Pender People Praying … What can you be praying for Pender this week?
Please pray for opportunities to witness your faith as you interact with your neighbors this Halloween weekend.
Start your day with God at 9:00 am on Sundays for a time of prayer at Pender.
Posted by MaryO on October 30, 2026 in Get Involved!, Halloween, Holidays, Pender People Praying, Pender UMC
Tags: Halloween, neighbors, Pender People, pray, prayers
Two hours. 20 thousand meals. Lasting impact on the global community. Are you in?
You can have a hands-on effect on world hunger by packaging meals with Rise Against Hunger on November 1 arriving by 3:30-5 pm in Pender UMC’s Gathering Place. These meals are nutrient-dense combinations of protein, grains, vegetables, and vitamins, but their benefits reach far beyond just nutrition!
Meals are sent to disaster recovery areas and school programs internationally, where they have long-term positive consequences surrounding poverty, education, and more.
Bring a willing set of hands for assembly-line packaging. Children are welcome – this is an all ages and abilities event.
Each year, KUMC of Koinonia partners with the organization Rise Against Hunger on the first Sunday of November to pack 20,000 meals that are sent to communities in need around the world. This has been a meaningful and impactful tradition for our congregation.
Posted by MaryO on October 27, 2026 in Get Involved!, Outreach, Pender UMC
Tags: anti-hunger, community service, food packaging, KUMC, Rise Against Hunger
Pender will be collecting packed Shoebox gifts for Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child through November 23. Shoebox gifts are distributed around the world to children to demonstrate the love of Jesus, and invite them to learn about our savior. For more information, see the display in the Narthex.
Additionally, items are needed for boxes packed by Pender’s children and youth. Suggestions are small toys, dolls and stuffed animals, toothbrushes, washcloths, combs, hair accessories, crayons, pens (no pencils needed), thin notebooks, etc. A collection box will be in the Narthex starting October 25.
Another way to help is to make a $10 donation per box towards shipping & logistics, printing and program expenses. Add OCC to your memo or note in your online donation. For more information, go to the OCC website at: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/
Posted by MaryO on October 26, 2026 in Christmas, Get Involved!, Holidays, Pender UMC, Posts of Interest
Tags: Operation Christmas Child, serve
World Communion Sunday offers us an opportunity to experience Holy Communion in the context of the global community of faith.
The first Sunday of October has become a time when Christians in every culture break bread and pour the cup to remember and affirm Christ as the Head of the Church.
On that day, we remember that we are part of the whole body of believers.
Christians celebrate the communion liturgy in as many ways as there are congregations. World Communion Sunday can be both a profound worship experience and a time for learning more about our wider community of faith.
Posted by MaryO on October 1, 2026 in Chuck Knows Church, Get Involved!, Holidays, Pender UMC, Posts of Interest, Videos, World Communion Sunday
Tags: Christ, Christian, Chuck Knows Church, church, Communion, faith, Holy Communion, liturgy, One Table, Pastor Bruce, Pastor Bruce Johnson, Religion and Spirituality, video, World Communion Sunday, worship
Get ready to turn your next summer VBS into an unforgettable adventure with Snowball Mountain Challenge VBS 2026!
Snowball Mountain Challenge invites kids to an exciting winter sports event where they become Challengers, gearing up for frosty games, snowy surprises, and hands-on lessons about resilience and faith. They will come to realize that with the strength God provides, they can share their gifts, be brave, give their all, pray, and hope.
Your kids will be guided by the energetic Activities Director and the lovable Ollie the Arctic Seal puppet, who is reporting on the events. Challengers aren’t just playing games. Using their Challenge Companion (the Bible), they learn to draw strength from their faith through powerful stories, while connecting the learnings to Bible Stories and Lift Lessons (Key Learnings). With a unique winter theme and solid theology at its core, Snowball Mountain Challenge VBS delivers joy and meaning in equal measure, teaching kids that “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NRSV).
Bring your family together to experience Snowball Mountain Challenge. Your VBS program will be transformed into a mountaintop experience filled with laughter, life lessons, and lasting faith. As children face their challenges and discover their strength in God, you’ll hear them say, “Challenge accepted – with God I am strong.”
Potty-trained three year olds through ninth grade
Registration includes lunch and a T-shirt.
The cost is $30.
Contact
Jane McKee
VBS Director
(703) 278-8023
Can you help?
Posted by MaryO on June 8, 2026 in Get Involved!, Pender UMC, Posts of Interest
Tags: children, kids, lunch, middle school, Philippians 4:13, Snowball Mountain Challenge, t-shirt, toddlers, Vacation Bible School, VBS
