Unity Center Church to Gather

* Unity Center Church in Thousand Oaks holds its Sunday service at 10 a.m. with a message from the Rev. Irma Oestmann on “Ignite Your Desire, Choose Your Dream.”

The church meets at the Old Meadows Park community room at 1600 Marview Road. Child care is provided. For information, call 496-6901.

St. Matthew’s Offers Bible School

* St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Newbury Park will be turned into a clubhouse for children ages 3 to 12 beginning Monday with its vacation Bible school from 9 a.m. to noon. The session runs through Friday.

There will be crafts, games, songs and stories. The cost is $5 per child.

Sunday worship services will be at 8:30 and 10 a.m. Worship at St. Matthew’s is relaxed and interactive with child care and children’s classes during the second service.

The church is at 1360 S. Wendy Drive. For information, call 498-6910.

Service at Oxnard Lutheran Church

* Our Saviour’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oxnard will hear from the Rev. Mary Ann Feine during its 9:15 a.m. Sunday service. Sunday school is held at 10:45 a.m. for all ages and child care is provided.

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

Mass Schedule at St. Anthony’s

* St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Oxnard will celebrate evening Mass at 5:15 p.m. today and have confessions from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Sunday Mass will be celebrated at 7:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m. in English and Spanish-language Mass will be at noon and 1:30 p.m.

The church is at 2511 South C St. For information, call 486-7301.

Sermon on Truth and Lying

* Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will hear from Darcey Lober, a former worship director, at its service at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Lober’s topic will be “Lying--The truth behind the deception. The myth we deceive ourselves with.”

The fellowship meets at Goebel Senior Adult Center, 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. For information, call 492-8751.

Unity Church Hosts Classes, Services

* Unity Church in Ventura will have weekly meetings throughout August.

Weekday prayers will be held at noon. Healing sessions from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Metaphysical Bible study classes will be held from 9 to 9:45 a.m. and church services at 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sundays.

The meetings will be held at the church, 2065 Sperry Ave., No. G.

Business Group to Meet in Ventura

* The local chapter of Christian Business Men’s Committee will hold its monthly luncheon Tuesday at Wedgewood Banquet Center in Ventura. The speaker will be Marty Lythgoe, program director of the Genesis Program, which provides outpatient addiction treatment services.

The luncheon will begin at noon and is open to the public. The cost is $15. The banquet center is at 5880 Olivas Park Drive.

For more information, call 642-3700.

Simi Valley Methodists to Gather

* United Methodist Church in Simi Valley will celebrate worship during services at 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday.

The Rev. Brandon Cho will preach. Communion will be celebrated at the early service.

Sunday school for adults and children will begin at 9 a.m. Child care is provided. Blood pressure screenings will be available in Witman Hall after all services.

A Spanish-language service will be at 1:30 p.m. followed by fellowship in Witman Hall. Fellowship for junior and senior high youths is from 6 to 8 p.m.

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

Chabad Hosts Phone-a-Thon

* Chabad of the Conejo in Agoura Hills will hold its annual phone-a-thon from at 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 13.

Volunteers will telephone members of the community for contributions for the Chabad’s outreach and educational programs that serve people from Calabasas to Ventura.

Such programs include scholarship assistance, drug and alcohol prevention, crisis counseling, a lending library, educational classes, summer camp, hospital visitation, emergency food assistance and services.

For most of its operating budget, Chabad is dependent upon the generosity of the community. Those who would like to phone in a pledge or sign up to be a Phone-a-Thon volunteer may call (818) 991-0991.

The temple is at 30345 Canwood Drive, Agoura Hills.

First Presbyterian to Hold Service

* First Presbyterian Church of Oxnard will hold a worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. Pastor James K. Bain Jr. will deliver the sermon.

There will be Sunday school for youth during the service. Adult Sunday school will begin at 9 a.m. Child care is available at all services. The church is at 850 Ivywood Drive. For information, call 983-0204.

Fellowship Offers Worship

* Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Thousand Oaks will have its Sunday worship celebration at 10:05 a.m.

A nursery and Sunday school classes are provided, while those who are high school or college age will remain for the regular service.

The church has music, teaching and a casual atmosphere. The fellowship is at 480 W. Gainesborough Road. For information, call 379-0237.

Vineyard Fellowship Plans Services

* Channel Islands Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Oxnard has services with contemporary music and casual dress at 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday.

The church is at 1851 Holser Walk, Suite 200. For information, call 485-0050.

Interfaith Fellowship to Meet

* Interfaith Fellowship meets in the ballroom of Thousand Oaks Inn in Thousand Oaks at 10 a.m. Sunday.

The inn is at 75 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd. For information, call 379-9336.

Temple Presents Shabbat Services

* Shabbat services are held at 8 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. Saturdays each week at the Temple Beth Torah in Ventura.

The temple is at 7620 Foothill Road. For information, call 647-4181.

Temple Hosts Discussion Groups

* Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks will sponsor a yeshiva for the beginning of the High Holidays--Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur--with a Havdallah service at 8 p.m. Sept. 23 led by Rabbi Richard Spiegel, the temple spiritual leader, and Hazzan Jeff Cohen.

At 9:15 p.m. there will be several discussion groups, including “Singing the High Holy Day Melodies” with Cohen, who is a cantor; “The Christian Right’s Attack on Separation of Church and State” with Judge Bruce Einhorn; “Laugh a Little: Enjoy Some Good Humor” with John Keats; “Being Effective Every Day of Your Life” with Barbara Freedman; “Sounding the Shofar for Rosh Hashana” with Ronald Goldstein; “Putting on Tefillin” with Myles Sympson; “A Woman’s Perspective on the High Holidays” with Leah Shechter, and “Understanding the High Holiday Prayer Book” with Spiegel.

Participants can choose any class. The first class will end at 10:05 p.m. and all will be repeated at 10:50 p.m. There are no fees except for a crafts program. The public is invited to attend. At 10:50 p.m. the Temple Etz Chaim Sisterhood is set to present a dessert reception. At 11:30 p.m. all are invited to at tend a midnight Selichot service, which marks the beginning of Jewish High Holy Days.

The Jewish New Year Rosh Hashana 5761 will begin at sunset Sept. 29. Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins at sunset on Oct. 8.

The temple is at 1080 Janss Road. For information, call 497-6891.

Church to Take Trip to Italy

* St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fillmore will take a pilgrimage of prayer to Italy from Sept. 28 to Oct. 12.

Pastor Joseph Hernandez will celebrate daily Mass and spiritual direction. Those joining the pilgrimage will tour holy places that include shrines and major basilicas. The cost for the trip will be about $3,000.

For information, call Michael Lara at 524-1306.

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