Notes on Religion -- Special Events

Immanuel United Church of Christ will host a new weekly Parents Group Mondays in the west classroom. The group will meet during the same time as the Lifeboat High School Community Youth Group, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The church is looking for additional leadership and has selected the ProActive Parenting curriculum from the Faith Home for Parents series. The church is at 1500 Old Church Road Streamwood. For details, call (630) 837-0190 or visit www.streamwoodiucc.org.

Author and nationally known motivational speaker Julie-Allyson Ieron is going to visit St. Peter Damian Catholic Church in Bartlett at 1 p.m. Feb. 24 to present her seminar "Conquering the Time Factor." Drawn from the pages of Ieron's book, "Conquering the Time Factor," this interactive session offers a reasoned response to the "Myths that Steal Life's Precious Moments." Ieron's Web site is www.joymediaservices.com.

In an effort to seek common ground and greater understanding between neighbors of different faiths, a series of interfaith dialogues have been planned at three distinct houses of worship. Patterned after "Abraham Salons" suggested by author Bruce Feiler in his book, "Abraham," each community will jointly stage three different discussions focusing on each of the faiths. The presentations will emphasize the common heritage that began with Abraham, whose story inspires all three of the faiths. Rabbi Max Weiss of Beth Tikvah Congregation, the Rev. Don Myrom of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, and Dr. Khalid Sami of the Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs have announced their congregations will each participate in the events. Each leader will speak on his own faith at another's house of worship. The series will kick off at 7 p.m. March 8 at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 930 W. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, with a presentation by Weiss. The second event will be at 7 p.m. March 27 at Beth Tikvah Congregation, 300 Hillcrest Blvd., Hoffman Estates, with a presentation by Sami on Islam. The third event will take place at 5 p.m. April 12 at the Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs Mosque, 3950 Industrial Drive, Rolling Meadows, with a presentation by Myrom. Each meeting will start with a 20-minute presentation by the featured speaker on his faith, followed by comments from the two other faith leaders. There will also be time for questions from the audience. A short dessert fellowship will conclude each evening.

Health fair: Community United Methodist Church, 400 Spring St., South Elgin, is sponsoring a Health Fair from 9 to 11:30 a.m. today. There will be a variety of local professionals available to answer your questions and give you suggestions for having a healthy 2008. All are welcome, bring a friend, something for all ages. For details, call (847) 931-0563 or e-mail cumcsouthelgin@sbcglobal.net.

Special dates at Good Shepherd: Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool will host special "Daddy-n-Me" play-date receptions from 9:30 to 11 a.m. today and 7 to 8 p.m. March 3. Moms and other family members also can come learn about the preschool. The receptions will be held at the Nesler Road and Route 20 preschool location. The preschool offers several options including three, four- and five-day preschool either all day or half-day, morning or afternoon. They also offer before- and after-school care from 7:15 a.m. until as late as 5:45 p.m. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome to attend. Good Shepherd is also hosting a blood drive Feb. 16 at the Nesler Road Christian Life Center. Donation time slots will be available soon. For details, call Adrienne Muich at (847) 697-4745.

Life in Christ: The Rev. Edward Seisser will present a six-week class titled, "Life in Christ: Walking with God," using the Catechism of the Catholic Church, at St. Mary Church of Elgin. Classes begin at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Binsfeld Hall. Join them for Mass before the class at 7 p.m. in the church. The schedule is as follows: The Beatitudes on Monday; Freedom and Responsibility of Human Acts on Feb. 18; Conscience on Feb. 25; Virtues on March 3; Sin, Mercy, and Moral Solidarity on March 10; Moral Law, Grace, and the Church on March 17. The class is free. To register, call the religious education office at (847) 888-2718.

Soup Kettle at Elgin church: The Elgin Evangelical Free Church provides meals on Sunday afternoons from 4 to 5 p.m. for anybody in the community who is in need. This is in conjunction with the Elgin Cooperative Ministries Soup Kettle program. Walk-ins are welcome. For details, call the church at (847) 695-8812.

Lenten worship at Bethany: Lenten Midweek worship begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday and continues through March 12 at Bethany Lutheran Church, 76 W. Crystal Lake Ave., Crystal Lake. The Liturgy for Worship is the Holden Evening Prayer service. There will a drama, "The Living Last Supper," by Ruth Elaine Shram, edited by Gail Richer, shared in five parts. This Passover Supper is rich with beauty and symbolism and Jesus chose to express its importance by celebrating this feast during his last hours. Bethany members will use monologue and music to tell this story like never before. The time of betrayal is at hand and each disciple asks, "Is It I?" On Wednesday, it will be Simon Peter, Andrew, Peter, brother and James. On Feb. 20, it will be James, son of Zebedee, Matthew the Tax Collector, and Simon the zealot. On Feb. 27, it will be followed by Thaddaeus, Bartholomew and Phillip. On March 5, it will be John, Thomas and Judas. On March 12, it will conclude with "The Last Supper Communion." For details, call the church at (815) 459-2690.

Chili supper at St. Peter: St. Peter Lutheran Church of Pingree Grove is hosting a chili supper from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. There also will be a bake sale. After the supper, there will be bingo with prizes. The church is at 14N205 Reinking Road in Pingree Grove. For information, call (847) 658-4320.

Blood drive: First Congregational Church of Dundee, in conjunction with Heartland Blood Centers, will sponsor a blood drive from 8 a.m. to noon Feb. 16 in the lower level gathering area. To maintain an adequate blood supply, Heartland Blood Centers, an independent medical organization serving 33 hospitals in a 12-county region in Illinois and Indiana, urges all area residents to donate the gift of life this February. Both St. Valentine's Day and American Heart Month give many people a chance to reflect on matters of the heart during February. In an effort to help increase awareness about heart disease and prevention, February is declared American Heart Month. Unfortunately, there are still thousands of Americans who undergo heart surgeries every day and community members can help contribute to the success of their surgeries by donating blood. "Donating blood is a great way to celebrate American Heart Month and Valentine's Day. Someone undergoing heart surgery could need anywhere between two and 25 pints of blood and your blood donation could be the most precious valentine for a patient in need," said Ann McKanna, Heartland's vice president of marketing and new business. Founded in 1943, Heartland Blood Centers' mission is to provide and maintain an adequate supply of blood and blood products for area hospitals to draw upon to meet the needs of patients. For information call (800) 7-TO-GIVE or visit www.heartlandbc.org. To be a blood donor, individuals must be at least 17 years old or 16 with written parental permission; weigh at least 110 pounds; be symptom free of cold, flu and allergies and be in general good health. Donors who have traveled outside the United States within the past 12 months should contact Heartland to determine eligibility. Donors are required to bring a photo ID. Call Londa Krueger at (847) 428-8211 for information or to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome. The church is at 900 S. Eighth St. (Route 31 and Angle Tarn), West Dundee. For information, call the church at (847) 426-2161, ext. 210.

Women's retreat: On Feb. 16, Franciscan friar Bernard Kennedy presents a retreat for women at Resurrection Catholic Community, Route 59 and Army Trail Road, Wayne. "All This and Heaven Too!" begins with a 9 a.m. gathering and continental breakfast in Marvin Hall, followed by the 9:30 a.m. presentation. Cost of $15 covers the entire event. Walk-ins are welcome. Pre-registration is appreciated. For details and registration, call Barbara Miller at (630) 289-5400, ext. 208.

Book club: First Congregational Church offers a book club, led by Jenny Lee, a seminarian and church intern. This is a book group for those who like to read and those who want to start reading. Groups meet the third Monday of each month at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the church, 461 Pierson St., Crystal Lake. It is your choice which you would like to attend. This will be a great opportunity for reading, discussing the work, and having fellowship together. In February, the book will be "90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life" by Don Piper. In March, the book will be "Snow Flowers and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See, followed in April by "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, & Indonesia" by Elizabeth Gilber. In May, the book will be "One Thousand White Women: The Journal of May Dodd" by Jim Fergus. For details, call (815) 459-6010 or visit www.fcccrystallake.org.

Women's retreat at Epworth: Have you ever felt tired or frustrated, alone or lonely? As women you deal with emotions raging inside, vying for time and attention. Just as in your life, the demands of time and attention often overrun you. Family, work, friends and relatives; the commitments in life can wear you down. The Women of Epworth UMC understand the needs of many women in the community and invite all women to spend a day looking at how to keep yourself strong in the face of pressure. This year's women's retreat, "Keeping Your Faith Through the Journey of … ," will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 8. Each of you are on a journey, and "on a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is the greatest property" (Hindu, 480 B.C.). Who refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25 This refreshing day will be filled with guest speakers, inspiring drama, music, lunch and a new fellowship between in the community. The cost is $20 if you register by Feb 17, or $25 after. Tickets are available through the church office, Randall Road and Highland Avenue in Elgin. For information, call Epworth at (847) 931-5400 or e-mail Patti Floyd, event coordinator, at pfloyd12861@yahoo.com.

Griffin School accepting enrollment: Griffin Christian School, a ministry of Fox Valley Baptist Church, is now accepting enrollments in all grades for the 2008-09 school year. The school, at 16N562 Vista Lane in East Dundee, is for preschool through 12th grade. The school offers a full, Bible-based academic schedule, along with classes in art, music, computer skills, gym, and several foreign languages. After-school care is also available. The preschool program is for both 3- and 4-year-olds. Parents will be able to choose between a two-day or a five-day program, either mornings or full day. The kindergarten program is either mornings or full day. Both programs feature early learning activities with a low student-to-teacher ratio, and include phonics-based reading instruction. The elementary program is a multi-age class, but with traditional classroom instruction and a phonics-based reading program. The middle and high school programs use a technology-based, individualized program, using the latest in computer technology to assist in the learning process and prepare students for the modern collegiate experience. For several of their subjects, the middle and high school use an online curriculum with real-time assistance, where students can complete their subjects with lessons specifically tailored to their needs. Traditional classroom instruction in several subjects is also included. For details, or to make an appointment to visit the school, call (847) 428-5413 or visit griffinchristianschool.org.