Mark your calendar for the All-Church Birthday Lunch on Sunday, February 24th. This year’s theme is Church-potle. We will serve our own version of a Chipotle-style meal. You will be able to build your own burrito, taco or bowl with all the fixings. In addition, we will have Mexican-themed desserts including rice pudding and ice cream sundae bar. All are welcome. Please contact Joel and Sue Comer with any questions.

All are invited to our Maundy Thursday observance, a re-enactment of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. We will gather downstairs in the candle-lit fellowship hall for a brief meditation, followed by footwashing, love feast and a service of communion.  Please join us on March 29th at 7:30 pm.

More about Love Feast
In an act of great love, Jesus gave his life for ours. The Brethren, as Jesus’ followers, love God and each other—and take that love into the world. Once or twice a year, Brethren celebrate what the earliest Christians called agape: the outflowing love that seeks not to receive but to give.

Jesus taught us this practice, sharing with his disciples a last, loving meal the night before he died. He washed the disciples’ feet, ate supper with them, sought to draw them closer into the fold of his love, and offered them the symbolic bread and cup.

During love feast, we repeat these simple, meaningful acts. After reconciling any discord among ourselves, we lovingly wash each other’s feet, then enjoy a meal together. Quietly we share communion, the bread and the cup that remind us of Jesus’ great gift; we renew our commitment to follow his example of sacrificial love.

Love feast closes with a hymn; then follows the humble task of cleaning up, in which all are invited to participate. When we leave the feast, reunited in our dedication to Christ and to each other, the deep, nourishing love goes with us. More information on Brethren practices.

Please join us for our carry-in Easter breakfast! It will begin at 9:30 am in the fellowship hall.

Afterwards, we will have our Easter service upstairs in the Sanctuary. There will be no Sunday School.

The Transition Team is pleased to announce Randy Yoder will serve as Oakton COB’s interim pastor.  Working part-time, Pastor Randy will begin on March 10, 2018 and will deliver the sermon on March 11, 2018.  We look forward to welcoming Pastor Randy and Peg back to our church family, working together as we seek God’s path for us.

• Harry Biddle, Jan Burket, Leslie Connolly, and Kim Ferrari

Help support the youth attending National Youth Conference this summer!   The spaghetti lunch will be on February 25th after worship. Food and desserts will be served.  The lunch is complimentary with an optional donation for the youth.  

The silent auction is a fundraiser for the youth attending National Youth Conference.  It will be immediately following worship.  A complimentary lunch will be provided.  Please contact Kay Lee with any donations of various items, services, foods, or baked items for the silent auction.  More details to come.

Meet at the furniture warehouse around 8:45 a.m. At this time, things should be wrapping up with the furniture give-away that occurs from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. Then we jump in the CHO truck and make a loop that includes five or six houses that have been scheduled in advance. We are usually done by noon. If you want to come an hour earlier, you can help with the furniture give-away too. Although this is more than what is actually needed, I have always found it rewarding to meet the folks who are directly benefitting from our efforts.

In addition to the above, our fitness conscious senior youth will be saving money on gym memberships by participating in the Brethren Exercise Program (also known as the CHO Furniture Program) on third Sundays. Activities include organizing the furniture warehouse, unloading the CHO truck, picking up donations from donors, and delivering furniture to clients.

A map to the CHO Furniture warehouse can be found at http://cho-va.com/wordpress/services/furniture/.

Taco Tuesday will be returning for three consecutive Tuesdays beginning June 5, 6:30-8:30 PM.  There will be chicken tacos – free, with any donations offered going to the youth fund.

People can show up any time, kids can do homework, Brian will bring some table games, people can just hang out.

It’s not a “program”, it’s just offering something people need anyhow – dinner and maybe having someone else help kids with homework

No need to RSVP-unless you’re happy to help. We’d love to know that in advance

Do feel free to invite people who might enjoy stopping by for some food!

If you know college kids or others who love a free meal, let them know!

Sunday, October 22, Carol Wise and Brian Flory, of the Supportive Congregation Network, and members of the Arlington, University Park and Westminster Churches of the Brethren were present to share stories about the discernment process that Brethren congregations have used to consider the nature of the welcome they extend to LGBTQ members.

The junior high youth who attended the Mid-Atlantic District conference assembled about 70 disaster clean up buckets.  The buckets will be used by the Church of the Brethren Disaster Ministries.  If you wish to donate to the Disaster Ministries you can do so by clicking here.  To learn more about the Disaster Ministries you can visit their home page here. 

The 2016 District Conference     Photo by: Ken Miller Rieman.

The 51st Annual Mid-Atlantic District Conference for the Church of the Brethren was held October 13-14 at the Frederick Church of the Brethren located in Frederick, Maryland.  This year the moderator was our very own Brian Bachman.  The conference opened on Friday night at 7:00pm and our former pastor, Kurt Borgmann, brought the message.   

Mary, one of the CDS volunteers at work in Texas shelters, holds a baby at the Harland Clark “mega shelter.” Photo by Pat Krabacher

Our hearts go out to the people across the southern US and the Caribbean devastated by the recent hurricanes. Challenged by the Biblical mandate to “carry each other’s burdens,” the Church of the Brethren traditionally has been involved in the relief of suffering, whether caused by war, strife or natural disaster. That tradition continues as twelve volunteers from Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) have traveled to San Antonio to provide comfort to children and families affected by hurricane Harvey. Dozens more volunteers will follow as this will be the largest response in a decade for CDS. More on Brethren Disaster Ministries.

Donate here to fund relief efforts.

If you cannot donate, please pray! Pray for the thousands of people affected by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana and Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria in Florida and the Caribbean. May God comfort those who mourn, those who are injured, and those who have lost their homes. Pray for strength and safety for all the workers and volunteers giving aid to others. Pray that giving may be generous, swift, and beneficial. Pray for wisdom in relief and recovery efforts.

Harrisburg First CoB Pastor, Belita Mitchell

Sunday Worship, September 24th
We were pleased to welcome Rev. Belita Mitchell to the Oakton CoB on Sunday, September 24th at 11:00 am worship service observing the International Day of Prayer for Peace.

Rev. Mitchell currently serves as Senior Pastor at the Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren in Harrisburg, PA. Following service, Pastor Mitchell will be presenting an additional program on the topic of Agape-Satyagraha work in the Harrisburg community.

Please join us following worship on September 9th to participate in our annual church picnic.  It will take place on the field by the parsonage.  Please bring a dish to share.  It is also a good idea to bring lawn chairs or a blanket, bug spray, and any “yard games” you might enjoy.  Drinks and paper products will be provided by fellowship.

OPJF meeting is planned for Wednesday, August 23, at 6:00 pm in the church fellowship hall. ​We’ll have a casual potluck dinner followed by ​a screening of “Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA.” This award-winning film, produced by Rebekah Wingert-Jabi, details how, during a time of racial and cultural unrest, the founders of Reston created a truly diverse community. Please let us know if you’re bringing the kids – we will try to set up child care.

Our efforts are grounded in our conviction that peacemaking requires creating a more just society, and our commitment to build and leverage relational power to affect social change. Join us to discuss how we can be a witness to Christ’s love in the world through actions and advocacy. RSVP and find more on Facebook.

Please join the Deacons for their annual Care Circle Luncheon immediately following service on Sunday, August 26th. The Deacons will be providing a great buffet of summer-foods. This is a great time to catch up with everyone the day before school starts (in Fairfax County) and summer ends. Everyone is invited to attend. See you there!

Oakton CoB’s 2017 Maker  Fun Factory Vacation Bible School was so much fun! We completed a dynamic and meaningful program for our children with a celebration service on Sunday. Thank you to all the VBS families, volunteers, and those who donated time and effort to make this year’s VBS a success.