Lake Co. religion notes

To have your information included, e-mail it each week by noon Tuesday to faith@dailyherald.com, fax it to (847) 680-0189 or mail to Religion listings, 1795 N. Butterfield Road, Suite 100, Libertyville, IL 60048.

Anshe Tikvah: Join in the celebration of Shabbat at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the "Life Care Center," 103 Shelter Road, Lincolnshire. In addition, a Shabbat Family Service will be at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11. Call (847) 917-7726 for information or visit www.anshetikvah.org

St. Matthew Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod): The church at 24500 N. Old McHenry Road, Hawthorn Woods, will offer New Year's Communion Worship Service at 5:30 p.m. today. At 8 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Natalia and Irina Kogan will give a "Piano Classics" Concert. There will be no 9:30 a.m. service Sunday. A New Year's Eve Communion Service will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday. There will be no Thursday service this week. For further information, contact the church office at (847) 438-7709

• A Bible Study for women titled "Daniel: Lives of Integrity/Words of Prophecy" will meet Wednesdays from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. in Krueger Hall Jan. 9- Feb. 20. Classes are open to all women from St. Matthew and the community. Child care will be available. For information, call Scarlett Mankowsky (847) 540-5501.

Congregation Am Echod (Reform): The congregation at 2945 Falling Waters Blvd., Lindenhurst, offers the following Shabbat Service Schedule.

Today: 9 a.m. study session with Rabbi Harari, 10 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service.

Friday: 7:30 p.m. Am Echod Express: a Shabbat service taking 60 minutes or less. Birthdays for the month of January will be celebrated.

Jan. 5: 9 a.m. Torah study with Rabbi Harari, 10 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service.

To obtain more information call 847-265-1818 or e-mail amechod@amechod.org

Congregation Or Tikvah: Make Saturday afternoon a time to reconnect with your family. JCC's got Shabbat? will be offered from 4-5:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at Or Tikvah, 330 Barron Blvd., Grayslake. It is filled with fun, food, Havdallah and wacky juggler Andy Head. This program is open to the community free. Projects are designed for families with children ages 4-8, but all are welcome. Additional parking is available at the Grayslake Middle School.

Prairie Circle Unitarian Universalist Congregation: Join Carol Niec, worship committee chairwoman and one of the congregation's founders, for worship services at 9:15 a.m. Sunday. Niec will discuss her personal spiritual journey as a UU and what church services have meant to her during the past year.

PCUUC meets each Sunday in the Byron Colby Barn, 1561 Jones Point Road, Grayslake, in the Prairie Crossing community. (847) 604-1908, http://www.prairiecircleuuc.org

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church: The church at 31 Park Ave., Grayslake, will offer 5 p.m. Eucharist New Year's Eve Monday. For information, call (847) 223-2310.

St. Martin de Porres: The school at 515 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Waukegan, will have an open house for prospective students from 6 to 8 p.m. April 27. For information, call (847) 244-6895, ext. 225.

Barrington United Methodist Church: The church will offer adult fellowship and Bible study from 9 to 10:15 a.m. Sunday mornings beginning Jan. 6. In "What's So Amazing About Grace?" author Philip Yancey explores grace at street level. What is grace? If grace is God's love for the undeserving, then what does it look like in action? Join in for compelling, true portraits of grace's life-changing power. No preparation needed, workbooks are $12. The church is at 98 Algonquin Road (at Route 59) in Barrington. Call (847) 836-5540 for information.

• A spectacular celebration of sacred music by eight Barrington churches is coming to Barrington United Methodist Church, 98 Algonquin Road (at Route 59) at 7 p.m. Jan. 27 (doors open at 6:30 p.m.).

Participating churches include: Atonement Lutheran Church -- Helen Ailabouni, director; Barrington United Methodist Church -- Karen Maxwell; Presbyterian Church of Barrington -- Kirsten Hedegaard; St. Anne Catholic Community -- Rory Cooney; St. Mark Episcopal -- Cory Thompson; St. Matthew Lutheran )-- Cathy Gathman; St. Michael Episcopal Church -- Robert Lind; Salem UMC -- David Hartley.

Featured soloists for the concert are: Kimberly Albrecht, soprano -- BUMC; Colleen Bolthouse, soprano, Atonement; David Hartley, baritone -- SUMC; and Prelude music by Jeffrey Neufeld, organ, BUMC.

Beth Judea: The Conservative synagogue announces that the following students have completed the Adult Hebrew Literacy Course provided by the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs and the Men's Club of Congregation Beth Judea: Marilyn Berger, Melissa Brosnan, Kendra Burkinshaw, Aron Chudnoff, Gloria Hernandez and Andrea Warren.

Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road, Long Grove. For information, call the synagogue office at (847) 634-0777.

• The following youths were called to the Torah on the occasion of their b'nai mitzvah during November and December at Congregation Beth Judea, Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove: Hannah Perl, daughter of Michelle and Sheldon Perl of Long Grove; Hayden Jacob Ford, son of Laurie and Neal Ford of Buffalo Grove; Jaime Alyssa Moskowitz, daughter of Deborah and Leonard Moskowitz of Buffalo Grove; Jeffrey Ryan Epstein, son of Jana and Kenneth Epstein of Buffalo Grove; Mark Aaron Weinberger, son of Jill and Martin Weinberger of Buffalo Grove; Beth Leah Brownfield, daughter of Cheryl and Marshall Brownfield of Buffalo Grove; Andrew Joshua Stempel, son of Sarah and Jerry Stempel of Buffalo Grove; Bennett Zachary Saltzman, son of Elysa and Allen Saltzman of Buffalo Grove; and Samantha Allison Tarnoff, daughter of Adrienne and David Tarnoff of Buffalo Grove.

• Congregation Beth Judea's Shabbat on Jan. 18 will be a chance to think warm while it is still cold outside. The (Jewish) luau will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a 7:30 p.m. Shabbat Service. Cost is dinner: $36 per household or $10 per adult, $7 for children (ages 3-12). Reservations need to be made by Jan. 11. Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove. (847) 634-0777.

• The Beth Judea Sisterhood will present fun for the whole family with the showing of the 2006 movie "Night at the Museum" at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 20. The community is welcome to attend the showing.

The cost is $3 per person with a maximum cost per family of $10; children 2 and under are free. Bring pillows and blankets and friends. Candy, soda and snacks are available at a nominal cost.

For information, call the Beth Judea office at (847) 634-0777 and leave a message for Sandra and she will call you back. Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove.

• Congregation Beth Judea will host its second annual Viva Las Long Grove, an evening of gaming tables, live auction, silent auction and fun Feb. 9. There will be appetizers, noshes, beer and wine and dessert at 7 p.m. The gaming tables will open at 7:45 p.m. This is also the time that the poker tournament starts.

Gaming will consist of blackjack, roulette, poker and bingo. There will be blackjack, Texas Hold'em and bingo tournaments for cash prizes. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older. There will be an additional entry fee required for the tournaments.

Cost is $45 in advance or $60 at the door. Advance tickets must be purchased by Feb. 2. Admission includes chips for roulette and blackjack and a bingo card. Please call or R.S.V.P. to Beth Judea at (847) 634-0777 or e-mail lneiman@bethjudea.org.

Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove.

• The course "Kabbalah -- Exploring Jewish Mysticism" will be taught by Rabbi Robert Gamer at Congregation Beth Judea, Route 83 and Hilltop Road in Long Grove. All classes meet at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, Jan. 15, 22 and 29 and Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26. Call the synagogue office at (847) 634-0777 for information.

• The Men's Club of Congregation Beth Judea will be offering a class at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, Jan. 16 to Feb. 20, titled "Understanding Prayer." The classes will be led by Norm Kurtz of the BJ Men's Club and are open to all.

Beth Judea is on Route 83 and Hilltop Road, Long Grove. For information, contact the synagogue office at (847) 634-0777 and leave a message for Norm.

• The Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Judea will lead Shabbat services at its annual Sisterhood Shabbat at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 12.

Sisterhood members will lead the service -- from opening the Ark to reading the Haftorah and Torah portion and everything else in-between.

After the service, there will be a kiddush luncheon sponsored by the Sisterhood. For information, contact the synagogue office which is located on Route 83 and Hilltop Road, Long Grove. Call (847) 634-0777 or check Sisterhood's Web page at www.BethJudea.org or e-mail cbjsisterhood@hotmail.com.

Holy Family Catholic Community: The church is sponsoring a day-long Small Christian Community Institute Jan. 26. Three speakers will be presented, and 10 breakout sessions conducted.

The keynote speaker will be Bill Wise, chief compliance and business ethics officer of Analog Devices, Inc. An adjunct faculty member at Boston University and holder of a law degree from Suffolk University, Wise will speak on "The New Evangelization and You: Our role in taking the 'Gospel … to the heart of society.' "

For information, contact Wilma Growney at (847) 428-7468 or wilmagrow@aol.com. Advance registration is encouraged as there is limited seating for each breakout session. Everyone is welcome. Holy Family Church is at 2515 W. Palatine Road, Inverness.

• Holy Family Parish, 2515 W. Palatine Road, Inverness, will host An Evening With Our Blessed Mother at 6 p.m. Jan. 22. Since June of 1981, The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, has been appearing daily to a group of young people in a remote village in Yugoslavia called Medjugorje. One of them, Ivan Dragicevic, has accepted an invitation to visit Holy Family Catholic Community Jan. 22.

Our Blessed Mother, the Queen of Peace, is scheduled to appear and speak with Ivan on Jan. 22 while he is at Holy Family Catholic Community. All are welcome to come and be present at this apparition. Schedule of events are: 6 p.m., the recitation of five decades of the rosary; 6:40 p.m., at about this time, Ivan will speak with Our Blessed Mother. After this apparition, the recitation of the rosary will continue; 7 p.m., Holy Mass begins; 8 p.m., Ivan Dragicevic will give his testimony of Our Lady's message. Call (847) 304-4846 or (847) 359-7533 for information.

Moriah Congregation: The congregation at 200 Taub Drive in Deerfield will present the best work of over 50 internationally acclaimed artists from North America and Israel at its 2008 All Judaic Art & Jewelry Fair from 8-11:30 p.m. Feb. 16; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 17; and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 18. Adult admission is $10 and covers all three days. For more information, contact Karen P. Walanka, executive director, at (847) 948-5340 or kwalanka@moriahcong.org

St. Matthew Lutheran Church: The church at 720 Dundee Ave., Barrington, will offer two new Bible study classes beginning at 9:15 a.m. Jan. 6 and continuing for five weeks.

Nancy Klaman, the congregation's parish nurse, and Pat Marks will be teaching a "Health and Wellness" class. The class will address the question, "How can we improve our lifestyle, begin or be consistent with exercise, and put into practice the Christian disciplines of prayer and Bible study?"

The second class, "The Burden of Habakkuk" will be taught by the Rev. Gerald Schalk. The study classes are open to anyone who is interested. For information, call (847) 382-7002.

St. Paul United Church of Christ, Barrington: The Women's Book Group meets at 10 a.m., the second Tuesday of the month. All women in the community are welcome to come and share in these lively and insightful discussions.

On Jan. 11, the discussion book will be "Living Buddha, Living Christ" by Thich Nhat Hanh.

There is no fee, but please read the book before the meeting in order to fully participate. St Paul is at 401 E. Main in Barrington. For information, call Pastor Jeanne or Pastor Jana at (847) 381-0460.