Growing up as an Army brat, Karen found herself moving every 2-3 years all over the globe and never experienced connecting with a church home. After settling in Virginia for her college years and then meeting her husband, Dick, they moved to Springfield together and had a daughter. Always pining for a “garden window” to grow her plants, Dick found them a house in Burke with exactly that and they settled into their new home. Feeling the need for a church home, they began attending Abiding Presence and had their daughter baptized here.

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Jen’s family was looking for a new church home with family activities, events for kids, opportunities for music involvement, and Jen wanted to get to know other moms and women. Their family was searching for a church community intent on change and the ability to pivot, supporting innovation and a willingness to adapt. After driving by Abiding Presence on her daily commute, Jen visited the church website and watched a service online before attending in person. “We love Ms. Michaela and all the children’s programs offered at Abiding Presence,” Jen shared. “As a parent I love that there is always a place for my kids and we found our children are seen and valued in worship and in the whole community,” Jen said.

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Having grown up in the Lutheran faith, Dan felt most at home attending his local Lutheran Church. One Christmas Eve he noticed Abiding Presence when driving by and how close it was to his house. He and his wife, along with their toddler, attended worship that evening and felt an immediate connection. “People were so accepting and welcoming of us and our 2 year old son and so patient with us as a young family,” Dan recalled. “Pastor Bailey had a warm, welcoming, and humble presence and we started attending weekly worship services,” he shared. When their daughter was born in 2000 they had her baptized and became members.

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Having been raised in different faith traditions, Ralph and his wife Chris seldom attended worship services together. After many years and many moves from place to place they landed in northern Virginia in 2014 and the church search began. The internet church search introduced them to Abiding Presence. “We came to our first service at Abiding Presence feeling like the first day of school, and no fewer than a dozen people welcomed us, including Pastor Meredith,” Ralph recalled.

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Marian is a Senior at George Mason University majoring in Social Work who was looking for a way to get involved in her community. She came across the Abiding Presence Food Ministry website and the need for volunteers. After receiving a warm welcome from Sharon, the Food Ministry Coordinator, and utilizing her fluency in Spanish and English, Marian became a regular greeter to Pantry guests. Growing up without attending church regularly she felt pulled to Abiding Presence and the community here.

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