Messiah United Methodist Church, 6215 Rolling Road, Springfield. 703-569-9862 or www.messiahumc.org.
* Christmas Eve at Messiah, 5 p.m. children’s service, 7 p.m. service of lessons and carols, 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. worship with Holy Communion.
* A Community of Contagious Joy. Sunday Worship 8:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Interactive praise and worship service, Sundays at 7 p.m.
* When Dreams Become Nightmares, Financial Peace in a Troubled Economy, sermon series beginning Sunday, Jan. 11 at all worship services.
Fairfax Presbyterian Church will have three Christmas Eve Services on Wednesday, Dec. 24. 4:30 p.m. Worship for Children and Families, 7:30 p.m. Service of Lessons and Carols and 10 p.m. Communion Service. The church is located at 10723 Main St., Fairfax. 703-273-5300 or fpc@fairfaxpresby.com.
Jubilee Christian Center Christmas Eve Service on Dec. 24, 8 p.m. at 4650 Shirley Gate Road, Fairfax. Free refreshments at 7:30 p.m. 703-383-1170 or www.jccag.org.
Burke Presbyterian Church has four Christmas Eve services scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 24, at 5690 Oak Leather Drive in Burke. 703-764-0456 or www.BurkePresChurch.org.
* Family Lessons and Carols with Children's Choirs, 5 p.m.
* Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols with IMPACT and Chancel Choirs, 7:30 p.m.
* Candlelight Service with Folk Group, 9:30 p.m.
* Candlelight and Communion Service, 11 p.m.
Chabad of Reston-Herndon is having several Chanukah events. Contact www.chabadva.org or 703 426 1980 for tickets and information.
* December 25th, What’s a Jew to Do? Thursday, Dec. 25 from 5:30 p.m., at 3939 Prince William Drive, Fairfax. $20 per person all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, a Jewish movie, Menorah lighting, latkes, Dreidels, and chocolate "gelt."
* Chanukah on Ice, on Sunday, Dec. 28 from 5:45-7:15 p.m. at the Fairfax Ice Arena, 3779 Pickett Road, Fairfax. Menorah lighting, ice-skating to Chanukah music, hot latkes and donuts. Chanukah Crafts, $12 per person.
Chanukah, Oh Chanukah! at the JCC of Northern Virginia on Thursday, Dec. 25 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at 8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax. Dreidel contests, crafts, games, cards, pool, Israeli scavenger hunt, drumming circle and mini golf. Make a family menorah at home to enter in the "Menorah Madness" contest. Prizes will be awarded. Food available for purchase. Bring non-perishable groceries, children’s books and gloves or a scarf to be donated to food banks and area shelters. JCCNV members free, non-members $10 per family. 703-537-3064 or LaurieA@jccnv.org.
Gan Israel Academy is a Montessori-influenced kindergarten and first grade that emphasizes Jewish elementary learning, located at Chabad of Fairfax, 3939 Prince William Drive, Fairfax. 703-426-1980 or ganisraelpreschool@gmail.com.
* Gan Israel Preschool Open House, Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m.
* Jewish Kindergarten Open House on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. and Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.
Remembering the Work and Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m. at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, 9203 Braddock Road, Burke. Jointly sponsored with Greater Little Zion Baptist Church. Songs by both choirs and an intergenerational panel of speakers. Light refreshments provided. 703-978-8724 or www.ststephensfairfax.org.
JCCNV Mother’s Circle program, for women who are not Jewish but are raising Jewish children. Free education in Jewish rituals, practices and values, while respecting the participant’s choice to retain her own religious identity. Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, 8900 Little River Turnpike in Fairfax. Contact Laurie Albert, 703-537-3064 or LaurieA@jccnv.org.
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is for people interested in becoming Catholic or learning about the Catholic Church. A group meets Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, 3704 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax. Sessions are in the Old Parish Hall. All are welcome. Call Martha Malloy at 703-273-5369.
The Jewish Social Services Agency, 3018 Javier Road, Fairfax, offers a variety of family programs. Call 703-204-9100 for details or to register.
Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia, located on 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax, presents worship services on Sundays at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and choir practice (open to all) on Tuesdays at 7:15 p.m. www.mccnova.com or 703-691-0930.
Church of the Nativity offers a free general bereavement support group open to all adults on the first and third Thursday of each month 7:30-9 p.m. The church is located at 6400 Nativity Lane, Burke. Call 703-455-2400, ext. 17.
Arabic Bible Baptist Church is located at 5424 Ox Road in Fairfax Station. Pastor: Tony Ghareeb. Call 703-273-5599 or e-mail Tghareeb@wmconnect.com.
The Fairfax Church of Christ sponsors a 16-week Divorce Recovery support group every Monday at 7 p.m. at the church. The Fairfax Church of Christ is located at 3901Rubgy Road, Fairfax. 703-631-2100 or www.fxcc.org.
A casual worship service with a praise band is at 9:45 a.m. at Sydenstricker United Methodist Church, 8508 Hooes Road in Springfield. www.sumcdisciples.org or 703-451-8223.
St. Matthew's United Methodist Church offers Crossroads, a new 'come as you are' worship service each Saturday evening at 5 p.m. at 8617 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. www.stmatthewsumc.org or 703-978-3500.
Truro Church MOPS would like to invite all mothers of preschool-aged children to join MOPS for relevant speakers, small group time with other moms and food. The group meets the second Thursday of every month, at Truro Church, located at 10520 Main St., Fairfax, in the church fellowship hall on the lower level. Call Amanda Qreitem at 703-222-2332 or e-mail amandazubi@hotmail.com.
The Fresh Fire congregation meets every Sunday for a service at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Sackey and his congregation invite all to participate in preaching and teaching, praise and worship, in a Christ-centered ministry. Fresh Fire International Center meets at the Chinese Martial Arts Building, 8426-B Lee Highway, Fairfax, opposite the BMW Fairfax; entrance is in the back. 703-815-8950.
Faith Communities in Action meets the first Wednesday of every other month from 2-4 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center, Conference Rooms 2 and 3, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.
The Baha'i of Fairfax County Southwest offers "Interfaith Devotions: World Peace and Unity" for the general public on Saturdays. These free devotional gatherings meet at the Pohick Regional Library, Room #1, located at 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, 22015.
International Calvary Church Sunday services in English are at 9:45 a.m., Korean services at 11:30 a.m. and youth services at 11:30 a.m. Sunday School classes in English are at 11:30 a.m. and children's classes at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday Bible study and Youth Meeting are at 8 p.m. and Friday Prayer and Youth Meeting at 8:30 p.m. 5700 Hanover Ave., Springfield. 703-569-1918.
St. Leo the Great in Fairfax hosts "Night of Praise" the first Saturday of each month, featuring praise music and Eucharist adoration at 7 p.m. Located at 3704 Old Lee Highway in Fairfax.
The Immanuel Bible Church MOPS group meets every Monday 7-9 p.m., at Immanuel Bible Church, 6911 Braddock Road, Springfield. MOPS is a group for pregnant or parenting mothers of children from infancy to kindergarten. 703-922-4295 or www.MOPS.org.
The Shalem Institute is offering free monthly prayer opportunities in Fairfax. The time together will be devoted to relaxation, the presentation of different prayer practices, silence, journal keeping and small group sharing. No experience is required and participants may attend regularly or drop in. Donations are accepted. Meetings take place the third Monday of the month from 7:30-9 p.m. at the Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax. Ann Kulp, Kathy Spaar and Tad Wicker lead the meetings. www.shalem.org or 301-897-7334.
The following is a list of events at Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 4325 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax:
* Bible study and Prayer Service every Tuesday starting at 7 p.m.
* Sunday School at 9:30 a.m., except for the fourth Sunday of the month, when Sunday School is at 9 a.m.
* Sunday morning service at 11 a.m.
* Commonwealth Care Center ministry every first and third Thursday night. Call 703-273-1455.
Congregation Adat Reyim offers services Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and Wednesday at 7:40 p.m. Hebrew school is available on Sunday at 9 a.m. and Sunday and Mondays at 5:30 p.m. Preschool is Monday-Friday at 9:30 a.m. Located at 6500 Westerbury Oaks Court in Springfield. 703-569-7577 or www.adatreyim.org.
Beth El Hebrew Congregation has services on Fridays, 8:15 p.m. and on Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. The temple is located at 3830 Seminary Road, Alexandria. Religious school is on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. Adult learning opportunities take place throughout the year. Tot Shabbat is on the first and third Saturdays. Kolot Shabbat, a musical service, is the first Friday of every month at 7:30 p.m. 703-370-9400 or www.bethelhebrew.org.
First Baptist Church of Springfield has Sunday services at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday school at 9:15 a.m., Hispanic worship service at 9 a.m., Korean worship service at 2 p.m., and an Ethiopian service at 12:15 p.m. The pastor is Jim Weaver. Church is located at 7300 Gary St., Springfield. 703-451-1500 or www.fbcspringfield.org.
Clifton Presbyterian Church, located at 12748 Richards Lane, Clifton, offers Sunday worship services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. 703-830-3175.
St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, located at 6720 Union Mill Road, Clifton, conducts Sunday masses at 7:30 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. It also offers a Saturday vigil at 5:30 p.m. and a Wednesday Latin mass at 7 p.m. 703-817-1770 or www.st-andrew.org.
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 8304 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, offers casual worship services on Saturday evenings at 5:30 p.m. featuring contemporary music. More traditional services take place on Sunday mornings at 8:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday School is at 9:45-10:45 a.m. for children. The church also offers discussion groups for adults. 703-451-5855.
Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, located at 8336 Carrleigh Parkway in Springfield, supports a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) program on the first Wednesday of each month. Meetings are 9:30-11 a.m. at the church. All mothers and children are welcome. The program provides mothers an opportunity to get to know other mothers through discussions and craft activities. Adults in the MOPPET program will care for the children. Cost is $3 per session. Register at the church or call 703-451-5320.