Anointing of the Sick

* Anointing of the sick will take place at 10 a.m. today at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Oxnard during a special bilingual Mass.

St. Anthony’s will hold a parish bilingual celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation at 7:30 p.m. March 22.

The church is at 2511 South C St. Call 486-7301 for more information.

Ceremony to Dedicate Church

* Oxnard’s St. Paul Baptist Church will hold a dedication ceremony on the grounds of its future church, senior citizen complex and gymnasium at Statham Boulevard and Pacific Avenue at noon today. The public is invited to celebrate the occasion.

“God has blessed us with tremendous growth during the past eight years,” said Pastor Broderick Huggins.

Currently, St. Paul holds all worship services at its 1354 South C St. church. For more information, call church secretary Claudette Hester at 487-2015.

St. Patrick’s to Observe Feast Day

* St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Thousand Oaks will observe its national patronal feast day on Sunday with Holy Eucharist at 8 and 10:15 a.m.

Sunday school classes will present a special pageant at the 10:15 a.m. service. Commissioning of Order of St. Patrick’s members and Telecare ministers will take place at both services.

Eucharist is held at 10 a.m. Wednesday. On Thursday, a soup supper Lenten program will begin at 6 p.m., with the program at 7 and evening prayer at 8. All are welcome.

St. Patrick’s is at 1 Church Road. For additional information, call 495-6441.

Presentation on Unitarian Beliefs

* The Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura will feature the Rev. Cynthia Cain of Riverside on the subject “Beliefs Held by Unitarians” on Sunday. She will speak about how Christianity has informed her Unitarian Universalist social justice work.

Services are at 9:15 and 11 a.m. Religious education is held for all grade levels.

The church is at 4949 Foothill Road. Call 676-6464 for additional information.

Church Hosts Storyteller

* The Fine Arts Commission of Camarillo United Methodist Church will present storyteller Barbara McBride-Smith at 5 p.m. Sunday.

McBride-Smith makes the stories of the Bible come to life as she tells them with a 20th-century twist, said Bill Manzer of the church.

A donation will be asked at the performance. The church is at 291 Anacapa Drive. Call 482-4312 for more information.

Flute Ensemble to Perform

* A flute ensemble will perform in concert at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Camarillo at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Six professional flutists will play music from the baroque to contemporary periods. Rhondda Dayton of Westlake Village leads the ensemble.

St. Columba’s is at 1251 Las Posas Road. For more information, call 482-8831.

Evangelist at Oxnard Church

* A special Sunday service at Oxnard’s Church of the Nazarene will feature the Rev. John David Hicks, executive director of Faith Encounter. Hicks travels full time as an evangelist Bible teacher throughout the western states and Canada.

The Sunday service begins at 10:15 a.m. Monday’s service is at 6 p.m. and Wednesday’s begins at 7 p.m. The church is at 1630 Saviers Road. Call 485-1077 for more information.

Church Offers 3 Services

* Oxnard’s All Saints Episcopal Church will hold worship services Sunday in the main sanctuary at 8 a.m., 9 a.m. (in Spanish) and 11 a.m.

Also on Sunday, adult Lectionary Bible study will be led by Edgar Lozano at 9:30 a.m.; first communion class begins at 10:30 and Sunday school for all ages is led by Sunday school Supt. Cindy Morales at 10:45 a.m.

The church is at 144 South C St. Call 653-7519 for more information.

‘Clear as Mud’ Title of Sermon

* The Rev. Lynne Austin will deliver a sermon titled “Clear as Mud” at the 8:30 and 10 a.m. services Sunday at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Newbury Park.

Special music with Michael Domes and Steve Hobson will be featured at the early service.

At 10 a.m., the Chancel Choir will sing and the Sunday school children will present a program on world hunger.

On Sunday evening, youth directors Andre and Sandy Oei will present “The God Squad,” a new program that introduces youth to improvisation and staging. Children grades three-12 are welcome.

The directors have been involved with local theater groups.

“It’s an environment that is safe and friendly, yet fun,” said Sandy Oei. “The God Squad” will continue almost every Sunday thereafter from 6 to 7 p.m.

The church is at 1360 S. Wendy Drive. Call 498-6910 for more information.

Special Services During Lent

* First Presbyterian Church of Oxnard will feature a Lenten service at 11:30 each Sunday morning during Lent. Charles Griffin will lead the series, titled “Our Neighbors’ Faith--the Way of the East.”

Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Shintoism will be discussed during the services.

The men’s breakfast and fellowship meeting of Oxnard’s First Presbyterian Church will begin at 8 a.m. Sunday. The guest speaker will discuss “Power Without Scapegoats.” All are welcome.

At 9 a.m. Sundays, “The Jesus I Never Knew” study class is held in the Agape Room, using the Bible, guide books and film clips.

For more details about church activities, call 983-0204. First Presbyterian is at 850 Ivywood Drive.

Workshop on Baking Matzo

* Chabad of the Conejo will sponsor a Model Matzo Bakery for the whole family from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Westlake Village’s Chabad Center.

“The hands-on experience will allow participants to bake their very own Passover matzo,” said Rabbi Yisroel Levine of the chabad.

The workshop will explain the significance of matzo and how it is made. The event is free.

The center is at 741 Lakefield Road, No. D.

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

Lenten Programs at St. Matthew’s

* Communion is offered at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Newbury Park every Sunday during Lent.

Services during Lent are at 8:30 and 10 a.m. Maundy Thursday worship is at 7 p.m. April 1; Good Friday interfaith worship is at noon on April 2, and Easter services April 4 are at 6:30, 8:30 and 10 a.m.

St. Matthew’s youth will serve a continental breakfast after Easter services.

The church is at 1380 S. Wendy Drive. Call 498-6910 for more information.

Silence and Meditation for Lent

* Silence and meditation replace praise time from 10 to 10:15 a.m. during Lent on Sundays at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Oxnard.

Church school for children, youth and adults begins at 9 a.m.

The Spanish language service is held at 6 p.m. and the Japanese language service begins at 2 p.m.

At 4 p.m., “Souper Faith” will present the movie “The Apostle,” followed by a soup supper and discussion of the movie immediately afterward.

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

Congregation Plans ‘Messy Day’

* Simi Valley’s Congregation B’nai Emet will put on a preschool and kindergarten “Messy Day” from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. The entire community is invited.

Play dough, painting, collage, bubbles, goop, dramatic play and more will be offered.

Cost for the afternoon is $3 for children 18 months and older; $1 for adults. The event will be held at the CBE kindergarten and preschool at 3050 Kadota St. Call 522-2214.

Adult Class on ‘Biblical Literacy’

* A five-week adult education class called “Biblical Literacy” will begin Monday at Congregation B’nai Emet in Simi Valley.

Meridith Patera will instruct the class, which costs $18 for members and $25 for nonmembers.

A “Passover Holiday Workshop” will be held Tuesday from 7 to 8:45 p.m. The class on how to plan a Seder is sponsored by the Women of Congregation B’nai Emet.

The congregation is at 4645 Industrial St., 2C. Call 581-3723.

Forum on Women, Families

* In conjunction with the Reproductive Rights Network, the Women of Reform Judaism will present a forum dealing with issues related to women and their families at Ventura’s Temple Beth Torah on Tuesday.

Men and older teens are welcome. Coffee and conversation begin at 6:30 p.m.; the program begins at 6:45.

The Men’s Discussion Series will continue with a program on prostate cancer led by Dr. Paul Silverman at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

All events are free and open to the public. The temple is at 7620 Foothill Road. Call 647-4181 for more information.

Passover Service for Children

* Thousand Oaks’ Temple Etz Chaim plans a special children’s Passover service for April 1 in the temple’s Winer Chapel.

Rabbi Michele Paskow Cohen and preschool teacher Debbie Blumenthal will conduct the hourlong service.

The children will sing Hebrew songs, see the Torah and hear stories. Refreshments will follow the 10:30 a.m. service.

Regular Passover services will be held in the main sanctuary beginning at 10 a.m. At 6:30 p.m., the traditional Seder will begin, for which reservations are required by Friday. Rabbi Shimon Paskow and Hazzan Jeff Cohen will conduct the service, at which a kosher dinner will be served.

Temple Etz Chaim is at 1080 Janss Road. For more information or to make reservations, call 497-6891.

Fish Fries Scheduled for Lent

* St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Oxnard plans fish fries each Friday during Lent, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Condon Center. The parents’ club will serve a dinner of a fish fillet, tater tots, coleslaw, roll and drinks for $5.50 per plate. Takeout orders are also available.

All parishioners are invited for food and fellowship. Lenten stations of the cross devotions are held on Fridays during Lent at 7 p.m.

Call 486-0018 for more information. The church is at 2511 South C St.

Easter Events at Moorpark Church

* Easter events are being planned at Moorpark’s Community Christian Church, including an Easter Sunday musical on April 4 and a special Friendship Sunday service, “Christ in the Passover,” on April 11.

The youth group will hold a fund-raiser yard sale Saturday on the church grounds at 216 Moorpark Ave. to raise money for its Mexico work trip.

Regular Sunday services are held at 9 and 10:45 a.m. at the church, with Bible school classes for preschool through junior high ages also at 9 and 10:45.

Call the church for more information on weekly Bible study and choir ministry classes.