Religion Notes
CAPE CORAL
Abundant Grace Fellowship
Abundant Grace Fellowship in cooperation with Living Faith Church and the Lee County Bicycle Ministry will kickoff the 2009-10 Season with repairs of donated bicycles that will be given to the homeless. The event will be held Saturday ,Nov. 28, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at 313 N.E. 20th Court, in Cape Coral. Funding has been provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. For information, call 458-0075.
Cape Christian Fellowship
Join us this weekend as Pastor Dennis Gingerich launches the new series, “Stay Tuned” with the message “God is Who He Said He Is.” Our view of God greatly shapes how we live. There are many names for God in scripture that tell us what we can expect from Him and they inseparably connect who he is to what he does. Join us as we explore this more.
Contemporary worship gatherings are Saturday, 5 p.m. and Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m. There are classes for children and youth and a nursery provided during all worship gatherings.
High school students are invited to “Awakening,” which meets every Wednesday from 7-8:30 p.m.
There will be a special, “Surviving the Holidays” session Dec. 15, 7 p.m. Register by contacting Carmen at 772-5683 ext. 222 or e-mail at ccortes@capechristian.com.
Cape Christian Preschool still has availabilities for 18 months-VPK age. We are currently accepting applications for our After School Program available for Kindergarten-5th graders. Contact Kim at 772-5781 or Ksquish@capechristian.com
Cape Christian Fellowship is located at 2110 Chiquita Blvd. South 1/3 mile north of Veterans Parkway. For more information visit www.capechristian.com or call 772-5683.
Cape Coral First United Methodist Church
Cape Coral First United Methodist Church has partnered with Advent Conspiracy to help people become a part of the real Christmas Story this year.
The Advent Conspiracy is a grassroots movement with more than 1,000 churches in 17 countries participating as co-conspirators with projects as varied as drilling a water well for those who lack access to clean water or simply encouraging congregations to think of meaningful acts of kindness as meaningful gift options to replace the traditional gifts.
Last year through Advent Conspiracy, $3 million was raised for relief projects which included providing clean water and medical attention in communities around the world.
This year, Advent Conspiracy anticipates that individuals and churches will match last year’s commitment to charitable gifts and will make a lasting impact in communities around the world.
For more information about Advent Conspiracy, visit wwwl.adventconspiracy.org
For more information about the Cape Coral First UMC, visit: capecoralfirst.org or 239-542-4051.
DayBreak Fellowship
DayBreak Fellowship will help out families in Cape Coral during a tough economic year by hosting its second annual Giving Tree Celebration, distributing new toy gifts to families with children in Cape Coral (children ages 5th grades and younger). During the family service on Sunday, Dec. 20, the children from DayBreak’s Kids Church will perform “Christmas? Bah Hum Bug,” followed by a Happy Birthday Jesus party with cake, balloons and games for all children attending. There will be two “special guests” joining Pastor Randy Miller to distribute the toys to the children. Children need to be pre-registered in advance by Friday, Dec. 11; online at www.daybreakchurch.net or by calling the church office at 573-9009. Registration will also take place in the church lobby Sundays through Dec. 13. The church meets for contemporary worship at 10:45 a.m. Sundays in the auditorium of Cape Coral High School, 2300 Santa Barbara Blvd.
First Christian Church of Cape Coral
Join the Creative Arts Ministry of First Christian Church of Cape Coral in a romp through the holiday season as they present “A Christmas Survival Guide,” an Off-Broadway musical.
Dinner theater performances are Dec. 9-13, onthe Worship Center Stage at First Christian Church of Cape Coral, 2020 Country Club Blvd., south of the corner of Veterans Parkway and Country Club Boulevard.
A buffet dinner at 6:30 p.m.followed by the performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $17 for students with ID and $15 for children 9 years of age and younger. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 239-574-7272.
Grace Baptist Church
Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral will be holding its monthly Buddy Break for special needs children on Saturday, Dec. 5. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The program is open to children who have a physical, cognitive, medical or hidden disability (ages 3-17) and their siblings (3 years old to 5th grade).
Buddy Break is a free respite program in partnership with Nathaniel’s Hope in Orlando, (www.NathanielsHope.org) It provides special needs children a few hours of fun while parents and caregivers can enjoy sometime for themselves.
The children are paired with a “Buddy:” a trained and screened volunteer -and will have fun playing games, hearing children’s stories, doing crafts, and making new friends.
Call 772-1400 to speak to a coordinators. A reservation is required. Parents must attend a brief, one-time, orientation meeting.
Grace Baptist Church is located four blocks north of the Skyline Boulevard and Pine Island Road intersection at 204 S.W. 11th Place. For rmore information call 239-772-1400.
New Song Ministries
New Song Ministries, a Contemporary Christian music-focused ministry that serves the teen and young adult demographic, meets on Saturday nights at 7 p.m. at 1490 N.E. Pine Island Road, 7B (the Kehilat Aish Kodesh location) in Cape Coral. All youth and young adults are invited for a night of contemporary Christian praise music.
New Song Ministries is led by local resident and musician/music instructor, Mitch Fincel, whose band Bloodwashed is based in Lee County, backed by teen praise band Kismet, whose members are all Cape Coral teens.
For more information, call Mitch at 333-8084 or email mpf@yahoo.com
Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana
de Cape Coral
The “Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Cape Coral”, a new Hispanic Church, led by Pastor Asael Gonzalez is meeting at the facilities of New Testament Baptist Church, located at 2805 NE Pine Island Road., Cape Coral. Sunday worship is at 2 p.m. For more information call 239-574-4196 or visit us at www.primeraiglesia.net.
Trinity Lutheran Church & School
Everyone is welcome to join Trinity Lutheran Church & School celebrate Thanksgiving at a 7 p.m. Worship Service on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
Celebrate the coming of Jesus at Christmas with Advent Worship Services Wednesdays, Dec. 2, 9 and 16 at 7 p.m. A Free Will Offering Dinner, sponsored by Thrivent Financial For Lutherans will be served from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. All proceeds will go to Trinity’s Good Samaritan Fund.
Mark your calendar to attend the Cape Coral 2009 Festival of Lights Saturday, Dec. 5, from 4 to 10 p.m. Stop by and say hello to the folks at Trinity Lutheran Church & School’s Christmas decorated Booth. There will be a Back to Basics Family Night Basket Raffle. The basket will include Gift Cards to Restaurants, Grocery Stores, various fun-filled places for children to enjoy, stuffed toys, children books and more. There will be a balloon animal maker man. It will be a fun filled evening.
Trinity School has openings for children 2 years of age. Preschool 3 and 4 with wrap around programs offered. Trinity School is a pre-kindergarten 4 voucher site.
Trinity Lutheran Church & School is at 706 S.W. 6th Ave. For more information, call Church, 772-0172, www.trinitylutheranchurchcc.org or School at 772-1549, www.trinityschoolcapecoral.org.
Turning Point Church
The Turning Point Church, presently meeting in the William Austen Youth Center, located at 315 SW 3rd Ave in Cape Coral. ( located near Cape Coral Charter School) The church meets weekly on Sundays at 10am. Pastors D & Belinda West and the congregation invite the area to attend. The service are contempory with a Praise & Worship Team leading in worship at approximately 10:15 a.m., a strong Children’s Church is available at 10:40 a.m., followed by an encouraging message by Pastor D in the the main sanctuary. For directions and information, call 281-5350.
FORT MYERS
First Presbyterian Church
Area residents can celebrate the holidays at an old-fashioned sing-a-long and help feed the hungry at the Holiday Carol Sing Thursday, Dec. 10, at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Fort Myers. Admission is free but cash donations and canned goods will be accepted for The Soup Kitchen, operated by Community Cooperative Ministries.
It’s the 19th year for the popular event, which is organized and sponsored by the Galloway Family of Dealerships. Because of the overwhelming popularity of the event, three performances are planned at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The doors will open 30 minutes prior to show time.
Residents who cannot attend any of the Holiday Carol Sing performances may donate canned goods at either the Galloway Ford dealership on Boy Scout Drive or the Coconut Point Ford dealership on U.S. 41 in Estero.
Those in attendance also will be able to visit Santa?s House and see Santa and Mrs. Claus busily preparing for the holidays with the help of their elves. A live manger scene will be presented in the courtyard of the church.
All canned goods will benefit Community Cooperative Ministries, which operates The Soup Kitchen on Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard in Fort Myers.
Last year, CCMI received more than $4,800 and 6,000 pounds of canned goods and other non-perishable items from the Holiday Carol Sing. The food was immediately distributed to those in need, according to Owen.
For more information, call (239) 332-7687.