Send notes to the Connection at south@connectionnewspapers.com or call 703-917-6459. Deadline is Friday. Dated announcements should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event.
Church of the Nativity Yard Sale for Charity. Saturday, July 19, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Church of the Nativity, 6400 Nativity Lane in Burke. This yearly fund raiser helps support charitable and philanthropic causes. Call 703-455-2400.
Free car wash, July 19, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The Journey Church is offering a free car wash at 6427 Franconia Road. Call 703-971-0277 ext. 100 or visit journeyoffice@verizon.net.
Power Lab Vacation Bible School for first through sixth graders. July 21-25, from 6:30-8:45 p.m., free. Music, games, wacky snacks, Bible adventures, amazing crafts and more. Pre-register by calling 703-971-7070; walk-ins accepted. Harvest Church, 7401 Beulah St., Springfield.
JSSA Parents of Young Adults with Asperger's Syndrome and Related Disorders. Monthly group focusing on building a support network, identifying community resources and balancing a parent’s needs with those of adult children with special needs. Group meets July 23 and Aug. 27, 7-8:30 p.m. at JSSA, 3018 Javier Road, Fairfax. Call 703-204-9100 to register.
Truro Church is accepting donations of books, videos, CDs, DVDs and cassettes prior to a yard sale. Magazines will not be accepted. Donations may be dropped off July 28 through Aug. 7. Tax donation forms available at drop-off. The sale will run Aug. 8-10. Truro Church is located at 10520 Main St., Fairfax. Call 703-631-1275 or visit www.trurochurch.org.
Community Covenant Church is about to set sail with The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggie Tales VBS. July 28-Aug. 1, 9 a.m.-12p.m. Free, refreshments will be served. This high seas adventure is for preschoolers ages 3-5; space is limited. Call Community Covenant Church, 7018 Sydenstricker Road, Springfield, or visit www.covenantchurchva.org/resources/registr.pdf.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church is sponsoring a night at the Little Theater of Alexandria for the popular musical "1776" on Tuesday, July 29. Curtain time is 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. for refreshments and unreserved seats. $25 tickets may be requested by calling the church office at 703-765-3949 or 703-719-6238.
Preschool and Religious School Dinner and Open House. Thursday, Aug. 7 and Sunday, Aug. 24, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Congregation Adat Reyim, 6500 Westbury Oaks Court, Springfield. Meet the school's directors for dinner and children’s activities. Tour the facility and learn about Adat Reyim’s programs. Call 703-569-7577.
St. Stephen’s UMC is hosting iPraise! Worship Arts Camp for rising second though seventh graders Aug. 18-22, from 1-4:30 p.m., at 9203 Braddock Road, Burke. Camp will explore, teach and produce creative expressions of worship. Sessions will feature multi-media/drama, photography, needlecraft, bells/chimes/boomwhackers and other creative arts. Registration required by Aug. 15; registration forms are available online or in the church office. Call Lisa at 703-978-8724.
Back to School Praise in the Park celebration Saturday, Aug. 23, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Providence Park, West Drive, Fairfax. All are invited to enjoy songs by area youth church choirs, inspirational messages, demonstrations by the police and fire departments, free food and more. For information or to contribute call 703-352-1341.
The Spiritual Parenting support group meets the first Sunday of every month, 12-1 p.m., at Washington Irving Middle School in Springfield. For more information, visit www.NewWorldUnity.org or call 703-690-7925. Childcare is available on request.
Burke Community Church offers a weekly group for men called Men's Fraternity to help discover authentic manhood as directed through the Word of God. Tuesdays, 6 a.m., at 9900 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield.
Divorce Care is a weekly Bible Study care group that helps those who are transitioning through a divorce. The group meets every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the church parlor at First Baptist Church of Springfield, 7300 Gary St., Springfield. Childcare and children's activities are provided. Call 703-451-1500.
Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia, located at 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. Visit www.mccnova.com or call 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.
The Catholic Diocese of Arlington offers the USDA Special Milk Program to eligible children at St. Leo the Great School in Fairfax and St. Bernadette School in Springfield.
Burke Presbyterian Church, located at 5690 Oak Leather Drive, Burke, offers a coffeehouse worship service on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m., for people who may be unavailable Sunday mornings or are seeking a break from a more traditional style of worship. The service offers the same lesson and sermon as the Sunday service, but in a less formal environment. A nursery is provided for young children. Burke Presbyterian Church is located at 5690 Oak Leather Drive, Burke.
Arabic Bible Baptist Church is located at 5424 Ox Road in Fairfax Station. Pastor: Tony Ghareeb. Call 703-273-5599 or e-mail to 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. Call 703-631-2100 or visit www.fxcc.org. The Fairfax Church of Christ is located at 3901 Rugby Road, Fairfax.
A new casual worship service with a praise band is at 9:45 a.m. at Sydenstricker United Methodist Church, 8508 Hooes Road in Springfield. Visit www.sumcdisciples.org or call 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. Visit www.stmatthewsumc.org or call 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.
All are welcome to join the Fresh Fire congregation 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. Call 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 is a Christ, Bible and Spirit- centered church. Sunday services are as follows: English services at 9:45 a.m., Korean services at 11:30 a.m. and youth services at 11:30 a.m. Sunday School is as follows: English classes 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 take place at 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-569-1918. The International Calvary Church is located at 5700 Hanover Ave., Springfield.
Jubilee Christian Center is offering free English classes as a second language during its Sunday School time, 10:10-10:50 a.m. on Sundays at 4650 Shirley Gate Road, Fairfax. 703-383-1170.
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. For more, call Michelle Wright at 703-922-4295 or visit www.MOPS.org.
The Church of the Nativity in Burke offers a Grief Support Group for all who have suffered the death of a loved one and are in need of the comfort that sharing can bring. Meetings are at 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month, in the school building, 6400 Nativity Lane, Burke, and are open to all adults at no charge. For more, call Carol Mack at 703 533-2951.
The Messiah United Methodist Church offers the following events and services. The church is located at 6215 Rolling Road, Springfield. For more, call 703-569-9862.
* A Community of Contagious Joy. Sunday Worship: 8:15, with Holy Communion every Sunday, 9:30 and 11 a.m., with Holy Communion on the first Sunday of the month.
* Heartline is an interactive praise and worship service Sunday evenings at 7 p.m.
* Girlfriends, Women’s Ministry. Wednesday, July 30, at 7 p.m. Grab sunglasses and join us for fun in the sun and get away from it all. Call 703-569-9862 for tickets.
* Young Adult Bible Study. Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m. in Room 261. Do you enjoy the TV show "Lost?" Ever wonder if the show has biblical and Christian themes? We’ll explore Christian themes in certain episodes and then stay to watch. The study is led Rev. Kevin Anderson. Call the church office at 703-569-9862.
* Bazaar Vendors Sought. Application forms are available for crafters and vendors interested in displaying at Messiah’s Annual Fall Bazaar on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
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. To register for these events or for more information, visit www.shalem.org or call 301-897-7334.
The following is a list of various events taking place 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 9:30-10:45 a.m., except for the fourth Sunday of the month, when Sunday School is offered 9-10 a.m.
* Sunday morning service at 11 a.m.
* Commonwealth Care Center ministry every first and third Thursday night. Call 703-273-1455.
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. For more information call Martha Malloy at 703-273-5369.
Sydenstricker United Methodist Church’s TOT Preschool is registering for the 2007-08 school year. Half-day classes for 3- and 4-year-olds are offered two, three and five days a week. Music, German language and "In house" field trips supplement a developmental learning program. Children/teacher ratios are 12:2 in the 3-year-old class and 15:2 in the 4-year-old class. Located at 8508 Hooes Road, Springfield. call 703-644-6384 or e-mail tot@sumcdisciples.org for information and a school tour.
New World Unity Church sponsors ongoing events at the church, 8136 Old Keene Mill Road, Suite 209-A, Springfield. For more call 703-913-8560 or see nwuc@verizon.net.
* Adopt-a-Road. Second Sunday quarterly at 1 p.m. Next meeting March 9.
* Meditative hour, first Sunday of each month at 7 p.m.
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. Call 703-569-7577 or visit www.adatreyim.org.
* Mom's Group. Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Ages 0-18 months.
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. For more information, call 703-370-9400 or visit www.bethelhebrew.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. To register for these events or for more information, visit www.shalem.org or call 301-897-7334.
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. For more, visit www.fbcspringfield.org.
Fairfax Christian Church, located at 10185 Main St., Fairfax, presents a class that explores traditional Christian spiritual practices of meditation and healing on Sundays from 5:30-7 p.m. To register, call 703-385-3520 or e-mail fairfaxchristian1@verizon.net.
Clifton Presbyterian Church, located at 12748 Richards Lane, Clifton, offers Sunday worship services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Call 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. Call 703-817-1770 or visit 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. Call 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 by stopping by the church or calling 703-451-5320.
JSSA Social Club for Young Adults with Asperger's Syndrome. JSSA and the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia present a social club for young adults diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome or related disorders. The club provides social opportunities in a structured environment with guidance from professionally trained staff to work on improving social skills and overall comfort in social situations. A variety of outings, including parties, bowling, dinners, miniature golf and museum tours, will be scheduled through December. For a schedule of events, costs and more information, call 703-204-9100.