FAQ’s for Burnt Factory United Methodist Church

Where are you located?

  • We are located at 1943 Jordan Springs Road in beautiful Stephenson, Va. We are in a rural setting among beautiful fields and multi acre home-sites. You will find us at the corner of Jordan Springs Road and Burnt Factory Church Road. Our mailing address is Burnt Factory United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 399, Stephenson, Va. 22656

When are your services?           

  • We presently offer two traditional worship services at 8:30 and 11:00.

What style of music do you use?       

  • We embrace classic hymn singing and chancel choir anthems at our 11:00 service. We also enjoy classic hymn singing at our 8:30 service but also provide opportunities for alternative genres as we seek to embrace a more blended musical offering. Diana Smith is the director of our music ministries.

Is there a dress code?

  • At BFUMC you will see many people dressed in suits, sports coats, business casual, relaxed wear, blue jeans, and shorts. We invite you to come as you choose! All are welcome!

How long are your services?

  • Our worship services run between 60 to 75 minutes.

Do you serve Holy Communion?

  • We serve Holy Communion the first Sunday of each month and on special days. We practice an open communion table in our faith tradition and invite all who earnestly are seeking Jesus to come to the table of our Lord. We serve by Intinction, where upon receiving a piece of bread, you would then dip it into a common cup and partake. We also offer gluten-free elements.

What do you offer our children on Sunday and do you have Sunday school?

  • We offer a fully equipped nursery with 5 trained attendants for both of our worship services and also for our Sunday school hour, which is held from 9:45 to 10:40. We offer the nursery for infants through kindergarten and we offer children’s church at our 11:00 service for first through fifth grade. The children’s ministry wing is located on the lower level under our Fellowship Hall. We also have Sunday school classes for all ages.
  • Our church’s children ministries are under the direction of Carrie Fair.(See Staff)
  • We also have a vital youth group and teen ministry program which is under the direction of Rob Moss. (See Staff)

Can I bring food and drink into the sanctuary?

  • We thank you for not bringing food or drink into the sanctuary (the exceptions would be water or baby bottles) We do have coffee and snacks available in our Fellowship Hall and want to encourage everyone to take advantage of this time of fellowship between services. (9:30 to 10:00)
  • We do broadcast the service to the Fellowship Hall in an attempt to provide for overflow and also to be hospitable to those who wish to watch the service with refreshments and coffee or for those who may have other needs.

What about parking?

  • We have 45 parking spaces beside the church that we encourage our elderly, differently abled, and visitors to use. We also encourage families with small children to use our lower lot.  On the top of the hill directly above the church, where the three crosses are located, there is an overflow parking lot with 52 additional spaces. We encourage the able bodied to use this lot. There is a safe and short walk required that starts with a wonderful view and then takes one past the crosses, reminding us of what Jesus did for us. What a great way to begin Sunday worship!

Do you have staff?

  • Lead pastor: Rev. C. Steven Melester
  • Director of Administration and Spiritual Formation: Rob Moss
  • Director of Children’s Ministries: Carrie Fair
  • Director of Music Ministries: Diana Smith
  • Parish Nurse: Theresa Seddon
  • Nursery Director: Emily Cisneros

How do I contact you?

  • Church phone: 540-667-4993 www.burntfactory.org
  • Pastor’s home phone: 540-667-0736
  • Pastor’s cell phone; 540-550-3189
  • Pastor’s e-mail: pastorsteve58@comcast.net

How do I enter the church?

  • There are a number of ways to enter BFUMC. We encourage everyone to use the front of the church to enter into our Narthex. You can come up the front steps located near the front entrance of the parking lot that leads you to the front patio, or you can use the foyer entrance that is also located in front of the differently abled parking spaces where you can enter by way of a push button automatic door to gain access to our elevator. There is also a back entrance with a ramp that is available. We want to encourage the use of the elevator for those who are in need.

What can I expect when I enter the worship space?

  • We believe that God’s people should gather with joy and exuberance. You can expect to be greeted by an usher who will help you with any questions while giving you a bulletin of the day’s service order. “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!”

What do United Methodist’s believe?

  • United Methodists profess the historic Christian faith in God, incarnate in Jesus Christ for our salvation and ever at work in human history in the Holy Spirit. Living in a covenant of grace under the Lordship of Christ, we participate in the first fruits of God’s coming reign and pray in hope for its full realization on earth as in heaven.
  • United Methodists share a common heritage with Christians of every age and nation. This heritage is grounded in the apostolic witness to Jesus Christ as savior and Lord, which is the source and measure of all valid Christian teaching.
  • Our heritage in doctrine and our present theological task focus upon a renewed grasp of the sovereignty of God and of God’s love in Christ amid the continuing crisis of human existence. The preaching and teaching of our forbearers were grounded and revealed in scripture, illuminated by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.
  • Grace pervades our understanding of Christian faith and life. By grace we mean the undeserved, unmerited, and loving action of God in human existence through the ever present Holy Spirit.
  • Despite our brokenness, we remain creatures brought into being by a just and merciful God. The restoration of God’s image in our lives requires divine grace to renew our fallen nature. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” Eph. 2: 8

How can I join?

  • The first thing to do is to contact the pastor. We offer counseling for everyone who feels the call of God upon their hearts to join us in membership.
  • The only physical requirement is baptism. We honor other denominations baptisms as long as they are Trinitarian. We do not re-baptize. There is a service of re-affirmation of baptism if desired. We offer three modes of baptism: sprinkling, pouring, and immersion. Baptism, along with Holy Communion, is the two sacraments that United Methodists practice.
  • Once you are baptized, you are required to make your Profession of Faith in a New Member Recognition Service. If you are transferring, we simply send a letter, on your behalf, to the church where you held previous membership.
  • We offer and promote infant baptism and then when the child reaches adolescence, he/she can enter into Confirmation classes where they can, for themselves, decide to confirm what God started in their lives as an infant.
  • When joining the church, we ask you to be loyal to the United Methodist Church, loyal to the local congregation known as Burnt Factory UMC and to support the ministries of the church with your prayers, your service, your gifts, your presence, and your witness.

What is this Apostle’s Creed you recite every Sunday?

  • Although the United Methodist Church is not a creedal church; in that we do not believe any creed can communicate or capture all the mystery of God, we do rely on the historic creeds of the one true apostolic and historic church to affirm what we believe. The Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and others supply a succinct and sincere synopsis of our beliefs.

Why are there trailers behind the church?

  • We refer to them as cottages and the lower cottage is our administrative cottage where the pastor’s study, conference room, and administrative office are located. The upper cottage is where our youth ministries are located, including senior high Sunday school classes.

Do you have a vision/mission statement?

  • Yes, our mission is to “Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Our motto is to “Sharing the love of Christ with all people.” And our unifying scripture is: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5: 16