Ken & Letty came to Abiding Presence at the invitation of their grandchildren. “The first thing we noticed was how friendly it was and we loved the atmosphere,” Letty said. “We started talking to people and we really liked the inclusiveness and the church community,” Ken recalled. “There was a clear effort to be diverse, cherish it, and advertise it along with a clarity of mission where everybody knows they are an example of diversity and different backgrounds,” he shared.
Read MoreAfter moving to Northern Virginia a little over 3 years ago, Paige began looking for a church to attend with her daughter. She was particularly looking for a church with a separate service for kids and, after attending worship at Abiding Presence, didn’t think it would suit their needs. So she visited several other places of worship but none of them felt like the right fit. Still in search of a church home, she came back to Abiding Presence and has been worshiping here ever since.
Read MoreA dozen years ago while visiting his daughter and son-in-law in the area, Ron, an ELCA pastor, passed by Abiding Presence while out walking. He wasn’t intentionally looking for a church at the time, but attended a worship service. Seven years ago Ron made the official move to northern Virginia to be near his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren.
During that time Ron took a call to serve as the interim pastor at a church that was in the process of closing its doors. “One member,” Ron recalls, “had been a member there since their teenage years and had been on council multiple times.” It takes a great deal of understanding and emotional support for a pastor to shepherd a congregation through that process. Ron said, “Part of the life cycle is an ending for every living thing and it ended as well as it could but it was still an ending.”
Read MoreRaised in the Lutheran faith, Kathy regularly attended her local Lutheran church as an adult and it became a familiar place. She was involved in a number of ministries such as taking communion to shut-ins. “It was a small church and there was always a lot to do so I served in lots of roles,” Kathy shared.
When it came time to relocate from Pennsylvania to Virginia to live near her daughter’s family, Kathy’s daughter suggested Abiding Presence as a possible church home. “I went to the website, signed up for the enews, and heard from Pastor Meredith inviting me to a worship service and to OWLs,” Kathy recalled. “I was looking for a warm environment and was so impressed by the positive energy and overall vibe at Abiding Presence,” she said.
Read MoreGrowing up as an Army brat, Karen found herself moving every 2-3 years all over the globe and never experienced connecting with a church home. After settling in Virginia for her college years and then meeting her husband, Dick, they moved to Springfield together and had a daughter. Always pining for a “garden window” to grow her plants, Dick found them a house in Burke with exactly that and they settled into their new home. Feeling the need for a church home, they began attending Abiding Presence and had their daughter baptized here.
Read MoreJen’s family was looking for a new church home with family activities, events for kids, opportunities for music involvement, and Jen wanted to get to know other moms and women. Their family was searching for a church community intent on change and the ability to pivot, supporting innovation and a willingness to adapt. After driving by Abiding Presence on her daily commute, Jen visited the church website and watched a service online before attending in person. “We love Ms. Michaela and all the children’s programs offered at Abiding Presence,” Jen shared. “As a parent I love that there is always a place for my kids and we found our children are seen and valued in worship and in the whole community,” Jen said.
Read MoreHaving grown up in the Lutheran faith, Dan felt most at home attending his local Lutheran Church. One Christmas Eve he noticed Abiding Presence when driving by and how close it was to his house. He and his wife, along with their toddler, attended worship that evening and felt an immediate connection. “People were so accepting and welcoming of us and our 2 year old son and so patient with us as a young family,” Dan recalled. “Pastor Bailey had a warm, welcoming, and humble presence and we started attending weekly worship services,” he shared. When their daughter was born in 2000 they had her baptized and became members.
Read MoreHaving been raised in different faith traditions, Ralph and his wife Chris seldom attended worship services together. After many years and many moves from place to place they landed in northern Virginia in 2014 and the church search began. The internet church search introduced them to Abiding Presence. “We came to our first service at Abiding Presence feeling like the first day of school, and no fewer than a dozen people welcomed us, including Pastor Meredith,” Ralph recalled.
Read MoreMarian is a Senior at George Mason University majoring in Social Work who was looking for a way to get involved in her community. She came across the Abiding Presence Food Ministry website and the need for volunteers. After receiving a warm welcome from Sharon, the Food Ministry Coordinator, and utilizing her fluency in Spanish and English, Marian became a regular greeter to Pantry guests. Growing up without attending church regularly she felt pulled to Abiding Presence and the community here.
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