Women’s Retreat Set in Oxnard

A retreat for women is set for Friday and Aug. 29 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oxnard. “Time With God” will feature speakers plus breakfast and lunch.

The Friday session will run from 7 to 9 p.m., and the Aug. 29 retreat is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fee for both days, including meals, is $10.

To make reservations, call Dee at 983-8119. St. John’s Lutheran is at 1500 North C St.

Church to Hold Praise Festival

St. Paul Baptist Church in Oxnard will hold a praise festival at 11 a.m. today in the church parking lot.

At Youth and Young Adult Day on Sunday, Trina Winfrey will be guest speaker at the 8 a.m. service. Winfrey is youth president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention.

For more information, call 487-1555. The church is at 1354 South C St.

Chumash Storyteller at Service

A blessing of the animals service and ceremony will include a Native American observance Sunday at Ventura’s College United Methodist Church.

The service, which will feature Chumash storyteller Alan Salaza, will begin at 10 a.m. on the church lawn. The Humane Society will be on hand with pets for adoption.

At 1:30 p.m., Salaza will be joined by Cherokee flutist Elk Whistle, who will perform on the lawn.

The Channel Islands Taiko Japanese drumming troupe will also perform.

A barbecue, at $2 per person, will raise funds for Native American youth, Ventura County’s food bank and the AIDS Project. Canned goods will also be accepted.

College United Methodist Church also invites the public to a free a cappella concert at 7 p.m. Friday, featuring a five-member Russian Orthodox ensemble from St. Petersburg, Russia, performing religious music.

The church is at 4300 Telegraph Road. For more details, call 642-3282.

Russian Vocalists to Perform

A vocal ensemble from St. Petersburg, Russia, will perform a free concert at the First Baptist Church of Ojai at 7 p.m. Sunday. The public is welcome.

The group’s members sing as soloists in their parishes and conduct church choirs in the Russian Orthodox Church. They offer traditional and contemporary Russian religious songs, recently toured Europe.

“The encouragement of young singers in the field of Christian music is the principal goal of the group,” said Wilbur Skeels of Ojai’s First Baptist Church. The repertoire includes liturgical music and works by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky as well as Russian folk songs.

The church is at 930 Grand Ave. For more information, call 646-3333.

Shelley Berman to Emcee Event

Temple Etz Chaim of Thousand Oaks invites the public to an evening of music, comedy and yiddishkeit at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Master of ceremonies Shelley Berman will introduce the “Close Enough for Klezmer” band, storyteller Archie Barkin and international singer Lisa Wannamaker, among others. A dessert reception will follow. Tickets are $25 and $20.

The Shabbat service Friday will feature a special report on a two-week tour of Israel that congregation members recently took with Rabbi Shimon Paskow and his wife, Carol. The service will begin at 8:15 p.m.

Temple Etz Chaim is at 1080 Janss Road. For information, call the office at 497-6891.

Special College Worship Service

Channel Islands Vineyard Christian Fellowship will hold a special college worship service beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The fellowship is at 1851 Holser Walk, Suite 200, Oxnard. For information and directions, call 485-0050.

Vocal Ensemble to Perform

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Oxnard will host a free concert by a five-member vocal ensemble from St. Petersburg, Russia, at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The concert will feature a cappella Russian Orthodox Church music, in addition to Russian folk songs.

St. Paul’s is at 1800 South C St. For information about services, call 487-2711.

School Applications Accepted

Applications for kindergarten and preschool are being accepted at Congregation B’nai Emet in Simi Valley. An after-school program for kindergartners and first-graders is also being formed. Call 522-2214 for details.

B’nai Emet will also hold an open house at 7 p.m. Friday before services.

At the Sept. 11 service, Randy Cohen, professor of biology at CSUN, will discuss “Genetics in Genesis.”

Call B’nai Emet at 581-3723 for general information. It is at 4645 Industrial St., 2C.

Catholic International Fiesta

A three-day international fiesta at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Oxnard will run Friday through Aug. 30.

A dinner and dance will kick off the fiesta at 6 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $20 per person or $30 per couple. Filipino, Hispanic and Samoan food will be featured on the dinner menu. Live music by the Flames will include tango, boogie, cha-cha and rock.

On Aug. 29, games and international food will be offered from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free, and the food may be purchased.

Hours Aug. 30 are 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The public is welcome. The church is at 463 W. Pleasant Valley Road.

Men for Christ Plan Breakfast

The Ojai Valley Men for Christ ministry will hold its fourth annual community breakfast Aug. 29 in Ojai’s downtown Chaparral Auditorium.

Mal King, a former FBI investigator, will speak at the 7:30 a.m. breakfast on “Being a Godly Shepherd to Your Family.”

“The men of Ojai Valley Men for Christ encourage all pastors of the Ojai Valley to establish men’s groups within each church,” said Keith Johnston of the men’s group. “Ojai Valley Men for Christ believes small group participation will strengthen men’s enthusiasm and win souls to Christ.”

Cost for the optional breakfast is $4; King’s talk is free. For more information, call 649-2062. Chaparral Auditorium is at 414 E. Ojai Ave.

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