Fairhaven UMC
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Thursday, November 13, 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 consider “An Opportunity to Testify,” inspired by Isaiah 12 and Luke 21:5-19. The Men of the Gospel Choir will sing “Trouble Don’t Last Always,” arranged by Roy Crain. Hannah George Babalola will offer a Stewardship Moment as we continue our annual campaign. Come, worship with us!
This week's worship participants:
Ushers: Barbara, Dougherty, Trica Young
Acolyte: Lily Babalola
Lay Reader: Rev. Gerry Green
Coffee Hour: Kelley Rogers and Ellen Voorhees
The link to last week’s service: LINK
Happening This Week
Family Turkey Bingo Night on Saturday from 6-8 pm. We will be playing turkey bingo! One of the prizes will be a turkey, just in time for the holiday. All ages are welcomed and I’m recruiting some guest bingo callers. If you’re interested in helping with the event or being a guest bingo caller please email Trica at tricasmiles23@gmail.com. Light snacks will be provided. Please bring a friend and/or a family member with you for this night full of fun and fellowship. Hope to see you there!
Young Adults Flood Bucket Assembly and Meeting, Sunday-After Worship Service: Flood Bucket Assembly/Brief Strategy Meeting - We will be packing various household items in 20-30 large utility buckets to be sent to flood victims by UMCOR. After the buckets are completed, checked, and loaded in the vehicle, we can have a short (no longer than 30 min.) meeting to strategize, discuss ideas and feedback, and potentially solidify plans for our first social event.
Youth Group Meeting! Sunday Evening: If you are in grades 6-12 and want to join us for a night of food, fun, and faith, we would love to have you! And we always warmly welcome friends! Date: Sunday November 16, 2025; Time: 6:30 - 8:00 Where: FUMC Fellowship Hall
Questions? Contact Lauren Mooney at LaurenEJ1983@yahoo.com or at (301) 461-6775
Save the Dates For Future Events!
November 22 – United Women in Faith meeting
November 23 – Church decorating
November 30 – 1st Sunday of Advent
December 4-18 – Weekly Greater Gaithersburg Hub Advent Study
December 6 – Interfaith film and discussion event
December 14 – Christmas Concert
Additional New and Important Updates
Sympathy is extended to Liz Outhwaite on the passing of her mother, Valerie Martinez, last Sunday.
Annual Stewardship Campaign
You should have received a stewardship letter and 2026 financial commitment card by email last Saturday. Some hard copies will be available in the narthex this week. Your pledges help COPA and the Finance team to create a realistic ministry plan and budget for the coming year. Commitment Sunday is November 23, so please bring your completed commitment card to worship that day or send it to the church office. Thank you for your faithful support of our ministries as we grow in “living, loving and serving like Jesus.”
Advent Devotional – Opportunity: The Fairhaven United Methodist Men are organizing a daily Advent devotional that will be sent via email each morning during the Advent season and would like to invite all members of Fairhaven to contribute. We know our congregation is filled with deeply spiritual and astute folks who can share their faith with us during this time. The next step is easy…click the link below to sign up for a day. You’ll be provided with a scripture, template, and multiple reminder emails in the days leading up to your selected day. Sign-ups are limited to one day to allow the greatest representation of the congregation. Have questions? Email Shelton Mooney - shelton.mooney@live.com - to get your answers.
. ***Click here to write an Advent devotional for Fairhaven.***
Poinsettias: We know it’s early, but if you wish to order a poinsettia, Bunny needs the orders by Dec. 3. They will be delivered early enough to decorate our sanctuary for the Christmas concert on Dec. 14 and you may even take yours to decorate your home before Christmas. They are just $9 each. Please complete a Christmas Poinsettia Order Form (attached). Please make checks out to Fairhaven with "Poinsettias" on the memo line and give the check or cash to Bunny Kowalski. Poinsettias - $9 red, white, or variegated.
News from the Greater Gaithersburg Hub, the Baltimore-Washington Conference, and the Community
Greater Gaithersburg Hub News
Call to Prayer: The pastors of our Hub have issued a Call to Prayer! Please be in prayer for unity and God’s vision to be discerned in our Hub and also join in the joint Advent Study on Zoom on Thursday, December 4, 11 and 18 from 7-8 pm. Save the Dates! The study is Mary Had a Baby: An Advent Study based on African-American Spirituals. The book is available on Amazon What a great way to begin the relationship with members of the other churches in our hub!
United Methodist Church and Baltimore-Washington Conference News
The Council of Bishops announced on November 5 that the United Methodist Church has ratified all four constitutional amendments. These amendments address Worldwide Regionalization, Inclusivity, Combating Racism, and Voting Eligibility. Learn more about what this means and how it impacts our denomination.
Bishop Easterling introduces Resources for Resiliency Read letter.
For more information on what is happening in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, Click here to read the e-connection, the conference newsletter.
Community News
We are invited to a showing and discussion of “Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round” an untold civil rights story about the Glen Echo park. Please see the attached flyer for more information and to register to attend this FREE event on Dec. 6 at 5:30 pm.
We have a new park in the County! The Royce Hanson Conversation Park is 475 acres of beauty, with scenic trails, high-quality natural areas, and a rich history. The park honors Dr. Royce Hanson, whose land use strategies helped create the Agricultural Reserve. Open daily from sunrise to sunset, the Royce Hanson Conservation Park is located at 21820 Club Hollow Road in Poolesville.
Montgomery County has opened a first-of-its-kind Federal Workforce Career Service Center (FWCC). The center will support displaced federal workers and contractors through personalized career and entrepreneurial coaching, federal resume and job placement assistance, and professional development programs. The FWCC is located at 11510 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring.
Of Continuing Interest...
Prayer List: Please continue to offer the joys and concerns raised on Sunday as prayers to God.
Remember our Sick and Shut-ins and the Joys and Concerns raised last week
Weekly Schedule
Office Hours week of Sept. 21
Pastor Ken: Tues. 9:30-2pm, Wednesday 10-Noon
Rita: Tuesday 9am - 2pm, Wednesday - Thursday 9-noon
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.)