A Transforming Force for Good in the World in the Name of Jesus Christ

June 2024

Greetings!

June has arrived and so have all the end of the school year celebrations! FPC is joining with Oakland Baptist on June 7 to sponsor an ice cream truck for Alexandria City High School's last day of school. Many thanks to Deacons Susan Berry & Tran Kim-Senior for working with our friends at Oakland Baptist to plan this event.

Our family recently reunited to celebrate the college graduation of our son Alex. Having been a 2020 high school graduate without a graduation, this was an important day for Alex and for our entire family. During his four years at Longwood University, the pandemic served up some difficult and lonely moments, but he persevered and graduated -- on time no less! We are incredibly proud of him, and the graduation weekend of rain could not dampen our enthusiasm. I extend my congratulations to all of the graduates and their families -- see our full list of FPC graduates below.

Wishing you all summer blessings!

Romelda Guglielmo

A Word from Pastor Juli:

Good News from the CAT

In late May your elders and deacons received the results of our CAT (Congregational Assessment Tool). You can read the executive summary HERE. There was lots of good news in this CAT! The levels of satisfaction and energy in our congregation are very high. We are a very adaptable congregation, which means that we have the potential to change in response to the nudges of the Holy Spirit. Compared to our 2016 and 2019 CAT reports, we scored higher in virtually every category. Thanks be to God!

The CAT results tell us that we have the capacity to act on the priorities which emerged as important to our congregation, which I will sum up as “going deeper”—in discipleship, in relationship, in leadership. People in our congregation understand that they are called to be disciples, in the church and in the world, and want to church to equip them for that mission. Read more...

Help Online Worshipers Stay Connected on Sundays:

Facebook Livestream Prayer Request Monitors Needed

We need help to make sure our Facebook livestream viewers' prayers and concerns are brought forward during Sunday morning worship. Monitors are asked to pass along these prayer requests to Pastor Juli and the in-person congregation for prayerful support. Volunteers simply need to keep an eye on our Facebook page where the livestream will be in progress, invite online worshipers through chat to share their joys and concerns, then name them aloud during the prayers of the people portion of service. To volunteer, simply click on the button below to be taken to the sign-up. Questions? Contact Deacon Liz Thomas. Thank you!

LIVESTREAM PRAYER REQUEST MONITOR SIGN-UP

Sign Up for Waypoint Wednesday Food Distribution and Outdoor Games on June 5

With summer approaching and the Waypoint social work interns departing, FPC volunteers are especially needed at the weekly AFAC food distribution at the Waypoint from 4-6pm and with Waypoint Wednesday Outdoor Games from 6-7pm. Please use the links below to sign up for either or both opportunities and wear your FPC t-shirt. Thank you for helping us build relationships with our neighbors!

Congratulations, Class of 2024!

We extend our best wishes to the high school

and college graduates in the Class of 2024!

Sydney Payne

Sydney Payne is the daughter of Matt Payne and Kelley O'Dell and is graduating from Alexandria City High School today, June 1! Sydney was confirmed here at FPC in 2019. This fall she will be attending the University of Virginia in the College of Engineering. Congratulations, Sydney!

Xavier Alexander Mitchell

Xavier is the son of FPC's former sexton Wesley Mitchell and has graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC, with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He is currently in Honduras doing volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity. Xavier will be going to work for Clark Construction in July. FPC takes special pride in Xavier's accomplishments having provided him with a scholarship in 2022 in honor of his father's longtime service to FPC. Congratulations, Xavier!

Gabriel Alexander Guglielmo

Alex is the son of Romelda & Gabe Guglielmo and graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work from Longwood University in Farmville, VA. Alex is currently an intern at United Methodist Family Services in Annandale. He will be job seeking in the fall and exploring graduate programs soon! Congratulations, Alex!

Welcome New Members!

New Member Sunday Is June 16

Join us Sunday, June 16 as we receive new members Emily Nuss and Jim Cotter into our FPC family. Click the button below to read their bios and be sure to welcome them warmly!

NEW MEMBER BIOS

Gratitude Sunday Is June 23!

During worship on June 23, we will recognize the wonderful ways in which so many of you contribute to the inner workings of FPC. It’s an amazingly long list! In recognition of your service, volunteers will receive a gift-boxed, custom-decorated cookie made by our baker extraordinaire Susan Winckler.

Can't make it on June 23? Pick up your cookie later from the kitchen freezer.

June 23 Congregational Meeting

After worship on June 23, we encourage you to attend the congregational meeting to elect new officers and receive the report of the Audit Committee (full report will be available a week before the meeting). Those wishing to attend remotely should plan to join us using Facebook. Click HERE for the agenda.

FPC's Nominating Committee is pleased to offer the following individuals as new officer nominees to our Session & board of Deacons (click HERE to view their bios):

Jim Moser, Clerk (Session Class of 2026)
Hari Rao (Session Class of 2027)
Norman Kim-Senior (Session Class of 2027 - serving for a 2nd term)
Lea Fiddick (Deacon Class of 2027)
Gary Hughes (Deacon Class of 2027 -- serving a 2nd term)
Darcy Patanakul (Deacon Class of 2027)

The following officers have served out their terms and done FPC a great service. We are grateful for all their hard work and leadership. Please take a moment to thank them the next time you see them!

Elder Laura Brooks; and
Deacon Susan Berry.

We will also hear a report of the results of our CAT (Congregational Assessment Tool). Read the summary HERE. Thank you to the 55 members of our community who participated in the survey! The nursery will remain open throughout the congregational meeting to enable all members to attend.

Little Free Pantry Summer Wish List

The hot summer months can be a bit challenging for our Little Free Pantry because canned goods can't be used due to the heat. Please consider donating non-perishable dry goods like rice and beans as well as non-melting on-the-go items like granola bars. Small toiletries are also a good item to donate. Many thanks to our Deacons for overseeing our Little Free Pantry!

IN Session by Elder Laura Brooks

The Session met on May 19 after worship. The following discussions and actions were taken:

The session received written reports from the Treasurer, the Worship Planning Team, and the Nominating Committee. It was thrilled to hear that the slate of deacon- and elder-nominees has been filled and is set for the congregation to vote on at the 23 June Called Congregational Meeting. Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair Elder Kim-Senior noted that a reminder was sent out through Constant Contact about scheduled giving and that a financial status item was included in the May eNews, with plans to continue that practice. The session and deacons will receive an overview of FPC’s 2024 Congregational Assessment Tool results from National Capital Presbytery interpreter Elder Jesy Littlejohn on 20 May. Read on...

Financial Update through April 2024

In the interest of transparency and to keep our congregation up to date on the church's finances, we plan to provide you with a monthly financial update moving forward. Please see the Giving Chart below comparing actual giving to budgeted giving through April.

Please consider:

making a gift this month, if you have not given recently;
setting up regular online giving to support us through the summer months

Thank you for your faithful support of what God is doing through our church. Questions? Reach out to Elder Norman Kim-Senior. Need a copy of your giving statement? Reach out to the Church Office.

	Giving Performance against Budget through April 2024
Budgeted Giving	Actual Giving	Difference
$67,666	$47,203	($20,463)

GIVE NOW

Next ESL Informational Meeting –

Tuesday, June 25 at 7:00 PM

Three Northern Virginia churches started “English as a Second Language and Immigrant Ministries” (ESLIM) in 1989. Since that time, it has grown to serve many communities in the area. West End Alexandria is not currently served, and we have heard from Waypoint neighbors that they are looking for ESL classes nearby.

FPC, Fairlington United Methodist and other interested parties held the first information meeting on April 30 about the possibility of partnering on a site in our neighborhood. Talks to discern next steps will continue on Tuesday, June 25 at 7pm here at FPC in the Sanctuary. If you are curious, or know of others who would be interested, please attend and invite a friend. Contact Pastor Juli with questions.

ARLINGTON PRIDE VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP

HELP WANTED:

New FPC Neighborhood Clean-Up Leader Needed

Fairlington Presbyterian Church has been carrying out neighborhood clean-ups for about 7 years. If FPC would like to continue doing this important work, we need a volunteer to coordinate the clean-ups and work with the City of Alexandria’s Stormwater Department. Susan Berry is taking a break from the role but would be happy to help a new leader learn what needs to be done. The clean-ups not only help our community, they provide an opportunity to reduce FPC’s annual stormwater fee. Because the clean-ups are part of a City program, there is a fair amount of paperwork and photo documentation required. If you are looking for a way to really make a difference in the community and honor God’s creation, contact the Church Office or Susan Berry and ask for more information.

IPC Screening of "The Story of Plastic" on June 6, 7pm

Join Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake (IPC) for an exclusive screening of "The Story of Plastic" on June 6 at 7pm. Experience the film before engaging in an in-depth and thought-provoking talk back session with the filmmaker Deia Scholsberg. Registrants will receive exclusive access to a link for viewing the 95-minute film one week before the discussion. To respect the filmmaker's work, we kindly ask that this link not be shared or displayed on any virtual or social media platforms. To watch the film, please register here and join IPC for the live webinar discussion.

Our own Belinda Passafaro is a member of the Arlington Interfaith Network. Questions? Contact Belinda.

Summer Camp Volunteer Opportunity

The Waypoint Resident Services staff is seeking youth and adult volunteers to support their on-site summer camp, for a day or a week. Interested? Contact Resident Services Coordinator Cierra Falke with your availability and complete the Wesley Housing volunteer application