Melissa Michael graduated from George Mason University on May 15th with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology. Melissa was involved in Club Softball and was also a member of Alpha Omicron Pi at Mason. She has decided to continue on with her education by perusing a Masters in Social work. Melissa hopes to become a counselor for Juveniles in the justice system following her Masters degree. Melissa is the Daughter of June Gonzalez and Granddaughter of Russell and Gerry Ahalt.
On April 18, twenty-two guests showed up at the Ferrari home for the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner event. With only one host, it was fun to see the surprise reaction of the guests who were not expecting to share a dinner with so many people. The ages ranged from four to ninety-two with conversation not lacking at all levels. Keeping with Brethren tradition, the food did not disappoint. Ham, chicken, and grilled salmon were the main dishes – something for everyone! The fresh green salads filled with fruit were delicious with corn casserole, baked beans, green beans, and brussels sprouts as a nice complement to the other dishes. And of course, the night would not be complete without yummy desserts – lemon lush, raspberry mousse pie, cheesecake, and ice cream. (Is your mouth watering? Sorry you missed it?) Everyone enjoyed the fellowship and fun with a diverse age group and to make the event even more enjoyable, the weather was gorgeous (no rain as originally forecast) so we took advantage of the nice evening to be outside. Many guests commented that it was a joy to spend an evening with fellow church members that we don’t always have a chance to visit with and get to know during Sunday mornings. We all look forward to this event again next year.
The Women’s Fellowship Choir of EYN Church of the Brethren in Nigeria will perform on Tuesday, June 23rd, at 7:00 p.m. at Hagerstown Church of the Brethern – located at 15 S. Mulberry Street in Hagerstown, Maryland. This free, public concert is in appreciation of the support Nigerians have received from American Brethren during the recent persecution, violence and hardship related to the Boko Haram jihadist group, which is estimated to have killed 10,000 civilians in Nigera last year. The choir is part of a larger group touring the U.S. in june and July, concluding at the Chruch of the Brethren Annual Conference in Florida.
Free will offering accepted. Please call (301) 733-3565 for more information.
The Oakton Church of the Brethren Community Concert Series is pleased to welcome clarinetist Adam Ebert and father-and-son piano duo Raffi and Roman Kasparian for a performance on Sunday, June 14 at 4 p.m. The program features sonatas by Bernstein and Prokofieff, “Vocalise” by Rachmaninoff, and “Sabre Dance” by Khachaturian.
No tickets or reservations are required for this free performance, just come, take a seat, and enjoy! Donations for outreach programs of the church are accepted.
Oakton Church of the Brethren is located at 10025 Courthouse Rd., Vienna, Va., where Courthouse Rd. intersects Rt. 123 near Oakton. If you’d like more information, contact the church office at or 703-281-4411.
About the Musicians:
Adam Ebert is the assistant principal clarinetist with the United States Army Band, principal clarinetist with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra and performs frequently as guest principal with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Raffi Kasparian recently retired as pianist for the United States Army Chorus. Both he and Adam Ebert perform with the Fairfax Choral Society.
Roman Kasparian, age 16 and a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, is a frequent winner of piano competitions and participant in honors recitals in the Northern Virginia area. For years he has performed piano solo and in duets with his father at public concerts in Virginia, New York, Florida, Washington state and the Philippines.
Raffi Kasparian coaches advanced piano students and has a Masters in Music degree from Peabody Conservatory and a doctorate in piano performance from the University of Michigan. His son studies piano with Margarita Gramaticova. Adam Ebert, longtime student of the late Kalmen Opperman, teaches privately and has taught at New England Conservatory, Boston University and Boston Conservatory of Music. In addition, he recorded the complete volume of Opperman’s “Intermediate Velocity Studies” which is available as a CD with the book of studies published by Carl Fisher, Inc.
There will be no Sunday School classes on Sunday, May 24th, over the Memorial Day holiday. The last day of Sunday School will be May 31st and Teacher Appreciation Sunday will be held on June 7th.
