Lake Co. religion notes
Deadline for submissions is noon Monday. To submit items, e-mail faith@dailyherald.com.
Celebrating pastor's service: About 240 grateful members, friends and family gathered on Sunday, May 3, at St. John Lutheran Church in Island Lake to witness as the Rev. Bruce A. Hoffmann officiated his last worship service at St. John. The celebration service included Communion and special music. At the end of the service all were emotional as pastor took off his vestment stole, a sign that his 37 years of service to St. John Lutheran Church had ended.
A special celebration luncheon followed at D'Andrea Banquet Hall in Crystal Lake. Following lunch, guest speakers shared memories of Hoffmann and gifts were presented to the Hoffmanns, who shared a video highlighting their years of service to St. John Lutheran Church. Hoffmann was called to serve St. John in 1972, when he was fresh out of seminary. Hoffmann and his wife, Marlyne, have four children: Shawn (Julie), Susan (Todd Cour), Tiffany (Jeff van Sliedrecht), and Kimberly. The Hoffmanns also have eight grandchildren. The Hoffmanns have retired to Wisconsin.
Rummage sale: The annual rummage sale at Joy! Lutheran Church will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, May 29, and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 30. No items are priced. Joy! is at 749 S Hunt Club Road in Gurnee.
Ribbon cutting: The Zach Taylor Memorial Playground Committee invites everyone at 11 a.m. Saturday May 30, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opening the phase one of the playground to the children of the Antioch community. Organized games for the youngsters and a free picnic lunch are planned as part of the celebration at Faith Lutheran Church, 24300 Grass Lake Road, Antioch. In February 2007 an auto accident took the life of 8-year-old Antioch resident Zachary Taylor and his aunt Brandy Taylor and his cousin, Nikki Taylor. Zach's family and friends created a memorial project to honor his memory. Resources for phase two of the project has accumulated to just over 25 percent of project completion needs at this time. Donations may be sent to the Zach Taylor Memorial Playground Project at 24300 W. Grass Lake Road, Antioch. (847) 293-6101 or faithantioch.org.
Farewell celebration: St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 24500 N. Old McHenry Road, Hawthorn Woods, will have a farewell celebration honoring Kathy Neumann, music director and organist, who is retiring May 31. Neumann has served St. Matthew's music ministry for 27 years on a volunteer basis. A special musical service of thanksgiving for Kathy's ministry will take place at 10 a.m. There will not be a 9:30 or 10:45 a.m. service that day. A reception will be held in her honor in Krueger Hall immediately following the service. (847) 438-7709.
Pentecost: The Rev. Deborah Derylak and the Prairie Circle Unitarian Universalist Congregation will explore "The day of Pentecost and how the Spirit of Life moves within our midst as Unitarian Universalists" at 9:15 a.m. Sunday, May 31, in the Byron Colby Barn, 1561 Jones Point Road, Grayslake, in the Prairie Crossing community. prairiecircleuuc.org, or (847) 604-1908.
Summer child care: St. John Lutheran Church and School, 501 W. Park Ave., Libertyville, is offering summer child care to children entering preschool (must be potty trained) through second grade. Care dates run from June 1 to Aug. 14. There will be no child care July 3. Children will enjoy cooking, gardening, water play, reading, picnics, Bible stories, dinosaur digging, sports activities, library trips, stage performances, arts and crafts, and more. Registration fee is $75. Fees are $50 a day, or $150 weekly. For information, call (847) 367-1411 or come in for a registration form. stjohnslib.com
Clergy connection: The Chapel on the Lake will hold its next Clergy Connection on Tuesday, June 2, beginning with a lunch at noon and a program at 12:30 p.m. The program for June is "PADS - Providing Advocacy, Dignity, and Shelter." The guest speaker is Cedric Lee from PADS Crisis Services in North Chicago, who will share about his organization's mission to address chronic poverty, welfare dependency and homelessness among individuals and families with children. Clergy Connection is a monthly program open to all clergy, parish staff, and parish lay leaders in the communities of Lake, McHenry, and northern Cook counties. There is no charge for the lunch and program, however; reservations are appreciated. The Chapel on the Lake is located at 12 N. Pistakee Lake Road, Fox Lake. For more information or to make a reservation, call (847) 587-2100 or e-mail hamsher1212@sbcglobal.net.
Summer schedule: Starting Sunday, June 7, Community Protestant Church, United Church of Christ, will hold worship at 9:30 a.m. Nursery care will be provided. This summer worship schedule will continue through Sunday, Sept. 6. Vacation Bible school will be held the week of Aug. 3. Community Protestant is located at 418 N. Prairie Ave. in Mundelein. For information, call the church office (847) 566-4000.
Russian vocal ensemble: Christ Community Church, Zion, presents the Lyra Vocal Ensemble from St. Petersburg, Russia, at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 7, in the sanctuary at the church, 2500 Dowie Memorial Drive. Lyra is a community of professional musicians, most of whom are students or graduates of the St. Petersburg Conservatory and sing in churches and musical theaters throughout that city. Freewill offering. (847) 746-1411.
Summer camp: Celebration! Childcare Summer Camp at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 29700 North St. Mary's Road in Libertyville, will offer special programs including pony rides, puppet shows, magic shows, castle bounce house, Round Lake Theatre performance, vacation Bible week, water days, movie days and many more. From June 8 through Aug. 14, Monday through Friday programs are available as well as partial week programs. For more information or to register, call (847) 367-6208. Celebration! Childcare summer camp is open to all!
Clothes for the needy: Clothing in sizes ranging from infant to size 16 boys and girls is available the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Andrew Episcopal Church's Elijah's Mantle for Children in Need community service project, 31 Park Ave., Grayslake. Next dates are: June 13, July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 12, Oct. 10, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12. There is no cost. Donations of gently used children's clothing in good condition are always welcome. standrewsgrayslake.org or (847) 223-2310.
Vacation Bible school: Grace Lutheran Church will offer "SonRock Kids Camp" vacation Bible school the week of June 15-19, 1-4 p.m. The program is open to all children, ages 3 years old (potty-trained) to those entering fourth grade in the fall. Program costs are $15 per child ($45 family limit) for those who preregister and $20 per child walk-in registration fee. Registration forms are available in the church office or may be downloaded from the Web site: aboutgracelutheran.org. Grace Lutheran Church is at 501 Valley Park Drive, Libertyville. (847) 367-7050.
VBS: Crocodile Dock vacation Bible school will be June 15-19 at Joy! Lutheran Church, 749 S. Hunt Club Road in Gurnee. Registration forms are available online at joylutheran.org and in the church office. (847) 362-4569.
Family meals: Learn how to get seven meals for a family of four prepared for less than $70 from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, June 18, at Annunciation of Our Lady Episcopal Church, 5725 Stearns School Road, Gurnee. A famous chef will show how this is done. The demonstration costs $10. Call (847) 336-3730 to reserve your seat. Payment is due at the presentation. annunciationgurnee.org
Learn about congregation: Congregation Or Shalom invites anyone interested in learning more about the congregation and its offerings to attend the Or Shalom Young Children's service at 6 p.m. Friday, June 19, or the regular Friday night service at 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Scott Looper will be leading the services and will be available to answer any questions. School registrations for students in preschool and older are now being accepted for the 2009-2010 school year. Contact Marcia Cohen to register. For those who have always longed to take a trip to Israel, Rabbi Looper is leading a group to Israel in June 2010. For those interested, contact the temple. For additional information regarding any of these offerings or upcoming events, call Congregation Or Shalom at (847) 362-1948 or visit orshalomlc.org.
Food drive: Community Protestant Church in Mundelein is holding a communitywide food drive from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 20. The Caring by Sharing Food Drive will benefit local food pantries. People can drop off nonperishable food items, paper products, or household cleaning items at the Community Protestant Church parking lot, 418 N. Prairie Ave., Mundelein. Drive in the Prairie Avenue entrance, drop off your donations, and drive out the Hawley street exit. For more information call (847) 566-4000.
Connecting: Conscious Connection Group will continue to meet at 5 p.m. the first and third Sundays of the month at Jonathan's Portrait Studio, 1310 S. Milwaukee Road, Vernon Hills. However, there will not be a meeting the first Sunday in June. The next meeting will be June 21.
Friday Friends: Friday Friends has been organized within The Kirk of the Lakes Presbyterian Church in Mundelein for the purpose of fun and fellowship. The group meets the second Friday of the month, each time at different members' homes. For details, call (847) 949-8670.
Recycling: On the third Sunday of each month, youth will man the recycle bin between services, from 9:30 to 10 a.m., and after the second service, after 11 a.m. Bring your old newspapers, junk mail and catalogs. Youth will be ready to assist with the unloading of your car as you drive up to the bin in the Grace parking lot. The recycle bin is in place on a daily basis, so come any time that is convenient for you. A portion of the cash credits for all paper donations will be used toward a green gift for the community. Grace Lutheran Church is at 501 Valley Park Drive in Libertyville. aboutgracelutheran.org or (847) 367-7050.
Grief support group: Faith Lutheran Church announces the formation of a GriefShare Support Group, which provides support for anyone grieving the loss of a loved one. Meetings are from 7-8:30 p.m. Sundays through May 31, excluding Easter, April 12, at Faith Lutheran Church, 24300 Grass Lake Road in Antioch. (847) 293-6101 or faithantioch.org
For seniors: The senior group, The Primetimers, meets at The Kirk of the Lakes Presbyterian Church in Mundelein the fourth Monday of the month for refreshments, book studies and guest speakers. In addition, the group sometimes attends local plays, historical activities and visits tourist attractions. For details, call (847) 949-8670.