Immanuel School in East Dundee will perform 'Holy Moses!'

"Holy Moses!": Children attending Immanuel School in East Dundee will perform "Holy Moses!" at 7 p.m. Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 in the school gym, Route 72 and Van Buren Street. The community is invited to attend. The directors, Courtney Dougherty and Kris Bartelt, have enjoyed their work with students as they prepare the play based on the biblical story of Moses and how God led His people out of Egypt to the Promised Land. "Holy Moses!" written and created by Kathie Hill, will be presented by Immanuel's first through fourth grade students this weekend at Immanuel. Immanuel School is accepting applications for the 2008-09 school year from students of any faith, race, national and ethnic origin. It is also a recognized school by the state of Illinois and North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. While going beyond academic excellence, Immanuel continues to offer students distinction in the area of fine arts and sports. For details, call Principal Ken Becker at (847) 428-1010.

Rummage sale: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Fourth and Main streets in West Dundee, will hold their rummage sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, April 24 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 25. There will be a bag sale for $3 per bag on Saturday. For details, call Martha Lehman at (847) 426-9934 or the church office at (847) 426-7311.

Fundraiser tournament: St. Thomas More Catholic Church is hosting a Texas Hold 'Em Tournament at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in the school gym, 1625 W. Highland Ave. in Elgin. Buy-in is $50 with an option to re-buy after the first break. The grand prize is $1,000, with second place, $500; third place, $250; and fourth place, $50. Beer, wine, and food will be available for purchase. You must be 21 to play. E-mail pokerstm@att.net to guarantee a spot. Walk-ups are welcome.

Spiritually conscious women: Women seeking the company of other spiritually conscious of women meet the last Sunday of the month at the Center for Spiritual Evolution, 204 Spring St., Cary, following service from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. At the Sunday, April 26, gathering the women will be discussing chapter 7 Eckhart Tolle's book, "A New Earth," Chapter 7. Each intergenerational meeting starts with check-ins and if someone needs extra prayers, the group offers help. As a sacred women's circle, requests for confidentiality are completely honored. A lay-led exploration of different topics is facilitated by a different woman each month, with viewpoints freely expressed without judgment or need for consensus. Many ladies find knitting and crocheting to be a natural thing to do when in the group.

Blessing of motorcycles: On Sunday, April 26, the Rev. Robert Sherry will offer the annual blessing of motorcycles and cyclists at 10 a.m. in the the Church of Holy Apostles in McHenry parking lot, 5211 W. Bull Valley Road, McHenry. The blessing has grown in popularity each year with as many as 300 motorcyclists attending. All motorcyclists are encouraged to bring their bikes as both rider and bike are blessed for a safe riding season. For details, contact (815) 385-5673.

Spring concert tour: The Alleluia Sound High School Choir and the Good Vibrations Handbell Choir will present their 37th annual spring concert tour April 24-27. Performing at five different locations during the four-day period, the choirs will travel to Glen Ellyn, Louisville, Ky. and Indianapolis, Ind. They conclude their tour in Crystal Lake with their Welcome Home Concert at 7 p.m. Monday, April 27, at First Congregational Church, 461 Pierson St., Crystal Lake. The public is invited to attend, and admission is free.

"Catholics Returning Home": Have you drifted away from the Catholic Church? Are you angry with the Catholic Church or with God? Perhaps it is time to look at the issues again with the hope of healing past hurts. St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 111 S. Hubbard St. in Algonquin, invites you to its "Catholics Returning Home" program at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28. For details, call the parish office at (847) 658-7625.

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. In addition, Good Shepherd will host open houses at two times every Wednesday in April. The Wednesday open houses include a luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or a dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Information and registration for the school will be held, along with meeting of teachers and tours of the school. To schedule a tour at a different time, contact the school office at (847) 741-7795 or the preschool office at (847) 697-4745.

Rummage sale: Immanuel Lutheran School Parent-Teacher League will sponsor its annual rummage sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 30; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, May 1; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2. It will be featuring clothing, toys, antiques, housewares, appliances, furniture and more. The sale will be held at Immanuel Lutheran School, 5 S. Van Buren St. in East Dundee.

Combined choir concert: Wesley United Methodist Church, 1070 South St. in Elgin, will host a combined choir concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2. Wesley's choir will be joined by the choirs from the Arlington Heights First Church. Arlington's organist and director of choirs will be Jeannie Richardson, the daughter of Pat Ferguson, choir director at Wesley Church. There will be songs by each chancel choir and the combined choirs chancel, men's and women's, plus solos, from both churches and one by recording artist Greg Ferguson. There will be a musical selection by HOPE - Wesley's Guitar Choir. The concert will conclude with selections from "Jesus Christ, Superstar!" A free-will offering will be collected for the mission work of Wesley and Arlington Heights United Methodist churches. For details, contact (847) 742-7256.

Super Service Saturday: On May 2, Epworth United Methodist Church in Elgin will host a community work day and worship celebration at 10 a.m. The Super Service Saturday is a program started by the church's Mosaic Youth Group. Everyone is welcome to come together for an uplifting worship in the morning. At the conclusion of service, work teams will form and be sent into the Elgin community to serve a variety of organizations. After the work day concludes, groups will meet back at Epworth to connect and celebrate the experiences from the projects and worship together. Elgin community organizations they will service include Hawthorne Hills Nature Center, Sherman West Court, PADS of Elgin, Hostas for Heifer International, Restore of Elgin, and also a 40,000-pound potato drop for Northern Illinois Food Banks. There also will be service activities for the youngest of volunteers, 5 and under. Nursery care is also available free of charge. The cost is $15 per person or $40 for the family. Children 5 and under are free. T-shirts, a snack and dinner will be provided. Volunteers of all ages are needed. Visit epworthumcelgin.org for registration information, or call (847) 931-5400, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. Groups are welcome to work together; let them know if there are limitations, as non-standing projects can be accommodated. Catch this event on Twitter, May 2. Epworthumcelgin is the feed to follow for a range of experiences, relations and happenings at the various work sites.

St. John's Bible Exhibit: The St. John's Bible Exhibit will open on May 3 and run through June 21 at the First Congregational Church, 461 Pierson St. in Crystal Lake. A modern, handwritten and illuminated Bible for the 21st century, The Saint John's Bible was commissioned in 1998 by the Benedictine Monastic Community at Saint John's Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn. to mark the beginning of the third millennium. The Saint John's Bible was designed and executed by Donald Jackson, world-renowned calligrapher, illuminator and Senior Scribe to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Crown Office, in collaboration with an international team of theologians, historians, artists and scribes. It is a blend of ancient methods, materials and tools with modern themes, images, technology and text. Hand-cut quills made from goose, swan and turkey feathers, and traditional tools were used to apply ancient inks, hand ground pigments, and gold-silver-platinum leaf to manually prepared vellum pages crafted from 250 carefully selected calfskins. More than 10 years in the making, St. John's Bible contains 160 illuminations across its 1,150 pages and seven volumes. The exhibit at FCC will contain 25 high quality reproductions of the illustrations and calligraphy in the book. Six-volume, full-color reproduction books of the original manuscript will be available at FCC during the exhibit. The opening celebration takes place at 12:15 p.m. Sunday, May 3 in FCC's Chapel. Thereafter the exhibit will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week, except Memorial Day Weekend; other times and group tours by appointment. Admission is free and the building is handicap-accessible. For details, call (815) 459-6010 or visit fcc-cl.org.

Walk for Life: Many people are expected to attend a "Walk For Life" from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 9 at Lords Park Pavilion, 100 Oakwood Blvd. in Elgin. The event is open to the public. Anyone who would like to join in for a morning of family fun, fellowship, and fundraising is welcome to attend. Participants are asked to collect pledges ahead of time for walking around the pond at the park. One lap is a one-quarter of a mile and the target goal is for each walker to collect $50 in pledges for each trip around. Festivities include face painting, music, and giveaways. A continental breakfast will be served. Prizes will be given for the top pledges collected. The Life Center, 825 Dundee Ave. in Elgin, is a nonprofit pregnancy support center staffed mostly by volunteers. The center offers support to women in unplanned pregnancy situations. Free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds are available by appointment at their new medical clinic, Life Choices. (Walk-ins are also welcome). In addition, the center provides free clothing, diapers, and other basic needs to low-income mothers who are current clients. At this time, they are servicing hundreds of women and children every month. For details, call Betsy Patrick (847) 420-1515 or Mary Viz Darrow at (847) 622-1235. All proceeds will benefit the work of The Life Center as they continue to reach out to the hundreds of women and children who rely on them for help.

Motorcycle blessing: On Saturday, May 9, First Congregational Church, 461 Pierson St. in Crystal Lake, will be hosting its second annual Motorcycle Blessing at noon. Whether you are a rider, passenger or family member of the participant, feel free to come and support all those who are getting ready to hit the road this season.

St. Mary dinner dance: St. Mary's Catholic Church will hold its Dinner-Dance and Fundraiser Friday, May 15 at Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake. Seating is limited so be sure to get your reservation early. The evening starts at 5 p.m. with many activities including the silent auction in merchandise, dining and services. A popular activity is the "Lucky Card" game where everyone is a winner every time; $10 (or three cards for $25) guarantees you a prize for each card valued at $15 or more, perhaps a lot more. In previous years, these prizes included several TVs, leather jackets, dinners to fine restaurants, and more. Along with these activities, you'll have one last chance to participate in the grand raffle for prizes valued at over $5,000. The top prize is a seven-day Eastern Caribbean Princess Cruise. The second prize is $2,000 in gift certificates to Joe Caputo and Sons in Algonquin. Third prize is $300 in gift certificates to Hennessy's Steak and Seafood. The fourth prize is $250 in gift certificates to Barley House. There will also be a 50/50 game where the winners go home with hundreds of dollars. Cocktails are available for purchase throughout the evening. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Select your entree from among tournedos of beef Oscar, champagne chicken or oven-roasted tilapia. Complimentary wine will be served throughout dinner. At 8:15 p.m., the "Ft. Knox 50/50" drawing will take place with the lucky winner taking home $5,000. A total of $10,000 will be split among five lucky winners. Dancing begins at 9 p.m. with music for all generations, provided by Esposito Enterprises Inc. During this time the silent auction bid winners are notified and the prizes are picked up. Delivery arrangements can be made for the larger items. Tickets are $55. Make your reservations at (847) 669-7029.

Buddha Day: On Saturday, May 16, the community is invited to the seventh annual Buddha Day celebration held in Woodstock. The popular event, beginning at 6 p.m., is co-hosted by Blue Lotus Temple and the Ten Directions Zen Community. Buddha Day, Visakha Puja in the ancient Indian language of Pali, is celebrated in all Buddhist communities and countries. It honors the three most important events in the life of Buddha: his birth, his enlightenment, and the attainment of Nirvana at his death. The day is traditionally celebrated on the first full-moon day and evening of May. Here in America, local Buddhist communities often spread the holiday over different dates in May so monks, speakers and guests can visit several Visakha Day celebrations. For the Woodstock event, 20 monks from around the Midwest have been invited to participate. Hundreds of handmade paper lotus lamps lit by candlelight are paraded around the Square after sundown, led by drummers and a statue of the Buddha carried by members of Blue Lotus. Before the procession begins, everyone is invited to the Congregational Unitarian Church one block off the square for chanting and music. And after the procession, all are invited back to the church for light refreshments. The event begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the Congregational Unitarian Church, 221 Dean St., Woodstock. For details, call Blue Lotus Temple at (815) 444-8915 or visit www.bluelotustemple.org.

Great Adventure Bible Timeline Seminar: Join in "Great Adventure Bible Timeline Seminar With Jeff Cavins" from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 30 at St. Mary Church, 10307 Dundee Road, Huntley. Jeff Cavins, renowned Catholic author and biblical scholar who has unlocked the mystery of the Bible for thousands of people, is coming to the area to present his Bible Timeline Seminar. According to Cavins, many Christians pick up their Bibles, resolving to read them cover to cover, only to become frustrated after a month or so because they have lost the story. The Great Adventure focuses on teaching people to learn narrative books of the Bible - to get the "big picture-before they begin a deeper study of scripture. The cost is $35 which includes all materials and lunch. Space is limited so call Janet Marmion at (847) 669-3137, ext. 101, or via e-mail at marmionj@aol.com to register as soon as possible.

Flea market: Vendors are wanted for the outdoor flea market to be held Saturday, June 13 at King of Glory Lutheran Church, Hopps and Randall roads in Elgin. For details, call Cindy Meseke at (847) 468-8160.

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. For information or to enroll your child, contact (847) 658-9311 or 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 (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 (847) 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 details, or to make an appointment to visit the school, call (847) 428-5413 or visit griffinchristianschool.org.