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Here are a selection of brief news items pertaining to area church activities:

Event covers Bible’s ‘subversive’ books

A workshop next week called “Subversive Books of the Bible for Subversive People of Faith” will focus on resources for dissent and resistance found in the five biblical books which function as “Festival Scrolls” in Judaism: Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and Esther.

Although not always considered subversive, each of these short books raises radical questions about such matters as religious and ethnic identity, gender, marriage, sexuality, suffering, divine activity and retribution and the legitimate role of doubt and skepticism in the life of faith.

Such topics are not only controversial in our modern times. They seem to have been controversial already when the Bible was being written. Thus, Christians who explore these books together will not only learn more about their biblical traditions, they may also find in these books unexpected support and inspiration for dissent and resistance along their own journeys of faith.

Dr. Ken Stone, professor of Bible, Culture and Hermeneutics at Chicago Theological Seminary, will lead the workshop, which will be held at First Congregational Church in La Crosse. He is the author of two books and numerous articles on Biblical interpretation.

Participants can register online at www.wichurches.org (click “events”) or by calling (608) 837-3108. Cost is $65.

St. Elizabeth selling stock in its youths

On the weekend of May 3-4, and running for several weeks, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Holmen will be selling stock in the church’s youths.

The youth stock sale is a way of raising funds to promote our youth activities, substituting for traditional fundraisers where youths sell candy, pizza and other items and receive only a portion of the sale.

All contributions go to support youth activities. The people of the parish along with area businesses can purchase stocks for $25 per share. Anyone purchasing $50 or more will be invited to a stockholders meeting this fall. The youths will serve a dinner and make an account to the stockholders of their investments.

The church youth group has many things already scheduled for this coming year, including adventure camp, the Steubenville conference, canoeing the Black River, middle school Bible camp and more.

People can sign up for stock in the St. Elizabeth gathering place or contact Patrick Brueggen, youth minister at 526-4424 or seasyouth@charter.net.

St. Patrick’s youth group plans events

The youth group at St Patrick Church in Onalaska will host a Dance-a-Game-a-thon on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Everyone is welcome to the event, which will feature fun, food, deejays, raffles and trivia contests.

Members of the youth group are taking pledges for the 12-hour dance. People interested in volunteering or donating can contact Cathie Steinhoff at 783-5535, ext. 8, or cathie@stpatz.com.

The youth group also will hold a rummage sale in the St. Patrick School gym, 127 11th Ave. N., on the same day from 7 a.m. to noon.

All proceeds will help send youth group members on a summer pilgrimage to Australia.

Holmen church to host divorce sessions

Holmen Lutheran Church will be hold a weekly DivorceCare seminar and support group that will be held weekly beginning on Tuesday, May 13, at 7 p.m.

DivorceCare features nationally recognized experts on divorce and recovery topics. Seminar sessions include “Facing Your Anger,” “Facing Your Loneliness,” “Depression,” “New Relationships,” “KidCare” and “Forgiveness.”

Call Sue at 317-7512 or Cheryl at 526-9032 for details.

Church plans wheel blessing, egg hunt

Bridge of Life Lutheran Church in Holmen has a couple seasonal activities coming up.

In addition to observing “Ride your Bike to Church Week,” Bridge of Life also is planning its annual Blessing of the Wheels (bicycle, tricycle, stroller, roller skates, riding lawnmowers, motorcycles, etc.) in conjunction with 9:30 a.m. worship services on May 4 at the church’s space in the Holmen Square mall.

Also, since the weather was uncooperative for an outdoor egg hunt in March, Bridge of Life will offer its annual Easter Egg Hunt for the community on May 7 at 6 p.m.

The egg hunt will be at the campfire worship site across the highway from the Seven Bridges Bank, two miles north of Holmen. Children of all ages are welcome.

After the egg hunt, the community is also invited to a campfire worship at 7 p.m. Every Wednesday through September Bridge of Life offers a campfire worship experience. All are welcome.

Holmen Lutheran to confirm 28 youths

Twenty-eight youths will celebrate the Rite of Confirmation in a special worship service at Holmen Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 4, starting at 1:30 p.m.

The confirmands include Travis Boatner, Michael Brophy, Alexandra Brown, Trevor Clements, Marley Crossland, Rylee Drugan, Cody Evanson, Annie Fularczyk, Danica Gullicksrud, Isaac Hackett, Bradley Hanson, Jenna Hanson, Cassie Haug, Kelsey Henderson, Bennett Johnson, Caroline Kannel, Ally Kessler, Haley Konsela, Kate Ledegar, Kaitlin Lorenz, Lydia Mitley, Morgan Mortenson, Damian Paulson, Taylor Pederson, Ryan Rommes, MacKenzie Shriver, Molly Sims and Tyler Thompson.

Church youth group plans chickencue

The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Youth Group will host a Mothers Day chickencue from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church, 515 N. Main St. in Holmen.

Served by Premier Catering, the dinner will include a half chicken, potato salad, baked beans and a dinner roll.

Cost is $7.50, with advance tickets sold through May 5. A limited number of walk-in meals will be available. For advance tickets, call 526-4424 or stop in at the parish office.

Causeway Interfaith holds paint collection

Causeway Interfaith is hosting a two-day event during which the organization will pick up gallon, pint or quart paint cans or stain cans from homes in La Crosse County and dispose of them at the county’s hazardous materials center.

The two-day event occurs Tuesday, May 13, and Thursday, May 15. Any resident of La Crosse, Onalaska, Holmen or West Salem can call Causeway and arrange to have their old paint picked up.

Causeway is asking for $1 donation per can. Only paint products will be allowed and no five-gallon buckets will be accepted.

The proceeds of the paint drive-away will go to Causeway, which provides services to the elderly and people with disabilities to help them retain their independence.

For more information, call Causeway at 775-9999.

Volunteer Corps seeks participants

Participants are sought for Lutheran Volunteer Corps, a full-time program that offers people a one-year opportunity for spiritual and personal exploration while working for social justice, living in intentional community and simplifying their lifestyles.

Volunteers are matched with nonprofit organizations in Baltimore, Md.; Wilmington, Del.; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Milwaukee; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Seattle and Tacoma, Wash.; and the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

Applications may be downloaded at http://www.LutheranVolunteerCorps.org/Volunteers.htm/. For more information, contact Kelly Shinn, recruitment coordinator, at (202) 387-3222 or Recruitment@LutheranVolunteerCorps.org.