jane will complete our rehearsal session. If you can please stay a few minutes after the practice session as Pastor Bruce will facilitate a discussion with the choir regarding our candidate for the Director of Music position.  

All are welcome!

Handbells are not just for children and teens! We have adult handbell groups for beginner to advanced ringers.  The difficulty level of handbell music is rated from Level 1 (easy) to Level 6 (most difficult). Each of the groups rings 6-8 times in worship between September and June and participates in the annual Christmas handbell concert. 

The groups also like to participate in the various festivals that are held by the regional handbell guild (Handbell Musicians of America – Area 3). Our rehearsals are full of laughing and ringing (sometimes more laughing than ringing!) You do not have to know how to read music to learn how to ring handbells! 

Carillon Ringers group is for ringers who ring Level 2 and Level 3 music.

Carillon Ringers rehearse at 6:45 Tuesday. The handbells will play during the Traditional Service about once every four to six weeks. 

Joy Ringers group is for advanced ringers who ring Level 4 and Level 5 music

Joy Ringers rehearse at 7:30 Tuesday. The handbells will play during the Traditional Service about once every four to six weeks. 

Interested? Contact Brian or the Music Ministry

Trunk or Treat (please wear a costume)

games for all ages (we have 9 game stations)

snacks for everyone

live music (by our Common Ground Praise Band) 

This event is on Saturday, October 21 from 2-4 pm in the church parking lot. 

The rain date is on Sunday, October 29 from 2-4 pm. 

~~~

There are two bins in the narthex for the congregation to supply individually wrapped candy and snacks for the Fall Festival on October 21. 

~~~

We also need helpers for our Fall Festival! We will be decorating items for the Fall Festival on September 23.

~~~

We also need the following items:

1. Plastic pumpkins (small and medium). Need both completely closed pumpkins and open pumpkins with a hole on top. 

2. rings (for ring toss)

3. bowling pins

Please put your name on the items so the items can be returned to the owner after the fair. There are two boxes in the back room behind the kitchen (marked "for fall festival"). These items can go into these boxes. 

~~~

We need volunteers to help during the Fall Festival. In particular, we need people to help with the following:

1) Trunk or Treat cars

2) passing out candy

3) corn hole game

4) pumpkin bowling game

5) guess the number of candy in a jar game

6) ring toss (on a pumpkin) game

7) hot apple cider bar

8) football (nerf) toss into a hole game

9) Put one oreo cookie on forehead and have the person try to put the cookie in to his or her mouth without using hands game

10) parking

11) face painting

We need people to sign up by October 8 so we know many people to expect to help us out during the festival. 

To help out during the Festival, please sign up using our SignUpGenius or the QR code below.

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

WFCM has been providing food and services to the community for 35 years. Pender was one of the twelve founding churches that set the path and began the journey.

Thanks goes out to all of you who continue to support WFCM many programs.

~~~

The WFCM blue cart is outside the church.

All donations of food and toiletries are welcomed and needed.

Item of the Week: Canned Fruit

Please no:

* Expired food

* Glass jars

Thank you for your continuing generous support of WFCM.

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.