Celebrating 1st Sunday of Advent

The First Sunday of Advent will be marked at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Oxnard with a worship celebration at 10:15 a.m. The Rev. Alan Gorsline’s sermon will be “Please Don’t Wake Me Up.”

Church school will meet at 10:10 a.m. with the children gathering in the sanctuary and attending the first few minutes of the worship celebration. After the “Let the Children Come” segment, the children will meet in their classrooms.

The Spanish-language ministry Sunday School will begin at 1 p.m. and its worship service, led by the Rev. Carlos Saavedra, will be at 6 p.m. The Japanese-language ministry will begin at 2 p.m.

The church is at 1800 South C St.

Event’s Sermon to Focus on Peace

On Sunday, United Methodist Church of Simi Valley will celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. The Rev. Brandon Cho will preach at the 8 and 10 a.m. services on the theme of peace.

Sunday School for all ages begins at 9 a.m., including a new Advent study class for adults. Children and youth will make decorations for the Witman Hall Christmas tree. Spanish-language services are at 1:30 p.m. in the sanctuary, followed by fellowship in Witman Hall.

The church is at 2394 Erringer Road. For more information, call 526-6231.

Book Provides Guide to Advent

Santa Paula resident Barbara Baumgarten has published a book for the season of Advent, which begins Sunday.

The book, “Teach Us to Number Our Days,” is a guide to Advent. It offers three Advent calendar craft projects--one made from junk mail, a no-sew felt version and a quilted version.

The book is available at Fabric Depot, where the original quilted version featured on the cover is on display, or from Morehouse Publishing by calling (800) 877-0012.

Baumgarten will be available at the Fabric Depot, 866 E. Main St., Santa Paula, Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to discuss and sign her book.

‘Amazing Grace’ to Be Topic

Unity Center Church in Thousand Oaks will present the Rev. Irma Oestmann, who will speak on “Amazing Grace” at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Children are invited to attend the Children’s Church at the same time in an upstairs room, where teachers will guide them through the Quest program. The services will be followed by a Thanksgiving picnic in the park.

The church meets at Old Meadows Park, 1600 Marview Drive. For more information, call 496-6901.

Lutherans Schedule Weekly Events

Our Saviour’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oxnard offers Sunday services at 9:15 and 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. Mary Ann Feine. Spanish-language services with the Rev. Dennis Bradshaw are at 11 a.m.

On Monday, a Step Recovery Group meets from 7:30 to 9 p.m. On Wednesday, Youth Group is at 7 p.m. and Bible study is at 7:30 p.m.

The church is at 905 Redwood St. For more information, call 486-5383.

4-Part Lecture Series on Holidays

The Rev. Craig Johnson, pastor of Bethel Christian Fellowship in Agoura Hills, will present a winter lecture series as part of the Bethel Forum.

The four-part series will address the holiday season.

The topic for Wednesday is “Which Star? Christ and the Star of Bethlehem.”

On Dec. 8, “Who Were Those Wise Men? Christ and the Mission of the Magi” will be discussed.

On Dec. 15, Johnson will answer the question “Why Bethlehem? Christ and the City of the Great King.”

The final lecture, “What Child is This? Christ: the Reason for the Season,” will be presented Dec. 22. Attendees are invited to participate in a dialogue that will follow the formal lecture and question time.

The free lecture series will run from 7 to 9 p.m. each evening, and everyone is welcome. Refreshments and free child care will be provided.

All lectures will take place at the church, 5310 Derry Ave., Suite P, Agoura Hills. For more information, call (818) 889-7215.

Marriage Encounter Weekend

A marriage encounter weekend sponsored by St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks will be held Friday through Dec. 5 at the Holiday Inn in West Covina.

Marriage encounter is open to all married couples, regardless of faith. A $50 nonrefundable fee confirms food and lodging.

Call (818) 848-6729 for details.

Cal Lutheran Position Filled

The Rev. Gary Knutson of Northfield, Minn., has accepted the invitation to serve as interim pastor at Cal Lutheran University.

He arrived on campus to begin his work Oct. 1 and will stay through the end of the school year. Knutson is serving as interim pastor after the departure of the Rev. Mark Knutson, who accepted a parish call at San Marcos Lutheran Church in September.

Knutson graduated from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and began his work as a pastor in 1957 at Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks.

His association with Cal Lutheran began in 1959 when he was asked by the university’s first president, Orville Dahl, to lead the Wednesday chapel services on campus. He and the Rev. Bob Lawson shared the role of chaplain, leading the weekly service in a tent before a permanent structure was built.

In 1997, he and his wife Gloria returned to Cal Lutheran as senior mentors for the academic year. Before his retirement, Knutson also served as a Lutheran bishop in Wisconsin.

Cal Lutheran’s symphony, choirs and student soloists will present the annual Christmas Festival Concerts on Friday and Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 5 at 4 p.m. in the Samuelson Chapel in Thousand Oaks.

The concerts will feature choral and orchestral Christmas music and selected readings from the Christmas story. Suzanne Shapiro and Eric Kinsley, music instructors at the university, will perform J.S. Bach’s Concerto for Two Harpsichords. The choirs will unite for traditional carols and seasonal classics. The concert will conclude with a performance of Salvator Mundi by Welsh composer William Mathias.

For more information, call 493-3151 or 493-3305.

Nativities From Around the World

More than 200 nativity scenes representing many cultures will be exhibited in “A Celebration of Christ--Nativities of the World,” on Friday through Dec. 5 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ojai.

The exhibit will be open from noon to 9 p.m. Friday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 4 and from 2:30 to 7 p.m. Dec. 5.

This third annual exhibit features a diverse collection of nativities ranging from a small set made from a coconut shell to a 30-piece Lenox set. Some of the sets are handcrafted, some are new and a few are about 50 years old.

Visitors of all ages are invited. There is no admission charge.

The church is at 411 San Antonio St. For more information, call 646-7806.

Items Needed for Rummage Sale

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks needs usable items for its annual rummage sale. Items such as baby goods, clothing, books, toys and household items will be accepted.

The rummage sale will be Friday and Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parish hall.

Proceeds will be used to help Conejo Valley residents. During the past six years, the society has assisted more than 800 families and individuals with food, clothing, gasoline vouchers and financial help for utility bills, rent and medicine.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society is an international Catholic organization of lay persons.

Also on Dec. 4 at St. Paschal Baylon, there will be a celebration welcoming the replica image of Our Lady of the Americas, the Virgin of Guadalupe, during a ceremony at 2 p.m. led by the church’s pastor, Msgr. Joseph George.

At 3 p.m. a procession will move the pilgrim virgin to an area where visits can be made until preparation for the 5:30 p.m. liturgy. Visits to the image will resume after the Mass and continue until the church closes at 11 p.m. Bishop Thomas Curry will preside at the bilingual liturgy.

A reception featuring Irish, Aztec and Folklorico dancers will be held in the Thomas Aquinas Hall from 7 until 10 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

A regular Mass schedule will be observed on Dec. 5 with visits to the image continuing. The image will depart at 3 p.m. for the San Gabriel Mission.

The church is at 15 E. Janss Road. For more information, call 496-0222.

Production to Feature Orchestra

Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village will present the 18th annual production of “Step Into Bethlehem” next month, highlighted by a 41-piece orchestra.

“Step Into Bethlehem” presents events leading up to the birth of Jesus. The musical production will be held in the new 2,800-seat Celebration Center, which features state-of-the-art sound and stadium-style seating.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Dec. 10, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 and 11, and 3 p.m. Dec. 5 and 12.

Tickets are $12, with discounts available to groups of 20 or more. Tickets are available by calling (818) 575-2299, or by visiting www.calvarycc.org or the church ticket center.

The church is at 5495 Via Rocas.

Annual Boutique at Church

Covenant Women Ministries will present its annual boutique from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 4 at Simi Covenant Church in Simi Valley. There will be a variety of handmade items and a bake sale.

The church is at 4680 Alamo St.

Simi Covenant Church offers a worship service the first and third Sundays of the month with coffee, food and music from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Worship is from 7 to 8 p.m.

The church is at 4680 Alamo St., Simi Valley. For more information, call 526-8855.

Christmas Mission Market

The front lawn of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church will be transformed into its annual Christmas Mission Market on Dec. 4. The public is invited to join in supporting 12 local and international outreach ministries from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Gifts made by artisans in third-world countries to benefit their economies will be for sale along with other crafts.

Chickens, sheep and other farm animals may be purchased and will be distributed by Heifer Project International to needy families around the world. Boards, nails and paint may also be purchased for a Habitat for Humanity home being built in Piru.

Wheels for the World will accept used wheelchairs to be refurbished and provided to disabled people. God’s Hidden Treasures will highlight its ministry to orphans and the needy in the Ukraine with missionary Nita Hanson in attendance and Dima, an orphan boy from the Ukraine who is being fitted with prosthetics for his legs by the Shriner’s Hospital.

The church is at Lynn Road and Camino Manzanas, Thousand Oaks. For more information, call 498-4502.

Combined Choirs to Perform

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. 5 at St. Columba’s.

Music of Brahms, Palestrina, Bach and others will be performed.

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

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