Easter for Christians is not just one day, but rather a 50-day period. The season of Easter, or Eastertide, begins at sunset on the eve of Easter and ends on Pentecost, the day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church (see Acts 2).
Easter is also more than just an extended celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. In the early church, Lent was a season for new converts to learn about the faith and prepare for baptism on Easter Sunday. The initial purpose of the 50-day Easter season was to continue the faith formation of new Christians.
Today, this extended season gives us time to rejoice and experience what it means when we say Christ is risen. It’s the season when we remember our baptisms and how through this sacrament we are, according to the liturgy, “incorporated into Christ’s mighty acts of salvation.” As “Easter people,” we also celebrate and ponder the birth of the Church and gifts of the Spirit (Pentecost), and how we are to live as faithful disciples of Christ.
Please join us today Sunday, May 22nd, at our 8:15, 9:30 & 11am Services. Pastor Kenny will be preaching at all 3 services on “Our Vision” (Matthew 28:16-20).
The Great Commission
“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)
Pender’s Vision Statement:
By following Jesus and reaching out to others, we seek God’s transformation of ourselves and our world.
Listen to 286 past sermons by Pastors Kenny Newsome, Dan Elmore and others in the Pender Podcast.
Wondering where to take your children on Sunday mornings? Below is a summary. More detailed information is available at the Welcome desk located in the main lobby and here.
NURSERY CARE ~ Birth through 2 years, 9:30 am – 12:15 pm
SUNDAY SCHOOL 1 ~ 2 yrs. – Adults, 9:30 am – 10:40 am
SUNDAY SCHOOL 2 ~ Grades 4 – Adults, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
CHERUB CHURCH ~ 3 yrs.- Kindergarten, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP ~ Grades 1-3, 10:45 am – 11:30 am
May 22: Items of the week needed for Western Fairfax Christian Ministries to distribute to the needy in our area:
Canned Fruit and Condiments
46 oz. bottles of oil, fruit juices, plastic bags and egg cartons are always needed and welcome too!
Donations can be left in the blue grocery cart in the coat rack section.
May 22: The Pender Podcast is available in the iTunes Podcast series. There is no charge to subscribe or listen to past sermons. There are currently 286 sermons available. More information
May 22: The Waitlist is open for Vacation Bible School (VBS). More information
May 22: ONLY 5 SPOTS LEFT! Registration is open for Music Camp. More information
May 22: New Directions Sunday School Class. New study entitled “Soul Keeping – Caring for the Most Import Part of You” by John Ortberg. We meet in Rooms 218-220 at 9:30 AM. If any questions, feel free to contact Carol Wilson If any questions, feel free to contact Carol Wilson by email or at (703) 815-1744.
May 22: The 10:30am Sunday School Class is reading a new study by Adam Hamilton entitled Seeing Gray in A World of Black and White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics. Contact Angie Green for more information.
May 22: Sunday School II for adults. 10:45 am-noon
May 22: The Pender Youth Orchestra, 4:15-5:00 pm. The Youth Orchestra is open to all youth grades 7 through 12 who play a wind, brass, stringed or percussion instrument. New members are always welcome! The Orchestra plays 4-5 times during Sunday morning worship from December-June. More information.
Wear RED this Sunday, May 15th! It’s Pentecost Sunday, one of the principal days of the Christian year, celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. The Greek word pentecoste means “fiftieth day.”
Pentecost is the day on which the Christian church commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and others assembled in Jerusalem.
It marks the beginning of the Christian church and the proclamation of its message throughout the world and is often referred to as the birthday of the church.
Pastor Kenny will be preaching on “Fire!” (Acts 2:1-4) at the 8:15 & 11am Services and Pastor Dan will be preaching on “The Spirit Awakens!” (Acts 2:1-13)
Listen to 284 past sermons by Pastors Kenny Newsome, Dan Elmore and others in the Pender Podcast.
Wondering where to take your children on Sunday mornings? Below is a summary. More detailed information is available at the Welcome desk located in the main lobby and here.
NURSERY CARE ~ Birth through 2 years, 9:30 am – 12:15 pm
SUNDAY SCHOOL 1 ~ 2 yrs. – Adults, 9:30 am – 10:40 am
SUNDAY SCHOOL 2 ~ Grades 4 – Adults, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
CHERUB CHURCH ~ 3 yrs.- Kindergarten, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP ~ Grades 1-3, 10:45 am – 11:30 am
May 15: Items of the week needed for Western Fairfax Christian Ministries to distribute to the needy in our area:
Egg Noodles and Hamburger Helper
46 oz. bottles of oil, fruit juices, plastic bags and egg cartons are always needed and welcome too!
Donations can be left in the blue grocery cart in the coat rack section.
May 15: The Pender Podcast is available in the iTunes Podcast series. There is no charge to subscribe or listen to past sermons. There are currently 284 sermons available. More information
May 15: The Waitlist is open for Vacation Bible School (VBS). More information
May 15: New Directions Sunday School Class. New study entitled “Soul Keeping – Caring for the Most Import Part of You” by John Ortberg. We meet in Rooms 218-220 at 9:30 AM. If any questions, feel free to contact Carol Wilson If any questions, feel free to contact Carol Wilson by email or at (703) 815-1744.
May 15: The 10:30am Sunday School Class is reading a new study by Adam Hamilton entitled Seeing Gray in A World of Black and White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics. Contact Angie Green for more information.
May 15: Sunday School II for adults. 10:45 am-noon
May 15: Traditional Service, 11:00 am. More information
Youth Confirmation Sunday
This Sunday is a special day in the life of our youth where our confirmation students will publicly accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior at the altar during our 11am service and become official members of Pender. All family members and members of our Church family are invited to come and celebrate this important spiritual milestone in their lives!
May 15: Teen Sunday School. 11:00 am-noon
May 15: The Pender Youth Orchestra, 4:15-5:00 pm. The Youth Orchestra is open to all youth grades 7 through 12 who play a wind, brass, stringed or percussion instrument. New members are always welcome! The Orchestra plays 4-5 times during Sunday morning worship from December-June. More information.
From a historical perspective, Christianity didn’t start with Jesus’ birth, his death or even his storied ascension to heaven. It started with Pentecost — the day the “Holy Spirit” entered a room holding Jesus’ apostles and entered each of them, an event which — as my minister uncle tells me — “makes the church the church.”
Although Pentecost is chock full of religious significance, it is a holiday not widely celebrated. Sort of the opposite of Hanukkah, which is widely celebrated but not religiously important. My uncle says Pentecost is a bigger deal in liturgical churches, which follow a formal, standardized order of events (like Catholics). “Non-liturgical” refers to churches whose services are unscripted (like Baptists).
Back Story: At his Last Supper, Jesus legendarily instructed his 12 disciples to go out into the world to minister and heal the sick on their own. It was at that point that they became “apostles.” Fifty days after Jesus’ death, as the story goes, the Holy Spirit (part of the Holy Trinitity — God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ) descended onto the apostles, making them speak in foreign tongues. This “Pentecostal” experience allowed the apostles direct communication with God, which signaled a major shift in the religious landscape and laid the foundation for what would become Christianity. You’ll notice that the disciples are always depicted in artwork as regular-looking men while the apostles are depicted with halos around their heads. (Several other apostles came later — namely the famous Paul who is credited with writing much of the New Testament.)
Although all the original 12 apostles are important, some get top billing. Here’s why:
Peter (also called Simon Peter) established the first church in Antioch and is regarded as the founding pope of the Catholic church. Instrumental in the spread of early Christianity, Peter was said to have walked on water, witnessed the “Transfiguration of Jesus” and denied Jesus (for which he repented and was forgiven.) The Gospel of Mark is ascribed to Peter, as Mark was Peter’s disciple and interpreter.
John also is said to have witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus and went on to pen the Gospel of John, the Epistles of John and Book of Revelation. He died at age 94, having outlived the other apostles — all of whom, according to legend/history/whatever, were martyred. John is often described as “Jesus’ favorite” and depicted as the disciple sitting to Jesus’ right at the Last Supper.
Thomas (“Doubting Thomas”) is best known for questioning Jesus’ resurrection when first told of it. According to the Bible, Thomas saw Jesus himself several days later and proclaimed “My Lord and my God,” to which Jesus famously responded: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:28.)
Please join us this Sunday, May 31, in worship at the 8:15, 9:30 and 11:00 Services.
Sermon Series: STORIES
May 31 – Confirmation – Our Story To Tell – John 9:13-38
The Blind man couldn’t explain all the details of what Jesus had done or how he had done it. But he did know this, “I once was blind but now I can see.” The stories we have to tell do not have to be elaborate or involved but simple tell what I know to be true because this is my experience with Jesus. What is story you have to tell?
May 28: Items of the week needed for Western Fairfax Christian Ministries to distribute to the needy in our area:
Juices
46 oz. bottles of oil, fruit juices, plastic bags and egg cartons are always needed and welcome too!
Donations can be left in the blue grocery cart in the coat rack section.
May 31: The Pender Podcast is available in the iTunes Podcast series. There is no charge to subscribe or listen to past sermons. There are currently 218 sermons available. More information
May31: Online VBS Registration is closing on Sunday, May 31. VBS will run from July 6-10, 2015. Some grades are already full so act quickly to assure a spot.
May 31-July 3: Music Camp Registration is open until we reach 60 campers. Music Camp will run from July 6-10, 2015 in the afternoon.
May 31: New Directions Sunday School Class. Mark Batterson’s book entitled “The Circle Maker – Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears”. We meet in Rooms 218-220 at 9:30 AM. If any questions, feel free to contact Carol Wilson If any questions, feel free to contact Carol Wilson by email or at (703) 815-1744.
May 31: Sunday School Class: The Truth Project (began September 21) This Focus on the Family’s DVD series, with 26 one-half hour lessons taught by Dr. Del Tackett, is the starting point for looking at life from a Biblical perspective. lesson discusses the relevance and importance of living the Christian worldview in daily life.
May 31: Sunday School Class: The Good and Beautiful God (began September 21) (Room 205 – Library) A new Sunday School course immediately after the 9:30 am worship service led by Brian and Angie Green will be reading and discussing this book. To sign up or find out more information, please sign up on the Connection Card in the bulletin on Sunday.
May 31: Sunday School II for adults. New Study: The Good and Beautiful Community 10:45 am-noon
The Pender UMC Traditional Service Middle Hymn “It is Well With My Soul” on Sunday November 13, 2022 was played by… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…1 day ago
News and Views 