Sunday is the best day of the week for a gratitude inventory. It’s a time for reflecting on the blessings of the week behind us and looking forward to the one approaching. Every Sunday for 60 years now, the parishioners at Potomac Presbyterian Church have counted their blessings and praised them.
This community of believers started gathering in the auditorium of the Potomac Elementary School, and eventually built their own space next door on River Road.
They marked their milestone year with a “Celebrate 60” theme and a homecoming of sorts. Former pastors have returned to share memories and longstanding members have regaled each other with stories from the past. This fall the theme shifts into a forward-thinking mode with “Worship + 1” a program encouraging members to do one extra thing to deepen their faith journey.
“Many of us are longing for community and a place to belong, but do not know where to find it,” explains Chris McAuliffe, who became the church’s associate pastor earlier this year under the Reverend Emily Berman D’Andrea, a graduate of the Princeton Theological Seminary, and one of the many women leaders of Potomac Presbyterian.
In the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, when church gatherings were prohibited, Sunday morning attendance has taken a nosedive with many parishioners preferring to watch services on livestreams. Getting people off their sofas and into pews is a challenge, but Potomac is turning the corner, mainly because the human need for physical connection is so compelling.
“Many are searching for meaning and purpose, wondering why we do what we do. Many are lost and need help finding their way. If the church does what it is called to do, it offers a place and a space to navigate through all these difficult realities of life that so many are facing,” McAuliffe says, adding that houses of worship can be the perfect havens for people looking to escape the political tribalism so rampant in the Washington area.
“Our church has found a nice middle ground where people from all walks of life and beliefs can be themselves and learn from one another constructively.”
The last Wednesday of every month, members gather at Windridge Vineyards for fellowship and sunsets. The church’s Williamsburg Breakfast in December has become a community mainstay to kick off the season of Advent.
Giving back remains a cornerstone of the church’s mission. Every year, members travel to disaster areas, including Fort Meyers, Fla., which was hit by Hurricane Ian. “What makes our trip unique is how intergenerational the trip is. Youth, college students, young adults, and adults all go together to help families recover,” McAuliffe says.
This year Potomac Presbyterian became an earth care congregation committing to being good stewards of the planet. One of the latest projects is a partnership with HarvestShare and the creation of a Giving Garden. Planting began in May and under HarvestShare’s leadership and guidance, members have collected hundreds of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables for people in need around the Potomac area.
Although the church is decades old and treasures its traditions, it also embraces the contemporary, particularly where music is concerned. Once strictly an organ and hymns kind of institution, its services have recently introduced “musical offerings to lift one’s spirit in new ways,” McAuliffe says. The new repertoire includes jazz, instrumental, acoustic, and even African drumming. The church is looking for a new music director who they hope will broaden their musical horizons even further.
Going strong and looking to the future, Potomac Presbyterian will continue to make music as a congregation of love and service.
“If the church does what it is called to do, it offers a place and a space to navigate through all these difficult realities of life that so many are facing.” —Chris McAuliffe, Associate Pastor, Potomac Presbyterian