Conference to focus on prayer
BLOOMINGTON — Global Day of Prayer, Prayer Transformation Ministries and Prayer First are partnering together for The Praying Church Conference, to be held Oct. 15 – 16 at Bloomington Baptist Church.

Speakers for the conference include David Bryant, a leader in the worldwide prayer movement; Bob Bakke, the North America director for the Global Day of Prayer; and Jerry Sheveland, president of Converge Worldwide.

Organizers believe the conference will “help ignite a passion for prayer in pastors, leaders, faithful prayer champions and anyone who desires to grow in prayer.”

For more information on the conference, including registration information, e-mail prayerfirstcww@aol.com. 


Conference to help churches build intergenerational ministries
ARDEN HILLS — The one-day conference Generation Junction: Where Youth and Family Ministry Meets Senior Ministry will be held Thursday, Sept. 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at North Heights Lutheran Church in Arden Hills. The event aims to equip churches in their ministries through an intergenerational approach.

Clergy, support staff, lay ministers and others interested in multi-generational ministry are encouraged to attend the event, which will include breakout sessions on working through conflicts, linking generations through technology and leaving a legacy of faith.

Keynote presenters include Dr. Janet Ramsey and Dr. Terri Elton from Luther Seminary in St. Paul.

The $35.00 per person registration cost includes lunch and materials; reservations are required by Sept. 20.

For more information on the event, including registration, visit www.lyngblomsten.org or call (651) 632-5322.


Church to hold Alpha classes
BLOOMINGTON — Bloomington’s Cedar Valley Church will begin its fall session of the popular Alpha Course, which is a practical introduction to Christianity, on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 6:00 p.m. The evening, according to church officials, will start with a dinner followed by the talk, “Christianity: Boring, Untrue and Irrelevant?”

Dinner will be served at each of the Alpha meetings, and the church will provide free childcare services. The courses are open to the public.

To reserve a spot, contact the Alphaline at (952) 883-1533 or e-mail tomt@cvchurch.org.


Mankato Minnesota Teen Challenge Gala to be held in September
MANKATO — The second annual Mankato Minnesota Teen Challenge Gala will be held Thursday, Sept. 30 at the Verizon Wireless Center, One Civic Center Plaza in Mankato. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will raise awareness concerning substance abuse issues and also help support the work of Teen Challenge.

Jake Sommers from 98.5 KTIS will serve as emcee for the event, which will also include a message from Rich Scherber, executive director of the group, the Minnesota Teen Challenge Choir and other speakers from around the state.

Melissa Varriano, the group’s event coordinator, said via a press release: “Our program is one of the largest drug and alcohol programs in the state. It is distinct from many other recovery programs in the length of its recovery services, its faith-based content and focus on aftercare. But don’t take my word for it; the residents of this program are the ones who can best explain how their lives have been transformed.”

Minnesota Teen Challenge has been offering treatment for more than 25 years. Currently, they house some 425 residents in eight facilities including Minneapolis, Duluth and Brainerd.

For more information on the Gala, visit www.mntc.org/events or call (612) 238-6184.


Group to host fall kick-off
MINNETONKA — The Single Parent Christian Fellowship will hold its monthly social fall kick-off on Friday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Faith Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka.

The event will include a light supper and special music.

In addition, the group also sponsors a volleyball league that takes place on the first, second, fourth and fifth Fridays of each month at Courage Center in Golden Valley from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. On the third Friday of each month, the volleyball group meets at Faith Presbyterian Church at 8:30 p.m.

For more information on both of these events, call (612) 866-8970.


Faith Community Nurse workshop to be held in October
MINNEAPOLIS — The next Faith Community Nurse workshop will be held Saturday, Oct. 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at First Free Church in Minneapolis. The title of the workshop is “Equipping the Church to Give Hope to the Hurting” and is “designed for nurses and others in our churches who will discover spiritual, physical, social and emotional tools to help them reach out with hope,” according to organizers.

The presenters are a Faith Community nurse and her husband, who is a medical doctor. They have experience internationally and locally serving underserved populations.

For more information or to register, contact Mary Van Der Werf at mvanderw@elimcare.org or at (952) 259-4461.


Conference hopes to help people ‘master life’
EDEN PRAIRIE — Grace Church, in Eden Prairie, will host The Master’s Plan for Mastering Life, Exchanged Life Conference on Oct. 1 and 2. The event will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Oct. 1 and 9:00 a.m. on Oct. 2.

Organizers say the conference is a “life-changing learning opportunity for men and women.” Dr. John Woodward, executive director of Grace Fellowship International will be a special guest.

The conference costs $35.00 for individuals and $50.00 for couples. Registration cost includes a notebook and lunch.

For more information or to register, visit www.atgrace.com/events or e-mail sraia@atgrace.com.


Church to host ‘Arts Break’
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS — Starting Oct. 10, St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Columbia Heights will host the Sunday Arts Break series. The series will feature Delores Douglas and friends who will display their paintings.

The series is free of charge and will run from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 10.

The Oct. 10 event is the beginning of the year-long Sunday Arts Break series at the church.

For more information, call (763) 571-9721 or e-mail danklloyd@qwest.net.


Christian camp to offer corn maze, slingshot paintball
BRICELYN — Prairie River Camp will offer a corn maze, pumpkin patch and slingshot paintball on weekends from Sept. 18 through Oct. 31.

The Youth for Christ-associated camp aims to reach “young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ and commitment to social involvement,” according to a statement on their website.

For more information on the camp and its weekend activities this fall, visit www.prairierivercamp.org or call (507) 327-7047.


Residential treatment programs announce merger
MINNEAPOLIS — Midwest Challenges, Inc. (MWC) recently announced a merger with Life Rebuilders, Inc. MWC, which was formed in 1972, provides alcohol and chemical-free residential programs for adult men who are attempting to transition back into society after incarceration or chemical dependency issues.

Life Builders, Inc., which was founded in 2006 by Joe Miller, offered two program houses where individuals could learn to become independent and attain employment skills.

“Life Builders is a great addition to our current programming at Midwest Challenge,” said Gary Parker, president of the group, via a press release, “because it provides men with a supportive environment during their first few months adjusting to full-time employment after chemical dependency treatment or incarceration.”

For more information on Midwest Challenge and the merger, visit www.mwcmn.org or e-mail gary.parker@mwcmn.org.


Conference hopes to motivate students to make a difference
ROSEVILLE — The Wilberforce Academy will sponsor the World View for World Healing conference on Oct. 8 and 9 at Grace Church in Roseville. The Academy seeks to train students to become redemptive change agents at home.

Dr. Robert Osburn, executive director of the Academy, said via press release: “Every student has a unique vocational calling on his or her life. Pairing that calling with a Christian worldview and fostering real change in society is what it means to be a redemptive change agent.”

Speakers at the conference include Eric Metaxas, Dr. Carol Lee Hamrin and Darrow Miller.

For more information on the conference and to register, visit www.2010wv.org.


Organization sponsoring several ministry-enhancing events
SAINT PAUL — Youth Leadership will offer several ministry training events this fall. On Thursday, Oct. 7, the organization is offering a class, led by Tiger McLuen, for those in their first two years of ministry work. The event, titled “Getting Started,” will help new leaders build successful ministries for the long term.

From Oct. 11 – Oct. 13, the organization will sponsor “Counsel: Sharpening Your Care-giving Skills,” which will help those in attendance improve their care and counseling skills.

In addition, Youth Leadership is offering several additional programs dealing with communication, youth ministry and other topics.

For more information on these and other programs, visit www.youthleadership.org.


Women’s conferences coming to Apple Valley and Alexandria
APPLE VALLEY — The 2010 Sparkle Women’s Conference: Love Revolution will be held Friday, Sept. 24 and Saturday, Sept. 25 at River Valley Church in Apple Valley. The speaker for the event will be Priscilla Shirer of Going Beyond Ministries in Texas. The conference is associated with the ministry of Bridging the Gap, whose mission is “To encourage, equip and empower every woman on her faith journey with Jesus Christ,” according to the group’s website.

The event will also include a breakout session for high school girls.

Registration is $69.00 for adults and $39.00 for students.

For more information and to register, call (952) 997-2222 or e-mail women@rivervalley.org.

 Bridging the Gap is also sponsoring the Spa for the Soul Women’s Retreat on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 at the Lake Geneva Christian Center in Alexandria. Featured speakers include Kathy Troccoli and Ellie Lofaro.

For more information on the retreat, visit www.mnbtg.org/retreat or call (612) 332-2400.


Church to offer marriage course for couples at all stages in life
MINNETONKA — The Rev. Dr. Chris Carlson will give a marriage course this fall for couples at all stages of their relationship. The course consists of seven sessions with a party at the end.

Each session begins with a candlelit meal for two, where couples can talk privately about any issues of concern. The course does not include group discussions.

The cost for the class is $60.00 per couple, and the class runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings from Sept. 26 to Nov. 14. Free childcare is provided.

For more information or to register, call Joyce at (952) 935-4481 ext. 24 or e-mail joyce@faithpress.org.


Pam Tebow to speak at pro-life banquet
BROOKLYN CENTER — Pam Tebow, the mother of NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, will speak at the Pro-Life Action Ministries Annual Fundraising Banquet on Monday, Oct. 4. The event will take place at the Earle Brown Center in Brooklyn Center and will begin at 6:00 p.m.

For more information on the banquet and to purchase tickets, call Jim at (651) 771-1500 ext. 207 or e-mail james.hentges@plam.org.


Evangelistic event aimed at reaching youth and gang members
LAKEVILLE and OWATONNA — Radio Bendición 107.5 FM is sponsoring, along with more than 100 churches, a three-day, bi-lingual, evangelistic outreach aimed at unsaved youth, particularly gang members, according to organizers. The event will feature Hector “El Father” Delgado, the Puerto Rican father of reggaeton music.

Edwin Adorno, assistant to the station director, said via a press release: “The goal of this event is to draw the Body of Christ together to present the Gospel to the lost through relevant music, prayer and word by compelling local and national speakers and musical artists from various ethnic backgrounds. We are particularly targeting at-risk youth and gang members.”

The event, which takes place Oct. 8 - 10, will be held in three separate locations: Friday at 6:00 p.m. at Hosanna! Lutheran Church in Lakeville; Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Celebration Church in Lakeville; and Sunday at 5:00 p.m. at Christian Family Church in Owatonna.

For more information on the event, call (612) 229-2179.


Church to host community-wide Bible study
ELK RIVER — Central Lutheran Church, in Elk River, will host a community-wide Bible study beginning Sept. 16. Light Designed Studies will help Christians defend their faith by using the Bible’s own apologetic.

The 10-session study will take place on Thursdays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and registration is $60.00 per person, including materials.

For more information and to register, e-mail ddemmer@hotmail.com.


Organization to celebrate 10 years of ultrasound ministry
MINNEAPOLIS — New Life Family Services will host its 37^th Annual Fundraising Banquet and Silent Auction on Friday, Oct. 29. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis.

The event, which will celebrate 10 years of ultrasound ministry, is free and open to the public.

For more information or to register, visit www.nlfs.org or call (612) 866-7643 ext. 141.


Single parent organization to hold monthly social
MINNETONKA — The Single Parent Christian Fellowship will hold its monthly social on Friday, Oct. 15 at 7:00 p.m. at Faith Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka. The October social will also include a special guest speaker.

For more information on the social, call (612) 866-8970.


Church to host concert and outreach update
EDEN PRAIRIE — Prairie Hill Evangelical Free Church, in Eden Prairie, will host a free concert by Tim and Myles Thompson. Tim is recognized as one of the best fingerstyle guitarists in the world, and his son, Myles, will join him on Friday, Sept. 10 at 7:00 p.m.

In addition to the free concert, those in attendance will hear an update on a mission outreach in Romania.

For more information on the event, call (952) 846-8833 or (612) 597-9848.


Bible study offered for those healing from abuse
SPRING LAKE PARK — Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 7 and running for 12 weeks, Emmanuel Christian Center will host the Bible study series Hiding – Hurting – Healing. Organizers describe it as a biblical interactive women’s study for healing for those who have suffered through abuse and/or painful relationships.

The study begins at 6:30 p.m., and childcare is provided.

For more information, contact Dixie at (763) 781-5064 or visit www.hidinghurtinghealing.com.