Church and Community Events
To include your announcement or event on this page, send details to Kelley Hope. Include text for the announcement in the body of your email. A link to more information on your website also is helpful. Please do not send graphics.
Older Adult Ministry Courses
December 8
Learn how to support the older adults in your congregation and community through online courses from Columbia Theological Seminary’s Center for Lifelong Learning (CLC). Upcoming courses begin January 28 and April 1. Register by December 8 for the early registration fee of $235. If you need financial assistance, scholarships are available from POAMN.
Hanover Christmas
December 8 & 9
Enjoy a magical night of music and drama celebrating the birth of Jesus. Travel a candlelit trail through the woods, meeting, shepherds, kings, and angels. Immerse yourself in the greatest story ever told in this wonderful night event. Reserve lodging and enjoy a holiday brunch the following morning.
Christmas at Massanetta
December 9
Celebrate Christmas at Massanetta with a holiday feast and concert. This year’s musical act is the Massanutten Brass Quintet. Start your Advent with this wonderful event on December 9. Overnight lodging is available.
Messiah Community Sing-Along
December 10, 3:00 p.m.
Bon Air holds its longtime annual Messiah Community Sing-Along on December 10. The concert will be conducted by Naima Burrs, director of the Petersburg Symphony, and will feature 18 professional instrumentalists and soloists. Messiah lovers throughout the community are invited to attend. Scores will be available for the audience to join the chorus.
Candlelight Carol Service
December 17, 5:00 p.m.
Grace Covenant Church in Richmond will hold their 92nd annual candlelight carol service on December 17 at 5:00 p.m. Enjoy a service of lessons and carols led by the chancel choir, handbell choir, junior choir, and soloists of Grace Covenant. Childcare provided. Reception to follow.
Winter Camp
December 28-30
Winter Camp, like Camp Hanover’s popular summer offerings for youth, is filled with fun, faith, and fellowship. There are just a few differences in the packing list! Even with coats and hats, youth will enjoy camp favorites such as archery and campfires. Share this opportunity with the families in your congregation.
Community Christmas Service
December 31, 11:00 a.m.
Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church is collaborating with three United Methodist Churches for a community Christmas service on December 31 at 11:00 a.m. Enjoy choral and instrumental music from four congregations. The service will conclude with the Lord's Supper. Washington Street UMC, host of the event, is located at 22 East Washington Street in Petersburg.
For more information, call (804) 748-5743.
2024
Matthew 25 Summit
January 16-18, 2024
Over Martin Luther King Jr weekend, January 16-18, PC(USA) hosts the Matthew 25 Summit. Bringing together mid-councils, churches, and individuals this event will explore the Matthew 25 vision. What does it mean to eradicate poverty; how can we begin dismantling systemic racism; how will we know if we are building a vital congregation? Featuring innovative speakers, thriving ministries, transformative workshops, and space to imagine what’s next!
Christian Education Conference
January 24-27, 2024
Association of Partners in Christian Education hosts their 2024 conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Join in person or online to sharpen your professional skills, gather with new and old friends, and grow in your faith. Each day will focus on how God renews us as we thirst for justice, thirst for life, thirst for kindness and joy.
Confirmation Retreat at Massanetta Springs
February 2-4, 2024
The confirmation retreat at Massanetta Springs will focus on broad questions of why we join the Church, what we want our churches to be like, and how we can actively engage in that work. The retreat will be led by Rev. Leigh Anne Ring, POJ’s presbyter of relational care.
Confirmation Retreat at Camp Hanover
February 23-25, 2024
At Camp Hanover's confirmation retreat, youth will explore the ideas of being made in God’s image, seeing God’s image in others, and imagining a world of justice and righteousness. Rev. Adam Bowling, pastor of First United Presbyterian Church of Dale City in Northern Virginia, will lead this retreat.
Recurring Events
Grief Support Groups for Spanish Speakers
Monthly
Legacy Hospice and Full Circle Grief Center offer free bilingual grief support groups for Spanish-English speakers. The groups will meet on the last Tuesday of each month and has flexible times and multiple locations in Richmond. Please share with Spanish speakers in your community.
Church Disaster Preparedness Calendar
If disaster struck your community or congregation/ministry, would you be prepared? Check out this monthly calendar from Synod of the Sun that has small, but important, tasks that will build invaluable skills, plans, and procedures for your congregation and your partnering communities.