Fox Valley religion events

Celebration services: Morning Star Church and The River Church in Huntley invite you to attend the 24th anniversary celebration services featuring the ministry of Ben Naughton at 7:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, and 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 24. Naughton is a revivalist who brings a message of the finished work of the cross, grace and the Kingdom of God demonstrated with signs, wonders, and miracles. He also brings a prophetic edge moving in the gifts of the Spirit, words of knowledge, and prophecy. You are invited to experience these special revival meetings. There is no charge for these events, which will be held at Morning Star Church and The River Church, 41W350 Powers Road, just north of the I-90 Route 47 exit in Huntley. For details on Naughton, visit bennaughton.com. For information, call (847) 669-9800 ext. 111 or visit www.morningstarwoc.org and www.theriver-church.com.

Guest pastor at Vineyard: On Sunday, Jan. 24, the Rev. Dan Paxton, pastor of the Vineyard Church in Waterloo, Iowa, will share his message at the 10 a.m. service at Vineyard Church of Elgin, 220 Division St. His ministry is based on the power of the love of Christ, and he has seen many miraculous things happen by the power of God's love. He and his wife, Roilene, have adopted children, ministered in prisons and among the neediest of their community. They have seen God's love show up in the most unexpected places and bring amazing transformations into the lives of those God has called them to love. He also leads a large congregation in Iowa called to bring the love of Christ wherever they go. For details, call (847) 697-8001.

Haiti donations needed: First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake, in cooperation with the Northwest Haiti Christian and Waves of Mercy Missions in Port-De-Paix, is collecting much needed items to help the Haitian earthquake victims. These items will be flown directly into Port-De-Paix (150 miles north of Port-au-Prince, Haiti) at the beginning of February, bypassing the congestion at the Port-au-Prince airport. first aid medical supplies; youth clothing (summer, gently used); infant's Tylenol; children's Tylenol; cold medicine; sensible shoes for all ages; bandages; peanut butter; white sheets for burials (any size); band-aids; sleeping bags; Neosporin (antibiotic cream); and bags of rice or beans. Drop off the following items by Jan. 26 at the church, 461 Pierson St. in Crystal Lake. For information, call (815) 459-6010.

Open houses: Good Shepherd Lutheran School will host open houses for preschool, all-day kindergarten and first through fifth grades. The elementary school at 1111 Van St. in Elgin will hold open houses from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27; 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 and 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 30. Good Shepherd Lutheran preschool's open house dates are 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 20 and 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11 at its Nesler Road and Route 20 location. All of the open houses include refreshments and child care is available. Information and registration for each school will be held, along with tours and teacher introductions. Learn about the quality Lutheran education and all-day kindergarten program. Good Shepherd will offer kindergarten to fifth grades for the 2010-11 school year at 1111 Van St. Preschool is 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. To schedule a tour at a different time or for details, call the school office at (847) 741-7795 or the preschool office at (847) 697-4745.

Word Among Us: Trinity Lutheran Church in Huntley will have continuing Short Courses of Word Among Us at 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. Thursdays at the church, 11008 N. Church St. WAU are DVD studies presented by Tim Hetzner, president of Lutheran Charities, followed by discussion with the Rev. Charls Kittel. The next offerings are: "Jude," one-week course; "Jonah," three-week course; "Proverbs," 10-week course; "Know That God Exists," one-week course, and "Esther," five-week course. For details or to register, call the church office at (847) 669-5780. Worship services are at 5:30 p.m. Saturdays, 8 and 10:30 a.m. Sundays. Adult-staffed child care is provided during the second Sunday service (in the educational wing).

Cursillo Ultreya Grande V: The Cursillo Ultreya Grande V will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30 at The Church of St. Mary, 244 Waterman St. in Sycamore. All Cursillista are encourage to attend. This is an opportunity to get together as one movement to pray, sing, reflect, worship, hear witness and more. Preregistration is necessary. Cost $15 per person. Deadline for registration is Jan. 23. To sign up, call Rich and Barb at (815) 728-0918 or Don and Sharon at (815) 895-5566.

Elgin rector retiring: On Sunday, Jan. 31, the Rev. Thomas M. Atamian will be celebrating his last services at 8 and 10 a.m. at St. Hugh of Lincoln Episcopal Church, 36W957 Highland Ave., Elgin. The parish will be recognizing his 30 years in ministry and his retirement with a reception honoring the rector and his wife Marilyn from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 at the Eagle's Club in Gilberts. For details, call Karen at (847) 695-7695.

Sacred music concert: An inspiring celebration of sacred music by a variety of Barrington churches is coming to Barrington United Methodist Church at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at the church, 98 Algonquin Road (at Route 59). This year's show features original compositions written by two local church choir directors: Rory Cooney and Tim Brubacker. There also will be a variety of sacred music styles from the individual churches as well as massed choir pieces directed by festival founder James Skomer of Salem United Methodist Church. Participating churches and directors include: Barrington United Methodist Church, Karen Maxwell; Lutheran Church of the Atonement, Helen Ailabouni; Presbyterian Church of Barrington, Kirsten Hedegaard; St. Anne Catholic Community, Rory Cooney; St. Mark Episcopal, Bruce Hall; St. Matthew Lutheran, Cathy Gathman; St. Michael Episcopal, Nancie Tobison; Salem UMC, David Hartley and Village Church of Barrington, the Rev. Tim Brubacher. All are welcome. There will be a free-will offering. For details, call (847) 359-6663.

Haiti relief offerings: Through Jan. 31, Barrington United Methodist Church will receive a special offering to support relief work in Haiti. The offering will be sent to the United Methodist Committee on Relief, which responds to disasters throughout the world. Every dollar given to UMCOR goes to the designated project. Administrative costs are covered by the church's apportionment to the General Church. Checks should be made to Barrington United Methodist Church with "Haiti Relief" written on the memo line and may be mailed to: 98 Algonquin Road, Barrington, IL 60010.

Catholics Returning Home: Nonpracticing Catholics who feel disconnected and seek a return to the Church are invited to attend the "Catholics Returning Home" sessions from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays, Feb. 1 through March 8, at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 845 W. Main St. (Route 72) in West Dundee. "Regardless of what's happened in your life or how long you've been away, you can come home to the Catholic Church," said Monsignor Timothy L. Doherty, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Church. "Our parish is a warm and welcoming community united in faith and guided by the Holy Spirit. On behalf of St. Catherine of Siena Church and the whole Church, I invite you to come back home."

The six-week program titled "Catholics Returning Home" includes: Feb. 1, overview: "Why Am I Here?"; Feb. 8, "Sharing Stories of Faith"; Feb. 15, "The Church Today"; Feb. 22, "Explanation of the Mass"; March 1, "Explanation of Confession"; March 8, "What Do Catholics Believe?"

"Through these sessions our prayer is that we can help and inspire nonpracticing Catholics to ease back into the Church," said Deacon Bill Whitehead. "We especially welcome those who have issues with the Church."

St. Catherine of Siena Church, which is part of the Rockford Diocese, along with the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet, is participating in the Catholics Come Home Program. Its mission is to inspire, educate and evangelize inactive Catholics in the community. For details, call Deacon Bill Whitehead at (847) 426-2217.

Conference on marriage: St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in Algonquin invite the community to the "Love and Respect: A Marriage Video Conference" from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12 and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13. At the conference, couples will discover how to "crack the communication code" and understand one thing: that unconditional respect is as powerful for him as unconditional love is for her. Each couple will enjoy the fellowship of other couples, young and old, and with Emerson and Sarah Eggerich (via video) will work toward the same goal of renewing and strengthening their marriage. Admission includes light refreshments Friday, breakfast and lunch Saturday and a workbook. Cost is $25 per person or $50 per couple. Registration is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. To register today, call St. John's church office at (847) 658-9300. St. John's is at 300 Jefferson St. in downtown Algonquin.

Wayside fundraiser: "Walk a Mile in My Shoes ... Elgin," a benefit for the Elgin Wayside Center, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 13. It will start at 9 a.m. at Evangelical Covenant Church, 1565 Larkin Ave., Elgin. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. The 1.43 mile walk will end with a tour of the Elgin Wayside Center, 1732 Berkley St. Shuttles will return you to your vehicle. Register at www.walk-a-mile-elgin.org. The Wayside Center operates the Discipleship House, a home facility in Elgin. It is a Christian family environment for impoverished men working to stabilize their lifestyle and lead stronger Christian lives. Residents are involved in local churches and also attend Bible studies, counseling and mentoring sessions at the Wayside Center.

Movie premiere: Life Church will host the premiere of "Furious Love" at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14 at the Arcada Theater, 105 E. Main St. in St. Charles. It is new feature film from Darren Wilson, the director of the 2008 feature "Finger of God." It is the story of one man's journey into some of the darkest spiritual climates on earth to test the limits of God's love. Watch his discovery and witness God's response to the demon possessed in Africa, the heroine addicts of Madrid, and witches in Salem, Mass. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $5. There will be a guest appearance by Wilson, an independent filmmaker and assistant professor at Judson University. He earned his master in fine arts in script and screenwriting from Regent University, in Virginia Beach, Va. His first feature film, "Finger of God," details his personal journey around the world in search of the miraculous. Tickets may be purchased online at www.gotlifechurch.com or by calling (630) 443-8822. Ian Andrews will be the guest speaker from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 at Life Church, 8 N. Second Ave. in St. Charles.

Organ concert, hymn sing: The public is invited to enjoy an organ concert and hymn sing at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21 at First United Methodist Church, 216 E. Highland Ave. in Elgin. The organ is one of the finest in the area, having recently been rebuilt and enlarged. The guest organist is Paul Satre, professor of music in the School of Music at Trinity International University in Deerfield. Before coming to Trinity, Satre taught at Judson College in Elgin and Crown College in Minnesota. He returned to his alma mater to teach in 1996. He performs regularly in the Chicago area, has performed on numerous recording projects, and is principal organist of the Moody Church in Chicago. At the church, Satre has performed on piano and organ on recordings and is heard regularly on over 400 radio stations throughout the world on the Moody Church Hour. First United Methodist Church's original organ, a 1924 Austin pipe organ, was restored in 2008 by S.B. Smith & Associates. The restoration included the installation of a new Rodgers Model 1038, 4-manual digital organ console. Also included in the restoration was the addition of 20 ranks of pipes and 150 digital ranks. It has 60 ranks of pipes, the smallest being only 6 inches long and the largest is 16 feet, with a Ruffatti Trumpet En Chamade in the back of the church. All of the electronics were upgraded to current technology which includes a full MIDI interface. The organ still maintains most of its original relay and leather "ciphers" that control the air to the pipes. These mechanisms have been carefully maintained over the years by several generations of church organists, including Mark Johnson, the current church organist.

Forum on end-of-life issues: What is advance health care planning? It's thinking about what we desire and expect to be done for you medically as you approach the end of your life. It's talking to your loved ones and medical care providers about those expectations. It's acting to put those decisions and expectations into written documents to be shared with those close to you. From 7:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake is hosting a one-act play, "B.O.A.T.I.N.G.," and panel presentation led by the Northwest Branch of the Chicago End of Life Coalition (formerly McHenry County's Partners Coalition to Improve End of Life Care). This forum is an opportunity to get information about and the tools needed for having these important conversations about future health care needs. The themes introduced in this forum will continue into a five-week study beginning Wednesday, Feb. 24. Scheduled for 6:45 to 7:45 p. m. Wednesdays, these study sessions will include discussion about the range of choices that surround dying and death: advance directives, palliative and hospice care, estate planning/stewardship and rites of passage/planning a funeral. Nursery care as well as programming for children of all ages will be available. The church is at 461 Pierson St. For information, call (815) 459-6010 or fcc-cl.org.

Donation drive: Woodstock Bible Church, 770 E. Kimball Ave., is partnering with the Senior Service Center located in McHenry as they host "Kiss For A Cause - Keeping It Safe For Seniors." Donations of hats, gloves, scarves, socks, salt, shovels, and basic small tools for home repairs are currently being collected. Donation items may be dropped off at Woodstock Bible Church or the Senior Service Center. For details, call Woodstock Bible Church at (815) 338-3006 or Megan at Senior Services at (815) 344-3555.