Fox Valley religion notes
Fall rummage sale: First Congregational Church, 900 S. Eighth St. in West Dundee, continues its fall rummage sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25. Proceeds will be used to fund these charities which help the hungry, the homeless and those in need in the greater community. Items for sale will include everything from jewelry, books, toys, clothing and household goods to furniture. For details, call (847) 426-2161, ext. 210 or visit www.fccdundee.com.
Benefit concert: On Saturday, Sept. 26, two contemporary Christian bands will come together to help raise money for the finishing of the Church on the Rock building. With struggling economic times, the congregation has realized it is necessary to look outside of the church for help. Currently meeting at Elgin Fox Theaters, the church needs to raise up a certain dollar amount to put the finishing touches on its building for occupancy. Braden and 10Lb Test are two local bands coming together for this event to support Church on the Rock and the vision of its ministry. This event will be held at Highland Fellowship Church, 2250 W. Highland Ave. in Elgin. Doors open at 6 p.m. Cost is $10 per person or $5 for 12 years and younger. For details, call (847) 961-6974 or visit www.cotrag.org/cotr/.
"Into the Woods": This year's fall drama by the FCC Players of the First Congregational Church of Huntley will be the enjoyable "Into the Woods" by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Performances will be held at 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 26 to Oct. 4 on the empty lot at the corner of Main and Grove streets. Tickets are $10 and will be sold at the site. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Folding chairs will be available, but audience members are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets or even a picnic lunch to enjoy before the show. Refreshments will be available for purchase.
Oktoberfest: St. Laurence Catholic Church, 572 Standish St. in Elgin, will hold its third annual Oktoberfest at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. Enjoy German music by the Weisse (Vice) Rossel Trio and the Johnny Matt Trio. There will be German food, beer, wine and soda. Raffle tickets will be on sale for a chance to win theme baskets. Tickets for the entertainment and food are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. For details, call the parish office at (847) 468-6100.
"Feast & Festival": On Sunday, Sept. 27, First Congregational Church, 900 S. Eighth St. in West Dundee, invites the community to welcome the Rev. Aaron James as the new senior pastor at 10 a.m. After the service, join the second annual "Feast & Festival." They will be roasting a few hogs, sharing side dishes and enjoying games and activities for the kids of all ages. All attending the hog roast feast are asked to bring family size side dishes and to make a small freewill donation toward the cost of the barbecue. For details, call (847) 426-2161, ext. 210 or visit fccdundee.com.
Kids Fair: King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin will host a "Kids Fair" from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. There will be pony rides, petting zoo, cotton candy, moonwalk, etc. The church is at Randall and Hopps roads in Elgin. The community is welcome. Admission is free.
Marriage series: Cornerstone Baptist Church invites the community to a Bible-based marriage series, "Meant to Last: How to Divorce-Proof Your Marriage" at Marlowe Middle School, 9625 Haligus Road, Lake in the Hills. The sessions will be held from 11 a.m. to noon. The first six-week session will be Sept. 27 to Nov. 1. The second six-week session will be Nov. 8 to Dec. 20. The second session will build upon the first six week session. Children's nurseries and clubs will be available. To register, e-mail pastorpjcarlson@yahoo.com your name and contact information or call (877) 989-8300. Free workbooks will be given to those who register. Registration will also be available at the door.
Habitat fundraiser: Dine at Garibaldi's on Tuesday, Sept 29 from 5-8:30 p.m. and mention Habitat for Humanity. New Hope Partnership will receive 20 percent of purchases for the evening whether dining in or carryout. No coupons are needed. If you dine in, there will be giveaway items offered in a raffle from Habitat and Garibaldi's. The restaurant is 2258 Randall Road in Carpentersville.
Dinner theater: "Music 101: A Dinner Theatre/Musical with Class" will be presented at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3, in the Activity Center at St. John Lutheran Church, 300 Jefferson St., Algonquin. The story line follows the plight of New Horizons which needs a music teacher. Enter Miss Moselle. She is young, hip and has a love of music. Her goal for the school year is to help the students gain a respect of and interest in music. Will Miss Moselle succeed in teaching the class or will she be schooled herself? Tickets are $15; there will be special discounts of $1 per year for kids, age 12 and younger. For tickets, call Tim Groskopf at (847) 767-3705.
Festival of chocolate: "Chocolate! The Festival" will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division St., Elgin. The festival includes handmade chocolates for sale by the piece along with a bakery of chocolate desserts. Red Bar Winery & Bistro will hold a wine tasting and sale. An art show with demonstrations and workshops and a rummage sale will be part of the event. A lunch of chocolate chili and hot dogs will be available. Admission is free. It is open to the public. For details, call (847) 742-2025 or visit holytrinityelgin.org.
Church Women United: The Elgin-South Elgin Unit of Church Women United will meet at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at the First Presbyterian Church, 240 Standish St., Elgin. There will be a potluck luncheon. The speaker will be Audrey DeCoursey, associate pastor of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren. The theme is "Seeking Shalom," and the pastor will talk about her interests and travels while working for world peace. For details, call Peggy Homfeldt, (847) 741-6358.
Fall Festival: Light of Christ Preschool will hold a Fall Festival fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4 at Light of Christ Lutheran Church, 100 Hanson Road in Algonquin. There will be games, face painting and food. Tickets are $1 per activity/item. Pumpkins and mums will be available for purchase.
Anniversary dinner: Bethlehem Lutheran Church in West Dundee is celebrating 100 years. A dinner will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 at the Holiday Inn, 495 Airport Road, Elgin. Bethlehem began 100 years ago from a group of people who attended Immanuel Lutheran Church and has been proud part of the Dundee community for many years. All this year the church has been celebrating the anniversary on a monthly basis with many former ministers and lay people coming to share their journeys and connections to Bethlehem. Tickets can be purchased through the 100th Anniversary Committee members or by calling the church office at (847) 426-7133 and speak to Jan from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays. Historical brass ornaments will be on sale at the time of the ticket purchase.
Pet blessing: Bethany Lutheran Church invites all pet owners and animal lovers to bring their animals for a Service of Blessing at 11:15 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, to the church, 76 W. Crystal Lake Ave. in Crystal Lake. They will gather outside for prayer and song as they bless all God's creatures. Proper cages and leashes required to best care for the little creatures and little children. For details, call the church office at (815) 459-2690.
Life Chain Sunday: St. Catherine of Siena Parish in West Dundee will participate in National Life Chain Sunday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 at the corner of routes 72 and 31 in West Dundee. All ages are welcome to come and join in this hour of quiet and respectful prayer. For details, call Debbie Schmalen at (847) 426-7326.
Concert: The Ondas Esnemble, which specializes in the music of Central and South American classical composers, will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 at the Presbyterian Church of Barrington, 6 Brinker Road. Works by Hector Villa-Lobos, Astor Piazolla and Chicago-based composer Elbio Barilari will be performed. The concert is free. Cash donations will benefit the work of the church mission committee.
Workshop: In Christ Image Training Level 1 Course will be offered at Immanuel Lutheran Church in East Dundee beginning in October. This is a class designed by the Rev. Francis Frangipani, best-selling author of 14 books and founder of River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Biff and Eileen Hawkey, graduates of ICIT, will facilitate this class, which will be at 6 p.m. Sundays, beginning Oct. 4, in the church office conference room. Registration is due before Thursday, Sept. 24. Tuition per person is $75 and includes all class materials, online materials, online tests and audio CDs. For details, visit frangipane.org, ICI Training, Level 1. To register, call Biff or Eileen Hawkey at (847) 426-5877 or e-mail neenbiff@sbcglobal.net.
'Whole Day of Holy Play': Church Women United of the Barrington Area invites all women to a "Whole Day of Holy Play" from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Techny Towers in Northbrook. Candee Nustra, CWU president, describes the day: "Based on the Biblical story of Queen Esther, who really knew how to play, we will explore how we, as women of God, may play, be pampered, love our sisters and serve our God by serving others." For complete information, see downloadable details at churchwomenunited.freehostia.com, contact any Church Women United representative or call Community Church of Barrington at (847) 381-1294.
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. beginning Tuesday, Oct. 13. No reservation is required. For details, call the parish office at (847) 658-7625.
Olive Tree Project: The Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Barrington, in collaboration with the Environmental Education Center of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, plans to offer a peaceful, green response to the violence in the Middle East by assisting in an ongoing project of "Planting New Olive Trees - Planting New Hope." The center works at bridging cultures and making personal connections for peace and reconciliation with both Israeli and Palestinian peoples. Members of Atonement will be personally planting some of these olive trees in November while making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Orders for $20 must be in before Oct. 15. To purchase a tree, visit churchofatonement.org to download an order form.
Library conference: The Evangelical Church Library Conference, "Celebrate God's Faithfulness Through the Ages," will be held on Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24 at the College Church Commons, 332 E. Seminary Ave., Wheaton. This conference is sponsored by the ECLA whose purpose is to enrich lives through the ministry of well-organized church and school libraries and media centers. The conference features practical worships, speakers, a book swap and much more. Librarians and book lovers are welcome. For details and cost of the conference, visit www.ECLAlibraries.org or call (630) 375-7865.
Sean Feucht comes to Huntley: Join Morning Star Church and The River Church in Huntley for a worship conference with Sean Feucht and his full band on Friday, Oct. 23 to Sunday, Oct. 25. It features intense worship, passionate music and a driving desire to touch the heart of God. He will be accompanied by his full band, including Will Regan, Brandon Hampton, John Romero, Andrea Carr and Terrell Pierce. Feucht is the founder and director of the Burn 24-7. Meeting times are 7:14 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23; 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24; and 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. There is no charge for these meetings. Morning Star Church and The River Church are at 41W350 Powers Road, Huntley. For details, call (847) 669-9800 or visit morningstarwoc.org and theriver-church.com.
Halloween Fun Night: Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool will hold its annual Halloween Fun Night at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at its 195 Nesler Road Christian Life Center in Elgin. Kids of all ages can enjoy the fun with storyteller Chris Fascione for entertainment. Every child will receive a bag of treats after a costumed parade. Admission is $10 per family; all children must be accompanied by an adult. To register, call (847) 697-4745. Good Shepherd Lutheran School is accepting enrollment for the 2009-10 school year. It offers an all-day kindergarten and first-fifth grade at 1111 Van St., and preschool at its Nesler Road location. Before-school care is available for preschool and after-school care is available at both sites. For details, visit goodshepherd-elgin.org.
Fish boil, Rib Fest: On Sunday, Nov. 1, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 401 W. Main St. in West Dundee, will host its annual Fish Boil and Rib Fest. The cost is $15 for fish only; $18 for fish and ribs; or $10 for children under 12. After Thursday, Oct. 1, the cost is $17 for fish only; $18 for fish and ribs; or $10 for children under 12. Tickets can be purchased through any outreach member or by calling the church office at (847) 426-7133 and speak to Jan from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also there will be a silent auction.