Send announcements, which are open to the public at no or minimal cost, to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102 or e-mail loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call 703-917-6454; for additional listings, visit www.connectionnewspapers.com.
Galilee United Methodist Church invites the community to attend a service of Prayer for Healing and Wholeness, Friday, Aug. 22, at 7:30 p.m. Call 703-430-2203 or e-mail GalileeUMC@GalileeUMC.net. The church is located at 45425 Winding Road, intersection of routes 7 and 28 at Broad Run Farms. Visit www.GalileeUMC.org.
Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Road, Sterling, will hold its blessing of the backpacks, Sunday, Aug. 24. All children in preschool through high school are invited to bring their book bags to either the 9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. worship service for a special blessing. Area school teachers and administrators are also invited to come for recognition, appreciation and a blessing as well. Call 703-430-2203 or visit www.GalileeUMC.org.
Congregation Sha'are Shalom will hold its annual picnic Sunday, Aug. 24, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at 19357 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg Enjoy kosher food and fun and games. There is no cost for prospective members. Call Congregation 703-737-6500 or visit www.sha-areshalom.org.
Congregation Sha’are Shalom, Loudoun County’s Conservative synagogue, has announced its schedule for High Holy Day services for the Jewish year 5769. The High Holy Days mark the beginning of the Jewish New Year for 5769 and start with Rosh Hashanah (the beginning of the year) at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 29. Services will be held the first and second days of the holiday Tuesday, Sept. 30 and Wednesday, Oct. 1. Services each day begin at 9 a.m. Yom Kippur (day of atonement) services begins with Kol Nidrei (all vows) at 6:15 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 8, and resume at 9 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 9. A break-the-fast will be held after the conclusion of Yom Kippur services around 7:20 p.m., Thursday.
All services and events are held at Congregation Sha’are Shalom, 19357 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. Nonmembers can reserve tickets by calling the synagogue at 703-737-6500 or by downloading the reservation forms at www.sha-areshalom.org.
The Unitarian Universalists of Sterling meet on Sunday mornings, at 10:30 a.m., at the Sterling Oaks Commerce Center at 21355 Davis Drive near Route 28 and Church Road. Call 703-406-3068 or visit uusterling.org.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun Sunday services are held, at 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., at the UUCL chapel, located at 20460 Gleedsville Road in Leesburg. UUCL is a welcoming congregation and invites everyone to attend Sunday services. Call the church at 703-737-7644.
St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church of Lansdowne is extending an invitation to families that have children with autism spectrum, ADHD, bipolar disorder and similar conditions. St. Gabriel's has developed several programs to reach out to the community.
* The "Chrysalis" Room is a safe space for children with autism spectrum, ADHD, bipolar disorder and similar conditions. Includes a trained professional staff that provides appropriate activities and lessons. It is available every Sunday during the regular 10 a.m. worship and for special events.
* Spiritual Support Group for families with special needs, on the first and third Thursdays of each month, from 7-8:30 p.m. This group is completely "drop-in."
All programs held Belmont Ridge Middle School, 19045 Upper Belmont Place in Lansdowne. Visit www.saintgabriels.net or call 703-779-3616.
Gateway Community Church’s "Celebrate Recovery" is meeting at Arcola Community Center located at 24328 Goshen Road. Celebrate Recovery is a biblically based 12-step program for addressing addiction, co-dependency, anger and other self-destructive behaviors. It meets every Tuesday night from 7 – 9 p.m. E-mail cr@www.gatewaychurch.org or call 703-327-2700.
Riverside Presbyterian Church’s Kenya Café will be open, from 9:15-10:30 a.m., Sundays, at Potomac Falls High School. It offers a friendly, comfortable spot to grab a cup of coffee, chat with others or just relax and read the paper while the children are in small group. The café is also designed to raise awareness of Riverside’s partnerships in Kenya and other parts of the world.
Feel free to join the church for worship at 10:35 a.m. Contact 703-444-3528 or www.riversidechurch.com.
The Shepherd's Table is organized by Loudoun Church Alliance in association with Prison Fellowship at Lansdowne, local churches and faith-based nonprofit organizations. The Shepherd's Table provides a safe and centralized venue for shepherds/elders and ministry leaders to meet on a monthly basis reaching out across all denominations and faith-based nonprofit foundations. The Shepherd's Table meets the first Thursday of each month, at 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Contact Jack Stagman at 540-338-0409 or by e-mail at jackstagman@comcast.net.
Congregation Sha'are Shalom is offering preschoolers the opportunity to receive a Jewish education in a developmentally appropriate early childhood setting. The Rosie Uran Jewish Education Center is now registering students for the 2008–2009 school year. Information is available at the synagogue Web site: http://www.sha-areshalom.org/edu_rujec.php. Participatory visits by parents and prospective students are welcome. Call 703-737-0686 to speak with Sheri Brown, director.
Ashburn Presbyterian Church (APC) is offering its Stephen Ministry to people in the community. Stephen Ministry is grounded in Jesus' command to love one another.
Through one-to-one caring relationships those who are hurting and stressed receive a Stephen Minister to listen and pray with them. Caregivers walk with people through a variety of difficult life situations such as: divorce, grief, unemployment, relocation or just the stress of life. Anyone interested in being a care receiver, call the Rev. Mark Armstrong at 703-421-0511.
APC is located at 20962 Ashburn Road. Call the church offices at 703-729-2012 or visit the Web site at www.ashburnpresbyterian.org.
Join Riverside Presbyterian Church, 20 Pidgeon Hill Drive, suite 109, on Monday nights at the church office, 7:15-8:30 p.m. Where middle-school students meet weekly to strengthen and build friendships have fun and study God’s Word in large and small groups. Visit www.riversidechurch.com or call Daniel or Barb at 703-444-3528.
Wat Yarnna Rangsee in Sterling will be offering free meditation classes every Sunday. Inquire and register at the temple at 21950 Shaw Road, Sterling, 703-406-8290/2509.
Congregation Sha'are Shalom, Loudoun County's Conservative Synagogue, holds Erev Shabbat services Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Shabbat morning services on the first and third Saturdays of the month at 9:30 a.m. Rabbinical intern Michael Ragozin will preside over services once a month. The congregation has an active Men's Club, Sisterhood and extensive gift shop. Call 703-737-6500, e-mail info@sha-areshalom.org or visit www.sha-areshalom.org. Congregation Sha'are Shalom is located at 19357 Evergreen Mill Road, Leesburg.
Beth Chaverim Reform Congregation holds traditional Shabbat services, family services, children’s services and High Holiday services. The religious school features preschool through post confirmation, B’nai Mitzvah, Hebrew High, adult Hebrew and adult education classes. Social activities include interfaith discussions, youth group, Sisterhood, Men’s Club and Empty Nesters. Student Rabbi Jesse Gallop and Rabbi Randi Nagel, lead biweekly Shabbat services, help prepare B’nai Mitzvah students, provide pastoral counseling and sick/bereavement visits and teach adult education classes at monthly pot-luck dinners before Shabbat services. Call 703-391-8669, visit Web site www.bethchaverim.org or e-mail chaverim18@aol.com.