Religion - Special events

Family Fun Fair, picnic: The Evangelical Covenant Church of Elgin will hold a Family Fun Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. There will be games and crafts for children and free food for everyone starting at noon. In addition, there will be a rummage sale and bake sale. The church is at 1565 Larkin Ave. at the corner of Jane Drive. For information, call (847) 888-2302. The church will hold its annual church picnic at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Jon Duerr Forest Preserve, on Route 31 in South Elgin. There will be a worship service followed by potluck lunch.

Blood drive: King of Glory Lutheran Church will host a blood drive in conjunction with Life Source from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sunday at the church, 36W720 Hopps Road in Elgin. Call the church at (847) 931-1520 to make a scheduled appointment. Walk-ins are welcome. Visit www.kogonline.org for updates.

Annual picnic, open house: Congregation Kneseth Israel will host its annual picnic and new member open house for prospective and current members from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the synagogue, 330 Division St., Elgin. There will be food, fun, games and entertainment for all ages. Registration for religious school classes will take place at this time. Prospective members and their families may attend the picnic for free. Come socialize, have fun and learn more about membership in the temple and enrolling your child in religious school. For details, call (847) 741-5656. CKI has been the heart of Conservative Judaism in the Fox Valley for more than 100 years.

FCC Players: On Sunday, auditions for the FCC Players' fall dinner theater production, "You Can't Take it With You" by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, Main and Church streets in Huntley. The performances will be in the evenings on Nov. 8-9 and during the afternoon on Nov. 16. Sheri Storer will be the director; the assistant director will be Joey Dybdal. Everyone is welcome to audition; no appointments or monologue are necessary. All roles are available. Bring an accurate list of rehearsal conflicts. Rehearsals will be two or three times a week for lead roles and approximately once a week for minor roles. For information, call Sheri at (847) 669-3691 and e-mail her at sherifcc@juno.com.

Gospel choir concert: The gospel choir at Elgin Community Church, formerly Community Baptist Church, will host its first concert at 6 p.m. Sunday at the church, 991 Deborah Ave., off Mark Avenue in the Eagle Heights neighborhood in Elgin. Having been around only a year this choir has grown in depth and skill under the directing of Carolyn Clark. "The Lord has used the gospel choir as a new, fresh, outlet of praise to the Lord for our congregation. They sing from the depths of their souls whether they are joyful or grieving it is all to the Lord," the Rev. Adam Hultstrand stated. "Plus this is an opportunity for our church to bless the churches around us who have been of help and service to our church when we were in need." All are welcome to attend this free event. Refreshments will be served after the concert. For information, call the church at (847) 697-7744.

CROP Walk rally: Join your neighbors in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Cardunal CROP Walk Against Hunger on Oct. 19. And what better way to celebrate than by making this year's walk the best ever. People in Carpentersville, Algonquin, Dundee Township, and Lake in the Hills have been participating in the walk together since 1984. Over the years, they have raised over $221,900 to fight hunger around the world and here at home. One-quarter of the money collected supports FISH Food Pantry and Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Interfaith Pantry. And the rest of the money goes to the global humanitarian agency Church World Service, which uses the funds for both domestic and international poverty-reducing efforts. The 2008 CROP walk will step off at 1:30 p.m. starting from Joy Community Presbyterian Church, 108 S. Lakewood Road, Lake in the Hills. Registration starts at 12:30 p.m. For details, call (847) 515-8800. If you can't participate, consider sponsoring those who can. There will be a CROP Hunger Walk "Recruiter's Rally" from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Tuesday at Joy Community Presbyterian Church. The rally is a "must attend" for all recruiters.

Go Green September: On Sept. 7, First Presbyterian Church, 240 Standish St. in Elgin, is kicking off this worship year with a "Go Green September" starting with an outdoor worship service. The service will be held at Tyler Creek Upper Pavilion at 10:30 a.m. Music will be led by local folk musician, Peg Lehman. After the service, there will be a potluck lunch and "Ice Cream Sunday." Double dips will be awarded to newcomers and members who bring a friend. Multiple games and activities are planned for all age groups. The church will continue their "Go Green" emphasis by collecting recyclable electronics during the entire month of September. Also a Harvest Table, sharing produce from members' gardens and kitchens will be available after each worship service. Church school classes will resume at 9:15 a.m. Sept. 14. This will be a month to recognize the congregation's stewardship of God's creation. Join them for worship at 10:30 a.m. For information, call the church office at (847) 742-6365 or visit www.fpce.org.

Good Shepherd fundraiser: Nick's Pizza & Pub in Elgin is hosting a fundraiser to benefit Good Shepherd Lutheran School in Elgin. On Sept. 10, 15 percent of the sales generated from the fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. will go to Good Shepherd School. The only requirement is to bring the flyer that is being distributed and is posted on the Good Shepherd Web site at www.goodshepherd-elgin.org. For information, call Good Shepherd Lutheran School at (847) 741-7795, or Nick's Pizza at (847) 531-5550.

Pig roast: Carpenter's House Community Church, 201 N. Kennedy Drive in Carpentersville, will hold its second annual pig roast from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 13. There will be live music and a motorcycle show, as well as a petting zoo and pony rides. Carpentersville Fire Department will have one of their trucks on site. Admission is free, though donations are accepted. For details, call (847) 428-0999.

Westminster fundraiser: Westminster Christian School in Elgin invites you to participate in the ninth annual Phil Sokody Golf Classic on Sept. 15 at Royal Hawk Country Club in St. Charles. The format is four-man scramble with a shotgun start at 1 p.m., and dinner and auction to follow. This event is a fundraiser for Westminster Christian School athletic programs. For information, call Rick Palmer at (847) 695-0310, ext. 231 or register online at www.golfinvite.com/westminster.

Join Catholic Church: The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program at St. Mary Catholic Church of Elgin provides an opportunity for adults to learn more about the Catholic faith. Many in the program, through prayer and discernment, choose to become a fully initiated member of the Roman Catholic church at Easter. St. Mary's RCIA program begins at 10 a.m. Sept. 28 in the upper level of St. Mary's parish office, 400 Fulton St., Elgin. The classes continue Sundays through next Easter, with time off for holidays. Study materials are provided and there is no fee to attend the classes. To learn more about the Catholic faith, you are invited to attend the introductory meeting on Sept. 28. Call (847) 888-2718 or e-mail deaconhank@stmaryelgin.com if you want to register or get details.