Your faith

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Adult education

Apocalypsis Jesu Christus is a 30-session, in-depth study into the Book of Revelation. Lutheran Church Charities will host classes on Mondays starting at 6 a.m. Monday at the Harris Bank Building in downtown Palatine and at 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Quentin and Old McHenry roads in Hawthorn Woods. The course is also available to be taken solely on the Internet. Classes are non-denominational and are open to anyone regardless of church (or lack of) affiliation. You can find out more information or a location near you by going to www.WAUonline.org or by calling (866) 455-6466. If you have questions contact Word Among Us at WordAmongUs@LutheranChurchCharities.org.

St. Philip Lutheran Church, 1609 Pfingsten Road, Glenview, will hold a Co-ed Mini Prayer Retreat from 1 to 5 p.m. today. The theme of the retreat, "New Testament Images of Adult Change and Growth," is to help adults discover and experience spiritual renewal based on the biblical images of wheat and wine. Following the retreat, a Taize worship service will be held at 5:30 p.m.

Children, teens

Northbrook Congregation Ezra Habonim, 2095 Landwehr Road, Northbrook, will hold an Open House at 11:30 a.m. Sunday for students and their parents to meet the Hebrew and Sunday School teachers and learn about the program. A free hot dog lunch will be served. For information, call the synagogue at (847) 480-1690.

The Performing Arts Ministry of St. Peter Community Church, 2700 Willow Road, Northbrook, invites all youth in grades 4-9 to audition from 4-6 p.m. Sept. 17-18 for a role in a play based on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It will be presented during the weekend of Nov. 9-11. The production will be in workshop format with children changing roles and younger children being instructed using creative dramatics. All who are cast will be asked to pay a production fee of $100. Scholarships available.

For information and audition forms, consult the church Web site at StPeterNorthbrook.org or call the church office (847) 272-2246.

Fundraisers

Congregation Beth Judea will hold a Shop & Share Days fundraising drive at all Jewel-Osco stores Monday-Wednesday. When you present a Shop & Share identification slip at the time of purchase, Jewel-Osco will donate 5 percent of all purchases to the Congregation Beth Judea General Fund.

Shop & Share identification slips are available at the synagogue, located on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove. Call Sylvia Shore or Fran Bohm at the synagogue office at (847) 634-0777 for information.

The Men's Club of Congregation Beth Judea of Long Grove will sponsor Project Isaiah for the 11th straight year. Beth Judea congregants will be asked to take home specially marked grocery bags on Rosh Hashana, Thursday-Friday, and return them at Kol Nidre Services Sept. 21 filled with kosher food, paper goods and paper care products. Everything collected will be donated to the ARK, a Chicago social service agency which provides comprehensive services for the homeless and the indigent.

Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove. The entire community is invited to bring food and paper goods to the synagogue before Sept. 20. Contact the Beth Judea office at (847) 634-0777 if you wish to donate.

A Mah Jongg Tournament will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at Michael's Red Hots, Route 22 and Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove. Dairy lunch is included. There will be awards and raffles. Table of four is $30 per person. Payment is due Oct. 7. For a registration form, e-mail dianeruss@juno.com. The event is a fund-raiser for the Hadassah -- Henrietta Szold Group, a part of Hadassah North Shore. For information, call (847) 433-6350.

Shoe Drive for Soles4Souls, Inc., a nonprofit organization that gives away shoes worldwide, will be sponsored by Women's Fellowship of St. Peter Community Church, Northbrook. Men's, women's and children's new and lightly worn shoes and boots can be dropped off at the church at 2700 Willow Road, Northbrook. Please rubber-band pairs together. The shoes may be dropped off from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon through Oct. 31. For information, call the church at (847) 272-2246.

When you are out and about shopping this summer, keep in mind the Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes that St. Peter Community Church, 2700 Willow Road, Northbrook, will again be collecting. The drop-off dates for 2007 are Nov. 12-18. These boxes are delivered to children in desperate circumstances around the world. Call St. Peter Community Church office (847) 272-2246 for more information.

Lectures, seminars

Congregation Beth Judea announces another class in its fall semester Adult Academy, the Men's Club Hebrew Literacy Class. In this beginner's class, instructors Sandy Victor and Howie Goodman will teach how to read Hebrew regardless of level of previous instruction, through a 12-week program from the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. The class is open to any adult.

The class will meet at the synagogue on Tuesday evenings from 8 to 9 p.m. Classes will be held Sept. 18 and 25; Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30; Nov. 6, 13, 20 and 27; and Dec. 11. "Graduation" will be at Friday Shabbat services, Dec. 14.

A $30 fee includes the "Shalom Aleichem" textbook, and may be made payable to the Beth Judea Men's Club. To register, call the Beth Judea office at (847) 634-077. Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove.

St. Philip Lutheran Church, 1609 Pfingsten Road, Glenview, offers a five-session Parenting Course. This program, led by the Rev. Eric Dawson, will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., beginning Wednesday. Learn how to uphold the four basic elements essential to good parental care: stability, continuity, predictability and love. There is no cost for the program, and child care will be available.

Miscellaneous

Congregation B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 30 at the location for its new temple and high school at Pine Street and Lake-Cook Road in Deerfield. At noon, the Chicagoland Jewish High School will be dedicating its new building with the highlight "walking" the Torah from Morton Grove to the new site (adjacent to the temple).

St Matthew Lutheran Church, 24500 N. Old McHenry Road, Hawthorn Woods, has arranged with Grandmaster Yury Shulman to provide chess lessons for the community at St. Matthew on Thursdays from 5.30 to 6.30 every week starting in September.

The class is open to any beginning chess player ranging in ages from 5 to 95 years.

Call Joan Eickelberg at (847) 438-8043 or Shulman at (312) 375- 7475 for details. Registration form is also available at: www.shulmanchess.com

St. Philip Lutheran Church, 1609 Pfingsten Road, Glenview, will host a blood drive. LifeSource Blood Center will be on hand from 3 to 8 p.m. Sept. 18 for those interested in donating blood. For questions call the center at (847) 803-7978. To schedule an appointment, call the church at (847) 998-1946 or just show up.

St. Peter Community Church, (affiliated with the United Church of Christ) 2700 Willow Road, Northbrook, will launch its new program year Sunday, including an ice cream social from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (847) 272-2246.

Special services

Congregation Beth Judea will hold a Selichot Dessert Reception in the synagogue's Social Hall at 9:30 p.m. today. A Selichot Service will follow at 10:30 p.m. in the main sanctuary. As is the custom, all services at Beth Judea, except for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, are open to the entire community.

Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove. For more information about membership in this full-service egalitarian Conservative synagogue, contact Lisa Neiman, executive director, at (847) 634-0777 or direct your inquiries to her on e-mail at bethjudea@bethjudea.org.

Am Chai's high holiday services will start at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (Erev Rosh Hashana) with Rosh Hashana services at 9:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday. Yom Kippur will start at 6:30 p.m. Sept 21 (Kol Nidre) and at 9:30 a.m. Sept 22 a break the fast will follow the end of services. Rabbi Tillman will be conducting and Art Reisman will direct the great choir. For more information and tickets, call (847) 604-4060 or www.amchai.org.

Anshe Tikvah offers the celebration of Shabbat at a new location at the "Life Care Center," 103 Shelter Road, Lincolnshire:

Today: 10:30 p.m. -- Selichot Service -- call for information

Wednesday: - 8 p.m. :-- Erev Rosh Hashana service, Stevenson High School Performing Arts Center

Thursday: 10 a.m. -- Rosh Hashana service; 2:30 p.m. -- Rosh Hashana Young Families Service, Stevenson High School Performing Arts Center

Friday: 10 a.m. -- 2nd Day Rosh Hashana service -- Anshe Tikvah; 12:30 p.m. -- Tashlich; 6:30 p.m. -- Kabbalat Shabbat Shuvah Service -- Anshe Tikvah

Sept. 21: 8 p.m. -- Kol Nidre Service, Stevenson High School Performing Arts Center

Sept. 22: 10 a.m. -- Yom Kippur Service; 2:30 p.m. --- Yom Kippur Young Families Service; 4 p.m. -- Yizkor/Concluding Service, Stevenson High School Performing Arts Center; Community Break Fast -- Anshe Tikvah, immediately following Havdalah

Sept. 26: 7 p.m. -- Sukkot Service -- call for information

Sept. 28: 7 p.m. -- Sukkot Shabbat Service -- call for information

Religious School (kindergarten -- high school) is on Thursday and Sunday. Call for information.

Call (847) 917-7726 for information or visit www.anshetikvah.org.

St. Matthew's Ev. Lutheran Church, 9081 N. Maryland St. Niles, (just south of Golf Mill Shopping Center) has scheduled an outdoor service for 10 a.m. Sunday. The service will be held under a tent on the church property. Everyone residing in the community is welcome to attend. Those who attend worship are invited to stay for the church picnic. For information, contact the church at (847) 827-4360 or e-mail KnowJesusBetter@StMatthews.ws.

St. Philip Lutheran Church, 1609 Pfingsten Road, Glenview, will begin its fall worship schedule on Sunday, with an 8:30 a.m. blended service and a 10 a.m. alternative service. Sunday school for ages 3 through grade five will be held during both worship services. Confirmation classes for grades six to eight will be held at 9:45 a.m.

Northbrook Congregation Ezra-Habonim, 2095 Landwehr Road, Northbrook, will hold High Holy Day Services at the synagogue and at Glenbrook North High School's auditorium, 2300 Shermer Road in Northbrook. Synagogue memberships, which include High Holy Day tickets, are available for families, singles, and senior citizens. Reasonably priced individual High Holy Day tickets are also available. For more information, call (847) 480-1690. The schedule of services is as follows:

Today at 10 p.m., Slichose services at NCEH, refreshments and study at NCEH Synagogue; Wednesday at 6:45 p.m., Erev Rosh Hashana -- Mincha and Maariv Service at NCEH Synagogue; Thursday at 8 a.m. Rosh Hashana First Day at Glenbrook North High School Auditorium and at 5 p.m. Tashlich at NCEH Synagogue Lake Mincha and Maariv at NCEH Synagogue; Friday at 8 a.m. Rosh Hashana Second Day at NCEH Synagogue, and at 6:45 p.m. Conclusion of Rosh Hashana at NCEH Synagogue Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat at NCEH Synagogue; Sept. 15 at 9 a.m. Shabbos Shuvah at NCEH Synagogue; Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. Kol Nidre at Glenbrook North High School Auditorium; Sept. 22 at 8 a.m. Yom Kippur at Glenbrook North High School Auditorium, and at 7:30 p.m. Yom Kippur -- Ne'ilah Concluding Service at Glenbrook North High School Auditorium.

Join Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue for "A Bintel Brief" --Yiddish for "a bundle of letters"-- during Selichot service at 8 p.m. today at Trinity United Church of Christ in Deerfield.

Shir Hadash members Ed Rice of Northbrook, Ari Rice of Northbrook, Barry Cain of Glenview, Tory Lieberman of Northbrook, and Alice Bechtolsheim of Arlington Heights will present historic letters written 100 years ago by Jewish immigrants to The Jewish Daily Forward's Yiddish advice column.

After listening to real answers written by the editor, we will then try to answer some of the letters on our own. Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow will lead us in a discussion of the issues raised in the letters and how they tie into the upcoming High Holy Days.

An original musical presentation by Shir Hadash member and composer/musician Bob Arons of Buffalo Grove and a Havdalah service will follow the study session. This event is free and open to the public.

With the Jewish high holidays approaching, Rabbi Meir Moscowitz of Lubavitch Chabad of Northbrook is embracing new technology to promote holiday services: YouTube. Moscowitz has also revealed plans for a brief 60-second video clip to be included in his e-mails that he sends regularly. Rosh Hashana is celebrated this year from Wednesday-Friday, and Yom Kippur on Sept. 21 and 22. Information on Chabad's services is available on its Web site www.ChabadNorthbrook.com

North Northfield United Methodist Church will begin the fall season with a new schedule. To kick off its fall schedule Sunday, the congregation will host its regional denominational leader, the Rev. James Preston, district superintendent for the Chicago Northwestern District. Preston will preach and will help pastor the Rev. Lois McCullen Parr and the congregation commission its musicians and teachers as the fall season begins.

Adults gather for Christian education at 8:45 a.m. Worship service is at 10 a.m. Sunday morning worship includes "A Time with Young Christians," during which elementary-aged children come to the chancel to learn about God. Children will then be dismissed to a one-room Christian education program.

Following Christian education and worship, the youth program meets at 11 a.m. for fellowship, Bible study, music, activities, and service. The congregation this year also welcomes a new youth director, Stacey Pietenpol, who joins North Northfield Sunday as well.

For information, call the church office at (847) 272-2250 or visit the church's newly updated Web site at www.northnorthfield.org or www.umc.org.

North Northfield United Methodist Church is located at Sanders and Dundee in Northbrook.

Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue will rent space for the High Holy Days from a nearby congregation to meet the needs of its growing congregation. The space belongs to the Catholic community of Our Lady of the Brook, 3700 Dundee Road in Northbrook.

The rental of space for the High Holy Days is not unusual, but using a Catholic church may be. The parish must make several (temporary) changes to the church's interior in order to accommodate the Jewish worshippers.

Among those changes: the covering of the altar with a white cloth, the covering of the baptismal font with a cloth, the covering of statues and icons, the removal of the Stations of the Cross, and all other movable items that make the space a Christian worship space. Although many of the Jewish services during these 10 days will occur on weekdays, the space must be returned to its original state for weekend Masses, and converted back again.

Although this will be the first time Shir Hadash has used space at Our Lady of the Brook, both communities hope it will become a successful venture, to be repeated in the future.

Shir Hadash, which has about 200 families as members, also uses space at Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in Lincolnshire, Trinity United Church of Christ in Deerfield and at public spaces around the north shore. For a schedule of these services, go to the temple's Web site at www.shir-hadash.org. Not all services are open to the public, so see the site for details.

Olive Tree Congregation, a Messianic Jewish congregation of Jews and Gentiles following Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, invites all to worship for the High Holy Days.

Services will be on erev Rosh Hashana at 7 p.m. Wednesday and for Rosh Hashana at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Worship will continue on erev Yom Kippur at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 and at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 22 for Yom Kippur services. A Neilah service begins at 5 p.m. Sept. 22, followed by a delicious break-fast meal.

All are also invited to join under the stars and the Sukkah, to celebrate erev Sukkot at 7 p.m. Sept. 26, and to continue to rejoice together in God's faithfulness under the Sukkah on Shabbat, at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 29.

Children's classes and nursery care is available, and admission to services is free. For information about the Olive Tree Congregation High Holy Day services, call (847) 222-1230 or visit the Web site at www.olive-tree.org. The congregation is at 203 E. Camp McDonald Road, Prospect Heights.