Tri-Cities religion notes
• The public is invited to attend a free outdoor Christian rock concert in Sugar Grove from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at a 40-acre farm located three-quarter mile west of Route 47 and Waubonsee Community College, 4S633 Harter Road. Harter Rock features four bands, hayrides, volleyball, refreshments, and Frisbee golf. Blankets or lawn chairs are recommended. Rain or shine. Freewill donations will be welcomed. No tickets required. For questions, call Sugar Grove United Methodist Church at (630) 466-4501 or visit sgumc.net.
• On Sunday, Sept. 20, the Rev. Jeffrey Lee, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, will preach at the 10:30 a.m. service at Calvary Episcopal Church, 222 S. Batavia Ave. in Batavia. The bishop also will officiate over the sacrament of confirmation. Before the service, he will meet with the Confirmands as well as the members of the church council. There will be a reception after the service to allow all parishioners a chance to meet Bishop Lee. For details, call (630) 879-3378.
• Do Christians tailgate? The Aurora community and beyond is invited to a free tailgating party at from 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20 at Herget Middle School, 1550 Deerpath Road. There will be a free lunch grilled to perfection, free face painting, free games and prizes for all. The live music will feature the band, 40 DAYS. Worship will take place at 10 a. m. and the games and food will immediately follow. All are welcome. This event will take place rain or shine.
• On Saturday, Sept. 26, from 4 to 6 p.m., Fox Valley Unity Church will take a Pottawatomie Paddlewheel Riverboat ride on the Fox River. This will be a fun afternoon of live music, appetizers and drinks. The boat will be leaving from Pottawatomie Park in St. Charles at 4 p.m. Participants should plan to arrive no later than 3:30 p.m. Price is $30 per person. Preregistration is required. Call (630) 879-1115 or visit www.foxvalleyunity.org. Fox Valley Unity is at 230 Webster St., Batavia.
Worship
• Beginning Sept. 20, Bethany Lutheran Church, 8 S. Lincoln St., will resume its fall schedule of two services at 8 and 10:30 a.m. Education Hour for 3-year-olds to adult will be at 9:15 a.m. Nursery care is provided. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first and third Sundays, as well as on Festival Sundays. Contemporary worship is held on the second Sunday of the month. For details, call (630) 879-3444 or visit bethanybatavia.org.
Guest speakers
• Kathy Kelly and Dan Pearson, co-coordinators of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, will speak about their experiences in Pakistan at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, 102 S. Second St. Their talk will culminate a daylong celebration of the International Day of Peace, beginning at 10 a.m. For more information, visit uusg.org or call Jean Pierce at (630) 232-2350.
• On Sunday, Sept. 27, Fox Valley Unity Church is hosting the Rev. Paulette Pipe, member of the retreat ministry at Unity Village for the 10 a.m. service and a special prayer service at 1 p.m. Those who have experienced Rev. Pipe know of her passion and gift for affirmative intercessory healing prayer and her intuitive ability to facilitate inspired meditations. She is a master of creating rich, sacred prayer experiences that help others deepen their connections with God. An ordained Unity minister, she was the director of Silent Unity in the United Kingdom. She now specializes in retreat ministry and in leading prayer-inspired services and workshops.
Everyone is invited to join this unique opportunity to experience something that will give you "God bumps" and leave you feeling renewed in your faith. For details, call (630) 879-1115 or visit www.foxvalleyunity.org. Fox Valley Unity is at 230 Webster St., Batavia.
Film night
• An award-winning documentary film, "Blue Gold: World Water Wars," will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, 102 S. Second St. The director follows worldwide examples of people fighting for their basic right to water, from court cases to violent revolutions to U.N. conventions to revised constitutions to local protests at grade schools. For details, visit bluegold-worldwaterwars.com.
Support groups
• Care4Caregivers Support Group is offered at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Hosanna! Lutheran Church, 36W925 Red Gate Road, St. Charles. Many people serve as caregivers to parents, spouses, or siblings. So how do you manage to maintain your adult demeanor while dealing with these issues? This month's topic "When Family Conflicts Get Old" will be presented by social worker Joan Guest. Call (630) 584-6434, e-mail Welcome@HosannaChurch.com or visit HosannaChurch.com.
• First Baptist Church of Geneva invites you to Moms Connected, a program for mothers of "tweens" and teens. It serves as a ministry to encourage, support and help moms connect with other women in this stage of teenage parenting. To register, fill out a registration card at the welcome center, call (630) 232-7068, ext. 138 or e-mail jragains@fbcg.com before Sept. 22. Cost is $6 per person at the door.
• A supportive discussion group for those caring for people coping with memory loss, dementia or Alzheimer's issues is meeting at the United Methodist Church of Geneva, 211 Hamilton St. The group will meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month from 1:30 to 3 p.m. There is no charge and the group is open to the public. The group will be facilitated by Meghan Nelson and Kitty Ganzel. Nelson has a master's degree in pastoral counseling from Loyola University and experience in facilitation of bereavement support. Ganzel is a retired ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. While there is no charge, registration is requested. More information is offered from Nelson, coordinator of congregational care at the church at (630) 232-7120 ext. 815 or Meghan@genevaumc.org or visit genevaumc.org.
Fundraisers
• Need to get more for your money and support your community? On Saturday, Sept. 19, Hosanna! Lutheran Church will be having its first-ever garage sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Items for sale include household goods, tools, electronics, outdoor items, small appliances, books and toys. Twenty percent of all proceeds will go to support Lazarus House, the St. Charles-based homeless and transitional living center. All in the community are welcome to stop by, rain or shine, for this indoor sale. Payment terms are cash and carry only. For information, call the church office at (630) 584-6434, e-mail Welcome@HosannaChurch.com or online at HosannaChurch.com. Hosanna! is at 36W925 Red Gate Road (entrance just east of Randall Road), St. Charles.
• Bethlehem Lutheran Church is hosting its second annual Trunk Sale (outdoor flea market) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at the church, 1145 N. Fifth Ave., St. Charles. A limited number of vendor spaces are available for $10. Deadline to register for a 10- by 16-foot spot is Sept. 20. Contact Michelle at (630) 377-5879 for information. Registration fees collected will support Bethlehem's missionaries abroad. Money raised by sellers will be theirs to keep. For details, visit bethlehemluth.org
• A huge biannual church rummage sale will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct 2, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct 3, at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles. For details, call (630) 584-6680. Benefits from the sale will support a variety of missions and programs. Available for sale is furniture, clothing, household items, linens, craft items and more. For details, call (630) 584-6680. Benefits from the sale will support a variety of missions and programs such as youth, local missions, refugee relocation, adoption, education, music. Missions supported include Lazarus and Hesed House, Northern Illinois Food Bank, TriCity Family Services, Heifer Project for poverty solutions, relief for hurricanes and other disasters, and missionaries in Senegal. The senior high and college youth spend time every summer helping to provide better housing and services within various areas of the United States such as Appalachia and Native American reservations in South Dakota.
• The Sugar Grove United Methodist Church invites you and your family to enjoy a variety of hot soups and baked breads at the Annual Bread and Soup Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Sugar Grove Community House, 141 Main St., Sugar Grove. The fundraiser seeks to raise voluntary contributions for Mutual Ground of Aurora, a shelter whose mission is to provide care and assistance to women and children who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. If you are unable to attend, but would like to support this benefit, you can make your check out to Sugar Grove United Methodist Church, designating your gift to Mutual Ground. You can mail your donation to P.O. Box 226, Sugar Grove, IL 60554. We appreciate your consideration and all voluntary contributions made to the Mutual Ground.
• "Lights, Camera, Auction!" is the theme for Calvary Episcopal Church's annual silent auction and raffle at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. Items will be up for bid and raffle, and proceeds from the event go toward Calvary's budgeted outreach ministries, many of which are here in the Fox Valley, including Lazarus House, the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, Mutual Ground and Hesed House. Individuals or businesses wishing to donate items for the event may do so through early October. A highlight of the evening will be the drawing for the raffle grand prize of $1,000 in cash. Tickets for this raffle are on sale now and are $5 each. Only 1,500 will be sold. Admission is free and dinner is included. Calvary is located at 222 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia. For information, or to order raffle tickets, call Calvary at (630) 879-3378.
• Calvary Episcopal Church is once again offering high-quality, low-cost wreaths and greens for your holiday decorating needs, and is now taking advance orders. All proceeds benefit a variety of Community Outreach Ministries supported by the parish. Calvary has been purchasing from the same local grower for over 10 years, and the wreaths and roping are not made until just before delivery, so they will last beautifully throughout the season. All wreaths come with a velvet bow and pine cones attached. They will arrive the week of Thanksgiving; arrangements can be made for earlier delivery if enough notice is given. Calvary will deliver orders locally (within the greater Tri-Cities area) at no charge. For pricing and an order form, visit calvary-episcopal.org. Those wishing to shop in person may do so Friday through Sunday, Nov. 27-29, and Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5 and 6, at Calvary, 222 S. Batavia Ave. For details, call Calvary at (630) 879-3378.
Food drives
• More than 150 volunteers from nine Batavia churches and the Batavia Lions Club will join Jewel and Berkeley's food stores to help restock the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry on Friday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Sept. 20.
Volunteers in red aprons will be passing out lists of suggested items that the food pantry needs to shoppers entering the stores and will collect the food items that the shoppers donate to the food pantry. Containers for money donations will also be available for those not grocery shopping.
All donations will be taken to the food pantry where another group of volunteers will sort and shelve the items for distribution to qualified, needy Batavia and Batavia Township residents. The food pantry serves 1,100-1,200 people each month. Food donations may also be dropped off at the food pantry, which is located at 100 Flinn Drive, 2 blocks south of Wilson Street in Batavia. Food pantry hours are 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays, 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, and 10 a.m. to noon Fridays. For details, call (630) 879-3784.
• Rejoice Lutheran Church in Geneva is offering a bowl of gumbo to anyone who brings nonperishable foods, paper goods or cash donations to the church on Saturday, Sept. 26. All donations will go toward stocking and transporting goods to a food pantry in Biloxi, Miss., in conjunction with an adult mission trip Rejoice Lutheran is hosting to Biloxi in October. Any cash donations will go toward stocking and transporting goods to the food pantry.
For information, call Rejoice Lutheran Church at (630) 262-0596.
• Community of Christ, 1675 E. Chicago St., Elgin, is participating in the Angel Food Ministries program to offer low-cost food relief to anyone in need. For details, including what is available and the cost, visit angelfoodministries.com and type in the ZIP code 60120, select Community of Christ Church or call (847) 741-1366 to leave a message. For details, visit elgin.chicagomissioncenter.org.