Pets welcome at Calvary Episcopal for special blessing Sunday

• In the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi, all pets and their owners are invited to Calvary Episcopal Church Sunday, Oct. 4, for the annual Blessing of the Pets. The Rev. Mike Rasicci, rector of Calvary, will bless all pets at noon on the church's front lawn, 222 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia. For details, call (630) 879-3378.

• A Buddhist temple open house will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at Myogyoji Buddhist Temple, 1S100 Route 59, West Chicago. For details, call (630) 293 5235.

• Flowing Grace, an outreach of the Batavia United Methodist Church, will be "Making a Difference" Sunday, Oct. 11. Instead of worship-as-usual, the congregation will take worship to the streets and serve the Aurora community. The public is invited to join the group, which will meet at 10 a.m. at Herget Middle School, 1550 Deerpath Road, Aurora. From the school, groups will be formed to fan out in the community to pick up garbage, work at local shelters and food pantries, or work with a refugee organization. For details, call (630) 879-7060 or visit flowing-grace.com and click on "do something."

• Fox Valley Unity Church, 230 Webster St., Batavia, will hold a Drumming Circle from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16. All are invited to join for an evening of drumming and rhythms. Bring your own drums or rhythms, if you have them. If you don't have a drum, you may borrow one of theirs. Suggested donation is $5. For information, call Fox Valley Unity at (630) 879-1115 or visitfoxvalleyunity.org.

Guest speakers

• Flowing Grace, an outreach of Batavia United Methodist Church, will present the story of Don Fosnot, a church member in desperate need of a kidney transplant, and the chance meeting that changed his life. At 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, Fosnot and Eileen Helm, who saved his life, will share their story. Flowing Grace meets at the Herget Middle School, 1550 Deerpath Road, Aurora. For details, call (630) 879-7060 or visit flowing-grace.com.

Support

• Bethany Lutheran Church in Batavia offers grants once each year to the community to improve the lives of people living in the Fox Valley area. Emphasis is given to supporting ministry to and within special populations with unmet needs. For an application, visit bethanybatavia.org, under the tab "Reach Out," or call (630) 879-3444 to have an application mailed. Applications must be received by the church office by Monday, Nov. 2.

• 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 meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month from 1:30 to 3 p.m. There is no charge. 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. For details, call (630) 232-7120, ext. 815; e-mail Meghan@genevaumc.org; or visit genevaumc.org.

Fundraisers

• A huge biannual church rummage sale will be from 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. Proceeds from the sale will support a variety of missions and programs, including 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.

• Calvary Episcopal Church, 222 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia, invites the community to meet and say thank you to the men and women of Batavia's police and fire departments at an informal dessert reception from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4. An offering will be taken, with proceeds going to the Batavia Emergency Fund. To help plan for refreshments, those planning to attend are asked to call in advance. To RSVP, call Calvary at (630) 879-3378.

• The Sugar Grove United Methodist Church will host its 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, send a 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.

• "Lights, Camera, Auction!" is the theme for Calvary Episcopal Church's annual silent auction and raffle at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the church, 222 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia. 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. For details or to order raffle tickets, call Calvary at (630) 879-3378.

• St. Charles Episcopal Church, 994 N. Fifth Ave. (Route 25) in St. Charles, will host the fourth annual craft fair and bake sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. This juried show offers handcrafted items for home decorating and holiday giving, including fleece robes for children, blankets, toys and adult fashion accessories. The fair is handicapped accessible. Proceeds will benefit outreach activities to local charities like Hesed House and mission work in the Sudan. For details, call (630) 584-2596 or visit stcharlesepiscopal.org.

• The Women's Guild of St. Mark's Lutheran Church will host its annual holiday bazaar from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Admission is free. Those who want to get a head start on holiday shopping can browse a number of different areas, including bakery table, jewelry, Christmas and Thanksgiving crafts and décor, wreaths and greenery, white elephant and numerous gift and craft items. Lunch items will be available for purchase from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Coffee and rolls will be on sale when the bazaar opens. Proceeds go to support ministries within the congregation and local and international missions. St. Mark's is at 101 S. Sixth Ave., St. Charles. The bazaar is in the fellowship hall of the church, which is accessible by wheelchair. For details, call St. Mark's at (630) 584-8638.

• Calvary Episcopal Church is once again offering wreaths and greens for holiday decorating 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 more than 10 years. 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.

Workshop

• A new program developed by Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors, Contemporary Jewish Learning for Young People, is designed to explore and enhance your child's Jewish identity through movies, music, literature and art. This program is for children ages 10 to 14. Topics to be covered include Jewish identity; ethics; Jewish literature; Jews in the arts and media, and more. In addition, participants will be given opportunities to discuss events and experiences from their own lives within a Jewish context. Field trips, community service projects, crafts and games will also be included.

Jeff Zolitor, an experienced educator of Jewish tweens and teens, will lead this program, which will meet the second Sunday of each month, October through May, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at its office, 121 S. Third St., Geneva. Registration is required by Friday, Oct. 2. There is a $40 fee for the first child, $20 for each additional child in the same family. All interested Jewish youth are welcome to participate in this program, regardless of affiliation or membership in a synagogue. E-mail Barb Anderson at baa1234@sbcglobal.net or call (630) 584-3491 with each child's name, age, grade, parent's name, address, phone, and e-mail.

• Best-selling author, Rev. Richard Rohr, has released a new book, "The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See." The Franciscan priest will be the keynote speaker at the annual Mayslake Ministries Symposium held at the Lisle Wyndham from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. Best known for his numerous recorded teachings and published works, including the Center's quarterly publication, Radical Grace, Rohr speaks to the heart of those who seek to deepen their relationship with God. Today, he divides his time between local work and preaching and teaching on all continents. Mayslake Ministries has secured the endorsement of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Dioceses of Joliet and Rockford for catechists to earn up to six credit hours of continuing education credit for attending the Fr. Richard Rohr Symposium. A wide variety of books and resources for spirituality will also be available for purchase on the day of the event. The symposium is open to the public and registration is required. For information and to register online, visit mayslakeministries.org or call (630) 268-9000. To learn more about Rohr, visit cacradicalgrace.org.

• A weekend to help troubled marriages for couples: Is your marriage tearing you and your family apart? Retrouvaille is for couples who want to do something positive about their marriage. Northern Illinois Retrouvaille has an upcoming weekend on Oct. 23-25 in Romeoville at St. Charles Pastoral Center. For information, visit HelpOurMarriage.com.