Churches & Places of Worship near Penn Laird, VA

“Connection Matters:

How a Simple Welcome Can Change a Church Experience

I want to share a bit more about my journey as I search for a place of fellowship. My home church is in Minneapolis, but since I haven’t been able to travel there, I’ve been visiting churches in my area—both African American and White American churches.

One experience really stayed with me. I visited one church nearly six times—filled out visitor cards, gave offerings, and tried to connect with the music director about joining the choir—but despite all that, I never got a follow-up. It made me reflect deeply. Sometimes people don’t go to church just because they’re lost—they go because they’re seeking connection, belonging, and fellowship. And when that’s missing, it leaves a gap.

I’m so thankful for The People’s Baptist Church in Penn Laird, Virginia. Even though they are two and a half hours away, their care was incredible. Within hours of filling out the form, someone reached out, called, and kept in touch for weeks. When I realized I couldn’t visit due to the distance, they even helped connect me to another church nearby.

Today, I visited that recommended church: Heritage Baptist Church in Woodbridge, Virginia.

As I sat waiting for the service, only one person took a moment to greet me. He said, “Hello, I don’t think I’ve seen you before—welcome.” After a brief introduction, he said, “I’m Pastor Mark Carpenter. Welcome.”

After the service, I met Pastor Mark again in the foyer, and believe it or not, he remembered my name! He gave me a small gift as a visitor and invited me to come back.

What an amazing first impression.

To everyone out there—no matter what church you attend—please take a moment to greet visitors. A simple hello, a name, a follow-up—those moments leave a lasting impact. They make people feel seen, valued, and welcomed.
I will be visiting Heritage Baptist Church again because of the impression they left on me, and in time, I’ll make a decision on where I will fellowship regularly when I can’t go to my home church.”

“Very good church. I felt God's presence in that place. The preacher speaking simple English to everyone can understand him. He did a PowerPoint of the lession he was preaching on. The place is very beautiful and clean. They have groups that you can be part of. Some people in that church even say hi to me and ask me questions. They have 2 Sunday service. The exact time for Sunday service is in their website.”

“My Grandparents were Strong Presbyterians in This Church. My Grandmother taught Sunday School for 25+ years there.This Church is Absolutely Gorgeous inside & out.. It brought back Lots of Memories of My Beautiful Mother & Grandmother. I took Pictures tonight of The Christmas lights & The Crosses.”

“Ok, full disclosure, I visit here every 12 -18 months to pay respects to my ancestors who are buried in the cemetery. It is so beautiful and well maintained, and I leave, not sad, but with a sense of peace and well being. If I lived here and attended church, this would be the one.”

“The Masses are uplifting, and the homilies are engaging, every time I attend, I leave feeling inspired. The music is also fantastic! It’s clear that a lot of thought and care goes into every service.

I’m also really impressed with the church’s commitment to community outreach. They run a food pantry and soup kitchen, and they’re involved in missionary work, including a twinning program with a parish in Haiti. It’s great to see a church so dedicated to making a positive impact both locally and globally.

Whether you’re a long-time parishioner or a first-time visitor like I was, Blessed Sacrament offers a welcoming, peaceful, and spiritually enriching experience. I definitely plan to return, whenever I am in the area and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a place to connect with their faith.”