Come to Pilgrims on Friday, April 24th at 6pm (or whenever you can make it) and let's craft together. Do you have a knitting project sitting on your shelf? Just began a new crochet item? Maybe you make cards or scrapbook or have been trying out embroidery? One time someone was even making food art! Bring a craft you enjoy, or come learn a new one. Oh, and we'll have snacks! Hope to see you there!
Church Trip to the Tulip Festival - 4/12
After worship on Sunday, 4/12, let's head across the river to check out the Tulip Festival at The Netherlands Carillon (1400 N Meade St, Arlington, VA 22209). The flowers will be in bloom, they'll have live carillonneurs playing, and all sorts of good fun. Take the metro, carpool, bring a blanket and a snack, and let's check it out together!
Holy Week Schedule
Come and be a part of Holy Week with Western and Pilgrims:
We’ll begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday at Pilgrims with our 11am worship service which will be a journey from the palm procession to the passion story.
On Maundy Thursday, we’ll gather at Pilgrims at 6:30pm for a bit of story and supper. Come, bring some food to share, and experience the Holy Week story in an informal service around tables.
On Good Friday, we’ll hold open space for anyone who would like to come and reflect and pray at Pilgrims from 11am - 1pm.
On Easter Sunday, at 6:30am we’ll gather with folks from several local Presbyterian congregations on the West side of the Capitol Reflecting Pool for a sunrise service.
Then, at 11am on Easter morning, we’ll share in a full worship service at Western Presbyterian Church, with an egg hunt to follow worship!
Lent with Western and Pilgrims
In John 10:14, Jesus tells the people, “ I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me…”
We will read this text on Ash Wednesday, and think deeply together of what it means to be known by the Holy One, and what it means to get to know that Holy One. Throughout the season of Lent, we’ll dig into knowing - getting to know the prayers of one another’s hearts through our homemade Lenten Devotional, featuring the daily prayers of our own congregation. Getting to know the passion story in a deep way, as we follow the Narrative Lectionary’s cycle of readings through the passion story from the Gospel of John in our Sunday worship. And then praying about knowing and being known at mid-week Sacred Supper gatherings, where we will share a meal and a bit of silence and sharing together. Come and get to know God this Lent. Come and be known this Lent.
Details:
Ash Wednesday worship is on 2/18 at 7pm at Western.
Sacred Suppers are Wednesday nights at 6:30pm at Western
Lenten Devotionals - available Sunday at worship!
Soup Night - 2/10
Help us chop, simmer, and stew as we make soups for the upcoming weeks of lunches with Open Table (our ministry where we share a meal with hungry neighbors every Sunday). No special knife skills required. Just show up at Pilgrims on Tuesday 2/10 any time after 5pm and help make a bunch of soups to store and freeze for the next couple of months. See you there!
Lent Pop-Up Worship Planning Meeting
Do you love Easter? Are you curious about the ashes at Ash Wednesday? Do you wonder about how we pick the readings or music? Do you have ideas for something you'd love to see or hear or do in worship? Now is your chance! On Wednesday, 1/28, we'll be gathering at Western Pres at 6:30pm to plan worship for Lent and Easter. You don't need to me on any committee, you don't need to be a member, you don't need any experience. Just show up and help dream about worship together! Hope to see you there!
Winter Issues Among Us
Issues Among Us
We will continue our Issues Among Us series of group outings to exhibits, speakers, shows, and other opportunities to engage the issues of our time with our faith journey. Generally, we go do something interesting together, and then we share a meal and talk about how what we learned/experienced engages with our faith.
January - Monday 1/12 at 6:30pm
An Evening with Senator Chris Coons at New York Ave Presbyterian Church
Let's go together to the McClendon Scholar Program at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) will be the next speaker on Monday evening, January 12th at 6:30 PM. Senator Coons is a Deacon in his Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware and he will discuss the challenges of living out his faith in this very difficult political climate. He will also share his concerns about what is happening in the country and offer suggestions about what Christians engaged in politics should focus on in the year to come.
Click here for more info and to register to attend either in person or online.
February - Saturday 2/7 at 10:45am
Visit to the National Museum of African-American History and Culture
To celebrate Black History Month, let's go to the museum and visit some of the exhibits you haven't seen before, or take another look at some of the exhibits you already know well. Bring a lunch or some money to buy lunch at the cafeteria and we'll meet up to talk about what we learned together after visiting a bit. Erin has reserved group tickets for us, so please RSVP by emailing Erin if you plan to go.
March - Saturday 3/14 at 10:15am
Women's Historic House Walking Adventure
Let's go visit two of DC's Women's Historic Home Hot Spots.
Meeting at 10:15am at the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House for a docent-led tour of the historic headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), then we'll walk about two miles over to Captiol Hill, discussing what we learned at our first stop, to then visit the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument. Please note: we plan to do a lot of walking and the Bethune Council House is not accessible and involves stairs. We encourage you take public transit for this adventure, as we will start in one spot and end up somewhere completely different.
April - (Date and Time still TBD)
"In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness" a new exhibit set to open at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary, explore a collection of 250 items which help tell the story of our country. More details to be shared when the Smithsonian sets an exhibit opening date.
Annual Meeting
The Session of Church of the Pilgrims has called an Annual Congregational Meeting for Sunday, January 18, 2026 immediately following worship, both online and in person.
Click here to download our 2025 Annual Report.