McHenry Co. religion notes: events
Egg hunt and coloring: The Congregational Church of Algonquin, 109 Washington St., invites the community to an Easter egg hunt and egg coloring from 9 to 11 a.m. today. There also will be games and snacks will be provided. Bring your friends and neighbors of all ages. For details, call the church at (847) 658-5308.
Living Last Supper: The Living Last Supper is a live re-enactment of the last night that Jesus spent with his disciples before his crucifixion. During the celebration of the Passover, Jesus established the very first Holy Communion, as originally depicted by one of history's greatest artists, Leonardo Da Vinci, in his famous painting, "The Last Supper." The Living Last Supper is an emotional and visually stunning presentation. The performances wrap up today at 5 p.m. at Cary-Grove Evangelical Free Church, 525 W. Ada St., Cary. Tickets are free and available by calling the church office at (847) 639-7566. Visit www.cgefc.org.
Easter worship at St. Margaret Mary: St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 111 S. Hubbard St., Algonquin, will hold the following services for Easter. The Easter Vigil Mass in Polish will be at 5:30 p.m. today, followed by the Easter Vigil Mass in English at 8 p.m. On Easter Sunday, there will be the Easter Sunrise Mass in Polish at 5 a.m., Masses in English at 7, 9 and 11 a.m. and Mass in Polish at 1 p.m. For information, call the office at (847) 658-7625.
Easter celebration: Bring the family to a fun, free Easter celebration today at Elgin Bible Church. The fun will include an egg hunt, games, crafts, snacks, and a show by an award-winning puppet team which will focus on the true significance of Easter. Registration for prizes and activities begins at 12:30 p.m. All children must be registered to participate in the events. Easter Sunday will begin with a breakfast at 9:30 a.m., followed by a service of praise and worship to the risen Lord. Elgin Bible Church is at 1580 E. Chicago St., on the east side of Elgin. For details, call (847) 888-1978.
Easter at Barrington UMC: This Easter, take in Holy Week with new understanding, following Jesus, and thanking God for His joyous resurrection at Barrington United Methodist Church, 98 Algonquin Road (at Route 59) in Barrington. On Easter Sunday, rejoice in the new life we are called to through Jesus Christ, at the 6:30 a.m. Sunrise and 8, 9:30, and 11 a.m. services led by the pastors, the Rev. James M. Wilson and the Rev. Cynthia Anderson. The musical Celebration of Resurrection will be led by the Chancel Choir, and special music with soloist Kimberly Albrecht and instrumentalists. Child care is available on Sunday mornings. For details, call (847) 836-5540 or visit www.BarringtonUMC.com.
The Lynches perform Easter Sunday: On Easter Sunday, Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lake in the Hills welcomes Mac and Beth Lynch for a sacred concert at 11 a.m. Refreshments will be served prior to the concert at 10:45 a.m. The public is invited to attend. They are graduates of Bob Jones University. After their marriage in 1982, they traveled extensively with the Wilds Evangelistic Team until 1988 when they joined the full-time music staff at the campsite. Mac is currently the music director of the Wilds. The Lynches have traveled to hundreds of local churches ministering through their sacred music. They produce and publish choral arrangements and recordings. Their desire is to see the Lord Jesus Christ exalted through Christ-honoring music and to be a blessing and encouragement to believers in the local church. Easter worship will be at 9:30 a.m. followed by the concert at 11 a.m. at the church's meeting location at Marlowe Middle School, 9625 Haligus Road, Lake in the Hills. For details, call (877) 989-8300 or visit www. cornerstonehuntley.org.
Resurrection Sunday: Celebrate resurrection life with Morning Star Church on Resurrection Sunday at 10 a.m. He has risen, now the congregation rises in worship to the King of Kings during this worship event for the entire family. Morning Star is at 41W350 Powers Road, just north of the I-90 Route 47 exit in Huntley. For details, call the church office at (847) 669-9800 or visit the Web site at www.morningstarwoc.org/ events.htm.
Easter at Epworth: Easter is a holy and joyous time to celebrate with family and friends over chocolates and colored eggs. It is also the time to truly celebrate the "mother of all victories." No longer does death define life -- rather life is ruler over death. On Easter Sunday, Epworth United Methodist Church in Elgin is celebrating God's ultimate victory at sunrise at 7 a.m., and at 8:30 and 11 a.m. This is the greatest time of year to connect with new people, short and long-time friends, and those who have been away. And every year at Epworth UMC, Easter brings Scout Troop 128's annual pancake and sausage breakfast. The Easter breakfast with free-will offering will be served to the public from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. For information, call (847) 931-5400 or at www.epworthumcelgin.org.
Easter worship: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will hold Easter worship services on Sunday at the Elgin building, 1250 Parkview Drive, Elgin. The hall phone is (847) 695-2013. The Elgin 1st Ward's Meeting Time will be from 1 to 4 p.m. For details, call Bishop LeStarge's office at (847) 695-2007. The Elgin 2nd (Spanish) Branch's Meeting Time will be from 9 a.m. to noon. For details, call President Urrutia's office at (847) 214-8740. The Elgin 3rd Ward's Meeting Time will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For details, call Bishop Gardner's office at (847) 741-3866.
Interfaith conversation: How do you experience God or the sacred in daily life? How do you understand this experience and/or this concept? What practices or disciplines do you find helpful? An informal group of Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Christians and practitioners of other faith traditions gather on the fourth Thursday evening of each month to address common concerns from their differing faith perspectives. These conversations are free and the public is welcomed. The next interfaith conversation will be held Thursday in the chapel of the Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, 450 Route 22 in Barrington. The topic will be "How do we experience 'God' or the sacred in daily life?" They are especially interested in sharing from your specific religious and spiritual traditions, relating how they shape your experience, understanding and practice. Participants will gather at 6 p.m. for informal fellowship and a meal together. The conversation follows from 7 to 8 p.m. Although the event is free, confirm your attendance with the Rev. Fred Rajan at frederick.rajan@ advocatehealth.com, or call (847) 381-4182.
Understanding Islam: Ridgefield Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church will offer "Understanding Islam," taught by Taufiq Ahmad of the Islamic Association of McHenry County, at 7 p.m. Wednesdays, April 2-23. Islam has become the fastest growing faith in the U.S. With radical Islamists so much in the news, Christians need to be aware of the "Real Islam" and what people of that faith believe. The church is offering the program to help participants gain some understanding of the Islamic faith and that, in understanding, they might create an atmosphere of acceptance, tolerance and commonality as people of faith striving to live in unity in today's world. The public is invited. For details, contact (815) 459-1132 or office@rclpc.org.
Culture Club: On April 5, Immanuel Lutheran Church's Culture Club will discuss "Rhett Butler's People" by Donald McCaig. For fans of Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind," this is a delightful visit with her characters. McCaig holds true to the vibrant personalities and weaves Rhett's side of the story right back into the classic. The club will meet immediately after the 6 p.m. service, around 7:15 p.m. in Luther Hall C. On May 3, the book will be "World Without End" by Ken Follett. The community is invited to join in the discussion. The church is at Route 72 and Van Buren in East Dundee. Parking is available in both the south and western lots. For details, call the church office at (847) 428-4477.
Parenting workshop: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will host a parenting workshop series open to the community from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays, beginning April 7, and 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. or 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, beginning April 9 at 195 Nesler Road. This six-week DVD series, titled "Parenting Families: From Me to We," is based on the Me to We parenting concept originated by David Ludwig, a Christian psychologist and author. It is produced by Lutheran Hour Ministries. Each weekly video segment features three significant parts: a presentation of the main concept by Ludwig; insights from Monique Nunes, a principal, early childhood educator and mother, who takes the concept and applies it to real-life situations; and Ben Gonzales, a real-life pastor and dad, shares his view of life from the trenches. There will be time to talk with other parents about issues that are affecting your family right now. You will begin to see an immediate difference in your family once you adopt this effective concept at home. Register for the Parenting Families workshop series by Friday at (847) 695-4745, or e-mail at alesh@goodshepherd-elgin.org. Cost for the workshop is $15 per couple and childcare is available.
Spirit of Life: As part of the Spirit of Life Chorus spring concert series, they will be performing "Creating Joy" at 4 p.m. April 13 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, 43W301 Plank Road, Hampshire. Other concerts include: 4 p.m. April 6 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 405 S. Rush, Roselle; 5 p.m. April 19 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1244 W. Army Trail Road, Carol Stream; and 5 p.m. April 27 at Holy Ghost Catholic Church, 254 Wood Dale Road, Wood Dale. For information, visit www.spiritoflifechorus.org.
Clothing sale at Barrington UMC: The Barrington United Methodist Women is planning a "Like New Spring and Summer Clothing Re-Sale" April 18-19 at Barrington United Methodist Church, 98 Algonquin Road in Barrington. The sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 18 and 9 a.m. to noon April 19. Plus, on April 19, shoppers can take advantage of a bargain bag sale, with all the goodies you can fit into either a $3 or a $5 bag. Proceeds from the sale will go toward local missions. As its name implies, the new "Spring and Summer Clothing Re-Sale," patterned after the rummage sale, will feature all types of spring and summer clothing, jackets, swimwear, accessories, shoes and sandals for adults and children. Are you looking to donate gently used summer treasures? Donations of clothing will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 14, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 15-16. Tax donation receipts will be readily available. For details, call (847) 836-5540.
Super Service Saturday: On April 26, Epworth United Methodist Church and the Mosaic Youth Team are bringing the community a Super Service Saturday. It is a day anyone can sign up to work the afternoon at a local non-profit or direct help project aimed at community betterment and social action. Led by the Millennials, Epworth UMC is hoping to impart the experience of helping the community. By splitting into work teams, dividing the list of needed repairs, clean-ups or job sites, their hope is that everyone involved benefits, from young to old. To sign up for work crew duty, call Epworth UMC at (847) 931-5400. Sign-up is also available Sundays from 9:45 to 11 a.m. at Epworth UMC. A "Send off Celebration and Lunch" begin at 10 a.m. All ages are welcome and work will conclude at 4 p.m. with a youth-led praise service. The cost is $15 per person, $10 for kids under 10, or $40 for a family. This cost includes T-shirts, lunch and the donations and supplies for the various projects. For information, e-mail Mollie Denman at mdenman@gmail.com.