Stewardship Committee Updates

Thanks to everyone who helped make Beth McCrary’s farewell reception a great success.

Also our thanks to everyone who made the 2006 Lobster Fest a night to remember.

Please mark your calendars to attend this year’s Commitment Dinner on Saturday, October 7, 2006.

This year’s speaker is the Rev. Bob Bluford and the theme is based on Ecclesiastes 3. The title or theme is “To Everything There is a Season.”

We received a list of names to choose from concerning speakers for this year’s Commitment Dinner and asked for Beth’s recommendation. She said, “Bob Bluford has a heart for stewardship.” So we hope you will come and find out what such a recommendation really means.

With the start of the new academic year we are looking for the school addresses for all boarding school and college students so that we can send them care packages throughout the coming year.

Please give these addresses to Amy McClung if you see her at church or email her at am5v@netscape.net.

Thanks again for making this project a success.

The Pastor’s Ponderings

Hello! I’m sitting here in West Virginia writing this newsletter article getting ready to make my move to Orange, Virginia. The moving van will be here in a few days so that I can make my trek to a new home and a new congregation.

I am eager to get to know all your names and hear your stories. We are going to be busy getting to know one another, getting all the regular things done that we need to do in the life of the church, as well as seeking new ways to serve Christ in our midst.

In each newsletter I plan to “ponder” with you a bit. I like to think out loud, wonder, and reflect. Remember Mary in Luke’s Gospel: “But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). In like manner, I’ll ponder over things – maybe some new insight, maybe some issue facing the Church, maybe some current event. In all of my ponderings I want to reflect how all of us can be faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

My first official day is Monday, September 11 th. The door is open and the welcome mat is out. Please feel free any time to stop by to visit, chat a bit, have a cup of coffee, and “ponder” with me. You may want to ask about my hot air balloons.
Your pondering Pastor
Denise

RALLY DAY!!

World Communion Sunday

Join us on October 1, 2006 as we celebrate World Communion Sunday and receive the Peacemaking Offering.

On this day we join with Christians around the world to celebrate the unity that we find at the Table of the Lord. We also receive the Peacemaking Offering to support the efforts of our congregation, our Synod, our Presbytery, and our denomination to spread the peace of Christ.

Remember that 25 percent of the Offering will be used by OPC for our peacemaking activities. The other 75 percent will help our partners in the presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly as they work on behalf of God's peacemaking throughout the world.

Office Remodeling Nears Completion

The office remodeling project has turned into a bigger job than anticipated. Plans have changed and we’ve made a few goofs, but the results so far are rewarding. Karen’s office is complete except for decorative details. She moved in on Saturday. Difficulties in replacing a broken machine part needed in the bookcase construction has delayed completion of the pastor’s study. We hope to have the study finished and furnished by the time Dr. Hall arrives.

Most of the work has been done by willing and able OPC volunteers or draftees. Without their help we could have never accomplished such major changes and stayed within our budget.

If anyone is interested in purchasing the old chairs or the old rug from the pastor’s office, make an offer. Otherwise they will be added to the Habitat yard sale.

November Mission Trip

As of September 1 st our mission team to New Orleans consists of 6 members-Jack and Margaret Thompson, Dianne Haberland, Cindy Reid, Anne Somerville, and Gene Whitaker.

The team plans to depart from Orange on Saturday November 12 th and return on Sunday November 20 th. They will be staying in one of the villages sponsored by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and working on a rebuilding project in the area. We will have more specific information by the next newsletter.

Our team will stay in the village for 6 nights. The cost per night per person to stay in the Village is $20 and this includes the 3 meals for the day. Our team will take 2 days to travel to New Orleans, and 2 days to travel home. Expenses will include 2 nights in motels, and meals for those 4 travel days, plus gasoline for 2 cars. The cost to send one team member excluding the cost of gas is estimated to be $270. If you would like to sponsor a team member, please let the church office know. It is estimated that it will cost $700 in gasoline for the trip.

Over the next few Sundays, you will have an opportunity to sponsor the team’s travel by making a contribution to help cover the gasoline costs. Please pray for our team as preparations for this trip begin.

Please join us. Call Carole Sue Graves (672-4192) or email her at csuegraves@aol.com if you are interested in joining the team.

Report About Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School was held at OPC during the week of August 7 th-11 th from 9am until noon. 38 students participated and learned about God's promises to us and really "dug" the VBS songs! Students rotated through Bible Study, Mission, Music, Crafts, Snack and Recreation.

The curriculum we followed was "Adventure of the Treasure Seekers", which the OPC Mission team had used earlier in the summer at Emerald Isle Baptist Church. VBS at OPC would not have been possible without the time and energy of the team of student helpers and 13 adults, several of whom were veterans of the mission trip to North Carolina. VBS students and their families donated three heavy boxes of soup and soap for the Love Outreach Food Pantry in Orange in response to God's love.

Needs at Love Outreach Food Pantry

As you may or may not know paper products cannot be bought with food stamps. The Love Outreach Food Pantry, is trying something new to help with this need.

Each month they are collecting different items. Items can be bought to the Food Pantry at 252 Blue Ridge Drive in Orange on Tuesday mornings 9:30 -11:00 and Wednesday mornings 8:30 -Noon.

We will also have a container in the East Room if this is more convenient for you. The items for the rest of the year are: September: Body soap, October: Laundry detergent, November: Toilet paper, December: Paper Towels. Thanks in advance for your generous support!

A Note of Thanks from Rapidan Better Housing

In July, OPC sent $2,000 to Rapidan Better Housing. This was funded through the Benevolence Endowment.

Here is the thank you letter: On behalf of the Board and staff of Rapidan Better Housing: Thank you for your donation to our ramp building fund. It was a very generous donation and it will allow us to buy another aluminum ramp for the ramp re-cycling program we operate.

These ramps are loaned out to low-income families, at no cost to them, and all we ask is that they let us know when the ramp is no longer needed, so that we can collect it and re-cycle it for the use of someone else.

We currently have 7 ramps (that's all we have) out in the community, and new requests for temporary ramps come in every month.

Thank you for helping low-income disabled persons in our area.

Sincerely,
Cindy Reid,
Program Coordinator

Older Adult Retreat at Camp Hanover

The Older Adult Ministry of the Presbytery of the James is planning an older adult retreat Thursday, October 19th at Camp Hanover. The retreat begins at 10:00 a.m. and will conclude at 2:30 p.m.

Dan Bagby, leader of the retreat, is a Professor of Pastoral Care at Baptist Theological Seminary. He is an outstanding and dynamic speaker, widely known for his wise, inspiring and humorous approach to issues of pastoral care. He has taught at Baylor University, Purdue and Southern Seminary and has authored many articles and four books.

The topic of his retreat is “Vitality” Physical, Mental and Spiritual Health of Older Adults.

Lunch will be served and the cost for the retreat is $12.00. Reservation forms are available in the church office. Registration must be in by October 6 th.

There will be at least one car going from Orange. For more information call Jean Berckman, 672-5546.

Needs at Love Outreach Food Pantry

As you may or may not know paper products cannot be bought with food stamps. The Love Outreach Food Pantry, is trying something new to help with this need.

Each month they are collecting different items. Items can be bought to the Food Pantry at 252 Blue Ridge Drive in Orange on Tuesday mornings 9:30 -11:00 and Wednesday mornings 8:30 -Noon.

We will also have a container in the East Room if this is more convenient for you. The items for the rest of the year are: September: Body soap, October: Laundry detergent, November: Toilet paper, December: Paper Towels. Thanks in advance for your generous support!

Martha Roby

The Reid family

Ted Sherwin

Anne Somerville