Fairhaven UMC
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Thursday, December 11, 2025
Mission: To Love, Live, and Serve like Jesus
In our church, community, and world
Sunday Worship
Join us in person or online at 10:30 a.m. as we continue our Advent worship series, What Do You Fear? Pastor Leah’s message is, “Fear Not – I Have Called You,” inspired by Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 1:26-39. Tom Taylor and Andy Mollard will sing “Unworthy Stranger,” by Tom Taylor and the Combined Choir will sing “The Lord is My Light,” by Lillian Bounight. Kim and Francesco Centrone will light the second candle of the Advent Wreath, “Joy,” as we continue our journey toward Bethlehem. Come worship with us!
This week's worship participants:
Ushers: Dennis Leighty and Steve Catapano
Acolyte: Sharon Babalola
Lay Readers: Jonathan Chambers
Coffee Hour Host:
The link to last week’s service: LINK
Happening This Week (details below)
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December 12 – Funeral Service for Julia Outhwaite
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December 14 – Christmas Concert – All Welcome
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December – Weekly Greater Gaithersburg Hub Advent Study continues
Save the Dates For Future Events! (details below)
December 21 – Christmas Cookie Coffee Hour
December 21 – Blue Christmas-Longest Night Service, 7 p.m., Mill Creek UMC
January 3 – Women’s Christmas/Brunch
Additional New and Important Updates
The Funeral Service for Julia Outhwaithe is tomorrow at Fairhaven at 11 am followed by a repast. Donations of desserts for the repast will be appreciated. Please bring to church prior to the service.
Christmas Concert - Fairhaven's annual Christmas concert is Sunday at 4 p.m. All of our choirs, along with small ensembles will offer an afternoon of Christmas music. A display of nativities and icons from the collections of Jason Clawson (community member) and Geoff Kaiser will be set up in the Garden Room for viewing before and after the concert. Please come and bring a friend!!
Kudos to you, Fairhaven! In three short weeks, we collected 69 gift cards totaling $2300 to be delivered to MCCH this week. Thank you for helping to make these families' Christmas holiday a bit brighter. FYI - we collected $295 more this year than in 2024. Let's keep this trend going. Again, thank you for your continued generosity, Fairhaven!
Christmas Cookie Coffee Hour: All of us are invited to be Coffee hour hosts on Dec. 21. If you would like to participate, please bring a plate with a dozen cookies (homemade or store-bought) and a note indicating who they are from. This is not a cookie exchange, but sandwich bags will be provided if there are any leftovers.
Share your Christmas Cards with your Fairhaven Family. Send one of your cards to the church (12801 Darnestown Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878) and all cards will be displayed on the church bulletin board.
Advent and Christmas Activities
Advent-Christmas Worship Series
Throughout the stories of Christ’s birth, the whispers of angels deliver a surprising message: “Do not fear.” In our own time, we might ask: Is it even possible to be fearless in a fearful world? This series looks closely at the fear and terror looming in the background during the time of King Herod and invites us to consider the fears we hold now. Fear can divide and paralyze us, and even be used as a tool for oppression. But what if we formed a different relationship with fear? Can we acknowledge fear without letting it rule us? Might we catalyze our fears into love and action? What if naming our fears helps us see more clearly how God is breaking in and where God is at work? This series gently invites us to identify where fear is present—both in the Advent story and in our lives—while also finding our way toward hope, with the angels’ voices in our ears.
December 14 – Do Not Fear, I Have Called You (Leah Huggins, Student
Pastor) Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 1:26-39
December 21 – Do Not Fear, Take My Hand (Pastor Ken)
Isaiah 41:5-10; Matthew 1:18-25
December 24 – Christmas Eve
7 p.m. Family Service;
10 p.m. Communion Service, Luke 2:1-20
December 28 – Jonathan Chambers, Lay Servant
January 4 – Do Not Fear, God’s Light Shines (Pastor Ken)
Matthew 2:1-12
‘Tuesday Morning Bible Study: The Advent Study we are using is, Advent in Four Words, by Bishops Ken Carder, Sharma Lewis Logan, Robert Farr and Debra Wallace-Padgett. Pastor Ken still has books available. Join us for this study on Tuesday mornings in December, 10-11:30, in a hybrid format.
Thursday Night Greater Gaithersburg Hub Study: we will gather on Zoom on Thursdays, December 4, 11 and 18 from 7-8 pm. The study is Mary Had a Baby: An Advent Study based on African-American Spirituals. Pastor Paul Johnson (Goshen UMC), Pastor Ken and Deacon Megan will rotate hosting and leading each week. The book is available on Amazon, and the study plan for week one is attached below. What a great way to begin the relationship with members of the other churches in our hub! This is the Zoom link (Meeting ID – 82733289058) to the sessions.
Blue Christmas-Longest Night Service – Sunday, December 21, 7 p.m.
Members of the Greater Gaithersburg Hub will gather at Mill Creek Parish, 7101 Horizon Terrace. Derwood, MD 20855, for a Blue Christmas-Longest Night service, designed especially for those who need to hear a word of comfort during the holiday season. The service will also be streamed and can be accessed on the church website, https://www.millcreekparish.org/ A flyer announcing the service is attached.
Read the UMM sponsored Advent Devotional:
We pray you are appreciating the inspirational Advent devotions delivered daily via email. These devotions, written by our members and clergy, will guide us in our spiritual journey as we prepare for Christ's birth. We still have a few open days for folks to write an Advent devotional. It's not too late! Just click the link below and sign-up. You’ll be provided with a scripture, template, and multiple reminder emails in the days leading up to your selected day. ***Click here to write an Advent devotional for Fairhaven.*** Have questions? Email Shelton Mooney - shelton.mooney@live.com - to get your answers.
Poinsettias: Thanks to Bunny for coordinating our poinsettia delivery and positioning them to help beautify our sanctuary. Thanks to those who have ordered, and please read the dedications included in the bulletin. We have more poinsettias than those that were dedicated. If you’d like to purchase one or more, please see Bunny.
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News from the Greater Gaithersburg Hub, the Baltimore-Washington Conference,
and the Community
United Methodist Church and Baltimore-Washington Conference News
Everstand (formerly the Board of Child Care) is a comprehensive, multi-faceted regional ministry that seeks to bring healing and wholeness to children and families. While its name changed in 2024, it continues to be a beacon of hope.
Each young person at Everstand thoughtfully creates a holiday wish list, totaling approximately $150. When you sponsor a wish list, your monetary contribution allows staff to purchase exactly what a child has requested. You may give online by visiting everstand.org/christmas and following the instructions for the Christmas Gift Sponsorship program.
For more information on what is happening in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, Click here to read the e-connection, the conference newsletter.
Community News
Age-Friendly Community Needs Assessment survey due Sunday, December 14th. To better understand the current and future needs of older adults, residents are invited to complete the Age-Friendly Community Needs Assessment survey. Resident input is crucial for guiding positive changes to public spaces, policies, and programs. Click here for the online survey. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Kentlands Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
invites you to a unique, immersive presentation of the Nativity. This experience features synchronized music, narration, and light illuminating timeless nativity masterpieces, creating a beautiful biblical retelling of the birth of Jesus Christ. Several pieces from the Raines Nativity Collection—from various cultures around the world—will also be on display. The experience is free to all, with no tickets required.
The with presentations are at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 p.m.
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December 12–14 (Fri–Sun) - *Sat, Dec 13 in Mandarin only*
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December 19–21 (Fri–Sun)
We will also hold a special Christmas Eve presentation on December 24 at the same times. Location: Kentlands Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 16 Kent Gardens Circle, Gaithersburg, MD
Montgomery County’s new Bring Your Own Bag Law goes into effect on January 1, 2026. Under the new law, plastic carryout bags will no longer be available at most businesses and paper bags will cost 10 cents each.
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Need a complimentary reusable bag? Bags are available at many libraries.
December 21 – Christmas Cookie Coffee Hour
December 21 – Blue Christmas-Longest Night Service, 7 p.m., Mill Creek UMC
January 3 – Women’s Christmas/Brunch
Of Continuing Interest...
Prayer List: Please see the attached list of the joys and concerns raised during the past two Sundays’ worship services. Please continue to offer these prayers to God.
Weekly Schedule
Office Hours week of December 14
Pastor Ken: Tues. 9:30-4 pm, Wednesday 10-7
Rita: Tuesday 9 am - 2 pm, Wednesday - Thursday 9-1
Sunday Worship: Every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ZOOM Link
Meeting ID: 156 030 351 Passcode: 324036 Dial-In: 301 715 8592
We kindly request that you remain muted during the Sunday service once worship has begun. The service is edited before being posted to our YouTube channel.
Pastor’s Bible Study:
The Tuesday Morning Bible study will shift our focus for the next few weeks to exploring the lectionary texts of the season.
November 11: Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 12; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19
November 18: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 100; Philippians 4:4-9; John 6:25-35
November 25: Lamentations 3:55-57; Luke 1:5-13
ZOOM LINK Meeting ID: 811 8541 4235 Dial-In 301 715 8592
Tuesday Night Bible Study: Tuesday Evenings 7-8 pm by Zoom. Mala Prasad is leading a study on The Bible With and Without Jesus by Amy Jill Levine and Marc Zivi Brettler. ZOOM LINK Meeting ID: 811 8541 4235 Dial-In 301 715 8592
Weekly Prayer Service: Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Need a mid-week spiritual lift? All are welcome to join us online at 7:00 p.m. for our weekly Thursday evening prayer service. ZOOM LINK. Jonathan Chambers will lead the service on 8/21.
Grief Support Group: Will meet in person on selected Thursdays, at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in participating in the group, please contact Rev. Gerry at therevjr@msn.com for more details.
Contact Information
Pastor Ken Hawes: pastorken.fairhavenumc@gmail.com; 240-329-7638
Deacon Megan Blanchard: rev.megan.blanchard@gmail.com
Rita Green: fairhavenumc@gmail.com, c- 301-648-8294
Christina Mollard: ycmollard@gmail.com
Financial Giving to Fairhaven: Thank you for your continued generosity for the ministry of Christ through Fairhaven UMC. There are 3 ways to make an offering:
● In Person: place a gift in the offering plate on Sunday mornings
● Mail: send a check to the church payable to Fairhaven United Methodist Church
● Online: https://fairhaven.breezechms.com/give/online
You may designate your gift to several funds:
● General Fund: the primary fund covering budgeted expenses
● Discretionary Fund: helps people in need on an emergency basis (at the pastor’s discretion)
● Capital Expenses: for ongoing church building needs
● Invest in Fairhaven: a specific capital campaign to do building upgrades
● Building Use: for community members who use the building to pay their use fees
● Other funds are activated-deactivated through the year for specific causes (Huree, SAVE, UMCOR, etc.)