AP Youth Week Of October 26th - November 1st
AP Youth Week Of October 26th - November 1st

Hello 7th-12th Grade Families,

I hope you all are doing well and staying safe.

I want to highlight a few upcoming events happening at the church.

This Wednesday, October 28th from 5:30-6:30 p.m. we will be having our annual Trunk-Or-Treat. This year, we will run it drive-thru style with no candy being distributed by cars. At the end, each child will get a bag of candy from the church. We need lots more decorated trunks! This is a great family activity. Sign up to bring a trunk here.

This Friday, October 30th, 7 - 8:15 PM is Friday Night Lights. This week we will be having a movie night in the parking lot. We will be watching Halloween Town (1998), eating candy, playing games, and roasting smores. Please sign up in advance here at abidingpresence.net/youth. Parents please sign up to volunteer as well as these events take a lot of parent support.

On Saturday, November 7th from 1:30-2:45 PM we will be having the annual crop walk. This year it will be taking place in the church parking lot. This is an amazing event aimed at helping end hunger. We would like to see as many students, parents, and families there as possible! To sign up, go here www.crophungerwalk.org/burkeva, and for more information see the event here.

Our Abiding Fellows (11th & 12th grade) will be meeting two times this week, in person on Monday 1:30 -2:30 PM, and online on Wednesday from 7:30 - 8:30 PM.

We will continue to follow our safety protocol and ask everyone to wear a mask at all in-person events.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas as we head into fall, please do not hesitate to be in touch.

Blessings,
Mr. Jon

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YMCoverGuest User
All Saints Sunday
All Saints Sunday

All Saints Sunday is Sunday, November 1

In the midst of a year of so much grief in so many different ways, we are grateful for the tradition of All Saints Sunday. All Saints Sunday offers us the opportunity to make space for the grief of those who we have lost this past year. While our traditions will look a bit different, our remembering will be the same.

On All Saints Sunday, November 1 we will remember and give thanks for the saints who have gone before us in the following ways:

  • Between 8:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. you can come to the parking lot to help us create an outdoor memorial area. You will have the opportunity to light a candle in memory of your loved one(s) who have died, chalk their names on the pavement and/or put a picture of them on display. This is an opportunity for us to remember all the saints who surround us in the great cloud of witnesses. Pastor Keseley and Pastor Vought will be available during this time to pray with people one-on-one from a safe distance.

  • At 9:15 a.m. we will have a brief 20 minute outdoor worship service in our memorial area. At this time, we will share scripture, prayer and read the names of the saints who have died this past year as the bell tolls in each of their honor. You can attend the service in-person practicing safe social distancing, in your car from the church parking lot listening to it on an FM radio or on our usual livestream platforms. If you would like the name read of a loved one who has died since last All Saints Sunday, please email Pastor Keseley.

  • On the livestream service at 10:00 a.m. we will share videos of our memorial area and offer a prayer in memory of the saints in the great cloud of witnesses.

  • Those wishing to prayerfully walk through the memorial area will be able to do so following livestream worship from 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.

As with all of our in-person activities, masks that cover the nose and mouth are required at all times while on the church property. We will have markers set up to help us all observe safe social distancing. If you are not feeling well or have possible exposure to COVID, we ask that you please participate only from home. If you would like a phone call from one of the pastors to pray with you, please just let us know and we are happy to make that happen.

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Meredith KeseleyWorship
HHS.gov Webinar Series: Spirituality and Relationships: Contributions to Faith and Forgiveness in Recovery
HHS.gov Webinar Series: Spirituality and Relationships: Contributions to Faith and Forgiveness in Recovery

Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 12 PM EST – 2 PM EST https://www.zoomgov.com/.../reg.../WN_YMg0qSiyRLKg_FAmgFovsQ

Did you know there is a form of psychological research that focuses on how spirituality affects and relates to interpersonal relationships? It is called Relational Spirituality... Engaging spirituality has positive implications for individuals with mental illness and their loved ones... This webinar will discuss this area of research and its implications for treatment and recovery for individuals with mental illness and their loved ones.

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HHS.gov Webinar Series: Spirituality and the Life-Time Course of Mental Illness: Support for Patients, Caregivers, and Family by the Faith Community
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 AT 12 PM EST – 2 PM EST

https://www.zoomgov.com/.../reg.../WN_ZdMccbDQQmO_Ofe9-Exowg

Spiritual Social Support is not just a good idea. Research has shown that it has a positive, measurable impact... This webinar will connect both these points, the research as well as the lived experience, describing the benefits of spiritual social support in the lives of those affected by mental illness in themselves and their loved ones.

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HHS. gov Webinar Series: Spirituality and Severe Mental Illness: Questions of Recovery vs. Purposeful Renewal
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Webinar: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2020 AT 12 PM EDT – 2 PM EDT https://www.zoomgov.com/.../reg.../WN_0jN5Y2rITIeSoeJ-QBYLSg
Individuals and caregivers facing a diagnosis of serious mental illness (SMI) can be overwhelmed. In fact, the likelihood that the loved one will not recover previous levels of stability can lead to debilitating despair for all involved. Spiritual and religious support can provide an alternative pathway to understanding, managing, and achieving a level of stability toward a “new normal” for those with mental illness and their loved ones. Incorporating spirituality and religious belief into this form of recovery and renewal can lead to an increased opportunity for growth, fulfillment, and meaning for the individuals, their loved ones, and even the mental health professionals involved in their care.

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HHS.gov Webinar Series- Spirituality and Post-Traumatic Growth: Spirituality as Catalyst for Resilience
HHS.gov Webinar Series- Spirituality and Post-Traumatic Growth: Spirituality as Catalyst for Resilience

Webinar: Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at 12 PM EDT – 2 PM EDT

Research demonstrates the benefits of personal spirituality and religion extend to specific mental health challenges, including recovery from trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and even risk for suicide. This webinar will encourage practitioners and faith leaders to consider strategies for innovative partnerships incorporating spirituality into treatment in additional settings and treatment programs.

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Watch the SPAN Suicide Prevention Forum
Watch the SPAN Suicide Prevention Forum

The Suicide Prevention Alliance of Northern Virginia (SPAN) recently hosted a conversation on how we can all strengthen emotional well-being and resilience in these unprecedented times, including practical strategies that each of us can draw on to build on our strengths and strengthen our connections to others during this COVID-19 pandemic. Visit the SPAN website to watch the recording and download the resources presented.

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