OPMH E Gram (Jan 27, 2008)

Meeting House Worshipers: Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Morning Services (8:30 and 11:00 am)

Scripture

Isaiah 9:1-4

Matthew 4: 12-23

Sermon

A Lesson in Geography — Dr. Laha

Hymns

God is My Strong Salvation

O Master Let Me Walk With Thee

The Church of Christ in Every Age

Other Special Music

Prelude:                      Prelude & Fugue – J.L. Krebs

Introit:                         They Cast Their Nets in Galilee – William A Percy

Anthem:                      Expectans Expectavi – Charles Wood

Offertory:                    God is My Strong Salvation – J.G. Walther

Postlude:                     Recessional – Wm. Mathais

Coffee Hour: Join us in Fellowship Hall after the 11:00 am service. The host this week is the Stephen Ministers.

Christian Education.

Children’s Education: All children in grades 1-5 continue the study of baptism. Check the board in the Education Bulding for grade assignments.

Share your gifts with children by serving as a Sunday School rotation leader. This 3 or 4 Sunday commitment involves sharing the good news with our elementary age children. All materials and directions are provided and you will be joined by someone who is shepherding the children each week. Rotation options include art, storytelling, baking, crafts, and more. Com join the fun!

Adult Education

Westminster Hall: The Gospel of Matthew, this Bible study continues this Sunday through March 16. It is an in-depth study of the second part of the Gospel of Matthew (Ch 17-28). Lee Posey, Tom Roberts and Hal Collums will serve as facilitators during the spring term. Please join us in Wesminster Hall.

Heritage Hall: Faith and Reason, Then and Now will be led by Dr. Bruce Douglass. Our society is now in the midst of a fresh debate about the rationality – and even morality – of religious belief. This is not a new issue. It has long been a part of modern life, and it has played an important role in the development of Reformed theology. This course is designed to clarify: 1) the issues at stake in the current debate; 2) why this debate has arisen; and 3) what bearing Reformed thinking has on the subject. Classes continue through Feb 10.

Fellowship Hall: An Inquirer’s Class continues until Jan. 27. It is for all who would like to know more about the Meeting House, are considering joining, or have recently joined the church. This class will provide an overview of Presbyterian belief, and an introduction to OPMH.

Wednesday Night Bible Study: Joshua, Judges, Ruth. Meets Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 pm beginning Jan. 9.in Flounder 1b. Join us for this weekly Bible study, as we dig deeper into the Scripture, and listen for how it speaks to our lives today. Please contact Ann at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 549.6670, x129 for more infomraiton, or to sign up.

Reformed Institute: Look on the web site for these special offerings.

Fellowship, Study, and Prayer Groups:

Youth: There is no youth fellowship this Sunday or next because the youth are on a ski trip this weekend. Next Sunday, the youth will be collecting money and canned goods for Souper Bowl Sunday.

Update from the Youth Director Search Committee: The committee has prepared a survey to obtain input and guidance from members and youth regarding the Youth Program and the desirable attributes for the position of Youth Director. The survey is located on the Meeting House website (www.opmh.org). Look under “Education” And go to “Youth Program”. Follow the link to the survey. For those without internet access who would like a paper copy of the survey, contact the Church Office or Rob Dunn, Chair of the Committee, at 703-836-9000 (work) or 703-998-9196 (home).

First Sundays with the Stephen Ministers: Stephen Ministers hosts an informal time of fellowship on the first Sunday of each month for those who are experiencing a difficult or challenging time and would welcome a willing listener. We meet in the Elliot House parlor following the 11:00 am service. If you would like more information or would like to spend one-on-one time with a Stephen Minister, call Susan Grandy at 703-780-4134 or 703.299.4749.

SPIRIT Trip: All members and friends are invited to join us on a trip to the Marine Corps Museum located at Quantico, VA on Wed, Feb 20 (snow date, Feb 27). Housed in this museum is the original flag that was raised on Iwo Jima during WWII. Documentary films and high-tech exhibits enable viewers to appreciate the accomplishments of this branch of our military. Entrance to the museum is free, but a small charge will be made to cover the cost of gasoline for the bus. We will meet in the church parking lot at 9:30 am. Lunch will be on your own at one of the dining facilities in the museum. Please call the church Office at 703.549.6670 to make your reservation. Our bus seats 14 so make your reservations early.

20s30s – This group is open to all in their 20s and 30s (married, single, members, visitors, friends). Join us Monday nights for dinner and discussion at 913 Oronoco Street at 7 pm. For more info, call Mike Campagna at 703.785.4736 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Let’s go bowling! The Celebration Steering Committee invites all married couples to join us on Sat., Feb 9 at 1:00 pm for an afternoon of bowling and fun at Bowl America Shirley, 6450 Edsall Road, Alexandria. We have reserved lanes and need a final head count. So please RSVP no later than Feb. 1 to Jennifer Kim at 703.683.0179 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . We hope to see you there.

You’re invited to Dine With Nine! Would you like to enjoy good food, good conversations, and a good time while getting to know other OPMH members in a relaxed social setting? Then don’t miss this opportunity to join the Dine With None small dinner groups that are being organized and will meet in homes. Each dinner group will have a coordinator for planning the time, location, and host for the first event. Use the sign-up forms in the pews and put them in the offering plate or return them to the Church Office. You may also e-mail the required registration information to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mission

Prayers for the World: The Meeting House has long-standing relationships in both Kenya and Pakistan, and as those countries experience unrest, we ask that you keep Kenya and Pakistan in your prayers. In Kenya, we have been in touch with the moderator of Elburgon Presbytery and with the director of the United Orphanage and Academy – all are in areas of unrest and are very concerned. If you would like to assist our partners financially, as they cope with the high cost of food, sheltering displaced persons, and the impact of lost homes and crops, you may make an offering to OPMH, designated “Kenya relief” on the check or envelope. In Pakistan, an end-of-the-year letter from the director of the Church World Service Office asks for our prayers. The Meeting House has long supported the health and literacy programs of St. Thomas Church in Islamabad, as well as the Taxila Eye Hospital and Forman Christian College.

Souper Bowl Sunday: Please help end hunger and poverty in our community and around the world by donating canned goods and/or money on Souper Bowl Sun., Feb. 3. OPMH Youth will be collecting after each worship service. Donations will go to the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter, a new homeless shelter in Fairfax Country, and to Moi’s Bridge Orphanage in Kenya. Please help us reach our goal of $650 and 350 cans, for a total of $1,000!!!.

Katrina Relief: The Global Mission committee plans to organize another trip to Bay St. Louis, MS, April 13-19 to help First Presbyterian Church with their community reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Katrina. An information meeting for those interested in learning about the trip will be held this Sunday, Jan. 27, following the 8:30 am service in Elliot House Library, or you may contact Beth Roberts at 703.548.7938, or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Are you interested in creating a greener Meeting House and helping the Meeting House become a better steward of its resouces? If so, please contact Margaret Whitesides at 703.549.1783 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you or your family would like to help recycle paper from the meeting House and the Preschool.

Not on Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper: This year, our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will be held on Sunday, Feb. 10, from 5-6:30 pm (following the Concert with a Cause). Join us in Fellowship Hall for delicious food, fun, fellowship, and a chance to support Meeting House workcamps.

Music:

Adult Choir rehearses on Thursdays, at 7:30 pm in the balcony. Everyone is welcome!

Children’s Choir’s rehearses on Sundays, in room 22, Education Building. 12:05-12:50 pm.

Concerts With A Cause: The Suspicious Cheese Lords, an early music male vocal ensemble, will perform on Feb.10 at 4 pm in the sanctuary. Proceeds will benefit St. Thomas Church, Pakistan. Pancake Supper to follow.

Churchwide News:

Donation Envelopes – Are available for pickup in Fellowship Hall. Stop by for coffee after the second service, and pick up your envelopes.

The Presbyterian Cemetery, located on Hamilton Lane in Alexandria, Virginia, is a mission of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House. For nearly 200 years, it has provided tranquil final resting places for members of this congregation and others of our faith, Interred in these hallowed grounds are a number of patriots of the American Revolution, leaders from Alexandira’s historic past, members of the clergy, and many others. The cemetery contains space for more than a thousand burial plots, and the recently completed columbarium, which became available for use January 1, 2008, provides 192 niches as permanent repositiores of cremated remains. For more information about the Presbyterian Cemetery or the new columbarium, contact robert Ellis, the Cemetery Superintendent, at 703.626.0879 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Sign-up for 2008 Congregational Dinner begins this Sunday January 27. Join us for dinner, dancing, and a silent auction on Sun., Feb 24 at 5:30 at the Virginia Theological Seminary, 3737 Seminary Rd., Alexandria. Reservations and payment must be made in advance before Sun., Feb 17, and sign-up begins Now! There will be sign-up tables after the first service in Heritage Hall, before Adult Education, and during coffee hour in Fellowship Hall. You may also send your reservation check to the Church Office made payable to OPMH with Congregational Dinner in the memo field of the check. So, put on your dancing shoes and join your OPMH friends for a lively evening of fun. Cost is $20 per adult; $10, ages 4-11. The silent auction wil focus on sharing talents and building community with other OPMH families. Don’t be shy about submitting goods or services for the auction.

Per Capita Assessment: Our contribution to the Presbyterian Chruch, US for 2008 is $30 per active member. If you would like to cover this cost, you may use the offering envelope provided or annotate Per Capita in the memo rield on your check.