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Category Archives: Get Involved!

Holy Week at Pender UMC

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Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the most important week of the church year. At the other end of Holy Week is Easter, the most important day of the church year.

For Christians, this is the big event! And it’s all about the mystery that somehow Jesus Christ makes us one with God.

Palm/Passion Sunday. April 13. 10am. Pender Sanctuary

Join us as we begin the Holy Week journey to Easter with our Palm Sunday celebration. Come together to reflect on the significance of this day and honor the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem!

Holy Thursday Seder Meal. Thursday. April 17. 7pm. PUMC Gathering Place

Chag Sameach! (Happy Holiday!) We are excited to invite you for a warm and meaningful Passover Seder as we gather to experience the symbolism of this meal celebrating the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, a pivotal event in Jewish and Christian history!

Please note that the Seder Meal will not include a full meal. We have timed it for after the dinner hour.

Sign up to attend the Holy Thursday Seder Meal

Good Friday Stations of the Cross.  April 19, 10 am, Pender UMC Sanctuary

A contemporary expression of the traditional Stations of the Cross Prayer Walk to enhance your experience of the meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice on Good Friday.

Please enter in silence, walk and pray in silence, and depart in silence. Our prayer walk recalls Jesus’ passion. Visit each of the four “Stations of the Cross” in order (left to right). You may pause to pray at anytime using the kneeling rail or seats in our sanctuary. Stations of the Cross is a devotional practice which originated in the early centuries of Christianity.

Good Friday Service. Friday. April 18. 7:30pm. Pender UMC Sanctuary

We invite you to join us for a meaningful service as we come together to remember and reflect on the ultimate sacrifice made for us. The Service will feature a moving combination of drama, scripture, and music, all designed to guide our hearts through the profound story of Christ’s love, suffering, and redemption.

Holy Saturday Prayer Vigil. April 19. 7pm. Pender UMC Parking Area.

We warmly invite you to join us for a special service of prayer, song, and scripture to prepare our hearts for the Easter celebration ahead.

Easter Sunday Celebrations! April 20. Pender UMC

Celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the new life we have in Him. Whether you’re a long-time member or a first-time guest, we would love to welcome you!

Sunrise Service with Korean UMC – Koinonia! 6am. Pender Parking area

Sunrise Breakfast! 7am. Pender UMC Gathering Place Please let us know you’ll be having breakfast.

Easter Worship! 10am. Pender UMC Sanctuary with bells, scripture, and special music!

All of our worship is Christ-centered, Biblically-minded and relevant to life today. Pender UMC desires that you feel God’s Spirit nurturing you and that in worship you experience the very real presence of Christ with us. May you be blessed by God as you gather with us.

Where do I enter the building?

First, we want you to know that our church has worked hard to create a building with access for all. Whether you find yourself in a wheelchair or carting babies in a buggy, you’ll find automatically opening doors and large entrances.

As you enter the parking lot, you will notice two doors, both under porticos so that you may get out of the rain if it is wet. To enter through the main sanctuary entrance doors, simply look for the semi-circular driveway.

If instead you enter the sliding glass doors entrance, make a left into the hallway to the end where you will notice the welcome area on your left.

What do my children do?
We invite older children (3rd grade and up) to become fully involved in worship. At the back of the sanctuary are “children’s bulletins” and supplies like crayons.

Our younger children have the option of remaining with their family or being cared for by our wonderful nursery and childcare staff. Childcare is available for children ages birth through 2nd grade in the lower level of our building. Ask an Usher to help you find where to take your children!

Where do I park?
We attempt to have plenty of parking on Easter morning for our guests. However, we suggest you plan to arrive early, and if parking is full on our lot, there is parking on the street.

What if I need further information?
Our friendly volunteers and staff will welcome your questions! Please call our church office at 703-278-8023 between 9 am and 3 pm, Monday through Friday. Once at Pender, ask any friendly face for help! We are here to assist you.

 

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Easter Sunrise Breakfast

Get ready to rise and shine on Easter Sunday at Pender UMC’s Gathering Place for a spectacular Sunrise Breakfast!

Join us on April 20, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:30 AM for a delightful morning filled with the aromas and flavors of a heartwarming breakfast.

Our menu features a tempting array of bagels with cream cheese, savory breakfast casseroles, golden French toast, sizzling sausage, and fresh fruit, complemented by freshly brewed coffee and tea.

It’s the perfect way to start your Easter with fellowship and good cheer. Don’t miss out—make sure to sign up for this festive breakfast gathering!

Please let us know you’ll be coming.

 

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Parking Lot Help Needed This Saturday, April 5!

We’re calling on helping hands for a Parking Lot Workday this Saturday, April 5, and we’d love your support!

The HOA across the street recently alerted us to a fallen tree on our property that needs to be cleared. Thanks to coordination by Robert Parker, head of Trustees, we have a tree cleanup scheduled for that day to take care of it.

In addition to the tree removal, we’ll be refreshing the parking lot with newly painted lines to clearly define parking spaces and give the area a much-needed spruce-up.

We’re also excited to share that KUMC Koinonia will be joining us to lend a hand — so it’s a great opportunity to work together, build community, and take care of God’s house!

Come dressed for outdoor work and bring any tools you might have that could help with clean-up or painting prep. Many hands make light work!

Thank you for supporting the care and upkeep of our church grounds!

 
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Posted by on April 2, 2025 in Get Involved!, Ministries, Pender UMC

 

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Community Food Packaging Event at Vale

Community Food Packaging Event at Vale

Vale UMC invites members of the community to help us package 80,000 meals for the global anti-hunger organization Rise Against Hunger .

The meal packaging event will be held at Vale UMC (11528 Vale Road, Oakton) on Sunday, February 2nd and will be organized into three sessions: 11:30-1:30pm, 2:00-4:00pm, & 4:30-6:30pm. To volunteer for a shift, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE

The whole family can participate! Kids ages 8 and up can help; child care for children under 8 can be provided if you give us advance notice (please make a note in the comments section). And for teens, this is a great opportunity to earn community service hours for school.

NOTE: The meals were purchased from the proceeds of Vale’s annual Christmas tree sale—so if you purchased a tree from Vale, thank you!

 
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Posted by on January 17, 2025 in Get Involved!, Pender UMC

 

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Sign up for the Poetry Slam

Scan the QR code below for the Poetry Slam Application and Guidelines.

POETRY SLAM GUIDELINES

Please review and make sure to adhere to the following guidelines before submitting your poem:

  1. Submit only one poem.
  2. Your poem must be an original piece of work. Plagiarism is a very serious offense.
  3. The theme is TRANSFORMATION.
  4. Poetry can be written in any style on the subject of TRANSFORMATION.
  5. Please use proper language. Poems containing language that is vulgar, offensive, or wholly inappropriate will not be accepted.
  6. All poems must be written in English.
  7. The writer must be a student, at least 13 years old in the 7th grade.
  8. By submitting your poem to this poetry slam, you accept that your poem will appear online and may appear in a print anthology. Regardless of how your poem will appear, you will be credited as the author.
  9. We reserve the right to not publish a poem for any reason.
  10. Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
  11. Originality and creativity.
  12. Quality of the poem – is the idea of TRANSFORMATION communicated clearly?
  13. Is the poem well organized?
  14. Poets can recite poems from memory or read from paper.
  15. Poets cannot use props, costumes, or musical instruments.
  16. The delivery of the poem is just as important as the content.
  17. Performers will be treated with respect.
  18. A poet who is physically unable to read their poem onstage due to a permanent or temporary impairment may have a substitute reader perform the poem as long as: (a) the primary author is in the space and positioned where they are clearly visible to the audience and (b) the reader delivers the poem without significant affectation that draws attention away from the author.
  1. We recognize that being on stage may be terrifying. A poet who experiences extreme anxiety about being on stage or who otherwise requires physical support to be on stage may have a teammate or coach accompany, provided that the accompanying support person remains physically neutral on stage and does not engage in anyway that could be considered to make them a performer.
  2. Entries can be submitted electronically with this poetry slam application completed to Pender United Methodist Church OR mailed to Pender United Methodist Church, 12401 Alder Woods Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22033, or dropped off at the church office.
  3. All entries must be received in Pender United Methodist Church office no later than Saturday, February 15, 2025.

 

PRIZES

  • Three swag bags will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winner.
  • Each swag bag will have a variety of items to include a $100, $75, and $50 Amazon gift card respectively included.

 

 
 

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