Centenary United Methodist Church

Centenary United Methodist Church, 245 N. Fourth St., begins a new Sunday morning schedule this weekend.

Participants will gather in the sanctuary for hymn singing at 9 a.m.; Sunday school for all ages begins at 9:15 a.m. All are welcome in the Upper Room for coffee, doughnuts and fellowship at 10:15 a.m. Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary.

Explorer’s Bible Study

Explorer’s Bible Study will begin fall classes Thursday. The study is part of a nationwide program of interdenominational classes with 12 courses covering the entire Bible. This year’s study is the Book of Isaiah.

The class consists of small-group discussion, lecture time and workbooks with questions and notes for home study. The women’s day class meets from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday, and the adult evening class meets from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Thursday. Classes are at Lawrence Wesleyan Church, 3705 Clinton Parkway.

For more information, contact Bill and Martha Curtis at 841-3204.

First Christian Church

The message will be “Take This Job and Love It” to celebrate Labor Day weekend at First Christian Church, 1000 Ky.

Congregation will explore how to be a great worker and the reasons to become one.

Worship services are at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday, with Bible study for all ages at 10 a.m.

First Southern Baptist Church

First Southern Baptist Church, 4300 W. Sixth St., expands to two Sunday morning worship services this weekend. Worship will be at 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m., with Bible study at 10 a.m.

First United Methodist Church

A new certification program titled “Safe and Sacred Spaces — An Abuse Prevention Program” will be offered for volunteers working with children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities.

This program will be offered from 9:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Sept. 11 and from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at First United Methodist Church, 946 Vt.

Please call the church office at 841-7500 to register for this program.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2211 Inverness Drive, will have its KT Karnival at 5 p.m. Sept. 24.

The event will raise funds for the church’s seminarian fund and is named in honor of the church’s present seminarian, Katy Grindberg, who is attending Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif. She is in her third year of seminary and is an intern at Lutheran Church of Honolulu.

Green Pastures Preschool, a Christian-based preschool for ages 3 years through 5 years, is enrolling for the fall semester.

Classes begin Wednesday, with a morning session from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and an afternoon session from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Preschool is located at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

For more information or to get registration materials, call 312-7611 or e-mail to jwgpp@sunflower.com.

The church office is open from 9 a.m. to noon to pick up a registration packet or tour the school.

Immanuel Lutheran Church and University Student Center

Immanuel Lutheran Church and University Student Center, 2104 Bob Billings Parkway (15th and Iowa streets), will have its fourth annual Oompahfest Family Fun Festival from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 11 in South Park at 12th and Massachusetts streets.

Oompahfest offers free admission, children’s games, German music and dancing. Church members will sell authentic German cuisine, including hot potato salad, bratwurst, sauerkraut and homemade desserts, as well as a variety of cold beverages and beer. Two new menu items this year: cherry torte and baked brisket.

Weekly Lutheran Student Fellowship Campus Supper will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Friendship Center. All students are welcome to come for a meal and fellowship.

“New Member Sunday” is planned for Sept. 13. All those who have joined the church since April 2004 will be recognized at both services.

Adult information classes are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Sept. 26 in the Friendship Center. Those who would like to learn more about the Bible, or to review what they have learned or to know more about the Lutheran Church are invited to attend these classes.

To enroll and arrange, please call the church office at 843-0620.

Lawrence Wesleyan Church

Lawrence Wesleyan Church, 3705 Clinton Parkway, has announced new Sunday worship times: an 8:30 a.m. traditional service, 10 a.m. Sunday school for all ages, and an 11 a.m. contemporary service.

Doughnuts, coffee and juice will be offered between services.

For more information, call the church office at 841-5446, or stop by the church.

Lawrence Aglow

Topeka Aglow Lighthouse Israel Team will be the guest speakers of Lawrence Aglow from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 11 at Vermont Towers, 1101 Vt.

Six members of the Topeka group will discuss the trip they took to Israel this summer, walking in the footsteps of many biblical figures.

All are welcome; there is no charge to attend. An offering will be taken. Participants are invited to bring a snack to share.

For more information, contact Vicki Taylor at 842-7591.

Martha and Mary’s Way

Martha and Mary’s Way, a Lawrence-based, interfaith ministry to women, will present “WomenGather: Sacred Words, Sacred Sounds, Sacred Silence” from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 11, Oct. 9 and Nov. 13 at the Walkabout, a private property near Vinland.

All women who participate in Martha and Mary’s Way programming and events are invited to come to share intentionally in inclusive, interfaith community.

Each “WomenGather” will be led by a woman from a different religious tradition. Sept. 11 event will be led by Trish Dowd Kelne, member of the board of directors for Martha and Mary’s Way, teacher and practitioner of Tai Qi (rooted in the Taoist philosophy).

“WomenGather” will provide an opportunity to share and experience prayer, song, poetry and sacred texts from various traditions. There will also be time for silence and walking the meadow labyrinth.

Sheila Sonnenschein will present “Judaism: Women of Faith” from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt. A Kansas University graduate, Sonnenschein is a member of Congregation Beth Sholom in Kansas City, Mo.

Mustard Seed Christian Fellowship

There will be a women’s retreat Sept. 17-18 at Horsecreek Ranch. The cost is $65 per person. The speaker is Sally McClung. To sign up or to get more information, call Mustard Seed Christian Fellowship, 700 Wakarusa Drive, at 841-5685.

Alpha Course begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and will run for 10 weeks. All are invited to come and learn the basics of Christianity. For more information, call Nick at 841-5685.

International potluck lunch at 12:15 p.m. Sunday at the home of Walt and Ann Kihm, 215 Dakota. All international students and scholars are welcome. For more information, call 841-8860.

Plymouth Congregational Church

Communion will be celebrated at the 9:30 a.m. Sunday traditional service and the 11:15 a.m. contemporary service at Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vt. This is a family Sunday, in which children will remain in worship with their families during services. The nursery will be open.

As part of the church’s ongoing sesquicentennial celebration, former pastor Paul Davis will be at Plymouth for a potluck lunch at 1 p.m. Sept. 11. He will also be the guest preacher Sept. 12.

For more information, call the church at 843-3220.

Redeemer Lutheran Church

“Knowing the God We Worship” is the title of this semester’s college Bible class that starts Sept. 12. The class meets in the evening and is open to college students.

Sewing group meets at 1 p.m. Wednesday to continue working of quilts for Lutheran World Relief.

The annual ice-cream social will be at 6 p.m. Sept. 12 at the church.

Adult choir practice begins at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15.

For more information, call the church office at 843-8181.

St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church

Special clips from the movies “Toy Story 2” and “Heaven Can Wait” will accompany the Rev. Darrel Proffitt’s sermons “My Place in the World: I Can See Clearly Now” at the 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday services and “You are God’s Masterpiece: The Church Triumphant” at the 10:45 a.m. Sunday service at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 5700 W. Sixth St.

New members will be welcomed at all Sunday services.

Youth will celebrate with a dinner and water games after the 5:30 p.m. Sunday service.

Spaces are available for a special prayer workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 18.

Divorce Care, a view to beginning a seven-session small group to help support those going through the divorce process, will be from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

For more information, contact the church office at 865-5777.

Trinity Episcopal Church

This weekend is Birthday Sunday at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1011 Vt.

Those who are celebrating a birthday or anniversary during the month of September are invited to bring a cake to church for all to enjoy.

The Rev. Samuel Mason, assistant to the rector, will preach at the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday service.

Trinity adult choir has returned from a brief vacation and will sing for the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service.

The church will be host to the first of four lectures for the Hall Center for the Humanities, starting at 6 p.m. Thursday. Registrations for the lecture, and a free box dinner, may be made by calling Jeannie Wulfkuhle at 864-7826.

Reservations will close Tuesday. Virgil Dean will present the first lecture, titled “Political Characters in Territorial Kansas.”

For more information, call the church office at 843-6166.

Trinity Lutheran Church

Stephen Ministries at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1245 N.H., resumes its semi-monthly continuing education programs Thursday. Session begins at 6:45 p.m. in the church social room.

Stephen Ministry program equips lay people to provide confidential and distinctively Christian one-to-one care for those in need. Those who are interested in learning more, or in training as a Stephen Minister, should contact the Rev. Gary Teske, lead pastor.

Due to the Labor Day weekend, the Faith Inkubator confirmation program will not meet Sunday. The next session is a “learn night” at 5 p.m. Sept. 12 in the youth room.

The church office will be closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

Unitarian Fellowship of Lawrence

There will be an all-fellowship work day from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday at the Unitarian Fellowship of Lawrence, 1263 N. 1100 Road.

A potluck picnic will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

There will be a combined service with Water Communion and in-gathering from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Sept. 12, followed by coffee and fellowship from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Unity Church

People across the world will join together Thursday in a sacred partnership of prayer for the 11th annual World Day of Prayer.

World Day of Prayer is an interfaith event. Its purpose is to unite as many people as possible in prayer for one another.

The following community events will be hosted Thursday by Unity Church of Lawrence, 900 Madeline Lane: 7 a.m.-7 p.m., church will be open for prayer and meditation; 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., energy workers, facilitators of healing and chaplains will be available to offer prayer and personal healing support; 7 p.m- 8 p.m., interfaith prayer ceremony and music service, featuring Kelley Hunt.

Events are free and open to the public.

More information is available by calling 841-1447 or e-mailing info@unityoflawrence.org.

West Side Presbyterian Church

“Shaved Heads Anyone?” will be the Rev. Bill Woodard’s sermon topic for the 11 a.m. Communion worship service Sunday at West Side Presbyterian Church, 1024 Kasold Drive.

Communion is open to everyone. Fellowship time will be at 9:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Refreshments will be served.

Church members will serve the meal Thursday at the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen.

Nursery and children’s church will be available during the Sunday worship service. There will be Sunday school for all ages, with two classes for adults.