Tired of the negativity in our world? Dismayed by how people are treating one another? Let’s join together to follow Jesus’ call to “love our neighbors.” Join us this fall as we partner with Kingstowne Communion and other area churches to be a visible example of Christ’s love in the world. We invite our neighbors to join us in sharing intentional acts of kindness in our community.
Love Your Neighbor T-Shirt: no longer available
This year, we have three events for our Love Your Neighbor Campaign:
Sunday October 6, 2024
World Communion Sunday & Rise Against Hunger Event
Join Franconia United Methodist Church and Kingstowne Communion this World Communion Sunday for our first “Love Your Neighbor” event this fall. We will gather at 10 a.m. for worship, and then pack 15-20K Rise Against Hunger meals together.
Collaborate with others to measure, pack, weigh, seal, and load 15-20K meals consisting of rice, beans, and nutritional supplements to combat worldwide hunger through Rise Against Hunger’s community meal-packaging initiative. This event is great for all ages; there is something for everyone to do.
Event Location:
Franconia United Methodist Church, 6037 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310
Event Details:
– 10 a.m. World Communion Worship Service
– Rise Against Hunger Meal Packaging event in two sessions. Sign-up to volunteer and/or donate at the registration link.
– Lunch is provided for those participating in Rise Against Hunger. If you can help with bringing sides and desserts, please use this sign up link:
Sunday October 27, 2024
Costume Worship Service & Trail or Treat at the Park
10 a.m. – One Worship Service at Franconia-Lee District Park
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Trail or Treat along Chessie’s Trail at Franconia-Lee District Park
Event Location:
Franconia-Lee District Park, 6601 Telegraph Rd., Franconia, VA 22310
Event Details:
– 10 a.m. One Worship Service at park amphitheatre
– 11:30am-1:00pm Trail or Treat along Chessie’s Trail
Help us love our neighbors well and offer a gift of hospitality to our wider community this fall at the Trail-or-Treat along Chessie’s Trail at Franconia District Park, Sunday, October 27 immediately following a 10am worship service at Franconia District Park’s outdoor amphitheater. This event is in partnership with area churches including the Kingstowne Communion, Hope UCC, and Rising Hope Mission Church!
Admission: This event is FREE to our community, and all are welcome, but in an effort to do the most good, we ask that you bring ONE OR MORE of the following shelf-stable items to help us feed families living in poverty in our area along Route 1 this Thanksgiving through Rising Hope Mission. We are in need of items such as boxed stuffing, boxed potatoes, canned yams/sweet potatoes, canned green beans, canned corn.
Sign up to serve as a Trail-or-Treat Station Volunteer/Host and/or for candy donations: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4AAAA62BA4FC1-50618772-trailortreat#/
Dress up in costume or in something festive, claim a spot between 9-10am, and decorate a candy distribution station along Chessie’s .4 mile walking trail. (Think trunk-or-treat, but instead of decorating a car, you’ll be decorating a table or corner in the woods along the trail from which to give out candy. Get creative! The more interactive the better! Contact Linda Biscaro at gro.cmuainocnarf@yrtsinimsnerdlihc for some ideas and resources. Please provide candy/treats/toys for at least 100 children and distribute joyfully from your station between 11:30am-1:30pm, following the worship service.
Additional Candy Donations: We anticipate that this will be a high-engagement event. (Last year, 400+ kids – 900+ people total – joined us for our trail-or-treat!) In order to make sure our stations don’t run out of candy, we are also collecting additional bags of candy. Anyone can sign-up to donate a bag of candy! Whether or not you can be their at that table or plan to host a station, help us fill and replenish our bowls!
Event Schedule:
- 9-10am: Station hosts claim their spots and decorate their stations before the worship service starts (please do not decorate stations during the worship service).
- 10am: Costume Worship service – all are welcome!
- 11am: Families coming to trail-or-treat can start to line up.
- 11-11:30am: Final touches on stations, bathroom breaks, picnic lunch & costuming before the trail opens.
- 11:30-1pm: Open trail-or-treating, with the line monitored by our welcome table volunteers.
- 1pm: Close the trail-or-treat line. Anyone in line before 1pm will be able to walk the trail.
- 1:30-2pm: Finish up, breakdown and clean-up.
Saturday November 16, 2024
Community Apple Butter Cook, to benefit Rising Hope Mission
9 a.m. – 7 p.m. at Nalls Produce
Event Location:
7310 Beulah St, Kingstowne, VA 22315
Event Details:
Join the Kingstowne Communion, Franconia UMC, and Nalls Produce for an all-day community apple butter slow-cook with all proceeds going straight to Rising Hope Mission. Apple Butter cooks are an entire community effort! Slow-cooked in a big copper cauldron over a large outdoor fire, they normally take 9-10 hours, including chopping and peeling of bushels of apples, labeling jars, continued fire-kindling, and round-the-clock stirring with a big wooden paddle to be sure it doesn’t scorch. And we are hosting ours with the goal of raising at least $4,000 for Rising Hope Mission, a non-profit along the Route 1 corridor that resources and supports persons living in poverty in our area. Make a donation on the event campaign and sign-up to volunteer and participate in the cook here: https://givebutter.com/jal9jC