Pastor Jesse McCainIt’s that time of year. Students are back in school. Parents back at work. Teachers are expecting assignments. Due dates and projects are planned and carried out. Dinners are planned and cooked. Laundry eventually gets folded. Everyone is busy. New rhythms and routines are started. Some are returning to a routine that worked well before. Others are adjusting because of new varia...  Read More

Pastor Reed BernickLast time I posted, I argued that Christianity’s emphasis on ‘relationships’ goes way deeper than it first appears. As I said then, there are certainly practical reasons why here in Northern Virginia we talk a lot about community and friendship – because our culture makes establishing connections with others difficult. But that’s not the whole story. Our focus on ‘relationships’...  Read More

Pastor Eric SchneiderhanGrowing up, my grandmother and mother had a saying they would say every time I was struggling to be patient and wait. It went something like, “If a string is in a knot, patience will untie it. Patience can do many things, have you ever tried it?” I remember thinking to myself that hearing them say this didn’t make it better at all. In fact, it only made my impatience and fr...  Read More

Pastor Reed BernickOur church talks a lot about relationships – and for good reason. It’s not just that we feel they’re important, but we know that – given the pace of an area like Northern Virginia, especially – they’re in alarmingly short supply. Very few of us grew up here for one thing, but the vast majority of us who moved to town did so not to make friends, but to work in certain fields or a...  Read More

Queen Elizabeth II, on her twenty-first birthday, in 1947, made the following vow to her people, “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service….” With a chuckle and a grin, I pick up particularly on the “long or short” part of the Queen’s pledge.The news and blogs have been saturated with stories about Queen Elizabeth II. When I hear the ...  Read More

Pastor Kim Eskridge Exciting things are happening in our church family now! Eric Schneiderhan will be starting in a few days as our Youth Pastor. I can’t wait for Eric and his family to join our team! He and I were in seminary together, and I look forward to serving families at FBCA together. We also had a strong start to our new church year in our Sunday morning groups for Promotion Sunday and wi...  Read More

By Pastor Carolyn JenkinsMy favorite song in the Christmas Class White Christmas is "Sisters, Sisters," sung by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen (actually, Vera didn't sing, Rosemary Clooney or Shirley Stephens sung for her).  This song is ringing in my ears as I have two sisters from Georgia with us for 11 days!  We are having a blast!  I know everyone doesn't have a sister; some have no siblings;...  Read More

Pastor Jesse McCainLet me tell you a story: Back in May of 2020, I was finishing my master’s degree online while serving as Pastor Wayne’s Associate in Missions. I relocated up to Alexandria in April, was getting acclimated as I finished 4 classes, and then graduated virtually. It was an interesting time. Oh, and a pandemic was happening. Good grief.One morning I’m in the midst of getting a cup of...  Read More

By Pastor Reed BernickWe had a great turnout for the Groups Kickoff Lunch on July 31. Leaders, members, families, and all those interested gathered in the FAC for lunch. They heard from me about my hopes and dreams for discipleship ministry and left with a challenge to figure out how they might become more involved in making disciples at FBCA. Let me share some of the things we talked about – espe...  Read More

By Pastor Shonica DavidThis past weekend, I found myself joining many Northern Virginians taking part in some tax-free weekend shopping at the mall. I was on a mission to search for a backpack, so I ventured into one particular store. As I looked through the backpacks, I happened to notice that there were two young girls at the escalator. The oldest girl, who was probably 13 or 14, was literally f...  Read More

By Pastor Wayne Jenkins“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does...  Read More

By Pastor Bob RhoadsKeep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.  Psalm 16:1 NLTMy family and I began our travels to the south on July 14th.  I was thrilled to get out of town for a change so I can relax and enjoy the vacation time.  We arrived at the Children’s Harbor by Lake Martin in Alabama where the DEAFQUAKE camp took place.  It is the Christian camp for deaf children and hearing ...  Read More

By Pastor Carolyn JenkinsI taught school when Wayne was in seminary; the degree was called for me—PHT and it stood for “Putting Hubby Through”.  The years were 1969-1971; the place was Louisville, KY.  Interestingly, my assistant Debbie Corder was probably a student at the high school during the same time, but we did not know each other. As a teacher, I became familiar with grading weekly tests, p...  Read More

July 12, 2022By Pastor Kim Eskridge Have you ever found yourself at a loss in knowing how to pray? Not so much lacking words but feeling conflicted about what it is, exactly, that you should pray for in a situation?  Although seldom at a loss for words, this is where I find myself with something in my life. For a couple of weeks now, I have been uncertain about what I even want and even less sure ...  Read More

Tuesday, July 5, 2022Pastor Jesse McCainSummer is here and that means camp and Vacation Bible School. We have already sent several groups ranging from elementary to high school to camp from FBCA. VBS is quickly approaching here in July and this year will have a unique element. Our friends from Linz Baptist Church in Austria will be joining us at FBCA for the week of VBS to encourage and support us...  Read More

Pastor Shonica Davidre·fresh /rəˈfreSH/‘to restore strength and animation to: REVIVE; to freshen up: RENOVATE; to restore or maintain by renewing supply: REPLENISH’ (Merriam-Webster).Summer is my absolute favorite time of year. The days are longer, the weather is warmer, and the beautiful sunsets and sunrises are a showcase of God’s creative brilliance. It’s the perfect time to slow down, refocus,...  Read More

Pastor Wayne JenkinsDear FBCA,Reed Bernick, Joe Riojas, and I attended the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, June 14-15, 2022, as messengers from FBCA. During the two days of business and inspiration, many topics were discussed and processed. From all the transactions, the following four rose to the top of our attention. We compiled the following for your review, a...  Read More

June 14, 2022Pastor Bob RhoadsEvery month I love to explore different things with God’s Word. So, for the month of June, I have been preparing this series called THROUGH THE VALLEYS. In life, there are valleys of challenges. King David wrote this well-known psalm and one of the lines said, “Yea, I walk through the valley of darkness, the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for God is with me. Hi...  Read More

Pastor Kim EskridgeJune 7, 2022At FBC Alexandria, there is a hum around the office these days. Many think of summer as a time to relax and slow down, but that’s not the case around here. It’s the busiest time of year for anyone in ministry to children and youth. While some things are taking a break for the summer, much more is just around the corner, and this rhythm of ministry has been a familiar...  Read More

Pastor Carolyn JenkinsMay 31, 2022This week we have two groups traveling to Sight and Sound Theater near Lancaster, PA to see the new production of DAVID.  The theater describes itself as “where the Bible comes to life”; I can attest to that being true.  Stories of Bible heroes are made visible in a memorable way.  When we saw JONAH, the entire audience was in the belly of the whale; NOAH counted ...  Read More

By Pastor Jesse McCainMay 24, 2022I would not be surprised if most of you would associate the words “good grief” with the cartoon Charlie Brown. The phrase might generate cartoon images in your head of a little yellow bird with an over-sized head doing loop-do-loops in the sky or a beagle hound laughing and dancing on top of his doghouse. The past few months haven’t felt like lighthearted cartoons...  Read More

By Pastor Reed Bernick1 Peter 1:3-9Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade.What is a “living hope?” Certainly it’s “living” because it’s given to us through Jesus’ conquering of death on the cross. It...  Read More

By Pastor Shonica DavidI recently came across one of my prayer journals from years ago and I spent a few moments reading past entries. It was fascinating to come back to my very own words and needs that I had presented before the Lord and to remember how God worked during that time and beyond.“Lord, help me to understand more of what it means to call you Master.”“Lord, give me your eyes to see you...  Read More

Worship Leadership Team Receives a Standing OvationThank you for your enthusiastic response Sunday morning to the announcement that our current Worship Leadership Team will continue to plan, prepare, and lead worship throughout the Senior Pastor Interim period. Don Wingard, Alydia Wingard, Carol Mills, Cynthia Marr, and Deborah Lloyd, along with Mark Milroy and all who serve in Audio, Visual, and ...  Read More