Temple Schedules Purim Events

* Ventura’s Temple Beth Torah plans weekend and midweek festivities for Purim.

“Purim celebrates the survival of the Jewish people against a plot to kill them in ancient Persia,” Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-Miller said.

A wine, cheese, dessert, karaoke and costume party for adults will be held at 7:30 p.m. today in the Meister social hall. Tickets are $12 at the door or $10 by reserving at the temple office at 647-4181.

At 9:30 a.m. Sunday, youths will gather in the temple sanctuary for music and a recounting of the Purim story, with children in costumes carrying noisemakers. The carnival will follow.

On Wednesday, Hochberg-Miller will conduct the 6:30 p.m. Purim service with an official reading of the Megillah, the scroll of Esther. Refreshments will follow. The temple is at 7620 Foothill Road. For information, call 647-4181.

Fellowship Offers Services

* Channel Islands Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Oxnard offers Sunday services at 9 and 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The church’s atmosphere, Pastor Bill Coulter said, is “contemporary music with casual dress.”

The fellowship is at 1851 Holser Walk, Suite 200. For information, call 485-0050.

Topic of Sermon Announced

* The Rev. Alan P. Gorsline’s Sunday sermon will be titled “Faithful Poultry Husbandry” at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Oxnard. The service begins at 10:15 a.m.

Church school for all ages is at 9 a.m.

Spanish- and Japanese-language worship services are also held each Sunday at St. Paul’s. The Spanish-language service begins at 2 p.m. in the sanctuary, and the Japanese-language service begins at 2 p.m. in the parlor. The church is at 1800 South C St. For information, call the office at 487-2711.

Heschel Day School to Give Tours

* The two campuses of Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School West in Agoura Hills will hold open house tours Sunday.

Children’s Wonderland kindergarten and transitional kindergarten tours will be offered between 1 and 3 p.m. at the campus, 27400 W. Canwood St. From 3 to 5 p.m., the first- through fifth-grade campus at 29646 Agoura Road will be open to tours. For information, call (818) 707-2365.

Baptists Sponsor 3-Day Conference

* A three-day evangelism conference will be held Tuesday through Thursday at Oxnard’s St. Paul Baptist Church. The Board of Evangelism of the Progressive National Baptist Convention will sponsor the event.

“Come prepared for an evangelistic explosion,” said the Rev. B. A. Huggins of St. Paul Baptist Church. “Each night, spirit-filled choirs will minister through songs of praise.”

A musical will precede the conference at 7 p.m. Monday. Free workshops will be held the three days on such subjects as small-group personal evangelism, evangelizing men, and teaching youths and college students. Preregistration is advised.

St. Paul Baptist is at 1354 South C St. Call 487-2015.

Celebration Geared to Children

* Congregation Am Hayam plans a Purim celebration geared especially for children at the Oxnard Monday Club at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“Children and adults get to dress up in costumes befitting the holiday and boo the wicked Haman,” said Elaine Allen of the congregation.

Traditional services will be held Thursday at a member’s home. For information, call 656-6634. The Monday Club is at 1401 W. Gonzales Road.

Chabad to Host Weekend Retreat

* Chabad of the Conejo will host a three-day Shabbaton retreat at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Ventura beginning Friday. Rabbi Manis Friedman, a lecturer and author, will speak.

The weekend will feature Glatt Kosher meals, entertainment, a children’s program and baby-sitting service. For a brochure, call (818) 991-0991.

Church to Serve Fish Dinners

* A fish fry will be served each Friday evening of Lent at St. Anthony’s Church in Oxnard. Sponsored by the parents’ club, the fish fry will also include side dishes, punch and coffee for $5 a plate. Parishioners and friends are welcome to attend, and proceeds will benefit St. Anthony’s School.

Stations of the Cross will be on Lenten Fridays at 1:30 and 7 p.m. in English and 8 p.m. in Spanish. The dinners will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Fridays through April 3 at 2511 South C St. For information, call 486-7301.

Temple Fair to Celebrate Purim

* Temple Beth Haverim will hold an all-day Purim Carnival on March 15 at Willow Elementary School in Agoura Hills.

Attractions include rides, games, prizes, food, a petting zoo and musical entertainment, said Bobbi Rubinstein of the temple. Admission is free to the event, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.

The school is at 29026 Laro Drive. For information, call Pam Katz at (818) 889-2501.

Church Plans Special Service

* Ascension Lutheran Church and School of Thousand Oaks will hold a special worship service, including a children’s event, March 15 at Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. The celebration will include music from Ascension Music Ministry. The children’s program will offer a Christian clown program, music with Paul Phillips and more.

The free celebration begins at 10 a.m. For information or reservations, call 495-0406.

Women’s Spring Conference

* South Coast Fellowship of Ventura will hold a women’s spring conference March 20 and 21. Tracy Stewart will be the guest speaker.

The fee for the conference is $30, with registration in the foyer. Lunch March 21 is $6, and child care will be provided during all sessions.

For information on the conference, call Theresa Dominguez at 981-0622. Stewart will speak at the fellowship meeting at 7 p.m. March 18. The fellowship is at 4050 Market St.

Boutique to Help Family in Need

* The First Lutheran Church of Camarillo women will hold a spring and summer boutique March 21 at the church. Items for Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and summer will be on sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The fund-raiser will help a family from the congregation in need, due to illness. It will be matched by Aid Assn. for Lutherans, Branch 9464.

Those interested in signing up for a booth may call Karen Cozatt at 482-6966. The church is at 380 Arneill Road. Call 484-0426.

Church Adds 2nd Sunday Service

* First Presbyterian Church of Santa Paula will add a second Sunday worship service March 22. Music director Dwyndle ogers will present a special program weekly.

“This new informal 8:30 a.m. service is being added as we plan for growth in the next decade,” Pastor Chuck Laird said, adding that a new ministry also begins this month, in which small groups of people with similar interests meet regularly.

The church is at 121 N. Davis St. For information, call the church at 525-6654.

High-Profile Trials Is Brunch Topic

* Ventura’s Temple Beth Torah Brotherhood will sponsor a lox and bagel brunch March 22 with speaker Laurie Levenson, who will discuss “High-Profile Trials . . . Through the Eyes of a Jewish Lawyer.”

Levenson is a dean at Loyola Law School and legal consultant for CBS, National Public Radio and CNN. The brunch and program are open to the public at a cost of $7 in advance or $10 at the door. The brunch will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the temple, 7620 Foothill Road. Call 647-4181.

Church Follows Sicilian Tradition

* “St. Joseph’s Table,” a Sicilian tradition, will be the centerpiece of a St. Joseph’s Day celebration at St. Paschal Baylon Church in Thousand Oaks on March 22.

The day’s festivities will begin with a bake sale from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., children’s procession from the church to the hall and 9:15 Mass, followed by a blessing of the baked goods at 10:15 a.m. An Italian dinner, served by the Italian Catholic Federation, will be offered from 4 to 7 p.m. Entertainment will be featured. Proceeds from the dinner, which costs $7 for adults and $3.50 for children, will support the needy in Thousand Oaks.

The festival is offered in honor of St. Joseph for favors received through the intercession of the foster father of Jesus, said Frank Saglime, president of the Italian Catholic Federation.

The custom of St. Joseph’s Table began in the Middle Ages when Sicily suffered a drought and famine. Sicilians prayed to St. Joseph, promising that each succeeding generation would honor him on his feast day if God would send rain. The story goes that at the stroke of midnight, the land turned green and fish became abundant.

“St. Joseph’s Table is an opportunity for people of all cultures and faiths to come together to share one of the Italian community’s cherished customs,” Saglime said.

To purchase tickets, call Frank Caso at 492-4290. The church is at 155 E. Janss Road.

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