Due to the coronavirus pandemic, regular in-person worship remains canceled until further notice. Drive-in and Lawn services streamed via Facebook Live will continue. Plans regarding the safe return to in-person worship are currently on hold due to the covid-19 resurgence now taking place.
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A devotion for today
It is Well with My Soul – Acoustic Hymn from Guitar Gathering. Played by Steve Krenz
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Messy Church
A form of church for children and adults that involves creativity, celebration and hospitality. It meets at a time that suits people who don’t already belong to church and usually looks something like this: welcome, craft time, celebration, meal. Most meet once a month, though some or more frequent or more occasional. It’s a fresh expression of church that offers transformation of family life through families coming together to be, to make, to eat and to celebrate God. It’s a church for people at all stages of their faith journey and of any age. Children are an integral part of the congregation. Messy church has a mixture of formal learning, informal learning and social learning through exploration of the Bible through activities and story and provides opportunities for informal conversation and observation. It encourages all sorts of levels of social learning both at the gathered Messy Church and in encouragement to take that learned faith back into the home during the rest of the month.
– From “Starting your Messy Church: A beginner’s guide for churches. Lucy Moore and Jane Leadbetter
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Worship Services (weather permitting – inclement weather will move worship to online only):
– Sunday, August 22nd, 10am: Drive-In, Lawn, and Online,
– Founders’ Day Sunday, August 29th, 10am: Drive-In, Lawn, and Online,
– Sunday, September 5th, 10am: Drive-In, Lawn, and Online
We are holding expanded outdoor worship. You may bring lawn chairs for the area by the main parking lot under the trees (above the pavilion) or remain in your car for the service. Worship will be streamed online via Facebook Live and posted later on YouTube.
In sunny weather, those with lawn chairs please park your car closer to the church or in the Flea Market parking area, to allow those who remain in their cars to park closer to the worship service area.
In overcast weather, the worship area may be set up under the entry portico and parking will need to be adjusted accordingly.
In rainy weather, the worship area will be set up inside the Narthex and streamed online.
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Prayer Requests and Hospitality:
The Cokesbury UMC Prayer Group meets weekly at the church on Mondays at 5:30pm in the church Fellowship Hall – all are invited to join and participate!
Please send or share all prayer concerns with Pastor Gayle so we may give each concern prayerful attention.
August Birthdays:
John Ivy (8/01),
Jaelyn McCormick (8/01),
Ronnie Carter (8/01),
Dave Woodman (8/11),
Emmett Wright (8/24),
Barbara Woods (8/27),
Melanie Blair (8/29)
August Anniversaries:
Harry and Mary Jane Fizer (8/03),
Ed and Barbara Horne (8/15),
Kyle and Peggy Keen (8/27),
Don and Peggy Dorton (8/29)
Continuing prayers and concerns for: Lydia Blair and Family, Eunice Bonner, Deirdre Dorsey, Mary Jane and Harry Fizer, Jane Foster, Kathy French, Marian Benson Ivy, Mary Jewell, Kyle Keen, Ellen Kuvasko, Cheryl Petitt, Rev Gayle Porias, Shelby Wilson and Family, Mark Young
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COVID-19:
Please continue your mitigation efforts as the coronavirus Delta variant has become the dominant strain for new infections.
The CDC issued updated guidance recommending masks be worn by all individuals in indoor public spaces for higher risk areas (“Substantial” or “High”). All of Northern Virginia is in the “Substantial” or “High” transmission risk level. The four transmission risk levels are: Low, Moderate, Substantial, and High.
The FDA approved booster 3rd shots for some immunocompromised individuals on August 12th. Please check with your doctor to see if you may be eligible. Here is the full FDA statement, and the CDC followup statement of August 13th.
All of Virginia is now in Open Season vaccine eligibility. Every Virginian 12 and older is eligible for vaccination and pre-registration is no longer required.
Many local retailers offer vaccinations, so please see this page for current availability. You can input a zip code and distance to find locations.
Visit this page if you need a record of your COVID-19 vaccination record.
For more information, please visit:Prince William County COVID-19 Testing Site
Prince William County Coronavirus Site
Virginia Coronavirus Site
CDC Coronavirus Site
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ACTS (Action in Community Through Service) has many volunteer opportunities available. Please visit their website for more information.
Visit Volunteer Prince William for local volunteer opportunities.
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Spotlight Recipe: Best Meatloaf You’ve Ever Had
by Cooking Professionally
Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 tablespoons butter,
¼ cup minced onion,
2 cloves garlic, minced,
1 ½ teaspoons salt,
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper,
2 pounds extra-lean ground beef,
3 slices bread, toasted and crumbled,
7 buttery round crackers, crushed,
1 egg, lightly beaten,
3 ½ tablespoons sour cream,
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce,
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, divided,
¼ cup milk (Optional),
3 tablespoons ketchup
Directions:
1 – Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F,
2 – In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the chopped onion and garlic until the onion turns translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Turn off the heat, and season with salt and pepper.
3 – In a large mixing bowl, combine the sauteed onion and garlic with the beef, crumbled bread, crushed crackers, egg, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and ½ can tomato sauce. Add the milk about a tablespoon at a time until the consistency is moist but not saturated. Place in a loaf pan to prepare for baking.
4 – After 40 minutes of baking uncovered, increase your oven to 400 degrees F. Continue baking the meatloaf another 15 minutes or so, until the internal temperature reaches 160 F.
5 – In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining tomato sauce and ketchup. Pour over the top of the meatloaf, and do one final bake for another 10 minutes.
6 – Slice and serve with your favorite starch(mashed or baked potato) and green vegetable(green beans, spinach) or salad.
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Opportunities to Reconnect
– Pastor Gayle Porias
We are living in very unusual times. This past year and a half have brought heartache, grief, anxiety, stress, fear, anger, isolation and loneliness. In this post-vaccine era as we seek to re-launch our ministries at Cokesbury, I see many opportunities to re-connect with each other and re-connect with the community around us.
As a church we will be discerning God’s purpose for us in this new season. “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfils his purpose for me.” Psalm 57:2.
I invite you to hope and dream with me by pondering and then responding to these three questions:
1. What do you wish Cokesbury would have?
2. What do you wish Cokesbury would do?
3. What do you hope Cokesbury would become?
Please send your responses to my email at gayleporias@vaumc.org or mail them to the church. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
May the love of God watch over and protect us; may the light of Christ reveal and illuminate the path; May the power of the Holy Spirit carry us forward into this new season.
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Reminders and Links:Keep an eye on Cokesbury UMC’s Facebook page and website for periodic updates and items of interest.
– The worship message is streamed online every Sunday at 10am on Facebook. You can find previous worship messages there as well.
Cokesbury UMC Facebook Page
Worship Services – YouTube
Time of Prayer – YouTubeCokesbury UMC Web Site
Common Lectionary Daily Readings
For Tithes and Offerings:
– Join us for Sunday Worship,
– Online via Cokesbury’s PayPal page,
– Via mail to Cokesbury UMC, 14806 Blackburn Road, Woodbridge, VA 22191,
– Via the mail slot next to the upstairs door at the church.
If you shop at Amazon, please use our AmazonSmile access link to direct a portion (0.5%) of the price of eligible sales to Cokesbury UMC (it will not change the prices you pay):
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/54-1255430
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Hummingbird Feeder Cam– Live hummingbird feeder cam in Studio City, CA.
Here I Am, Lord – Stem the Tide, acoustic and violin hymn
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God be with you til we meet again,
Walter and Eunice
Cokesbury UMC Church Council Co-Chairs
Volume 2.19 – 8/18/2021