Thanksgiving and Advent services:

Quilters' delight

Women get together to help
Last month, the pews at the Messiah Lutheran Church were draped with love, hope and compassion. It was all stitched together in 97 hand-crafted quilts, made by 12 women in the church, waiting to be shipped off to warm the lives of others. For the past nine years, every third Tuesday of the month, 10 months out of the year, these women meet to make the quilts. Mildred Graham, with the help of co-chairman Talena Barnes, started the group. "The idea came from friends and relatives who were making the quilts in their churches," Graham said. "Every year the numbers of quilts we make increases. The first year we made 41 quilts."

ABOVE: Talena Barnes (left) and Nancy Smith of Messiah Lutheran Church look over quilts that more than filled the pews at their church.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

The following churches and groups have announced holiday services to The Courier News. We will announce Christmas Week services at a later date. If your house of worship is planning special events for the holidays, please submit them to Religion Notes, which runs Fridays in the Courier News. You may submit items by mail to: Religion Notes, 300 Lake St., Elgin IL 60121; by fax to (847) 888-7836; or by e-mail to jtew@scn1.com. Interfaith Thanksgiving: Congregation Kneseth Israel is proud to host the Greater Elgin Interfaith Thanksgiving Service beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, at 330 Division St., Elgin. This year's service will be provided by Kneseth Israel, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Baha'i Community of Elgin, First Congregational United Church of Christ and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Everyone is invited. This annual event brings together people of faith from all religious heritages and is a unique occasion for our citizens to worship God together with integrity. Congregations who wish to participate should have their clergy contact Hazzan Alan Smolen of Kneseth Israel at (847) 541-5656 or visit the Web at www.uscj.org/midwest/elgin.Bethlehem Lutheran Church: The Women of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 340 Grand Blvd., Elgin, will bring Bethlehem's Swedish heritage alive by presenting the Santa Lucia Pageant. It will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8. Special guest soloist is Dr. Rise Jones.Church of the Nazarene: Elgin Church of the Nazarene, 12N101 Berner Road (corner of Summit and Berner), will host the annual church Thanksgiving Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22. The dinner will be catered and will cost $7.50 for adults, $3.50 for children 7 and under, with children under 2 eating free. There is a $25 maximum per family. The church will host a Parents Night Out from 6-11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, in order to allow parents to shop for the holidays. The Laotian Christmas Service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. The English congregation's Christmas program will be at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 22.Community United Methodist: At 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, Community United Methodist Church will celebrate Thanksgiving Sunday utilizing the "Service of the Breads," which entails liturgy with nine different breads and Holy Communion. Hanging of the Greens, Advent workshop and children's Christmas program rehearsal will be on Saturday, Dec. 7. The Christmas schedule is as follows: Dec. 8 — Second Advent and children's Christmas program at 10 a.m. between services; Dec. 15 — Third Advent and Christmas potluck at noon after second service, Christmas caroling to homebound and hospitals after the lunch and carolers invited to the parsonage for Hot Apple Cider, or other tummy warmers, cookies and conversation; Dec. 22 — Fourth Advent with Christmas choral cantata at both services. The church is at 400 West Spring St., South Elgin.Epworth United Methodist: Epworth United Methodist Church, 37W040 Highland Ave., Elgin, will hold Advent Bible Study beginning Sunday for four weeks at 9:45 a.m. Sundays. The church will hold a Thanksgiving Eve potluck Nov. 27 at 6 p.m., with service at 7 p.m. The Children's Christmas Program and Potluck will be at 4 p.m. Dec. 8. The church will hold Christmas caroling at nursing homes at 3 p.m. Dec. 22. For more information, call (847) 931-5400.Evangelical Lutheran churches: The six Evangelical Lutheran churches in Elgin and Carpentersville — Bethlehem, Christ the Lord, Holy Trinity, Messiah, St. Stephen's, and Zion — will hold a joint Thanksgiving service at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division St., Elgin. All are welcome to worship. You're also invited to stay for the soup lunch that will follow the service. An evening Thanksgiving service will be held at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, 225 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Carpentersville, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27.First Church of Christ, Scientist: This year marks the 100th year that Christian Scientists across the United States have been welcoming all members of their communities to Thanksgiving morning services. Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Science, established the Thanksgiving services in 1902. This year, the members of First Church of Christ, Scientist, invite the public to join them on Thanksgiving at 10:30 a.m. to observe Thanksgiving with hymns, prayer and expressions of gratitude to God. The church is at 1020 W. Highland Ave., Elgin. First Congregational, Dundee: First Congregational Church of Dundee will host the following Advent events, programs and services: Christmas caroling — Saturday, Nov. 30, from 11 to 11:30 a.m. and Sunday, Dec. 1 from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m. The Woman's Fellowship will hold its third annual Cookie Walk from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Admission is free. Homemade holiday cookies and candies will be available in many varieties. The church will hold a Hanging of the Greens worship service at 8 and 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 8. A Community Christmas Carol Sing and Concert will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8. The Christmas cantata Touched By A Child, Touched By A King, will be at 8 and 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. The Christmas Pageant, Angels: Heralds of Hope will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. A dinner hosted by the Senior High Youth will follow. First United Methodist, Hampshire: At 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, the congregation will gather for the traditional annual celebration of the decoration of the church, called the "Hanging of the Greens." When the decorating is done the participants will gather in the church basement for pop and pizza. At 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, an old fashioned pot luck dinner will be held in the church basement. An "audience participation" play about the birth of Christ will be presented and traditional Christmas carols will be sung by the children. At 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, a special Christmas cantata will be presented. The church is in Hampshire at the corner of Grove and Elm.Fox Valley Church: At Fox Valley Church, regular Sunday worship services will be held at 9 and 10:45 a.m., with nursery and children's Sunday school programs offered through sixth grade. The church is at 37W073 Huntley Road, West Dundee, 1/4 mile west of the Huntley Road/Randall Road intersection. Good Shepherd Lutheran: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will offer two opportunities for Thanksgiving worship. Services will be held at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, and again at 9:30 a.m. Thanksgiving day. Through the month of November, the church has been accepting food donations, which will be taken to the Elgin Food Pantry. Donations may be dropped off at the church during normal office hours, and before services. Good Shepherd is at 1111 Van St. in Elgin. Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren: Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren offers the following Advent schedule: Sunday, Dec. 1 — First Sunday of Advent; 9:30 a.m. morning worship and 6 p.m. evening service will focus on the first Advent candle, "Hope." Sunday, Dec. 8 — Second Sunday of Advent; 9:30 a.m. morning worship will focus on the second Advent candle, "Peace," and will include a service of anointing. At 6:30 p.m. the congregation will attend a joint evening service with other Chicago-area Churches of the Brethren at Naperville Church of the Brethren. Sunday, Dec. 15 — Third Sunday of Advent; 9:30 a.m. morning worship and 6 p.m. evening service will focus on the third Advent candle, "Joy." Sunday, Dec. 22 — Fourth Sunday of Advent; 9:30 a.m. morning worship and 6 p.m. evening service will focus on the fourth Advent candle, "Love."Second Baptist Church: The Missionary Ministry of Second Baptist Church, 1280 Summit St., Elgin, will distribute Thanksgiving baskets on Monday, Nov. 22. Baskets can be picked up between the hours of 5 and 7 p.m. in the church fellowship hall. If your family is in need of assistance, please call Sister Carolyn Clark or Sister Janie McCutchen at (847) 635-7757. "Give God The Thanks" is the title of the Thanksgiving day message to be delivered by Pastor Nathaniel L. Edmond at 8 a.m. services Nov. 28, Thanksgiving Day.St. John's, Burlington: St. John's Lutheran Church in Burlington will be host its annual Thanksgiving Eve service at 7 p.m. Nov. 27. Advent services begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4. "Hanging of the Greens" is scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 6. Friendship Sunday with breakfast and dedication of the church's new sign and stained glass window will be held Dec. 8 at both the 8 and 10:30 a.m. services. The church's Sunday school teachers will host a Parents' Night out on Dec. 14 from 3 to 7 p.m. The children's Christmas program will be held at 4 p.m. Dec. 15 with dinner immediately following the program.Trinity Lutheran: A Thanksgiving Eve service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 135 Terwilliger Ave., in Hampshire at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27.Zion United Church of Christ: Zion United Church of Christ in Carpentersville will offer the following holiday services: Nov. 26 — Thanksgiving worship service, 7 p.m.; Dec. 1 — Sunday of Advent. Hanging of the Greens and a soup and sandwich lunch immediately after worship service; Dec. 18 — The Adult Fellowship program will be special Christmas music presented by the Dundee-Crown High School chorale. Refreshments will be served; Dec. 22 — Zion Sunday School Christmas Program, A Birth Foretold.