In Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations like ours, the Elders serve as the spiritual leaders.  Along with the pastor, they lead worship gatherings and provide spiritual care and guidance for church members, friends, and visitors.  The Deacons are called to serve the congregation through stewardship, mainly by setting up and preparing for worship, serving communion, and cleaning up afterward.

Last Saturday, these two groups came together to share a breakfast provided by the Elders to honor the service of the Deacons and discuss the spiritual aspects of their role.  The role of the deacon can be traced back to the early Christian church.  The Deacons and Elders discussed their spiritual journeys, and particularly what it means to them to be able to serve communion.  Some deacons have come from other Christian denominations where the qualifications for serving communion are much stricter, where women are often forbidden from the role.  Some deacons had once been told they were no longer qualified for the role after coming out in a homosexual relationship.  Many commented on how surprised they were when they were invited to be a deacon in our congregation, and how stepping into the role, even though they may have felt unprepared at first, transformed their faith into something deeper.

With all the snow recently, I'm sure you're just dying to get out of the house and see some different faces (not that the ones you've been snowed in with for the past 2 weeks are "bad" faces :-P). Join us for a "Comfort Food" Potluck Fellowship Dinner.  We'll also take some time to highlight the terrific ministry opportunities we have here.

We will gather for our Ash Wednesday worship at 7:00 this Wednesday evening, 2/17.

Come out to celebrate the end of Rev. Laura Swett's time as an active minister and our pastor for the past 6 years.  I'm sure we'll hear many great stories about how Rev. Laura touched all of our lives.  We will gather at Red, Hot, & Blue in Fairfax on Tuesday, 5:30-7:30.  The cost of dinner has been covered by donations.

 The church building is closed again today, and Kerygma Bible Study for this evening has been cancelled.

The church building remains closed today and tomorrow.  The lot and driveway has been cleared periodically to prevent the snow from building up too much and from turning to ice, but we still do not think it wise to open the building for meetings and other church business.  It is our hope that we will be able to reopen the building on Thursday.  With the coming storm, weather forecasters are expecting 10-20" of snow, possibly mixed with sleet.  Sleet makes driving conditions even more hazardous, so please take care and only venture out if you absolutely must.  Just because we've weathered two major snowfalls this winter doesn't make a third any less serious.

We hope everyone is safe and warm.  Say a prayer for those whose jobs require them to be out in the elements, and we hope to see you at our worship gathering on Sunday.

UPDATE 10:00 PM 2/6: Worship services for Sunday 2/7 have been cancelled and the church will be closed Sunday. We are monitoring the weather situation, and trying to determine the best time to clear the driveway and parking lot.  Given the forecast for more snow on Tuesday, we may not be able to clear the driveway and parking lot until Wednesday.

The DC area is bracing for yet another dumping of snow; this time estimates are on the order of 20" or more!  It's led many in the region to proclaim this the coming of the Snowpocalypse, or the Snowmaggedon.  As usual, we will update our open/closed status for Sunday here, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and the church voice mail recording.  Have fun, be safe, and stay warm!

Image by Flickr user ScottieT812

As of 11:00 a.m., we expect to hold worship services tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m.  Check back here for updates or call the church office for a recorded message.

Update 1/30 10:50 a.m.: Due to the snow that continues to fall in Fairfax, the Benefit Concert is postponed to a date to be determined.

Help the people of Haiti and enjoy an evening of classical piano. This Saturday 1/30 at 7pm at Fairfax Christian Church in Fairfax, VA come hear Hilary Henry play a program of Mozart, Gershwin and Chopin. Concert is free but there will be freewill donations accepted for Week of Compassion.

Image Credits: Fairfax Christian Church and Paul Jeffery/Act Alliance

Fairfax Christian Church, like many Disciples congregations, is collecting donations for Week of Compassion and is assembling Church World Service aid kits. The idea to assemble the kits first came to us from congregation member Shannon Klee, and her 6 year old son, Ryan. When Ryan heard about the earthquake in Haiti, he wanted to do something to help the kids like him. Shannon has led our congregation's CROP Walk teams the past couple of years, so she looked to CWS to see how they might help and found the details about the baby kits and the hygiene kits. Ryan immediately started going around the house, gathering items. The following Sunday, Ryan brought in example kits that he made with his mom's help, and he and Acting Pastor Russ Wagner-Bark showed the kits to the congregation, with Ryan pointing out all of the items that he and his mom had collected. Their act of service has inspired the rest of the congregation, and we hope to do our part to make a difference in the lives of the Haitian people who have been so devastated by this tragedy.