Worship Styles

At 9:00 am, Pender offers a traditional/blended worship service.  The service includes traditional music as well as some praise music.

You’ll find a variety of musical groups participating in these worship services, ranging from children, youth and adults, to vocal, flute and bell choirs.

At Pender’s traditional/blended service, you get the best of both worlds!  We celebrate the traditions of our faith at these services with the scriptures, the creeds of the church, the symbols of our faith and a word from the Bible that applies spiritual principles to everyday life.

Holy Communion is shared the first Sunday of every month.  Come and join us

Read the Sunday Bulletin for more information.


Welcome to Common Ground, Sundays at 11:15 am

Not everyone is cut out for the same worship style.

Common Ground is Pender UMC's contemporary worship experience led by our worship leader and a rock-style worship band. You'll find worship to be more interactive and energetic, and you'll hear messages that are relevant to everyday life.

Young children are more than welcome! We have a play area within our worship space set aside just for them, or they can enjoy our awesome Sunday school program. We also have paid staff nursery care available for our littlest ones.

You will leave feeling closer to Jesus, challenged and more prepared to serve Him, and warmed by a relationship in a genuine community of Christ-followers. We hope to see you soon! 

Read the Sunday Bulletin for more information.



Pender United Methodist Church has made a commitment to be an Accessible Congregation, as part of the National Organization on Disability campaign of the same name.  We proudly display their logo -- a wheelchair user surrounded by a heart -- to show that as a congregation, we strive to provide physical access and also open our hearts and minds to people with all types of disabilities.

Some of the ways we do this include:

  • Automatic doors at the front entrance (for security reasons, these doors are functional during certain times only, including worship and meeting times)
  • Large-print hymnals available upon request
  • Hearing assistance devices available during worship
  • Pews with space available to accommodate wheelchairs

We gathered on Sunday, March 17th, for a powerful and transformative service observing the fifth Sunday of Lent. Pastor Bruce Johnson led us in a profound exploration of "Signs of Glory," drawing upon the spiritual depths of Psalm 51:10, Psalm 51:6, Jeremiah 31:31-34, and Psalm 51:1-17.

During this reflective and anticipatory time leading up to Easter, Pastor Johnson's sermon delved into the themes of repentance and renewal. He offered insights into witnessing God's glory in our lives, intertwining the messages of God's forgiveness, the joy of salvation, and the promise of a new covenant with Him.

The service was a significant opportunity for deepening faith and understanding of God's word, marked by a moving journey of spiritual renewal and divine discovery. Whether in person or online, attendees found the service to be a nurturing experience in their Lenten journey.

Read the Bulletin for more information.

All of Pender's services are streamed live and in person.

Join us live at Pender UMC
12401 Alder Woods Drive, Fairfax, VA US 22033


Do you need Closed Captioning/Subtitles?
You do not need to be a Facebook member to watch the Traditional Service here.

Next Sunday, Palm Sunday, there will be One Combined Service at 10:00 am


Do you need Closed Captioning/Subtitles?
You do not need to be a Facebook member to watch the Contemporary Worship here.

The Next Contemporary Worship will be April 7, 2024 at 11:15 am