Hymn festival

Hymn festival

east liverpool

First United Methodist Church, 200 W. Fifth St., will sponsor a hymn festival, “A Time for Singing,” at 4 p.m. Nov. 20 featuring Dr. John D. Schwandt, associate professor of Organ and founding director for the American Organ Institute at the University of Oklahoma.

Schwandt has been a featured performer for the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society. Select performances also have been featured on American Public Media’s Pipedreams broadcasts. Schwandt, who plays classical or theatrical pipe organ, is known for his award- winning improvisational skills and musical versatility.

He is the principal organist at McFarlin United Methodist Church in Norman.

He has recorded for the Calcante and GIA labels, as well as independent producers.

The festival will feature creative hymn singing, the church choir augmented by members of area church choirs and organ selections performed by the guest artist.

A free-will offering will be received, and a reception will follow the program.

Weekend retreat

youngstown

The Vocation Office of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown is offering a weekend retreat Dec. 16-18 at Loyola of the Lakes Retreat Center in Clinton to help young men gain insight on God’s call for their lives.

Bishop George V. Murry will be director for this retreat opportunity for men age 18-40.

The retreat will begin at 6:30 p.m. Dec.16 and conclude at noon Dec. 18.

The retreat will include Mass, communal and private prayer, time for personal reflection, Eucharistic adoration and the opportunity to speak with seminarians and ask questions.

There is no charge for the retreat, but participants are required to have a referral from a priest or religious.

To register or for more information, call the Vocation Office at 330-744-8451, or email the Rev. Chris Luoni, director of vocations, at cluoni@youngstowndiocese.org.

Second Chance

Austintown

Second Chance in the Wedgewood Plaza, 1747 S. Raccoon Road, Suite 1, will offer a free hot meal at 5 p.m. Nov. 19.

There also will be prayer, worship, fellowship and snacks.

Second Chance will be launching its food distribution program and opening its clothing closet to the community.

For more information, contact Dave Fidram at 330-301-6501.

Musical at church

youngstown

The Gospel choir of Antioch Baptist Church, 110 Funston St., will present the annual department musical at 5 p.m. Nov. 19.

The Rev. Ernest Ellis is pastor.

Service and series

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A service with a healing theme is planned at 6 p.m. Sunday at Chestnut Ridge Church of God, 7215 Chestnut Ridge Road.

The service will address physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, financial, marital and relational problems.

“UNstuck: Moving Beyond Mediocrity” is the theme of a sermon series planned by Pastor Rob McFarland at 10:45 a.m. Sundays this month.

“Getting Unstuck In My Field” will be this weekend, “Getting Unstuck In My Friendships” on Nov. 20 and “Getting Unstuck In My Future,” Nov. 27.

Submit details on Thanksgiving services

Information on special services for Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, will be published Nov. 19 on the Religion page.

Please send complete church name, street address and city, time and date of service.

Send the information to Religion desk, The Vindicator, 107 Vindicator Square, Box 780, Youngstown, OH 44501-0780; by fax to 330-747-6712; or by email to religion@vindy.com.

Deadline to submit information is 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Harp meditation

liberty

Kirk Kupensky, music director at the Unity Centre for Spiritual Living, 1226 Naylor Lloyd Road, will perform ”Harp Meditation V, Thankfulness” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

This harvest holiday performance will follow a theme of “Gratitude” expressed in music, poem and prayer.

Proficient in both Celtic and Concert harps, Kupensky has performed as recitalist and concerto soloist in the U.S. and in Europe. He has studied with former harpists of major orchestras.

For this “Meditation,” he will be featuring his Celtic harp.

Special music

youngstown

The sounds of Elizabethan England will fill St. John’s Episcopal Church, 323 Wick Ave., at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 20 when the choir will sing the Mass in Four Parts by William Byrd for the ordinary of the service.

The ordinary refers to those parts of the worship service that do not change from week to week, such as the Sanctus.

The choir also will sing “Ave verum corpus” by William Byrd and “Lift up your heads, O ye gates” by John Amner, who was an early Elizabethan composer.

Byrd was master of music to Elizabeth I though he remained Catholic. Hymns, prelude and postlude all will be in English.

Speaker at church

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Mark Reno, a Conversion Center representative, will speak at 10 and 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. services Sunday at Liberty Bible Church, 2111 Sodom Hutchings Road.

Join worship choir

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The Worship Choir at First Covenant Church, 5210 Market St., is seeking singers, 14 years and older, for the Christmas concert “Where Are You Christmas?”

There are no auditions.

Rehearsals are scheduled at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23 and 30 and Dec. 7 and 14.

Participants must attend three out of five rehearsals.

Dress rehearsal will be at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15 with the performance at 7 p.m. Dec. 18.

Priest is on the air

youngstown

The Rev. Andrew Gromm, pastor of St.Michael Orthodox Church, 127 Steel St., teaches the Gospel and church history from the ancient Eastern Christian perspective.

“On Earth As In Heaven” is the name of the radio show airing at noon Saturdays on WSOM AM 600.

Father Gromm also leads a Bible study at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays at St. Michael, focusing on the early Christian interpretation of Scripture.

Theology on Tap

youngstown

Theology on Tap, Mahoning County Chapter, will meet from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Lemon Grove, 122 W. Federal St.

Speaker Terry Vicars will address “Today’s Crisis in Famine and Poverty.”

Theology on Tap is an outreach to and collaboration with young adult Catholics from 18 to 39 years old.

For information, call Pina Vargo at 330-651-6700, or send email to TOTMCC@gmail.com.

No reservations needed.

Guest speaker

youngstown

Sidney Byrd, a 92-year-old, Santee Dakota American Indian pastor, will speak at a gathering Nov. 20 at Gibson Heights-Second Presbyterian Church, 755 E. Dewey.

The event will start at 3:30 p.m., followed by a “pot-hope” meal. (Bring a “pot” and “hope” that it contains something good.)

Learning session

liberty

Subdeacon George Mansour leads the talks on church history and ancient beliefs at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at St. Mark’s Antiochian Church, 3560 Logan Way.