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Courageously living and sharing God's unconditional love every day, with everyone, everywhere. SOCIAL JUSTICE "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:31 The United Methodist Church has a long history of advocating for social justice. During university, John & Charles Wesley and their Oxford 'Holy Club' visited the local prison and tutored neighborhood children. The early Methodists expressed their opposition to societal ills such as slavery, smuggling, inhumane prison conditions, alcohol abuse, and child labor. Today United Methodists work, march and pray for racial justice, environmental care, and fair treatment for everyone. Learn how we continue in ministries of justice today and find places where you can serve. "The United Methodist Church believes God's love for the world is an active and engaged love, a love seeking justice and liberty. We cannot just be observers. So we care enough about people's lives to risk interpreting God's love, to take a stand, to call each of us into a response, no matter how controversial or complex. The church helps us think and act out of a faith perspective, not just respond to all the other 'mind-makers-up' that exist in our society." Excerpt from The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church 2020/2024. Copyright © 2024 by The United Methodist Publishing House. First adopted by the 1972 General Conference, the Social Principles document stands in the Wesleyan tradition of forthright moral witness and ethical action. The Social Principles articulate our ethical aspirations for the common good in our public policies and personal commitments. Through them, we seek to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength and to desire for our neighbors what we desire for ourselves. Social Principles of the United Methodist Church As Adopted by General Conference Charlotte, 2024 The Social Principles reflect the United Methodist response to today's most pressing social issues. UMC Social Principles Faith in Action: All Other Ground is Sinking Sand Justice Takes Courage, Edition 5 An article from Bishop Julius C. Trimble General Board of Church and Society | January 24, 2025 All Other Ground is Sinking Sand What Do We Mean by "Social Justice"? Learn what "social justice" means in the United Methodist Church and how we as a church participate in social justice. What do we mean by social justice? Dear President Trump: Letter from United Methodist Council of Bishops A letter to the Honorable President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, from the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church. Council of Bishops Letter to President Trump Bishop, Appointive Cabinet Share Pastoral Letter to Federal Workers A Pastoral Letter to Federal Workers Summarily Dismissed from their Jobs Pastoral Letter to Federal Employees "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:31 The Social Justice Team works towards living into our Strategic Priorities of Missional Outreach and Social Justice. To help educate, disciple, and model ways to transform for the better those people and causes we seek to serve locally, nationally, and internationally. Currently we partner with Woodlawn Faith UMC in worship and missional exchanges, as well as opportunities that you can find in our weekly newsletter (click the "Subscribe" button, below, to receive our weekly newsletter). We have a Social Justice section in our church library where you can check out books. We are offering tips for Creation Care in our weekly newsletter. Click on the tabs, below, to learn more about the different social justice focus areas at Aldersgate UMC. Learn more about the Social Principals of the United Methodist Church . The Social Justice Team comes together every 8-10 weeks to share what we are working on and plan for other ways to engage in our church and community. If you wish to know more, be part of a book and /or Bible study, or to actively participate in one of the above areas, please contact socialjustice@aldersgate.net . Woodlawn-Faith UMC Partnership Aldersgate UMC is currently partnering with Woodlawn-Faith UMC in worship and missional exchanges, as well as other events you can learn about here and under Upcoming Events . There are also opportunities to serve with Woodlawn-Faith UMC, such as Food Distribution on Fordson Road and to serve at the Community Gardens at the Grist Mill Park. Woodlawn-Faith UMC is an African-American congregation in our area. This partnership came out of our work on our Focus 2025 Strategic Priorities. We heard you as our congregation wanting to be more diverse in worship and in engaging with our community. Upcoming Partnership Events Woodlawn-Faith Food Distribution Friday, March 20th | 8:30am - 12:00pm Where: St. John's Baptist Church (7730 Fordson Rd, Alexandria) St. John's Baptist Church (7730 Fordson Rd, Alexandria) Help pack food boxes for distribution to folks who come to collect food. Join Woodlawn-Faith UMC at St. John's Baptist Church on Fordson Road to pack food boxes for folks in our community to collect. No reservation or sign-up required! Drop by any time and stay for as long as you can! Students can earn community service hours. 1 1 ... 1 ... 1 Woodlawn-Faith Partnership Be the Bridge Book Club Creation Care Woodlawn-Faith UMC Partnership Aldersgate UMC is currently partnering with Woodlawn-Faith UMC in worship and missional exchanges, as well as other events you can learn about here and under Upcoming Events . There are also opportunities to serve with Woodlawn-Faith UMC, such as Food Distribution on Fordson Road and to serve at the Community Gardens at the Grist Mill Park. Woodlawn-Faith UMC is an African-American congregation in our area. This partnership came out of our work on our Focus 2025 Strategic Priorities. We heard you as our congregation wanting to be more diverse in worship and in engaging with our community. Upcoming Partnership Events Woodlawn-Faith Food Distribution Friday, March 20th | 8:30am - 12:00pm Where: St. John's Baptist Church (7730 Fordson Rd, Alexandria) St. John's Baptist Church (7730 Fordson Rd, Alexandria) Help pack food boxes for distribution to folks who come to collect food. Join Woodlawn-Faith UMC at St. John's Baptist Church on Fordson Road to pack food boxes for folks in our community to collect. No reservation or sign-up required! Drop by any time and stay for as long as you can! Students can earn community service hours. 1 1 ... 1 ... 1

Courageously living and sharing God's unconditional love every day, with everyone, everywhere. Advent & Christmas Eve 2025 Christmas Eve Advent Events Advent Giving Christmas Eve Candlelight Services Wednesday, December 24th Volunteer for Christmas Eve Worship Order Poinsettias for Christmas Eve Altar 3pm | Family Worship + Pop-Up Children's Pageant Candlelight Worship Service with Communion (nursery available for 3 & under) Pop-Up Children's Pageant open to all children in worship - no rehearsal required! 5pm | Service of Song and Light Candlelight Worship Service with Communion (nursery available for 3 & under) 7pm | Traditional Worship Candleligh t Worship Service with Communion (no nursery available) Livestream will be available for 5pm & 7pm services (CLICK HERE ) Live nativity animals from 3:30pm - 7:00pm on the Front Lawn Special Advent & Christmas Events 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 ... 100 Giving this Advent & Christmas Season Alternative Giving Epiphany Tree Alternative Christmas Giving Welcome to Aldersgate United Methodist Church’s 23rd annual Alternative Christmas Giving to benefit the missions and the United Methodist Church in Cambodia. We sponsor this event during Advent to give folks an opportunity to honor Jesus’s birth by giving gifts of love to serve the poor as we seek to carry out Christ's commandment to “go and make disciples.” Shoppers make contributions to mission projects in Cambodia in the name of loved ones as an alternative to buying material goods. This ministry was established and lovingly run for over two decades by Juanita Csontos. We continue this annual ministry in memory of Juanita and her passion for serving others. Alternative Giving 2025 Catalog Alternative Giving 2025 Shopping List Alternative Giving Gift Card Alternative Giving Volunteers will be at a table in Wesley Hall during Fellowship Time on November 30th, December 7th, 14th, and 21st to accept your gifts for the Cambodian Christians. You may purchase online, or you may fill out the shopping list and either turn it in at the Alternative Giving table or mail it to the church at: 1301 Collingwood Rd, Alexandria, VA 22308. Please make checks out to Aldersgate UMC and indicate "Alternative Giving" on the memo line. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Julie Pfister . Epiphany Tree Epiphany is the day Christians remember the coming of the Magi to visit Jesus, bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It occurs on January 6th every year and marks the end of the Christmas season. The word "epiphany," from the Greek word epiphania , means appearance or manifestation. The arrival of these visitors was a sign that the incarnation of God in Christ had been made known and was recognized by the heavens to the whole world, so that even Gentile wise men from the East came to pay him homage. This is an observance of great majesty, solemnity, and awe. Just as the Magi brought gifts to Jesus, we invite you to bring a gift for a baby, toddler, or new mother. You can place these donations (unwrapped) in the box under the Epiphany Tree in the Narthex (outside the sanctuary). We will collect baby and toddler gifts throughout Advent and Christmastide, all the way up to Epiphany Sunday. In January, we will donate the gifted items to Second Story for Young Mothers, a Transition Living Program in Northern Virginia that helps pregnant or parenting moms ages 16 to 24 attain safety, stability, and independence. Learn more about Second Story for Young Mothers at here . If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Molly Johnson . Thank you for being a blessing to others less fortunate. Merry Christmas! Christmas Eve Services Christmas Eve & New Year's Eve Special Advent Events Advent Giving Christmas Eve Candlelight Services Sunday, December 24th 3pm | Contemporary Worship + Pop-Up Children's Pageant Candlelight Worship Service with Communion (nursery available for 3 & under) Pop-Up Children's Pageant open to all children in worship - no rehearsal required! 5pm | Contemporary Worship Candlelight Worship Service with Communion (nursery available for 3 & under) 7pm & 9pm | Traditional Worship Candleligh t Worship Service with Communion (no nursery available) Live stream will be available for 5pm & 7pm services (CLICK HERE ) Live nativity animals from 3:30pm - 7:00pm on the Front Lawn Come see Chewy the Camel!

Courageously living and sharing God's unconditional love every day, with everyone, everywhere. UNITED METHODIST MEN (UMM) Living in Christ, So Others May Know Christ United Methodist Men (UMM) is the official organization for men in The United Methodist Church at the church, district, conference, and national levels. The mission of Aldersgate UMM is to support spiritual growth and fellowship among men as well as the mission of Aldersgate, while “helping men grow in Christ, so others may know Christ.” Aldersgate UMM gathers monthly for fellowship and learning. Every other month there is an Executive Committee meeting (all are welcome to attend) where current and upcoming activities (including charitable giving) are discussed and voted upon. During the other months (except July) we put on a dinner with a guest speaker. UMM Dinners are open to everyone. Dinner speakers and topics have included noted theologian Jim Wallis on living Christ’s message in the modern world; Lead Pastor Bill John’s vision for the church, roast and reflections by outgoing Lead Pastor Randy Orndorff, an exploration of Creation Care issues, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Fairfax County Police Department Human Trafficking Office, and a former Medical Missionary. Meetings and dinners are generally held in the evening on the second Tuesday of the month. UMM’s major fundraiser is an annual family and friends golf outing, usually held in September. Named the Aldersgate UMM Ken Galbreath Memorial Golf Tournament, after the stalwart UMM member who spearheaded the tournament for years, it raises funds to support UMM’s mission outreach. UMM has given approximately over $100,000 to local, regional, and international mission projects since 2007. In fact, all net proceeds go to support mission outreach! For more information on joining Aldersgate UMM or suggesting dinner speakers/topics or service projects for UMM, contact Tom Devine at DevineInterventionTD@gmail.com Upcoming Events