Fairhaven UMC
E-Messenger
Thursday, March 19, 2026
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 conclude our worship series, The Way. Pastor Leah will offer the message, “A New Way,” inspired by Isaiah 43:16-19 and Philippians 3:12-14. The Sanctuary Choir will sing, “God Our Creator, Source and Sustainer,” arr. Mark Hayes. Come, worship with us!
This week's worship participants:
Acolyte: Sharon Babalola
Ushers: Bethany Chambers and Elaine Gibson
Lay Reader: Dennis Leighty
Coffee Hour Host: The Green Team (coffee hour host needed for next week 3/29)
The link to last week’s service: LINK
Happening This Week
Greater Gaithersburg Hub Virtual Lenten Study continues tonight, 7-8 p.m. and ends next Thursday. Rev. Ken will lead next week’s session of the study The Final Days: A Journey through the Gospels by Matt Rawle. Zoom Information:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88036545612 Meeting ID: 880 3654 5612
Pastor Away: Rev. Ken is in North Carolina through Sunday, March 22, to attend the memorial service for his in-laws, Rusty and Alice Hammond. Pastor Leah will preach and lead worship on Sunday, March 22, with Deacon Megan assisting. Geoff Kaiser will lead tonight’s Prayer Time. Leah is on-call in case of pastoral emergencies, with Deacon Megan available as backup. Pastor Ken will return to his regular schedule on Monday, March 23. Mr. & Mrs. Hammond’s service will be livestreamed at 11 am on Saturday, March 21, at First United Methodist Church in Asheboro, NC. The link to the service will be pinned at the top of their website homepage in time for the service on Saturday, March 21, 11:00 am.
Folks can navigate to the homepage www.fumcasheboro.or, and click the banner that will be there.
Sunday’s coffee hour will be hosted by FUMC’s Green Team with a focus on Creation Care. Creation Care in the United Methodist Church refers to the spiritual and practical commitment to protecting and preserving God's creation. This concept is rooted in the belief that caring for the environment is an essential aspect of Christian stewardship, as articulated in the Social Principles: all individuals and communities are called to respect, nurture, and sustain the earth and all living things. The United Methodist Church encourages its members to engage in sustainable practices, advocate for environmental justice, and recognize the interconnectedness of creation as an expression of their faith and responsibility to future generations. FUMC’s former intern, Sharee Wharton, chairs The BWC Conference’s Creation Care Team, and they have put together a Creation Care Calendar with monthly ideas we all can do to care for God’s creation. A copy of the calendar is attached, and copies will also be available at coffee hour. For more information, see https://www.bwcumc.org/ministries/love-like-jesus/creation-care/.
Save the Dates For Future Events! (details below)
March 29 – April 5 – Holy Week – Holy Thursday joint Hub service on April 2nd will be at Fairhaven at 7:30 pm
March 28 – United Women in Faith meeting
Additional New and Important Updates
Easter Flower orders due 3/29: Help decorate the sanctuary on Easter Sunday while honoring or remembering a loved one. To order, complete an Easter Flower Order Form (attached) and place the form in an envelope and give directly to Bunny or mail the form and checks made out to Fairhaven UMC to Bunny Kowalski, 12615 Viewside Dr., Darnestown, MD 20878 or anitakheller@aol.com, 301-275-4286.
Thank you for your generous donations to Gaithersburg Help. Fairhaven donated 190 lbs. of food for this spring donation! The next donation drive will be in the fall. Will confirm dates when it gets closer. Thanks again, Linda Bowman
The next meeting of United Women in Faith will be Sat., March 28. Call to Prayer and Self-Denial will be the program. We will discuss plans for the Easter coffee hour, Women’s Day (April 26), and Assembly. All women are welcome to join us. See next week’s e-messenger to learn if the meeting will be virtual or in person.
Lent – A time for spiritual reflection!
Fairhaven’s Lent Worship Series – “The Way” written by Dr. Marcia McFee
Lent is a time of reflection, and there’s nothing like a pilgrimage to conjure that up. Making intentional journeys has been a ritual of humankind across time and traditions. Inspired by passages in the Judeo-Christian scriptures that talk about the journeys, roads, and pathways of life, we will make our way together through this season. The popular and poignant movie, The Way, about a father’s pilgrimage in honor of his late son on the famed Camino de Santiago in France and Spain, accompanies us as our modern-day inspiration to live the life we’ve been given to the fullest.
Sunday, March 22: A New Way – Isaiah 43:16-19; Philippians 3:12-14
Sunday, March 29: Palm Sunday
Easter Sunday, April 5
8:00 a.m.: worship led by our children and youth
10:30 a.m.: Meeting Christ On the Way – Matthew 28:1-10
Holy Thursday: Greater Gaithersburg Hub, hosted by Fairhaven UMC – 7:30 p.m. Hybrid link - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85309383246?pwd=ZZaItj6wrb0aysfOymh7n3K13wHkK0.1
Meeting ID: 853 0938 3246Passcode: 172291
Good Friday: Greater Gaithersburg Hub, hosted by Emory Grove UMC – Noon-3 (with Fish Fry following) and Epworth UMC – 7 p.m.
Easter Sunrise: Greater Gaithersburg Hub, hosted by Trinity UMC – 6:30 a.m.
The March/April Upper Room Devotionals are available for pick-up
News from the Greater Gaithersburg Hub, the Baltimore-Washington Conference, and the Community
BWC News
Please join us in praying for the youth and leaders traveling to Ocean City this weekend for the IGNITE Youth Conference. May they experience safe travel, open hearts, and a powerful reminder that they truly belong to God, to one another, and to a community that welcomes and celebrates them.
Please see the weekly e-connection for more news from our Conference. Among the articles in this week’s edition is an invitation to a conversation with Rev. Bonnie McCubbin to discuss her book, “I Love to Tell the Story,” which explores the UMC’s painful history with structural racism and the legacy of the Central Jurisdiction.
The BWC is blessed to have three different camp and retreat sites offering a wide range of programs in stunning locations at Harmison, Manidokan, and West River. Registrations are now being accepted. Learn more about summer camps.
Hub News
Check out the new website for the Greater Gaithersburg Hub. www.greatergaithersburgministry.org
Of Continuing Interest...
Remember our Sick and Shut-ins
Weekly Schedule
Office Hours week of March 8
Pastor Ken: Tuesday 4-6; Wednesday 10-4
Rita: Tuesday 9-2- Thurs. 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.
Tuesday Morning Bible Study: At church and online, Tuesdays, at 10 am. (Introduction to Genesis, Chapter 7) 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 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus by NT Wright. The 20th anniversary addition
ZOOM LINK Meeting ID: 811 8541 4235 Dial-In 301 715 8592
Thursday Evening Prayer Service: 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. Meeting ID: 987 2687 0589 Passcode: 489488
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.
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 UMC
● 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.)