Tri-Cities religion notes

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Special events

• On Saturday, May 9, Nancy Gouch will be facilitating a retreat titled "Essence of Prosperity" from 1 to 5:30 p.m. at Fox Valley Unity Church, 230 Webster St., Batavia. Treat yourself to this half-day retreat and you will strengthen your spiritual foundation as you create your own sacred space for personal transformation. You will be anointed using specially formulated essential oil blends to facilitate spiritual attunement as you listen to the evocative music of Jana Stanfield and journal your awareness. Suggested offering is $45 in advance or $60 at the door. To register for the class, call Fox Valley Unity at (630) 879-1115. More information can be found on the Web site at foxvalleyunity.org.

• The public is invited to the dedication of a new open-air steel pavilion at the future site of Sugar Grove United Methodist Church, 4S633 Harter Road. The event will begin at noon Sunday, May 17. The site is part of a the church's 40-acre campus, located three-quarter mile west of Route 47. For information, contact Sugar Grove United Methodist at (630) 466-4501.

• Temple B'nai Israel, at 400 N. Edgelawn Drive, in Aurora is hosting a lecture "The Arab-Israel Conflict in Light of Recent Events." The guest speaker will be Dr. Zohar Raviv, a. U. S-based Israeli scholar. The lecture is $10, and will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, May 17. It will be followed by a light lunch. For information, call the temple office at (630) 892-2450.

Support

• Moms Together: Moms Together welcomes Lynne Hybels who will present "Nice Girls Didn't Change the World" from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. Thursday, May 21 at the west campus of First Baptist Church of Geneva, 3435 Keslinger Road. The cost is $6 per mom, $8 from mom with one child, and $10 for a mom with two or more children. To register, call (630) 232-7068, ext. 137 or e-mail jragains@fbcg.com.

Nice girls are taught early that serving God means earning God's love and sacrificing oneself to meet the needs of others. Unfortunately, after living a life she thought was what God demanded, her husband wanted, her children needed, and her church expected, Lynne Hybels felt utterly lost - both to herself and to God. Lynne will share her struggle to stop living someone else's life and to reclaim the unique gifts, strengths, and passions God gave her. She will reveal how turning away from her false view of God as a harsh and demanding taskmaster enabled her to rest at last in God sustaining love. It's never too late to discover that who you really are is exactly what God and what the world needs. Lynne married a youth pastor, Bill Hybels, in 1974 and in 1975 they started Willow Creek Community Church in a rented theater in Palatine. For years she has been involved in Willow's ministry partnerships in under-resourced communities in Latin America and Africa. She is the author of "Nice Girls Don't Change the World" and co-author of "Rediscovering Church" and "Fit to be Tied."

• From 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, Fox Valley Unity church facilitates a discussion of "A Course in Miracles." This is an ongoing class - rain or shine. Each week a new topic is discussed. The class is always open to new attendees. Fox Valley Unity is at 230 Webster St., Batavia. For more information, call (630) 879-1115 or visit foxvalleyunity.org.

Catholic

• On Sunday, May 12, to honor Our Lady of Fatima, St. Patrick Catholic Church, 408 Cedar St. in St. Charles, will have Rosary at 6:45 p.m. followed by Procession, May Crowning and Holy Mass at 7:15 p.m. Everyone is invited to walk in the procession as the children spread flowers to honor Our Lady of Fatima. Baskets and flowers will be provided if needed.

First Communion children are encouraged to wear their First Communion clothing. Boys may spread flowers, carry a crucifix or a rosary. Refreshments served after Mass.

For more information, call (630) 584-0092 or visit stpatrickparish.org.

Evangelical Covenant

• On Sunday, May 10, the Rev. Paul Bischoff, interim pastor, invites you to a Mother's Day worship service led by the Lonesome Theologians at the 10:30 a.m. service at Country Covenant Church, Route 47 and McDonald Road in Campton Hills.

Adult Sunday school is held at 9:30 a.m. Bring your Bibles and enjoy good, Scripture-related conversation, study, and prayer. Children's Sunday school is at 10:30 a.m. The Wednesday study group continues "Rocksolid," an exploration of faith for the mature Christian and for the new Christian, at 7 p.m. A Fay's Pork Chop dinner fundraiser is scheduled for 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 16. Tickets are $12 advanced sales or $13 at the door. Join them for music and conversation, a bake sale, and raffle. The monies raised are used to send campers to summer camp. For information, call (847) 464-5381 or visit countrycov.org.

Classical concert

• Pianist Jim Hendricks, professor of music at Chicago State University, will be in concert at the Sycamore United Methodist Church at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 17. The church is at the far west end of Sycamore on Route 64. The event is entirely free and open to the public. He will be playing America's favorite songs - tunes including "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "My Favorite Things," "When I Fall in Love," "How Great Thou Art," and many others.

Hendricks is best known for his numerous recordings of classic tunes that he has arranged for the piano in the styles of Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Oscar Peterson, and Art Tatum.

Concert series

• Wesley United Methodist Church, 14 N. May St., Aurora, will offer a concert and culture series for 2009. All events will be held in the church's social hall on the newly renovated stage.

A fiery group, Celtic Sounds, will be performing time-honored Irish music and songs, including a fun-filled blend of folk, country and soft rock favorites at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. An inspiring stirring presentation accompanied by guitars, fiddle, penny whistles, harmonica, mandolin and bag pipes. This concert will also feature a performance by students of the Mayer School of Irish Dance. Tickets are $20 each.

The third and final event will be a comedy show performed by Lou and Peter Berryman. Lou and Peter are authors of 12 recordings and three song books of original material. They have performed together for more than 20 years. Whimsical and wonderfully accessible, their performances are hilarious, quirky, yet oddly profound, leaving you with cheeks aching from smiling. Join them at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. All tickets may be purchased by calling the office at Wesley United Methodist at (630) 896-1033. A 10-percent discount will be applied if you purchase tickets for all three shows.

Fundraisers

• All ladies are invited to the first Mad Hatter Tea Party at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at Calvary Episcopal Church, 222 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia. The day will include elegant Tea Party refreshments, served by the men of the parish, who will also entertain. Prizes for the best hats in a variety of categories will also be part of the fun.

Proceeds from the event will help fund Calvary's outreach to Mutual Ground, a local shelter for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. A suggested donation of $10 per person is requested, and advance reservations are required. Reserve a spot at calvary-episcopal.org/events.html.

Space will be limited, so please make your reservation as soon as possible. To make a reservation, visit the Web site or call the church office at (630) 879-3378.

• The United Methodist Church of Geneva will sponsor its spring rummage and bake sale from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, May 8. Shoppers can fill a bag for $5 from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The church is at Second and Hamilton streets. The sales feature antiques, collectibles, furniture, household goods, jewelry, clean clothing for all ages and all sizes, sports equipment, toys, books, CDs, DVDs, records, games, baby items, and more. All proceeds go to support charitable projects. For information, call (630) 232-7120 or visit www.genevaumc.org.

• Fox Valley Unity Church, 230 Webster St. in Batavia, will be participating in the Batavia citywide garage sale on Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9. Hundreds of items will be for sale in the parking lot behind the church. For information, call Fox Valley Unity at (630) 879-1115 or visit foxvalleyunity.org.

• The Knights of Columbus St. Charles Council 12497 will host a spaghetti dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 9, in the Father Dempsey Hall at the Crane Road Church, west of Randall Road in St. Charles. Admission is $8 or $6 for children, age 2 to 12, with a family maximum of $25. Advance ticket purchases or reservations are recommended, walk-ins are welcome. Any club member will be able to sell advance tickets or contact Fred Karl at (847) 373-2922 or e -mail ftkarl@sbcglobal.net to make arrangements.

• At 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, Hosanna! Lutheran Church welcomes East Coast pastors David Twedt, Fred Soltow and Ron Schlak on the eve before they officially kick off their cross-country ride against world hunger. The "Tour de Revs" is a 100-day, 13,000-mile bicycle journey visiting 65 cities throughout the country in order to raise money and bring awareness to the issue of world hunger. The pastors hope to raise 5 million dollars for the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal. Riding a custom-made bamboo bicycle-built-for-3, at each stop they plan to interact with local congregations and communities they visit. All in the Fox Valley are invited to attend or participate in this free kickoff event. Bring your bike. For information, contact the church office at (630) 584-6434, e-mail to Welcome@HosannaChurch.com or visit the Web site, www.HosannaChurch.com. If you would like to make a donation, visit www.tourderevs.org. Hosanna! Lutheran Church is at 36W925 Red Gate Road (entrance just east of Randall Road) in St. Charles.