Shabbat Services in Oxnard

Congregation Am HaYam in Oxnard will hold Shabbat services at 10 a.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. Oct. 16 and 10 a.m. Oct. 17. All services will be held at the Oxnard Monday Club.

Sukkot will be held in members’ homes on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Oct. 10-12. Shemini Atzeret will be held in members’ homes at 8 p.m. Oct. 11 and at 10 a.m. Oct. 12.

For registration, locations or more information, call 656-6634.

Sukkot Programs in Ventura

A full week of programs and services is planned for the festival of Sukkot at Ventura’s Chabad Community Center.

Sukkot Eve will be celebrated with a kiddush and holiday feast at 7 p.m. Sunday. Traditional challah will be served along with a Middle Eastern buffet. All are welcome to attend.

Synagogue services for the first and second day of the holiday will be held at 10 a.m. Monday and Tuesday.

For more information or for times and location of weekday services for Sukkot, call 658-7441.

Call 658-7441 for additional details, times or locations.

Chabad of Ventura is at 1259 Callens Road, Suite A.

Animals to Be Blessed in Oxnard

In honor of St. Patrick of Assisi Day, the parishes of All Saints Episcopal Church and Our Saviors Lutheran Church of Oxnard will welcome all animals and their caregivers at a “Blessing of the Animals” at Plaza Park in Oxnard at 2 p.m. Sunday.

It is requested that animals be on leashes or in pet carriers. Call 483-2347 for more information.

Church Plans Parenting Seminars

Simi Covenant Church will launch a parenting seminar series beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

“This series deals with the principles of family dynamics and parenting, whether your child is 2 or 18,” said Maureen McTeer of the church.

Gary Chapman’s book, “Five Signs of a Functional Family,” will be the basis for the first seminar.

According to Pastor Kurt Fredrickson, Simi Covenent “is a unique church helping people discover the difference God can make in their lives.”

“We attract people from many different religious backgrounds as well as those with no religious background at all.”

Services are held at 6 p.m. Saturdays and at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Sundays. Infant and toddler care is offered during all worship services.

“Kids’ Kingdom” meets during all services. Junior and senior high youngsters meet Sunday mornings at 9.

A “celebrate recovery” meeting at 7 p.m. Fridays is followed by the Solid Rock Cafe, open from 9 to 10 p.m.

Simi Covenant is at 4680 Alamo St.

Call 526-8855 for more information.

Sukkah Mobile to Tour Area

To celebrate the holiday of Sukkot, Chabad of the Conejo is constructing a sukkah mobile that will tour Agoura and Westlake Village.

A sukkah hut will be mounted on the back of a flatbed truck to give visitors the opportunity to recite the blessings on the Lulav and Esrog.

The display will visit shopping centers and senior homes from Wednesday through Friday.

A special family Sukkot will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Conejo Jewish Academy at 30345 Canwood St. in Agoura Hills. The free celebration is open to the public.

For more information, call (818) 991-0991.

Anglican Conference in Ventura

Two activities are open to the public this weekend during an international conference of the worldwide Anglican Orthodox Communion at St. George’s Anglican Church in Ventura.

The first, at 4 p.m. today, will be an address by the Right Rev. Dr. Herbert Groce, archbishop of the Anglican Rite Synod. The culminating event of the conference will also be open to the public: holy communion at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

Both events will be held in St. George’s chapel at 6300 Telephone Road. Parking is available behind the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 6300 Telephone Road.

For information, call William Henry Jr. at 984-4138.

Auction by Project Understanding

Project Understanding will hold a live and silent auction fund-raiser beginning at 7 p.m. today at Buenaventura Mall in Ventura.

Items such as pizza for a year, an excursion to Anacapa Island, original art, a vacation cabin at Mammoth Lakes, a spa day at the Oaks at Ojai and a complete wedding--including church, organist, minister and flowers--are typical of the offerings up for bid.

For information, call Project Understanding at 652-1326.

All-Day Animal Fair at Church

St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Simi Valley will celebrate its patron saint by hosting an animal fair today.

The event, which will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is open to the community and will feature displays and demonstrations by groups such as a K-9 police unit, exotic animals and birds, and 4-H guide dogs. The highlight of the day will be the traditional Blessing of the Animals, set for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

All animals brought to the Blessing of the Animals must be leashed or caged.

The church is at 280 Royal Ave. For information, call 526-5141.

World Communion Sunday

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Oxnard will celebrate Rainbow Sunday this week. The event is also known by Methodists as World Communion Sunday.

Gathering under a huge rainbow banner in the sanctuary at 10:15 a.m. Sunday will be four St. Paul’s congregations: St. Paul’s English language ministry with the Rev. Al Gorsline, senior pastor; St. Paul’s Japanese language ministry, led by the Rev. Harayushi Fujimoto; the Spanish-language ministry with the Rev. Carlos Saavedra as pastor, and the Oxnard Community Filipino Church, a United Church of Christ congregation that uses Tagalog as its language.

The Scripture will be read in English, Japanese, Spanish and Tagalog. The Daiko drums of Centenary United Methodist Church will also participate.

For information, call the church office at 487-2711.

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is at 1800 South C St.

Seminary President Will Lecture

Fuller Seminary President Richard Mouw will give a lecture Sunday at Ventura’s Community Presbyterian Church entitled “Christian Faithfulness in a Culture of Confusion.”

A philosopher, scholar and author, Mouw serves as president of the largest seminary in North America, said Paul Dugan, minister of Community Presbyterian’s congregational life. The free lecture begins at 6 p.m.

Community Presbyterian is at 1555 Poli St. For information, call the church at 648-2737.

3-Day Krishnamurti Retreat

The Krishnamurti Foundation will hold a three-day retreat titled “Understanding Ourselves in Relationships: Conditioning Observed in Daily Life” beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Oak Grove School in Ojai.

For reservations or information, call Stephen Smith at 646-2726.