Your faith

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Adult education

Holy Family Catholic Community will host a short-term Scripture Study led by Fr. Robert Schoenstene of St. Mary of the Lake. Join us and learn about the Johannine Letters from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, Nov. 14, 21, 28 and Dec. 5.

In many ways the rise of "New Age" thinking parallels many of the patterns of Gnostic thought expressed in the apocryphal books. The course will examine the Letters of John in light of religious expression of 1st Century thought, and will look at the importance of these letters for the Church today.

Holy Family Catholic Community is at 2515 W. Palatine Road, Inverness. For information or to register, call (847) 359-0042. Check the Web site at www.holyfamilyparish.org. Cost is $40.

Family

First United Methodist Church of Palatine, 123 N. Plum Grove Road, Palatine, will hold Bethlehem Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1. Step back to Jesus' time at this family event featuring crafts for children, refreshments at Rachel's Inn, a live Nativity and more. Admission is free. Buy a bag of Roman coins to purchase crafts and food at the market. For information, call (847) 359-1345.

Fundraisers

Holy Family Catholic Community, 2515 W. Palatine Road in Inverness, will hold the Trim The Home Floral and Expo Show Wednesday. Expo admission is $15 when purchased in advance, and $20 at the door.

The nine exhibitors will begin at 4 p.m., with five area floral designers beginning at 7 p.m. Included are an assortment of Christmas items, personalized baskets and decorations for all occasions, ornaments, angels, vases, vintage and new jewelry, purses, as well as a beautiful selection of holiday traditions from around the world. All floral arrangements will be raffled off. Also, there will be a raffle for a half-carat pair of diamond stud earrings. Each buyer will get a pair of half-carat cubic zirconia earrings as their raffle ticket. Raffle tickets are $25.

Clemenza will be selling a box dinner. Wine and water will be sold. Don't miss this annual holiday event and a chance to win one of the many floral arrangements. For more information, call (847) 359-0042.

St. Paul United Church of Barrington will host its first Nativity Walk and Home Products Fair from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 6; 4-9 p.m. Dec. 7; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 8; and Dec. 9 after worship service at 10:30 a.m.

Start the Advent season by enjoying the wide variety of Nativity scenes on display, several of which will be available for bidding through a silent auction. Holiday shopping opportunities will include Longaberger Baskets, Tupperware, Mary Kay products and more. At the Book Sale, partnered with Anderson Book Store of Naperville, you'll find a great variety of gift books for all ages. And you'll be able to stock up on wonderful holiday treats at the Bake Sale.

Admission is $5 per adults; $2.50 for kids ages 12-18. St Paul is at 401 E. Main in Barrington. For information, call (847) 381-0460, or visit the Web site stpauluccbarrington.org.

St. Thomas of Villanova in Palatine, invites everyone for an exciting fund-raising event, Sisters Christmas Catechism -- The Mystery of the Magi's Gold, a sinfully funny evening brought to you by the creators of Late Nite Catechism. The show will be Nov. 30 at the church, at Anderson and Williams drives. The show begins at 7:30 p.m., however there is a hour of appetizers starting at 6 p.m. Doors for the performance open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $35 each and are on sale now. Call Colleen Lundell at (847) 496-4459 for tickets and more information.

Proceeds of this fundraiser will go toward purchasing a new lighted sign for the St. Thomas of Villanova Elementary School.

The women of the Presbyterian Church of Barrington will hold their annual Christmas Benefit and Luncheon at 10 a.m. Nov. 29 to raise money for various mission projects. "Comfort and Joy" will include holiday music presented by the Barrington High Madrigal Singers under the direction of Nancie Tobison. A silent auction, drawing, bake sale and luncheon will follow the choral program. The church is at 6 Brinker Road, Barrington. For more information, call (847) 381-0975.

Lectures, seminars

The public is invited to a presentation on practical ways to live a life of conservation -- for individuals, households and organizations, to be given from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. today at Countryside Church in Palatine.

This will appeal especially to those who are concerned about and are interested in our environment, and want information on energy audits/alternatives for their homes, offices and buildings. Specific and practical ways to reduce environmental impact will be presented and there will be a question-and-answer period. A suggested donation of $10 will be collected, with those younger than 18 admitted at no charge.

Gina Blus, a sustainability consultant in the San Francisco area, will be the presenter. A graduate of Dartmouth and Duke Law School, Blus worked as an in-house consultant for Sun Microsystems' business units before becoming an environmental action adviser to businesses and governmental entities.

Countryside Unitarian Universalist Church is located at 1025 N. Smith Road in Palatine. Directions may be found at www.ccuu.org or by calling (847) 359-8440.

Holy Family Catholic Community will offer Scripture Study with Fr. Robert Schoenstene at 7 p.m. Wednesdays Nov. 14, 21, 28 and Dec. 5

Fr. Schoenstene, currently teaching Scripture at Mundelein Seminary, will teach the Johannine Letters. Some recent books, television programs and movies have revived a popular interest in the "other new testament," that is, apocryphal religious writings of the early centuries, which posit an "alternate Christianity."

Holy Family Catholic Community is at 2515 W. Palatine Road, Inverness. There is a $40 charge. For information or to register, call (847) 359-0042.

Great Plains Zen Center will hold an Introduction to Zen Practice Workshop at Countryside Unitarian Universalist Church, 1025 N. Smith Road, Palatine, today. Each workshop covers a brief history of Zen Buddhism, the aims of meditation practice, and basic, practical information including how to do zazen (Zen meditation), how to practice at home and throughout the day, the aims of practice, and opportunities for additional practice offered at GPZC.

The workshop will run from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., followed by an informal lunch. The cost for the workshop is $25 per person (free for repeating participants). Visit greatplainszen.org/workshops to register, or call (847) 274-4793.

Miscellaneous

According to the 2003 Illinois Poverty Summit, "Northeastern Illinois has the greatest number of people in poverty, but also has the state's greatest wealth." People from The Chapel have embraced this need by launching a church-wide campaign toward ending hunger in the Chicago area. The Chapel will be handing out 2,000 boxes of rice, one pound for each family in their congregation, asking them to eat only the box of rice for dinner one night. No sides, no meat, no dessert, with only water to drink.

Daily e-mails and text messages will also be sent out as reminders of the real problem of hunger in our area. The Chapel is also organizing a mobile food pantry, gathering donations for local food pantries, and assembling holiday meal baskets for those in need.

The Chapel is a multi-campus church with locations in Barrington, Grayslake, The Lake County Jail, Libertyville, and Mundelein. www.chapel.org

First United Methodist Church of Palatine, the oldest continuous church in the village, is celebrating its sesquicentennial in November.

For the past 18 months portions of the church have been renovated and reconstructed. The North Church, which was built in 1895, has been replaced with a new multipurpose facility. The new facility, The Wesley Center, is named for the founder of Methodism.

Seventeen stained-glass windows, the largest of which is 12 feet by 18 feet, from the North Church were preserved and now grace the renovated lobby of the main church.

Members are planning a Great Reunion Weekend on Nov. 16-18. A play/musical will be held Friday. The original play/musical, written and produced by local writers, is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the sanctuary of the church, and is open to the public.

Fifteen current and former pastors will attend an appreciation dinner held in their honor Nov. 17. Finally, one special worship service will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 18, followed by a time of fellowship.

First United Methodist Church is at 123 N. Plum Grove Road, Palatine. For more information, call (847) 359-1345.

Regular lunchtime meetings are offered at the Christian Science Reading Room, 125 E. Main St., Barrington. These groups are informal and ongoing so feel free to come when you can.

Monday -- Book Club: reading and discussing Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy.

Tuesday -- Q & A audio chats online: topics of current interest

Thursday -- Bible Group I: currently studying the New Testament letters

Friday -- Bible Group II: currently studying Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

All meetings are at noon, except the Tuesday online audio chats, which begin at 1 p.m.

Performances

The Spirit of Life Chorus announces the following concerts as part of its Fall Concert Series:

• Sunday, 4 p.m., St. Mary Catholic Church, 1037 Dundee Road, Huntley, (847) 669-3137.

• Nov. 18, 4 p.m., Christ The King Catholic Church, 1501 S. Main St., Lombard, (630) 629-1717.

• Nov. 25, 4:30 p.m., Lutheran Church of the Master, 580 Kuhn Road, Carol Stream, (630) 665-3384.

• Dec. 2, 4:30 p.m., St. Walter Catholic Church, 201 W. Maple Ave., Roselle, (630) 894-2461.

For more information, visit www.spiritoflifechorus.org.

Beth Tikvah Congregation, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is pleased to present nationally known Broadway performer and comedian Steve Solomon in "The Man, The Music, and the Mishuginah" at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17. The performance will be held at the Prairie Center for the Performing Arts in Schaumburg. Tickets are $18 due to the generous underwriting of the Damlich/Splansky Memorial Fund of the Beth Tikvah Sisterhood. For tickets or more information, call (847) 885-4545.

Special services

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

Following the service there will be a presentation "May we grow beyond our differences," by Emily L. Hauser, an American-Israeli Jew and a freelance writer.

For information, call (847) 381-0243 or visit www.elca.org/middleeast.

Thanksgiving Day Morning Praise service (Matins) at Christ the King Lutheran Church, (Wisconsin Synod), 100 W Michigan Ave., Palatine, will be held at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 22. Call (847) 358-0230 or visit www.byfaithalone.org.

Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful day to express gratitude. First Church of Christ Scientist at 421 E. Main St. in Barrington is holding a gratitude service on Thanksgiving Day at 10 a.m.

It will be an hour with music, sacred readings and the sharing of testimonies of gratitude from the congregation. Everyone in the community is invited to come and share in this hour of thankfulness.

Christ Lutheran Church invites all to worship at 7:30 p.m. Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 21, at 41 S. Rohlwing Road in Palatine. This service is a time to celebrate and prepare for the feast that our nation will celebrate the next day. Christ Lutheran Church has its own special Thanksgiving tradition as well -- stay after worship for pie and fellowship time.

For information, call the church office at (847) 358-4600.

Immanuel Lutheran Church, 200 N. Plum Grove Road, Palatine, will have a Thanksgiving Day service at 10 a.m. Nov. 22.

Regular weekend worship services are at 5 p.m. Saturdays (blended); 8 a.m. (traditional), 9:15 a.m. (blended), and 10:45 a.m. (contemporary) on Sundays, with 9 am. Sunday school for preschool-eighth grade and 11 a.m. Bible study.

Women's programs

The Presbyterian Women's circles of the Presbyterian Church in Palatine will be meeting at various time throughout the day on Wednesday for fellowship and Bible study. Baby sitting is available. All women are invited and encouraged to attend. The church is at 800 E. Palatine Road. Call the church office at (847) 358-4650 for details.

The Women's Book Group of St. Paul United Church of Christ, Barrington, meets at 10 a.m., the second Tuesday of the month. All women in the community are welcome to come and share in these lively and insightful discussions.

On Tuesday, the book will be "The Kite Runner" by Khalel Hosseini.

There will be no meeting in December, but Jan. 11, the discussion book will be "Living Buddha, Living Christ" by Thich Nhat Hanh.

There is no fee, but please read the book before the meeting in order to fully participate. St Paul is at 401 E. Main in Barrington. For more information, call Pastor Jeanne or Pastor Jana at (847) 381-0460.