Council approved the request based on nine conditions, none of which were based on parking, an issue in downtown Manassas. Pathway is anticipating a maximum capacity of 150 people each Sunday and must provide 38 parking spaces if one parking space is granted per four seats in a car. On-site, there are only 22 spaces available.
Audra Ovalle, a planner with the city, said because of the building's zone, there is no parking requirement.
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The program will feature music from the Little Zion Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Gainesville High School Ensemble, and the Gainesville Virginia Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, among others. Traditional carols and seasonal favorites will be performed.
Brief messages reflecting on the Christmas season will be shared by Pastor George Carlisle, Pastor James McCray, and President Hans Carlson, who is hosting the event for the first time. Carlson expressed his enthusiasm, emphasizing the concert’s focus on community and holiday spirit.
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From St. George’s Episcopal Church:
St. George’s Episcopal Church in downtown Fredericksburg will be open for prayer 8 am – 6 pm on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, 2024, with brief public prayer services at 8.00 am, 12 pm, and 5.30 pm.
Located at 905 Princess Anne Street, St. George’s recognizes the responsibility each of us has, to vote and to pray. “St. George’s is a house of prayer for all people. We hope that having the church open to all in love on Election Day is a chance not only to pray about this important time of decision for our nation, but also to abide in the presence of the Divine with a sense of wonder,” explained the Rev. Joseph H. Hensley, Jr., rector of St. George’s.
On Election Day, St. George’s invites everyone to join together in prayer. The nave (worship area of the church) will be open for silent prayer, with printed prayers and other resources available. Clergy and lay prayer ministers will be present throughout the day for conversation or prayer. Musicians will offer music as prayer at certain times. Additionally, there will be brief public prayer services at 8 am, 12 pm, and 5.30 pm led by clergy and laity. These non-partisan services will prayerfully ask for peace, wisdom, and compassion for one another, our community, our nation, and for Election Day.
Throughout the nation, the election has been a source of countless emotions. “There’s so much anxiety right now. Prayer can be a time to lay that burden down so that we can, with grace, take up the continuing work of loving our neighbors and pursuing healing together, no matter who wins,” added Hensley.
For more information on St. George’s Episcopal Church or on Election Day Prayer, please visit: StGeorgesEpiscopal.net or call 540.373.4133.
You are welcome at St. George’s, an historic Episcopal Church in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia. No matter who you are, whom you love, or where you’ve been, there’s a place for you here. St. George’s offers services with diverse music and styles of worship based in sacred story and traditions. We have hearts for service and advocate for justice and peace in our local and global communities. We work to help the entire family of God thrive by giving of our time, talent, and treasure. We invite you to join us or to come for a visit. For more information, visit StGeorgesEpiscopal.net.
On Friday, August 30, 2024, the parking lot of Winners Church at 17877 Old Triangle Road transformed into a bustling center of health and wellness. Community members gathered for a comprehensive health fair aimed at providing crucial medical screenings and education to the uninsured and underinsured.
The event, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., was a partnership between Winners Church and Sentara Healthcare, marking a new collaborative effort to enhance community health services. This year’s fair featured a vital addition—a mobile mammogram van from Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center offering free cancer screenings.
Kolawole Fagbenro, an associate pastor at Winners Church, explained the motivation behind the event: “We focus a lot on the community. Today, we’re doing blood pressure and cholesterol checks. We’ve partnered with Sentara; they have a mammogram van here for people without insurance, which is vital as mammograms are expensive.”
This was the first time Sentara participated, bringing not only the mammogram services but also connecting attendees with further medical support. “This is the first time we have mammograms involved, which is crucial as they are expensive, especially if you don’t have insurance,” Fagbenro added.
Winners Church, known for its diversity and holistic approach to spirituality and health, sees this fair as an extension of its mission. Fagbenro emphasized the church’s role: “We take a holistic approach to the gospel, considering both the physical and spiritual health of our congregation. This health fair is one way we can use our community of nurses and doctors to give back.”
Heather Byrne, a representative from Sentara, highlighted the importance of such events for cancer prevention and early detection. “Sentara is helping to sponsor this health fair to get wellness checks, cancer prevention, screenings, and education out to those who are uninsured or underinsured in our community,” Byrne said. She also noted the advancements in cancer treatment, underscoring the importance of early detection through screenings.
The fair addressed not just the lack of insurance but also a gap in health literacy. Byrne shared insights into the local challenges: “Many don’t know about the screenings available or can’t access them. This includes crucial tests like mammograms and colonoscopies.”
Dumfries resident Mary Stephens, who attended for a mammogram, expressed her gratitude: “It’s not something I can do perfectly on my own, so these services are crucial for my safety.”
The health fair provided essential services and strengthened the community’s bonds, offering a space where residents could come together to support one another’s health and well-being.

Press release:
WoodbridgeNaz (a Church of the Nazarene) is pleased to announce the grand reopening of the Woodbridge Nazarene Food Pantry Aug.13 featuring two events.
At noon, community representatives and donors are invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour. Please RSVP at [email protected]
That evening, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., clients will receive free groceries. Thereafter, the pantry will be open the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. On-site registration is required and is provided during distribution hours. No income qualifications are required. The church is located at 14001 Smoketown Road, Woodbridge, Virginia, 22912. The food pantry pavilion is at the rear of the building.
“Re-opening our pantry has been journey built on patience, collaboration, and trusting God. This celebration is a blessing for us and the community we serve,” said the Rev. Pamm Fontana, Senior Pastor. “Isaiah 58:10 teaches us, ‘Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be bright as noon.’ We are grateful for the opportunity to use the resources God has entrusted to us to be a good neighbor to our community.”
The food pantry paused in November 2023 to allow for construction. Prior to the administrative pause, the pantry served more than 20,000 people in the past year. Community members can volunteer to prepare and serve groceries. Contact [email protected] for pantry orientation dates. Potential clients can register for pantry updates in English and Spanish by texting (833) 417-5568.
The pantry is a joint effort between WoodbridgeNaz and Iglesia del Nazareno de Woodbridge. Generous support from surrounding communities helped make it happen. The Human Services Alliance of Greater Prince William provided funding for installation of a walk-in cooler and pavilion. Sentara Cares donated to remodeling the kitchen. Capital Area Food Bank and Northern Virginia Food Rescue (and their partners) generously provide food.
WoodbridgeNaz has long partnered with other organizations to be a food distribution site for our zip code, 22192. This area, along with neighboring zip codes 22125, 22193, and 22191, currently have high food insecurity rates.
The church actively serves the community in a variety of ways. A free Clothing Closet is available by appointment. A Community Connection Closet connects new, donated household goods to local non-profits and case workers. Together, these charitable endeavors are called the Community Connection Ministries.
The WoodbridgeNaz Community Connection Ministries mission statement is “Demonstrating the love of God through compassionate commitment to the community one person at a time” which support’s the church’s overall mission statement of making Christ-like disciples in all nations who are real, relevant, and relational.
WoodbridgeNaz was established in Woodbridge, Virginia, in 1966. Members built the current campus on the then-rural Smoketown Road in 1974. For over 55 years WoodbridgeNaz has worshipped Jesus and ministered to the needy and homeless in Prince William County and DC, while supporting the Church of the Nazarene’s ministries in 165 world areas. Church of the Nazarene is a protestant denomination in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. There are over 30,000 Nazarene churches globally with 2.7 million members.
For more information on the pantry and church, call (703) 670-2252; email [email protected]; or visit https://www.woodbridgenaz.com.