Lake County 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 it to Religion listings, 1795 N. Butterfield Road, Suite 100, Libertyville, IL 60048.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago invites those who have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide to participate in its Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide Program from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at Holy Family Church Counseling Center, 2515 Palatine Road, Inverness, and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, at Carmel High School, 1 Carmel Parkway, Mundelein.

Community Christian Church: On Saturday, Nov. 29, from 9 a.m. to noon, everyone is welcome to kick off the season with a family breakfast followed by decorating of the church. On Sunday, Nov. 30, the 8 and 10 a.m. worship services will include a "hanging of the greens." Each Sunday during Advent, the 10 a.m. worship experience will feature a children's sermon inviting kids to ponder the special meaning of Christmas and the joy it brings. Community Christian Church is a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), at 1970 Riverwoods Road, Lincolnshire. (847) 945-8824, www.ccclincolnshire.org.

• On Sunday, Dec. 14, enjoy a "Festival of Joy." The 10 a.m. worship service will feature a choir cantata and will be followed by a fellowship luncheon. A children's pageant will follow at 1 p.m., and an old-fashioned carol sing will conclude the celebration.

Congregation Or Shalom: A special program focusing on the "sandwich generation" will be held Sunday, Dec. 7. Focusing on today's changing demographics and the dilemmas of midlife adults, the speaker, Joan Ente, will address issues involving "Caring for Our Aging Loved Ones." Ente, a licensed clinical social worker and geriatric care manager at CJE SeniorLife, will also discuss how to plan ahead for the care of aging parents. For information or to register, call (847) 362-1948 or e-mail the program director at ekaufman@orshalomlc.org. The synagogue is at 21 Hawthorn Parkway in Vernon Hills.

Federated Church of Wauconda: A Christmas Bazaar will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the church, 200 S. Barrington Road, (Route 176 and Barrington Road) Wauconda. Crafts, ornaments, handmade Christmas cards, home-baked goods, egg art, quilts, designer scarves and Grandma's attic (gently used treasures). Lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Luncheon tickets cost $8 for adults, $3 for children ages 3 to 12 and free for kids younger than 3. For details, call (847) 526-8471. Same day as Wauconda's Main Street Christmas Walk.

Gentle Hands Healing Rooms: Gentle Hands Healing Rooms, formerly Crystal Spring Healing Rooms, in Libertyville is available for healing prayer every Saturday morning from 9:30 to 11:30. Prayer is free and confidential. Interdenominational, trained, Christian teams are ready to pray for you. Location: 1117 S. Milwaukee Ave., Suite A-14.

Grace Lutheran Church: The 5th Annual Grace Cookie Walk will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at the church, 501 Valley Park Drive in Libertyville. Cookies are home baked by church volunteers and sold by the container. Shoppers can mix and match their favorites, or try delectable new tastes. This is the perfect opportunity to stock up for holiday entertaining and gifts. www.aboutgracelutheran.org or (847) 367-7050.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church: Holy Cross Lutheran Church is coordinating an effort of more than 1,100 community members of all ages to package 300,000 lifesaving meals for starving children around the world during an event Dec. 6-7 at Maine Plastics, Inc. in Zion.

Through a partnership among Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Maine Plastics and the Minnesota-based Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), volunteers will prepare specially designed meals that provide the key nutrients a starving child needs to survive and thrive.

Packing sessions will take place at the following times: Saturday, Dec. 6: 8-10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1-3 p.m., 3:30-5:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 7: 1-3 p.m., 3:30-5:30 p.m.

JUF Book Buddies: Learn about Hanukkah through art projects, storytime and songs with other young area families. This event, for families with children up to age 5, takes place from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at the following Barnes & Noble locations: 720 Hawthorne Center, Vernon Hills and 590 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg. To RSVP, contact Abby Halper at (312) 444-2844 or e-mail bookbuddies@juf.org. This free event is sponsored by Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

Messiah Lutheran Church: A living Nativity walk will be presented at 3 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at 25225 W. Ivanhoe Road, Wauconda. The walk will be narrated and start outside and then proceed indoors for the duration of the story. Afterward, there will be cookies and hot chocolate. There is no cost to attend.

St. Andrew Lutheran Church: The Beginnings Drama Team of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 10 S. Lake St., Mundelein, debuts its first show, "A Christmas Carol," Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12 and 13, transforming the church's sanctuary into a theater for the production. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12-13, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. Proceeds will benefit church programming. Please bring canned goods for a food drive to benefit COOL Food Pantry and Transitional Housing, Waukegan, during all performances. Call (847) 548-2760 for advance tickets and additional information, or visit www.standrewmundelein.org.

St Joseph: Men are invited to join a pilgrimage to Italy. Eight places are open for a pilgrimage to Italy Feb. 2-11, 2009. The cost is $3,108 per person, based on double occupancy, and includes travel in Rome, Assisi, Siena and Florence. This package includes nine nights of accommodations, round-trip airfare, daily Mass, breakfast and seven dinners, all entrance fees to the sights and shrines, plus all taxes, surcharges and transfers. There is a $250 deposit required and the deadline for joining this pilgrimage is Saturday, Nov. 1. For details, contact Catherine Sims at (847) 990-1238 or csims@stjoseph-libertyville.org.

St. Matthew Lutheran Church: The Sunday school service will be presented at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, in the sanctuary, 24500 N. Old McHenry Road, Hawthorn Woods. An "Old English Christmas" will be presented by St. Matthew Sunday school students. The public is welcome to join families and friends as an "Old English Christmas and carols" tell the Christmas story.

• Advent services will be Sunday, Nov. 30; Thursday, Dec. 4; Saturday, Dec. 6; Sunday, Dec. 7; Thursday, Dec. 11 (St. Matthew Day School Christmas program); Saturday, Dec. 13; Sunday, Dec. 14 (Choral Advent/Christmas Cantata 8 and 10:45 a.m. - Sunday school program 9:30 a.m.); Saturday, Dec. 20; Sunday, Dec. 21. Service times: Thursday at 7 p.m.; Saturday, 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8, 9:30 and 10:45 a.m., Dec. 14, 9:20 a.m. in Main Church. No worship service Thursday, Dec. 18. St. Matthew Day School Christmas program will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11.

• An in-depth Bible study on the book of Jonah will begin Monday, Dec. 1. This is a three-week class to be held at 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Hawthorn Woods. Instructor will be Tim Hetzner, president of Lutheran Church Charities and founder and author of Word Among Us Bible Studies. To enroll, call (866) 455-6466 or enroll online by going to www.LutheranChurchCharities.org.

Bethel Lutheran Church: Three Advent dramas using a narrated children's theater style will be presented at each of the Wednesday evening Advent services. The first Advent service is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3. The theme for the dramas is "Stirring up Advent - Recipes for Relationships." Bethel is at 5110 Grand Ave., Gurnee. (847) 244-9647.

Christian Life Fellowship Church: The Summit Youth Group meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays at Christian Life Fellowship Church, 41625 N. Deeplake Road, Antioch. www.summityouthgroup.com.

Church of the Holy Family: A Sunday Eucharist service is offered at 10 a.m., with refreshments and fellowship following the service. The small Episcopal congregation is in the historic stable for the Lehmann Estate, 24219 Lehmann Blvd., Lake Villa. The facility is available for rental for showers, weddings, funerals, birthday parties. The Memorial Garden is open at all times for quiet meditation or picture-taking for that special occasion. Contact Faye at (847) 693-8813 for more information. Visit the Thrift Shop, which is open from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. A $2 Bag Sale is held the last Saturday of each month. (847) 356-7222 or www.theholyfamilychurch.com.

Congregation Am Echod: The Reform Congregation, 2945 Falling Waters Blvd., Lindenhurst, offers the following Shabbat service schedule.

• Saturday, Nov. 29: 9 a.m. Study Session with Rabbi Harari, 10 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service.

Grayslake United Protestant Church: The public is invited to pick out delicious holiday treats for gift-giving and holiday parties from among thousands of cookies at the seventh annual Cookie Walk on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the United Protestant Church, 54 S. Whitney St., Grayslake. It features beautifully decorated and delicious cookies, candies and holiday treats for sale at $7 per pound. The cookie walk will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. and is sponsored by the UPC Women's Christian Fellowship. The festive event will be held in the lower level of the church in Fellowship Hall. Call (847) 223-8131.

Holy Cross Chapel: The Anglican Chapel of the Holy Cross and the Words of Blessing Ministry will host an Advent Quiet Day from 2-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7. This is a wonderful time to step away from the commercialism of the season and spend some time in reflection about the birth of Jesus. The Chapel is at 500 Park Ave., Unit 102, Lake Villa. There is no charge for the event.

In addition, the members of Holy Cross Chapel gather each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. for the celebration of The Holy Eucharist (Episcopal tradition), fellowship, and Bible study. www.holycross-anglican.org or (847) 543-7371.

Millburn Congregational United Church of Christ: A Cookie Walk will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at Millburn Congregational United Church of Christ, 19073 W. Grass Lake Road, Lake Villa. Cookies and candy will be $6 per pound. For more information, call the church office at (847) 356-5237.

St. Andrew Episcopal Church: The church at 31 Park Ave., Grayslake, presents its community service project, "Elijah's Mantle for Children in Need." The church's goal is to help families with children in need by supplying free, gently-used clothing for boys and girls in sizes ranging from infant to size 16. The store is open to everyone from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. the second Saturday of each month at no cost. The next store dates are: Saturday, Dec. 13; and Saturday, Jan. 10. The church welcomes fall and winter clothing donations, especially winter coats. For details, visit standrewsgrayslake.org or call (847) 223-2310.

United Methodist Church of Antioch: The church at 848 Main St. houses two preschools. Tomorrow's Future Preschool and Childcare, Inc. offers full-time care to children ages 6 weeks old to elementary school, with an after-school program. Parents Day Out offers part-time care to children ages 2 to 5. For details, call Torie Johnson at (847) 395-1362.

Crosspoint Church: The church will begin the Christmas Advent Season Sunday, Nov. 30, during the morning worship service. The Rev. Chuck Vitel will present a series of messages over four Sundays with the theme of "Keeping the Savior in the Season." The church, 27430 W. Nippersink Road, Ingleside, offers a contemporary worship service at 10 a.m. Sundays. For details, call (847) 587-7722 or visit thecrosspointchurch.org.

St. Therese: Married/Divorced? Liberal, and unashamed of it? All are welcome to receive Communion at the parish of St. Therese, the Little Flower, in the First Congregational UCC building, 320 Grand Ave., Waukegan. Mass every Sunday at noon.

Touchstones: Join Touchstones, an interfaith collaboration, at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, as a new monthlong focus begins: "Celebration - From the Jewish experience." Lynn Sanders, a member of Congregation Hakafa, who has taught Jewish music at Lakeside Congregation in Highland Park, will be speaking and performing at the Schram Chapel, 1799 Patriot Blvd., Glenview. Call (847) 446-0997 or visit MYTOUCHSTONES.org for details. The conversation continues from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sundays throughout December at Caribou Coffee, 939 Waukegan Road in Glenview.