On a quiet stretch of Little River Turnpike in Chantilly, Virginia, Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church has gathered the surrounding community in Christian worship and service since 1894. The church describes itself as "a place to worship, serve, and belong," and its identity is built on three strong threads: a traditional Sunday worship service, a rich web of small groups and ministries for every age, and steady mission work that reaches both next door and across the world. "As people of faith, we gather to worship and grow spiritually from the teachings of Jesus Christ," the church says, "and wherever Christians gather is a place for worship, caring, serving, and fellowship."
A Welcome That Starts at the Front Door
"All are welcome for Christian worship, fellowship, and service to the needy among us," the church declares. "Pleasant Valley is inclusive, seeking to support our community with love and faith-based activities." That openness is practical, not just printed. Visitors arriving for the first time are greeted at the main entrance and shown to a seat in the sanctuary. A parking lot circles the building with several handicap-accessible spaces, ground-level access is available under the portico at the rear, and the building has ADA-compliant restrooms and a handicap ramp at the main entrance.
What to wear is simple: "Please don't worry about what you'll wear for our services. Most attendees wear seasonal casual attire which includes short sleeve shirts, summer dresses, jeans and shorts. Some like dressing up a bit especially on holidays like Easter and Christmas, and we even have a few that will wear suits most weeks." After the service, the Fellowship Hall fills with coffee and snacks, the chance to meet people, and conversation about upcoming activities.
Sundays at Pleasant Valley
Sunday is the heart of the week. The worship service begins at 11:00 AM, with the music director providing uplifting special music from the choir and vocalists each week and the pastor preaching and leading the service. For those who cannot attend in person, the service is livestreamed on YouTube through the Pleasant Valley UMC VA channel, a ministry that serves more than twenty online viewers each week and is supported by volunteer audio-visual teams. Members and visitors can also follow along with the weekly bulletin and announcements.
Children are not expected to sit quietly through the entire service. Children's Sunday School begins at 10:00 AM, with separate classes for nursery (six weeks to two years), preschoolers (three to five years), and elementary (kindergarten through fifth grade). Early in the service, the children are called to the front of the sanctuary for a brief message and story from the pastor, complete with a treat. Those who wish to continue then go with their Sunday school leader for activities until the service ends.
Pastor Sophia and Her Team
The congregation is served by Rev. Dr. Seung Hae "Sophia" Yoo-Hess, who holds a doctorate in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Candler School of Theology in Georgia, a master's from Claremont School of Theology in California, and a Master of Divinity from Chong-shin Theological Seminary in Korea. A trained professional counselor, she has served United Methodist churches since 2013. "I love to listen to people's life stories and share God's love and care with them," she writes. "I am ready to go to people in need wherever they are. My ministry has focused on care for 'people of all ages,' providing pastoral care and counseling and God's healing for individuals and families, and community services." Her vision is to help Pleasant Valley be a "community church," and her family, including her parents and brother's family in South Korea and a sister in Minnesota, supports her ministry with daily prayers.
Supporting her are Michelle Pinkney, Director of Music; Amanda McDaniel, Director of Children's Ministry; Sam Barnum, who leads the United Methodist Men; Brenda Bell, who leads Women of Faith; and Wonder Goredema and Danielle Ofori, who together direct the Youth Ministry. Mary Hicks serves as Office Manager and Treasurer, and the office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
Bible Study, Prayer, and Small Groups
The week is full of ways to grow in faith and get to know other members. The Men's Bible Study meets every Thursday at 7:15 PM in the Fellowship Hall, led by Loren Epton. "This small group studies topics related to common everyday issues and looks into the Bible for guidance," the church explains, offering "a weekly opportunity to get to know one another in fellowship, grow our faith, and to share our experiences and our understanding of the Bible references."
On Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM, the Prayer Group gathers on Zoom to pray for the church, members, community, and world. A separate Congregational Prayer Meeting lifts up prayers for congregation needs, online prayer requests, and the entries in the church's prayer book. The Pastor facilitates Bible studies throughout the year on a wide range of topics; a recent one focused on women of the Bible, and an earlier one worked through "Disciple's Path: A Guide for United Methodists" by James A. Harnish with Justin Larosa. Other titles from the church's recommended reading shelf include Adam Hamilton's "Final Words: From the Cross" and "Making Sense of the Bible," Donald A. Smith's "5 Unmistakable Habits of Generous Churches," and the "Life Guide Bible Studies" series.
Two smaller ministries knit the community together in tactile ways. The Knit Crochet Pray Ministry, an outreach of the Women of Faith, has produced well over a thousand hats and scarves for the children of Baja, Mexico, where many families live in uninsulated homes and the winter cold can be bitter. The Prayer Blanket Ministry sews comfort blankets for those who have lost loved ones, with prayers said over each blanket as it is finished: "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever" (Psalm 73:26). A Ladies Bible Study and a monthly Adults Dining Out group, which explores local restaurants, bowling, and escape rooms, round out the calendar for adults looking for fellowship.
Young at Heart
For the church's older members and friends, the Young at Heart group gathers once a month on the second Wednesday at 11:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall for a potluck lunch, Bible study, games, prizes, and good food. Anyone over fifty is welcome to bring a favorite dish and join the fellowship.
Children and Youth
Children's Ministry runs through the Sunday School hour, with a director who shepherds nursery through fifth grade and a robust Vacation Bible School each summer, funded in part by the Women of Faith. The women support the children's ministry through activities like the annual Easter Egg Hunt and Party, a Mystery Dinner Theater built on the parable of the Prodigal Son, and a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper whose proceeds benefit Vacation Bible School.
The Youth Program, led by Wonder Goredema and Danielle Ofori, is open to middle and high school students (sixth through twelfth grade) from the congregation and surrounding community. "Rooted in scripture, our mission is to surround today's youth with people of faith and guide them in their spiritual growth through engaging, interactive experiences that connect biblical teachings to the modern world." The group meets one to two times per month on Sunday afternoons at the church, with snacks, a devotional, peer discussion, and games like 9 Square, frisbee, Jenga, bean bag toss, ladder toss, ring toss, leap frog, and knock-down cans. Outings have included rock painting, bowling, eating out, shopping at the mall, and a visit to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC.
Youth have served as liturgists, scripture readers, choir members, bell choir members, and on the IT and livestreaming team. Mission trips have taken them to Mescalero, New Mexico; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Winchester, Kentucky, for home repair and community projects. A spiritual retreat at Massanutten included mini-golf, water park fun, and even snow sledding. The youth's verse, from 1 Timothy 4:12, is a charge to the whole program: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
Women of Faith and United Methodist Men
Women of Faith (WOF) gathers on the fourth Saturday of every month at 11:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall for a potluck lunch, devotional, games, and planning of mission projects. Brenda Bell leads the group, which supports the church's children's ministries, contributes to Operation Christmas Child shoebox collections, and staffs the Knit Crochet Pray and Prayer Blanket ministries.
The Pleasant Valley United Methodist Men (UMM) meet for breakfast on the second Saturday of every month at 8:00 AM and follow a simple mission: "to help men mature as disciples of Jesus Christ so they may encourage spiritual formation in others." The men gather for devotionals, organize church grounds and parsonage cleanups, host a semi-annual fish fry to raise money for outreach, award an annual college scholarship to a church member, and provide student aid for underprivileged boys and girls in Africa. Sam Barnum leads the men's group.
Music Ministry
"One of the great traditions at PVUMC is our music ministry," the church writes. "We are blessed with many talented groups and individuals who share their love of Christ through the gift of music." Choir practice meets on Thursdays at 7:00 PM in the sanctuary, with seasonal bell ensemble opportunities and a Christmas Cantata each year. Music Director Michelle Pinkney oversees the program and shares a song for reflection on the church's Facebook page each Monday ("Music Mondays"), accompanying it with Psalm 104:33: "I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."
Missions and Outreach
Missions are part of the church's weekly rhythm, not a once-a-year project. On the first Sunday of every month, the church holds a Monthly Food Drive for Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM), which serves qualified individuals and families from Chantilly, Centreville, Clifton, Oak Hill, Herndon, Fairfax, and Fairfax Station. Non-perishable items are collected weekly and delivered monthly.
The church supports the Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter (LAWS), collecting current-needs items like paper towels, toilet paper, full-size dustpans, and kitchen knives, and supplementing donations with food cards from Food Lion in Leesburg. ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages) for adult learners are also coordinated out of the church, with training for volunteer teachers each September. The ESOL program assesses students to determine their starting level and supports them as they pursue workforce training or higher education.
At the wider level, Pleasant Valley contributes to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the global humanitarian arm of the denomination. Special projects have included shoes for needy children in Central America, comfort blankets, and Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes collected through Samaritan's Purse. A Pastor's Aid Fund allows the pastor to provide short-term assistance with food, fuel, and other living expenses for those in immediate need.
A Building Shared with the Community
The church building on Little River Turnpike is shared by two other congregations as their place of worship. Several self-help groups meet there regularly, and Scouting America troops use the church and grounds for meetings and activities.
"Wherever Christians gather is a place for worship, caring, serving, and fellowship," the church reminds its members.
Staying Connected
The church is part of the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and members gather annually with neighboring UMC congregations for a Charge Conference to set budgets, approve leadership, and shape the church's ministry for the coming year.
Online giving is available through Vanco for those who prefer to set up recurring donations, and offerings can also be made during Sunday service or mailed to the church office. The congregation shares its life on Facebook and Instagram (pleasantvalleyumcva), livestreams services on YouTube, and sends a weekly Friday Update email. A Prayer Wall lets anyone submit a request, and the pastor's weekly letter, a thoughtful reflection on a passage of scripture, is published each week.
From the choir and the Bible studies to the food drive and the prayer blankets, Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church offers a steady rhythm of worship, learning, and service to anyone walking onto its campus on Little River Turnpike.