Lake Co. religion notes

Christ Lutheran Church: The church in Vernon Hills has moved to summer worship hours through Labor Day. Sunday morning worship begins at 9:30 a.m. For more information about worship, education, preschool, mission trips and outreach opportunities, call the church office at (847) 367-5787 or visit www.christlutheranvh.org. Christ Lutheran is at 595 Deerpath Drive in Vernon Hills, next to Countryside Fire. Visitors are always welcome.

Community Christian Church: The church at 1970 Riverwoods Road, Lincolnshire, will offer "Power Lab," vacation Bible school from 1 to 3:30 p.m. June 23-27. Power Lab will take children ages 4 through entering fifth grade on a scientific adventure each afternoon. Children may be registered for VBS through June 8. A suggested donation of $35 per child covers all activities, materials, snacks, T-shirt and music CD. Registration after June 8 will be accepted with a $5 additional fee. Registration forms are available at the church office and at ccclincolnshire.org. For more information, call (847) 945-8824.

Community Protestant Church, United Church of Christ: The church at 418 N. Prairie Ave., Mundelein, is accepting items for its annual rummage sale to be held June 20-21. Bring items to the church, on the corner of Hawley and North Prairie. (847) 566-4000.

The Federated Church of Wauconda: The church at 200 S. Barrington Road, Wauconda, is having a Relay For Life fundraiser, "Night of Hope," an outdoor luminaria garden service at 7:30 p.m. June 14. There will be a silent auction inside the church, hats to buy and decorate, refreshments and a bake sale. Remember your loved ones and join in the Bubbles to Heaven Ceremony. For information, contact Lou Ann Kozderka at (224) 848-1851.

Grace Lutheran Church: For the rest of the summer, until Sept. 7, there will be only one service at 9:30 a.m., with Summer Promiseland for children ages preschool to sixth grade each Sunday following the children's message and lead by volunteers. Coffee fellowship will follow worship. Traditional worship will be offered on the first and third Sundays of each month. Contemporary worship will be offered on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Holy Communion is offered on the first and second Sundays of the month. Nursery service will also be available each Sunday. For more information, visit www.aboutgracelutheran.org. (847) 367-7050. Grace Lutheran Church is at 501 Valley Park Drive, Libertyville.

• Grace Lutheran Church will offer "SonWorld Adventure Park" vacation Bible school from 1-4 p.m. the week of June 16-20. The program is open to all children, ages 3 years old (potty-trained) to those entering fourth grade in the fall. Program costs are $15 per child ($45 family limit) for those who pre-register and $20 per child walk-in registration fee. Registration forms are available in the church office or may be downloaded from the Web site at aboutgracelutheran.org. Grace Lutheran Church is located at 501 Valley Park Drive, Libertyville. (847) 367-7050.

Holy Apostles Episcopal Church: The church at 26238 N. Route 59 in Wauconda is having its annual Maine Lobster Sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 14. Buy them live to cook at home or buy them cooked and ready to eat. Cooking and eating instructions are included. These Maine Lobsters are 1¼ lbs. and can be purchased live for $14 each, or can be cooked for you for $16 each. To help you enjoy your lobster eating experience, add a lobster cracker, two picks and two bibs for an additional $4. Award-winning blueberry pies are also available for $10. Orders and payment must be received by June 10. Call (847) 474-0052 for more details.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church: Celebration! Child care will offer a summer camp program. Monday through Friday programs are available, as well as partial week programs. For more information or to register, call (847) 367-6208.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church is at 29700 N. St. Mary's Road in Libertyville. For more information, visit holycrosschurch.org.

• To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of the great British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, Holy Cross Church in Libertyville will present an "Around the Cross" concert. Holy Cross member Kari Mohs, accompanied by the Holy Cross choir and orchestra, will sing "Five Mystical Songs" by Ralph Vaughn Williams. The concert will be performed Sunday at the 10 a.m. service.

Liberty Community Church: The church at 616 N. Bridgeport Terrace, Unit B, Lindenhurst, is hosting Power Lab vacation Bible school for all children ages 4 years through fifth grade. The program will include science-themed games, crafts, snacks, singing, dancing, skits and memorable teachings. Power Lab VBS will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 16-19, with a special presentation for parents at 10:30 a.m. June 22. Registration is not required for the free program. For more information, visit www.FindLiberty.org or call (847) 356-9336.

Messiah Lutheran Church: The church at 25225 W. Ivanhoe Road, Wauconda, will offer a fun-packed summer camp for school-aged children. The Messiah Kid's Club will host the Messiah Explorers Summer Camp '08 featuring field trips, swimming, music, art, games and guest presenters. The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday from June 16 through Aug. 15. Before- and after-care is available. Preschool-aged children will enjoy the Little Explorers Camps from 9 to 11:45 a.m. July 14-18 and Aug. 4-8. For more information, call (847) 526-7112 or visit the Web site messiah-wauconda.org.

St. Andrew Lutheran Church: Summer worship services are at 8:30 a.m. (traditional) and 10 a.m. (contemporary), with 9:30 a.m. coffee/fellowship. The church is located at 10 S. Lake St., Mundelein.

• St. Andrew Quilters continue to meet each Thursday morning from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The quilts are made for Lutheran World Relief and sent to all parts of the world. Helping hands and/or donated material are welcomed.

• Prayer shawl instructions are available by calling (847)566-6243.

For more information, call (847)566-8081 or visit the Web site standrewmundelein.org.

St. John Ev. Lutheran Church: Christian Life Resources National Director, the Rev. Robert Fleischmann, will speak on life and family issues at 5 p.m. June 7, and 9 a.m. June 8, during worship services at the church, 501 W. Park Ave., Libertyville. "Life Sunday Brunch Benefit" will be held immediately following the 9 a.m. June 8 service in the fellowship hall. Door offerings at the services and freewill offerings at the brunch will support the Pregnancy Counseling Center, 300 C Seymour Ave., Mundelein. For information, contact Chris Grasenick at (847) 362-4424.

The PCC provides free pregnancy tests, free confidential counseling and free practical assistance services for women in crisis. A Spanish-speaking counselor is available by appointment. The 24-hour helpline is (847) 949-4443.

• Open registration is under way. St. John offers half-day and full-day preschool (starting as young as 2½ years old) and kindergarten, as well as education for first through eighth grade. The school's full day preschool and kindergarten offers an alternative care option. The school offers extended before- and after-school care, holiday care and a summer program. Registration packets can be picked up at the school, 501 W. Park Ave., Libertyville. (847) 367-1441. www.stjohnslib.com.

• St. John is offering summer child care to children entering preschool (must be potty trained) through second grade. Care dates run from Monday to Aug. 12. There will be no child care on July 4, Aug. 13, 14 and 15. For more information, call Mrs. Smith at (847) 367-1411 or come to the office for a registration form.

St. Lawrence Episcopal Church: The church in Libertyville will host its second annual pancake breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. June 14. The breakfast will take place rain or shine in the tent adjacent to the west side of the Civic Center.

Church members will be serving all-you-can-eat pancakes, beverages and sausage for $6 per adult and $4 for children younger than 6 years. There will also be face painting and balloons.

Tickets may be purchased at the door. All proceeds will benefit St. Lawrence Church and its outreach activities. For more information, call (847) 362-2110 or visit www.stlawrencechurch.org.

• Through Aug. 31, services will be at 7:30 and 10 a.m. The Rev. Patricia W. Snickenberger is rector of St. Lawrence, assisted by the Rev, Marcus Strong and Deacon Mary-Jane Leewis-Kirk. St. Lawrence is at 125 W. Church St., Libertyville. For more information, call (847) 362-2110 or visit www.stlawrencechurch.org.

• Sports Camp Vacation Bible School will be from 6-8 p.m. June 23-27 at St. Lawrence Episcopal Church, 125 W. Church St. in Libertyville. Kids will learn about sports, discover character building concepts, and have a lot of fun. VBS sports camp is designed to help children ages 5 to 11 to improve their skills, no matter how much experience they have, in soccer, baseball, volleyball, and cheerleading. Cost is $15 per child, second and third child in the same family is $10. For more information or to obtain registration forms, call (847) 362-2110 or visit www.stlawrencechurch.org.

St. Mary of the Annunciation, Fremont Center: The Mundelein parish announces the completion and dedication of the Fisher Family Memorial Pipe Organ. The new pipe organ was a gift of parishioners Roger and Jacqueline Fisher.

The unique organ is made up of 37 speaking stops, 46 ranks of pipes and has a total of 2,855 individual pipes. The collection of pipes includes metal as well as wood pipes, many of which were built specifically for the organ by craftsmen in Europe.

The solemn blessing and dedication recital will take place at 4 p.m. June 22, is open to the public, and appropriate for all ages. The blessing rite will include sacred Scripture and song, complete with organ, brass quintet, choir, and congregation. Concert organist Dr. James Kibbie, professor of organ at the University of Michigan, will then perform the dedication recital. The dedication program will include works by J.S. Bach, Kuhnau, Alain, Albright, and Ropek.

St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic Parish located at 22333 W. Erhart Road, Mundelein. (847) 223-0010, www.stmaryfc.org

St. Matthew Lutheran Church: Register now for vacation Bible school (preschool - sixth grade) or vacation Bible school Chess Club (grades 4-6), from 9 a.m. to noon daily, June 23-27. The chess club is limited to the first 16 applicants. The cost for preschool through sixth grade is $25. Families with multiple children attending VBS pay $20 each when children are registered at the same time. The church is at 24500 N. Old McHenry Road, Hawthorn Woods. For more information, call (847) 438-7709 or visit smlcs@dls.net.

Anglican Chapel of the Holy Cross: Graduating high school seniors and those graduating from grade school into high school will be honored with a brunch following the 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist at the Anglican Chapel of the Holy Cross in Lake Villa. The prayer intentions on that day will be for the graduates also. Those leaving behind high school life and progressing into college are Annie Mack, Meghan Pigney, and Kimberley Whipple while Charles Mack is graduating from grade school.

The members of Holy Cross Chapel gather at 500 Park Ave, Unit 102, Lake Villa, and all services follow the liturgy of the Episcopal Church. The chapel is associated with the Anglican Communion Network. For more information visit the Web site: www.holycross-anglican.org or phone (847) 543-7371.

Annunciation of Our Lady Episcopal Church: The church at 5725 Stearns School Road (corner of Stearns School and Dilleys roads), Gurnee, will offer a Summer Film Series with the theme of redemption starting June 13 when the movie "Tender Mercies" will be shown from 7 to 10 p.m. Screenwriter Michael Chatlien will talk about some aspect of the movie and then lead a discussion about it. (847) 336-3730.

Gages Lake Bible Church: The church at 18788 W. Gages Lake Road, Gages Lake, will be installing its new pastor, Daniel Darling, at 10:45 a.m. Sunday. The Pastoral Challenges will be given by the Rev. Jim Scudder, Jr., executive pastor of Quentin Road Bible Baptist Church in Lake Zurich, and the Rev. William Swanger of Winthrop Harbor.

Darling graduated from Dayspring Bible College in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in pastoral studies and joined the staff at Quentin Road Bible Baptist Church as a writer, editor, and Web manager of the Victory in Grace monthly devotional magazine and television program. While on staff, he traveled extensively in the Middle East and India. He is the author of "Teen People of the Bible," a devotional book for teens published by New Hope Publishers in 2007. Darling has written for a variety of publications including Focus on the Family. He expects to finish a master's degree from Dayspring Seminary in spring of 2010.

Since last November, Darling has been Gages Lake Bible Church's youth pastor. He is married to Angela and has a 3-year-old daughter, Grace Marie. They live in Round Lake.

Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Grayslake: The congregation will dedicate its new property and building Sunday. The special service will be at 10 a.m., followed by a reception. The 7-year-old congregation recently moved from a rented location in Libertyville.

The Rev. Mark Jumper's summer sermon series, "Paths of Prayer," will focus on the Lord's Prayer as an energizing guide to building a personal prayer life.

The church is at 32475 N. Alleghany Road, Grayslake, For more information, call (847) 543-1659 or visit hopeepc.net.

• Come join a women's Bible group which meets the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 32475 N. Alleghany Road, Grayslake. Starting Sunday, the group will be reading and discussing a book by R. C. Sproul, "Chosen by God." Books will be available for purchase for about $10 at the June meeting. For more information, call (847) 543-1659.

Joy! Lutheran Church: Vacation Bible school will be the week of June 16-20, starting at 9:30 a.m. each day. Registration forms are available on the Web site at www.joylutheran.org and in the church office. Forms can be dropped off or mailed to the church, 749 S. Hunt Club, Gurnee, IL 60031. The theme this year is "PowerLab -- discovering Jesus' miraculous power." For more information, call (847) 362-4569.

• Joy!'s annual Rummage Sale is scheduled for from 9 a.m. to noon today. Purchases are made by freewill offering. Coffee and snacks are available for all to enjoy while they shop. (847) 362-4569.

Prince of Peace Parish: The parish at 135 S. Milwaukee Ave., Lake Villa, is seeking donations for its annual Rummage Sale Extravaganza. Sale dates are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 12-13 and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 14. Now accepting donations of vehicles, electronics, computers, furniture and appliances. Tax forms available. For donation pickups, call (847) 356-6111 or e-mail poprummagesale@yahoo.com. The church is at the corner of Routes 83 and 132.

St. Andrew Episcopal Church: The church at 31 Park Ave. in Grayslake is planning a "Liturgy in the Park." Join the membership for outdoor worship at 10 a.m. June 8 at Mill Creek Park, Grayslake, to celebrate the beginning of the summer season. The Eucharist service will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a family picnic and games.

Mill Creek Park (part of Grayslake Park District) is located at the southeast corner of Washington and Atkinson roads in Grayslake.

Those attending are asked to bring a dessert or snack to share, folding chairs, and a favorite picnic game (bats, balls, Frisbees, bean bags, bocci balls). The church youth group will help organize games. Hot dogs and hamburgers, buns, soft drinks, grills, paper products and plastic ware and five picnic tables will be supplied.

For more information, call the church at (847) 223-2310, www.standrewsgrayslake.org.

St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church: The church is currently scheduling times for the pickup and delivery of items for its annual rummage sale. This year's sale will be held, June 19-21. If you have items that you would like to donate, call the church office at (847) 395-0652 to make arrangements.

St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church: The church on Route 173 in Antioch, a half-mile east of Route 45, will celebrate a traditional Latin Mass at the regularly scheduled 6 p.m. Vigil Mass today. The Mass will be said according to the Tridentine rite. In this rite, the Mass is celebrated entirely in Latin, as it was before the use of the vernacular and the Second Vatican Council.

Weekend Masses are at 4 and 6 p.m. Saturdays and 7, 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays. For more information, call (847) 395-3474.

The United Protestant Church of Grayslake: The third annual Gospel in Grayslake Concert will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at the United Protestant Church, 54 S. Whitney St., Grayslake. The free concert will feature the College of Lake County Gospel Choir, under the direction of Dr. Charles Clency; Al Engram; and the Rev. Andre Pipes and the New Testimonial Singers.

Refreshments will served during intermission, and there is no charge for admission. A freewill offering will be taken to support the work of Lake County PADS as they serve the homeless

For more information, visit upc@upcgl.org or call (847) 223-8131.

Crosspoint Church: The church at 27430 W. Nippersink Road, Ingleside, will host its annual vacation Bible school from 9-11:45 a.m. the week of June 23-27. The theme is "Power Lab" a scientific journey for children who have completed kindergarten through fifth grade. The program will include science-themed games, crafts, memorable teachings, singing, skits, and snacks. There is no cost. You can register via the link on the church Web page: www.thecrosspointchurch.org or contact the church at (847) 587-7722. Crosspoint Church is affiliated with Converge MidAmerica Conference of the Baptist General Conference.

North Shore Choral Society: The group concludes its 72nd season with a performance of Felix Mendelssohn's oratorio, "Elijah." at 3 p.m. June 7 at the Parish Church of St. Luke, 939 Hinman Ave., Evanston. Featured soloists include Philip Kraus, baritone, as Elijah; Michelle Areyzaga, soprano; Emily Lodine, mezzo-soprano; David Portillo, tenor; and Addison McDaniel, boy soprano.

NSCS's 120-voice chorus, and a 40-piece professional orchestra are conducted by Donald Chen, leading his final concert as NSCS music director. After 24 years at the helm, Dr. Chen will pass the baton to a new conductor.

The audience is invited to a reception following the performance in honor of Chen's achievements with NSCS.

Advance tickets are $22 for general admission, $20 for seniors 65 and older and $12 for students. Tickets at the door cost $25 for general admission, $22 for seniors and $15 for students.

For more information, visit www.northshorechoral.org.