Missional Engagement

Urgent Needs

Learn and Join

As our communities are facing this unprecedented time due to COVID-19, it is important we serve and love our community as best we can. Here you find ways to be a witness to the call of our faith to care for the common good.

​

1) Our community partner Rising Hope Mission Church is in urgent need of food supplies, volunteers, and financial resources to help the most vulnerable in our community along the Route 1 Corridor.  You can bring food donations to the church and place in our brown bins or bring donations directly to Rising Hope. Please give in any way you can. Read this email from Rev. Keary Kincannon

​

2) As schools are closed for the rest of the school year, many kids who depend on school lunches will go hungry. Donate to help keep students fed during this time and check out where in Fairfax County students can get grab and go meals during this time. 

​

3) Help alleviate medical debt of health workers and first responders by giving to the Helping COVID Heroes Fund

​

4) Support UMCOR Covid-19 Response Fund

​

​

​

​

Ecumenical Advocacy Days

• April 18-21, 2021 Imagine! God's Earth and People Restored

  • Join with people of faith from all over the country for a week of virtual workshops and advocacy with federal lawmakers to address the urgent climate crisis. Let people of faith arise to restore the world to God's vision!

​

Virginia Interfaith Center

• January 18 - 22 Join the Day(s) for All People for a week of virtual workshops and advocacy with VA lawmakers.  Join with people of faith from all over VA to advocate for a better world for all
   

Biblical Scholar Walter Brueggemann

• God's call to neighborly vulnerability 

Resources for Racial Justice

​

Read

• Anti-Racism Resources

• Sojourners: For Our White Friends Desiring to Be Allies

Watch

• Systemic Racism and Discrimination During COVID-19 - UMC Justice Recorded Webinar

• Why We Need to Talk About Injustice - Bryan Stevenson

• Our worship service on May 31 on Psalm 13 addressing the sin of racism

​

Connect

• UMC General Commission on Religion and Race

• Interfaith Immigration Coalition

• Faith in Public Life

• Stop Anti-Asian and Pacific Islander Hate

Act​​

• Bishop Lewis' Call For Action Against Systemic Racism

• Online Course: Implicit Bias: What We Don't Think We Think

• Faith in Public Life Resource Page for Actions and Learning

​

​

Connect to our Community and World

Virginia Interfaith Center ​

• COVID-19 Resources for Communities (English Version) (Spanish Version)

• Social Action While Social Distancing - Tons of great ideas for social action and advocacy for individuals and for churches

​

Important Days Coming Up - For Yearly Giving Guide Click Here​​

• March 3 - World Wildlife Day

  • Support Defenders of Wildlife to protect wildlife and the places they call home. You can also symbolically adopt an animal to support their continued work of conservation

​​

• March 8 - International Women's Day

  • Support the Malala Fund to help ​ensure access to education for girls all around the world

​

• March 16 - National Panda Day

  • Support these beautiful creatures and be reminded of the creative and loving nature of God

​

• March 21 - International Day of Forests 

  • Protect our forests, that are essential for life in two ways: take action against corporations seeking to destroy God's earth for financial gain, and help plant trees to reforest the earth

• March 22 - World Water Day

  • Help provide more access to clean drinking water

​

Connect with Our Partners

​

Here you can partner with faith-based organizations to act and advocate for social change

​

Join with Creation Justice Ministries

• Tell policy makers to halt all water shut-offs

​

Virginia Interfaith Center

• Add your name - Protect Immigrants in Detention

• Add your name - Support Paid Sick Days

​

UMC Justice

• Demand Disability Justice In COVID-19 Response

​

​

​

Join Our Annual Opportunities

January 2021- Day for All People with
Virginia Interfaith Center. A day of learning and advocacy in Richmond.

​

2021 (Date TBA) - Rise Against Hunger - join us for our 3rd annual event to pack 10,000 meals in 2 hours!

​

March 2021 - Hypothermia Shelter. Provide meals for our neighbors at Rising Hope

​

​

August - Back to School Supplies for United Community

Oct-Dec - We collect food items for Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets for Rising Hope

​

Care for God's Creation

We have a responsibility to care​ for God's creation, to make sure we are faithful stewards and caretakers to the world we live in. Action on climate change is essential and of utmost importance right now. Below are ways you can join in the movement

​

Ecumenical Groups to Connect With:

Creation Justice Ministries - https://www.creationjustice.org/ 

Virginia Interfaith Power and Light - https://vaipl.org/

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy - Environmental Justice

UMC Justice and UMC Global Missions

​

Resources for Learning and Action:

VAIPL General Assembly 2021 Action Toolkit

Resources from our past sermon series on creation

Water as A Human Right - Fact Sheet

Our Planet Documentary 

Book: 50 Ways You and Your Church Can Help Save the Earth

Creation Justice - Monthly Action Center

Care for Endangered Species

​

Be Inspired