Sundays in Advent
Worship in person at 10 am each Sunday in Advent. You can also attend the 10 am service live or later on YouTube. There is also the regular monthly evening worship opportunity on December 7 at 4 pm, and a special “Blue Christmas” service on December 17 at 6 pm.
Candlelight Worship on Christmas Eve
Celebrate the birth of the Savior in worship with Herndon UMC
5 PM | Family Friendly Candlelight Worship
Family Christmas Eve Service with kid-friendly “candle” light and a pop-up Christmas pageant.
9 PM | Traditional Candlelight Worship
Candlelight service with bells, choir, Holy Communion in the Sanctuary. This service will be live-streamed to Herndon UMC’s YouTube channel.
Flyer to share or keep on your refrigerator:
Grow HOPE.
Check out these opportunities, beyond worship, to grow faith and hope this season.
Take & Make Your Own Advent Wreath
Continuing the Herndon UMC tradition of offering each household the opportunity to make their own Advent Wreath. Kits will be available for families to take home and add their own fresh greens to assemble a wreath. Kits will include a plate, oasis, picks, candles, and two different devotionals.
Advent Devotional
Our friends at A Sanctified Art have provided a special Advent devotional to go along with our Advent and Christmas series. You may pick up a copy in the Welcome Centers. To get access to a digital copy which you can access on your computer and mobile devices look in the eNews, or contact the church office. In order to protect their work, please refrain from sharing this link or posting it on social media.
Pathfinders Advent Study | Sundays 11:15 am
All are welcome to join the Pathfinders class after worship on Sundays at 11:15 as they walk together through the Advent devotional with Pastor Pam.
Intergenerational Art Projects
Each week there will be a special art project that connects with the message. Look for supplies and instructions in the Welcome Center after worship and then down by Doe Fellowship Hall throughout the week.
Creative activities provide a way to express emotions, find purpose, and develop resilience. It offers us an opportunity to connect with ourselves and others and see possibilities for personal and collective growth. By focusing on a positive and active process, creativity can also shift a person’s mindset and motivate them to move forward even when faced with difficulty.
Blue Christmas Worship & Dinner | Dec 17 at 6 PM
A Blue Christmas service, also known as a Longest Night service, is held to provide a space for comfort and hope for those who are grieving or struggling during the Christmas season. It acknowledges that the holidays can be difficult due to loss, illness, loneliness, or other hardships, and offers a way to find solidarity, support, and faith in a community of worship. Our Blue Christmas service this year will be held at 6 pm on December 17.
After the service (around 6:45 pm), there will be a potluck dinner in Doe Fellowship Hall. Ham and rolls will be provided. Bring a side dish or dessert to share. There is always plenty of food, so please come enjoy dinner and fellowship.
"Pop Up Pageant" | Christmas Eve 5 PM
All of God’s children are invited to join us for a “Pop Up Christmas Pageant” at 5 PM on Christmas Eve. Come in and choose a part to play–angels, wise men, cows, doves, donkeys, and more. Everyone can take part in this telling of the story of Jesus’ birth. This family-friendly service will include Holy Communion and kid-friendly “candlelight.” Bring your friends and neighbors!
Candlelight & Communion Worship | Christmas Eve 9 PM
On Christmas Eve, we honor the birth of Jesus with worship. Join us as we celebrate God becoming human in the person of Jesus. Our service will include music, candlelight, and the sharing of Holy Communion. All are welcome.
Share HOPE.
Check out these opportunities to share hope with others this season.
Angel Trees | Nov 23-Dec 7
Angel Tree gifts support the LINK Toy Distribution (white ribbons) or help school counselors and social workers support the needs of students at Herndon HS (red ribbons). Share HOPE with the food insecure in Herndon and Sterling, or with the students of Herndon High School.
Gifts may be donated for either cause without an angel too! Return unwrapped gifts by 12/9. Please turn in gift cards to the church office or to the basket at the sound booth on Sunday mornings, be sure to indicate if they are for LINK or Herndon HS.
Hypothermia Prevention Dinner | Dec 7
Share a warm, healthy meal and share some HOPE. The Hypothermia Prevention Dinners begin in December. Our first, church-wide dinner opportunity will be on 12/7. The sign up on how you can help is available in the app, at bit.ly/HerndonUMCNeeds, and on the Connection Corners.
[Note: When signing up through the bit.ly link you will be sent an email that you will need to open and click the link inside within 5 minutes to complete the sign-up. This is a security measure when not signing up through a recognized account.]
Children's Pajama Party | Dec 12
All Children ages 2-12 are welcome at the Children’s Holiday Pajama Party on Friday, December 12 from 5:30 to 7pm. There will be cookies and Grinch kabobs, crafts and games, stories, and visits with Santa. All kids are welcome to this drop-off event sponsored by Herndon’s United Women in Faith as a fundraiser for the Herndon UMC Preschool. Register today!
The Closet | Dec 13
Help Herndon UMC fulfill our commitment to support the Closet that does so much for those in need in our community. Sign up in the app, on the clipboards, or online at bit.ly/HerndonUMCNeeds. Please step up to help support this mission this month, if you can. For more information, email Bill & Betty Arey, thecloset@herndonumc.org.
[Note: When signing up through the bit.ly link you will be sent an email that you will need to open and click the link inside within 5 minutes to complete the sign-up. This is a security measure when not signing up through a recognized account.]
Greens | Dec 7-13
Herndon’s United Women in Faith (UWF) will be creating beautiful Christmas arrangements of live (and artificial) greens on December 7-9. There are several ways that you can support this, their annual fundraiser for missions:
Donate greens clippings, picks (decorations), and containers, especially the greens clippings. Evergreens of all kinds are welcome. For containers, the preference is smaller, like a coffee cup or a small basket. Please bring these to room 115/116 on Sunday, December 7, after worship.
Give a financial donation to Herndon United Women in Faith at bit.ly/Greens2025.
Help make greens arrangements on December 7 – 9. The maker times are Sunday 5 – 8 PM, Monday 9 AM – 3 PM (lunch provided), and Tuesday 9 AM – 1 PM (lunch provided). No special skill required, makers are happy to help you learn. Sign-ups are available in the app, at bit.ly/HerndonUMCNeeds, and on the Connection Corners. All ages and genders are welcome to join in this festive fellowship time.
Buy greens arrangements on December 7 – 13, while supplies last. Sale times, while supplies last, will be Monday 3 – 8 PM, Tuesday – Friday 5 -8 PM, Saturday noon- 2 PM, and Sunday 9 – 11 AM and 4 -6 PM.
To learn more about Herndon UWF, please email women@herndonumc.org or speak to the makers or sales people.
Virginia Bronze | Dec 14 at 4:30 PM
The Virginia Bronze will present their December concert at Herndon UMC on Sunday, December 14 at 4:30 pm.
This holiday season, the bells will be ringing with your favorite festive songs! The Virginia Bronze asked our friends and followers to share the holiday tunes that mean the most to them – and we listened. The result is a delightful handbell concert featuring repertoire chosen by our very own community.
Virginia Bronze is open to all persons who are either qualified handbell ringers or persons interested in promoting the purposes of the organization. They promote and showcase handbell ringing in Northern Virginia through programs that entertain audiences with advanced handbell performances, inspire individuals to learn the art of handbell ringing, motivate composers to create new and innovative handbell music, and support the performing arts community through collaborative efforts. Learn more at www.vabronze.org.
The concert is FREE and open to everyone to attend. Freewill donations will be collected at the door to support the Virginia Bronze and music in our community.
Cherry Blossom Brass Band | Dec 15 at 7:30 PM
The Cherry Blossom Brass Band will present their December concert at Herndon UMC on Monday, December 15 at 7:30 pm.
Composed of professional musicians, music educators, and community members, the Cherry Blossom Brass Band HOPES to bring high-quality, high-energy, and entertaining performances to audiences in the greater Washington D.C. area, provide an opportunity for musicians to learn about the British Brass Band tradition and compete regionally and nationally, and create a sense of community, both internally for musicians and externally for our audiences, around the British Brass Band tradition. Learn more at www.cbbrassband.com.
The concert is FREE and open to everyone to attend. Freewill donations will be collected at the door to support the Cherry Blossom Brass Band and music in our community.
Food & Love Bags for LINK | Dec 14-Jan 11
Every other month, Herndon UMC shares “Food and Love” with LINK, Inc. The bags offer a tangible reminder to provide food for the pantry, with a tag that lists the most needed items and a reminder of the return date. Pick up bags in the Welcome Centers and return with food items for LINK.
LINK is a local non-profit that delivers food to residents in need in Herndon & Reston. One of the LINK food pantries is on site at Herndon UMC and Herndon UMC offers a 24/7/365 drop-off point for non-perishable food (outside Door 2). Learn more about LINK and other ways you can help out at www.linkagainsthunger.org.