Below are a few highlights of things happening this week at Abiding Presence.

View the entire calendar by

visiting AbidingPresence.net and scrolling down to the bottom of the page. On the website you will also find
detailed information about all of our upcoming events.

Sunday, November 17
Sunday School Teacher Meeting at 12:00 noon
CROP Walk at 2:00 p.m. at Fairfax Presbyterian Church Connecting People to Christ through Community

Monday, November 18
MOPS at 9:30 a.m. Church Council at 7:00 p.m. in Classroom #1
Mental Health Ministry Team at 7:00 p.m. in the Library
Overeaters’ Anonymous at 8:00 p.m. in Classroom #8

Tuesday, November 19
NAMI Family Support Partner Drop-In Hours from 2:00-6:00 p.m. in the Library
Pizza Dinner at 6:00 p.m. in Bailey Hall Angst Movie at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary your bag this year, though. You will take step in
also find your very own personalized your rela-
Bridge Group at 6:30 p.m. in Classroom #9 Choir Rehearsal at 7:30 p.m. By the time you are reading this, you Abiding Presence hot chocolate kit. tionship
should have a red and white stripped Now, I realize you might be wonder- building as
Wednesday, November 20 bag in your hands. If you don’t, then ing, “What does hot chocolate have to
be sure to stop by the table on the way do with stewardship?”
we seek to
invite people in to see what this
ESL Classes at 10:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. OWLs Luncheon at 12:00 noon in Bailey Hall out of church to pick yours up. You faith family is like.
don’t want to leave without it! Here at Abiding Presence our mission
Wednesday Night Dinner at 6:00 p.m. Advent Wreath Making Workshop at 6:45 p.m. is Connecting People to Christ Maybe you can enjoy a mug of hot
Inside the bag you will find the usual Through Community. More than just chocolate as a family while you sit
Thursday, November 21 stewardship resources, including our any community, though, we want to and talk together at a time when
“Where We’ve Been and Where connect people to an authentic phones are put away. Next time the
NAMI Family Support Partner Drop-In Hours from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the Library We’re Going” booklet, a letter from community in which they can be real. grandkids (or the adult kids) come
me and a Statement of Intent. Please We follow Jesus in community not over, get it out. When they ask,
Mental Health Support Group at 7:00 p.m. in the Library plan to take a little time to read because we all know the way, but “What is that?” use it plant a seed
through the resources and prayerfully because it is easier to stumble on the and talk for a moment about why
Saturday, November 23 consider how God is calling you to path together. We don’t have all the you go to church. Put out the pack-
Food Pantry and Thanksgiving Basket Distribution from 9:00-11:00 a.m. respond. You can return your commit- answers, but we are willing to sit in ets at your book club or when a
ment for 2020 in the offering plate, by the questions listening for God with friend comes over as a conversation
mailing it to the church office or by one another. The Abiding Presence starter. Talk about your church,
going online at AbidingPresence.net/ faith family reminds us of who and share about this community of faith
In Our Prayers this Week... Altar Flowers soi. We’re asking for all commitments whose we are as beloved children of
to please be turned in by December 1 God when the world tries to tell us
and spread the word that all are
welcome.
Please pray for our church family: Rose Archiletti; Lee Raitz; Ron Moore; Amy Jones; Chris in preparation for Celebration Week- otherwise.
Fischer; Richard Curtis Altar Flowers are given
end on December 7/8. (Just wait until Whenever and however you use
to the glory of you see what we have planned for this Creating this kind of intentional and
The Thursday morning Bible Study group prays each week for several families in our your hot chocolate kit, I hope it will
God by Jenae Grader. year’s celebration!) authentic community is built through be a reminder of what we are about
congregation, on a rotating basis in alphabetical order. This week we are praying for Gary,
Jennifer, Lexy & Laurel Echard; Mary Edge; Rick, Emily, James & Jill Eggleston; Sadie relationships. That’s where the hot here at Abiding Presence. This is
The usual stewardship resources chocolate kit comes in. We hope that your community and we are glad
LaCaille; Eric, Erin, Peter & Andrew Eichhorn; Heidi & Ike Eickstadt; Roger & Marty
aren’t the only thing you will find in you will find a way to use the kit to you are here.
Eisinger; Sandy, Kevin & Connor England.

CROP Walk
November 17 at 2:00 p.m.
Fairfax Presbyterian
CROP Walk this Sunday! If you can’t
walk with us, support the walk with a
donation. Register or donate at
crophungerwalk.org/burkeva, and
search for Abiding Presence.
Thanksgiving Baskets
Abiding Presence is providing
Thanksgiving baskets for families
through ECHO. We are still in need
of financial contributions to include
grocery gift cards with each basket.
Mark your cash/check “Thanksgiving
Baskets” and place in the offering.
OWLs Luncheons
November 20 at 12:00 noon
December 18 at 12:00 noon
All Older, Wiser Lutherans (and
friends) will gather for their monthly
luncheon and program. The Novem-
ber program will feature “The Price is
Right” with Pastor Heidi. The Decem-
ber program will be Christmas Carols
with David Chavez. A freewill offer-
ing is collected for lunch. Sign up in
the narthex or email
Sharon@abidingpresence.net.
Hanging of the Greens
December 7 at 9:00 a.m.
Help us get the church ready for Ad-
vent and Christmas. Many hands are
needed to help prepare the church by
putting up Christmas trees and deco-
rating. Simply show up! Coffee will
be provided.
Congregational
Christmas Potluck
December 11 at 6:00 p.m.
Celebrate Christmas with the Abiding
Presence faith family. The church will
provide the main dish. Families are
asked to please bring a side dish or
dessert to share. No RSVP is needed,
just show up!
Angst Movie Screening
Tuesday, November 19
Pizza Dinner at 6:00 p.m.
Movie at 7:00 p.m.
Angst is a short documentary
designed to raise awareness
around anxiety. The film includes
interviews with kids, teens, educa-
tors, experts, parents and Olympic
champion Michael Phelps. Child-
care for ages 5-9 will be provided
for those who register. Following
the film, there will be an expert
panel from our community to
answer your questions and offer
resources. More information and
registration, visit
Abidingpresence.net/angst.
Family Support Partner
Drop-In Hours
Tuesdays from 2:00-6:00 p.m.
& Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. -
2:00 p.m.
Family Support Partners are par-
ents trained by NAMI who use
their experiences to help other
families build on their strengths,
navigate services, develop sup-
ports and find hope. They under-
stand the challenges families may
face because they have navigated
various systems with their child.
Tuesdays
December 3 & 10
10:30 a.m.
Mainly Music, our
parent/caregiver
and child music
class, has two great
opportunities to get in the Christ-
mas spirit. No advanced registra-
tion is required, simply drop in for
$5/family. Each class will include
singing, moving, dancing, snack
and time to play.
Advent begins Sunday, December
1. This year we will have two
options for Advent devotions - one
geared towards families with
young children and the other an
intergenerational book for older
children and adults. You can pick
up devotional books beginning
next weekend in the narthex.
Michelle Galdames-Henry
Children & Family Minister
michelle@abidingpresence.net
Saturday
December 7
9:00-11:00 a.m.
Join us for our
annual Bagels
with Santa event! Enjoy our
community event with a photogra-
pher on site taking photos of your
family with Santa. Photos will be
available after the event online at
no cost. This is an open house style
event, so you can come anytime
between 9:00-11:00 a.m. In
addition to pictures with Santa,
there will also be bagels, crafts,
face-painting and a coat-drive raf-
fle. Advance registration is highly
encouraged at https://tinyurl.com/
y2hau8rn. If you are able, please
bring a coat (or two or three) to be
donated to ECHO to help families
in need in our community.

Thanksgiving Eve Service Blue Christmas Service

November 27 at 7:30 p.m.
**Note Earlier Time**
Our Thanksgiving Eve tradition is to
worship with our friends at Temple
B’nai Shalom for an interfaith service
filled with music, hope and blessings.
We will be hosting this year’s service.
There are adult and children’s choirs
and a brass ensemble. A reception
will follow the service. If you can
help with the reception, please contact
Pastor Keseley.
December 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Christmas isn’t always the “happiest
season of all.” This festive season can
be challenging for a variety of reasons Advent Wreath Making Workshop on November 20 at 6:45 p.m.
such as grief, loneliness, illness,
Prepare for the Advent season by making an Advent wreath with live
depression, anxiety, job loss, divorce
evergreen. This workshop will not only smell, sound, and feel like Christ-
and fear. Our annual Blue Christmas
mas, but we will explore together the significance of wreaths in the Advent
service at the beginning of the holiday
season. The event is appropriate for all ages, and supplies will be provided Jon Galdames-Henry
season creates acknowledges the Youth &Young Adult Minister
for each household to make their own 10” wreath with candles. Feel free to
many emotions Christmas can hold
bring wire cutters, ribbon, holly, or anything else you might want to add to jon@abidingpresence.net
and helps prepare us to find the joy in
your wreath. Dinner will be provided beforehand at 6:00pm.
Christ’s birth.