RELIGION

Offerings: 6th campus in works for CedarCreek Church

Hindu Temple of Toledo ready to host Festival of India

8/5/2017
BY NICKI GORNY
BLADE STAFF WRITER
  • Bryan-Popin-8-5

    Christian artist Bryan Popin will perform at Cornerstone Church.

    • CedarCreek’s new facility

    A sixth campus is in the works for the nondenominational CedarCreek Church.

    The church expects to begin renovations on a facility in Oregon, 3540 Seaman Rd., in the fall. It purchased the property from New Harvest Christian Church, which is pursuing a new location on Navarre Avenue. The new CedarCreek campus is expected to open next year with Luke Shortridge as its campus pastor.

    Mr. Shortridge serves as a campus pastor for CedarCreek in Whitehouse. He is an Oregon resident and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Toledo and a master of divinity from Winebrenner Theological Seminary in Findlay.

    “We care about northwest Ohio/southeast Michigan and we have been praying for an opportunity to plant a new campus in the Oregon community for the past few years,” CedarCreek Lead Pastor Ben Snyder said in a statement. “It is our hope that the people of Oregon would know how much they matter to God and how much they matter to both of our respective faith communities.”

    CedarCreek holds five identical services each weekend at five locations in northwest Ohio: Findlay, Perrysburg, South Toledo, West Toledo, and Whitehouse. Its services are also streamed live online at CedarCreek.tv.

    Festival of India

    The Hindu Temple of Toledo will host Festival of India, its annual celebration of Indian culture, at Centennial Terrace on Sunday between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Organizers expect between 5,000 and 6,000 people to enjoy the food, music, and dance that are highlights of the event.

    This year marks the 28th year for the annual festival, which the temple has been putting on since it was founded in Sylvania in 1989. Organizers moved it from the temple grounds to Centennial Terrace in 2014, as a means of making it more accessible to the wider community.

    Admission and parking are free. Centennial Terrace is at 5773 Centennial Rd., Sylvania. For more information, go to facebook.com/FestivalofIndia2017.

    Islamic Center lecture

    The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo will present a lecture, “Why are the Muslims a Besieged Minority in the United States?” at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. The lecture and conversation that follows will explore ways to counter Islamophobia in the United States. S. Amjad Hussain, who writes a regular column for The Blade, will discuss the rise of Islamophobia and why “Islam is a peaceful religion” has not been an effective refrain.

    The lecture is free. The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo is at 25877 Scheider Rd., Perrysburg.

    Christian artist in Maumee

    Bryan Popin, a Christian artist whose sophomore album, I Got Out, recently hit No. 1 on the charts for top Gospel album, will share his music at Cornerstone Church on Sunday. He will be featured at the 10 a.m. service at the Maumee campus, 1520 Reynolds Rd.

    Mr. Popin of New Jersey has performed at the nondenominational church in the past. All are welcome.

    Contact Nicki Gorny at ngorny@theblade.com or 419-724-6133.