Ashburn Virginia Stake - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

This past weekend, we heard messages from our church leaders that were broadcast worldwide. What inspired YOU?

The Ashburn Ward (congregation) recently held a book drive for the organization, She Believes in Me. This wonderful organization serves vulnerable children and families in our area. https://shebelievesinme.org/
14 boxes (a total of 1,261 books!) were donated and will be given to families with infants through elementary age children.

🌾 COME FOLLOW ME WEDNESDAY 🌾

September 11–17

2 Corinthians 1–7
“Be Ye Reconciled to God”

Sometimes, being a Church leader means having to say some difficult things. This was true in Paul’s day just as it is today. Apparently a previous letter from Paul to the Corinthian Saints included chastening and caused hurt feelings. In the letter that became 2 Corinthians, he tried to explain what had motivated his harsh words: “Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you” (2 Corinthians 2:4). When you’re on the receiving end of some correction from a leader, it definitely helps to know that it is inspired by Christlike love. And even in those cases where it is not, if we’re willing to see others with the kind of love Paul felt, it’s easier to respond appropriately to any offenses. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland counseled, “Be kind regarding human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal men and women. Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with” (“Lord, I Believe,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 94).

What are your thoughts on this weeks Come Follow Me Lesson?



This weeks lesson is outlined below:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-individuals-and-families-new-testament-2023/38?lang=eng

🌾 COME FOLLOW ME WEDNESDAY 🌾

September 4–10

1 Corinthians 14–16
“God Is Not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace”

Because the Church and its doctrines were relatively new in Corinth, it’s understandable that Corinthian Saints encountered confusion. Paul had previously taught them the fundamental truth of the gospel: “That Christ died for our sins … and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). But some members soon began teaching that “there is no resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:12). Paul implored them to “keep in memory” the truths they had been taught (1 Corinthians 15:2). When we encounter conflicting opinions about gospel truths, it is good to remember that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Listening to the Lord’s appointed servants and holding to the simple truths they repeatedly teach can help us find peace and “stand fast in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

What are your thoughts on this weeks Come Follow Me Lesson?



This weeks lesson is outlined below:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-individuals-and-families-new-testament-2023/37?lang=eng

🌾 COME FOLLOW ME WEDNESDAY 🌾

August 28–September 3

1 Corinthians 8–13
“Ye Are the Body of Christ”

In Paul’s time, Corinth was a wealthy trade center with residents from all over the Roman Empire. With so many different cultures and religions in the city, Church members in Corinth struggled to maintain unity, so Paul sought to help them find unity in their belief in Christ. This unity was to be more than just peaceful coexistence; Paul wasn’t asking them merely to tolerate each other’s differences. Rather, he taught that when you join the Church of Jesus Christ, you are “baptized into one body,” and every body part is needed (1 Corinthians 12:13). When one member is lost, it’s like losing a limb, and the body is weaker as a result. When one member suffers, we should all feel it and do our part to relieve it. In this kind of unity, differences are not just acknowledged but cherished, because without members of diverse gifts and abilities, the body would be limited. So whether you feel like you’ve always been at home in the Church or find yourself wondering if you truly belong, Paul’s message to you is that unity is not sameness. You need your fellow Saints, and your fellow Saints need you.

What are your thoughts on this weeks Come Follow Me Lesson?



This weeks lesson is outlined below:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-individuals-and-families-new-testament-2023/36?lang=eng

🌾 COME FOLLOW ME WEDNESDAY 🌾

August 21-27

1 Corinthians 1–7
“Be Perfectly Joined Together”

During the months that Paul spent in Corinth, “many of the Corinthians hearing [him] believed, and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). So it must have been heartbreaking for Paul to hear, just a few years later, that there were “divisions” and “contentions” among the Corinthian Saints and that in his absence they began to heed the “wisdom of this world” (1 Corinthians 1:10–11, 20). In response, Paul wrote the letter we now call 1 Corinthians. It is full of profound doctrine, and yet at the same time, Paul seemed disappointed that the Saints were not ready to receive all the doctrine he wanted to give them. “I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual,” he lamented, “for ye are yet carnal” (1 Corinthians 3:1–3). As we prepare to read Paul’s words, it might be helpful to examine our own readiness to receive truth—including our willingness to heed the Spirit and strive for unity within our families, with our fellow Saints, and with God.

What are your thoughts on this weeks Come Follow Me Lesson?



This weeks lesson is outlined below:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-individuals-and-families-new-testament-2023/35?lang=eng

Life on earth didn’t happen by accident. You are here as part of God’s plan of happiness for all of us.

🌾 COME FOLLOW ME WEDNESDAY 🌾

August 14-20

Romans 7–16
“Overcome Evil with Good”

As he opened his epistle to the Romans, Paul greeted Church members by calling them “beloved of God” who were “called to be saints.” He remarked that their “faith [was] spoken of throughout the whole world” (Romans 1:7–8). Even though Paul spent much of his epistle correcting false ideas and flawed behaviors, it seems he also wanted to assure these new Christian converts that they truly were Saints who were beloved of God. His tender counsel blesses all of us who struggle to feel God’s love and for whom becoming a Saint may feel out of reach. With humble empathy, Paul acknowledged that he had felt like a “wretched man” at times (Romans 7:24), but the gospel of Jesus Christ had given him power to overcome sin (see Joseph Smith Translation, Romans 7:22–27 [in the Bible appendix]). With that power, the Savior’s redeeming power, we can “overcome evil”—both evil in the world and evil in ourselves—“with good” (Romans 12:21).

What are your thoughts on this weeks Come Follow Me Lesson?



This weeks lesson is outlined below:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-individuals-and-families-new-testament-2023/34?lang=eng

The Washington DC Temple Choir is holding auditions for all voice parts for its 2023-2024 season.

Those interested can contact choir Secretary, Brenda Jones, at [email protected] AND [email protected] to set up a time to audition or for more information.

Auditions will be held the evenings of August 24th and 31st from 6:00 - 8:30 at the Annandale Stake Center, 3900 Howard Street, Annandale VA.

What a wonderful opportunity!

Come like, share and follow!

English Connect - Loudoun County EnglishConnect ofrece clases gratuitas de Inglés en un ambiente centrado en fe en Jesucristo

Join the Washington DC Temple Choir for an evening of sacred and inspiring
choral music as we celebrate America.

The choir will perform patriotic songs including America the Beautiful, Shenandoah, and Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Concerts are free and open to the public and will be held on June
10 at the Seneca MD Stake Center and on June 11 at the First Presbyterian
Church of Annandale.

Visit dctemplechoir.org for more information.

Explore Your Past: Ashburn Library

Wednesday, June 28, 7 p.m.

Introduction to Genealogy Research.

Learn beginning skills for researching your family history with tips for methods, locating sources and accessing records.

There is no greater calling in the world or the Church than being a mother. This collection displays the joy and hope of working mothers, single mothers, and mothers of special needs children in their unique and traditional roles of motherhood.

Tag your mother and tell her you love her below! 🤍

The six-week Sewing Course at the Resource Center for a Better Life has become so popular that we have a waiting list! Through generous donations, we have received new sewing machines and working used sewing machines. We need your help for more donations so that every refugee family member who participates in our classes will be able to take a sewing machine home with them at the end of the course. Contact Keri Hatch at [email protected] if interested in donating. Thanks for your support!

It is important to note that there is a difference between fitting in and belonging. Brené Brown, an American researcher and author, observed: “Fitting in and belonging are not the same thing. In fact, fitting in is one of the greatest barriers to belonging. Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be in order to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.”3

Knowing our divine identity is essential to meaningful belonging; otherwise, we will spend our time and efforts adjusting ourselves to find acceptance in places that do not honor or align with our eternal nature. Moreover, where we choose to belong can lead to changes in our values and behaviors as we conform to group norms and standards. Over time, where we choose to belong affects who we become.

In short, embracing our divine identity influences where we desire to belong, and our chosen place of belonging leads to who we eventually become.

How Divine Identity Affects Belonging and Becoming Elder Pingree teaches that we can find belonging as we seek to know God, trust the Savior, and do Their work.

"Great Tool, Horrible Master: Helping Families Establish a HEALTHY Relationship with Digital Technology,"

presented by Brother Justin Rowberry.

Both youth and adults are invited to attend a stake fireside on April 23rd at 7:00 pm at the Ashburn Stake Center.

Celebrate Easter and Praise our Lord #

Interdenominational Sing-Along

Sunday Evening
Apriil 16th, 2023
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

The Annandale Stake Center
3900 Howard Street
Annandale, VA 22003

FREE ADMISSION

Hosted by Annandale Virginia Stake News
with members of the Washington DC Temple Choir

Saturday
Hope through the Darkness

It’s hard to imagine the anguish Jesus Christ’s followers must have felt on the day after His death. The night before, His body was lovingly prepared and placed in a garden tomb. Today, they are left to figure out how life can possibly go on without Him. Almost certainly His death had taken something from them, but what they had lost was no match compared to all that His life had given. Whether they understood it or not, Jesus Christ had forged a new path forward for all who would follow Him, one lit by a hope that shines brighter than any darkness we may encounter.

, I am hopeful
Life is hard. But because of Jesus, there is always hope for the future.

Come listen to a message of hope at an Easter worship service this Easter Sunday. Everyone’s welcome to attend! Find our church in your neighborhood.

Good Friday
Final Words of Forgiveness

In the early hours of the morning, Jesus is betrayed into the hands of the local authorities. After a series of one-sided trials, He is sentenced to death by crucifixion. Roman soldiers mock and scourge Him and nail Him to the cross. But instead of condemning them, Jesus Christ begs His Father to “forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Even now, in His darkest moment, Jesus speaks of love and redemption. With His dying breath, Jesus addresses His Father. “It is finished” (John 19:30). Then, Jesus Christ dies. An unlikely elegy comes from a Roman centurion: “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54). The realization is just as awe-inspiring today as it was then.

, I can forgive
Jesus forgives. Even on the cross, He asked God to forgive His tormentors. His example can give you the strength to forgive too.

It’s not always easy to forgive. But with Jesus, you can move forward.

Thursday
His Sacrifice Begins

Jesus observes the sacred holiday of Passover with His Apostles. He institutes the sacred ordinance of the sacrament, in which His disciples are invited to eat and drink in remembrance of Him. He teaches them of the comforting power of the Holy Ghost. And, knowing that His time with them will soon end, He tells them He loves them. His Apostles have come such a long way since they first encountered Jesus, and yet His words show that He knows their transformation into true disciples is just beginning.

After what is often referred to as the Last Supper, Jesus bids His Apostles to follow Him through the night to a quiet garden named Gethsemane. Despite their Master asking them to stay awake with Him, the exhausted disciples fall asleep. Alone, Jesus begins to pray and is soon overcome with an incomprehensible agony. There in the Garden, He begins the process of taking upon Himself the sins of the world. It is the beginning of an act of sacrifice that will reach its ultimate conclusion the next day on the cross at Golgotha.

The pain Jesus feels is all-encompassing. And yet it is dwarfed by the vastness of His love. For His Father. For His disciples. For us. For you. As the Apostles sleep, Jesus Christ makes it possible for them to find a new kind of rest for their souls. Because of Him, they can leave their past mistakes behind and grow into the disciples God always meant for them to become.

, I can change
It’s never too late to change. Jesus’s sacrifice means that you can leave your past behind.

Jesus doesn’t expect us to achieve perfection in this life, but He does want to help us improve bit by bit, day by day. Take a moment right now to write down something in your life that you want to change.

How Members Are Caring For Others

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, showing love to others is a fundamental part of our beliefs. Here are a few ways Church members are serving across the globe.

Read more here:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/serve/caring-for-those-in-need?lang=eng&cid=email-CCD_EM_IN_0323_2022AnnualReport_Banner&mkt_tok=NzUyLUlOUS02NzQAAAGKqw5KIdP_PXF48AuPRwUSaW-Fh_kj4c1toI9A91DzYXTO49k3gWKP6J1NzfJ4fFxqUG-yx1RjRq9nHrHAl6Z8wnblDUqIVjO2mZ141Zs

Wednesday
Prayers to the Father

The last week of Jesus Christ’s mortal ministry is filled with prayer. There are the prayers He offers on behalf of His disciples, filled with timeless words of comfort and guidance. But there are also the prayers that He encourages them to offer on their own. He knows that soon His disciples will be without Him, and so He lets them know the importance of praying, encouraging them to ask their Father in Heaven for the things they’ll need to make it through the challenges ahead. Through His words and His example, they learn that when they make the effort to pray to the Father, no matter what happens, they will never be alone.

, I’m never alone
Jesus told His disciples He would be with them always. He’s here for you too. As you draw near to the Father in prayer, you will draw near unto Christ as well.

Prayer is a powerful way to grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but that doesn’t mean it always comes easily.

🌾 COME FOLLOW ME WEDNESDAY 🌾

February 27–March 5

Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7
“Thy Faith Hath Saved Thee””

One of the clearest messages in the New Testament is that Jesus Christ is a healer. Accounts of the Savior healing the sick and afflicted are many—from a woman with a fever to a widow’s son who had died. Why the emphasis on physical healing? What messages might there be for us in these miracles? Certainly one obvious message is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, with power over all things, including our physical pains and imperfections. But another meaning is found in His words to the skeptical scribes: “That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins” (Mark 2:10). So when you read about a blind person or a l***r being healed, you might think of the healing—both spiritual and physical—that you can receive from the Savior and hear Him say to you, “Thy faith hath saved thee” (Luke 7:50).

What are your thoughts on this weeks Come Follow Me Lesson?



This weeks lesson is outlined below:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-individuals-and-families-new-testament-2023/10?lang=eng

Monday
An Act of Astonishing Bravery

During Jesus’s time in Jerusalem, He visits the temple. There, inside His Father’s house, Jesus sees various merchants doing business. To see a place of worship converted into a center of commerce is something that Jesus cannot abide. Speaking with unmistakable authority, He commands them to leave. The cleansing of the temple at Jerusalem was an act of astonishing bravery. We can take courage knowing that Jesus Christ did what He knew to be right, whether it was popular or not.

, I have courage
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” —Philippians 4:13​​

What task feels especially difficult for you right now? It could be setting up a therapy appointment, asking for a raise at work, or reconciling with a loved one. Today, make a plan to accomplish it. Jesus can help you find the courage you need.

“The Lord loves you. He always has. The Lord wants you to come back. Your promised blessings are still in place.” — President

Drop all your best ministering tips and advice in the comments. 👇

“We become more like Jesus Christ when we ‘[do] unto … the least of these’ as we would unto Him [Matthew 25:40]; when we ‘love [our] neighbor as [ourselves]’ [Matthew 22:39]; when we ‘love one another; as I have loved you’ [John 13:34].” —Elder

Artwork: “I Had Myself a Wound Concealed,” used with permission from artist K. Ray Johnson

Looking for hope or peace? Join us Palm Sunday weekend (April 1–2) to hear how the gospel of Jesus Christ can change your life.

Follow the link in our bio for more details, and share with your friends.

Celebrate Easter and Praise our Lord #

Interdenominational Sing-Along

Sunday Evening
Apriil 16th, 2023
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

The Annandale Stake Center
3900 Howard Street
Annandale, VA 22003

FREE ADMISSION

Hosted by Virginia Stake News
with members of the Washington DC Temple Choir

Will you be joining?