Tag Archives: 125th Anniversary

Events, The Church

125th Anniversary Celebration Weekend

Happy 125th Anniversary OLPC!!!!

OLPC Family
The OLPC Family, on our 125th Anniversary Celebration Sunday

Our 125th Anniversary Celebration began on Friday, October 14th with sounds of big band jazz from the Jasz Lab Band, and a reception with tasty refreshments. What a great kick-off to our celebration weekend!

Cathy Smith & Helen Hampton, 2 of those who made it all happen.

The celebration continued on Saturday, October 15th,  with our open house, which featured lots of pictures and memorabilia from our 125 year history, Rev. Brackett speaking about the OLPC vision, and a hymn sing-along.

Our Anniversary Celebration culminated on Sunday, October 16, with a special worship service followed by a luncheon.

We welcomed our guest preacher, Rev. Kevin Porter, who is the Director of Adult Education & Community Life at The First Presbyterian Church in Germantown and the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, and who served OLPC as a seminarian in the early 1990s. It was wonderful to have him back, and part of our anniversary celebration.

We dedicated the 151 new Bibles we were able to purchase as a result of the very successful Bible Drive. The goal was 125 new Bibles, but we exceeded that goal and donations are still coming in! 

Our 125th Anniversary Celebration weekend was topped off with a delicious luncheon in our Social Hall. Certificates were awarded to our member of longest standing, Grace Bradley, and our oldest member, Jean Schlegel and to our newest members, Elisha Bunch (who is also our youngest member), Daraja DeShields, Malik Jackson and Maya Johnson. 

Thank you to all who worked very hard to make this weekend a special occasion, particularly the committee members, Jaymin DeShields, Theresa Purnell, Gerry Shambaugh and Jackie Williams. Also contributing significantly were Rev. Brackett, Grace Bradley, Terrine Datts, Daraja DeShields, Helen Hampton, Anna Harris, Bernice Mims and Sonia Woods. Thank you all!

151 new Bibles, ready to be dedicated and distributed to the pews.
Our guest preacher, Rev. Kevin Porter
Rev. Brackett displays one of well-used Bibles, which are being replaced with the beautiful new red Bibles.
Rev. Brackett dedicates the new Bibles.
Grace Bradley, our member of longest standing. Grace joined the church as a teenager in 1940… 76 years ago!
Allen Bradley, our former long-time Clerk of Session, reflects on OLPC’s past and future.
One of our newest members, Elisha Bunch, with Rev. Brackett.
One of our newest members, Daraja DeShields, with Rev. Brackett.
One of our newest members, Malik Jackson, with Rev. Brackett.
Helen Hampton, one of those whose hard work made this weekend a success.
Announcements, Events, The Church

125th Anniversary Celebration

The Oak Lane Presbyterian Church
125th Anniversary

Friday October 14, 2016 – Sunday October 16, 2016

Oak Lane Presbyterian Church and Manse
6635 and 6637 North Eleventh Street
Philadelphia, PA 19126

In joyous celebration, please join us the weekend of October 14-16, 2016.

  • Friday, October 14, 6:00 pm – Reception and Concert featuring The Jasz Lab
  • Saturday, October 15, 1:00 pm – Open House, featuring a display of historical church memorabilia, lively conversation and reminiscences of this church community, sharing of visionary hopes and dreams of continued ministry, and plenty of time for joyous fellowship
  • Sunday, October 16 – Worship at 11:00 am. Luncheon to follow in the Social Hall.

In addition to this celebratory weekend, our 125th year includes:

  • Bible Drive of 125 pew Bibles. For $10 per Bible, each Bible purchased for dedication or memorial will have bookplate noting the honoree and the giver.
  • Manse Improvement – We have done a significant amount of work upgrading and maintaining the manse in preparation for new mission programs. It is bright and clean and beautiful. Still there is more to be done.