Religion: Special Events
FCC Players put on a show: FCC Players of the First Congregational Church of Huntley presents Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" at 6 p.m. today in the church's fellowship hall, Main and Church streets. The thriller in two acts will be presented as a dinner theater. Tickets will cost $15. Reservations are recommended as seating may be sold out. Call the church at (847) 669-3691.
Christmas Bazaar: Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church's Christmas Bazaar and Bake Sale will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Cosman Cultural Center Cafeteria, 12051 Mill St., Huntley. Cookie decorating is from 10 a.m. to noon. Crafts will include doll clothes, afghans, baby sweaters, toys, dish cloths, pot holders, scrubbies, towels, totes, slippers, angels, Christmas ornaments and more. All proceeds go to the church's building fund. For details, call (847) 515-3711 or visit www.sotp.org.
Doorway to the Holidays: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School hosts its 22nd annual "Doorway to the Holidays" craft show and turkey luncheon today. This year's event, which also includes a cookie walk and bake sale, will be at the Christian Life Center, 195 Nesler Road, off Route 20 in Elgin. The craft show will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The school's seventh- and eighth-graders will serve a luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the gathering room. Tickets will be sold at the door. For details, call the school at (847) 741-7795.
Turkey dinner at Burlington church: The United Methodist Women of the Burlington United Methodist Church invite you to their annual Turkey Dinner. The all-you-can-eat dinner will be served from 4:30 to 7 p.m. today at the church, 195 Center St. Carry-outs are available from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The dinner features roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, gravy, cranberries, green beans, and all kinds of pies and cakes. Proceeds help support the church's programs. Admission is $9 or $4 for children, age 6 to 12. Kids under 6 get in free. For details, call (847) 683-3535 or visit www.Burlington-UMC.org.
Auction 2007 at Woodstock church: Congregational Unitarian Church, 221 Dean St. in Woodstock, will sponsor Auction 2007 today. A silent auction runs from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by the live auction. More than 130 goods and services are up for bid. There will be a variety of items, from appraised fine jewelry and antiques to collectibles, gourmet dinners, professional tutoring, a performance by the Frothy Boys male vocal ensemble, and a vacation getaway in a rustic cabin in Minnesota. All proceeds go to the church and its community outreach programs, including PADS. Auction paddles cost $1. It is open to the public. For details, call (815) 337-8137.
Happy birthday, Jesus: Reclaim the joy of the gift that is Christ today at Barrington United Methodist Church, 98 Algonquin Road. From 9 a.m. to noon, children will enjoy programs just for them while adults attend a special "Unplug the Christmas Machine" workshop. Children from preschool through third grade will have a fun-filled morning with crafts, games, music, and stories leading up to a "Happy birthday, Jesus" party, compete with birthday cake. Children in fourth to sixth grade will spend the morning as party planner, using the Christmas story and carols as their guide in creating skits, songs, games and cake decorating. Nursery is open for kids under age 3. All are welcome. For details, call (847) 836-5540 or visit www.BarringtonUMC.com.
Build a Better World: First Presbyterian Church, 240 Standish St. in Elgin, is hosting several events as part of its "Build a Better World: Africa Project." The community is invited to attend. On Sunday, Linda Huffman Jones will lead worship and share her stories. She spent her junior year abroad in Nigeria, West Africa. She and her pastor husband, David, served in South Korea as short-term Presbyterian missionaries for two years in the 1970s. She continued in Asian human rights work for the next 19 years here in northern Illinois. As coordinator of the Church Committee for Human Rights in Asia in Chicago, she helped promote the country's democracy movement. She co-wrote a book about this, which was published in 2006 called "More Than Witnesses: How a Small Group of Missionaries Aided Korea's Democratic Revolution." She worked on hunger issues as Hunger Enabler for the Presbytery of Chicago for a few years, and also coordinated the Greater Chicago CROP Hunger Walk for three years. Jones received a masters of divinity from McCormick Seminary in 2001. Currently, she is spearheading an effort to launch a Cancer Wellness Center for cancer survivors in the Rockford area. At the education hour on Sunday, Julia Jones, assistant director of the Great Rivers Region for Church World Service, the sponsors of CROP Hunger Walks, will facilitate the adult class. Jones has an impressive background in social work and volunteering. After earning a master of arts degree in Latin American Studies, she worked at the Presbyterian United Nations office in New York. She also spent a year as a mission volunteer in El Salvador, and most recently she traveled to Chiapas, Mexico, with Witness for Peace and Equal Exchange. Last year, she began working with Church World Service. For details, call (847) 742-6365.
Tailgate party, potluck: Bring your friends and family for a "Best of the Bears Tailgate Party and Potluck" at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Barrington United Methodist Church, 98 Algonquin Road. It will follow the 10:30 a.m. service. Wear your Bears finery to enjoy brats, hotdogs and popcorn, watch tapes of Bears games and peruse Bears memorabilia. There will be a $5 charge per family. All are welcome. For details, call (847) 836-5540.
Palestinian Solidarity Sunday: On Sunday, the public is invited to "Working for Reconciliation: Palestinian Solidarity Sunday" from 2 to 4 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 200 N. Catherine Ave. in La Grange, three blocks west of Mannheim and 2 miles east of I-294 on Ogden Avenue. For details, call (708) 352-0730. The afternoon will include: personal stories by Palestinians living in the area; musical performance by Palestinians; a speaker from the Jewish Voice for Peace with a Jewish affirmation of the Palestinian people; and a choir of singers from churches throughout the Chicago area directed by Helen Ailabouni, director of worship and music at the Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Barrington. Sale items will include glass, olive wood and other products from Palestine as well as a variety of Palestinian foods. There will be suggestions for what you can do to affirm Palestinian Christians and information about the Palestinian Housing Project. Proceeds will be sent to the Lutheran World Federation in Jerusalem to support their work with Palestinian people.
Kelly Looking Horse speaks in Crystal Lake: The enrichment ministry will welcome Kelly Looking Horse at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the fellowship hall of First Congregational Church, 461 Pierson St. in Crystal Lake. The Oglala Lakota Sioux is cultural director of Remember Outreach Pine Ridge Reservation in Pine Ridge, S.D. This program will include stories, drum music, singing and making dream catchers. For details, call the Rev. Bette Zattau at the church at (815) 459-6010.
A Christian debate about war: Holy Family Parish, 2515 W. Palatine Road in Inverness, will offer an evening of prayer, learning and conversation with guest speaker Brian Stiltner at 7 p.m. Wednesday. He will present "Faith and Force: A Christian Debate About War." How does Catholic tradition reconcile its support for the principles of just war, with Jesus' promise, "blessed are the peacemakers?" This presentation proposes that the ethics of just war and pacifism have more in common than many suppose. Catholics should be guided by aspects of both ethics in order to live out the vocation of peacemaking in today's world. The talk will address such problems as the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, radical Islamist terrorism, and the ongoing war in Iraq, asking how just war and pacifism can help Christians respond effectively and faithfully to these problems. Stiltner will be drawing on his new book, "Faith and Force: A Christian Debate About War," co-authored with a colleague from England. The book began as an argument between friends surprised to find themselves on opposite sides of the debate about whether the U.S. and the U.K. should invade Iraq. For details, visit www.faithandforce.com. All are welcome. For details, call (847) 359-0042 or (847) 907-3441.
Blue Lotus temple: The Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple in Woodstock is sponsoring a fundraiser variety show from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Congregational Unitarian Church, 221 Dean St., Woodstock. The show will include talent by local artists including singing, dancing, instrumentals and comedy. Tickets are $25 per person and can be obtained by calling Sujatha at (815) 444-8915 or Kurt at (815) 529-3710. All proceeds go to the Blue Lotus Temple. For details, contact Kurt Heinz at (815) 529-3710 or kdh175@comcast.net.
Special service at Huntley church: On Nov. 10, the First Congregational Church of Huntley will hold a contemporary service at 5 p.m. The service will feature praise and worship music led by a music team, drama, prayer, and a message from the Rev. Walter Thyng from Luke 20:27-40, with the theme, "We never truly comprehend God's gifts until we live them." Members of the community are invited to attend. Parents are encouraged to bring children and teenagers to the service, which is being planned to be of interest to them as well as adults. Nursery care will be provided for those too young to participate. The church is at 11628 E. Main St. in downtown Huntley. For details, call (847) 669-3691.
Spirit of Life Chorus comes to Huntley: The Spirit of Life Chorus and Des Plaines Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2992 have joined together to fulfill "A Soldier's Wish List." The theme for this year's free concert series in the Chicago area is "Joy." The free concert programs began Oct. 13 in Arlington Heights and continues through Dec. 2 throughout the Chicago area. The chorus has partnered with the Des Plaines VFW Post 2992 in collecting "A Soldier's Wish List." Some of the daily necessities that the young men and women who are serving in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan don't have. When attending a concert, bring a couple of the personal items from "A Soldier's Wish List" located on the Web site at spiritoflifechorus.org. VFW volunteers will ship your gifts to troops overseas. The schedule continues with concerts at: 4 p.m. Sunday at Christ Church, 1492 Henry in Des Plaines; 4 p.m. Nov. 11 at St. Mary Catholic Church, 10307 Dundee Road, Huntley; 4 p.m. Nov. 18 at Christ the King Catholic Church, 1501 S. Main St., Lombard; 4:30 p.m. Nov. 25 at Lutheran Church of the Master, 580 Kuhn Road, Carol Stream; and 4:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at St. Walter Catholic Church, 130 W. Pine St., Roselle. It is a 100-plus member ecumenical choir that sings by invitation at various Christian venues throughout the Chicago area and beyond.
Operation Christmas Child: Fox Valley Church in West Dundee is now a designated drop-off center for Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child collects and hand-delivers shoe box-sized gifts to children around the world who are suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism disease, poverty and famine. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and hand-delivered more than 54 million shoe box gifts to hurting kids in some 120 countries. The church invites you join its effort to fill over 500 boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items and a hand written note of encouragement. To send a shoe box or to volunteer during National Collection Week Nov. 12-18, call (847) 844-1010.
Israel's Consul General to speak in Huntley: On Nov. 13, Congregation Tikkun Olam, along with McHenry County Jewish Congregation and Sun City's Shalom Group, will welcome the Honorable Barukh Binah, Israel's Consul General for the Midwest, who will speak about the current situation in Israel. The speech will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Huntley Park District building cafeteria, 12015 Mill St. To attend, call (815) 334-7110. There is no charge, but RSVPs are requested. Tikkun Olam is the county's only Reform Jewish congregation and is affiliated with the Union of Reform Judaism. The congregation offers monthly Shabbat services, bi-monthly religious school, and numerous adult programs. Unaffiliated Jews and interfaith families are welcome to participate fully. For information on the congregation, its religious school or adult programs, visit www.tikkun-olam.org or call (815) 334-7110.
Prayer service for peace: On Nov. 15, a prayer service for peace in the Middle East will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Atonement, 909 Main St. in Barrington. The service includes reading from the Bible, music and prayers for peace in the Middle East. After the service, there will be a presentation "May we grow beyond our differences," by Emily L. Hauser. Hauser is an American-Israeli Jew and a freelance writer. For details, call (847) 381-0243 and www.elca.org/middleeast.
Holiday cookie walk: A Holiday Cookie Walk will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 1 at Cary United Methodist Church, 500 First St. Choose from a selection of cookies at $8 a pound. Proceeds will be given to local and global missions. It is sponsored by United Methodist Women. For details, call (847) 639-7627 or visit www.caryumc.org.
Christmas Delights: St. John Lutheran Church Ladies Society will hold their annual bazaar, "Christmas Delights," from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1 at St. John Lutheran Church, 13N535 French Road, Burlington. There will be Christmas decorations, crocheted and knitted items, kitchen items, embroidery, quilts, baked goods, and lunch will be available for purchase. For details, call the church at (847) 683-2338.