Retired Educator to Discuss Baha’i Faith

Arnold Stein, a retired Ventura educator, will speak on the Baha’i faith at 7:30 today at the Baha’i assembly, 5556 Hollings St., Ventura.

“This is an introduction to the principles of Baha’i,” said Adell Johnson of the church. The public is welcome to the event. For information, call 644-6809 or 656-1606.

Oxnard Church to Welcome Spanish Ministry * St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Oxnard begins “an important new vision” of its ministry Sunday when Bishop Roy Sano, presiding bishop of the California Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church, inaugurates and welcomes the new Spanish-language ministry of St. Paul’s at a 2 p.m. service.

Also that day, Martin Luther King Jr. will be honored at St. Paul’s morning service, led by members of the church’s “Rainbow team,” a group committed to sharing ethnic diversity.

This will be St. Paul’s third language ministry. The church also has English and Japanese ministries, plus two “nesting” congregations: the Oxnard Filipino Community Church, a United Church of Christ congregation that holds its service in Tagalog, and the Ventura Korean Presbyterian Church.

The pastor of the Spanish-language congregation will be the Rev. Carlos Saavedra. Sunday’s service will be led by the director of the Hispanic mission for the California Pacific Conference, Al Pineda.

The church’s senior pastor is Alan Gorsline, whose own English-speaking congregation is made up of Anglos, African Americans, Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese and members of other ethnic groups.

The church is at 1800 South C St. For information, call 487-2711.

Hymn Festival to Feature Choirs, Organists * A hymn festival will be held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Camarillo United Methodist Church. County choirs, organists and congregations will participate. The public is welcome.

Co-sponsored by the Ventura County chapter of the American Guild of Organists and Ventura County Council of Churches, the musical event observes the National Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The theme is “Be led by the Spirit in hope.”

A reception will follow the festival, which is also a benefit for CROP WALK. Camarillo United Methodist Church is at 291 Anacapa Drive. For information, call 983-0157.

Spiritual Gifts Topic of Sermon Series * A sermon series titled “What Are Your Spiritual Gifts?” will begin Sunday at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Newbury Park. The Rev. Lynne Austin will follow up the series with a workshop titled “Spiritual Gifts Worship,” from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 1. Special materials will be used at the workshop, so call the church before attending.

The January Sunday morning services will be held at 8:30 and 10 a.m.

The church is at 1360 Wendy Drive. For information, call 498-6010.

Council Sponsors Ecumenical Dialogue * The third ecumenical dialogue of a series sponsored by the Ventura County Council of Churches will be held Wednesday in the salon room of St. John’s Seminary and College library in Camarillo.

“Common Hopes, Common Grounds, Common Challenges” will be the focus of the dialogue, which gets underway at 1:30 p.m. Interested clergy and members of the public are welcome.

For information, call the Rev. Kenneth Bergmann of the council at 983-0157.

Author to Speak at Fellowship * Doug Murren will speak Wednesday at South Coast Fellowship in Ventura. He has written several books, including “Baby Boomerang” and “Leadershift.”

The 7 p.m. event will be held at 4050 Market St. For information, call 658-7646.

Church to Begin Series of Weekly Programs * Camarillo United Methodist Church will begin its new season of weekly “Journey Through Stories” programs Wednesday. Classes for children in kindergarten through sixth grade and adults will run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. six consecutive Wednesdays. A line-dancing exercise group also meets at the same times.

For information, call 482-4312. The church is at 291 Anacapa Drive.

Temple to Feature Sunday Discussion Series * A comparison of the streams of Judaism, Jewish biomedical ethics, Jerusalem at 3,000 years and Israel at 50 years will be discussed in a Sunday morning series that begins at 10 a.m. Jan. 25 at Ventura’s Temple Beth Torah.

“Lifelong Learning With Rabbi Lisa” is the series title, and the public is welcome to attend. The temple is at 7620 Foothill Road. For information, call 647-4181.

Jewish Academy to Start Winter Semester * The Conejo Jewish Academy begins its winter semester Jan. 26. The Agoura Hills academy is in its fourth year of providing adult education classes to the community on a variety of Judaic subjects.

More than a dozen lecture series will be offered on such topics as living Judaism, the Talmud, the Kabbalah and the Chodesh Women Study Group. Highlighting the semester will be a four-part lecture series and weekend Shabbaton retreat at the Sheraton in Ventura, called “Counting Down to the New Millennium.”

To sign up or for a detailed brochure, call the academy at (818) 991-0991. It is located at 30345 Canwood St.

Religion Briefs is a weekly listing that runs each Saturday. Please address items, with a publishable telephone number to Religion Briefs, Los Angeles Times, 93 S. Chestnut St., Ventura 93001. Items can also be faxed to The Times at 653-7576 or 653-7548.