Church Plans Advent Events
On this first Sunday in Advent, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church of Oxnard will hold praise time at 10 a.m., followed by a worship celebration and communion.
The Rev. Al Gorsline’s sermon topic will be “Better Than Starbucks.”
Church school for all ages is at 9 a.m., including the adult exploration class led by Gorsline. This class is continuing its Advent study.
The consecration Sunday dinner will follow worship services.
The Rev. Haruyoshi Fujimoto will lead a Japanese-language service at 2 p.m. The Spanish-language Sunday school begins at 1 p.m., and the worship service, led by the Rev. Carlos Saavedra, will begin at 6 p.m.
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is at 1800 South C St. For more information, call the church office at 487-2711.
Sermon Focuses on Caesar, Jesus
The Rev. James K. Bain Jr. will deliver a sermon titled “Caesar or Jesus?” at 10 a.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church in Oxnard. The sermon is based on scripture Micah 5:2 and Luke 2:1-4.
After worship, Charles Griffin will continue his series on “Our Neighbor’s Faith.” Today’s installment will feature “Judaism: History and Election.”
The church is at 850 Ivywood Drive. For more information, call 983-0608.
Women’s Council to Host Potluck
The Women’s Council at St. Anthony Church in Ventura will host a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. Wednesday. All parishioners are invited and may bring canned goods for the poor and unwrapped new toys for needy children.
The schedule of Masses is: Saturday 5:15 p.m.; Sunday 7:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m. (English), and noon and 1:30 p.m. (Spanish).
The Sacrament of Penance is held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturdays.
The church is at 2511 South C St. Call 486-7301 for more information.
Jewish Father’s Role Examined
The Men’s Club at Temple Beth Torah in Ventura will hold the second part of its discussion series “The Role of the Jewish Father” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The free discussion will be led by Rabbi Jeffrey Marx.
The temple also will hold its monthly Family Shabbat service at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The abbreviated service is child-oriented and features music and refreshments.
The temple is at 7620 Foothill Road. Call 647-4181 for more information.
Temple Sponsoring Essay Contest
JFC-Temple Ner Ami of Camarillo is sponsoring an essay contest for its 70 kindergarten through sixth-grade Torah School students. Winners will be announced at this year’s Hanukkah Bazaar at the temple from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. The free bazaar is open to the community and will feature singing, dancing, food, face-painting, art projects and Hanukkah items.
Temple Ner Ami is at 4098 Calle Tesoro, Suite D. For more information, call 388-3824.
Nativities of the World on Display
More than 200 Nativity scenes representing many cultures will be on display at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ojai from Thursday through Dec. 6.
Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday; noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Dec. 5; and from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 6.
The festivities will include live musical performances by choirs and groups. The scenes are suitable for all ages, said Peggy Clark of the church.
The church is at 411 San Antonio St. For more information, call 646-7806.
Intern Rabbi to Lead Service, Talk
Intern Rabbi Neil Loevinger will lead a service and discussion Friday for people 40 and older at Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks. The program will begin at 8:15 p.m. in the Winer chapel. There is no charge and membership is not required.
On Dec. 13, Temple Etz Chaim will hold festivities to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. The celebration will begin at 4:30 p.m., and the public is invited to attend the kindling of the first candle for the Jewish festival of lights.
Rabbi Shimon Paskow will lead the singing of the blessings, plus Hanukkah songs. Several families of the temple will lead in lighting Hanukkah menorahs. There will also be storytelling, a magician and Israeli folk dancing. The Men’s Club and Sisterhood will serve latkes and applesauce.
There is no charge, and membership is not required. The temple is at 1080 Janss Road. Call 497-6801 for more information.
Minister to Teach Group Prayer
Unity Center will introduce “Master Mind Prayer” at 7 p.m. Friday at the Westlake Village Community Room. The Rev. Irma Oestmann will lead in the methods of group prayer as taught by the late Unity minister Jack Boland. The prayer method follows the 12-step model used by many support groups.
The room is at 4373 Park Terrace Drive. For more information, call 496-6901.
Institute Plans 2 Lectures
The Brandeis-Bardin Institute in Simi Valley will hold lectures with Rabbi Edward Harwitz and Jordan Elgrably on Dec. 5.
Harwitz, of the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, will speak on “Generation to Generation: The Challenge of Transmitting Tradition.” Elgrably’s topic will be “Cultural Commuting: The Hidden Jews of the Sepharad.”
The afternoon will include Israeli dancing with time to picnic on the institute’s 3,000 acres at 1101 Peppertree Lane.
Reservations are essential--no tickets will be sold at the gate the day of the program. For information, call 582-4450. All Shabbat afternoon lecture programs are $15 per person, with the gate opening at 1 p.m.
Christian Musician to Perform
Christian recording artist Randy Stonehill will perform three free concerts Dec. 5 and 6 at Ventura’s South Coast Fellowship.
Stonehill, known in the Christian music world for 30 years, has been active with Compassion International, which helps underprivileged children worldwide, for 15 years.
He will perform at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 and 8 and 10 a.m. Dec. 6.
South Coast Fellowship is at 4050 Market St. For information, call 658-7646.
Nun to Offer Advice on Coping
The Ojai Valley Dharma Center will present a talk by Pema Chodron at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at Tres Condados Lodge in Casitas Springs. Chodron, who has taken ordination as a nun in the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, will discuss “When Things Fall Apart” and offer “radical and compassionate advice for what to do when things fall apart in our lives.”
An author of three books, Chodron is the spiritual director of Gampo Abbey, a 200-acre monastic center in the Cape Breton Highlands of Nova Scotia.
Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Tres Condados Lodge is at 155 Sulphur Mountain Road. Participants can register in advance through Wednesday. For more information, call 646-2102.
Free Gospel Concert Organized
First Baptist Church in Santa Paula will host a gospel performance by the Crimson River Quartet on Dec. 6. The 10:50 a.m. concert will feature Southern gospel harmonies and messages of faith and hope. The event is free.
The church is at 241 N. Mill St. Call 525-2814 for more information.
Jewish Adult Classes Scheduled
The Beis Menacheim Institute of Jewish Studies is opening its winter semester for adult education with a lineup of classes, lectures and seminars. All programs will be held at the Chabad of Ventura Jewish community center on Callens Road in Ventura. Classes will include “Back to the Beginning,” an in-depth study of the entire book of Genesis, and “Hebrew Reading Crash Course.”
The evening classes begin in December; tuition varies. Call Chabad for registration information.
Mystic and counselor Laibl Wolf will lead a three-hour seminar on Kabbalah, Jewish meditation and serenity through spirituality, from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Chabad center.
Wolf, an ordained rabbi, lawyer and psychologist, is director of the Institute of Human Development in Melbourne, Australia. His seminar is $26 general, $18 for seniors and students.
The Women’s Group of Chabad of Ventura will hold its first annual Hanukkah event titled “The Feminine Side of Hanukkah” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at the center. Cooking demonstrations, a speaker, refreshments and a boutique will be featured. There is no cost to attend.
“Know What to Answer When Someone Challenges Your Faith” will be Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz’s topic at a workshop at 8 p.m. Dec. 27 at the Chabad center. The fee is $10.
For more information or to register for any of the events, call Chabad of Ventura at 658-7441. It is at 1259 Callens Road, Suite A.
Advent Fest Revives Middle Ages
An Advent Festival of lessons and carols will be presented by the combined choirs of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Thousand Oaks and St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Camarillo at 4 p.m. Dec. 6 in Camarillo.
“The popular Advent concert dates back to King’s College, Cambridge, England, with traditional carols and anthems from the Middle Ages to our own times being sung,” said choir director Martha Lamar.
St. Columba’s is at 1251 Las Posas Road in Camarillo. Call 482-8831 for more information.
Human Rights Awards Coming Up
The eighth annual Bahai Human Rights Luncheon and Awards Ceremony will be held Dec. 6 at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza Hotel in Westlake Village. The ceremony, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, will begin at 11 a.m.
Supervisor Kathy Long and the Camarillo-based Interface Children Family Services of Ventura County will be among the honorees. Elsa Campbell of Santa Paula will also be feted for creating opportunities for local citizens to acquire skills necessary to voice the needs of women and children.
The public is invited to share in the celebration and honor the year’s awardees. Tickets are available for $20 by calling 676-1606.
The hotel is at 880 Westlake Blvd.
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