NEW STAKE: The Church of Jesus Christ...

NEW STAKE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has created a new stake in the San Fernando Valley that will be led entirely by Latino members of the church.

Called the San Fernando Stake, the new redistricting plan is intended to give Spanish-speaking Mormons a greater opportunity to be leaders.

“Our main goal is to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to train our leaders to be better leaders,” said Van Nuys resident Jose Lombardo, president of the new stake.

The new grouping has 2,400 members, accounting for nearly 20% of the population of Mormon church members in the San Fernando Valley, according to officials. It consists of six wards, or large congregations, and two branches, which are smaller congregations. Previously, the Spanish-speaking wards and branches were under the leadership of various stakes throughout the Valley. Lay bishops work with members on a day-to-day basis while Lombardo and fellow stake leaders handle leadership training, goals and administrative duties.

The new stake leaders were announced Sunday by Elder John H. Groberg, president of the North America West Area of the church.

There are currently only two other Latino stakes in Southern California, one in East Los Angeles and another in Orange County.

“There will be more opportunity to grow,” said Lombardo, who joined the church in 1964 and served four years as a bishop in the Van Nuys 5th Ward.

The new stake will continue to meet at the North Hollywood Stake Center at 11830 Saticoy St.

JEWISH EDUCATION: Three San Fernando Valley educators will be honored Sunday for their service to the children of local Jewish day schools by receiving the Milken Family Jewish Educator Award, which includes $10,000 to each recipient.

Among the five receiving the award are:

* Janine Jacoby, kindergarten Judaic studies teacher at Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School in Northridge. Jacoby, a Woodland Hills resident, has taught at the school for 20 years.

* Rabbi Yochanan Stepen, educational director of Emek Hebrew Academy in North Hollywood and Sherman Oaks. A North Hollywood resident, Stepen has guided the school of 600 children for 20 years.

* Nili Ziv, director of Jewish education at Valley Beth Shalom Day School and Valley Beth Shalom Hebrew School. The North Hills resident has served the programs for 10 years.

In addition, Manuel Katz, high school math teacher at Yeshiva University of Los Angeles, and Avishag Wyte, Hebrew and Judaica teacher at Temple Emanuel Community Day School in Beverly Hills, are scheduled to receive awards.

The luncheon, sponsored by the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Los Angeles and the Milken Family Foundation, will take place at the Century Plaza Hotel.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE: The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, will be celebrated today at Santa Rosa Church, 668 S. Workman St., San Fernando. Festivities will begin at 4 a.m. with traditional Mananitas and Mass with the Mariachi Juvenil Santa Rosa, the Aztec dance group Xipetotec, Danzantes Guadalupanos and the Ballet Juvenil Santa Rosa. At 5 p.m., a Mass will be celebrated on the outdoor stage, followed by a procession of a parishioners down Mott Street, San Fernando Mission Boulevard and Hewitt Street, concluding on Workman Street. Participants will pause along to the route to observe enactments of the four apparitions of the Virgin Mary to the Indian Juan Diego in 1531.

ART EXHIBIT: The 15th annual Madonna and Creche Art Festival will begin today in the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church of Glendale, 401 E. Broadway. The festival, depicting religious holiday scenes, will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Admission is free.

BREAKFAST SEMINAR: The Burbank Temple Emmanu El Men’s Club will present a breakfast seminar Sunday featuring Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz, national director of Jews for Judaism. Kravitz will speak on “Missionary Impossible: Responding to the Threat of Evangelical Missionaries.” The event will begin with an 8:30 a.m. minyan, breakfast at 9:30 a.m. and the seminar at 10 a.m. Admission for club members and women is free, while admission for non-members is $5 each. The seminar will be held at the synagogue, located at 1302 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank.

HANUKKAH FESTIVAL: Temple Ahavat Shalom will host a Hanukkah Festival and Education Day on Sunday. The day will include workshops, music, games, food, dancing and a bake sale. Activities will begin at 9 a.m. at the Reform congregation, 18200 Rinaldi Place, Northridge. Participants are asked to bring an unwrapped gift that will be distributed to a needy family during the holiday season.

MUSICAL GUEST: Composer Randall Leonard will be the special musical guest at the 9:15 and 11 a.m. services Sunday at Metropolitan Community Church of the Valley, 5730 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood. Selections from Randall’s acoustic piano recordings, “Angels in the Rain” and “Flutterbys,” will be featured.

SPEAKER: Tuvya Zaretsky, director of the Los Angeles branch of Jews for Jesus, will speak at 11 a.m. Sunday at Northridge Community Church of the Nazarene. Zaretsky’s message is titled “A Great Miracle Happened There.” The church is located at 10650 Reseda Blvd. Child care is provided.

SANTA LUCIA DAY: Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 9440 Balboa Blvd., Northridge, will celebrate the Swedish Santa Lucia Day with a choral and bell choir concert, pageant and carols at 5 p.m. Sunday. Swedish desserts will be served following the program.

LUNCHEON: The LifePlus Clergy Network will host a holiday luncheon at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday at the LifePlus Institute, 6441 Coldwater Canyon Ave., North Hollywood. Reservations, due by Monday, can be made by calling (818) 753-7171. Admission is free.

PERFORMANCE: The Cathedral Choir of the La Crescenta Presbyterian Church will present “The Beauty of Christmas” at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The 40-voice choir will offer an original interpretation of Vivaldi’s “Magnificat” and a selection of favorite holiday songs. Guest soloist Dwight Coots will also join the choir and orchestra. Admission is free, but a freewill offering will be taken to help purchase additional choir robes. The church is located at 2902 Montrose Ave., La Crescenta.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT: The Vallejo Drive Seventh-day Adventist Church, 300 Vallejo Drive, Glendale, will hold its 16th annual Christmas Candlelight Concert at 4:30 p.m. next Saturday. The Vallejo Drive Chancel Choir will be joined by bell choirs, the children’s choir and various instrumentalists. Admission is free.

WORKSHOP: A Hanukkah workshop for parents and children titled “Dealing With the Dilemma of Christmas” will be taught by Rabbi Sally Olins on Dec. 20 at Temple B’nai Hayim, a Conservative congregation at 4302 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks. The program for children 2 years old through kindergarten age will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and the program for first- through third-grade children will take place from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Arts and crafts for participating families will be offered at both sessions, followed by a free brunch. Reservations can be made by calling (818) 788-4665.