Religion Briefs

Devotional Breakfast for Women * Christian Church of Thousand Oaks will hold a women’s devotional breakfast today at 9 a.m. Activities include a performance by musician Renee Bondi. Tickets are $10. The church is at 310 W. Avenida de las Flores. Call 492-2474.

Seminar at Ventura Missionary * Ventura Missionary Church will host a financial seminar for parents and grandparents of college-bound high school students today from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Linda Taylor, president of College Funding Associates and author of “How to Send Your Child to College Without Going Broke,” will speak. Admission is free, but reservations are necessary.

The church is at 500 High Point Drive, Ventura. For information, call 642-0550.

Conejo Valley Unitarians Gather * Julie Crooks, choir director, and Frances Pardee, music director, will lead a service titled “Looking on the Bright Side” 10 a.m. Sunday at Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. The musical service will focus on how to develop and maintain an optimistic outlook. At 4 p.m., church members will celebrate the installation of Rev. Betty Stapleford as their first settled minister.

Services are held at Goebel Senior Adult Center, 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. For information, call 492-8751.

Methodist Services in Moorpark * Moorpark United Methodist Church will hold its worship service each Sunday at 10:15 a.m. This week, Rev. Rick Uhls will preach on “How to Feel Groovy,” using Luke 10: 38-42. Sunday school begins at 9:15 a.m. Child care is available. Junior church for children through second grade is offered during regular worship service.

A video series for adults, held during the Sunday school hour, will feature “Curing Affluenza” by Tony Campolo, which examines how to simplify lives and grow closer to God.

The church is at 261 Flory Ave. For information, call 529-1401.

Westminster Presbyterian Services * Pastor Tim Fearer on Sunday will continue his Romans series with “The Confusion We’re Choosin’ ” at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Hueneme. Contemporary service, 9 a.m.; traditional service, 10:45 a.m.

Nursery care is provided for infants and toddlers. Children from preschool age through fifth grade are dismissed to Kid’s Church.

The church is at 755 Bard Road, Port Hueneme. For information, call 483-8610.

Service at Our Saviour’s in Oxnard * The Rev. Mary Ann Feine preaches during the 9:15 a.m. Sunday service at Our Saviour’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oxnard. Sunday school is held at 10:45 a.m. Child care is provided.

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

Thousand Oaks Fellowship * 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 more information, call 379-0237.

Interfaith Fellowship to Meet * Interfaith Fellowship will meet in Thousand Oaks Inn’s ballroom at 10 a.m. Sunday. There will be a children’s program and child care.

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

Unity Center Church Service * Rev. Irma Oestmann will deliver the message “The Wonder of Giving” Sunday at Unity Center Church in Thousand Oaks. The 10 a.m. service will include music by pianist Zachary Spencer.

The church meets at Old Meadows Park’s Community Room at 1600 Marview Road. For more information, call 496-6901.

Camarillo Methodists Gather * Camarillo United Methodist Church will hold worship services, directed by Jim Decker-Mahin, each Sunday at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday school and child care are available during both services for infants through fifth grade.

Young adults, from recent high school graduates to age 28, meet Sunday evenings at 8 for a coffeehouse Bible study.

The church is at 291 Anacapa Drive. For more information or to obtain a Sunday school registration form, call 482-4312.

St. Paul’s United Methodist Service * St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Oxnard holds its Sunday worship service at 10:15 p.m. Senior Pastor Adiel De Pano will deliver the message. Child care is available for children 4 and younger.

The Japanese ministry worships at 2 p.m., led by the Rev. Shiro Kato. The Rev. Victor Salas will lead a new Spanish-language worship service at 6 p.m.

The church is at 1800 S. C St. For more information, call 487-2711.

Unitarian Universalist Services * The Rev. Judith Cohen will hold services Sunday at Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura. She will speak on the “possibility of simplicity in our lives and its meaning for us.”

Services are at 9:15 and 11 a.m. Child care and religious education are available during the first service.

The church is at 4949 Foothill Road. For more information, call 644-3898.

Dialogue Series at Seminary * The Ventura County Council of Churches is hosting its 17th annual ecumenical dialogue series in the theology library at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. The second installment of the seven-part series will be held Wednesday.

The series is hosted by seminary faculty member Patrick J. Mitchell and is open to people of all Christian denominations and faith communities. The series aims to foster Christian unity and build cooperative ministry projects around the county through “mutual understanding and respect among the participants.”

For information on how to participate in the series, call 983-0157 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. or 482-2755, Ext. 1067.

Services at Simi Presbyterian * Simi Valley Presbyterian Church will hold worship services with live contemporary music at 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and at 8 and 9:30 a.m. Sundays. A traditional worship service is held at 11:15 a.m. Sundays. This weekend Rev. Jeffrey Cheadle will continue his series “God Has a Dream for Your Life” with the message “Enjoying Your Job.”

The youth program Just for Kids! is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and 9:30 a.m. Sundays.

The church is at 4832 Cochran St. For more information, call 526-5475

St. Matthew’s Music, Worship * St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Newbury Park will hold worship services at 8:30 and 10 a.m. Sunday. Rev. Lynne Austin will deliver the message, “Come Unto Me.” Carla Stoffel will perform music during the first service, and the Chancel Choir will perform during the second service.

Worship at St. Matthew’s is relaxed and interactive, with child care and children’s classes available during the second service. The church is at 1360 S. Wendy Drive. For more information, call 498-6910.

Mass Schedule at St. Anthony’s * St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Oxnard will celebrate 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 held at noon and 1:30 p.m.

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

Vineyard Fellowship 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 more information, call 485-0050.

Congregation Am HaYam Services * Congregation Am HaYam in Oxnard will hold Shemini Atzeret services at 8 p.m. Oct. 20, followed by Yizkor service at 10 a.m. Oct. 21. A family service will be held 6 p.m. Oct. 21 to celebrate Simchat Torah. Regular services will be held 10 a.m. Oct. 22. All services, which are led by Rabbi Gerald Hanig, are held at 1401 W. Gonzales Road.

For more information, call 985-2853. Internet: https://www.amhayam.org.

Simchat Torah Celebrations * Chabad of the Conejo will celebrate Simchat Torah 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at three locations: Willow Elementary School in Agoura Hills; Chabad of Westlake Village, 741 Lakefield Road, Unit D, Westlake Village; Conejo Jewish Academy, 30345 Canwood St., Agoura Hills. For more information, call (818) 991-0991.

Temple Etz Chaim Sukkot Services * Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks will hold Sukkot services 10 a.m. today and Sunday. Both services will be followed by kiddush in the sukkah hut. On Sunday, the service will include the blessings and rituals over the lulav (palm branch) and ethrog (citron). On Oct. 21, Shemini Atzeret services will begin at 10 a.m. and include the Yizkor memorial prayers for departed loved ones. At 7 p.m. the temple will hold its Simchat Torah celebration. Simchat Torah services will also be held 10 a.m. Oct. 22, when everyone will be called to the Torah for a procession around the sanctuary.

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

Temple Beth Torah Services * Temple Beth Torah in Ventura will hold Simchat Torah services Friday. The evening will begin at 7 with wine, cheese and kugel tasting, followed at 7:30 with the services. There will be Torah dancing and a performance by the Ventura Klezmer Band in Meister Hall.

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

B’nai Emet Sukkot Celebrations * Congregation B’nai Emet in Simi Valley will hold Sukkot celebrations at two locations. On Sunday at 12:30 p.m., a potluck dairy lunch and activities for the entire family will be held at the congregation’s preschool on Kadota Street. Call 522-2214 for details. On Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. at the temple’s regular meeting place, there will be a Havdalah service, followed by dinner and children’s activities. Call 581-3723 for details.

The temple is at 4645 Industrial St., No. 2C.

Tour of Israel Canceled * A two-week tour of Israel led by Rabbi Shimon Paskow, which was originally scheduled to begin Oct. 29, has been canceled after the recent unrest in the Middle East. The tour will be rescheduled to begin June 30, 2001.

People of all faiths are welcome to join the tour, which will visit many cities, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Jericho and Masada. Paskow is the spiritual leader at Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks and has led more than two dozen tours to Israel.

The cost will be about $4,200 per person, based on double occupancy. For more information, call 497-6891.

Religion Briefs runs Saturdays. Please submit items at least a week in advance to Religion Briefs, Los Angeles Times, 93 S. Chestnut St., Ventura, CA 93001. Items may be faxed to 653-7576.