SalemNews.com, Salem, MA

Christmas wreaths can be ordered from the First Parish Church in Beverly, Unitarian Universalist, by e-mailing Ray Barnes at rbarnes@baystate.edu or calling 978-356-4976. Twelve- and 14-inch wreaths are available, plain or with red bows, for between $9 and $12. Orders will be taken through Nov. 29. Proceeds will benefit the church.

The North Shore Hebrew School is raising funds by collecting empty inkjet and laser cartridges, old cell phones, laptops (with power cords), PDAs and video games. "Cartridges for Kids" will reimburse the school for each item that is brought in to the Temple Shalom office, 287 Lafayette St., Salem. Call 978-741-4880.

Temple Emanu-El will explore the use of music in Jewish worship on Friday, Jan. 4, at 6 p.m., with a visit from Lynn Torgove, Contemporary Cantorial Rabbi, and Meyer and Rabbi Kassoff. The temple is located at 393 Atlantic Ave. in Marblehead.

Grace Church Episcopal Spanish classes for beginners are Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m. and for intermediate students on Monday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. A fee of $10 per session can be paid in class. For more information, call the church office at 978-774-2796.



The free Rekindle Shabbat makes it easy to bring the Jewish traditions of Shabbat into the home and help maintain Jewish traditions among the young. Rekindle Shabbat provides free kosher chicken dinners with challah, grape juice and dessert, and free Shabbat kit containing ritual items and "The Family Guide to Preparing for and Celebrating the Sabbath" by Dr. Ron Wolfson.

There are three ways to participate in Rekindle Shabbat: Join with a buddy family; Rekindle Shabbat can match someone with a buddy family; first-time families can participate with just their own family.

Rekindle Shabbat, a $200 value per family, is free for Jewish, interfaith and single-parent families with children of high school age and younger enrolled in a Jewish institution or living in the Lappin Foundation's service area. It is also free for grandparents living in the service area who are raising grandchildren Jewish. Others may participate at a cost of $36 per person. To register or for more information, call Andrea Katz, program manager, at 978-740-4404, e-mail akatz@rilcf.org or visit www.rilcf.org and click "programs for families" and then "Rekindle Shabbat."

Temple Beth Shalom, 489 Lowell St., Peabody, offers preschool, religious school, bar and bat mitzvah instruction, and confirmation classes. It also offers Brotherhood, Sisterhood, The Chai Club and youth groups. Its Social Action and Adult Education programs are an integral component of the Temple. Call the Temple office at 978-535-2100 for more information or visit the Web site at www.templebethshalom.org.

The Jewish Federation of the North Shore will offer the new Limudim curriculum. Limudim means "lessons" in Hebrew, and participants will discuss themes relating to leadership, community and philanthropy, with connections made between activism and Jewish values. The course, which will be taught by Elisha Russ-Fishbane, a doctoral candidate at Harvard, will be offered one Monday night a month from 7 to 9 p.m. beginning January 2008. There is no fee. For additional information on the Limudim program, contact Susan Feinstein at 978-564-0727 or sfeinstein@jfns.org.

The Center for Spirituality at the First Church in Salem, Unitarian, is holding the following group meetings:

* Mothers' Spirituality: Wednesdays, 9:45 to 11:15 a.m., and Monday evenings, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Drop-ins welcome.

* Living with Loss: Third Sunday of each month, 6:30 to 8 p.m., drop-ins welcome.

* Prayer Group: Wednesdays, 2:30 to 4 p.m., for those who do and those who can't quite imagine it.

* Bible Study for Liberals: Tuesdays, 8:45 to 10:15 a.m., the Bible as literature, with the Rev. Susan.

The church is located at 316 Essex St. and can be reached at 978-744-1551 or firstchurch@nii.net. Further information on these groups is available at http://centerforspirituality.wordpress.com/.

The Jewish Community Center of the North Shore is offering rooms ranging from intimate meeting rooms to larger spaces. Learn more or book your event today by contacting Sandra Ruscio at 781-631-8330, ext. 411.

St. Adelaide Parish brings Holy Communion to those who are ill or housebound. Anyone in this position, or who knows of anyone in this position, can call the rectory office at 978-535-1985.

Baptism Classes are hosted by the First Baptist Church in Beverly, 221 Cabot St., for young people in grade eight and up on Mondays at 5:15 p.m. Topics covered include meaning of baptism, being a disciple of Christ, introduction to the American Baptist Churches and membership in First Baptist Church. The classes help young people decide about baptism and church involvement. Call 978-922-3295.

Dinner is served every Sunday at 6 p.m. at St. Peter Episcopal Church, 4 Ocean St., Beverly, for those in need. For more information, to volunteer or to make a donation, call Dena Lisle at 978-922-3291.

Sermon Conversations are held Sunday evenings at First Parish Church in Beverly, Unitarian Universalist, 225 Cabot St., to discuss the morning's sermon topic. Locations are announced following Sunday worship. For more information, call Eric Hacker at 978-921-5278.

First Parish Church in Beverly, Unitarian Universalist, 225 Cabot St., provides a meal to the needy at the Baptist Church in Beverly on the second Monday of every month. Members who would like to participate can contact Fran Gerrior at fmarie@comcast.net or 978-922-4854 or Beth McAvoy at elizabethmcavoy@comcast.net or 978-927-4881.

Inquiry Classes are offered by the First Baptist Church in Beverly, 221 Cabot St., on Sundays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the homes of members of the Worship and Spiritual Life Team. The classes are for those interested in learning more about the church and its ministries. For more information, call 978-922-3295.

Chabad Hebrew Schools of the North Shore, with locations in Swampscott, Peabody and Beverly, includes, among others, the "Aleph Champ" program of teaching Hebrew, modeled on the martial arts. For more information or to register, call 781-581-3833, e-mail layahlipsker@gmail.com or visit www.nsjewish.com.

Catholic Charities North is seeking volunteers to assist in their English as a Second Language program. Classes are held on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Teaching and experience helpful but not necessary. Training and supervision are provided. Call Jean Gougen at 781-593-2312 for more information.

All-you-can-eat dinners are held every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. for $4 at the First Congregational Church in Boxford. Dinner is followed by classes, prayer and "Hour of Power" for youth. The church also offers the "Friday Night Hang" for young people in middle school and high school every Friday from 7:30 to 10:45 p.m.



The Clifton Lutheran Church, in partnership with Got Books, announces a new donation and reuse drop-off location where town residents can donate books, videos, CDs and DVDs. Money raised from the purple container with yellow signs at the church, at 105 Humphrey St. in Marblehead, will be used for various community charities, including youth scholarships for summer camps. The drop-off site is open to everyone, at any time.

Shoebox Ministry at First Baptist Church in Beverly will collect donations of essential items - soap, shampoo, hairbrushes, toothpaste, toothbrushes - that a homeless person, forced to carry his or her belongings, would need. Individual items or filled boxes will be accepted, as well as empty shoeboxes and wrapping paper, until Dec. 2 at 221 Cabot St. in Beverly. Call Cindy Antonuk at 978-927-4434 for more information.

Prayers Reaching Addicted Youth (PRAY) is an intercessory prayer group that prays for the healing of the drug-addicted youths of the North Shore. All are welcome. Meetings are the last Monday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 8 North St., Salem. For more information, call Kathy at 781-760-0163.

The First Baptist Church in Beverly is looking for members of the church who have reached 80. Let them know by calling the church office or speaking to one of the ministers. Sign up in the Narthex before and after worship or call the church office at 978-922-3295.

Healing Rooms, free and open to all who need physical, spiritual and/or emotional healing, are available every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at East Gate Christian Fellowship, Museum Place Mall, 9 Church St., Salem. For more information, call 978-741-2728 or visit www.kingdomlifemin.com.

The Women's Society at Maple Street Church in Danvers, 90 Maple St., has scheduled gatherings this fall for the following Thursdays: Dec. 7, March 6, April 3 and May 1. Call the church office at 978-774-4510 or Martha Wroblewski at 978-774-3415 for information about the programs.

The North Shore Hebrew School's first Cash Raffle will be drawn on or about Dec. 2, with three prizes awarded. The school teaches students from Temple Shalom, Congregation Ahabat Sholom and Temple Sinai, as well as from unaffiliated families. Tickets are $50. Make checks payable to North Shore Hebrew School, 287 Lafayette St., Salem, 01970.

Our Lady of Hope Parish Alpha Course will be held Tuesdays for 10 weeks until the end of December, with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and a video at 7 p.m., at 1 Pineswamp Road, Ipswich. For more information, call Nancy Salah at 978-356-2522. Alpha is for anyone seeking a better or deeper understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

Artists who would like to display their work for a month at the First Parish Church in Beverly, Unitarian Universalist, 225 Cabot St., should contact Paula Stephens in the church office at 978-922-3968.

The First Parish Church in Beverly, Unitarian Universalist, is sponsoring a course on "Spiritual Parenting," an informal group for parents and their children one Saturday a month from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Parents gather in the minister's study from 5 to 6 p.m. for discussion, while children play with sitters downstairs, followed by a potluck dinner. For more information, contact Sarah Shamel at sishamel@alumni.princeton.edu or 978-969-1913.