McHenry Co. religion notes

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McHenry County Jewish Congregation: At 7 p.m. Sunday, the McHenry County Jewish Congregation will observe Shavuot, which is when the Jews commemorate the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. In a special observance this year, MCJC will retire a Torah that was rescued during the Holocaust, and reading for the first time from one MCJC Rabbi Maralee Gordon obtained in Israel with the assistance of her son Jacob, who is a sofer, or ritual Torah scribe. The cover for the Torah was also obtained in Israel, the commissioned work of a weaver from Tzfat.

The evening will start with a dinner and continue with a ceremony and Shavuot teaching. Ten MCJC members will each give a teaching on one verse of the Torah. The two Torahs will be unrolled on long tables. Each of the verses will be recited by members of the congregation - once from the Holocaust Torah being retired, and once from the new Torah. The on Monday, MCJC will hold Shavuot Festival services, including a Yizkor/Memorial service. On June 18, at noon, Rabbi Maralee Gordon will lead a Lunch and Learn Torah study.

MCJC will offer a two-week day camp program, July 21-Aug. 1, led by Israeli teens. The camp will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For details, call MCJC at (815) 455-1810.

The religious school offers two-day a week on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. Instruction is offered to students in second to eighth grade, and Sunday-only instruction is provided to children in kindergarten and first grade and high school. For information on membership or a registration packet, call (815) 455-1810.

The synagogue operates a gift shop offering a wide array of Jewish themed gift and holiday supplies that is open during religious school hours.

Shabbat services are at 6:30 p.m. Fridays, and 9 a.m. Saturdays at the synagogue, 8617 Ridgefield Road in Crystal Lake. Shabbat services are led by Rabbi Maralee Gordon and are free and open to everyone. This is the only Conservative Jewish congregation in McHenry County. Interfaith families are welcome. It is located on Ridgefield Road in unincorporated Crystal Lake, accessible from Route 14. For information, call (815) 455-1810 or visit mcjc-online.org.

New Life Baptist: On Sunday, the Rev. Mark Wood will continue sermon series at the 10:30 a.m. service at New Life Baptist Church, 9228 Trinity Drive in Lake in the Hills. The series, titled "Building a Firm Foundation," comes from the book of 1 Corinthians. A time of recognition for the church's high school and college graduates will also take place during the service.

New Life begins each Sunday with Sunday school classes for infants, children, youth, and adults begin at 9:15 a.m. A newly formed College and Career class begins Sunday.

Child care is available during the morning worship service for infants through 3-year-olds; children's church is held for children, age 4 through second grade.

The church picnic at Deicke Park in Huntley will be held June 21.

Small Bible study groups meet each week in Algonquin, Huntley, Lake in the Hills, and Woodstock. The church men play basketball at 6 p.m. Thursdays at the church. The vacation Bible school will be held at the church the week of Aug. 4-8.

For details, call (847) 458-9726 or visit www.newlifebaptist-il.com.

First Congregational: On Sunday, the Rev. Michelle McNamara's sermon will be "A Different Type of Healing," based on Matthew 9:9-26, in the 9 and 10:30 a.m. services at the First Congregational Church, 11628 E. Main St. in Huntley. The theme is the need for the powerful healing of the spiritual part of our lives.

Today, the church will participate in the first of four Huntley Farmer's Market craft fairs, to be held on the first Saturday of each month. The church will have a booth on Church Street near Main in which they sell craft and art projects from 8 a.m. to noon. This is Pack-a-sack Sunday, which focuses on donating items for the Grafton Township Food Pantry. Special needs are: canned tomatoes and corn, pasta/noodles, cereal and Jell-O. The Mission of the Month for June will be "Strengthen the Church," a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that funds new congregations and renews existing ones.

The Sunday school-aged children will watch a video.

The Knit/Crochet Group will meet at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at the church.

For details, call the church at (847) 669-3691 or visit www.firsthuntley.org.

St. John Lutheran: This weekend, the Rev. William Stroup will deliver the message, "Hope to Resolve Your Credit Problems," based on Romans 4:13-25, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday at St. John Lutheran Church, 300 Jefferson St., Algonquin. Adult Bible class is at 9:15 a.m. Sunday. A supervised nursery is offered at the 9 a.m. service.

The Mission Resale Shop, located on Washington Street, is open on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Gifts and good quality used clothing, and small household items can be purchased at reasonable prices. Donations are gratefully appreciated, and proceeds benefit mission work locally and afar. Call (847) 658-9300 or visit www.stjohnsalgonquin.org.

St. John's Lutheran School offers a day school program for first to eighth grade; all-day kindergarten and morning and afternoon preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. Church membership is not required. To register or schedule a school tour, call Principal John Kirchhoff at (847) 658-9311.

Shepherd of the Prairie: On Sunday, the Rev. Mark Boster will preach at both services at Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church. The 9 a.m. traditional and 10:30 a.m. contemporary services are held at the Cosman Cultural Center, 12051 Mill St., Huntley. Holy Communion will be celebrated at each service. Nursery care is available at both services.

Music rehearsals are at the Citizens Bank in Huntley. On Tuesday, the first music team will meet at 5 p.m. and the second music team at 6 p.m. at Citizens Bank.

"Sparkplugs," Christians who like classic cars, will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. June 11 at the Cosman Center.

The W4 Ladies lunch will be held at noon Thursday at the Walleye Grill.

Life Team members will host a "Generation Celebration" from 5 to 7 p.m. June 14 in the Willow Room at the Cosman Center.

June 22 will be the annual church golf outing. It will be held at Waters Edge Golf Course. Sign-up sheets will be available at the Welcome Table.

A new "Parent Link" newsletter is available for parents on the Web site. Also, "Footsteps of Paul Cruise" can be seen. A new slide show of the Sunday school can also be seen.

Sign-up for vacation Bible school, "Rainforest Adventure," has begun. The program will be from June 16-20 at Mackeben Elementary School in Algonquin. You can sign up your child online at www.sotp.org. Also, sign up for help to furnish supplies.

Starting June 24, Bible study group will begin the study of "3:16-Numbers of Hope." Sign up at the Welcome Table. This Bible session will run through Aug. 26.

Seniors will go to Summerwood Amphitheater in Rockford June 27. The concert will be "Patriotic Celebration. Sign up at the Welcome Table.

The church office is in Citizens First National Bank, 12101 Regency Square, Huntley. Call (847) 515-3711 or visit www.sotp.org.

Faith Community: On Sunday, the Rev. Bruce Cole will lead worship with the sermon, "Jesus" based on the scripture from Acts 2:30, 36, at 9 and 10:30 a.m. at Faith Community Church, 10547 Faiths Way in Huntley. Holy Communion will be celebrated. Nursery for children up to age 3 is available at both services as well as Sunday school for children from age 4 through second grade.

On Sunday, the church will have a breakfast at 8 a.m. to honor the high school graduates, followed by a ceremonial walk at the 9 a.m. service. Call the church office to RSVP.

Alcoholics Anonymous holds a weekly "closed" meeting at noon Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Mondays. On Tuesday, TOPS meets at 11:30 a.m.

Adult Bible studies are offered Wednesdays. At 9 a.m., study the text for the upcoming Sunday. At 7:30 p.m., they will study the book of Mark.

There will be a meeting/pizza party at 7 p.m. Thursday for all of the mission trip attendees. Call the office for the location.

The Men of Faith will have their monthly fellowship/breakfast at 8 a.m. June 14 at the Old Country Buffet in Crystal Lake. All men of faith and their sons are welcome.

A "Family Fun Church Clean-Up" will be held from 9 a.m. to noon June 14 at the church. Lunch will be served afterward.

Focus Martial Arts will present FLAG "Fight Like a Girl" from 1:30 to 4:30 June 14. This class is for women only and there is no minimum age. Cost is $40 for members of FCC, and $50 for nonchurch members. Call (847) 458-0938 to register or details.

"Discover the Power of God's Love" at vacation Bible School this year. Registration is now open for the program on July 28 to Aug. 1. Cost is $35 per child for kids in preschool through fifth grade. Call the church office at (224) 569-6501 for registration information.

Call (224) 569-6501 or visit www.fccwired.tv.

Preschool registration is now open. Call Michelle Sullivan at (224) 569-6512 for information or a tour.

Unitarian church: On Sunday, the Congregational Unitarian Church, 221 Dean St., Woodstock, will focus on the paths of two members of the congregation at 10:45 a.m.

In "Tom and Dan (How Did We Get Here?)," the Rev. Dan Larsen and musical director Tom Steffens will speak about their respective spiritual journeys that led them to Congregational Unitarian. For details, call (815) 338-0731, e-mail office@cucw.org or visit www.cucw.org. First Congregational: On Sunday, the summer worship schedule continues at 10 a.m. at First Congregational Church, 461 Pierson St. in Crystal Lake. Those who wish are welcome to come at 9:45 a.m. to join in a Hymn Sing.The Rev. Budd Friend-Jones will introduce three Russian concepts to assess the condition of the church as they begin a new church year. The concepts are Dukhovnost (spirituality), Sobornost (sacred community) and Miloserdya (mercy, compassion). The worship service will be followed by the 167th annual meeting at 11:15 a.m. in the sanctuary.On Sunday, the First Forum will be held at 8:30 a.m. in the library.On Monday, a church council meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the multipurpose room. For details, call (815) 459-6010 or visit fcc-cl.org. Light of Christ: This weekend, the Rev. Sharon Rogers continues the sermon series, "How Can I Be Sure?" with the sermon, "Is Someone Out There?," at Light of Christ Lutheran Church, 100 Hanson Road, Algonquin. The Rev. Kendall Koenig is senior pastor and the Rev. Sharon Rogers is associate pastor.High school and college graduates will be recognized this weekend at the 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday services.Father's Day worship will be celebrated outdoors at Light of Christ on June 14 at 5 p.m. and June 15 at 10:30 a.m. On June 15, the 7:45 and 9 a.m. services will be held in the sanctuary as usual. Another outdoor worship opportunity will be over the Labor Day Weekend, Aug. 30-31.The church's service opportunity for families will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 28. They will spend a day with Faith in Action of McHenry County by serving older adults in the area with yard work, simple home maintenance and other services. Sign up in the Welcome Center at the church.Registration for all summer camps is open. "Camp on the Rock" day camp for first through fifth grades runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. June 23-27. Basketball camp for ages 10-13 runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. July 29-Aug, 1. Theatre Camp is full. Vacation Bible school for preschool to fifth grade will be held Aug. 4-8. The morning session for grade school students is full and afternoon sessions are available for all ages.Beginning June 16, Light of Christ Church is adding an additional worship service at 6:30 p.m. Mondays for the summer months for those families who are unable to worship on the weekends.For details, call Joanne Weber at (847) 658-9250. Bethany Lutheran: The Rev. Erik Zingelman will share the message at the new summer worship times at 8:30 and 10 a.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church, 76 W. Crystal Lake Ave. in Crystal Lake. Childcare is provided during the 10 a.m. service during the summer months.Summer Sunday school program meets at 10 a.m. Sunday through Aug. 24.Senior high youth have their annual car wash during worship services. Proceeds will be used for their mission trip to Benton Harbor, Mich. June 15-20. The Sending service for the senior high youth mission trip will be June 15.Worship at Crystal Pines is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sunday.The June outreach includes helping at the Crystal Lake Food Pantry and collecting items for Layette Kits for Lutheran World Relief.Confirmation classes wrap up the year with the seventh-grade confirmands doing a Servant Event from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. June 24 at the Zion Development Corp., Rockford; and the eighth-grade youth attending confirmation camp the week of June 15-21 at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis.The garage sale is scheduled for June 6-7 at the church. The 21st annual Northern Illinois Synod Assembly is June 13-14 at Augustana College in Rock Island. Bethany will be represented by four delegates, one visitor and the two called staff. The senior ministry group will take a day trip to the Hindu temple in Bartlett on June 16. They will meet at 9 a.m. at the church to car pool. The food pantry will be staffed by Bethany members June 30. Bookers at Bethany meets at 7 p.m. June 30. This month's book is "Blue Water" by A. Manette Ansay.Vacation Bible school, "Power Lab" is set for 9 a.m. to noon July 14-18. Registration is under way. For details, call the church office.For details, call (815) 459-2690 or visit www.bethanylc.com. Preschool registration for fall 2008 begins this month. Programs are available for 2- to 5-year-olds. For details, call Marcia Baker, preschool director, at (815) 477-7463. McHenry County Church of Religious Science: The McHenry County Church of Religious Science, Center for Spiritual Evolution is exploring the four secrets of prayer on Sundays during the month of June. This series is based on the spiritual novel, "The Prayer Chest." Since the beginning of time, every man and woman has prayed millions of prayers daily. Why then are only a handful of them answered? This week you will discover how prayer is answered through you. The Rev. Anne S. Muelleman's topic on Sunday is "The First Secret of Prayer." Special guest musician is Karen Mooney.Everyone is welcome to attend the 10 a.m. Sunday Celebration Service at 204 Spring St., lower level in Cary. There is a children's program and toddler care. If you arrive early, there is a meditation at 9:45 a.m.The children's curriculum is "Spiritual Practices for Kids." June lessons relate to the Thanksgiving step of spiritual prayer treatment. Your kids will uncover wholeness and eliminate thoughts of lack and limitation. This week's topic for kindergarten through fifth grade is "Release - The Fourth Step of Treatment."There is a Tuesday morning mediation with Bhanta Sujatha at 10 a.m. for a $10 donation. The weekly healing service is at 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Healing services at The Center for Spiritual Evolution are popular and known for their uplifting effect with concentrated high vibrational energies revealing spiritual perfection in all areas of our life. The pastor will deliver a short message leaving ample time for prayer, meditation, and spiritual mind treatment by she and the church's professional practitioners in response to your healing requests. As a trans-denominational church, all services and activities are open to everyone without obligation. For details, call (847) 516-1950 or visit www.newthoughtmchenry.org.The Spiritual Entrepreneur Networking Group meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the church. Congregational Church of Algonquin: On Sunday, the Rev. Brian Cope will preach at the 10 a.m. service at the Congregational Church of Algonquin, 109 Washington St. The message is based on Genesis 12:1-9, Psalms 33:1-12;50:7-15, Hosea 5:15-6:6, Romans 4:13-25, and Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26. On Sunday, the church will recognize seniors who are graduating this year at the 10 a.m. service. They will be receiving new members on June 15 at the 10 a.m. service.The men's breakfast will be at 8 a.m. June 14. The speaker will be Bob Benjamin on the Elgin Joliet Eastern Railway.Summer vacation Bible school will be from 9 a.m. to noon June 23-27. To get a registration form, call the church office at (847) 658-5308.For information, call the church office (847) 658-5308.Shop at the Heavenly Attic Resale Shop, 307 S. Main St. in Algonquin. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The church is handicap accessible at the rear entrance. For details, call (847) 658-5308. St. Paul's Anglican Church: At St. Paul's Anglican Church, a traditional Episcopal Church, the Rev. Michael DuCette, vicar, will use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer to celebrate the Holy Eucharist at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at the former First Presbyterian Church, 225 W. Calhoun St., Woodstock.The sermon will be based on the 15th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Bible study will resume in the fall.Synod XXIII of the Diocese of the Missouri Valley/Anglican Church in America will be held June 3-5 in Des Moines, Iowa. See Mike Hepperlen for details.St. Paul's Parish is part of the Diocese of the Missouri Valley Anglican Church of America. For details, visit www.acahome.org or call (815) 338-0205. St. Mary Episcopal: Beginning Sunday, St. Mary Episcopal Church, 210 McHenry Ave. in Crystal Lake, will have its summer service time at 9 a.m., a Community Eucharist with music. A nursery is available at the later service, and a time of fellowship follows the service, in the Great Hall. The Rev. Marilyn J. Melin is the Extended Supply Priest, the Rev. Barbara E. Bishop and the Rev. Diane L. Koenig, are deacon assistants. For details, visit www.stmaryepiscopal.org or call (815) 459-1009.