Fox Valley religious special events
Walk in Her Shoes: St. John's Lutheran Church and School, 300 Jefferson St. in Algonquin invite the community to "Walk in Her Shoes" at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18. This program is an opportunity for men and women to learn about the lives of domestic violence victims. Program participants will learn how to help and how to find help. Joan Fenton from Phoenix Arizona will be the presenter. She will also offer information from local area women's shelters. For details, call the church office at (847) 658-9300.
Movie Night: Family Movie Nights begin at no charge to the public from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18, featuring "Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron," on the big screen TV at The Center for Spiritual Evolution, 204 Spring St. in Cary. This G-rated animated classic is about a wild young mustang, Spirit, as he sets out on an action-packed quest against impossible odds to regain his freedom and save his homeland. In a thrilling journey across the majestic American frontier, he forms a remarkable bond with a Lakota brave, outwits soldiers, and falls for a beautiful mare named Rain. All are invited. Popcorn is supplied but bring your own soft drinks. The next showing is "Quest for Camelot," July 16, and "Balto 2 Wolf Quest," Aug. 20. For details, call (847) 516-1950 or visit www.newthoughtmchenry.org.
Rummage sale: St. Mary's Church of McHenry will hold its annual rummage sale on June 18-20 at Montini Middle School, 1405 N. Richmond Road (Route 31 North). It is one of the largest rummage sales in the area. Thirteen rooms of quality merchandise will be available. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Friday is half-price day and on Saturday, clothing and books will be $1 or $2 per bag. For information, call St. Mary's Parish Office at (815) 385-0024, Traci Stevens at (815) 385-5631, or Mary Kay Welter at (815) 385-3281.
Rummage sale: Epworth United Methodist Church, 37W041 Highland Ave. in Elgin, will host its annual rummage sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, June 19 and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20. The community is invited to come by and check out this sale of nearly 50 families. Nearly 5,000-square-feet of treasures will be located in the church's community room, including house wares, collectibles, toys, furniture and more. All proceeds from the Rummage Sale will help to fund yearly mission and ministry opportunities which help our local and global community. It will be held rain or shine. All are welcome. Hot dogs and snacks will be available too. For details, call Epworth UMC at (847) 931-5400.
Garage sale: The Class of 2010 at St. Thomas the Apostle School in Crystal Lake will have a garage sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20 at 4011 Fox Trail in Crystal Lake. The sale is one of several fundraisers the students have planned to earn money for their summer retreat and other eighth-grade events. Donations for the sale are welcome. For information, call Christy Koenig at (815) 479-9665 or Sarah Carzoli at (815) 356-7015.
Parenting course: First Congregational Church, in collaboration with Out-a-Box Group, will hold a free six-session parenting course based on a common-sense approach from the Love and Logic Institute. It will be held from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Monday, June 22 and Tuesday, June 23, and thereafter on Mondays, June 29 to July 27. It will be held in the church's fellowship hall, 256 E. Chicago St., Elgin. Admission is free. An optional workbook is available for $12. The course provides parents with practical, easy-to-learn skills that create respect, responsibility and good decision making in youth. If the daily routine of managing children is wearing you down, this is the course for you. To reserve your space, contact yasmin@outaboxgroup.com or (847) 836-9272. If you need child care, call (847) 741-4045.
Confirmation camp: If you are a student currently enrolled in sixth or seventh grade, you are invited to attend the Confirmation Camp at St. John's Lutheran Church and School. The camps will be held Monday, June 22 to Friday, June 26 and again Monday, June 29 to Thursday, July 2. If you are interested in learning more about the Lutheran faith and what it means to be confirmed in the faith, call church office at (847) 658-9300. St. John's is at 300 Jefferson St. in downtown Algonquin.
Ice cream social: Ridgefield Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church will sponsor the ice cream social during the Woodstock City Band Concert from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 24 at the Park on the Square. Members will bake cookie and brownie recipes from their own collections and from their recent cookbook Beyond the Cookie Walk. Culver's Oreo Cookie Sandwiches and Vanilla and Chocolate Frozen Custard and toppings will be available. The proceeds will be used for the Church's Cookie Lift Project that sends care packages to soldiers in the Woodstock National Guard in Afghanistan. For information, contact (815) 459-1132 or cookielift@rclpc.org.
Fundraiser: On Thursday, June 25, Nick's Pizza Pub in Elgin is hosting a fundraiser to benefit a Good Shepherd Lutheran School family who recently lost their home and possessions to a fire. The family of seven needs to replace all of their belongings, and Good Shepherd is asking the community to come help support them and enjoy a great meal at Nick's Pizza. 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. From 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., enjoy pizza or sandwiches at Nick's Pizza at the corner of Bowes and Randall Roads in Elgin, or order takeout and take the night off cooking for a great cause. Nick's will donate 15 percent of all proceeds from June 25 to the family and great cause. For information, call Good Shepherd Lutheran School at (847) 741-7795, or Nick's Pizza at (847) 531-5550.
Spirit Bound: Join Spirit Bound as they present "Dead or Alive," a contemporary original music production. The performance will be at 8 p.m. June 26 at First Congregational Church, 461 Pierson St., Crystal Lake. Spirit Bound is a 50-member musical/drama group consisting of adults and high school students from Minnesota. 2009 marks the group's 23rd year together. The program is for all ages. Admission is free, however a free will offering will be received after the performance.
Yard sale: St. Hugh Episcopal Church, 36W957 Highland Ave. in Elgin, will hold a yard sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 27, to support its local, national and international charities. The RELICS (Retired Episcopal Ladies in Christ's Service) sponsor the education of two young women: one in Uganda and one in Mexico, contribute to PADS, Little Angels, Elgin Food Pantry and Soup Kettle, Elgin Christian Development Corporation, Episcopal Charities in Chicago and the national Episcopal Relief Fund. All proceeds from the yard sale will support these worthy causes. For details, call (847) 695-7695 or sthugh.net.
Blessing of boats: The Robert Sherry, pastor of The Church of Holy Apostles in McHenry, will visit the shores of the Fox River for his annual blessing of boats and personal watercraft from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 5. The blessing has grown in popularity each year with as many as 50 boats/personal watercraft attending. Directions to the boat blessing by water are three-tenths of a mile north of the Route 120 bridge on the west side of the Fox River. Or attend by land at 1608 N. Riverside Drive in McHenry. The Chain O' Lakes boasts the largest number of boats on any inland waterway in the nation with over 26,000 registered boaters last year. It is navigable from the Fox River in Wilmot, Wis. through the Stratton Lock and Dam in McHenry to Algonquin. For details on the boat blessing, call The Church of Holy Apostles at (815) 385-5673.
Worship conference: A worship conference with musician and teacher Steve Mitchell will be held Friday, July 10 and Sunday, July 12 at Morning Star Church and The River in Huntley. His worship is honest, prayerful, heartfelt and carries with it a relentless pursuit to make call with God. He views every corporate worship setting as a window of opportunity for a divine encounter. Mitchell ministers at many conferences and churches throughout the country as a worship leader and psalmist, and he and his wife have been part of the leadership at MetroChurch for almost 20 years. He teaches, leads worship, and oversees the intercession and music ministry there. Morning Star Church and The River is at 41W350 Powers Road, north of the I-90 Route 47 exit. For details, call Maria at (847) 669-9800 ext. 111 or visit morningstarwoc.org/events and theriver-church.com/events.
Holiday in the Halls: Crafters wanted for the St. Thomas More School annual craft fair and bake sale, "Holiday in the Halls" from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. The event will be held at the school, 1625 W. Highland Ave., Elgin. There will be more than 80 booths. For booth information, contact Laura Przybylski at (847) 888-4363.
Register at Good Shepherd: Good Shepherd Lutheran School, 1111 Van St. in Elgin, is accepting applications for enrollment for the 2009-10 school year. Good Shepherd will offer kindergarten to fifth grade for the 2009-10 school year at 1111 Van St. The preschool is located at its Nesler Road and Route 20 location and offers programs for both 3- and 4-year-olds. Before-school care is available for preschool and after-school care is available at both sites. Church membership is not required. Information and registration for the school will be held, along with meeting of teachers and tours of the school. Also learn about the all-day kindergarten program. To schedule a tour or for details, contact the school office at (847) 741-7795 or the preschool office at (847) 697-4745.
Angel Food Ministries: Hunger is a very real problem in this nation - each year over 5 million Americans face life without adequate food. With today's economic challenges, many ordinary families have fallen on hard times and just need a little help to make ends meet while they get back on their feet. That's where Angel Food Ministries can make the difference. Angel Food is a nationwide program offering low-cost food relief to anyone in need. However, Angel Food Ministries is available to everyone that wishes to order. Orders are usually due midmonth with delivery usually the last Saturday of each month about 9:30 a.m. If you or someone you know needs help - Angel Food is here for you. For details, including what is available and the cost, visit www.angelfoodministries.com and type in the ZIP code 60120, select Community of Christ Church or call (847) 741-1366 to leave a message. Your call will be returned. Community of Christ, 1675 E. Chicago St. in Elgin, is participating in this program to provide food assistance to families across America. For details, visit elgin.chicagomissioncenter.org.
School registration: St. John's Lutheran School, 300 Jefferson St. in Algonquin, is now accepting kindergarten through eighth grade day school registration for the 2009-10 school year. St. John's Day School offers an all-day kindergarten program and first- through eighth-grade classes. St. John's School Program offers core subjects as well as computers, art, music, band, chapel and physical education. The program is complemented by after school extracurricular programs including art classes, chess club, foreign language classes, scouting programs and sports programs including: soccer, volleyball, basketball and pep squad. St. John's also offers BASS (Before and After School Services) program for all enrolled students. It has limited class sizes and acceptance is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Enrollment is open to the community and is not limited to church members. St. John's is located in downtown Algonquin, just 1 block west of route 31. For information or to enroll your child contact St. John's school office (847) 658-9311 or via email at stjohns@covad.net.
Register for school: St. Laurence School, 572 Standish St. in Elgin, is now accepting registration for kindergarten for the 2009-10 school year. It offers a full day kindergarten with a comprehensive curriculum, small class size and experienced teachers. St. Laurence School is accredited by the state of Illinois and the Diocese of Rockford. They offer classes from preschool through the eighth grade. To learn more about the school or make an appointment for a personal tour, call the school office at (847) 468-6100. Visit stlaurenceschool.com.
Preschool at Light of Christ: Light of Christ Preschool, 100 Hanson Road, Algonquin, is continuing enrollment for the 2009-2010 school year. A new curriculum is being offered for children ages 3-5. Enrichment program with lunch also available. Visit locpreschool.com or contact Preschool Director Michele Niehoff at (658)-0955 for information.
Register for Griffin school: Griffin Christian School, a ministry of Fox Valley Baptist Church, is now accepting enrollments in all grades for the 2009-10 school year. The school, located at 16N562 Vista Lane in East Dundee, is for preschool through 12th grade. They offer a full, Bible-based academic schedule, along with classes in art, music, computer skills, gym, and several foreign languages. After school care is also available. The preschool program is for both 3- and 4-year-olds. Parents will be able to choose between a two-day or a five-day program, either mornings or full day. The kindergarten program is either mornings or full day. Both programs feature early learning activities with a low student-to-teacher ratio, and include phonics-based reading instruction. The elementary program is a multi-age class, but with traditional classroom instruction and a phonics-based reading program. The middle and high school programs use a technology based individualized program, utilizing the latest in computer technology to assist in the learning process and prepare students for the modern collegiate experience. For several of their subjects the middle and high school use an online curriculum with real time assistance, where each student can complete his subjects with lessons specifically tailored to his needs. Traditional classroom instruction in several subjects is also included. For details, or to make an appointment to visit the school, call (847) 428-5413 or visit griffinchristianschool.org.