One of Abiding Presence's longtime service ministries has been a partnership with the American Red Cross. Blood donors are always needed. Please call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org and enter "AbidingVA" to schedule an appointment. Eligibility Questions? Call 1-866-236-3276.
Read MoreThere's only one service this Sunday at 10:15 a.m. We'll gather outside for our annual outdoor worship service and picnic. All are welcome to join us. It's a great service to invite a friend or neighbor to come along, too. The service will be about 45 minutes with Holy Communion followed by a picnic and moonbounce. Bring a lawn chair or plan to sit in one of our folding chairs. Families are asked to please bring a side dish or dessert to share. The church will provide the hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks. Help is still needed with set up beginning at 9:00 a.m., monitoring the moonbounce and clean up. If you can help, email Pastor Keseley so she can put you in touch with our picnic coordinator.
The Saturday 6:00 p.m. service will continue as usual this weekend.
Read MoreWe're worshiping outside on Sunday, June 3 for our annual Outdoor Worship Service and Picnic. There will only be one Sunday morning service at 10:15 a.m. (Saturday worship will happen as usual at 6:00 p.m.) Grab a lawn chair or use one of the many folding chairs we'll have set up. After a 45 minute worship service with Holy Communion, we'll have a picnic. There will be a moonbounce by the playground for the kids. The church will provide hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks. Each family is asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share. We welcome all from the community to join us! It's a great service to invite a friend or neighbor to come along.
If you are able to help with the picnic, please contact the church office.
Read MoreHot Dogs & S'mores is a favorite summer kick off activity at Abiding Presence! We'll be out on the church patio (weather permitting) Wednesdays, May 30, June 6 and June 13 beginning at 6:15 p.m. We provide all of the hot dogs, fixings and s'mores components. You simply show up! The fire will be ready to go and you can roast your hot dog over the hot coals and make your s'mores.
Read MoreWOW! Abiding Presence, you know how to throw an anniversary celebration! Last Sunday's 40th anniversary service and luncheon was amazing. The music was exceptional, especially the choral anthem our Music and Worship Minister David Chavez wrote for the occasion. The mood was festive. The clergy who came to celebrate with us were plentiful. The people of Abiding Presence packed the sanctuary and narthex over 380 strong to give thanks to God for the past 40 years and look ahead to the next 40 years...and beyond. Thank you to everyone who came out to help us celebrate!
A special word of thanks to everyone who pitched in to make the celebration possible. Our 40th anniversary team had been meeting since last summer planning the festivities. The property team and others from the congregation were at church every day for 10 straight days cleaning, fixing, moving and preparing the inside and outside of the church. There wouldn't have been a celebration without the countless members of the church who worked tirelessly to make it happen.
And now, we're off and running toward the next 40 years. Summer may be approaching, but the ministry of Abiding Presence doesn't slow down much. This Wednesday we launch three weeks of "Hot Dogs & S'mores" as a chance to enjoy fellowship with one another during the week. Next Sunday is our annual Outdoor Worship Service and Picnic, a favorite Abiding Presence tradition. Then on Sunday, June 10 at the 8:45 a.m. service we'll have our annual High School Baccalaureate Service where we send our graduating high school seniors off with the prayers and blessings of the congregation.
As the children's choir sang at last Sunday's celebration service, "I am the church. You are the church. We are the church together." I'm grateful to be the church together with all of you!
Read MoreThis Sunday marks the end of our Sunday School year and I want to offer a big "Thank You" to all of our Sunday School teachers, confirmation mentors and senior high youth advisers. I am grateful for all of the ways these faithful adults have taught and inspired the faith of the children and youth of our congregation. Please join me in offering your thanks, too, when you see one of our Sunday School teachers, confirmation mentors or senior high youth advisers.
Read MoreWe still have a few key volunteer spots to fill for next Sunday, specifically help with serving in the buffet line during the luncheon (4-5 people still needed) and clean up (8-10 people still needed). Please consider lending a hand. If you can help, please email Pastor Keseley or sign up at https://abidingpresence.net/40th/.
Read MoreCheck out everything you need to know for our special 40th anniversary celebration on Sunday, May 20 at 10:00 a.m.
Read MoreWe are getting to work! Starting this Thursday, May 9 and continuing every day (except Sunday) up to our 40th anniversary celebration on May 20 we will have people gathering at the church beginning at 9:00 a.m. to work. There's lots to be done...lots! I hope you will lend your hands to help us prepare for the anniversary festivities and, more importantly, care for the church facility God has entrusted to us. Thank you, in advance, for getting involved!
As we celebrate our 40th anniversary we are also looking ahead to the future. One of our guiding principles as a congregation is to care for our church facility in such a way that it is an asset to the next generation of Abiding Presence members. We want to make sure we are passing down to those who will worship after us a vibrant and active faith family, a financial healthy institution and a well maintained facility. Thoughts of those who will come after us are always on our minds when we are making decisions today. They are even on our minds as we paint, scrub and clean!
Our new sanctuary chairs will be delivered on Thursday, May 17 at 7:00 a.m. Yes, it's early! But, we hope this might allow a few people to come over before work/school to lend a hand. Consider making chair moving your morning workout that morning. We can put all ages to help.
Thank you for being the church! Your dedication, faithfulness and generosity continue to inspire me.
Read MoreSchedule for orchestra, choir, and praise band
Read MoreAbiding Presence is grateful to have a strong relationship with Temple B'nai Shalom that dates back many years to when Temple B'nai Shalom worshiping at Abiding Presence while waiting to build their own building. This Sunday we will welcome the 8th graders from Temple B'nai Shalom to our 11:00 a.m. service as part of their study of Christianity. Later this month, Pastor Keseley will have the honor of serving as one of the honorary co-chairs of the gala celebrating Rabbi Perlin's retirement from B'nai Shalom. Rabbi Perlin was named "Rabbi Emerita" of Abiding Presence at our joint Thanksgiving Eve service in 2017.
Read MoreThis weekend is an exciting weekend for Abiding Presence! Bishop Richard Graham will be with us to preach and preside at all services. He'll also be at The Abiding Table at 10:00 a.m. to meet with senior high and adults over breakfast. Please make sure you're here for our special services this weekend!
Read MoreHave you sung in choir any time during the 40-year history of Abiding Presence? Know anyone else who has? We're going to make our 40th Anniversary Festival Service at 10:00 a.m. on May 20 an opportunity for a giant music ministry REUNION! Spread the word...
Read MoreAbiding Presence is sending 13 senior high youth and three adult chaperones to the ELCA Youth Gathering in Huston, TX this summer.
We're looking for members of the congregation to invest in our youth by providing financial contributions to make the Youth Gathering experience possible. The youth have made up their own "start-up company," APSOF, which is the acronym for Abiding Presence Seeds of Faith. The “start-up company “ The idea is to invite the congregation to invest in this company (i.e. the youth!) in order to help them raise money so that they can experience the ELCA Youth Gathering. The APSOF initial public offering (IPO) launched at the Abiding Table on Youth Sunday with much excitement and a price of $25 per share. For more information you can read the APSOF prospectus, visit the display in the church narthex or talk with one of the teens that is planning to attend.
Donations can be made online or by taking an envelope from the display in the narthex.
Check out the video put together to tell the story of why investing in our youth to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering is something important for the church to be about.
Read MoreAbiding Presence is celebrating our 40th anniversary on Sunday, May 20. There will be a festival worship service at 10:00 a.m. followed by a luncheon. (Please note, only one worship service this weekend.)
RSVP if you are attending the luncheon by May 2 so we can get an accurate count for the caterer. There will be a basket for freewill donations for the luncheon. There is no need to RSVP if you are just planning to attend the service.
Volunteers are needed Sunday morning to help with various tasks. Please sign up to volunteer.
It is going to be a fabulous morning of giving thanks for God's Abiding Presence that has led this congregation for the past 40 years and will now lead us into the next 40 years!
Read MoreVBS will run July 9-13 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and is for children ages 3 (and potty trained) through rising 6th grade. Click to register, to volunteer, or to get a preview!
Read MoreOne of the ways that Abiding Presence is about living out Jesus' commandment to "love our neighbors" is to support refugees who are resettling in our community by partnering with Lutheran Social Services.
Read MoreWhen I was in high school I had the opportunity to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering. My congregation didn't have any high school youth interested in going, but my friend's congregation invited me to come along with them. I have many, many memories of those fives days that were filled with thousands and thousands of high school Lutherans.
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