Fox Valley religion events

Donations needed: 1st Sgt. Andrew Fowles with the Woodstock National Guard Delta Company, 1-178th Infantry Regiment that is deployed to Afghanistan, has asked for help. He is asking for children's gently-used shoes and socks so that his soldiers can distribute them to the many barefooted children who live near his base. The average mid-January temperature in Kabul is 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring children's shoes and socks from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Sunday to Ridgefield Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church, 8505 Church St. (north of McHenry County College). There is no deadline for delivery; they will continue to ship as items are received. For details, call (815) 459-1132.

Open house, roundup: Good Shepherd Lutheran School will host a kindergarten roundup and an open house for first through eighth grades from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 7, at the school, 1111 Van St., Elgin. Information and registration for the school will be held, along with meeting of teachers and tours of the school. Learn about their quality Lutheran education and all-day kindergarten program. Good Shepherd also houses kindergarten through eighth grade at 1111 Van St. Preschool is at its Nesler Road and Route 20 location and offers programs for both 3- and 4-year-olds. Before-school care is available for preschool and after-school care is available at both sites. Church membership is not required. To schedule a tour, call the school office at (847) 741-7795 or the preschool office at (847) 697-4745.

Green Film Festival: A program of feature-length and short films with environmental themes will be presented from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at the Stage Left Cafe next to the Woodstock Opera House. Admission is free for this second annual Green Film Festival sponsored by the Green Sanctuary Committee of the Congregational Unitarian Church. The festival will kick off with the screening of a recent, popular animated feature for children with a green theme. At 4 p.m., "King Corn," a film that shows "everything you need to know about corn, corn syrup, and the quality of American food," will be shown. "Heart and Soil," a compelling look at the need for sustainable agriculture, will be presented at 7 p.m. In-between features, several short films from the 2008 Bioneers Conference will be screened. Call (815) 338-0731 or visit www.cucw.org.

McHenry County Peace Coalition: The McHenry County Peace Coalition will be sponsoring a program on the death penalty in Illinois at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Congregational Unitarian Church, 221 Dean St., Woodstock. Jeremy Schroeder, executive director of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, will be talking about the status of the death penalty moratorium. The Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is a grassroots membership organization committed to educating the public about the flaws and injustices in the Illinois capital punishment system and promoting humane alternatives to the punitive death penalty system. The program is free. Call (815) 338-0731.

Magnificat: The McHenry Chapter of Magnificat presents "A Eucharistic Day of Renewal" with speaker Joan Carter McHugh from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at The Church of Holy Apostles, 5211 W. Bull Valley Road, McHenry. Bring a sack lunch. Admission is free, but call Jacky at (815) 455-2057 to register. Carter McHugh and her husband, Tom, are the founders of Witness Ministries, a national publishing apostolate devoted to the Eucharist. After facing many difficult and life-threatening illnesses, she began to pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and received God's healing touch through the Eucharist. All are welcome.

Couples Night Out: Highland Christian Academy in Elgin will host a special Valentine's Day "Couples Night Out" Saturday, Feb. 14. The event will feature a romantic environment, jazz ensemble, and dinner along with silent auction items and prizes. In addition, child care will be provided for infants through sixth-graders. Proceeds raised will benefit the school's scholarship program. Highland Christian Academy, celebrating its 25th year in the community, was established in 1984 as Christian Learning Center and serves students from preschool 3-year-olds through eighth grade. The academy, a ministry of Highland Fellowship Church, is at 2250 W. Highland Ave. in Elgin. The school is now enrolling for the 2009-10 school year. For reservations, call (847) 741-5530 or e-mail leslee@thehighlandconnection.com.

Walk A Mile in My Shoes: Wayside Cross Ministries is hoping the winds blow cold on Valentine's Day. For the third consecutive year, winter walks are being staged Saturday, Feb. 14, in Elgin and Aurora to benefit the homeless and at-risk youth. The walk in Elgin will benefit the Elgin Wayside Center, a daytime intervention center for the homeless. The 15-year-old ministry is in an industrial park near Elgin Community College and shares a facility with PADS. Case managers, counselors and volunteers provide the homeless with hot meals, mentoring, classes and encouragement. Wayside's walk in Aurora is scheduled simultaneously and will benefit ministries to women and youth. The Elgin Walk will commence at 9 a.m. from the Evangelical Covenant Church, 1565 Larkin Ave. The walk will continue just over a mile south on McLean Boulevard and end at Wayside's facility at 1732 Berkley St. Prizes for the walkers and an open house will continue until 11:30 a.m. To register, call (847) 695-4405 or visit www.walk-a-mile-elgin.org.

Winter blood drive: First Congregational Church of Dundee, in conjunction with Heartland Blood Centers, will sponsor a winter blood drive from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 14, in the lower-level common area, 900 S. Eighth St. in West Dundee. All February donors will be entered in a drawing to win a four-night Disney stay for four, three days of admission to Disney parks and four round-trip airline tickets. A total of four complimentary trips for four will be given away. For rules and conditions, visit www.heartlandbc.org. Currently, they have an urgent need for O-negative blood donors, but donors of all types are needed on a daily basis. For details, call (800) 7-TO-GIVE or visit www.heartlandbc.org. Note that donors are required to bring a photo ID with them to the blood drive. Call Linda Krueger at (847) 428-8211 for details or to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome.

Mindfulness Practice Retreat: Today's challenge to be "present in the now moment" without worrying about the future will be alleviated in people participating in the "Mindfulness Practice Retreat," led by Buddhist monk Bhante Sujatha, from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Center for Spiritual Evolution, 204 Spring St., Cary. Those gathering will be introduced to the practice of "loving kindness," and shown how meditative breathing, sitting and walking in day-to-day living can become a normal state of being. A "Daily Practice" discussion with tea and a snack will be followed by a Sitting, within an atmosphere of closeness and love. Bhante Sujatha will teach the 2,600-year-old "metta" traditional "life-force" meditation, which dissolves barriers from others, thus cultivating loving relationships with others. Pre-registration is required by Wednesday, Feb. 11, by mailing a $45 check (with "Memo: Meditation Retreat") made to the Center for Spiritual Evolution, sent to 204 Spring St., Cary, IL 60013.

Westminster open house: Westminster Christian School, 2700 W. Highland Ave. in Elgin, will host open houses at 7 p.m. on various Tuesdays this spring. The upcoming dates are: Feb. 17, March 10, April 21, May 12 and June 2. Are you looking for a school that will not only meet the educational needs of your child, but will also guide and direct them in their spiritual life? Westminster Christian School is a ministry of the Westminster Presbyterian Church that exists to provide a high quality, Christ-centered, academic education to the children of believing parents in the greater Fox Valley area. Westminster Christian is currently accepting registrations for children in preschool through 12th grade. Visit the campus and hear about the enhanced facility development and modification, its expanding program offerings and upgraded technology. Call (847) 695-0310 or visit www.westminsterchristian.org.

Financial Peace University: First Congregational Church, 900 S. Eighth St., West Dundee, is offering Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, an educational program to help individuals and families conquer debt, invest and ultimately build wealth God's way. It is a 13-week class that provides a road map to eliminate debt, create savings and start building an asset base. Classes will be from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. Wednesdays, Feb. 18 to May 20, with the exception of Feb. 25. The cost is $99.50. For details, call Jim Hendricks at (847) 428-3997 or visit www.fccdundee.com. For details on Financial Peace University, visit www.daveramsey.com.