Tonight at 7, the Upper School students of Covenant Christian Academy will perform "Godspell," a timeless musical, including the songs "Day by Day," "O Bless the Lord, My Soul" and "Light of the World." The musical features a variety of musical styles from rock to funk to ballad and a playful portrayal of the parables from the Gospel of Matthew. This evening's performance, at Covenant Christian Academy, 83 Pine St., West Peabody, is a Dessert Theater Presentation with Boston Pops-style seating at tables. Tickets cost $15 for all ages. For more information, visit www.covenantchristianacademy.org.
A Passover fundraiser will be held to benefit the Temple Beth Shalom Religious School and will feature homemade chocolate matzo for sale in the lobby, 489 Lowell St., Peabody, during religious school hours on Sunday, April 1, Thursday, April 5, and Sunday, April 8. The cost is $3 for a small bag and $5 for a large bag. For more information, contact Laurie Hymanson at 978-538-5471 or Pamela Book at 781-342-5153.
A community concert set for Tuesday, April 24, at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church, 1 Pineswamp Road, Ipswich, will raise funds for Choi Sungbong, "Korea's Got Talent" finalist. At age 3, Sungbong was abandoned in an orphanage and later escaped at age 5 after being beaten and bullied. He supported himself by selling chewing gums, drinks, baked sweet potatoes and stuffed toys, then as a paper and delivery service boy and with other physical labor jobs. He saw a vocalist singing at a nightclub, and though at the time he was still living on the streets, he aspired to be like the singer. Sungbong passed two GEDs but wanted to drop out of high school because he couldn't afford tuition or rental; the Deajun Child Fund Organization helped him graduate from the Deajun Arts High School. In 2011, Sungbong auditioned for "Korea's Got Talent" and moved audiences with his talent and story. The cost is $20 a ticket. For more information, call 978-335-8852.
The Catholic Financial Life Chapter 72 of Beverly will elect delegates and alternates from the chapter for the society's National Convention set for Sept. 28 through 30 in Milwaukee, Wis. The elections will be held on Wednesday, April 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the home of Joe and Elaine Caron. All members of Catholic Financial Life are invited to attend the meeting. For more information, call Elaine at 978-922-0001.
A Different Christian Voice, a new progressive spiritual community at 189 N. Main St., Middleton, is offering the following hourlong conversation experiences, open to everyone: "Why Did I Survive? Questions From Natural Disasters," Sunday, April 1, 4:30 p.m.; "To Heaven and Back (Is Heaven for Real?)," Friday, April 6, 7:30 p.m.; "Living Online: Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Sunday, April 15, 4:30 p.m.; "Overcoming Worry: Practical Help & Simple Solutions," Sunday, April 22, 4:30 p.m.; and "The Aliens are Coming: What if it's True?" Sunday, April 29, 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.adifferentchristianvoice.org or call 978-973-2466.
A comedy night will be held on Sunday, April 1, at 4 p.m., at Temple Shalom, 287 Lafayette St., Salem, featuring award-winning magician Ed Gardner, Las Vegas comedian John Pizzi, comedian/ventriloquist Bob Carroll and local comic Gordon Ulen. Tickets cost $36 and include an all-you-can-eat deli buffet. There will be a cash wine/beer bar. For tickets, call Temple Shalom at 978-741-4880 or visit www.shalomsalem.org.
A kite festival will follow the 9:30 a.m. Palm Sunday worship service at the Congregational Church of Topsfield on Sunday, April 1. The festival will be held in Proctor Field, behind Town Hall, at 11 a.m. Participants may bring a kite or learn to make a simple kite with Archie Stewart from Kite Education of Chestnut Hill. Kites can be purchased for $5. The event is rain or shine. If rainy, meet in the Emerson Center across the common from the Meetinghouse to make simple kites to fly later, and watch a demonstration of indoor kite flying. The church is at Main Street and Washington Street, Route 97, at the Topsfield Common. The Emerson Center is across the common at 9 E. Common St., Topsfield. For more information, contact Carolyn Nenart at kitefestival@topsfieldchurch.org.
The Christian Women's Connection April brunch will be held Monday, April 9, from 8:45 to 10:30 a.m. at the Danversport Yacht Club, 161 Elliott St. (Route 62), Danvers. A jewelry fashion show will be presented by Naomi Moca of Premier Designs. The speaker will be Angela Ditmar, who once felt "why am I here anyway?" but found direction and meaning for her life. Brunch is $13 inclusive, all women are welcome, and free child care is available to age 5. Reservations and cancellations are required by April 7. For more information, call Jan at 978-303-7873 or Laura at 978-532-2157.
The Women's Council of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary will hold a spring program and luncheon on Thursday, April 12, at 10:30 a.m. at Gordon-Conwell, 130 Essex St., Hamilton. The cost for the program and luncheon is $12. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Erica Giovanniello at 978-646-4027 or EricaG@gcts.edu.
Chabad of Peabody will host its Invest in Futures Raffle Fundraiser on Friday, April 13. Three hundred raffle tickets will be sold for items that include a trip to Israel, diamond pendant necklace, BMW bike, Patriots tickets and a technology package. Ticket proceeds support the Chabad of Peabody and its ongoing programs and activities. Tickets are $100 for one entry, $180 for two, $260 for three, $400 for five, $770 for 10 and $1,800 for 25 entries. To purchase raffle tickets, visit www.JewishPeabody.com/Raffle or mail entries and a check to P.O. Box 2154, Peabody, MA 01960. For more information, call 978-977-9111 or email info@jewishpeabody.com.
This year's Walk for Haiti, which will be dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Ruth Leach Barber, will be held on Good Friday, April 6, starting at 9 a.m. on the track adjacent to the Torigian Life Center on Central Street. Money goes to aid blind, deaf and handicapped children; to provide medical, surgical and educational supplies; and to assist in the rebuilding of homes and institutions devastated by the recent earthquake and floods. Those interested in sponsoring a walker or participating in the walk may contact Gail Bowlds at 978-535-1431 or Karen Smith at 978-618-4992. Checks, payable to Faith and Concern Inc., should be sent to 6 Wildwood Drive, Peabody, MA 01960.
The First Spiritualist Church of Salem will present gallery readings and dinner at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 21, at 34 Warren St., Salem. The event includes popular gallery readings at 6:30 p.m., a 50-50 raffle and dinner. Gallery readings mediums are Patricia Cizewski, Joyce DeFazio, Sirry Berndsen, Jason McCuish and Mark Bettano. Seating is limited to 40, and reservations are required at www.firstspiritualistsalem.org/index.html. The cost is $20 per person. All proceeds will benefit the church's building fund.
The Holy Trinity United Methodist Church, 16 Sylvan St., Danvers, is providing reusable grocery bags with the church's name written on them for anyone who would like to fill one at the grocery store for the Danvers People to People Food Pantry. Bags can be returned to the church any Sunday of the month, and a new one obtained. For more information, call the church office at 978-777-7408.
The Temple Beth Shalom Jewish Food Pantry needs supplies and food. Items can be dropped off in the temple foyer at 489 Lowell St., Peabody. The pantry needs paper towels, toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, shampoo, kosher soups, crackers, tomato sauce, jelly, beans, tuna, pasta, juice and nonperishable milk. For more information, call 978-535-2100.
Each month, Catholic Charities North receives more requests for food assistance than can be provided with the funding available. Providing this type of assistance has grown more difficult in recent years as the demand for food assistance has risen. To help provide food to a local family who needs it, anyone may donate a gift card from a local grocery store at Catholic Charities sites at 280 Washington St., Salem, 978-740-6923, and the Family Counseling and Guidance Center, 152 Sylvan St., Danvers, on the second floor, 978-774-6820. More site locations can be found at www.ccab.org/north.
First Parish Church in Beverly, Unitarian Universalist, serves a meal to the needy at 6 p.m. every Tuesday at the church, 225 Cabot St., Beverly. For more information or to volunteer, email Ron Sweet at rtsweet@comcast.net.
Maple Street Church at 90 Maple St. in Danvers holds a food drive collection for the Danvers food pantry on the second Sunday of each month. Members are encouraged to bring juice boxes, pasta, canned soups and vegetables, and other items and leave them in the narthex or the shopping cart in the Social Hall. For more information, call Priscilla Curda at 978-777-0793 or email phcurda@verizon.net.
