NEWS & NOTES

Trunk or treat!

Gwynedd Square Presbyterian Church: From 12:30 to 2 p.m. Sunday bring your decorated car trunks and costumed treaters to 837 Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd. Prizes will be awarded and there will be free food, special community appearances and games. All ages are welcome. Call (215) 699-9159.

Movie night

Emmanuel Lutheran Church: “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog,” a 1927 silent film thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with live organ accompaniment by Don Kinnier, starts at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at the church, 69 W. Broad St., Souderton. Suggested donation is $5 per person. Call (215) 723-7514.

Special guest

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church: Julia Menzlo, the disaster relief coordinator of Liberty Lutheran Services, will talk about what you can do to help hurricane victims in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at the church, 211 S. Main St., North Wales. All are welcome. Call (215) 699-4604.

Taize worship

Church of the Holy Spirit: The Episcopal church at 2871 Barndt Road and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Salford, will hold a Taize service of sung prayers, readings and silent meditation at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26. Reiki, the laying on of hands, and prayers for healing will be available. A potluck supper for those who wish to share a meal will begin at 6:30 p.m. Child care is available. All are welcome. For more information, call the church at (215) 234-8020 or see www.churchoftheholyspirit.us. Christ Covenant Church: The church at 2200 Mainland Road, Towamencin, invites the community to a Taize Worship Service at 7 p.m. Oct. 25. Taize is a meditative style of worship, which includes prayer, contemplation, music and silence, and seeks reconciliation and unity. For questions call (215) 256-8101 or go to www.christcovenant. org.

Lifelong learning

Congregation Beth Or: An “Introduction to Hebrew” course is held 5:30 to 6 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays starting Oct. 23. A course on “Preparing to Encounter the Unimaginable with Rabbi Marx and Randi Boyette” starts at 7 p.m. Oct. 24. Sign up at https:// bethor.org/lifelong-learningfallwinter-201718-courseregistration.

Faith to faith

Church of the Holy Spirit: “Muslim Americans: Beliefs & Practices and Contemporary Challenges” will be the topic of a two-part presentation at 9 a.m. Sunday and Oct. 29 at the church at 2871 Barndt Road and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Salford. The guest speaker will be Asheq Fazlullah, who serves with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Philadelphia Chapter. For more information, call (215) 234-8020 or visit www. churchoftheholyspirit.us. Trinity Lutheran Church: “From Conflict to Communion — Together in Hope” will take place 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Trinity, 1000 W. Main St., Lansdale. All are welcome. In response to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, a special day has been planned to address some of the pain and division, hope and unity of Lutheran/Catholic relations. The presenters will be Rev. Donal McCoid, Bishop Emeritus of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, and Dr. John Boreelli of Georgetown University. After lunch, there will be a service of repentance and reconciliation. The Rev. Dr. Peter Donahue, President of Villanova University, will preach and the Rev. Clair Burkat, Bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod will preside. For more information and registration, go to http://ministrylink.org/ event/together-in-hopelutherans-and-catholicscommemorate-reformationin-sepa. Montgomery County Community College: Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor emeritus of history at MCCC, hosts and moderates a Fall 2017 Issues & Insights panel discussion on the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses and the Protestant Reformation 12:30 to 2 p.m. Oct. 25 in the Science Center Theater, Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Whitpain. The panelists are Monsignor Gregory Fairbanks, Church History Professor at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, and former official of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; Rev. Joe Hackman, lead pastor at Salford Mennonite Church, Lower Salford; and Rev. George Keck, a retired Evangelical Lutheran Church of America pastor and former director of Admission/Continuing Education at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. The program is free and open to the public.

For men

St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church: Men of all ages are welcome to That Man Is You 7 to 8:30 a.m. Saturdays in the Parish Center, Derstine and Cowpath roads, Hatfield. Visit tmiysmg@gmail. com or call Bill at (215) 7210199, ext. 254.

Haunting highlight

Old Goshenhoppen Church: Join the W.S. Hancock Society for a “Grave Tales” graveyard tour of the church’s cemetery that spans the centuries. Learn about headstone symbolism and historical funeral practices. The tour departs the church at noon and 6 p.m. today, and then every half hour in the evening, with the last tour leaving at 8:30 p.m. While you wait for your tour to begin, take in a presentation on remarkable headstones from around the nation. Wear comfortable and sturdy walking shoes, and bring a flashlight or lantern if you’re coming in the evening. The church is at 2092 Church Road, Woxall, Upper Salford. Admission is $6, $4 for students and seniors. Call (610) 630-0912 or visit www.wshancocksociety.org.

Handmade

Grace Lutheran Church: Fall Stitch Inn is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. Come in for a day of “stitching” — bring a project or come and learn a new craft. Any type of stitching is welcome — embroidery, cross stitch, punch needle, crochet, knitting, rug hooking and others. Fee is $15 in advance, $20 at the door and includes snack and lunch. For reservations or questions, contact Peggy at (267) 222-8449 or Wendy at (215) 721-1418. There will also be door prizes and raffles and a Christmas ornament swap. Participants are welcome to bring an ornament to participate if they wish.

Need work?

St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church: St. Joseph’s People, a group which assists the unemployed and underemployed, meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of the month in the Parish Center Library, Derstine and Cowpath road, Hatfield. Contact Nancy at nancyboak@aol.com.

Music notes

Central Schwenkfelder Church: At 3 p.m. Oct. 29 Zion Choral, a 120-voice chorus, will be presenting “God Will Make a Way,” a worship service through inspirational music such as “Point of Grace,” “Hope is Born,” and “Amazing Grace.” This year marks Zion’s 88th anniversary season. A free-will offering will be collected. The church is at 2111 Valley Forge Road, Worcester. For directions or more information, call (610) 584-4480 or see www. centralschwenkfelder.com. St. John’s United Church of Christ: The hand bell choir, United Ringers, at St. John’s, accompanied by organ, will play “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” by Martin Luther, arranged by Douglas Wagner, at the 10:15 a.m. service on Sunday. In addition, the Chancel Choir will sing “If Thou but Suffer God to Guide Me.” The church is at 500 W. Main St., Lansdale. Call (215) 855-5489 or visit www.st-johns-ucc. org. Perkasie Mennonite Church: The Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehouse presents The Low Lily, a string and vocal trio that explores American folk music with modern inspiration, and Timberdoodle Crossing, an old-timey and bluegrass group. Doors open at 7 p.m. tonight, with performances at 7:30. The church is at 320 W. Chestnut St., Perkasie. Cost is $12, $10 for seniors 65+, $6 for students 13 and up. A portion of the proceeds supports Blue Butterfly, an educational media program for Haitian children. You can also drop off donations of non-perishable food for Pennridge FISH. St. Peter’s Lutheran Church: The Rainbow Ringers and Girls Vocal Ensemble will provide music at the 8:30 a.m. service Sunday, and the St. Peter’s Adult Choir sings during the 10 a.m. service. The church is at 211 S. Main St., North Wales.

Shopping season

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church: The thrift shop at the church at 211 S. Main St., North Wales, is open for the 26th season, benefitting many local charities. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. See a fall and winter boutique line, attic treasures, housewares, clothing for women and children, Halloween costumes and decor, books, linens, jewelry, vintage items and more. Find a different buyone-get-one surprise every week. Call (215) 699-4604. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church: The St. Peter’s Fall Rummage Sale is held 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 27 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 28 at the church, 654 N. Easton Road, Glenside.

Parents and kids

St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church: A Play and Pray Moms and Tots group meets 9:30 to 11 a.m. Thursdays in the Parish Center basement at Cowpath and Derstine roads, Hatfield. Mothers, grandmothers and their little ones, infant through age 5, are welcome to join.

Let’s eat

Lansdale Presbyterian Church: A free meal is served at 1 p.m. Oct. 29 at the church, 450 Oak Park Road, Hatfield Township. All are welcome and reservations are not necessary. For more information, call (215) 368-1119. Mater Dei Catholic School: From 8 a.m. to noon Sunday the Knights of Columbus Pius IX Council will be hosting their monthly Breakfast with the Knights. It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet including made-to-order omelets, as well as a selection of hot and cold entrees. Cost is $9, $8 for seniors, $6 for children 5-12. Active duty fire, police, military and children under 5 eat free. Breakfast is served in the school’s cafeteria, 493 E. Main St., Lansdale. Visit www.koc4396.org for more information. Christ Covenant Church: The church at 2200 Mainland Road, Towamencin, hosts a free community hot breakfast in the fellowship hall, including scrambled eggs, pancakes, breakfast meat, toast, fruit and beverages 8 to 10 a.m. the last Saturday of every month in the fellowship hall. No reservations are required and all ages are welcome. Call (215) 256-8101. Trinity Lutheran Church: TLC Dinner Together, a community meal, is held 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays for a $3 donation. All members of the community are welcome and invited. There will be a Kid’s Corner for children to play. The church is at 1000 W. Main St., Lansdale.

Gather together

Souderton Mennonite Church: Divorce Care, a 13-week course offering support, counsel and encouragement to people who have been through the pain of divorce, or are separated from their spouse. Meetings are held 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the church, 105 W. Chestnut St., Souderton. For more information, or to join, contact Pastor John Engle at divorcecare@ soudertonmennonite.org. Bethel Hill United Methodist Church: A Prayers Regarding Addiction Recovery prayer group meets at noon the last Sunday of each month in the church

sanctuary, 2000 Bethel Road, Worcester. All are welcome. Plains Mennonite Church: Parents and caregivers of a child with autism or Asperger’s syndrome are invited to join a monthly support group that meets at 7 p.m. the second Friday of the month at the church, 50 W. Orvilla Road, Hatfield. Give and receive emotional and practical support, as exchange information and stories to be more effectively equipped with skills and insights to parent children on the autism spectrum. To RSVP or for more information, go to http://plainsmennonitechurch.org/eventscalendar/everyone or call (215) 362-7640. Congregation Beth Or: If you or someone you know is struggling with a challenging life moment or transition, support is available. Cantor David Green facilitates counseling and support groups for a variety of issues, including bereavement (a support group meets the last Wednesday of each month at 8 p.m.), divorce, adult care giving, mental health and addition. Contact dgreen@bethor.org or (215) 646-5806, ext. 218. St. Jude Catholic Church: A support group for divorced Catholics meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Nov. 14 (no session on Oct. 24) in the Saint Jude Catholic Education Center Library in Chalfont. Each session includes a brief DVD presentation, offered by counselors, author Rose Sweet, and others who have suffered through divorce. Following each presentation, the group is guided through a series of discussion questions. The fee is $30 and includes workbook, handouts and refreshments.

Pre-registration and pre-payment are necessary. Use the form on www. stjudechalfont.org. Contact Angela with questions at (215) 822-9225, ext. 234 or faith@stjudechalfont.org. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church: The church at Fourth and Broad streets in Lansdale hosts a discussion group on various topics each Monday from 2 to 3 p.m. This is open to the community. Anyone who would like to connect with others in a discussion group setting is invited. The Sunday service is at 10 a.m. Fairview Village Church: Celebrate the Journey, a Bible-based support/recovery program, meets at 6:45 p.m. Fridays at The Village Norristown, 329 E. Main St., Norristown, and 6:45 p.m. Mondays at Fairview Village Church, 3044 W. Germantown Pike, Worcester. Large group gathering of prayer and praise, as well as a lesson, begins at 6:45 and small group time takes place from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. Most groups are genderbased — men with men, and women with women. Some groups address a specific need; others are designed to allow each person to bring their unique challenges to a safe place. Each group is strictly confidential and is led by trained leaders with similar life experiences. For information on the Friday Celebrate the Journey, contact Megan at megan. brooks@fvcn.org or (610) 539-3333, ext. 7729. For information on the Monday Celebrate the Journey, contact Pastor Kelly Yetter at Kelly.yetter@fvcn.org or (610) 539-3333, ext. 7717. Christ Lutheran Church: A local chapter of PFLAG, the national organization that supports Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbian/Gay and Transgender individuals, meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month in Weaver Hall. For questions or additional information, contact Sue at sdaubert@yahoo.com. Silverdale Brethren in Christ Church: Singles Connection, a non-denominational Bux-Mont area group for single, widowed, divorced and separated adults age 45+ meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the church, 165 W. Main St. (Route 113), Silverdale. For information, call (215) 5939995 or email carolonline1@verizon.net. Celebrate Recovery: This group meets 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays at Franconia Mennonite Church, Route 113, Franconia. All are welcome.

Holy Hour

St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church: The monthly Holy Hour to pray for the needs of the church (especially vocations to the priesthood) will be held on the Thursday evening, before the first Friday of every month, at 7 p.m. The church is at Derstine and Cowpath roads, Hatfield.

Study

Montco Bible Fellowship: A study from the Book of James starts at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at the church, 160 E. Main St., Lansdale. Call (215) 855-0899 or visit www.montcobf.org. Congregation Beth Or: Torah study is held at 9:30 a.m. Saturdays, after the 9 a.m. Shabbat Worship, at 239 Welsh Road, Upper Dublin. Franconia Mennonite Church: At 7 p.m. Oct. 25 in the Fellowship Hall will be an Old Testament Bible study on “The Mesopotamian Era: The Divided Kingdom and the Prophets.” The presenter is Pastor Timothy Darling from Norma, N.J. The church is at 613 Harleysville Pike, Franconia. Trinity Lutheran Church: A Bible study exploring the Acts of the Apostles is held 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays in Room 125⁄127. Bring your favorite Bible translation. The church is at 1000 W. Main St., Lansdale. St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church: A Bible study with Jeff Cavins and Thomas Smith will be held 9:30 to 11:30 Friday mornings through Nov. 10 in the St. Maria Goretti Parish Library, Derstine and Cowpath roads, Hatfield. Cost is $35 per person. Contact Kim to register at (215) 272-9016 or kim-staudt@me.com. Central Schwenkfelder Church: Spend Thursday nights reading and studying the Old Testament with a Bethel Bible Program (now in its 44th year). The program meets 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays through May 2018 in the church’s Bethel Room, 2111 S. Valley Forge Road, Worcester. Dates will be decided by the class members and meetings will not be held on the fourth Thursday of the month. Each lesson has a picture with concepts noted, with several pages of reading, as well as assignments of scripture. For those who have previously taken the course, it has changed — with new pictures and detailed study guides. Register with the church office, or call Allen at (610) 584-5379 or e-mail tennislob31@comcast.net. Also, you are invited to take part in a Focus on the Family “The Truth Project” discussion group which will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for seven weeks in the Bible Study room on the second floor. Among the topics: What is truth?, Who is man?, What is true?, Says who?, Who is God?, Whose story?, etc., covering philosophy, theology, anthropology and more. Each video is almost an hour long, with outlines to guide discussions. No materials are necessary. Pastor David and Al Koehler will lead the discussions. Sign up by calling the church office at (610) 584-4480. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church: The church at Fourth and Broad streets in Lansdale will be holding a weekly Bible study on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. All are invited to attend.

Play time

Presentation of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church: Play Fall Basket Bingo, starting at 1 p.m. Oct. 29 at the church at 1564 Allentown Road, Towamencin. Doors open at noon and lunch will be available. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Call (215) 852-3463 for tickets. Weekly Wednesday Bingo is held at Presentation of Our Lord. Doors open at 5 p.m., with food available for purchase, and the games begin at 6:45. Admission is $10 for boards, $15 for paper. Extra games are available, with a $250 prize. For questions call (215) 362-9599. St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church: The church at 1545 Easton Road, Warrington, hosts bingo Tuesday nights. Games start at 6:45 p.m. and cost is $13, extra for bonus sheets and ripoffs. Visit www.stanneukrainiancc.com or email stannesecretary@comcast.net.

Help others

Towamencin Mennonite Church: A blood drive is held 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 26 at the church, 1980 Sumneytown Pike. St. Peter’s Lutheran Church: The ninth annual food drive for Manna on Main Street continues through November. Donate canned and boxed goods and gravy in the baskets outside of the sanctuary. The church is at 211 S. Main St., North Wales. St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church: Through Oct. 29 the church at Derstine and Cowpath roads will be accepting donations of new children’s coats size infant through 16⁄18 youth in the narthex as part of the Hatfield Community Christian Coalition Coat Drive. Distribution will be Nov. 8 at Grace Lutheran Church. Christ Covenant Church: During October, Christ Covenant Church, 2200 Mainland Road, Towamencin, will be supporting Manna on Main Street with donations of non-perishable goods. Items especially needed in restocking their pantry are: baby food, canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, rice, canned soup, almond/soy and coconut boxed milk and protein supplements, diapers (size 5, 6 and newborn), baby wipes, baby shampoo, baby lotions, baby powder, toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, laundry detergent, deodorant, shower gel, feminine care products, shampoo, lip balm, lotions, Vaseline, cleaning products, canned meats, cereal, spices (salt, pepper, garlic), pasta, dried fruit, canned fruit, all beans, peanut butter and jelly, tomato sauce, canned carrots, condiments, gluten-free and nut-free foods, low-sodium foods and heart healthy products. Contributions may be dropped off at the church office Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays 9 to noon. Call (215) 256-8101 or visit www.christ-covenant.org.

Art on display

Congregation Beth Or: Through Nov. 7 Congregation Beth Or presents the paintings of Patrice De Virgilis. The synagogue is at 239 Welsh Road, Upper Dublin.