OPMH E Gram (Apr 27, 2008)

Meeting House Worshipers: Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

This Sunday:

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

Sermon           Love and Obedience— Dr. Laha

Christian Education for all ages from 9:40 – 10:40am.

For Children in Grades 1-5: conclude a series of workshops learning about our worship service. Members of the Senior High Sunday School class are leading these workshops. Please check the directory board for grade and workshop assignments.

For Adults

·        Bible Study: Parables, in Westminster Hall, through May 11. This in-depth study of parables in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, uses the study book “Parables: Stories for Life in God’s World” in the Kerygma Program series.

·        Facing Change with Faith, in Heritage Hall.  Change is inevitable. Whether it is in our workplace or at home nothing stays the same forever. How we respond to and handle that change is our choice.

Dr. Douglas Thorpe, from the Pastoral Counseling Center of Virginia, will lead a discussion of the nature of change and the role of faith in restoring and nourishing us through change. The Reverend Douglas M. Thorpe, Ph.D. is a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and Chair of AAPC’s Atlantic Region. Doug is ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church and served as a parish pastor before becoming a pastoral psychotherapist.  Sponsored by the Stephens Ministers.

Next Week in Heritage Hall: Mission Panel – What’s Happening in Alexandria?

·        Environmental Stewardship: Faith, Policy and Action, led by the OPMH Environmental Advocacy Group, concludes today in Fellowship Hall. This week we focus on what our individual responsibilities are and what steps we take next.

Sunday Afternoon/Evening

Concert with a Cause: This Sunday April 27 at 3:00 pm - Children’s Chorus of Washington, Joan Gregoryk, Founder and Artistic Director. This professional children’s chorus has sung in such prestigious venues as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.  They have performed great works with many distinguished groups, including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Chorus, Choral Arts Society, Cathedral Choral Society, and Master Chorale. Benefit: United Orphanage and Academy in Moi’s Bridge, Kenya. At the reception following the concert, there will be an opportunity to hear a report from Rhonda O’Bannon’s recent trip there.

Youth: The youth will be baking cookies at the Elmore's house tonight, (1795 Rampart Drive, Alexandria) Sun., April 27 from 5-7 pm and having pizza for dinner. Please join us for fun and fellowship. If you have any questions, please call the Elmores at 703-360-0987.

The Week Ahead (see details below):

20s30s meet on Monday, April 28.

Mexico Mission Workcamp sign-up deadline is April 30. 

SPIRIT trip to Fredericksburg is April 30.

Kentucky Derby Day (sponsored by the Celebration group for married couples) is May 3.

New Announcements:

Join us for Service Sunday, May 18! We hope everyone will be part of this exciting new idea birthed by the Local Mission Committee. On May 18, the whole congregation will gather for worship at 10am (in your work clothes!). At the conclusion of the service, we’ll enjoy a brief period of fellowship, and then divide into teams and go out into our community for a few hours of hands-on service. There will be activities appropriate for all ages and ability levels, including young children and those with lesser mobility. Opportunities include light home repair, office or yard work, sorting food, baking cookies, and more. Please mark your calendars now, and stay tuned for pre-registration information.

Food Drive: As we gear up for Service Sunday, we encourage you to bring non-perishable goods on either May 11 or May 18. Donations will be made to the food pantries at Christ House and at ALIVE! In a time of rising food prices, the need is great.

Step ALIVE!, the annual walkathon for the ALIVE! Child Development Center, will be held on Sun., May 4, at 1:30 pm. Join us as we gather at First Christian Church, 2723 King Street, and walk a 5-mile loop through Old Town. There will be a picnic for all walkers and volunteers immediately following the walk.  Alive provides subsidized early childhood education, childcare, parent education and family support services on a sliding fee basis to low-income, working families. The registration fee is $10 for adults; $5 for teens and seniors; and free for children 12 and under. Pledge forms and additional information about the event are available online at alive-inc.org or at the ALIVE! Child Development Center, 2723 King Street, 703-548-9255.

SPIRIT is planning a short trip on May 28 to the Museum of Natural History to view the very interesting butterfly exhibit. In this exhibit, a number of varieties of butterflies from all over the world are presented in a tropical setting. You will also want to the view the companion exhibit "Partners in Evolution". The latter exhibit shows how insects, animals, and plants have co-evolved with plants. All nature lovers (and others as well) will not want to miss this trip. Cost: $9.00 (includes the $5.50 fee for the butterfly exhibit); Lunch Dutch Treat.  Meet at the church parking lot at 9:15. Call the Church Office to make reservations.

Next Sunday in Heritage Hall: In preparation for Service Sunday on May 18, Adult Education will host two panel presentations, (May 4 & 11) featuring representatives from our Mission Partners. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the various agencies and projects we will be supporting on Service Sunday and to sign up for a particular project.

Opportunities to Give or Serve:

Sound Guild: If you are willing to learn to operate the church sound system and record the worship services for those unable to attend Sunday services, contact Skip Bea at 703-549-7040 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it We would especially like to involve folks who are available to assist with special services, such as memorial services, that sometimes occur during the week day

Docent Program: If you're interested in the history of OPMH, with ushering at special times and programs (Christmas Candlelight tours, concerts with a cause, etc.) and transporting us back to the 18th century, please join us as a docent. We hope to expand the program and thus our availability to the church. Call Susan Horne at 703-548-2759 or contact by email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Vacation Bible School Reminder: VBS 2008 is scheduled for June 23-27. If you would like to volunteer for this special week of learning and fun talk to Kristine Eelkema, at 703-836-9871 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Registration forms are now available in the Church Office, Fellowship Hall and on our website.

Mexico Mission Work Camp: Members and friends of OPMH will travel to Reynosa, Mexico from July 20-26 to build a home for a Mexican family in partnership with Faith Ministries. Registration and a 50% deposit must be received in the Church Office by April 30.  Work camp brochures and registration forms are available in the Narthex or may be obtained via e-mail. For more details on this long-time OPMH mission event, contact Tim Elmore at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or Laura Cassidy at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Registration forms and deposits should be sent to the attention of Cynthia Ehlinger in the OPMH office.

West Virginia Work Camp: Closer to home, a group will travel to Pursglove, WV (just outside Morgantown) to help with light home repairs, June 22-27. Register now! For more information, contact Camilo Bearman at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Upcoming Events / Church News:

Portable Worship Services: We record the Sunday morning service. The lending library of audio and video tapes of the full service (going back several months) is maintained in the Church Office. You can also access audio recordings of the Scripture readings and sermons through the internet. To listen, go to our website at www.OPMH.org and click on WORSHIP, then SERMONS. There you can also find information on downloading our “Sermons to Go” podcast via iTunes.

Kentucky Derby Day Dinner, Sat., May 3: Join other OPMH couples from 5-9 pm at the home of Debbie and Mike Farmer, 10004 McDuff Ct., Vienna, to watch the “run for the Roses” in true Kentucky style. RSVP to the Farmers by April 28 ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 703-938-7309).  Prize for the best Derby hat! A-L, please bring an appetizer; M-Z, dessert.

Dine With Nine Dinner Groups: Use the green form in the pew pads or contact the church office to sign up.

SPIRIT Group Outing to Fredericksburg on April 30: is planning an outing to Fredericksburg, VA. All are welcome! Participants will have the option of visiting either Belmont, the former residence of American figure painter Gari Melchers, or the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Following the tours, the group will have lunch Dutch Treat at Brock's Riverside Grill, which overlooks the Rappahannock River in Old Town Fredericksburg. Call the Church Office to register.

Ongoing Events:

First Sundays with the Stephen Ministers: Stephen Ministers host 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.

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 7:00 pm, and for brunch following 11:00 worship the 1st Sunday of each month.  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

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.

More on Sunday’s service:

Scripture

John 14:15-21

Hymns

Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven

More Love to Thee, O Chris

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Other Special Music

Prelude:                      Prelude and Fugetta – Healy Willan (1880-1968)

Introit:                         To thee, o comforter divine – David McK Williams (1887-1978)

Anthem:                      If ye love me, keep my commandments – Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-85)

Offertory:                    Aria – Charles Callahan (b. 1951)

Postlude:                     Love Divine, All Loves Excelling – Ralph V Williams (1872-1958)

Coffee Hour: Join us in Heritage Hall after the 11:00 am service. The host this week is the Budget and Finance Committee.

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