Religion -- Special events
Spring rummage sale: The large spring rummage sale at the First Congregational Church of Huntley wraps up today from 8 a.m. to noon at $3 per bag. This sale, sponsored by the Women's Circle for over 30 years, has become so large that the entire church is involved. The church is at Main and Church streets in downtown Huntley. For details, call (847) 669-3691.
Rummage sale: Bethlehem Lutheran Church will hold its annual rummage sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at the church, Fourth and Main streets in West Dundee. There will be a $3 bag sale today. In the sale are formal dresses for prom, tools for the men, dishes and art items for the collector, and almost everything that one desires at a low price. There will be some furniture, bikes and toys. For information, call Martha Lehman at (847) 426-9934, or Bethlehem at (847) 426-7311.
Prophetic meetings: This weekend, join Morning Star Church for three special prophetic meetings featuring Sharnael Wolverton of Swiftfire Ministries. Wolverton is a popular conference speaker and host of her television show "Swiftfire with Sharnael Wolverton." She is the author of the books titled "Keys to Third Heaven … Using Third Heaven Revelation to Impact a World" and "The Seers Handbook." She is currently completing her third book, "Overcoming the Religious Spirit." Meeting times are 5 p.m. today and 10 a.m. Sunday at Morning Star, 41W350 Powers Road, off Route 47 in Huntley. For information, call (847) 669-9800 or visit www.morningstarwoc.org.
Clothing sale at Barrington UMC: The Barrington United Methodist Women hosts a "Like New Spring and Summer Clothing Re-Sale" today at Barrington United Methodist Church, 98 Algonquin Road in Barrington. The sale will be from 9 a.m. to noon today. 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. 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. For details, call (847) 836-5540.
Praise band concert: Youth praise bands from different Elgin area United Methodist Churches will play uplifting praise hits today. Doors open at 6 p.m. All ages are welcome. This uplifting event is free to all, but a donation will be collected to support PADS shelter in Elgin. This concert is for a celebration of youth and those young at heart. Epworth UMC is at Randall Road and Highland Avenue in Elgin. For information, call (847) 931-5400 or visit www.epworthumcelgin.org.
Gospel choir stops in Elgin: Community Baptist Church in Elgin will be host the Voice of Praise Gospel choir from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa at 6 p.m. Sunday. The choir is stopping in Elgin during its week-long tour in Illinois. The choir has about 20 members and sings both sacred and contemporary Gospel music. The one-hour free concert is open to the community and will be followed by a time of dessert. Community Baptist Church is at 991 Deborah Ave. in the Eagle Heights subdivision of Elgin. For details, call the church at (847) 697-7744.
Guest speaker: The Fox Valley Chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International will welcome guest speaker Joan Hunter at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Terrace Room at The Milk Pail, 14N630 Route 25 in East Dundee. The meetings are open to men and women of all ages at no charge. No food will be served. Hunter is the daughter of Charles and Frances Hunter, "The Happy Hunters." She has worked and traveled with them for over 30 years, helping with "healing explosions" around the U.S. and the world. For details, call (847) 669-6777. For details on Joan Hunter Ministries, visit www.joanhunter.org.
Westminster celebrating 50: Westminster Presbyterian Church of Elgin is planning an evening of celebration to commemorate their 50th anniversary. The banquet will be at 6 p.m. April 26 at Randall Oaks Golf Club in West Dundee. The speaker for the evening will be Bryan Chapell, President of Covenant Theological Seminary. Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased by calling (847) 695-0311 or lsaxe@wpchurch.com
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 Millenials, 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.
Memorial Organ Recital: On April 27, First Congregational Church will present the second annual Wesley M. Vos Memorial Organ Recital at 4 p.m. in the church sanctuary, 461 Pierson St. in Crystal Lake. Performing will be organist David Schrader from Chicago, and the Vestry Choir of the church. Schrader is equally at home in front of a harpsichord, organ, piano, or fortepiano. He has performed at the American Guild of Organists' national convention on four occasions and has appeared on organ and on harpsichord with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is on the faculty of Roosevelt University, Chicago College of Performing Arts-Music Conservatory for performance and academic studies and appears regularly with organizations such as The Baroque Band (Chicago's period instrument orchestra), Music of the Baroque, the Newberry Consort, and Bach Week in Evanston. Especially fond of French organ music of all periods, he will perform music by Nicolas de Grigny (1671-1703), Jehan Alain (1911-40) and Maurice Durufle (1902-86) on the first half of the program. The second half of the program will feature the FCC Vestry Choir performing "Requiem" by Durufle under the leadership of Ann Tucker. Schrader will accompany on the church's impressive John Paul Buzard's Opus 16-pipe organ using the composer's own arrangement for organ from the original orchestra parts. Durufle was an important member of the Gregorian movement in France in the early part of the 20th century and the requiem mass uses Gregorian chants as a basis for his musical ideas. Vocal soloists for the Requiem mass will be soprano Jennifer Streit, and baritone Gerard Sundberg. Streit is a member of the FCC Vestry choir and has performed as a soloist with the choir for several years. Sundberg is a professor of music at the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in Wheaton and has performed widely in the U.S., the Ukraine and New Zealand. The event is open to the public without charge. There will be a free-will offering for the fund to continue the annual recital series. A reception will follow the program in the fellowship hall. Call (815) 459-6010 for details. Directions to the church are available at www.fcc-cl.org.
National Day of Prayer: The 57th annual National Day of Prayer Observance will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. April 27 at Light & Life Ministries/Elgin's House of Prayer, 270 E. Chicago St. This year's theme is, "Prayer! America's Strength and Shield" with "The Lord is my strength and shield, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped," Psalms 28:7. The event will be filled with prayer for the nation and the community. It will be facilitated by Light and Life Ministries/Elgin's House of Prayer and the Elgin Evangelical Pastor's Association. Federal law established the annual National Day of Prayer in 1952 when the United States Congress passed a joint resolution, which was signed by President Harry Truman. The law was amended in 1988 and signed by President Ronald Reagan, specifically designating the first Thursday in May as the official National Day of Prayer. On May 1, an expected two million Americans will gather at over 35,000 prayer gatherings across the country to pray for America. On May 1, there will also be continuous praise and prayer at Light and Life Ministries/Elgin's House of Prayer from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Voices of the Generations: On May 1, the McHenry County Jewish Congregation will welcome Julie Kohner, daughter of a Holocaust survivor, who will present "Voices of the Generations" at 7 p.m. Timed to coincide with the May 1 Jewish observance of Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, Kohner will share the story of her mother, Hannah Block Kohner, who survived internment in four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, during World War II. California-based Kohner has spent the last 17 years touring the country, speaking to school, religious and civic groups about the Holocaust. Her goal is to make Holocaust teaching tangible and accessible to a wide audience. Taking the stance, "The Second Generation Bears Witness," Kohner's aim is to ensure the stories of the Holocaust are never forgotten. MCJC invites local schools, synagogues and church groups to attend the free event, which is open to the public. For details, or to RSVP, call the MCJC office at (815) 455-1810. MCJC is at 8167 Ridgefield Road, Crystal Lake, accessible from Route 14.
Culture Club: On May 3, Immanuel Lutheran Church's Culture Club will discuss "World Without End" by Ken Follett. The club will meet immediately after the 6 p.m. service, around 7:15 p.m. in Luther Hall C. The Rev. Bill Yonker will lead the discussion of the book. He noted that Follett's first in this series, "Pillars of the Earth," is one of his favorites reads. 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.
Friendship Day: The Church Women United celebration called May Friendship Day is an annual event nationwide. This year CWU of the Barrington Area will hold its celebration at 11 a.m. Friday, May 2 at the Presbyterian Church of Barrington, 6 Brinker Road, Barrington Hills. The 2008 theme is "God's Wisdom Inspires Hospitality" and presents many avenues of extending hospitality, not only to friends but also to strangers. eadings, music, group participation, and devotional presentations will emphasize making new friends by reaching out to others. Young women named by various churches in Barrington, Cary, Fox River Grove, Island Lake, Prairie Grove, Lake Zurich, and Wauconda who live up to the motto of CWU, "Agreed to differ, resolved to love, united to serve," will be honored. A collection of the Fellowship of the Least Coin, in service for more than 50 years, will be a part of the celebration. A worldwide ecumenical movement, Christian women pray for peace and reconciliation as they set aside their least coin. The many coins collected in countries around the globe benefit projects for women and children around the world. CWU of the Barrington Area continues its prison ministry by inviting attendees to bring a gift/donation of regular size toiletries (toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, lotion) and jumbo sized "baggies." There also will be a salad potluck luncheon after the service; attendees are asked to bring a salad to share. For information, call (847) 540-5634.
Moody Chorale performs in Elgin: The Moody Chorale, conducted by Gerald H. Edmonds of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, will be performing at 6 p.m. May 4 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2700 W. Highland Ave., Elgin. Founded in 1946, the Moody Chorale has long been established as one of the leading collegiate choral organizations in the United States specializing in sacred music. Its purpose is to minister the Word of God through music, leading men and women in the worship of our Creator and Redeemer. The repertoire includes a broad range of music chosen from all periods of music history. The chorale tours the U.S. twice each year as well as occasional overseas tours. The group has ministered in Great Britain, Western Europe, Australia, Eastern Europe, including the former Soviet Union, the Far East, Israel, Greece, Guatemala, Norway, Sweden and South Africa. The chorale is planning a tour to Germany, France and Switzerland in May.
Highland Summer Adventures: Beginning May 22, a new summer day camp program, "Highland Summer Adventures" will be offered at Highland Christian Academy in Elgin. The program, open to children from preschool 3 through sixth grade, will offer both full-time and part-time childcare options (6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) through Aug. 15. Creative weekly themes have been chosen to provide a summer adventure of art, music, creative learning and exploration with separate tracks for younger and older children. Each week will include age appropriate activities and fun as well as flexible extended childcare options. For information, call Pam Backey, preschool and administrative director, at (847) 741-5530, ext. 17 or download a registration form at www.highlandsummer.com. Highland Christian Academy, a private Christian school and a ministry of Highland Fellowship Church, is 2250 W. Highland Ave., half-mile east of Randall Road in Elgin. It offers classes for children in preschool (age 3) through eighth grade. Its mission is to partner with parents to provide a nurturing, Christ-centered education, developing the whole child in areas of character, values, academic excellence and physical soundness.
Church to host flea market, craft fair: King of Glory Lutheran Church, 36W720 Hopps Road in Elgin, is accepting applications for its outdoor flea market, collectibles, and craft show. It will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 14. The 10- by 10-foot vendor spaces are $30. To reserve your spot or for details, call Donna Peddy at (847) 742-8699.
Vacation Bible school: Immanuel Lutheran Church in East Dundee invites the community to mark their calendars the fourth week in June for vacation Bible school. Normally, Immanuel host VBS on the third week in June but changed their schedule to accommodate the later release of Community Unit District 300 schools. It will take place June 23-27. This year, Immanuel will be using Group Publishing's "Power Lab, Discovering Jesus' Miraculous Power" material to teach children biblical truths. Power Lab doesn't rely on traditional teaching methods; rather kids will experience Bible stories in powerful, life-changing ways. Older children will be out in the community serving others for the week of June 23-27. The program begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at noon. Registration will open in mid-April. Immanuel accepts children from the ages of 3 to 12 and welcomes all in the community to join in this fun week. There is no registration fee. A donation of $25 per child for the entire week is encouraged. The church is at 310 E. Main St. For details, call the church office at (847) 428-4477.