CHURCH NEWS

NISSWA - The Minnesota Teen Challenge Choir will perform at the 9 and 10:15 a.m. services Sunday at Christ Community Church in Nisswa. For more information, call 963-2626.

Bluegrass concert planned

CROSSLAKE - The monthly bluegrass concert will be 6 p.m. Sunday at Crosslake Christian Assembly of God Church. Banjo, mandolin, violin, guitars and more will be featured, performing a variety of hymns and gospel tunes. For more information, call Pastor Gary Espeseth at 821-7777.

No adult enrichment forum at FLC

There will be no adult enrichment forum at First Lutheran Church in Brainerd on Sunday. Instead, there will be fellowship and coffee in Koinonia. Adult enrichment will resume on March 29 with a discussion of poverty in Crow Wing County. Tami Lueck, executive director of Bridges of Hope, will be guest speaker.

Lenten services at FLC

Midweek Lenten services at First Lutheran Church in Brainerd continue on Wednesday with the theme, "The Cross, Our Home: Our Wonder" at 4:30 and 7 p.m. with a soup supper from 5-6:45 p.m. First Lutheran is at 424 S. Eighth St., Brainerd.

Kids Against Hunger meal packaging planned

The Brainerd lakes area has long maintained strong ties with the Outreach Africa organization. Several area residents have participated in medical missions to Tanzania and have seen firsthand the hunger and poverty that plague many parts of the world.

Kids Against Hunger reports that 40,000 children die every day from malnutrition, starvation and hunger-related diseases.

There will be a community-wide Kids Against Hunger meal packaging event in 90-minute shifts from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 2 at the Brainerd National Guard Armory.

Those interested can come and assemble meal packets. Each packet contains six nutritionally balanced meals made up of rice, fortified soy protein, vegetables and essential vitamins and minerals and costs only 25 cents per serving (23 cents for ingredients and 2 cents for shipping).

Recruit team leaders who would be willing to form 10-person teams. Teams can be made up of adults and older children (children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult). Each team member must raise $25 - that will fund 100 meals. If you don't have a complete team but would like to participate, sign up as an individual and a team will be found for you. On May 2, work a 90-minute shift helping to package the Kids Against Hunger meals and if you can't work at the packaging event, consider donating $25 to fund another worker.

To obtain registration forms or to book an Outreach Africa Kids Against Hunger speaker, call or e-mail Sue Hadland at 829-2381 or dghrose@charter.net.

Maattala to be forum presenter

NISSWA - John Maattala, Crow Wing County solid waste officer, will be the forum presenter on "Exercise Your Right to Recycle" at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa.

God spa planned

NISSWA - There will be a God spa from 6:30-9:15 p.m. March 27 at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa. It's an evening to relax, refresh and renew, build relationships and nourish the soul. For more information or to register, call 963-7660.

Holy Cross Church of Harding fish fry

PIERZ - The Holy Cross Church of Harding will have its fish fry from 4-8 p.m. Friday at the Brickyard Bar on Main Street in Pierz. Cost for adults is $8; children under 12 are $4; and children under 6 are free.

Trinity Lutheran to host Lenten festival

Trinity Lutheran Church, 1420 S. Sixth St., Brainerd, will have a Lenten festival from 9-10:30 a.m. Sunday in the fellowship hall.

The intergenerational event will provide a better understanding of Lent through a number of art and craft projects along with games. Sunday school and adult education classes will not meet so everyone can participate in the festival.

Regular church services will be at 8:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. with Pastor David P. Holte preaching.

For additional information, call 829-5147.

Lenten services at Trinity

Lenten services will continue at Trinity Lutheran Church of Brainerd at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Pastor David P. Holte will be speaking on "Shadow of Sorrow." A soup supper will be served by the eighth-grade boys' confirmation class beginning at 5:15 p.m. in the fellowship hall.

Holy Eucharist and healing service planned

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 408 N. Seventh St., Brainerd, celebrates the Holy Eucharist every Sunday at 10 a.m., preceded by lectionary study at 9 a.m. A Holy Eucharist and healing service is offered on Wednesdays at noon with Bible study (Gospel of Mark) at 11 a.m. During Lent we gather from 5:30-7 p.m. for soup, salad and bread followed by contemplative prayer.

Adult forum to feature Boran

Photographer Dave Boran will be presenting the adult forum at 11:15 a.m. Sunday at First Congregational Church in Brainerd.

Boran's work has been seen in the annual Picturing exhibits and around Brainerd Medical Center. He credits his participation in the Focal Point photography club with lighting a torch to his passion to see and make great images.