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Courageously living and sharing God's unconditional love every day, with everyone, everywhere. VISIT ALDERSGATE Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. - Romans 15:7 Courageously living God's unconditional love, serving others, and making disciples. We are so glad you are interested in visiting Aldersgate UMC! We hope that you will get to know us and become a part of our faith community. Whether you are visiting for the first time or have been with us before, we know you might have questions about what to expect, so we have compiled some helpful information for you. If you have questions and don't find the answer here, please reach out to us at office@aldersgate.net or (703) 765-6555. LOCATION & WORSHIP TIMES Address & Contact Information 1301 Collingwood Rd Alexandria, VA 22308 (703) 765-6555 | office@aldersgate.net Get Directions Worship Service Times In-Person & Livestream: 9:30am & 11:00am ONLINE WORSHIP Map of Aldersgate’s building with locations of Sunday School classrooms WHO WE ARE At Aldersgate UMC, our mission is to courageously live God's unconditional love, serve others, and make disciples. LEARN ABOUT OUR MISSION & VALUES LEARN ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES WHAT YOU WILL EXPERIENCE A diverse range of music from traditional to contemporary; the one thing our music has in common is quality. We treat scripture like we expect God to speak through it to us today. Worship that is relevant but rooted in the ancient faith. Preaching that is compelling and urgent. Celebration of Communion (Eucharist, Lord’s Supper) joyfully, for as our founder John Wesley said, in some mysterious way Jesus really is present to us in this meal and, through it, he changes our hearts one bite and sip at a time. All are welcome to join us in Communion. Children to be treated as if they were first in God’s heart because Jesus said they are. They are welcome in worship with you or can stay in the nursery during worship. Ask an usher, greeter, or pastor if you have any questions. When you join us for Worship, we would appreciate it if you would please fill out the tear-off slip in your bulletin so we can connect with you. Also, checking off on the tear-off slip that you'd like to join our AUMC Newsletter e-communication distribution list will allow us to connect you weekly to all the wonderful opportunities you have to join us for fellowship, learning, worship, and events. CHILDREN & STUDENT MINISTRIES At Aldersgate UMC, we know how important a foundation in faith is for your children. We provide ministry opportunities for children and youth of all ages to engage in the church and explore their faith. And, of course, to have fun! KIDS MINISTRY YOUTH MINISTRY ADULT GROUPS & CLASSES Adult groups and classes are how we build community at Aldersgate UMC. Being a part of a group or class is the best way to help a big church feel smaller and allow you to connect with people in a similar stage of life or with similar interests. ADULT GROUPS & CLASSES BECOME A MEMBER Becoming a member of our church family is a way for you to show your commitment to Aldersgate and our mission . It means that you are willing to contribute your time, talent, gifts, service, and witness to the ministries of the church, and that you will take an active role in taking our mission to the world. LEARN MORE ABOUT JOINING ALDERSGATE

< Back Corey Bales Director of Childcare Email: clatta@aldersgate.net Phone:

Donate food and drinks for Sunday Lunch at Rising Hope. EVENT INFORMATION < Previous Event Back to Upcoming Events Back Next Event > Sunday Lunch at Rising Hope UMC LOCAL MISSIONS & OUTREACH Donation Drop-Off by Friday, December 12th. Lunch Served on Sunday, December 14th. Drop-Off Donations at Door #3 Aldersgate provides lunch to the 50 or so worshippers at Rising Hope Mission Church on the 2nd Sunday of each month. We need your help! Volunteers are needed to donate food and drinks as indicated on the sign-up and drop them off at the church at Door 3 by the Friday before our Sunday Lunch date. CLICK HERE to learn more about this ministry. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Julie Pfister . Aldersgate provides lunch to the 50 or so worshippers at Rising Hope Mission Church on the 2nd Sunday of each month. We need your help! Volunteers are needed to donate food and drinks as indicated on the sign-up and drop them off at the church at Door 3 by the Friday before our Sunday Lunch date. For more information on Sunday Lunch and other local missions and outreach, please visit the Local Missions and Outreach page on our website. < Previous Event Next Event >

Courageously living and sharing God's unconditional love every day, with everyone, everywhere. WORSHIP ONLINE Wednesday, December 24, 2025 Christmas Eve Services 5:00PM SERVICE OF SONG & LIGHT BULLETIN 7:00PM TRADITIONAL WORSHIP SERVICE BULLETIN Previous Worship Services Visit our YouTube channel to find recordings of more past services CONTEMPORARY SERVICE (9:30AM) Joyful Expectations 9:30am Sunday Worship Service Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing Aldersgate UMC 9:30am Sunday Worship Service, December 14th 2025 01:14:50 Play Video Now Playing Aldersgate UMC 9:30am Sunday Worship Service December 07.2025 01:19:16 Play Video Christmas Eve Services 2025 Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing Aldersgate UMC 5pm Christmas Eve Service, December 24, 2025 00:00 Play Video Now Playing Aldersgate UMC 7pm Christmas Eve Service, December 24, 2025 00:00 Play Video TRADITIONAL SERVICE (11:00AM) Joyful Expectations 11am Sunday Worship Service Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing Aldersgate UMC 11:00am Sunday Worship Service, December 14th 2025 01:07:43 Play Video Now Playing Aldersgate UMC 11:00am Sunday Worship Service December 07.2025 01:12:58 Play Video Christmas Eve Services 2025 Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing Aldersgate UMC 5pm Christmas Eve Service, December 24, 2025 00:00 Play Video Now Playing Aldersgate UMC 7pm Christmas Eve Service, December 24, 2025 00:00 Play Video SERVE Sunday • April 27th, 2025 Single Worship Service at 10am BULLETIN Holy Week Worship Maundy Thursday • March 17th, 2025 Maundy Thursday Bulletin Good Friday • March 18th, 2025 Good Friday Bulletin

< Back Pastor Bill John Senior Pastor Email: bjohn@aldersgate.net Phone: (703) 765-6555 x602 Pastor Bill John has been an elder in the United Methodist Church for 25 years and has served three appointments. He has been privileged to serve God alongside congregations in Rockingham, Mathews, and New Kent counties. Bill will join Aldersgate from Providence UMC, where he has been ministering since 2014. Bill’s greatest joy in ministry is witnessing the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives. He considers it a great privilege to walk with people as they learn, grow, and deepen their relationship with the Lord. It is a holy, sacred, and joyful journey! Bill grew up in Virginia Beach, VA, as the eldest son of a naval commander and church pianist. His favorite memories of childhood and adolescence likely have something to do with playing soccer or rebuilding a ‘75 Camaro with his dad. He grew up dreaming of becoming a fighter pilot or racecar driver, yet God had other plans, though no less thrilling! Bill attended Virginia Tech, where he studied economics, business, and communication. At the Wesley Foundation of Virginia Tech, Bill met his wife Jenny and received his call to ministry. Upon graduation, Bill and Jenny were married and began their life together on the campus of Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, VA, where Bill graduated with his Master of Divinity in 2000. Bill and Jenny have been married for 28 years and have loved raising their three children together: Billy (26), Hannah (23), and Owen (15). Billy is an engineer in Richmond, VA. Hannah is a Senior Airman in the US Air Force and is stationed in Minot, ND. Owen is a high school freshman, and his greatest love is soccer. Jenny is a licensed counselor, assistant professor of counseling, and director of the counseling program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA. They enjoy camping, board games, sports, and movies as a family. In his free time, Bill enjoys coaching soccer, woodworking, and restoring (and driving) his ‘85 Camaro. Bill and Jenny look forward to growing in ministry and fellowship alongside the people of Aldersgate UMC and the community of Fort Hunt. God is up to something, and it is always good!

Volunteer to make and deliver sack meals to the people sheltered in local motels. MISSION INFORMATION < Previous Back to Local Missions Next > Phoenix Rising HELP MAKE AND PACKAGE MEALS Phoenix Rising meal packing happens once each month, on the Thursday before the second Friday (not always the second Thursday). We pack meals at 5:00 p.m. in Wesley Hall. For more information about Phoenix Rising or to be added to the volunteer email list, please email Jean Vita ( jeanvita@hotmail.com ) and Georgia Harlow ( gharlow383@hotmail.com ). Each month we put together 160 sack lunches that include: 2 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches Granola bar Bag of chips Capri Sun HELP TO DELIVER THE PACKAGED MEALS Phoenix Rising also needs volunteers to help with the meal deliveries on the second Friday of each month. Time commitment is 2 to 2-1/2 hours, starting at 6:00 when we leave the church. We stop off at various motels and group homes between Fort Belvoir and the Beltway. Most of the recipients are expecting the deliveries and express their gratitude. If you are interested or would like additional information, please contact Sam Sasnett at ssasnett@verizon.net . Those who volunteer to deliver the bagged lunches have shared that the people who receive the sack lunches are very appreciative, and that it is a blessing to those who deliver because they get to see the end results of all the planning and work that goes into the Phoenix Rising program. Locations and people served along Route 1 between Ft Belvoir and I495: The Courts at Belvoir (apartment building) The Red Carpet Inn by Rising Hope UMC (many children and elderly reside there) The Mondloch House The Halfway House on Beacon Rd The Brookside Motel The Fairfax County Drop-In Center (peer support for folks with mental health and substance abuse challenges) < Previous Next >

Courageously living and sharing God's unconditional love every day, with everyone, everywhere. MUSIC AT ALDERSGATE Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 100:1 At Aldersgate UMC, we believe that music is a primary way in which we experience God, and that leading others musically is, itself, a way we grow in our faith. If you would like to participate in a musical group or choir, the congregation would love to have you! Please contact the leader of each group for more information on how to join. Journeys Band Wesley Choir Wesley Ringers Youth Band Children's Choir Wesley Choir The Wesley Choir provides music for the 11:00am Traditional Worship Service on Sunday mornings as well as other special events throughout the year. The choir meets for rehearsal on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm - 8:30pm in the Music Room (room 104). Our meeting time includes fellowship, vocal warmups, and rehearsal of upcoming anthems. All singers are welcome! No music reading experience required. For more information, please contact the Director of Adult Choirs and Handbells (musicdirector@aldersgate.net ). Children's Choir Calling all young musicians! Discover the joy of music through Children's Choir. At Aldersgate UMC, we believe in nurturing young voices and fostering a lifelong love of church music. All children are welcome! Who : Students in kindergarten through 6th grade Where : Day School Music Room (Room 126) -- Enter at Door #4 When : Every Tuesday from 4:15pm - 4:50pm What to Expect: Fun and Engaging Rehearsals filled with laughter, learning and music-making. An Inclusive and Supportive Environment for building friendships with like-minded kids who share an interest in music and where every child’s voice will be celebrated. Diverse Repertoire where we explore a wide range of musical genres, from traditional hymns to contemporary songs. Performances throughout the year during church services, special events, and holiday celebrations. For more information, please contact Ashley Carignan, Children's Choir Director ( childrenschoir@aldersgate.net ). Aldersgate Youth Band For more information, please contact Andreas Barrett (andreas@aldersgate.net ). Who : Students in grades 7-12 Where : Church Sanctuary When : Sundays from 6:30 pm - 7:30pm (bi-weekly) The Aldersgate Youth Band is open to all youth in grades 7-12. Our mission is to deepen our faith and worship experience through music. Do you play an instrument or sing in choir at school? We'd love to have you be a part of our music family! Journeys Worship Band Vocalists and rhythm combo. Supports the 9:30am Contemporary Worship Service on Sunday mornings. Journeys rehearses Tuesday evenings from 7:00pm - 8:00pm and Sunday mornings at 8:30am in the Sanctuary. For more information, please contact Andreas Barrett, Worship Leader ( andreas@aldersgate.net ) . Wesley Ringers For more information, please contact the Director of Adult Choirs and Handbells (musicdirector@aldersgate.net ). The Wesley Ringers provide music once a month for the 11:00am Traditional Worship Service, as well as at other special events throughout the year. Wesley Ringers rehearse on Monday evenings from 6:30pm - 7:30pm in room 118. Adults and youth in grades 7-12 are invited to join. No experience is needed.

Courageously living and sharing God's unconditional love every day, with everyone, everywhere. GIVE TO ALDERSGATE UMC Do All the Good You Can Stewardship Campaign 2024 "They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share." 1 Timothy 6:18 (NRSV) Our theme for this year's Stewardship Campaign 2024 is based on one of John Wesley's guiding principles to "Do All the Good You Can". This message is reinforced in scripture where, in 1 Timothy 6:18, Paul asks Timothy to instruct the people of Ephesus to "do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share". In the spirit of "do all the good you can", we need to use this Stewardship season to prayerfully renew our commitment to the Aldersgate mission of "courageously living God's unconditional love". Stewardship is not just about the finances we commit to the church. It is also about using our God-given gifts to serve the church and others. As we continue our Stewardship theme of, "Do All the Good You Can" we invite you to make a commitment of your time and talents for 2024. Consider making a new commitment this year, and please make sure to renew your commitment in an area you wish to continue using your gifts. These Time and Talent cards are vital for the health and growth of the church as we seek to do all the good that we can in our church and community. Drop off your Time and Talent card in the offering plate on Sunday morning, bring it to the church office, or email it to office@aldersgate.net by Sunday, January 21st. Time & Talent Card Time & Talent Video Campaign Testimonial Videos Time & Talent Testimonial Videos Watch our video highlighting the ministries of Aldersgate UMC Doing All the Good We Can Prayer Calendar As we enter 2024, we take the time to consider where we have been this past year, to express gratitude in the present, and to celebrate in the hope for the future. We invite you to prayerfully consider making a commitment to our 2024 Stewardship Campaign by providing the financial resources needed to support the facilities, staff, missions, wellness classes, children and youth ministries, music ministries, and more. Please know that all gifts of all amounts matter. We look forward with great anticipation to the tomorrows that begin today as we strive to do all the good that we can. Campaign Financial Pledge Form Campaign Progress 187 Pledges Received as of March 27th, 2024 Goal: $950,000 $948,299 Thank you for your contribution and commitment to Aldersgate UMC! Our Operating Budget The reason for making a pledged commitment is to support the annual expenses for the operating budget for the church. The operating budget is the cost of all the expenses of the church to include programs, missions, apportionments, salaries, overhead, etc. The total operating budget for 2024 is projected to be $1.5 million. We rely on pledged commitments, non-pledge donations, and other revenue to meet these expenses. Our goal is to receive pledged commitments for a total of $950,000. Note on Mission Funding in the Operating Budget The 5% for mission expenses does not include support from the UMM and UWF support of missions. Apportionments also support missions, and there are restricted funds designated for missions. Many members of the church support missions directly. You are asked each fall to make a commitment through the "Stewardship Campaign" for the upcoming year so that we can appropriately plan which missions we will be able to support, events we can plan to have, repairs we can expect to be able to make, etc. The amount you give is a personal matter. When deciding on how much to give, remember that scripture indicates that tithing is the standard and that giving one-tenth of our income to the church is the norm or a goal to attain.

Volunteer to make and deliver sack meals to the people sheltered in local motels. EVENT INFORMATION < Previous Event Back to Upcoming Events Back Next Event > Phoenix Rising Sandwich Making LOCAL MISSIONS & OUTREACH Thursday, December 11th | 5:00pm - 7:00pm Aldersgate UMC (Wesley Hall) Phoenix Rising meal packing happens once each month, on the Thursday before the second Friday (not always the second Thursday). We pack meals at 5:00 p.m. in Wesley Hall. For more information about Phoenix Rising or to be added to the volunteer email list, please email Jean Vita ( jeanvita@hotmail.com ) and Georgia Harlow ( gharlow383@hotmail.com ). For more information on Phoenix Rising and other local missions and outreach, please visit the Local Missions and Outreach page on our website. Phoenix Rising meal packing happens once each month, on the Thursday before the second Friday (not always the second Thursday). We pack meals at 5:00 p.m. in Wesley Hall. For more information about Phoenix Rising or to be added to the volunteer email list, please email Jean Vita ( jeanvita@hotmail.com ) and Georgia Harlow ( gharlow383@hotmail.com ). For more information on Phoenix Rising and other local missions and outreach, please visit the Local Missions and Outreach page on our website. < Previous Event Next Event >

< Back Doug VanDenBerg Organist Email: organist@aldersgate.net Phone:

Courageously living and sharing God's unconditional love every day, with everyone, everywhere. INTERCESSORY PRAYER TEAM Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:16 Aldersgate has an Intercessory Prayer Group serving you and your loved ones quietly behind the scenes. Though discreet and low-key, it has a powerful and essential mandate. Our group is dedicated to praying for others within our congregation and worldwide who have spiritual, medical, and relationship needs. Accident victims, deployed military, persons caught up in natural disasters, hunger, domestic and community violence, homelessness or human trafficking are on our lists, as are a multitude of other circumstances. All of our discussions are confidential and every prayer request is honored. We are apolitical and do not judge need by class, color, sexual or political orientation, geography, or any other factor. Anyone can request prayers by calling the church office (703-765-6555), or sending an email to prayers@aldersgate.net .

The Rising Hope Food Market provides much-needed food to individuals and families in need along the Route 1 corridor. MISSION INFORMATION < Previous Back to Local Missions Next > Rising Hope Food Market Aldersgate UMC is proud to support the Food Market mission at Rising Hope Mission Church . What is the Rising Hope Food Market? The Rising Hope Food Market provides groceries to food insecure individuals and families in the community. Throughout the year, Aldersgate UMC collects food donations and delivers those goods to Rising Hope Mission Church. Rising Hope Mission Church then distributes the food donations to individuals and families in need on Wednesday from 1:30-3:30pm, and on Thursday from 10am-12pm and 1:30-5:30pm. Why is this outreach program important? Many individuals in our community do not get a sufficient quantity of nutritious, affordable food. The donations that we provide and the work that we are doing with Rising Hope Mission Church help serve those in need along the Route 1 corridor by providing them with quality, reliable food assistance every week. How can I help? Donate non-perishable food items. Donated food items may be dropped off in the bin by Door 3 any time. Make a monetary donation to the Rising Hope Food Market. Monetary donations can be made with cash or check and brought to the church office or dropped in the offering plate on Sunday morning. Please make checks payable to Aldersgate UMC and indicate "Rising Hope Food Market" in the note. Donations may also be made online - CLICK HERE . Please select "Missions" from the drop-down and enter "Rising Hope Food Market" in the note. You can also sign up to be a driver, where you pick up the food donations at Aldersgate UMC and deliver them to Rising Hope Mission Church once a week (on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday mornings from 10am-12pm). Who can I contact to volunteer or for more information? For volunteer-related questions, please contact Dave Halladay . If you'd like to contact a representative of Rising Hope Mission Church to gain more information about the Food Pantry mission, please contact Heather Marshall . < Previous Next >