Fox Valley religion events

CROP Walk: Burlington-Hampshire CROP Hunger Walk will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28. The walk will begin and end at the First United Methodist Church in Hampshire on Grove Avenue, one block east of State Street. Organized locally, the Burlington-Hampshire CROP Hunger Walk has set a goal of 100 walkers and hopes to raise $15,000 to help stop hunger and poverty here in our community and around the world, through self-help initiatives. A portion of the funds raised here in the community will go to the Burlington-Hampshire Food Pantry. Last year, 93 walkers representing seven churches and four community organizations raised more than $16,000 in the local CROP Hunger Walk. This year, Burlington and Hampshire, together with some 2,000 cities and towns nationwide, are joining together in interfaith community CROP Hunger Walks. These local ministries share in the funds raised by CROP Hunger Walks. Ethiopia is just one of the many places around the world where CROP Hunger Walks are making a big difference. Some 120,000 drought-affected people are receiving food, cash to purchase food, and seeds to restart farming activities with the help of Church World Service and partners. CROP Hunger Walks continue to play a big role in the continuing saga of U.S. Gulf Coast recovery and rebuilding. In the long wake of Hurricane Katrina, Church World Service has worked to get thousands out of FEMA trailers and into new or repaired homes. And, now Church World Service is helping to provide emergency supplies and long-term recovery support to hurricane affected communities in the Caribbean and the Gulf Coast. For details, call Tarri Banas at (847) 683-9647.

Service of Comfort: A Service of Comfort will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division St., Elgin. This will be a service of music and readings to provide comfort for everyone seeking comfort because of: the pain of the loss of a loved one, loneliness, health needs, facing chemotherapy, dealing with the suffering of a loved one, broken relationships, job related issues, or fear of the future. It will be a quiet, meditative service, with no singing, but allowing music to flow into your spirit to refresh you. The readings will be words of comfort from the Bible and other sources. If for any reason you feel the need of being comforted, and sense the presence of God in your lives, you are welcome to attend. Coffee and refreshments will be served after the service. For details, call (847) 742-2025 or visit holytrinityelgin.org.

Ice cream social: On Sunday, Sept. 28, Christ the Lord Lutheran Church is hosting an ice cream social to honor the Pingree Grove Fire Department from 3 to 5 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. There will be lots of ice cream and toppings. The church is Highland Avenue and Tina Trail, a quarter mile west of Randall Road. For details, call (847) 741-8141.

Join Catholic Church: The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program at St. Mary Catholic Church of Elgin provides an opportunity for adults to learn more about the Catholic faith. Many in the program, through prayer and discernment, choose to become a fully initiated member of the Roman Catholic church at Easter. The program begins at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 28 in the upper level of St. Mary's parish office, 400 Fulton St., Elgin. The classes continue each Sunday morning through next Easter, with time off for holidays. Study materials are provided and there is no fee to attend the classes. Call the St. Mary Religious Education Office at (847) 888-2718 or e-mail deaconhank@stmaryelgin.com if you want to register or get details.

High Holy Days: Congregation Kneseth Israel, 330 Division St. in Elgin, announces its schedule of services for the upcoming observance of the High Holy Days for year 5769 in the Hebrew calendar. Services for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29; 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30; and 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1. Children's services will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. Sept. 30. Services for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, will be held at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, and 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, with Yizkor prayers said at approximately noon. Children's services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 9. A break of the fast will follow the concluding Yom Kippur service which begins at 4:15 p.m. Oct. 9. Rabbi Jonathan Kohn, CKI's religious leader, will conduct this year's services, which promise to be an engaging blend of traditional Jewish melodies, and Hebrew and English readings. He will again be joined by Cantor Jack "Yankel" Falk, a nationally-known vocalist from Portland, Ore. Tickets are required for admission, and new members are welcome. For information on tickets or membership, call (847) 741-5656.

Wild Utah: On Sunday, Sept. 28, Clayton Daughenbaugh, Midwest field organizer for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, will present a program on "Wild Utah: America's Redrock Wilderness" at 12:30 p.m. after the service at the Unitarian Universalist Church, on Highland Avenue, three miles west of Randall in Elgin. Robert Redford narrates this multimedia slide show documenting citizen efforts to designate public lands in southern Utah's spectacular canyon country as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The entire presentation will last about an hour. Daughenbaugh is also the Chair of the Sierra Club's National Wildlands Committee and is author of "Common Sense Democracy: How to Complete the American Revolution in Your Neighborhood." The program is coordinated by Dan Brosier. It is open to the community. For details, visit uuce.org.

Prairie Fest: For the fifth year, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin is sponsoring its free community conference on sustainable living at the church west of Elgin. The Prairie Fest features workshops, presentations, exhibits, and interactions. The free event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin, three miles west of Randall on Highland Avenue in Elgin. There is plenty of free parking. In addition to panels, and presentations there are all day programs for children, guided prairie and labyrinth, tours, sustainable living exhibits, and nominally priced healthy lunch. For presenters, schedules, and other information, visit www.uucePF.com or email PF08@uucePrairieFest.com.

Jammin' for Justice: Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice Presents the second annual Jammin' for Justice Benefit Concert from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5 at the Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren, 783 W. Highland Ave., Elgin. The concert features national Blues, Folk, Rock, Slide Guitar champion Kraig Kenning, with special guest: harmonica virtuoso Kevin Purcell. Tickets are $15. For details, call Betsy Ducote, (630) 372-9543.

Life Chain: At 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, hundreds of Christians and their clergy will line the sidewalks along routes 72 and 31 in West Dundee (beginning across from Spring Hill Mall), in solidarity with over 1,200 Life Chains across the U.S. and throughout Canada. For details, call (847) 426-7326.

Chocolate. The Festival: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division St. in Elgin, invites the public to "Chocolate. The Festival" from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11. The festival will include handmade chocolates for sale, raffles for a quilt, cakes, and gift certificates, a lunch counter featuring chocolate chili along with hot dogs, a bakery of chocolate desserts, a bake sale, a craft, home party, and flea market sale, and a garage sale. There will be a petting zoo and games for children. For details, call (847) 742-2025 or visit holytrinityelgin.org.

CROP Walk: Join your neighbors in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Cardunal CROP Walk Against Hunger on Sunday, Oct. 19. It will step off at 1:30 p.m. starting from Joy Community Presbyterian Church, 108 S. Lakewood Road, Lake in the Hills. Registration starts at 12:30 p.m. For details, call (847) 515-8800.