McHenry County religion special events

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. today 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 the church at (847) 695-0311 or lsaxe@wpchurch.com

Super Service Saturday: Epworth United Methodist Church and the Mosaic Youth Team are bringing the community a Super Service Saturday this weekend. 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 details, e-mail Mollie Denman at mdenman@gmail.com.

Memorial Organ Recital: First Congregational Church will present the second annual Wesley M. Vos Memorial Organ Recital at 4 p.m. Sunday 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. Find more information about him at www.davidschrader.com. 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. As a trained music educator, she has also been a director of children's choirs and preschool music programs at the church. She is also a member of the board of directors of the McHenry County Community Foundation. 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. He has regularly appeared as soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus and with many choral and orchestral groups in Illinois and Wisconsin. 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. Sunday 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 Thursday, an expected two million Americans will gather at over 35,000 prayer gatherings across the country to pray for America. On Thursday, 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.

Judaica Boutique: Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors in Geneva will hold a Judaica Boutique and Bake Sale from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday and May 4. This sale will feature new and gently used Jewish items, including Jewish holiday placemats, mugs, decorations, books, and more. We hope you will plan to attend, to find some wonderful Judaica bargains. In addition, you can participate by contributing any Judaica items that you have available for sale at the boutique. If you want to retain a portion of the proceeds on higher priced items, it can be arranged. In addition, you can help by baking or providing goods for the bake sale. On April 27, there also will be a Lego exhibit at the Geneva History Center, next door to FVJN. The group plans to sell baked goods and drinks on a table in the walkway between FVJN and the History Center. Or you can volunteer to work at the Judaica Boutique inside FVJN and/or at the bake sale just outside. FVJN is at 121 S. Third St., Geneva. E-mail Barb Novy at barbara_fvjn@yahoo.com with the details of how you will be able to help. Five percent of all gross proceeds from FVJN events are donated to local nonprofit organizations.

"Fear Factor": On Sunday, the junior and senior high youth will participate in an event called "Fear Factor" at 2 p.m. at the First Congregational Church Main and Church streets in downtown Huntley. It is based on the popular game show. It will present challenges to overcoming some common fears. Anyone in this age group is invited to attend. Call the church at (847) 669-3691. A signed permission slip is required.

Voices of the Generations: On Thursday, 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.

The Lord's ascension: On Thursday, Calvary Lutheran Church, 535 N. McLean Blvd. in Elgin, will gather to commemorate the day of our Lord's ascension. The divine service with the distribution of the Lord's Supper will begin at 7 p.m. The community is invited to attend this special service. For information, call (847) 741-5433 or visit www.clce.org.

Church Women United: The Elgin-South Elgin unit of Church Women United will meet at 9:30 a.m. May 3 for a continental breakfast at Christ the Lord Lutheran Church, 12N462 Tina Trail in Elgin. The program, "God's Wisdom Inspires Hospitality" will be led by Annette Rogman. They will honor one of their women as Valiant Woman for 2008. They also will receive the Fellowship of the Least Coin offering. For details, call Peggy Homfeldt, (847) 741-6358.

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. "Follet presents a beautiful description of the time in Pillars and repeats himself in 'World Without End.' The building of the greatest cathedrals in Europe both intrigues and amazes me," Yonker stated. "We readers have the pleasure of meeting the characters in Pillars offspring and they do justice to their fictional forefathers. I enjoy how he mixes the very earthly aspects of human nature with the grandeur of creating and correcting magnificent cathedrals that still exist today." Yonker can relate in part to the building process as Immanuel recently finished a beautiful addition to its original church. The congregation is 145 years old -- merely the very beginning in Follett's world. 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.

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. Gerald H. Edmonds, conductor, is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, and holds the bachelor and master degrees in composition from the American Conservatory of Music. Joining the faculty in 1969, he organized the Moody Concert Band in 1970 and conducted it until 1978 when he was appointed conductor of the chorale. As professor of sacred music, Edmonds currently teaches choral conducting, church music courses, and coordinates the combined ministries of the touring groups. He is also minister of music at Moody Memorial Church in Chicago.

Workshop at center: "The Low-Carbon Diet, A 30-Day Program to Lose 5,000 Pounds" will show participants how to reduce their personal carbon dioxide emissions from noon to 1:30 p.m. May 4 at the Center for Spiritual Evolution, 204 Spring St in Cary. The workshop will give the community an outlet to voice their fears and hopes about global warming, then examine a variety of climate actions that "carbon dieters" can take as outlined in the Low Carbon Diet workbook. According to volunteer host Matt Van Slyke, it's modeled after another successful weight-loss program. Dieters make specific carbon pound-loss commitments outlined in the workbook. Similar to Weight Watchers' behavior modification, carbon dieters form EcoTeams to gain support from each other. "As adults, we are such creatures of habit that change occurs only when friends and neighbors are changing with us," said Van Slyke. The program has engaged more 250,000 households that have cut carbon emissions by an average 25 percent saving over $200 per year, according to Low Carbon Diet's founder, David Gershon. Gershon cites U.S. Energy Information Statistics showing typical American households emitting 54,600 pounds of CO2, compared to 27,000 in Germany and Sweden's 15,000. "So to just get started, 5,000 pounds is often under 10 percent", a modest amount says Van Slyke, which any home can achieve by following the program. Reservations are requested at lowcarbondiet@aol.com.

Mother's Day concert: On May 11, three diverse and engaging musicians will regale Elgin area residents at a Mother's Day concert at 3 p.m. The concert is a benefit for the Community Crisis Center. The theme "Always Home, Always Hope" fits this organization that provides safety, shelter, and new possibilities for victimized women and children, while also being a motif particularly appropriate for Mother's Day. The event is jointly sponsored by the Crisis Center and the Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren, 783 W. Highland Ave., Elgin. Their sanctuary will be the site of the concert. It will be a free-will offering. Lyric baritone David Farwig from Colorado will open the concert with an uplifting program of excerpts from Ralph Vaughn Williams' "Songs of Travel." Folksinger, music educator, and Elgin resident Peg Lehman will follow with contemporary and original folk songs to engage and delight the audience and build a sense of community. Lee Krahen-buhl, folksinger, songwriter, and wit will conclude the concert with original folk and repartee that will intrigue audience members, make them think, and sometimes make them laugh. Gifted local accompanist Nancy Miner will accompany Farwig on the piano. This is a concert to remind audience members of the beauty and goodness in the world, of the rich humanity all people share, and of the deep connections with one another that make it possible for people to face and rise above their struggles. The Community Crisis Center was founded in 1975 by a group of dedicated volunteers to help those in crisis due to domestic violence, sexual assault, or economic circumstances. It offers a 24-hour crisis hotline; information and referral; emergency shelter; individual and group counseling; medical, legal and welfare advocacy; emergency assistance with food, clothing, rent and utilities; and transitional housing. More than 6,000, individuals, including more than 635 children, receive services each year. In a recent year, the center served 1,848 adult victims of domestic violence and 364 child witnesses to domestic violence, and provided 10,534 nights of emergency shelter to 353 women and 329 children. Except for the Batterer Intervention program, all services are provided at no cost. Farwig is a world-traveled soloist, recording artist, chorister, and conductor, who has performed with orchestras, choruses, and choral ensembles across the country and with U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East. His repertoire includes pieces by Bach, Handel, Telemann, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Faure, Rossini, Williams, Finzi, Schubert, Shumann, Wolf, and Strauss. He has sung on several professional and commercial recordings including the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeant's At Sunset Time, St. Martin Chamber Choir's The American Spirit, Conspirare's Through the Glass Fuse, and the Grammy-nominated Requiem. He is currently the bass section leader and staff soloist at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Littleton, Colo., and maintains a coaching studio in his home. Lehman is a folksinger, songwriter, and teaching artist who has sung at folk festivals, community events, concert halls, coffee houses, churches, conferences, camps, and hundreds of schools and libraries around the country and has also appeared on National Public Radio. She has been a featured performer at 11 annual Song and Story Fests. She delights audiences of all ages with her expressive voice and two unusual instruments, the autoharp and Appalachian mountain dulcimer. She has produced seven recordings, including live children's concerts, collaborative albums with Lee Krahenbuhl, and two recordings by the Church of the Brethren folk band Kindling, with whom she performed for seven years. Her songs tell stories, celebrate life, inspire, and promote peace and social justice. For the past five years she has been a Ravinia Festival teaching artist who visits Chicago Public Schools to lead 15-week music residencies. She lives in Elgin and is a long-time volunteer at the Community Crisis Center, which in 2001 recognized her 14 years of service to child victims of domestic violence with a Partner in Peace award. Krahenbuhl, singer, writer, actor, and director lives in Toledo, Ohio, where he teaches at the University of Toledo. Lee's original recordings include the solo album "Thirsty" (1994) and the 2008 solo anthologies "Unnational Anthems" and "Sketch." With David Frantz he recorded "Love Unexplored" (1996), "Living Room" (2006), and the forthcoming "Heartsong" on David and Lee's Label, Living Room Music. Lee also contributed to Peg Lehman's albums "What Will I Leave" and "Singing Myself Home." He recorded two albums with the folk group Kindling. Lee composed the theme songs "Come to the Edge" and "With Eyes of Faith." Nancy Miner, who will accompany David Farwig on the piano, is a member of the volunteer music ministry of the Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren, where she has served as piano accompanist for the Adult Choir for 25 years. She also enjoys working with Larkin High School students, serving as accompanist for IHSA solo and ensemble contest and senior recitals. Nancy and her husband, Blaine, live in Elgin with their two children. For information, call the Crisis Center at (847) 697-2380 or the church at (847) 741-5124.

Augsburg Choir in concert: The 60-member Augsburg Choir is sharing its music with the East Dundee community. Collegiate Choir members from Augsburg College will perform at 7 p.m. May 13 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 310 E. Main St. The Augsburg Choir, under the direction of Peter Hendrickson, represents the finest in choral music. Praised for its versatility and musicality, the ensemble performs a diverse repertoire, including compositions by many well-known Scandinavian and American composers. In recent years, the Augsburg Choir has premiered works by Sven-Erik Back, Knut Nystedt, Stephen Paulus, Sverre Bergh, Steve Heitzeg, Carol Barnett, Egil Hovland, and Sigvald Tveit. The Augsburg Choir was honored to perform before HRH Crown Prince Haakan of Norway in 2005 during his visit to the Twin Cities, and King Harald V of Norway in 1995 on the occasion of his visit to Augsburg College. The Augsburg Choir's annual Advent Vespers services have been broadcast on public radio and in 2004 and 2005 were seen on Twin Cities Public Television. The choir most recently toured through Scandinavia in 1998; Finland, Russia, and Estonia in 2002; and Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Germany in 2006. For information, visit www.augsburg.edu/music/ensembles.html. "One of the choir members is our own Cassie Sanders. We are so pleased to have her return to East Dundee and bring 59 of her equally talented associates," said Bill Gade, music director for Immanuel. Sanders is a graduate of Immanuel and member of the congregation. All are welcome. There is no fee to attend. Call the church office at (847) 428-4477 for directions or more information.

Learn about church history: The Rev. Richard Simon, an expert in church history, will give a presentation about the Bible and its origins from 9 to 10:30 a.m. May 17 at St. Mary Catholic Church, 10307 Dundee Road in Huntley. The public is invited to attend this free event. Father Simon, who is heard regularly on Relevant Radio (930 AM and 950 AM), is the pastor of St. Lambert's Parish in Skokie, and a former teacher of Greek and Latin at St. Joseph's College, the Archdiocesan Seminary.

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. Each day children will take part in fun Bible learning they can see, hear, touch, and even taste. Bible Point crafts, team-building games, and lively Bible songs are just a few of the Power Lab activities that help children apply what they learn into real life. The children also will participate in a hands-on mission project called Operation Kid-to-Kid that involves nearly a million other children across North America. Older children will be out in the community serving others for the week of June 23-27. "Last year, we introduced service projects for kids in the fifth and sixth grade. We are hoping to have them working again this summer," stated David Meier, VBS director. Meier estimates that Immanuel hosts more than 200 children during VBS and more than 70 volunteers. 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.