Church & religious events

Arcadia UM ARCADIA — Sunday activities at Arcadia United Methodist Church begin with Sunday school at 9 a.m., followed by worship at 10, led by Deb Bame. Her message will be "The Harvest is Plentiful." This week the mission team is serving the Christian Appalachian Project in Kentucky. The church is currently seeking songs, memories, poems and personal thoughts based on various scriptures to form an Advent daily devotional. This project is open to all. The church is located at 19397 County Road 216/Brown Road. College First FINDLAY — "Citizens" will be the sermon presented at the 9, 10 and 11 a.m. services Sunday at College First Church of God. The scripture reading is Philippians 4:8-9. Encounter will meet from 6-7:30 p.m. every Wednesday to introduce youth to Jesus. Activities include enthusiastic worship followed by games, snacks, scripture memory and lessons, offered in a fun and loving atmosphere. Contact Nicky or the church office with questions. The next Senior Fun Dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 11 in the fellowship hall. The main course will be turkey. Those attending are asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share. Drinks and table service will be provided. Afterwards, a program will be held about the opportunity to support church leadership into the future along with a Veterans Day celebration. Call the church office at 419-422-7365 to register. Night to Shine, part of the Tim Tebow Foundation, will be held Feb. 13, 2026 at the University of Findlay's Alumni Memorial Union. This is the fourth year for the local event which provides a prom night experience centered on God's love for people with special needs. College First, St. Marks United Methodist Church and Movement Church are hosting the event. Visit https://www.findlaynighttoshine.org to learn more, volunteer or donate. First Lutheran FINDLAY — All are welcome to worship Sunday at First Lutheran Church as the congregation celebrates Reformation Day and confirmation. Those attending are asked to consider wearing red. The Rev. Tucker O'Leary will share the message from John 8:31-36. Worship services are at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. Special music will be provided by the senior choir and bell choir at the later service. Sunday school for youth and adults meets at 9:30. Access to the weekly bulletin and announcements can be found on the webpage: www.1stlutheranchurch.org . The service will be available to watch Monday afternoon by going to the wepsite and clicking "Online Services." Requests for the Blessing Basket Food Pantry at St. John's Lutheran Church this month are canned tuna and chicken. These items can be placed on the cart by the elevator or dropped off at the pantry on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. O'Leary continues to lead a 15-minute midday prayer service at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday in the chapel for members and people of the community to sit and refocus their day with personal prayer. Holy Communion will be offered on Tuesday and Thursday, while a short healing service will be available on Monday and Wednesday. First Presbyterian FINDLAY — First Presbyterian Church, 2330 S. Main St., welcomes all to worship at 10 a.m. Sunday. The Rev. Jessica Commeret will be preaching. Following worship, an intergenerational time of Bible trivia games will be held. Coffee hospitality is available beginning at 9:30 in the fellowship hall and continues after the service. Childcare for infants and toddlers begins at 9:45 a.m. All are welcome. Good Hope Lutheran, Arlington ARLINGTON — "So You Never Forget — What's the Bible All About, Anyway?" is the sermon that will be presented this week by the Rev. Steve Ramsey at Good Hope Lutheran Church. In honor of Reformation Sunday, Holy Communion will be shared. Bible passages will include Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 46, Romans 3:19-28 and John 8:31-36. Services are held each week on Saturday at 5 p.m. and on Sunday at 7:30 and 10 a.m. Pam McCloud will accompany the singing today, while Montgomery Moore will serve as organist/pianist on Sunday. At the 10 a.m. service, the senior choir will sing "For the Beauty of the Earth," under the direction of Dan Basinger. Moore will accompany the choir as well as share special music including "Praise to the Lord" for the prelude and "Foundations Medley" as the offertory. At 9 a.m. Sunday, all are invited to attend Bible study and Sunday school with classes for all ages. Fellowship and refreshments are available in the educational addition before classes convene. Confirmation classes will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, followed by Pizza and Jesus at 7 for all junior high and high school youth. Activities at the church this week include Discipleship Bible Study on Monday at 6:45 p.m.; Sunrise Health Fair on Tuesday at 3 p.m.; a Teen Breakfast at 7 a.m. Thursday for all Arlington students in grades 7-12; and trunk or treat at 6 p.m. Thursday in the church parking lot. Grace Brethren FINDLAY — The congregation of Findlay Grace Brethren Church, 209 Lexington Ave., will explore the theme "Who is the Greatest?" on Sunday. They will also continue in the Gospel of Matthew. Coffee and doughnuts will be served prior to the service at 10:15 a.m. Pizza and fellowship will follow the service. A youth-led Wednesday night service will start at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12. Grace Brethren will launch a kids club every Monday from 3:05-3:30 p.m. starting Nov. 10. Call the Rev. Bill Seng at 419-889-9710 or email the church at Findlay.grace.org to register or ask questions. The church will host trunk or treat from 6-8 p.m. today. Redeemer Lutheran FINDLAY — The new electric identification sign in front of Redeemer Lutheran Church is making the church more visible to its neighbors and those passing by on Blanchard Avenue/Ohio 37. The Rev. Bill Geiger's sermon last Sunday was "Don't Loose Heart." The lesson was don't give up on your dreams or your prayers to God. He will not give up on you. The Sunday school hour finished the workbook on how Jesus cleansed the temple, driving out the money-changers who were selling animals for Passover. For those who want to know more about the church, call 567-294-4545 or Geiger at 567-208-2078. David Roth, communion deacon, can be reached at 419-306-5416 with questions about communion. St. Andrew's UM FINDLAY — The Rev. Amy Miller will share her message, "Gifted to Give," on Sunday at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church. The worship service begins at 9 a.m. and includes scripture, music, prayer, a children's message and a meaningful sermon. Communion is offered on the first Sunday of each month, and all are welcome to participate. Highlights of the ministries at St. Andrew's will also be presented. The bell choir, Exalt!, will be ringing "Lord, I Left Your Name on High," as well as joining the Jubilation Choir for "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." The service can be heard online at saumcfindlay.org and on Facebook. It will also air live on WFIN Radio and WFIN.com. A Christmas concert is scheduled at 7 p.m. Dec. 13. St. John's Lutheran FINDLAY — St. John's Lutheran Church, 1701 Tiffin Ave., will host a Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. There will be activities for children and families including a bounce house, balloon artist, T-shirt giveaway, trunk or treat, pet blessings, crafts and a storybook walk. Proceeds will go to the Blessing Basket Food Pantry. A bake sale and concession stand will also be held. St. John's will hold a service for Reformation Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. St. Marks UM FINDLAY — "Gentleness" is the subject of the Rev. Dan Metzger's sermon Sunday at St. Marks United Methodist Church. He is leading the congregation through the "fruit of the spirit." According to Christian teaching, a genuine believer is known by their "fruit," which refers to the observable evidence of a transformed life through the Holy Spirit and includes virtues like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The scripture is Philippians 4:4-8. St. Marks, 800 S. Main St., has two worship services on Sunday mornings: a traditional service at 9 a.m. and a contemporary service at 10:45. Both services are livestreamed and can be viewed from the Facebook page and at StMarksFindlay.org . At 10 a.m. Sunday, an informational meeting about the children's Christmas play will be held in the sanctuary. St. Marks will say goodbye to James Adkins, who has served as the contemporary worship director, with a noon potluck luncheon in the DOCK. St. Paul Lutheran, Jenera JENERA — St. Paul Lutheran Church, 9340 Township Road 32, will celebrate Reformation Sunday at the 9 a.m. traditional service and the 11:15 a.m. contemporary service. The Rev. Deb Noll will lead both services. Sunday school for all ages will begin at 11:15. The outreach community meal will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with carryout meals also available. All are welcome to this complimentary activity. Confirmation class will be held at 5 p.m. followed by the ReFUEL youth group meeting at 6. The weekly Kid's Praise will begin with supper for youth and their parents at 5:45 p.m. The Wednesday Night Live Bible Study for grades 6–12 starts at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, adult Bible study begins at 9:30. The Bowling Green State University Men's Chorus will present its Fall Tour 2025 concert at St. Paul at 7 p.m. Nov. 7. This 100-member chorus features several students who are high school graduates from area schools. All community members and guests are welcome. St. Paul's FINDLAY — St. Paul's Church, 218 E. Sandusky St., will host a Holy Ghost Weiner Roast from 6-8 p.m. today. Children will receive a free hot dog meal that comes with chips and a drink. There will also be treat bags and blowups, and those attending can take a picture with their favorite character. A free drawing will be held, delivered by "Fritz," the puppet. Salem New Beginnings FINDLAY — Salem New Beginnings Church, 4699 County Road 236, will host a Family Fall Fest at 5 p.m. today. The event will feature food, games, a bonfire, fall treats and more. On Sundays, worship begins at 9:30 a.m. Trinity Lutheran FINDLAY — Trinity Lutheran Church, 935 W. Bigelow Ave., invites families to a Trunk or Treat Fall Fest at St. John's Lutheran Church, 1701 Tiffin Ave., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. Activities will include a bounce house, pumpkin toss, Pie the Pastor fundraiser, candy, games and more. Trinity, 935 W. Bigelow Ave., will host a free Sunday breakfast immediately following the 9 a.m. worship service until 11:30 in the Schutt Center. One Meal at A Time is open to all and features great food and fellowship. Takeout boxes will be available. A new Sunday school class will start Sunday in the high school classroom. Following the 9 a.m. service, the Rev. Will Stenke along with Dawn and Pete Rose, will lead the class as they explore God's guidance to questions and concerns about raising children's in today's world. The trial session of this study is titled Parenting Today. The church and New Creations in Ottawa will gather at the Litzenberg Memorial Woods parking lot at 2 p.m. Sunday for an easy one-mile hike. There will be a scavenger hunt for youth during the walk. Registration is requested for the children participating in the scavenger hunt. Those attending should bring a roasting stick or several to enjoy s'mores after the hike. Call the church office at 419-422-2641 to RSVP. Families are welcome even if they have not registered. Stenke will discuss how and why you should intentionally plan for your funeral or memorial service as he presents "Planning Now for the End." The talk will be held at 7 p.m. Monday in room 212. He will cover things you can plan that will help your family be prepared in the event of your death and how you can be a witness in your faith in Jesus Christ even after your death. This is open to the public and is the learning module for the monthly Stephen Minister meeting. To attend the meeting via Zoom, or if you are in need of a Stephen Minister or would like to refer someone who is in need, contact one of the leaders of the program who are Shirley McKinniss at 419-348-0470 or Dave Stultz at 419-722-4484. Trinity offers three worship services every week, including Sundays at 9 and 11 a.m., and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. If you are unable to attend a service but would like to receive communion, drive your car to the front doors of the church by entering the parking lot off of County Road 95 at noon on Sunday. Stenke will offer a prayer and communion as you remain in your car. Upper Room FINDLAY — The Upper Room Church of God will continue a series titled "Criticizing Jesus" at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. This week's message is "Jesus Values THEM?" In the series, the congregation is looking at the criticisms Jesus faced and how He responded to them so we can better handled criticisms made to us. The church is located at 520 W. Bigelow Ave. Life groups for all ages meet regularly at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays, followed by spirit-filled worship at 10:30. Bible studies for men, women, teens and children are held at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. Those interested can join anytime. Van Buren UM VAN BUREN — Van Buren United Methodist Church, 201 S. Main St., will hold a holiday craft bazaar from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 1. The event will feature a large variety of crafts and baked goods along with a cookie walk where cookies and candy are sold by the pound. Lunch will be available. Selections include chicken and noodles, vegetable soup, sandwiches and pies. Proceeds will help support the Van Buren Feed-A-Child program. Wendy Chappell-Dick and the Anabaptist Singers BLUFFTON — "Grace to You and Peace: Voices of the Dutch Anabaptists" will be presented at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Bluffton University's Yoder Recital Hall. The free concert brings to life the contrasting joyful and perilous times of 16th century Dutch Anabaptists. Wendy Chappell-Dick and the Anabaptist Singers will present a varied program of songs using historical words set to modern melodies. The musical commemorates the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism, celebrated worldwide throughout 2025. Chappell-Dick and 16 other members of the Bluffton community will perform 18 songs adapted for the event. One song, "An Anabaptist Love Story," tells the tale of David Joris and Dirkje Willems, who escaped persecution together and settled in Basel, Switzerland. Another song relates the story of Janneken Verstralen, who lost her husband, and Lijsbeth Dirksdaochter, a teacher who was tortured and killed. There are prayers, praise and worship songs, humor, songs of victory and thanksgiving, instructions and advice for how to be an ethical businessman and a non-violent warrior. The original lyrics came from a collection of early Dutch music. The Anabaptist Singers include Sarah and Benji Bergstrand, Phil Yoder, Darryl Nester, Amber Steiner, Kendra Nickol, Jan Wiebe, Gerald Mast, Todd Rainey, Judy Steiner, Paul and Laurel Neufeld-Weaver, John Jantzen, Steve and Monica Harnish, and Mona Reichenbach. West Independence FOSTORIA — The Rev. Ben Wallick will present the sermon, "God Is In Control," taken from Daniel 12:1-10, on Sunday at West Independence Church. The adult choir will also sing. Junior Church for students in pre-K through fifth grade will take place during worship. Coffee fellowship will follow in the Family Life Center. Sunday school classes are at 10:15 a.m. and available for all ages, nursery through adult. Youth will meet at 5 p.m. in the Loft with Rick and Michele Clark leading. Children ages 3 through fifth grade are invited to a kids' Bible costume party at the church from 5:30-6:45 p.m. Wednesday. Children should come dressed as their favorite Bible character. Pizza, games, crafts, a story and prizes are planned. The worship service is livestreamed on YouTube. West Independence is a Global Methodist Church located east of Findlay at 22876 U.S. 224. Women of Purpose FOSTORIA — Women of Purpose will meet for a conference from 3-5 p.m. Sunday at 125 S. Main St., Fostoria, hosted by Sister Ruth Jobe. Those featured will include Prophetess Jill Tate of Miracle of Life Fellowship in Mount Vernon; Tom Callahan, minister of music, Chapel of Rest, Columbus; Elaine Oswald, Little Faith Ministries, Tiffin; and the Rev. Susan Hatfield of Hedges & Highways Ministries, Fostoria. The public is welcome. Registration is not required and there are no fees.