Religion Offerings: 3/3

3/3/2018

Holi in Toledo

The Hindu Temple of Toledo celebrates Holi on Sunday with prayer, song, and colorful powder.

Holi is a springtime festival in which Hindus leave behind the winter cold and welcome the coming colors of spring, according to Pandit Anant Dixit. In addition to the colorful revelry with which many are familiar, Holi is also celebrated with bonfires that recollect a good-over-evil account in Hindu texts; demoness Holika failed to burn Prahlad, a staunch devotee to Vishnu.

“The call of Holi is to keep always the blaze of God's love shining in your heart,” Pandit Dixit said.

Temple members gathered for evening prayers and a bonfire on Thursday, when Holi actually fell this year. Sunday continues the celebration with prayer, song and an opportunity to toss colorful powder on each other and on a murti of Krishna. It begins at 11:30 p.m. at the Hindu Temple of Toledo, 4336 King Rd, Sylvania.

Stephen Ministry

Epworth United Methodist Church hosts a Stephen Ministry Introductory Workshop on March 17. The half-day presentation is geared toward congregations looking to engage with Stephen Ministry, a program that is used by more than 12,000 congregations nationwide and that equips non-ordained individuals to provide one-on-one care and comfort.

Admission to the workshop is $15 per person or $50 for a group of four or more people representing the same congregation. It runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church, 4855 Central Ave. To register or fore more information, call 314-428-2600 or go to stephenministry.org/workshop.

Ministries of Mercy

Rep. James Hoops (R., Napoleon) is the guest speaker at the annual meeting of the affiliated agencies of Lutheran Ministries of Mercy on March 12. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a display of services and continues into a banquet at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Perrysburg.

Lutheran Ministries of Mercy includes the Luther Home of Mercy in Williston, Filling Homes in Napoleon and Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio. Tickets are available for $30 through Thursday. For tickets or more information, 419-243-9178 or email toledo@lssnwo.org.

Addiction speaker

Nate Kehlmeier, of Midwest Recovery Center in Maumee, will speak on addiction recovery at St. John’s Church, 1213 Washington St., Genoa, at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Mr. Kehlmeier is a 2000 alumnus of Genoa High School and a member of St. John’s. He struggled with addiction for years, and has been sober since 2008; he has been working in the addiction recovery field since 2009.

His presentation is free. For more information, contact the church at 419-855-3906.

Life Runners relay 

The local chapter of Life Runners is hosting a local relay on March 24, in conjunction with the National A-Cross America Relay.

Runners and walkers of all ages are invited to “remember the unborn” by signing up to complete one of 95 segments of the 202-mile Buckeye Trail. Segments average 2.1 miles, with some as short as a quarter mile or longer than 4 miles. There are two starting points for the relay: Saint Mary's Catholic Church, 46 E. Main St., Wakeman, Ohio, and Saint Patrick's Catholic Church, 500 S. Canal St., Spencerville, Ohio.

An anti-abortion rally will end the day at 8 p.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 104 W. Broadway, Maumee. For more information or to register, email liferunnerstoledo@gmail.com.