ECUMENICAL CLASSES: For the 15th straight year,...

ECUMENICAL CLASSES: For the 15th straight year, two Catholic parishes and two Protestant churches in Burbank will cooperate next week on an unusual vacation Bible school for children.

Vacation Bible schools--often five days of Sunday school-type lessons and activities--have been a summertime ritual at many Protestant churches, but rarely do churches of different denominations operate joint schools.

Not only that, when the ecumenical program was begun 15 years ago, few Catholic parishes had vacation Bible schools, according to Stacy Schumacher, director of religious education at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.

“Now a number of Catholic parishes have them, although I don’t know of any who have a joint program such as ours,” Schumacher said.

Burbank First United Methodist Church is hosting the school. Also participating are St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church and Luther Memorial Lutheran Church. All churches provide volunteers to lead the classes. A priest or minister from the churches leads a service ending the 9 a.m.-to-noon sessions Monday through Friday.

“We have used Lutheran materials all these years without any problem,” Schumacher said. “We tend to agree with everything that is written in them.”

Jane Casey, the Methodist co-director of the school with Schumacher, said 130 children from 4-year-olds to eighth-graders enrolled last year, and more than that already preregistered this week. For children who enroll next week, the cost will be $20 each, Casey said.

REDEDICATION: Temple Ner Maarav, which returned to services at its old synagogue in Encino a few months ago after a short-lived merger failed with Temple Beth Ami of Reseda, will rededicate the temple building Sunday at a 10 a.m. ceremony to be followed by brunch.

More than 200 temple members were expected to attend the event, at which a new temple sign is to be unveiled. The synagogue is at the corner of White Oak and Yarmouth avenues.

The merger of the two Conservative synagogues collapsed earlier this year over a clash of personalities, among other things, synagogue leaders said.

Temple officials said reservations and payment for the catered brunch ($15 adults, $10 children) must be made in advance. Call (818) 343-9474 for more information.

KABBALAH: Rabbi Zev-Hayyim Feyer, an independent lecturer, will present an introductory seminar on the Jewish mystical and metaphysical tradition known as the Kabbalah from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Glendale Church of Religious Science, 2146 E. Chevy Chase Drive.

A donation of $15 is requested by the church, which can be called at (818) 244-8171.

GUEST VOCALIST: Singer Noel Farr, who has appeared at hundreds of Southern California churches during a 10-year musical ministry, will perform during the 11 a.m. service Sunday at Northridge Community Church of the Nazarene, 10650 Reseda Blvd.

News and announcements for this column can be sent to: Religion Desk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311.