Author: Admin

Celebrate St. Stephen’s 60th Anniversary and its Future!

Don’t miss this “all-hands-on-deck” event, where we hope to see new and old friends and past pastors and associates come back and visit. Here are the details:

February 10 – Saturday

• 5:00 p.m. REUNION time in quieter settings with snacks and memorabilia- open all evening
• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Sit down DINNER — WITH TICKET ($15 or donation, ticket sales on Sundays or by email to church.)
• 7:30 p.m. 60’s DANCE with “memory lane” music, dancing, contests and games, and special treats.

February 11 – Sunday, 10:00 a.m. (one service)

• Join us for a combined worship service followed by a Special Reception. Pastor Jeff Mickle, who served SSUMC from 2007 – 2014, will be preaching.

Contact all the friends and alumni you’d like to see. For questions:​office@ststephensfairfax.org​.

Download the flyer and spread the word!

Justice January

The Church and Society Committee of St. Stephen’s UMC welcomes you to a month of events examining maternal health and our church’s response.

• Friday, January 12, at 6:00 p.m.: MPK kids will create no-sew blankets to add to the layette kits we will be assembling on January 14.
• Sunday, January 14, at 4:30 p.m.: Our annual Dr. MLK, Jr worship service with guest speaker Rev. Camille Henderson-Edwards, director for Economic, Health, and Gender Justice at the General Board of Church and Society, followed by a service project assembling layette kits and a dinner.
• Thursdays, January 18 and 25 at 7:00 p.m. online: Letters to my Daughters: We will gather online to watch video presentations using materials created by Rev. Camille Henderson-Edwards and discuss the maternal mortality crisis and ways that the faith community can respond.
• Thursday, February 1: United Methodist Day at the General Assembly.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance January 14 at 4:30 pm

St. Stephen’s UMC will host their annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. service on January 14, 2024 at 4:30 pm.  Our guest speaker will be Rev. Camille Henderson-Edwards, director for Economic, Health and Gender Justice at the General Board of Church and Society. She is responsible for legislative and policy advocacy in support of economic, health and gender justice. Most recently she has been leading a monthly online seminar entitled Letters to my Daughters which, among other topics, examines the current maternal mortality crisis in this country.

Please join us for the worship service and then a service project when we assemble layette kits for mothers and their new babies which will be donated to the Northern Virginia Assistance League. This will be followed by a time of fellowship with dinner.  Please make plans to join us on January 14 for this very special event.

United Methodist Day at the General Assembly February 1, 2023

United Methodist day at the General Assembly has long been supported by United Women of Faith and the Church and Society Committee here at St. Stephen’s UMC.  What is UM day?  It is a day when we join together with Methodists from all over Virginia. We advocate for our neighbors by meeting with our representatives! We learn about issues that are facing people all across the commonwealth. We connect with each other, meeting friends old and new! We celebrate our United Methodist faith that values justice, advocacy, and compassion.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about what happens at United Methodist Day at the General Assembly you should sign up for our preview this November 30 at 7:00 pm. You can learn about the event before taking the plunge to join us on February 1. Already know you want to join us in Richmond? Register for UM Day here.

Interested?  Please see Max Brewer or Victoria Bryant Bateman for details and to sign up for a carpool.

December 24 Services

10:00 am: Fourth Sunday of Advent Service (combined)
– note the time change for one single service on Sunday morning –

5:00 pm Christmas Eve Service

7:00 pm Christmas Eve Service

We invite you to join us for a special, blessed Sunday. 

Christmas at Grace Ministries

Thanks to the “extravagant generosity” (one of St. Stephen’s guiding principles) of the St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church community and friends, in 2022 we provided over 600 children from 215 families with wrapped, age-appropriate Christmas gifts. Their families also received shelf-stable groceries, produce, bread, and diapers. Additionally, we gifted Browne Education Campus in Washington, DC, with 35 family activity gifts for their preschool to eighth-grade students.

With your help, we hope to share even more this year. The number and size of guest families participating in Grace Ministries and First Fridays/Green Groceries has steadily increased throughout 2023.

Detailed gift suggestions for infants to 17-year-olds can be found below. There will also be a Giving Tree in the Gathering Space, with tags grouped by specific age ranges. We kindly ask that you wrap the gifts (although we are happy to assist if needed) and label them by age and gender, if applicable. Please remember to include batteries if required. We also appreciate donations of wrapping paper, tape, and Christmas labels.

You may drop off packages at the church during regular office hours or when attending services or meetings. The deadline for drop-off is Thursday, December 14, and distribution will take place on the 16th.

Thank you so much for your support. Grace Ministries and our families truly appreciate it.

• Suggested Gifts for Most Age Groups: Books, sports balls, puzzles, art supplies, science, building and craft kits, board and card games.
• Infant to 3: Attachable mobiles, plush animals and dolls, pull toys, bath toys, picture books.
• 3 to 5: Musical toys, play sets (farm, first responders, garage, medical, cooking, dinosaurs, jungle), coloring books, crayons, markers, stickers, play vehicles.
• 5 to 7: Action figures and dolls, costume headgear (firefighter, construction, jungle animal, decorated hairbands, superhero), Etch A Sketch, chalkboard and chalk, musical toys, puppets, bean bag sets.
• 7 to 9: Motorized land, air, and sea craft, plant grow kits, building sets, science, craft, and baking kits.
• 9 to 11: Science, model-building, craft kits, personal journals, pens, art supplies, LED gloves, scrapbooks.
• 12 to 14: Advanced science and craft kits, nail care kits, bracelets, sports gloves, frisbees, decorative items.
• 15 to 17: Personal journals, dart boards, men’s travel and shave kits, makeup sets, wallets, purses, entertainment gift certificates, decorative boxes.

Seven Ways to Donate to SSUMC’s Endowment

Endowment giving to St. Stephen’s may take many forms:

• Securities are generally deductible at full market value and taxes on the gain may be avoided.
• Real Estate is also generally deductible at full market price.
• Life Insurance Policies may be used to designate the SSUMC Permanent Endowment Fund as a beneficiary.
• Charitable Trusts provide the donor with income for life with the assets passing to the SSUMC Permanent Endowment Fund.
• Wills and Trusts may be used to designate assets to the SSUMC Permanent Endowment Fund.
• Liquid Assets such as cash, treasury bills, money market accounts.
• Gift Annuities provide the donor with income for life with the assets passing to the SSUMC Permanent Endowment Fund.

All gifts for endowment should be labeled for the SSUMC Permanent Endowment Fund.

Contact Charlie Jedlicka, Endowment Committee Chair, at 703-978-2593 to further explore these opportunities.