Dear Church family:

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Pender UMC! Greenery and seasonal colors adorn the sanctuary and Christmas lights illumine the parking lot. My several Christmas ties are making their annual appearance, one week at a time. I imagine your home is also reflecting the signs anticipating the joyful celebration to come.  

Over the next 10 days, there will be several special in-person activities at Pender to bring the Advent season to a climax with the celebration of the wondrous Christmas gospel – that the Creator God entered into the world in his Son, Jesus the Messiah of Israel, to save the world in love. You will find all the details you need about our services and activities in this newsletter and on the church’s website. If you have difficulty accessing the media, the church office staff can help. A printed green flier has also been prepared and is available in the narthex for your taking. This Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, I will be out of town, but you will be blessed by Patrick King, our new Director of Music Ministries, who will bring a heart-felt and timely word from the Lord.

As we continue to move deliberately and patiently in this Advent season toward Christmas, we pray for God’s grace to be revealed once again to us through the Holy Spirit’s gifts of faith and worship that help us to prepare to receive Christ afresh into our lives and fellowship. I hope to see many of you as we prepare and celebrate together.

Pastor Bruce

A few more copies of the book (The Means of Grace) for the Tuesday/Thursday class have been ordered.

Pastor Bruce is leading a study on a topic of importance to us all.

As Christians we know that God has acted in Jesus Christ to be in relationship with us, and we want to grow in our relationship to God. From the start, this has also been a central feature of Methodist Christianity. But how does this growth happen? And what is our part? 

Beginning next week, we will begin a new study and conversation to consider the ways God works in our lives with grace, and the specific ways in which we can participate in the process of knowing and loving the Lord. 

If you are interested, join us either on Tuesday at 7:00pm or on Thursday at 10:00am in the library. 

If you are unable to join us but are interested, or if you have questions, please contact me by email or phone (bruce.j@penderumc.org 434-610-1115) as soon as possible. 

We will order books soon and encourage anyone who is able to reimburse the church for the cost ($16) If that is a stretch for you, the church will pick up the cost. Since growing in our relationship to God is a topic that is relevant to every person, feel free to invite a friend or acquaintance beyond our congregation. 

I hope to see you there. 

Pastor Bruce 

UNCHANGING 

In an ever-changing, always-moving, constantly-shifting world, we can count on the unchanging nature of God.  Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the author of Hebrews said it like this:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  Hebrews 13:8 

A title for the three distinct parts, or “Persons,” of God is the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And the Son—Jesus Christ—is the purest reflection of the Father, who never changes.

When you unpack the stunning mystery that is God made flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ, you’ll notice that He said audacious things like: “I and the Father are one,” (John 10:30) 

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father,” (John 14:9) and, “Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:5)  

John described Jesus as the Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)  God said of Himself, “I the Lord do not change...” (Malachi 3:6) This unchanging quality is called the immutability of God. 

From generation to generation, God is the immovable rock where we can firmly plant our faith.  God cannot lie. He cannot be unjust. He’s always good. He’s always faithful. He’s fully perfect. He’s self-sufficient. He’s continuously steady and constant, enduring and everlasting.

If your world has been rocked, or if everything around you seems to be shifting, or if it's challenging to tell what is solid rock and what is shifting sand, you can trust in, count on, and place your hope in Jesus.  He’s not only your righteous Savior, but He’s also your unchanging God.

“Unchanging.”  YouVersion 8 July 2023.  https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/

Christmas Love Offering

Gratitude is the appreciation of a gift received.  Happiness is the enjoyment of completely living in the present while sharing God’s love and grace with our neighbors.  Hope is the belief and knowledge that our Father will provide for all of our needs.  Today, Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee encourages all of us to think of these gifts and prayerfully consider providing a Christmas Love Offering for our pastor and staff.  

Our staff continually, faithfully, and with great reverence actively supports Pender’s world-changing mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ who will transform the world; of providing an inclusive love for all persons; of encouraging others to deepen their faith walk; of providing passionate worship; of offering radical hospitality to all; of teaching, and encouraging each other to develop an authentic relationship with Christ; and of participating in sacred resistance activities as the Holy Spirit calls us. 

In partnership with the Pender family, our staff share the good news, provide hope, and are fully invested in discipleship making -- the core of what we do at Pender.  It is hope that keeps us moving forward, towards becoming more Christ-like in our daily lives.  Hope has sustained our work in the domestic and international mission field for more than 116 years.  Pender’s staff celebrates and rejoices with our children, youth, and families as they  connect with each other, in learning about Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit both in-person, through recorded, streaming, and Zoom/concurrent Bible studies.  Our staff partners with volunteers to provide opportunities of sharing the sacrament of holy communion together;  to joyfully engage with each other thorough a variety of evangelical outreach events; as well as making telephone calls, sending cards, home visits, and partnering with our powerful prayer warriors who reach out to the community letting folks know that they are loved, seen, heard, and remembered.

The collaboration of Pender staff with our volunteers have provided worship music in both the contemporary and traditional styles that encourages us to disconnect from the outside noise and to be fully present with our Father during worship, wedding celebrations and Going Home services.  The powerful sermons that challenge and encourage us to reflect on our personal relationship with Christ and how we share the good news and gospel with others is a testimony of our staff sharing their gifts and offerings with each of us.

Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee encourages each of you to prayerfully consider making a love offering gift - indicate “Love Offering Gift” in the memo of your check or online giving by Sunday, December 31, 2023. 

If you crochet or knit, please join the Pender Prayer Shawl Ministry this Saturday, December 16. 

We meet by Zoom from 10 AM - Noon. The group makes prayer shawls, scarfs and lap blankets. Bring any projects you are making.  

Contact Iris Salcewicz for the Zoom details.

GBE Outreach

Thank you Pender for your generous support of the GBE Backpack Blessings meal program.  We are currently packing 50 meal bags per week for the school counselors to distribute to families in need of them.  

 Please look in the Church Lobby this Sunday December 10 for the next round of donation bags. Bags and food items should be returned to the blue bin in the lobby no later than Sunday December 31.  

Thank you for your continued support of this ministry in our community!

Pender Hill School has been selected five years in a row for the Best of Fairfax Awards for Child Care and now qualifies for the 2023 Fairfax Business Hall of Fame. 

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!

December 24 will be the fourth Sunday of Advent.

We will have our regular Sunday services at 9 and 11:15 am.

The season of Advent, which comes comes from the Latin word adventus meaning "coming" or "visit," begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Advent is the beginning of the church year for Christians.

During Advent, we prepare for and anticipate the coming of Christ. We remember the longing of Jews for a Messiah and our own longing for and need of forgiveness, salvation and a new beginning. Even as we look back and celebrate the birth of Jesus in a humble stable in Bethlehem, we also look forward anticipating the second coming of Christ as the fulfillment of all that was promised by his first coming.

Although we are accustomed to celebrating Christmas on a single day, in both Christian tradition and on the church calendar, the Christmas season lasts from sundown on Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) through Epiphany of the Lord (Jan. 6). This is sometimes referred to as "the 12 days of Christmas."

Advent begins with the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. 

The color for Advent has traditionally been purple, although some churches have adopted blue. In practice, however, as churches increasingly incorporate the symbols and decorations of Christmas during Advent, more and more red, green and gold are appearing. The United Methodist Book of Worship upholds the traditional color of purple for Advent, signifying penitence and royalty, but also allows blue, the color of hope."

Candles, Carols and Communion

Join us for a traditional candlelight service at 7:30 pm. You’ll hear and sing the traditional Christmas Carols. There will be scripture reading, a reading of the Christmas story and Pastor Bruce's thoughts.

We’ll serve Holy Communion.

There will be a special children’s message at this service.

Music will be provided jointly by Traditional and Common Ground teams on Christmas Eve!

A lighting of the candles signify Christ's birth.

Come experience the joy!

Come as you are for a carol sing and a message for children and adults will be the order of morning worship.

Kids, and young at heart, may wear their pajamas if they like!

There will be one service only on Christmas Morning!

Welcome in 2024 with one combined worship service on December 31 at 10:30am.

Please join us New Year's Eve at 7:00 pm with a potluck dinner and short service to welcome the New Year with songs and prayers.

Discover a supportive space for new beginnings! Join us every Wednesday at 6:00 PM, starting January 3rd, in the serene ambiance of Pender UMC's Library.

At 5:00 PM there will be a time of casual chat, known as the "meeting before the meeting".

Engage in meaningful conversations and find camaraderie at our AA meetings, guided by the experienced Tom O, a dedicated long-term member.

These are open meetings.

OPEN (Open to anyone interested in Alcoholics Anonymous' program of recovery from alcoholism)

DISCUSSION (Group participation in discussion of topic relevant to the AA program)

STEP (Group discussion of the 12 steps of AA)

Starting January 3, 2024.

Dine Out for Charity in December and support WFCM!

Enjoy 50% off a great meal at Sedona Taphouse while doing your part for charity.

For every HALF PRICE 8 oz. Black Angus Flat Iron Steak, 8 oz. Grilled Chicken, or 7 oz. Norwegian Salmon entrée sold, Sedona Taphouse will donate $1 to our organization!

Fine Print: You must dine in on a Monday and purchase a beverage, and the promotion is limited to one entrée per person.

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: Oatmeal

Please no:

* Expired food

* Glass jars

* Egg Cartons

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.

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.