Singers and audience members are invited to a free "Sing-Along Messiah" concert Sunday, December 11, starting 4 p.m. at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 5625-24th Street, Sacramento (off Fruitridge Road between Freeport Boulevard and Highway 99). Ample free parking is available. Choral conductors from area churches and schools will take turns leading the massed volunteer choir, which is expected to consist of more than 100 singers. Participants are encouraged to bring their own Messiah music scores; a limited quantity of Messiah scores will be available for purchase ($10) at the door. "By popular demand, we are repeating last year's very successful event, says Dr. May Tuan Tucker, Bethany Ch

The 4th Annual South Area Neighborhood Ice Cream Social is set for Tuesday, August 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at 5625-24th Street in Sacramento (the corner lawn of 24th Street and Fruitridge Road, midway between I-5 and Hwy. 99). Bethany Presbyterian Church is again serving as the host location for this event, which last year attracted more than 100 members of the community. The event will feature old-fashioned hand-cranked ice cream makers, unlimited ice cream and toppings, cookies and goodies, live banjo band music and children’s activities. There is no cost to attend. Information and useful resources to help families make the back-to-school transition for their students will also be ava

Sacramento families can jump-start their children's summer fun at the neighborhood Kids' Safety Fair taking place Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event will be held on the lawn of Bethany Presbyterian Church, 5625 24th Street in Sacramento (corner of Fruitridge Road and 24th Street). Among the free activities offered are a bounce-house, face-painting, crafts, music and helpful information from local family and safety resources. A free hotdog lunch will be served. A map and directions, plus a downloadable print-friendly flyer, are available. The safety fair is presented as a community service of Bethany Presbyterian Church volunteers. Bethany Presbyterian Church is th

Have you ever had that eerie feeling that you’ve been there, done that? Me too! When I woke up this morning, I started rummaging through my closet, not really knowing what I was looking for, and had a ah-ha moment as soon as I saw my old Magic 8 Ball. Don’t ask me why. I just did. Like I’d done this all before. You know, like I was psychic or something. Because I was still feeling a little strange, I then did the darndest thing! I told my wife, Ruth, we were heading to the Berkeley Psychic Institute Fair in Sacramento. You’re not going to believe her response. She said, “I know, silly, you’ve been talking about it all week in your sleep.” Really? And I thought I’d never even heard of the

Do you ever feel like you don't belong? Maybe you feel you have gifts and talents that have not been used yet; or are interested in making new friends and being a part of a family. Touchstone Christian Fellowship is a new church located in Carmichael, off Auburn Boulevard, a few exits past the Arden Fair Mall. Just six years into their journey, and they have already made a huge impact on the community. From their Sunday morning family services, to kids puppet shows at the California State Fair, and new Saturday night college student-focused worship services; they are reaching the Sacramento area in a whole new way. Last Thursday, Touchstone had one of their smaller board meetings involvi

In a tiny, 12-by-10 room cluttered with microphones, headphones, soundboards and telephones, a message will soon escape from the confines of the small studio suite and spread throughout Sacramento and its surrounding regions. A message that, according to its messenger, transcends its own transmission. Robert Briggs, 43, a pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in midtown Sacramento, burns the candle at both ends with one end in mind: that the kingdom of God be furthered in the souls of men and women unfettered. On this particular December, Wednesday morning, Briggs prepares to record a pair of 24-minute messages from the book of Romans that will subsequently air two consecutive Friday aftern

Local entrepreneurs are considering turning an old Spanish-style church complex into an alternative wellness center or Middle Eastern restaurant. Several people have been looking at the complex for lease at 24th and K streets. Built as a Reorganized Mormon church in 1929, the main building was the longtime home of the Spiritual Life Center. A clinical hypnotherapist is considering leasing the entire property and creating a healing and wellness center featuring hypnotherapy, massage, tai chi and more. A Roseville restaurant owner has discussed leasing the main building for a two-floor Middle Eastern restaurant, but doesn't have backing yet, said property owner Thomas A. Roth, who's search

Singers and audience members are invited to a free "Sing-Along Messiah" concert Sunday, December 12, starting 4 p.m. at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 5625-24th Street, Sacramento (off Fruitridge Road between Freeport Boulevard and Highway 99).  Choral conductors from area churches and schools will take turns leading the massed volunteer choir, which is expected to consist of more than 100 singers. Participants are encouraged to bring their own Messiah music scores; a limited quantity of Messiah scores will be available for purchase ($10) at the door. "To make this truly a participatory event, we are not going to have professional soloists," says Dr. May Tucker, Bethany Presbyterian Church

Arco Arena was bursting at the seams on Friday night, but it wasn’t for a Kings game or a rock concert. Instead, people from all walks of life were gathered for “A Night of Hope” with Joel and Victoria Osteen, a touring event featuring worship music, testimony by church leaders and a sermon from the charismatic megapastor Osteen. Named by Barbara Walters in 2006 as one of the year’s “Ten Most Fascinating People,” Osteen, 47, is a bestselling author and pastor of the enormous Lakewood Church in Houston. As the largest congregation in the U.S., it averages more than 43,500 in attendance per week and is housed in the previous home of the Houston Rockets professional basketball team, the for

Acclaimed travel writer Rick Steves made an appearance at St. John's Lutheran Church in Sacramento on Wednesday night. Brought in to raise funds to support the 'The Rwanda School Project' and 'Lutheran Social Services of Northern California,' Rick spoke about traveling as a spiritual act. The speech hi-lighted the nearly 30 years of Rick's life on the road and his desire to learn from each experience. Rick Steves, who is the author of more than 40 travel books, preaches about the transformative power of travel. His latest book 'Travel as a Political Act' was the basis for his speech Wednesday night. The speech, as well as the book, encourages the audience to travel abroad to experience h

Among requests for more volume in the stage monitors and playful banter with admiring fans, Jennifer Knapp's sound-check at Harlow’s last night revealed an openness and vulnerability that has begun to define her return to music. “Is this night being billed as 'An Evening with Jennifer Knapp?'” she asked the sound man as he fiddled with dials on the board. “Yup,” he replied. “Well then I'll be needing four fingers of scotch and a Playstation,” Knapp replied under her breath with a playful smile. Knapp left a thriving career in the Christian music industry, which had earned her a Dove Award, Grammy nominations and more than 1 million records sold, because of a culmination of issues that

SACRAMENTO – More than 10,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their friends will descend on parks throughout the Sacramento region Saturday, May 8, to perform necessary work from clean-up and general maintenance to painting, planting trees and even construction jobs. Under the banner of Mormon Helping Hands, an international program of the Church that has provided manpower in distressed communities and organized relief efforts after natural disasters, the volunteers have chosen parks in their own communities to perform work in state, regional and city parks that have been hit hard by the recent downturn in the economy. The Sacramento effort is part of a stat

      Members of the Westboro Baptist Church plan to picket May 2 and 3 at the California State Capitol Building, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Shalom School, McClatchy High School and the Jewish Federation of Sacramento.       The Westboro Baptist Church regularly pickets funerals of soldiers and homosexuals and has recently gained media attention because of the United States Supreme Court Case they are involved in regarding a demonstration that members of the church made at a marine’s funeral.       McClatchy High School Principal Greg Purcell said that the administration is meeting next week to discuss how they can minimize the effect of the protest.       Regarding McClatchy

One look at its website will tell you that Sunset Christian Center in Rocklin is using social media to reach its congregation and the community. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, animated ministry guide, media library—it’s all there, and not in a cheesy, DIY kind of way. It’s sleek, sophisticated, and engaging. The same can be said for the new children’s ministry areas. Just off the main lobby a 35-ft pirate ship moored in azure “water” marks the entrance to The Cove, where first- through third-graders meet. Across the hall palm trees and a smiling monkey atop the bamboo check in station welcome you to Jungle Quest, an amazing suite of themed rooms for newborns through kindergarteners. Built into

Some say God is everywhere but last month, we discovered that social media is everywhere too—even in our churches! On October 20, 2009, the Sacramento Social Media Club held a panel discussion on the use of social media by local churches. The event, “Pray for Social Media”, was hosted by The Sacramento Press, and was moderated by Jeff Marmins of Social Media Path and partnership director for the Sacramento Social Media Club. Panelists included Josh Trevino from the Parish Council of St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Roseville; Robert Mees, Director of Evangelism at Sierra Baptist Church in Pioneer in Amador County and CJ Alvarado, Director of Communications and Technology at Bayside Church

City of Man, City of God: The Catholic Church and the Shaping of Sacramento On Friday, June 12, 2009, SAMCC will unveil a new photographic exhibit, City of Man, City of God: The Catholic Church and the Shaping of Sacramento. The exhibit depicts the role that people of faith played in shaping Sacramento’s urban agenda, from the 1850s to today. The evening will include an address by Dr. Steven M. Avella on his recently released book, Sacramento and the Catholic Church: Shaping a Capital City. The event is free and open to the public. It begins at 7:00 p.m. at SAMCC, 551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd, Sacramento. The Catholic Church, present in Sacramento from the city’s beginnings, has had an impo

 To church…or not to church? Maybe you went to church with your family, Sunday after Sunday – until your 18th birthday. Perhaps your parents followed a religion that just didn’t sit well with you, and you’ve never been exposed to a religion that really felt “right.” Whatever the reason, not everybody has found a religion that works for him or her. And while some people are quite comfortable leaving Sundays for the ball game and some beer, maybe you’re really looking for a religious community that’s a little less traditional, and a little more “you.”   Where do you fit in? This isn’t a “join my religion” advertisement. In fact, we're more interested in members of the Sacramento communit