SWCC welcomes guest speaker

South Whidbey Community Church will host guest speaker Dr. Ed Smyth at Sunday morning’s worship service.

Smyth will speak on the topic, “That Community Would be our Witness,” based on Paul’s letter to the Philippians 2:1-9.

Smyth is professor of educational ministry at Seattle Pacific University’s School of Theology, and founder/director of “The Master’s Men,” a men’s discipleship program.

Morning worship begins at 10 and is preceded by an adult learning forum at 9 a.m., with Stan Walker leading an inductive study into Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus and Art Angst leading a study into the Gospel of Luke. These are open classes to which everyone is invited.

At 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, the church will hold its monthly men’s breakfast at the Deer Lagoon Grange. Keith Sorensen will speak on the topic “The Battle for Men’s Minds.” Darrell Coburn will be the chef, and this free breakfast is open to all interested guys who’d like to come.

South Whidbey Community Church is a local independent, non-denominational church that adheres to the National Association of Evangelical’s Statement of Faith. It is open to everyone and gathers for worship each Sunday at the Deer Lagoon Grange, 5142 Bayview Road.

All SWCC sermons and special adult-forum lectures are recorded and may be obtained by calling the church at 221-1220.

For further information about the church and services, call 221-1220.

Sunday service looks at God’s children

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1 (27).

This is not a condition that can sink into disability, disease, death or sin. How then does one manifest this Biblical statement and enjoy the bounty from knowing that, as Jesus said, the kingdom of God is within?

The Christian Science service will explore this true condition of God’s children on Sunday,

Sept. 5. Everyone is welcome at this service, which begins at 10:30 a.m., at 15910 Highway 525 (just north of Bayview and across from Useless Bay Road).

‘Explayration’ of the here and now at Unity

Songwriter Doug Benecke will give the talk “Stepping into the Here and Now” at the Unity of Whidbey service on Sunday.

As we make our daily rounds through work, school, chores and family, through celebrations and grief, and, if we are fortunate, through joy and play, we may not notice the pattern, the web we weave, moment by moment. There is no rehearsal for our lives. The plans and imaginings that preoccupy us from time to time become ghosts, as we step into each successive instant.

Join Benecke and violinist Talia Toni Marcus for an “explayration” of the theme of stepping into the here and now. The platform assistant will be Joy Williams.

The service is at 10 a.m. and all are welcome. Unity of Whidbey is located in its new chapel at 5671 Crawford Road in Langley.

Unity of Whidbey also maintains office hours at the church from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

See the Unity Web site at www.unityofwhidbeyisland.org for more information.

Work and spiritual values at UUCWI

Unitarians and the Labor Movement share many of the same principles, including worth, dignity, justice, equity and respect for every person. Members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island will talk about their experience of religious/spiritual values and how these values informed their work life.

All are welcome. Values-based children’s religious exploration classes and childcare will be provided. The service is at 10 a.m. at 20103 Highway 525, just north of Freeland. Check www.whidbey.com/uucwi for more information.

Reflective talk at UUCWI on Sunday

Being in a joyful community means developing sensitivity to the needs of others and learning skills to deal compassionately with any difficulties that arise.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island will reflect on this topic during a quiet, contemplative candlelight gathering of song, meditation and readings at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8.

Accompanied by harp music, this is a time to take a short, calm respite from busy lives.

The Quakers are moving to Freeland

Beginning Sunday, Sept. 5, the Whidbey Quakers are moving their meeting for worship from mornings at the Sears House in Bayview to 4 p.m. Sunday afternoons at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation building.

The Quakers invite all those interested in experiencing their tradition of silent worship to join them in their new home. For information, contact Toni Grove at 221-6748.

Father Eli to conduct classes at St. Hubert

The Knights of Columbus are pleased to announce that Father Jude Eli, back by popular demand, will conduct a four-day instruction on Jesus: Healer and Exorcist in the Gospel of Mark.

Classes, which begin Monday, Sept. 6 and end Thursday, Sept. 9, will be conducted at St. Hubert Catholic Church, 804 Third St., Langley. Morning classes are from 9 to

10:30 a.m. and evening classes from 7 to 8:30 p.m. There is no charge for the classes, no-pre-registration is required and the public is invited.

Father Eli studied at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. and has done sabbatical work in the areas of biblical archaeology and Judaica in Jerusalem, as well as adult education and systematic theology at the American College in Leuven, Belgium.

He can be seen on Sky Angel Satellite on the Catholic program “To Tell the World.” His classes on Saint Paul will provide theological perspective in the areas of Revelation, Christology, Resurrection and Eschatology.

Seasonal changes at upcoming forums

The adult forums at St. Augustine’s in-the-Woods Episcopal Church in September will usher in some exciting seasonal changes.

The early Christianity series will begin to focus on the wide-ranging diversity of the Christian communities in the second century with four lectures on the subject, and there will also be a new array of health-wise, environmental and public-service presentations.

“The Early Christian Apologists” is the topic at the next forum.

In the middle of the second century, an elite group of Christian intellectuals, who were ardent apologists (defenders of the faith), wrote open letters, often to the emperor, explaining the true nature of their religion. They argued that the charges against it were groundless, and urged that Christians be allowed to worship God in their own ways.

In this lecture, the forum will consider these strategies by looking at one of the most interesting apologists of the late second century, Athenagoras. His writing has survived till today, and can show us the ways Christians defended themselves against the attacks of those in power.

The forum starts at 9:15 a.m. Sunday; Ted Brookes will present.

Interfaith Council to spotlight homeless

The Interfaith Council of Whidbey Island is hosting a conference on helping the needy in the community at Family Bible Church.

The conference is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18.

Across the country, people of faith have joined together to provide shelter, meals and guidance for those suffering from the downturn in the economy. Islanders are invited to have coffee and listen to guest speaker Jim Cozad of the Interfaith Council in Bellingham speak on how the group has partnered with the Opportunity Council to help the homeless in their community. All are welcome to hear about the needs in our community and to join hands to put faith into action.

The Interfaith Council of Whidbey Island is a nonprofit group bringing together religious organizations who wish to perform good works on Whidbey Island.

Family Bible Church is at 2760 Heller Road.

Lunch will be served; RSVP to Hap Fakkema at 360-675-0759.