Interfaith Council to sponsor discussion on Episcopal faith

The Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond will sponsor a discussion about the Episcopal faith on April 24, 6:30 p.m., at Ukrop's Community Room, 2250 John Rolfe Parkway.

A group of Episcopal panelists will present a program explaining the tenets of the faith and why it is important to them. A café-style question-and-answer period will follow.

On April 27, the Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, 4819 Monument Ave., will offer a 10:30 a.m. worship service as part of the presentation.

The discussion is part of a series, "Discovering Many Faiths: Richmond's Hidden Treasure." For more information, call Lynn Johnston at 282-6512 or visit www.icgr.org.

30 Virginians set to attend Methodist Church convention

Thirty Virginians will be among 992 delegates to the United Methodist Church's General Conference meeting April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Delegates will write church law and establish budgets and policies for the denomination. The General Conference, the church's top lawmaking body, meets every four years.

The Virginia delegation is the largest U.S. delegation to the conference.

Delegates will consider 1,564 pieces of proposed legislation during the session. Resolutions will include proposals to: develop Christian leaders for the church and world, start new churches that will appeal to new generations; engage in ministry with the poor; publish a new hymnal; and set a denominational budget of nearly $642 million for the 2009-2012 period. Delegates will also deal with legislation regarding the church's stand on homosexuality, abortion, immigration, the war in Iraq, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and health care. For more information, visit gc2008.umc.org.

Baptist church to offer food, shelter to 32 homeless males

The Pilgrim Journey Baptist Church, 7204 Bethlehem Road in Richmond, will sponsor shelter and food for 32 homeless males May 10-17.

The church mission project is in conjunction with Congregations Around Richmond Involved To Assure Shelter (CARITAS). Pilgrim Journey Baptist is asking organizations, stores, restaurants and other businesses to donate food, clothing or money to help with the project. For more information, call Willnette Lightfoot at (804) 519-9019 or etaxi7@hotmail.com, by May 1.

Local faith-based program celebrates 25 years with gala

Strategies to Elevate People (STEP), a faith-based nonprofit organization that assists Richmond-area residents with employment and educational needs, is celebrating its 25th anniversary next week with a gala and silent auction.

The event, which is open to the public, will take place on Thursday, April 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Third Presbyterian Church at 600 Forest Ave. Tickets are $10. Among STEP's programs are summer enrichment for youth, a GI Jesus Boot Camp, weekly fellowship for mothers, a fall family festival, back-to-school supply drives and a Christmas store. To reply or to request additional information, send an email to info@steprichmond.org or call (804) 648-7552.

New Web site to focus on issues related to Earth Day

Through a grant from The Regeneration Project, Virginia Interfaith Power and Light has launched a new Web site dedicated to collecting and sharing resources for congregational leaders on issues related to faith and the environment, and specifically to Earth Day.

Earth Day is the annual celebration of God's Earth each year on April 22. The Web site, www.earthsermons.org, is dedicated to collecting and making Earth Day resources and sermons available for congregations and faith leaders.

Metro Richmond at Prayer prays for church institutions

Several hundred Christian churches are praying weekly for the health of the Richmond metropolitan area. Metro Richmond at Prayer is a yearlong project for churches to commit to prayer on a particular topic each week.

Here is the prayer for next week: "We pray for the churches and religious institutions of metropolitan Richmond: Seminaries, religious communities, ministries, and para-church organizations." For more information, look up: www.metrorichmondatprayer.org.