The Connect, April 10, 2025
Image by Chris E.W. Green
Palm Sunday Worship, 10:30 a.m. at Annandale UMC
Join us for the beginning of Holy Week! We celebrate Christ’s entry into Jerusalem with the waving of palm fronds and singing songs of hosanna. The Children’s Dance Troupe have been practicing choreography to “The Journey of Marco Polo,” which they will now at last have the chance to show to the congregation and offer up in praise. Peter leads the service, discussing the moment when Jesus was taken down from the cross in John 19:38-40.
Songs of hosanna this week include “Let the People Sing Hosanna!” from the Adult Choir with the addition of Matt Mitchener on percussion and “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” from the hymnal. As we enter into Holy Week and consider the events to come, we will also sing “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” from the hymnal, and be led by the Praise Team in “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us,” “The Power of the Cross,” and “Remembrance (The Communion Song).”
There will be a Children’s Holy Week Walk before the service, 9:35-10:15 a.m. starting in Room 309. This interactive experience will encourage children to imagine what it was like to experience Holy Week as one of Jesus’s followers, waving palms, eating a Holy Thursday passover meal of matzo and grape juice, and joining in a Good Friday vigil with real candles.
Please join us in Wright Hall following the service for fellowship hour. Thanks to the 1st Kings Class and Sarah Elizabeth Circle for hosting this week, and to the Mission Center Committee for last week. Next week will be our special Easter fellowship hour, with decorations and treats made by the children and youth of the church! If you are willing to help with fellowship hour, email Richard Bass at rbass@annandale-umc.org .
Tulip orders for our Easter altar are due. They can be ordered for $13 using the forms in the bulletin and atrium this Sunday. Tulips are placed in honor or memory of a person of your choosing, and can be taken home after the service or left for volunteers to deliver to our homebound members to brighten their day.
Join us for Holy Week
Holy Thursday, Apr. 17
Worship at 7:30 p.m. We will commemorate the Last Supper with readings from Exodus 12:17-27 and Hebrews 2:10-15, 11:23-28, as well as prayer and music.
Good Friday, Apr. 18
Worship at 7:30 p.m. We honor Christ’s sacrifice with a somber service on the day of his death. We’ll conclude our Lenten sermon series on the Seven Sorrows of Mary with Jesus Laid in the Tomb, John 19:39-42.
Stations of the Cross will be set up in the parlor throughout Lent, with images of fourteen moments from Christ’s crucifixion. There are booklets with suggested prayers for children and adults, which you are welcome to keep if desired. The last day to visit them will be Apr. 18, Good Friday.
Easter Sunday, Apr. 20
Worship at 10:30 a.m. In this grand service with guest instrumentalists, anyone interested is invited to join the adult choir in singing Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” as one great, massed choir in honor of our risen Savior! Come celebrate the Resurrection with us.
Children’s Easter egg hunt, 9:45-10:15 a.m. starting in the courtyard. All children are welcome to join in this fun childhood tradition - bring your own basket! RSVP at annandalechurch.com/egghunt . Children who arrive early for the egg hunt are welcome to help with some last minute decorations in Wright Hall from 9:30-9:45 a.m.
Easter fellowship after the worship service. Our children and teens have been hard at work creating decorations for Wright Hall, as well as a variety of treats including pinwheels, puff pastry tarts, and cupcakes. Easter is the perfect chance to catch up with your church family and meet new friends! There will also be a craft table for children.
Holy Week Daily Conversations
Jason and some liturgically minded friends are doing scripture readings and discussions every day in Holy Week online at noon. Click the link below to learn more!
Lenten Mission Projects
Throughout Lent, we’ve learned about the many ways Annandale UMC helps others, whether that’s by delivering donated furniture to those in need in our neighborhood or by packaging shelf-stable meals that can be sent to the hungry worldwide. Our Lenten Missions Project fundraiser this year aims to collect $60,000 to support the Annandale UMC Mission Center, Rise Against Hunger, ACCA, Hypothermia Prevention, Camp Highroad, Children’s Mission Program, Highland Support Project, Kairos Prison Ministry, and Stephen Ministry. We hope you will help us finish the season strong.
Current Events at Annandale UMC
A funeral service will be held for Joan Hughes on Saturday, Apr. 12, at 11 a.m. in the Little White Church.
Blood Drive This Saturday: Annandale UMC will host a blood drive with INOVA Blood Bank on Saturday, Apr. 12, 2-6 p.m. in Wright Hall. We are excited to bring this mission to Annandale UMC during Lent, when Christ gave his blood for us! Book your appointment at https://bit.ly/AUMC0412 or call 1-866-256-6372, ext. 0574. Contact Teresa Beyer for details, larachliath@gmail.com .
A funeral service will be held for Joan Hughes on Saturday, Apr. 12, at 11 a.m. in the Little White Church.
For our next Adult Fellowship meeting, on Wednesday Apr. 16, we’ll visit Green Spring Gardens (4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312). Those who wish to carpool will leave the church at 12:15 p.m., gathering with anyone who drove separately at the gazebo near the Visitor’s Center in the gardens at 12:30 p.m. Once there, we will enjoy exploring the beautiful gardens with gently curving slopes and plenty of benches. We can even catch a peek at a food garden which provides our Mission Center with seasonal donations of fresh grown produce. There are also gift shops with tea items and local crafts. Learn more about this lovely park at friendsofgreenspring.org/historic-green-spring . RSVP to Elaine, ewoods@annandale-umc.org .
Wednesday Wind Down with Pastor Peter concludes Apr. 16. On Wednesdays at 9 p.m. during Lent, Pastor Peter will do ten-minute online Bible readings to help us wind down and focus on the Lord. Join in at annandalechurch.com/winddown .
A fellowship group for adults in their 30s-40s is currently forming - we just need to schedule our first meeting! Contact Elaine if you are interested at ewoods@annandale-umc.org , or if there is another class or small group you wish we had at Annandale UMC. You can also learn about current classes on our website at annandalechurch.com/adult (or annandalechurch.com/children or annandalechurch.com/youth for our younger members).
April oatmeal collection: Support our Mission Center food distribution program by dropping off boxes of instant oatmeal in assorted flavors (no round containers of oatmeal that needs to be cooked please!) in April in the boxes in the atrium. Thank you for supporting our neighbors in need!
ACCA Furniture: Thanks to Adam, Cory, Glenn, Randy and Will for volunteering to help deliver donated furniture to families in need in March. Our next big date is Saturday, June 14. If you can help, call Ted Torsch at 443-415-8954.
Save the date for Vacation Bible School, June 23-27, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Register online at annandalechurch.com/vbs .
The youth are going on a summer mission trip to West Virginia, July 19-26! It will be through the Jeremiah Project. We will do basic home repair such as painting, yardwork, building stairs, railings, and wheelchairs ramps, along with having time to pray together and a day off for fun activities like tubing. Registration and cost information will be available closer to the event. If you are interested in joining us, please let Peter know at pkwon@annandale-umc.org . You can learn more about the trip at https://jeremiahproject.org/mission-trips/summer-2025 .
Get Involved
Meet our congregants as a greeter! Volunteers greet everyone who enters our church 10-10:30 a.m. Sunday mornings, welcoming new visitors and longterm attendees alike. To volunteer, contact Elaine at ewoods@annandale-umc.org .
We welcome new and returning volunteers at our weekly food distribution — sign up at annandalechurch.com/foodsignup . To learn about more of our mission activities, visit annandalechurch.com/missions .
Want to do more at church? Contact Richard for general volunteering at rbass@annandale-umc.org , Elaine for children’s activities and adult classes and groups at ewoods@annandale-umc.org , Peter for youth activities at pkwon@annandale-umc.org , Harry for volunteering in the church office at helanko@annandale-umc.org , and Pat for music ministries at pvaughn@annandale-umc.org .
Monday night online study: We’re currently discussing Fleming Rutledge’s The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ. In this book Rutledge addresses the issues and controversies that have caused pastors to speak of the cross only in the most general, bland terms, precluding a full understanding and embrace of the gospel by their congregations. Join us live on Riverside Mondays at 7 p.m. at annandalechurch.com/mondayclass , or catch the recordings at jasonmicheli.substack.com/ .
Caring for Our Congregants
Stephen Ministers are here to support you. Stephen Ministers are lay members of our congregation trained to provide one-to-one care to those experiencing a difficult time in life, such as grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, or relocation. Email cyndij123@verizon.net for this free, confidential, Christian support. The email that has been included in this notice in the past was not active. If you left a request in the past and did not receive a reply, please email cyndij123@verizon.net. We regret the error.
Morning Prayer: Each weekday morning at 8:30 a.m., we gather virtually on Zoom for Morning Prayer. We follow the liturgy from Brian Zahnd’s Prayer School. All are welcome to participate.
Would you like to add a name to our prayer list? Our prayer list is available in the atrium on Sundays. We also send the prayer list on Sunday afternoons by email. To add a name for our congregation to pray for, send an email to connect@annandale-umc.org . If you or someone you added should be removed from the prayer list, please let us know. Direct phone calls to Richard Bass at 703-256-8330, ext. 113. If you don’t receive our emails, contact connect@annandale-umc.org and we’ll sign you up.
Our Prayer Shawl Ministry members knit or crochet shawls by hand, which are then prayed over, blessed, and given to our members who are sick, grieving, homebound, or who need a special blessing. If you are interested in being of part of this ministry or if you know of someone who would like a prayer shawl, please contact Rita Witkowski, rita6@cox.net , or Elaine Woods, ewoods@annandale-umc.org .