Religion notes

Your faith To submit items, e-mail faith@dailyherald.com, or send fax to (847) 427-1301.

Children, teens

New Hope Preschool is now accepting registration for the fall for 3- and 4-year-old classes. New Hope Preschool is affiliated with New Hope Community Church, 1023 E. Palatine Road, Palatine. (847) 359-5482.

Christ the King Lutheran Preschool, 100 W Michigan Ave., Palatine, is accepting registrations for the 2008-2009 school year for children ages 2 to 5. The 3- to 5-year-old program is Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The 2-year-old program is Tuesday mornings.

A preschool extension, the Lunch Bunch, is offered Wednesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Contact Valerie Schultz at (847) 358-0230; e-mail preschool@ByFaithAlone.org; or visit www.ByFaithAlone.org.

St. Thomas of Villanova School in Palatine is currently accepting enrollment for the 2008-09 school year for preschool through eighth grade. St. Thomas is a recipient of the National Blue Ribbon for academic excellence awarded by the US Secretary of Education. (847)358-2110 or www.stvschool.org.

Fundraisers

The Barrington United Methodist Women will have a "Like New Spring and Summer Clothing ReSale" April 18-19 at Barrington United Methodist Church, 98 Algonquin Road (southeast corner of Routes 59 and 62) 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, with a bargain bag sale the second day, with all the goodies you can fit into either a $3 or a $5 bag. Proceeds from the sale will go toward local missions.

Donations of clothing will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 14; and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. April 15 and 16. Tax donation receipts will be readily available. (847) 836-5540.

St. Thomas will hold a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the Rowley Center, 120 E. Anderson Drive, Palatine, hosted by the Knights of Columbus. $6, $4 for seniors, $15 per family. Call George Tibus (847) 991-0738.

Lectures, seminars

Author Nicholas Kokonis, who resides in the Northwest suburbs, will be visit St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church, 133 S. Roselle Road, Palatine, to talk about his award-winning novel "Arcadia, My Arcadia" Wednesday, immediately following the evening services at 7 p.m. The novel is about growing up in southern Greece during the turbulent 1950s. (847) 358-5170, www.stnectariosgoc.org

A book review and discussion will be offered at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Countryside Unitarian Universalist Church in Palatine. The book is "Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming," by Paul Hawken. Countryside church is handicap-accessible, 1025 N. Smith Road, Palatine. Visit the Web site at ccuu@ccuu.org.

A discussion about agnosticism, humanism and/or atheism will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Countryside Unitarian Universalist Church in Palatine. A 15-minute DVD will be shown of author Christopher Hitchens as he reviews his book, "God Is Not Great", after which will be a discussion. Another topic which may be explored is what motivates people to be and do good if they have no belief in God or a religious faith? Countryside Church is located at 1025 N. Smith Road in Palatine, between Northwest Highway and Dundee Road. Participants are asked to enter the north door. cuu@ccuu.org.

Miscellaneous

The movie "Transamerica," sponsored by the Rainbow Friends of Countryside Unitarian Universalist Church, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Friday. It will be held at the church and is designed to allow participants time to get to know a variety of different people, as well as to affirm Countryside's values of celebrating all people, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation. Light refreshments will be served. Countryside Unitarian Universalist Church is located at 1025 N. Smith Road in Palatine, between Northwest Highway and Dundee. www.ccuu.org or (847) 359-8440.

Christ Lutheran Church presents The Living Last Supper at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at 41 S. Rohlwing Road, Palatine. For a 10th year, Christ Lutheran Church will portray live, this special event. As Jesus was celebrating the Jewish Passover meal that evening, he distributed the Passover bread and wine in a new way, creating the tradition of Holy Communion. Witness this event firsthand as members recreate the last meal with words scripted from the Bible. (847) 358-4600.

Special services

A prayer service for peace in the Middle East will be at 7:30 p.m. today at Lutheran Church of the Atonement Church, 909 E. Main St., Barrington. The service includes reading from the Bible, music, and prayers for peace in the Middle East.

Special guest will be Issa Boulos, director of the Middle East Music Ensemble at the University of Chicago. (847) 381-0243 or visit the Web site elca.org/middleeast.