Faith Notes are for announcements and events in the faith community, including special holiday services. Send to reston/herndon@connectionnewspapers.com or call 703-917-6449. Deadline is Friday.
St. Timothy's Episcopal Church’s Silent Auction will be held Saturday, April 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the church’s Henry Hall. The auction is free and open to the public and offers a variety of products and services. Items include a three-night stay at a Marco Island, Fla. Timeshare, an overnight at the Red Fox Inn in historic Middleburg, Nissan Pavilion tickets, and gift certificates to area restaurants and businesses. All proceeds go to support the church. Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern will provide an array of food on a cash basis.
The Rev. Tom Berlin, pastor of Floris United Methodist Church, Herndon, will be among the 992 delegates to The United Methodist Church’s General Conference that will meet April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas, to write church law and establish budgets and policies for the denomination for the next four years.
The Virginia delegation, with 30 members, is the largest U.S. delegation to the conference. Only two delegations from Africa — North Katanga and Nigeria — are larger, with 38 and 44 delegates, respectively.
Delegates will consider 1,564 pieces of proposed legislation during the conference session. Resolutions will include proposals to develop Christian leaders for the church and world, start new churches that will appeal to new generations, engage in ministry with the poor, fight the killer diseases of poverty, reorganize church structure, publish a new hymnal, and set a denominational budget of nearly $642 million for the 2009-2012 period. Delegates will also deal with legislation regarding the church’s stand on homosexuality, abortion, immigration, the war in Iraq, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and health care.
Understanding the Mind classes in Reston. Sharon Crowell, a long-time Buddhist practitioner, teaches that through understanding the nature and function of the mind, people can accomplish a profound transformation that will change the way they think and feel. Classes will be held at Brown’s Chapel, 11450 Baron Cameron Ave., 7-8:30 p.m. on Mondays, April, 21 and 28. Walk-ins are welcome, and a $12 fee is requested. For information, visit www.meditation-dc.org or call 202-986-2257.
On Sunday, April 27, Reston Community Church, Reston Town Center Multiplex Cinemas, talks sex. Former porn producer Donny Pauling will join Craig Gross on a video produced by
XXXchurch.com addressing the issue of pornography. Call 703-673-6375 or email matt@towncenterchurch.com.
Every Wednesday at 12:15 p.m., St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, 432 Van Buren St. in Herndon, offers a lunch-time Healing and Holy Communion service. This half-hour service is offered to all and allows people an opportunity to worship during the work week when they may be away from their regular church. All baptized Christians are welcome to receive the Sacrament, and all who have not been baptized may receive a blessing at the Altar rail. Call the church Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at 703-437-3790 or visit www.saint-timothys.org.
Knitters needed the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 7 p.m. at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, 432 Van Buren St., Herndon. The church's Shawl Ministry is offering free knitting instruction while providing shawls, blankets and other knitted items for people in need. No cost and yarn can be provided. E-mail shawl@saint-timothys.org or visit the Pastoral Care page at www.saint-timothys.org.
Non-denominational Christian businessmen meet for prayer, Biblical discussion and fellowship every Friday at 7 a.m. at Anita’s, 1051 Elden St., Herndon and every Thursday at noon at 555 Grove St, Ste. 200, Herndon. Call 703-795-1257.
Vajrayogini Buddhist Center offers ongoing classes on meditation and Buddhist philosophy Mondays 7-8:30 p.m. at Brown’s Chapel, 11450 Baron Cameron Ave., Reston. $10 per class, beginners welcome. Call 202-331-2122 or visit www.meditation-dc.org.
Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation recently began a support group, "When You Lose a Loved One," for congregants and members of the community who are in grief after the recent death of a loved one. The facilitated group, open to members of the community who are seeking bereavement support in a Jewish context, will continue to meet on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7 p.m. at Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation, 1441 Wiehle Ave., Reston. For more information, contact the synagogue at 703-437-7733 or info@nvhcreston.org.