Church to Hold Debate on Sanctuary Movement

A two-part presentation and debate on the sanctuary movement featuring a quartet of religious leaders and public officials, including Harold Ezell, Western regional director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, is scheduled at the Church of the Foothills, 19211 Dodge Ave., North Tustin.

The first part of the program will be held at 10:15 a.m. Sunday. The Rev. Arthur E. Harrington, a United Methodist minister, will give a historical, religious and theological presentation on the sanctuary movement. A forum for public discussion will follow.

The second part will be held at 10:15 a.m. Jan. 12. Ezell and Sister JoAnne deQuattro, staff member of the Peace and Justice Center in Los Angeles, will debate the issue. The debate will present the federal government’s view on the movement as well as the contrasting opinions of those involved in providing sanctuary to refugees.

The Rev. Ronald Meyer, pastor of the church, will also participate in the public service program. For more information, call (714) 544-1319.

“Economic Justice: What Are the Bishops Saying?” is the title of an adult education program sponsored by St. Justin Martyr Church and the Orange Catechetical Institute of the Diocese of Orange. Presented by Sister Kathleen Schinhofen of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the four-week program will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays beginning Jan. 9 at St. Justin Martyr, 2050 W. Ball Road, Anaheim. The program will explain the content of the second draft of the pastoral letter, “Catholic Social Teaching and U.S. Economy.” The classes will include lectures, discussions and audiovisual presentations. A suggested donation of $3 will be requested for each class. For more information, call (714) 535-6111.

Winter sessions of morning Bible classes for adults will begin Sunday at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, 23262 El Toro Road, El Toro. The church is also offering a number of classes, including a five-week orientation for Lutherans wishing to transfer to Abiding Savior and a three-week class on discipleship. A special series, “Welcome to Our World,” will outline challenges faced by disabled people and how members of the community can help. All classes will be held at 9:30 a.m. Sundays in the Luther Fellowship Hall. A new evening Bible study for women will be held 7:30 Tuesdays beginning Jan.14. Regular worship services at the church are held at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. each Sunday. For more information, call (714) 830-1460.

The Jewish Parenting Center of Shir Ha-Ma’alot-Harbor Reform Temple will continue its parent/infant and parent/toddler programs the first week of February at the temple, 2100 Mar Vista Drive, Newport Beach. An eight-week session for parents and their infants ages 3 months to 18 months will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursdays beginning Feb. 6. The parent/toddler enrichment class will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays beginning Feb. 5. A variety of activities appropriate for children in their age group and discussion of parenting topics will be presented during each class. Fee is $25 for Temple members and $35 for non-Temple members. For more information, call (714) 644-7203.

Three new adult classes will begin Sunday at St. Mark Presbyterian Church, 2100 Mar Vista Drive in Newport Beach. “Adulthood and the Search for Meaning” will focus on how to make positive choices in critical dilemmas. “What Jesus Taught About Living” will concentrate on the life style that Jesus demanded of his disciples and will deal with topics on forgiveness, commitment and service to the Church. The last class, “The Covenant of Life,” will look at new options in Christian ethics concerning medical decisions on contraception, infertility, abortion, genetic engineering and geriatrics. Each class will be held at 10:45 a.m. each Sunday in January at the church. For more information, call (714) 644-1341.

The Jewish Community Center of Mid-Orange County will host a screening of the classic Yiddish film, “Mirele Efros or the Jewish Queen Lear” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 12181 Buaro St., Garden Grove. The story of a Polish matriarch who divides her estate between two sons and suffers the consequences will be introduced by Rhoda Kachuck, a professor of English literature at La Verne University. Admission for JCC members and seniors is $3; general admission is $4.50. For more information or reservations, call (714) 530-6636.

The ordination and installation of new elders and deacons will take place during the 9 and 11 a.m. services Sunday at Geneva Presbyterian Church, 24301 El Toro Road, Laguna Hills. The topic of the Rev. Lee Kliewer’s sermon will be “The Nature of His Ministry.” Sunday school for children will be held at 9:15 a.m., and nursery care for infants and toddlers will be provided. For more information, call (714) 837-2323.

“Catch the Spirit” is the title of the Rev. David O. Beadles’s sermon at the 9 and 11 a.m. services at the United Methodist Church, 24442 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills. Sunday school will be held at 9 a.m. while classes for adults and high school students will be held at 10 a.m. Nursery care will be provided. For more information, call (714) 837-3414.

As a tribute to the New Year, “The Privilege of Another Chance” is the theme of Sunday’s sermon at the Laguna Presbyterian Church, 415 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach. Worship services will be held at 9 and 10:30 a.m., and nursery care will be provided. Following the children’s sermon, third-graders and younger children will be dismissed for the Little Fisherman’s Workshop. Coffee will be served on the patio between services. For more information, call (714) 494-7555.

Temple Bat Yahm will honor all members who joined the congregation in 1985 with a special Sabbath service at 8 p.m. Friday at the temple, 1011 Camelback St., Newport Beach. The service will officially welcome all new members to the congregation and thank them for their support of the temple. For more information, call (714) 644-1999.