News from Lutheran Church of the Abiding Presence

The 2013-2014 Sunday School year will begin on Sunday, September 8. There will be opportunities for all ages to get involved in learning and growing in faith. Given the growing number of children in our congregation, we are going to need to increase the number of Sunday School classes that we offer. Please prayerfully consider if you might be willing to serve as a Sunday School teacher or helper this year. If you would like more information or to volunteer, contact Sara Dyson, Sunday School Coordinator, or Pastor Keseley.

Sunday School Teachers Needed!

We are gearing up for Sunday School this fall and looking for teachers! No experience necessary-only the desire to help the children of Abiding Presence learn about the stories and love of Jesus. Please talk to Sara Dyson (Sunday School Coordinator) or Pastor if you have any interest in teaching or helping out in some way! There will be a Sunday School teacher interest meeting on Sunday, August 11 following the 10:00 AM service. If you have even the slightest bit of interest in teaching this fall, please come!!

"Welcome" to Vicar Christine

This weekend we offer a warm welcome to our intern for this next year, Vicar Christine Kirchner.

Please wear a name tag during the next few weeks to help her get to know everyone. You will have a chance to meet Vicar Christine at welcome receptions in her honor following the Saturday vespers service and between the worship services on Sunday morning.

Blood Drive- Monday, August 5

Our next scheduled Red Cross Blood Drive will be held this coming Monday, August 5 beginning at 3:00 PM.

Pre-Baptism Dinner-Sunday, August 4 at 5:15 PM in the Fellowship Hall

Families who are thinking about having their children baptized at Abiding Presence are invited to join Pastor Keseley for a pre-Baptism dinner. It's a chance to learn more about baptism and get to know other families in the congregation. Infants are welcome to attend with their parents. Childcare will be available in the nursery for older kids. If you would like to attend, please let Pastor Keseley know following worship this week.

Playtime at the Park-Tuesday, August 6 at 10:00 AM at Abiding Presence

Please join Pastor and Julia for play time for your young children this coming Tuesday, August 6. We will meet at 10:00 AM on the church patio, weather permitting. This will be the last play date of the summer.

Newsletter Deadline-Wednesday, August 7

Our next newsletter will be published around August 13. Please send all articles, announcements, photos, etc. to Kathi no later than Wednesday, August 7. We will be highlighting all the upcoming activities for early fall.

AP Children's Fall Consignment Sale-Saturday, September 14 from 8:00 AM-2:00 PM

The work begins Wednesday, September 11th when we bring the clothing racks down from the attic. Consignors drop off their items Thursday and Friday, September 12th and 13th. There will be a Consignors/Volunteer Presale Friday, September 13th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. The doors open to the public Saturday, September 14th at 8:00 am. Check out our webpage for more information www.abidingpresence.net/activities/consignment-sale.

This is a great opportunity to go through your closets and toy chests and find those items you want to sell (or donate). We sell gently used children's clothing, toys, books, bikes, sports equipment, baby equipment and furniture, and even maternity clothes. The church accepts donations and sells the items. 100% of those sales go to the Playground Fund. Bring your donations to the church and place them in the donation box by Fellowship Hall. You can join the committee and help in the planning and promoting. Get the word out. Remember all of the sale proceeds go to the Playground Fund. Contact Lynne Linder with your questions.

Wednesday Gathering Dinners-Begin September 11

Our Wednesday Gathering dinners will begin again on September 11. If your family would like to participate, but have not done so in the past due to dietary restrictions, please contact Kathi Schultz in the church office this summer to discuss. We are obviously not able to accommodate all dietary restrictions, but we will do our best to provide an alternative for people who are vegetarian, need gluten-free foods, etc. We will be planning for the fall later this summer, so please do not delay in contacting us to discuss the possibilities.

Prayer List

One of the many responsibilities of the Vicar is to keep the weekly prayer list that we read in worship up to date. If you have a loved one who is not a member of AP on the prayer list, please take a moment to check in with Vicar Christine and let her know how they're doing, if they should stay on the list and the correct pronunciation of their name. That will help us make sure that the list is up to date and help Vicar Christine get a better sense of who is on the list as she begins her ministry with us.

Names can be added to the list each week by filling out one of the prayer request cards located at the end of each row and handing them to an usher. If you would like someone to remain on the list for more than a week, just let Pastor or Vicar know.

Old iPads Wanted
Have you recently upgraded your iPad and now have an old one sitting around the house gathering dust? If so, Abiding Presence could put it to good use! We're looking for an old iPad or two that could be loaded with the bulletin/slides and used by our acolytes and crucifiers during worship. If you have one to donate, please let Pastor Keseley know.

Nursery Assistants Needed

We are in need additional people to help out in our church nursery during worship on Sunday mornings. We have a paid nursery staff, but we need one volunteer to assist during each service. Youth are welcome and encouraged to help! Volunteers would need to serve once every 2-3 months, and you can choose which service time that you would like to assist. Please contact Susan Magnell if you are willing to give of your Time and Talents in this way, or if you would like more information.

3-B's Friday Bible Study

3B's is a women's fellowship group that meets in each other's homes for a light

Breakfast, Bible Studyand a time to share our Blessings from God. The Bible study we use comes from the ELCA's women magazine, "Gather." This year's study is "Gathered by God"- a look at all the ways God calls us to gather. We would love to have you join us. Our next study will be held on Friday, August 9th, at 9:30 AM at the home of Mary Edge.We also meet at the church on the 4th Friday of every month to help with the Quilt Campaign. For more information, please contact Kathy Schmiesing

.
Adult Confirmation Group

Starting this fall, Pastor Keseley will be putting together a group of adults who are interested in taking part in an adult confirmation experience. The group will meet approximately 2-3 times per month from September through May and then have the opportunity to affirm their faith. The adult confirmation group is geared towards anyone who is looking to grow in their faith regardless of whether or not they had a confirmation experience as a teenager. If you might be interested, please let Pastor know so that she can begin putting together a calendar for the classes.

Lunch with Pastor-Monday, August 12 at Noon

Our August Lunch with Pastor will offer a chance to meet and get to know Vicar Christine. We will meet on Monday, August 12 at noon at Burke Glory Days in their party room. Please let the church office know as soon as possible if you can come.

Lutherans Day at the Ballpark-Sunday, September 15, 1:35 PM

This year's Lutherans Day at Nationals' Park will be on Sunday, September 15. The Nationals will take on the Philadelphia Phillies at 1:35 PM. If you are interested in tickets to see the game, please let Pastor Keseley know as soon as possible.

Physically Fit for His Service and for Summer-Thursday Evenings this Summer

Wendy Kunc is leading a fitness class for all fitness levels on Thursday evenings this summer. The class meets in the Fellowship Hall from 7:00-8:00 pm. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and bring an exercise tube (medium resistance), a mat or large towel for ab work and stretching, and a bottle of water if you like.

Please Note:

There will be no Sunday evening dinner and Bible Study this week, August 4.

Mainly Music Summer Sessions-Tuesdays, July 23 and August 13 at 10:30 AM

Cost is $5.00 per family for each session.

Six Sundays of Summer Service

Thanks to all of you who have helped with the various projects this summer. You can still help with quilts, bracelets, towel kits and school bags, as we will be collecting items throughout the summer. Just drop off your donations or we can get you take-home kits to complete during the summer.

Church Lawn and Property Upkeep

The hot summer days are here, and it's usually too hot to go out and pull weeds in the parking lot. Sometimes it's possible to go for only 5 or 10 minutes, or to just pull one particularly obnoxious weed. When we just look at the plants that are growing, it makes us want to care for them. If you feel like it, here are a few things you could do:

look at one of the parking lot islands to see what's in there
spray vinegar or weed killer on cracks in the parking lot
pull vines off a tree
walk out to the memorial garden and pull a weed or two
see what flowers are blooming and think about the care they need
enjoy the patio
cut off dead flowers ("dead head")
pull weeds in the rocks by the front door

One of the weeds growing in the parking lot is poison ivy. Someone is marking it with yellow spray paint, and someone else is working on removing it. This should help you to avoid the poison ivy.

Giant Grocery "Cash for Causes"-Help us fund our Playground

If you shop at Giant grocery and are willing to purchase Cash for Causes gift cards from the church, you can help fund the playground without any extra effort. For every $100 in gift cards AP sells, the playground account will earn $5.00. Complete an order form found in the office, and place the form and your check made out to Abiding Presence in the specially marked box in the office. To date the playground fund has grown $173.75 through AP's participation in this program. This is a very easy way to watch the playground fund grow!

Lutheran World Relief Quilt Campaign "13 for 2013" - Tied in faith. Sent in hope. Wrapped in love!

We are meeting every 4th Friday and following Saturday of the month. Our next sessions will be on Aug. 23-24, at 9:30 AM. We hope you can join us!

Support New Hope Housing (Mondloch House, Kennedy Shelter, Alexandria Community Shelter)

Register NOW for the "Acacia Rock and Stroll" (a Help the Homeless Event). It will be held on Saturday, September 28, at Cameron Run Park. It's a great way to support New Hope's efforts, and you can have fun by running or walking a 5K, participating in Parkour workshops, taking a zumba class, entering a cornhole challenge, participating in kids' activities like face painting and jump roping contests and more! There will also be a BBQ lunch and cupcakes from Alexandria Cupcake.

For information, visit www.newhopehousing.org or contact Jen Burkman at 703-866-1829 or Chris Bramante, 703-799-2293, ext. 22.

Noisy Offering for August-Weekend of August 17-18

The Children's Weekend Food Project is a community outreach program that AP started in April 2011, in response to an immediate need for weekend meals for 25 students at a local elementary school. These students received free lunch at school but also needed support on the weekends. Abiding Presence began by providing 25 children with "Weekend Meal Packages" that contained 2 meals and a snack for weekends during the school year. Over the last two years, the program has grown from 25 to 65 students. Over the course of the 2012/2013 school year we provided approximately 2,600 meal packages! The program will again support 65 children with weekend meal packages. We will begin in September collecting food donations for our first delivery in October. The money collected from the noisy offering will be used to supplement food donations. Please help us in making this another successful year.

ECHO Updates

In addition to food items such as sugar, flour, dried beans, jelly, rice and juice, ECHO needs donations of brown paper grocery bags, C-batteries, new or used bath towels, and new or used food blenders so that clients can make their own baby food. We also need layette items such as baby blankets, baby towels and gowns or kimonos. Please bring donations to 7205 Old Keene Mill Road between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm on weekdays, or on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings between 7:00-9:00.

ECHO has the opportunity to partner with IT specialists from the Sathya Sai Baba Organization to conduct basic computer classes in our building for interested clients. We have an immediate need for 10 laptops in excellent working order. If you are thinking of upgrading, please consider donating your laptop to ECHO for this program, which is designed to enable clients to improve their employment prospects.

A small group dinner will be held on August 17. Please sign up on the sheets in the narthex, or email Sara Dyson or Mike Utell to sign up!

Save the Date-July 24-27, 2014-Ninth Triennial Women's Gathering

"Of Many Generations" will be the theme of next summer's Ninth Triennial Gathering of the Women of the ELCA. The Gathering will be in Charlotte, NC from July 24-27, and will consist of workshops, inspirational speakers, fellowship and worship opportunities. Registration will begin sometime this fall, with early bird discounts available. If you are interested in being placed on an email list to receive more information as soon as it is available, please contact our synod's Triennial Gathering Promoter, Carol Moonan.

Thrivent Financial Services

Thrivent Financial Services will offer a complimentary one-hour presentation by guest speaker David Francis. The presentation will be offered several times this next week, and will focus on changes in the economy and how they affect financial strategy.

Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 3:30 PM at King of Kings Lutheran, Fairfax
Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 7:00 PM at Lord of Life Lutheran, Fairfax
Thursday, Aug. 8 at 9:30 AM at Good Shepherd Lutheran, Herndon
Thursday, Aug. 8 at 12:30 PM at Prince of Peace Lutheran, Springfield
Thursday, Aug. 8 at 7:00 PM at Faith Lutheran, Arlington

If you are interested in attending any of these sessions, please call Bonnie at 540-270-4359 or email bonnie.kerns@thrivent.com.

Women of Faith Conference-August 16-17 at the Verizon Center

The area's 16th annual Women of Faith Conference will be held on August 16-17 at the Verizon Center. The Women of Faith "Believe God Can Do Anything" tour is THE life-changing, live Christian event for today's woman. Chart-topping musical artists Third Day and CeCe Winans join comedian Mark Lowry and world-class authors and Bible teachers, Sheila Walsh, Liz Curtis Higgs, Judah Smith, Angie Smith, and Priscilla Shirer to create an unforgettable, day-and-a-half experience for women from all walks of life. You'll hear stories that strengthen, practical Bible teachings that can transform your everyday living, and experience authentic praise and worship with music that moves you closer to God, opening your heart to know what it means to truly Believe God Can Do Anything. Times for the event are: Friday, Aug. 16 from 7:00-10:00 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM) and Saturday, August 17, from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM (doors open at 8:00 AM). Prices for the event are: Group: $89 Standard / $99 Premium and Individual: $99 Standard / $109 Premium, with a $2.00 Service Fee per person added. To Register: Visit womenoffaith.com or call 888- 493-2484.

Sat., 8/3

4:00 pm, Praise Band

6:00 pm, Vespers Service

6:45 pm, Welcome Reception for Vicar Christine

7:00 pm, Spanish Congregation

Sun., 8/4

8:30 am, Praise Service

9:30 am, Welcome Reception for Vicar Christine

10:00 am, Traditional Service

12:30 pm, Iglesia Gosen Cong.

5:15 pm, Pre-Baptism Dinner

No Sr. High Dinner & Bible Study this Week

Mon., 8/5

3:00 pm, Red Cross Blood Drive

7:30 pm, WFC-Sanctuary

Tues., 8/6

10:00 am, Playtime at the Park at Abiding Presence

7:00 pm, Iglesia Gosen Music Rehearsal-Sanctuary

Wed., 8/7

No Scheduled Activities

Thurs., 8/8

7:00 pm, Physically Fit Exercise Class

7:00 pm, Burke Historical Society Board Meeting

Fri., 8/9

9:30 am, 3-B's at Home of Mary Edge

7:30 pm, Iglesia Gosen Congregation-Sanctuary

Sat., 8/10

9:30 am, WELCA Board Meeting

4:00 pm, Praise Band

6:00 pm, Vespers Service

7:00 pm, Spanish Congregation

Sun., 8/11

8:30 am, Praise Service

9:30 am, Fellowship

10:00 am, Traditional Service

11:00 am, Sunday School Teacher Interest Meeting

12:30 pm, Iglesia Gosen Cong.

6:00 pm, Sr. High Dinner, Games & Bible Study at Luckys' Home