religion briefs 3/2

New class begins at Bethel Assembly church

Bethel Assembly of God is beginning a new course on "Making Peace with Your Past." The course will be taught by a professional counselor and lasts for 12 weeks.

It is open to the public.

The course will discuss the dynamics of growing up in a family with emotionally-needy members and offer guidance to understanding problems. The course should help people identify and remove barriers to fellowship with God and create a sense of healing, said the Rev. Stan Hargis.

For information, call the church office at 335-3551.

New sermon series to begin at La Croix

La Croix Church will begin a new sermon series on "Amazing Comebacks" this weekend. Services are at 5:30 p.m. today and at 8:15, 9:30 and 10:50 a.m. Sunday.

The series will talk about grace, joy and hope and how each can discourage detours on life's journey. The Rev. Ron Watts will preach.

Way of Cross Walk to be Good Friday

Area Christians are invited to join in a Way of the Cross walk at noon on Good Friday.

The group will gather at the Themis Street gates along the Mississippi River and walk an approximate two-mile course through downtown. The walk will end on the grounds of the former Old St. Vincent's seminary.

Volunteers from area churches will read Scripture and lead prayers at the 14 stops along the course. There also will be music, either singing along the walk or musicians to greet participants at some of the sites, said the Rev. Bob Towner of Christ Episcopal Church.

The walk, which was held last year as well, was initiated by the Downtown Council of Churches. It is also being supported by the Cape Girardeau Ministerial Alliance.

"We want the broadest possible participation," said Towner. "There is something powerful in all the diverse Christians coming around the cross of Christ on that special day."

Water will be provided during the walk and downtown restaurants are being asked to donate bread for the journey. There will be parking available at the lot across from Hutson's Furniture store.

For information, contact Towner at 335-2997 or e-mail him at episcopal@clas.net.

Muslims begin voter registration drive

WASHINGTON -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations has started a campaign to register more than 100,000 Muslim voters before the November elections.

The effort began on Eid al-Adha, the Islamic Feast of Sacrifice, which comes at the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The holiday this year started Feb. 22. Voter registration drives were planned for Washington, D.C., California, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio.

Since Sept. 11, CAIR and other political groups have encouraged Muslims to express their opinions to policy makers. Muslim political groups gained visibility in the 2000 presidential race by endorsing George W. Bush. But there are no Muslims in Congress, on the Supreme Court or in the highest-ranking positions in the Bush administration.

Assemblies of God deal with Belgium woes

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Assemblies of God hopes to maintain its missionary work in Belgium despite having four church volunteers deported from the country for violating work permit laws.

The denomination said it was unaware until the women were detained that Belgium strictly enforced a 1999 law requiring work permits for missionaries serving outside the pulpit and church ministry.

The American women were volunteering Feb. 7 in a media office and a Christian academy in the town of Sint-Genesius-Rode when police took them into custody, saying they were working illegally on tourist visas. The women were jailed overnight then put on a flight to New York.

The church is now investigating the permit status of the 75 Assemblies of God missionaries still in Belgium.

--From wire, staff reports