BUTLER CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

Practice for the children's Christmas musical at Butler Church of the Nazarene, 4410 Oakdale Road and Route 68, will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Members of the congregation who plan to attend the Pirates game on Friday should meet at 5:30 p.m. at the church to carpool.

The District Prime Time Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mount Chestnut Nazarene Center, 177 North Road. Guest speakers and performers will be the Rev. and Mrs. Bill Degenkolb of DuBois. Lunch will be served.

Caravan Kids Club for students in grades 4 through 6 will resume Wednesday. The group will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

CHRIST COMMUNITY U.M.

Hans and Franz will make a guest appearance at the 8:45 a.m. Sunday service at Christ Community United Methodist Church, 205 N. Duffy Road.

Steve Fedouk will be commissioned this weekend for his mission trip to Moscow, where he will be rebuilding the United Methodist Seminary.

Sunday school classes for all ages will begin at 9:45 a.m. Sunday.

"Jesus in the Gospels" orientation will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

The first weekly meetings for Disciple II and IV classes will be at 7:45 p.m. Sunday.

Sunday will be the final day for youth to register for the Fall Seminar at Camp Wesley Woods. Registration forms and the $75 fee should be returned to the church office.

Health Kit and School Kit items for Hurricane Katrina victims are still being collected in the narthex. No clothing is currently needed.

CHRIST'S OUTREACH

There will be 24 hours of prayer at Christ's Outreach Church, 120 Walker Ave., starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday for God's blessing on the church and our outreach to the community.

Crisis Care Kits are being distributed for disaster areas and should be filled and returned by Sept. 28.

Michelle Huff will provide music for the Sunday service.

The caravan program is now accepting registration for children age 3 and potty-trained through fifth grade.

Fellowship dinners will be held at 5:45 p.m. Wednesdays. Cost is a donation. Caravan for children, youth and adult Bible study will follow at 7 p.m.

COVENANT PRESBY

Azad Ali, a professor of computer science at Butler County Community College and a native of Iraq, will lead the Seekers Adult Sunday School class Sunday at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 230 E. Jefferson St. His topic is "Reflections on Iraq Today." The class meets at 9:45 a.m. in the Assembly Room.

MaryAnn Zeigler will be the guest organist at the 11 a.m. Sunday worship service. She is co-organist at First English Lutheran Church.

The Summer's End Fest '05, featuring local rock bands, will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday in Fellowship Hall. Cost is $7 per person. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The Covenant Cupboard Food Bank is requesting donations of ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise for September. Baskets for the donations are in the Jefferson Street front entrance.

FAITH U.P.

The Prime Timers of Faith United Presbyterian Church, 1329 N. Main St., will gather for dinner at 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at King's Restaurant on New Castle Road.

FENELTON U.M.

Sunday school will resume at 9:45 a.m. Sunday at Fenelton United Methodist Church, Fenelton.

FIRST BAPTIST

First Baptist Church, 221 W. New Castle St., will be among congregations participating in the annual men's fall retreat from 5 p.m. Friday through 3 p.m. Saturday at Slippery Rock Baptist Camp, 130 Elliott Lane, Slippery Rock. The Rev. Doug Messerall, pastor of Meadville Calvary Baptist Church, will be the featured speaker.

The fall conference of the Pennsylvania Association of Regular Baptist Churches will be held Monday through Wednesday at the independent Baptist Church in Towanda.

FIRST U.M.

New members will be received during the 10:50 a.m. Sunday service at First United Methodist Church, 200 E. North St.

Confirmation classes for youths in grade 7 will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday. For information, contact Doug Raraigh at the church office at 724-283-6160.

A Spiritual Renewal Healing Service will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the sanctuary. Holy Communion will be received.

A carnival will be held Wednesday at Butler Junior High School. For information, contact Doug Raraigh.

GLADE RUN U.P.

The commissioning of the mission team to West Virginia will be held at the 8:45 a.m. Sunday service at Glade Run United Presbyterian Church, 1091 Pittsburgh Road, Valencia.

Thursday morning women's Bible studies are beginning and most start at 9:30 a.m. Contact the church office for information.

The Men's Fellowship Breakfast will be held at 7 a.m. Saturday at the Country Kitchen.

A potluck dinner/prayer meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday. Beverages and table service will be provided. Participants should take a dish to share.

The youth will travel to Mars Alliance Church at 6 p.m. Sunday for a "See You at the Pole" rally. The youth will gather for breakfast at 6 a.m. Wednesday, and transportation will be provided to local schools for the flagpole prayer.

GRACE @ CALVARY LUTHERAN

The older youth group of Grace @ Calvary Lutheran Church, 123 E. Diamond St., will meet at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the church to attend the Knoch High School football game. Participants should take $5. The group will return to the church at 11 p.m.

The church be selling scrapbooks and distributing "Lutheran Chicks" at the Butler Fall Festival on Saturday. Proceeds will benefit Project Hope. The youth will also host a spaghetti dinner from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the church. Cost is $4 for adults and $3 for children ages 12 and younger.

Reservations for the Consecration Sunday Luncheon are due this Sunday.

There will be no older youth group meeting this week.

A project day will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the social room. Participants will be packing quilts for shipment to Lutheran World Relief. Those involved should take a bag lunch.

GRACEWAY COMMUNITY

A service will be held at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Erasers park on Route 68. Music will be provided by Barry and Debbie Wiles.

Volunteers for the church's booth at the Butler Fall Festival should report to Diamond Park on Saturday.

The youth group will now meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Paul Laurence Dunbar Community Center. The group is now working on Bible Quizzing and Sunday Afternoon Programming.

HARVEST ASSEMBLY

Don Larva will be the guest speaker at the 10 a.m. Sunday service at Harvest Assembly of God, 160 Brownsdale Road.

HILL U.P.

Donna Gumper will lead the Thankoffering Service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Hill United Presbyterian Church, 501 Second St. The Thankoffering will be received at both weekend services to fund medical and health missions.

The HYLights youth group for students in grades 5 through 12 will begin meeting at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Small group time, bell choir and instrumental ensemble practices will follow.

The Hillraisers group will sponsor a food booth during the Butler Fall Festival on Saturday. Proceeds will benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. Contact Becky Bauer or Barb Bishop to help with setup, sales and tear-down.

Wednesday evening Bible studies, led by the Rev. Fred Young, will begin at 7 p.m. this Wednesday.

The first meeting of the women's book discussion group will be held at 7 p.m. Monday in the church lounge.

A fall foliage trip on the Oil City and Titusville Railroad will be held Oct. 12. Cost is $25 and registration is due to John Porter by Sept. 30.

JEFFERSON CENTER PRESBY

The fall schedule has begun at Jefferson Center Presbyterian Church. Services will be held at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sundays. Sunday school classes begin at 9:45 a.m. Sundays.

The Encounter service will be held at 7 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of every month.

For information, contact the church office at 724-352-2400.

MT. CHESTNUT PRESBY

Sunday school classes resume this week at Mount Chestnut Presbyterian Church, 727 Old West 422.

The weekly Kid's Club program for children in preschool through grade 6 will hold its first meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. For information, call the church office at 724-287-7601.

NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

The congregation of New Life Christian Ministries, Knoch High School auditorium, 345 Knoch Road, Saxonburg, will participate in a national day of prayer on Friday for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Participants should meet at 8 a.m., noon or 6 p.m. Friday at the Bridge, 102 Bay St., Penn Township.

Son LIFE Sunday School classes are offered for children, teens and adults at 9 a.m. each Sunday.

Anyone interested in serving at the East Liberty Food Kitchen on Saturday should contact Dean Burtner at 724-352-5328 or Rich McCarthy at 412-603-8122.

A scrapbooking bee will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday at The Bridge, 102 Bay St., Penn Township. Contact Karen Schiebel at 724-586-2241 for details.

The Homework Connection, where elementary-age children receive encouragement and support as they work on their homework, will begin Sept. 26. The group will meet from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at The Bridge. Volunteers (Act 34 and Act 151 clearances required) for this program are also needed. For details or to volunteer, contact local mission facilitator Karen Schiebel at 724-586-2241.

Women of the community are invited to join the Women's LIFE Home Group that meets from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays at the home of Lisa Johns, 114 Oak Hills Manor, Penn Township. "Traveling Light" by Max Lucado is the study book for this session. Children are welcome. For details, contact Mrs. Johns at 724-283-2647 or webservant@newlifexn.org

NEW ZION EVANGELICAL

James Ehrman, director of Global Ministries for the Evangelical Congregation Church, will be the guest speaker at the 10:45 a.m. Sunday service at New Zion Evangelical Church, Route 38, five miles north of Emlenton.

Ehrman and his wife, Aiyana, served as missionaries through the agency Youth with a Mission.

The theme for the Global Challenge Weekend is "Bridging the Gap."

NORTH MAIN STREET CHURCH OF GOD

The orchestra and choir of North Main Street Church of God, 1201 N. Main St. Ext., will resume rehearsals at 9:15 a.m. Sundays in the sanctuary. Both groups are open to new members. For information, contact the Rev. Tim Falling at the church office, 724-285-4214.

A Service of Baptism will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Couples in the church who have been married for 50 years or more will be honored during the service.

An all-church spaghetti luncheon will be held after the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Cost is a donation, and proceeds will benefit the youth ministry. Tickets are available at the church office or the West Welcome Center.

Discovery classes 101 through 401 will be held from 1 p.m. to about 5 p.m. Sunday in Fellowship Hall. To register, call the church office at 724-285-4214.

Handbell choir rehearsal will resume at 6 p.m. Monday in Room 209. To join, call the church office.

OLD UNION PRESBY

Old Union Presbyterian Church, 200 Union Church Road, Mars, is collecting contributions for Hurricane Katrina victims. Mark your donation "Hurricane Katrina."

The church growth team will meet after worship this week.

Membership classes will start Sunday for people interested in learning about or joining the church. The classes will meet during the Sunday school hour. If you are interested in attending, call the church at 724-538-8672.

This week will be the church's first "Prayer Offering." There will be a basket where you can place special prayer requests, either signed or anonymously; and you can either place your request in the basket before worship or as the basket is passed during the offering. When the basket is passed around, you may take out a prayer request, or two or three.

PARK U.P.

A new Daybreak service will be held at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday mornings at Park United Presbyterian Church, Grandview Avenue, Zelienople. Each service will last 30 minutes.

The Parkettes children's choir for children in grades 1 through 4 will resume rehearsals on Sept. 14. The Good News Club for students in grades 1 through 5 will meet at 7 p.m. Oct. 5. Child care is available from 6 to 8:15 p.m. Wednesdays.

World Communion will be celebrated on Oct. 2. The guest pastor will be the Rev. Ben Mathes of Rivers of the World Ministries.

ST. MARK'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN

A meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 201 W. Jefferson St., for parents of students of confirmation age.

A new adult Sunday school class will begin Sunday. The focus of the course is "Martin Luther and a review of the Reformation."

A Sunday school staff meeting will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

ST. PETER'S EPISCOPAL

An acolyte training session will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 218 E. Jefferson St. All current and potential new acolytes are encouraged to attend.

The present schedule of altar flowers will carry over unless a change is requested. To add a memorial or to change an existing one, contact Jean Kirkpatrick at 724-283-9206.

The diocese is sponsoring a Hope and a Future 2005 conference Nov. 10 to 12, with Rick Warren as guest speaker. Volunteers are needed for the event, and a training session for volunteers will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Sept. 24 at St. Stephen's Church in Sewickley. Call the church for details.

ST. RICHARD R.C.

St. Vincent de Paul will have a truck at St. Richard Roman Catholic Church, 3841 Dickey Road, Gibsonia, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday to collect household items and clothing. For more information, please call the church office at 724-444-1971.

The first in a series of four dinners and programs for married couples, "Marriage - For Better, For Worst, For Ever" will be held Saturday. The program will follow the 6:30 p.m. dinner. Child care will be provided, but children must be registered. There is no cost for the evening, but an offering will be taken. For information or to register, call Mary Jordan at 724-444-1971, Ext. 12.

The fall schedule for Faith Formation classes begins Sunday.

The ladies group will hold a dinner buffet meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Charity Room. Guests with last names beginning with A-M should take a dessert and those whose last names begin with N-Z should take a salad, casserole or side dish.

Eucharistic Adoration will be held from 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. Tuesday and from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.

Parents of Little Ones will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Child care is provided.

St. Richard will begin the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults sessions on Sept. 22 for those who are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith. For information, please call Mary Jordan at the church office, 724-444-1971, Ext. 12.

Marriage preparation classes for those planning to be married begin at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25 and continue for six weeks. For more information or to register, call Mary Jordan at 724-444-1971, Ext. 12.

TRINITY LUTHERAN

The youth of Trinity Lutheran Church, 120 Sunset Drive, will host a yard sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the picnic shelter.

The Holy Eucharist will be shared at the 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 8:30 a.m. Sunday services.

The movie "Million Dollar Baby" will be shown after the Saturday evening service. Popcorn will be served and a discussion will follow.

A trip will be held Saturday to hear the Pittsburgh Compline Choir's Choral Prayer at Heinz Chapel. To register, call the church office at 724-287-1977.

Donations for victims of Hurricane Katrina are being accepted at the church. A donation table is in the narthex.

TRINITY PRESBY

The fall schedule will resume this Sunday at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 107 Staley Ave. Services will be held at 11 a.m. and Sunday school will begin at 9:30 a.m.

The Children's Choir will resume rehearsals at 7 p.m. Sept. 22.

The Veggie Tales program will resume at 3 p.m. Sunday in Fellowship Hall. To register, call 724-285-3622.

The Bakeless Bake Sale hospitality fund raiser will be held Sunday through Oct. 7. A cake box will be in the narthex for collection of monetary donations.

Ron McKissick will be the lay speaker for the 11 a.m. Sunday service.