THIS WEEK AT LOPC – SEPTEMBER 2-8

Today     9:00 am - 10:00 am          Sunday School; Nursery

             10:00 am - 10:28 am            Fellowship; Library Open

             10:30 am - 12:00 pm            Worship; Children’s Church

              6:00 pm -    7:15 pm           Worship; Youth “Plugged In”

Mon       LABOR DAY – OFFICE CLOSED

Tues      12:00 pm –  2:00 pm           Women’s Luncheon

               7:30 pm –  9:00 pm           Session and Diaconate Mtgs

Wed       3:00 pm -  5:00 pm           “Knit-Wits” fellowship

              6:00 pm –  7:00 pm            Catered Dinner / Youth Music

              7:00 pm -  8:15 pm            Adult and Youth Studies / Choir

Thurs     6:30 am - 7:30 am            Men’s “Sonrise” B’fast/Study

              7:00 pm -  8:30 pm           Home Bible Studies

Fri         6:00 pm -  9:00 pm            Presbytery Women’s Retreat

Sat        7:00 am -  8:00 am           Sat. Prayer Group (Ed. Bldg.)

             8:30 am -   4:00 pm           Presbytery Women’s Retreat

SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES

                     2s and 3s           Vicki Backus

                     Pre -K.               Jinny Keller

                     Grades 1 - 2       Tom and Margaret Doyle

                     Grades 3 - 5       Betsy Dixon

                    Teens                  Charlie Gauger

ADULT ELECTIVES

            “Desiring God” … Dick Peterson

            “Romans”… John Brandt

            “Christian Marriage and Family” … Buddy and Debbye Tate

            “Hymns and Hymn-Writers” … Larry Roff

            “Bible Survey: OT and NT” … Lynn Downing

NURSERY

During Sunday School

0-2 yr. Hazel Brown and Sallie Peterson

During Worship

0-2 yr.      Ann Seay and Yvonne Morris

2-3 yr.         Charlie and Christy Gauger

Children’s Church

(during last half of worship service)

4 yr. – 3^rd grade     Lisa Lennon and Hazel Brown

WELCOMING YOU TODAY

Greeters: John and Gail Rigg

Ushers:  Jay Myers, Ron Backus, Bryan Backus,

David Wade, Bob Lee, Blair LittleJohn

FLOWERS

The Bonsai Tree that graces our Sanctuary today

is presented to God’s glory by Dick and Lois Miller

Flower Dates Open:   September 9, 30  - Price $23.00

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome !  We are glad to have you as our guests today.  We invite you to log on to our website www.LOPCA.org.  Sunday sermons can be heard by clicking the sermon button on the home page. Sermon tapes and CDs are available by calling the church office at 582-5686 or by making your request known by signing the blue attendance card and placing it in one of the brass boxes by the exit doors.

Today’s “Quarterly Prayer Service” is part of our on-going focus on church health through spiritual revitalization.  Next week’s “Ministry Dedication Sunday”  will also reflect this focus as we honor all those in leadership positions in the church.

Pastor Roff’s Sermons on Daniel will continue tonight in our 6:00 evening service.  Next Sunday evening we will hear reports from the “Spiritual Gift Counseling” underway as part of our “Fanning the Flame” church revitalization.  That service will include the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

The New Sunday School Year for children and youth began today.  We challenge you parents, grandparents to help us fill these classes.  New adult electives begin next Sunday at 9 am.

Birthday Celebration to Honor Leilou Brady will be held at noon this Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall.  Bring a salad and share in this occasion of honoring a very special Bible teacher.

Adult Choir Rehearsals will resume this Wednesday at 7 pm.  This is a great time to add your voice as we begin a new choir year.  The choir room is located behind the nursery area on the lower level of the sanctuary building.

Wednesday Family Nights resume this week with our catered dinner at 6 pm. Menu: Ricotta and Spinach stuffed chicken breast with Marinara sauce, pasta, veggie, salad, rolls and dessert. Dinner price:  $6 adult/teens; $2.50 child 12 and under; $15 family maximum. Bring a friend,/neighbor at no cost for first visit! There will also be choir rehearsals for adults, teen praise band practice, children and youth discipleship groups, and Bible studies for adults. Reservations are always necessary for dinner, and can be made by signing up on the blue card found in the bulletin or by calling the church office by 10:00 on Tuesdays. We are asking that you pay for the dinner/dinners if you had ordered and find that you could not attend.  Nursery available.

Wednesday Adult Bible Studies  The women’s group will be studying a book on “Peacemaking” written by the WIC retreat speaker, Tara Barthel.  Pastor Downing will be teaching through the very practical epistle to the Corinthians.

Knitters are invited to the Ladies Parlor this Wed. at 3 pm to enjoy fellowshipping with one another as we knit and crochet with other “KNIT-WITS!”

First Care Baby Bottle Boomerang – At the end of our worship service today, as you exit the sanctuary, please pick up a plastic baby bottle.  Please take only one bottle per family.  Please fill them with a check (payable to First Care), cash or coins, and return them to the church no later than Sun., Sept.16.  Volunteer Training for First Care will be Sat., Sept., 8, 2007 at 3405 Forest Hill Blvd.

Officer Nominations for ruling elder and  deacon are being received through the month of September.  These should be submitted in writing to the church office.

THE SESSION          THE BOARD OF DEACONS

Lynn Downing, moderator                 Charlie Gauger, chairman    ‘08

Larry Roff                                            Bob Lee                             ‘07

Class of 2007     Class of 2008                      John Stelter                    ‘07

Jim Forester      Don Hair                    Ron Backus                       ’08

Joe Kemper        Jay Myers                 John Farley                      ‘09         

Babe Ruth            Class of 2009             Chris Kibben                    ‘09

Buddy Tate         David Livanec

David Wade        Joe Brown                                       

STAFF

Bill Campbell, Church Administrator

Peggy Bates, Church Secretary

Judy Smiley, Administrative Assistant

Shannon Bates, Maintenance Manager

Phil Elder, Maintenance

LOPC MISSIONS

MISSIONARIES

Clay Quarterman, Ukraine                 Craig Gahagen, Peru

Don Gahagen, Peru                             Garry Chambers, Belize

Ramiro Araujo, Ecuador                     Alice Hatch, MTW Atlanta

Joe Fitzpatrick, Philippines               Mike McMahan, Ecuador

Howard Shelden, Texas                     Jim Patterson, North Carolina

David Jones, Africa                           Bob Tanzie, Spain

Tim McKoewn, US Hispanic ministry  

LOCAL MINISTRIES

First Care

World Ministries (Dennis Clark)

School Life (Jack Wells)

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH in AMERICA

Covenant College                               Covenant Theological Seminary

Mission to the World                         Mission to North America

Ridge Haven                                       Administration

Christian Education and Publications

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THIS WEEK

Please pray for spiritual growth as well as physical health.

Bob Oldfield, brother of Anna May Kinser’s sister-in-law (emphysema); Diana Bennett, Peggy Bates’s sister (ocular disease);  Richard Eubanks and family following the death of his sister in an auto accident in California; Dorothy Wilson’s recovering at home after surgery;  Janet Faulks’s mother (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).

Continued prayer: Georgina Babcock; Jonathan Baldini and family; Doris Campbell; Arline Cortese; Shirley Dean; Ruth Hawk; Wayne Sinot; Bill Skeen; Alga Trammel; Pray for all our service men/women, including Keith Tate and Dorothy Brindle’s grandson, Chris.

LOPC MINISTRIES MAKING

A FRESH START THIS MONTH

SUNDAY SCHOOL

New adult electives starting September 9

*John Brandt … Paul’s Letter to the Romans

*Lynn Downing … OT and NT Bible Survey

**Dick Peterson … John Piper’s “Desiring God”

**Buddy and Debbye Tate … Christian Marriage and Family

**Larry Roff … Hymns and Hymn-Writers of the Faith

*Sept – June (offered only once)

**Sept – Jan (might be repeated Feb – June)

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS

Catered dinner (reservations required)

Teens’ praise band, dinner, games, and Bible study

Childrens’ fellowship, games, and study

Adult choir and discipleship groups

THURSDAY HOME GROUPS

Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer” in John 17

The REAL Lord’s Prayer

A model of how to pray and what to pray for,

as well as a picture of what real intimacy with God looks like.

Call the church office to find a group near you.

YOUTH DISCIPLESHIP

Sunday Mornings … Sunday School

Sunday Evenings … “Plugged In” Discipleship

Wednesday Evenings … Praise Team, games, dinner, and study

Weekends … Westgate Ministry, Concerts, Parties

Next July … Mission trip to Belize

STUDY GUIDE FOR HOME GROUPS

Introduction to John 17

1.  In the chapters that precede and follow John 17, what had happened?  What was about to happen?  Where was Jesus’ focus?

2.  Read through the content of Jesus’ prayer in chapter 17?  What impresses you most about it?  What surprises you?

3.  From what you know of Jesus’ prayer life, how does it compare to yours in content?  In attitude?  In effectiveness?

4.  What do you believe is the most significant thing about your prayer life that falls short of what it should / could be?

5.  What made Jesus’ prayer so much more “real” than what we generally experience?  More than just “reciting” a prayer?

6.  If prayer is “intimate conversation with God,” how comfortable are you with that concept when you pray, on a scale of 1 – 10?   

7.  What one thing could you begin to do this week that would elevate the quality and spiritual value of your prayer life?