Worship

Join us for worship Sunday mornings at 10:30 in person and on Zoom

Worship, March 24, 2024 – Pastor Gary continues his Lenten Sermon Series with a message titled “Jesus Enters Jerusalem”.

Watch archived lessons by visiting our Worship Page


Tuesday Message From Pastor Gary – March 26

 

Hello CPC-Fairfax!

   As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt the crowd waved their palms. They spread their cloaks on the ground for the animal to walk on and shouted “Hosanna!” The Pharisees, upset by the spectacle, told Jesus to quiet the crowd, “He answered, ‘I tell you, if they were silent, the stones would shout’” (Luke 19:40 – CEB). It was a truly triumphant day in the history of our faith. But, later in the week, the cheering crowd transformed. The “Hosannas” of the crowd were replaced by the cries to “Crucify Him!”

   The range of emotions we feel through Holy Week is dramatic. From Palm Sunday to Jesus flipping over the moneychangers’ tables in the Temple to him washing the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper to His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane to His arrest, trial, and crucifixion – and, ultimately, to the resurrection. As we live our lives we can feel this range of emotions, as we swing from good days to bad. There are days when we feel strong in our faith and days when we doubt and feel distant from God.
   
   When we go through these difficult times, when our faith falters, remember this: “You are loved by God – and nothing you can do to change that.” When times are hard, cling to your faith, reach out to your church community and lean into your best spiritual practices.

   Life can be hard – and life can be beautiful. Let us celebrate together the triumphant days – like Palm Sunday. And let us lean on each other, and lean into Jesus, when the days feel hard.

Have a great week,

Gary

P.S. It’s takes a few people each week to make our Sunday worship run smoothly. Please take a moment and scroll down toward the bottom of the long email message and Sign-Up for one of our volunteer roles for worship over the next few weeks.


A book with a cross and text

CPC Book of Devotions for Holy Week 2024

We have put together a Book of Devotions, written by members of our church community – and we have a copy
for you! If you haven’t received your copy yet or want another we have printed copies at the church. Or, if you’d like an electronic copy sent to you, email Gary at pastor@cpcfairfax.org. Our thanks to everyone who took the time to develop a devotional for this book – we appreciate it.

Click on the image above to be directed to the complete book.


 
 
 

 

Study Program continues with Part Seven
Wednesday, April 17 at noon.


Women are cordially invited to participate in a Bible Study. The study is the 2023-2024 PW/Horizons Bible Study which is Sacred Encounters – The Power and Presence of Jesus Christ in Luke – Acts. The participants will meet the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The Horizons studies provide a wonderful opportunity to discuss and converse about scriptures and how they relate to us today. Study books are available.

Please contact, Mary Ellen Absetz at meabsetz@verizon.net or phone at (703)789-6691 and leave a message, I’ll return your call.


Pledges and Per-Capita

Please remember to keep your church tithes and offerings up to date. The rate for per capita for 2024, is $48.56/per confirmed member. You can choose to pay this in Realm or by noting “Per Capita” in the memo line of your check.

HAVE YOU PLEDGED FOR 2024? If you would like to pledge to support the mission and life of Christ Presbyterian Church, please contact Mary Ellen Absetz (meabsetz@verizon.net) or Jay Lough (jnj.lo@verizon.net).


Flowers for Worship

Our flowers each Sunday are placed in the Sanctuary to praise God and give thanks for all his gifts. Should you like to provide flowers for an arrangement to Him , or for an event in your life such as an anniversary, graduation, birth, etc., please sign your name and date on the chart on the easel in the Narthex. 

There are several ways you can donate an arrangement:

  1. You may call Deacon Betsy Stagno at 703-328-0574 to take your order which she will give to the florist. Your cost for this is $30.
  2. You can call Shirley Moore at 703-830-2769 and she can do one of the following:
  • Purchase flowers at a cost of no more than $20 to create an arrangement.
  • Make a design for you with flowers from her garden and other sources.
  • Use flowers from your garden which Shirley will come and collect in order to create a design.

If you desire to let the congregation know that the flowers are dedicated specifically, tell Shirley or Betsy or let Office Manager Lindsey Smith (admin@cpcfairfax.org) know before 2 p.m. on Monday after your design was at the Sunday service and he will include the information in the Tuesday Newsletter. 


Mission and Outreach
 (Relationship Outside Church Community) 

VOLUNTEER SIGN UP BOARD

Continue to look on the board for any updates. The following schedules seek your time.

Children – After receiving instructions, any child over the age of 4, may join in with ringing the hour before our church service.  Plans are being made to designate a specific Sunday (in conjunction with the children’s school) each month to practice a song to ring. 

Adults – Providence Elem School – Providence Elem School – Two volunteers are needed each week to help bag lunches on Fridays 2:30-3:30. 


    CPC volunteers needed to provide services on Sunday! A reminder Genius sheet is posted on the volunteer board as a   
    reminder (only) that many volunteers are needed each week. Please see what service you can provide. Sign up on Genius
    though.

   CPC volunteers needed to provide services on Sunday! A reminder Genius sheet is posted on the volunteer board as a     
   reminder (only) that many volunteers are needed each week. Please see what service you can provide. Sign up on Genius
   though.

CPC Food Pantry.
Thank you for your continued contributions to help feed those in need.

Most needed items in the food pantry for this month:

  • Peaches (no sugar added preferred)
  • Fruit Cocktail (no sugar added preferred)
  • Hot Cereal (Oatmeal, Grits)
  • Maseca Corn Flour 
  • Refried Beans
  • Black Eyed Peas
  • Collard Greens (low salt preferred)
  • Spinach (low salt preferred)
  • Pasta Sauce 
  • Canned Tomatoes (stewed, crushed)
  • Risotto
  • Rice (brown preferred)
  • Ramen Noodles
  • Syrup
  • Tea (hot)
  • Coffee (ground, no k-cups)
  • Bottled juice (family size, plastic bottles, 100% juice preferred)
  • Toiletries: body lotion, body wash, toothpaste, hair shampoo, hair conditioner, toilet paper, and lotion (NOTE: we are not currently in need of diapers size 0-5 due to our partnership with Greater DC Diaper Bank. Please only donate larger size pull ups size 4T/5T for toddlers, size 6 diapers, or baby wipes if you want to donate items for babies.) 

As a reminder, we accept food and toiletry donations Monday – Friday 8-10 am at 4511 Daly Drive Suite H (Back Door) and on the second Saturday monthly 9-11 am.

Empty egg cartons are appreciated also as WFCM purchases eggs by the cases and separates them into smaller portions for their clients.

Presbyterian Church USA Special Offering:
One Great Hour of Sharing 

DEADLINE EASTER SUNDAY!

Please consider donating to this world-wide cause to help people in times of disaster, hunger, and oppression. You may pick up a brochure from the host’s table at CPC with many details of how this program has helped so many people. This is CPC’s only campaign to assist people world-wide.

Donations: Are accepted any time during the Lenten Season (ending Easter Sunday). Pickup a fish bank for your coins, etc. Checks may also be placed in the Offering plates with the OGHS notation, or use our online giving program.

Organizations That CPC Supports

Ronald McDonald’s House – Aluminum pop top tabs
Lion’s Club – Eyeglasses
FACETS – Supports FFx communities with hot meals, per permanent supportive housing, food equity, hypothermia preventions & shelter, emergency pantries, and much more.
Shelter House – Supports the FFx County communities with hot meals, operates five shelter facilities and several housing programs to support our homeless neighbors.
Shepherd’s Center of Fairfax-Burke – Provides educational and enrichment programs for older adults in the community. Volunteers are needed to drive clients to various appointments or grocery shopping. Volunteers are needed in their Fairfax office also to take phone calls, add info to database for the drivers to select who and when they can assist.

Panel members are Elders Lois Wenzell and Nancy Jones.

     


Coffee in the Narthex

Thanks to Janet and Jay Lough, we again have coffee in the Narthex! Please join us at 10:00 a.m. and after the service for this wonderful fellowship.


Christ Presbyterian Church Mission Statement

God calls us to be a people who:
Live in the reconciling Spirit of Christ;
Joyfully praise God and grow together in faith and knowledge;
Care for one another in His Spirit;
Nurture each other through teaching, fellowship, and prayer;
Reach out into our community, witnessing for Jesus Christ,
and sharing His hope, faith and love.


 

Christ Presbyterian Church Statement on Racism

October 2, 2020

The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) consists of two parts: The Book of Confessions and The Book of Order. Within The Book of Confessions is The Confession of 1967, Inclusive Language Text, Art. 9.44a, which states:

God has created the peoples of the earth to be one universal family. In his reconciling love, God overcomes the barriers between sisters and brothers and breaks down every form of discrimination based on racial or ethnic difference, real or imaginary. The church is called to bring all people to receive and uphold one another as persons in all relationships of life: in employment, housing, education, leisure, marriage, family, church, and the exercise of political rights. Therefore, the church labors for the abolition of all racial discrimination and ministers to those injured by it. Congregations, individuals, or groups of Christians who exclude, dominate, or patronize others, however subtly, resist the Spirit of God and bring contempt on the faith which they profess.

Similarly, the Mission Statement of the Presbytery states that we will “bear public witness to the love, truth, and justice of God in Jesus Christ specifically in the areas of racism and reconciliation.”

We, the community of Christ Presbyterian Church (CPC) of Fairfax, VA, a diverse Christian congregation, condemn the systemic racism and related violence in the United States that has oppressed and taken the lives of so many of our human family. We condemn the persistent inequities in wealth, health, and opportunity between blacks, along with other peoples of color, and whites despite the economic prosperity of recent years. These disparities exist because of a long history of policies that have excluded and exploited Americans of color. Racial inequality has become so normalized in our society that it has become an expectation. This inequality could be considered a part of American culture. And when there are protests against this culture, some even consider it a protest against America. That’s the way it’s been for more than 400 years. It has gone on, unchecked, for far too long. It has to end!

“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.“ James Baldwin

We, the CPC community, cannot be silent. We pledge to the greater community to listen with empathy, to learn with open minds, and to act with purpose. We value and encourage diversity, and are united in our opposition to racism and bigotry wherever they exist. We commit to acting with intent to achieve justice, equality, and inclusivity for all. We further commit to protecting the civil rights of all individuals, without regard to race or ethnicity. We stand in solidarity with those actively working to end racial injustice, systemic or otherwise, with a vision of building a better America and world in general.

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