The United Christian Parish will hold a lay-led worship service on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, at 10 a.m. United Christian Parish is an ecumenical church “worshiping in an atmosphere where all are welcome.” The parish is located at 11508 N. Shore Drive, Reston, next to Lake Anne Elementary School.
Floris United Methodist Church, 2730 Centreville Road, Herndon, will hold its annual Fall Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The event features hand-made crafts, a silent auction (including vacation getaway to Wintergreen Resort, gift certificates, Rookie baseball cards, crafts and more), bake sale and lunch. Proceeds support children’s programs locally and abroad. Call 703-793-0023.
Abraham Interfaith Discussions will be held in communities around the United States throughout November. Based on Bruce Feiler’s second book “Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths,” these dialogues are designed to use the shared figure of Abraham as a catalyst for building trust and communication among different religious groups.
Dr. John Lown, of Leesburg, will moderate a local community wide discussion on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 7:30 -9:00 p.m., at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Reston. Dr. Lown is “a child of Abraham” and was ordained a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1973. He is a specialist in Interim Ministry and most recently served as the Interim Pastor at Leesburg Presbyterian Church.
The event is free, open to the public and no reservations are necessary. Barnes & Noble is located in The Spectrum Center, 1851 Fountain Drive, Reston. Call 703-437-8147.
Alternative Gifts International will offer unusual gift ideas at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston, on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Gifts such as medicines and eye care, micro-loans and bicycles, solar water pasteurization and sustainable agriculture, relief for orphans and shelter for the homeless may be purchased and sent to developing nations of the Third World and poverty areas of the U.S. Handmade crafts from Third World crafts people will also be available. For more information, call Christine Michelson at 703-742-7992.
Early Thanksgiving at Chil-drensChurch.org will take place on Sunday, Nov. 24, from 10:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m., at Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston and the Conservatory Ballet, 2254 Colts Neck Road, Reston. The first half of the family service will be led by a live band. Event includes puppets, stuffing turkeys and human bowling pins. ChildrensChurch.org is a creation of Reston Community Church and is designed for children. The event is free and open to the public. Call 703-471-7828.
The 14th annual Jewish-Catholic Dialogue, sponsored by St. Thomas a Becket Catholic Church and the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation, will be held Sunday, Nov. 24, from 7-9 p.m., at St. Thomas a Becket, located at Lake Anne Village in Reston. The topic will be “Civil Disobedience: What Do You Do When You Disagree with Your Government?” The format will be the same as in previous dialogues, including presentations by speakers, refreshments and a follow-up question and answer session.
Rabbi Rosalind Gold and Father John Langan, S.J. will lead the discussion. Call for more information: Rabbi Gold at 703-437-7733, or Father Langan at 202-687-6746.
LINK, a 15-member nonprofit organization of churches, is seeking donations of non-perishable food items and $10-$25 grocery store gift certificates for Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets for area families. Families select their own food (a mini-supermarket inside the church) based on family size, and also receive a gift certificate to buy a turkey and other perishables.
Food distributions will take place at Trinity Presbyterian Church at 651 Dranesville Road in Herndon and Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church at 46833 Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7 ) in Sterling on Saturday Nov. 23. Donations of non-perishable food can be dropped off at the churches from 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Nov. 18 -22.
Volunteers are needed to set up for the event days and evenings, Nov. 18-22, from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and also from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. To volunteer, call the LINK Hot Line at 703-437-1776. Check donations may be made payable to LINK, P.O. Box 443, Sterling, VA 20167. Donations are tax-deductible. LINK’s United Way Campaign I.D. Number is 8442.
Reston Interfaith is seeking donations of food and gifts to distribute to more than 400 families during the holiday season. Every year, Reston Interfaith supplies food baskets and holiday gifts to residents in the Reston-Herndon area who are not able to make ends meet. This year, 400 families have signed up for Thanksgiving and holiday food baskets, and 278 families are registered for the Adopt-a-Family Program. Donations for holiday baskets should be delivered on Nov. 21. Interested parties should contact Ellie Moody at 703-787-3115.