Religion Briefs
N.Y. minister's workshop deals with loss and grief
A minister who has led workshops about "Recuperating from Loss and Grief" in New York City since Sept. 11 will speak here next month.The Rev. Jane Brendel of the First Church of Religious Science in New York will be guest speaker March 3 at the 10 a.m. service of the Religious Science Church of Honolulu at the Ala Moana Hotel Ilima Room.
Brendel will present the workshop at 7 p.m. March 6 at 2926 Woodlawn Drive. The fee is $20 per person. For registration information, call 988-6907.
Temple children perform 'Harry Potterstein'
If anyone didn't know that Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrated with a light touch, the title of Monday night's entertainment at Temple Emanu-El would be a clue.Children from the temple school and adult members will perform "Harry Potterstein and the Magic Megillah" at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary at 2550 Pali Hwy. It's free and open to the public.
Temple education director Ken Aronowitz said the script by a New York cantor puts a spin borrowed from the popular Harry Potter stories on the reading of the Book of Esther.
The Purim tradition is to use noisemakers and rude sounds to drown out every reference to the villain in the melodramatic story of court intrigue involving a Persian king and his selection of a Jewish woman as his wife. Esther and her protector prevail over the court official who plotted to kill all Jews.
AIDS is plague of biblical proportions, Graham says
WASHINGTON >> Speaking at a conference of relief workers, Franklin Graham said the AIDS epidemic "is an even bigger threat to civilization as we know it" than terrorism.Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham, spoke at a conference that drew more than 800 Christian workers from around the world who specialize in helping HIV-positive people and AIDS patients.
AIDS is a "plague of biblical proportions," Graham said. It needs "the same level of commitment, zeal, money and resources that we have rightly applied toward combating international terrorism."
Churches should put the problem "at the top of our agendas," he said.
Graham said believers should help remove the disease's social stigma. But he said Christian compassion requires "telling the truth" about the disease "to give people a fighting chance," including educating people about the risks of sex outside marriage.
New Hope training tackles motivation
Motivating church members and congregations to use their talents will be the focus of the "Doing Church as a Team" training conference sponsored next week by New Hope Christian Fellowship.More than 1,000 people are expected at the four-day conference opening Wednesday at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel. Workshops and seminars will cover leadership development, balancing priorities, creativity, shepherding, and discovering one's gifts and how they can be used.
New Hope volunteers will present Ministry Lane, borrowing the Disneyland Main Street concept, with information booths reflecting the church's various opportunities for involvement, from sports and hula to Bible study and feeding the homeless.
The conference title comes from a book of the same name by New Hope Pastor Wayne Cordeiro.
The cost is $95, with discounts available for students and groups. For information, call Lynn Kelly, 842-4242, ext. 413, or see the Web site www.eNewhope.org.
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