BLESSING OF ANIMALS: Metropolitan Community Church of...

BLESSING OF ANIMALS: Metropolitan Community Church of the Valley will host three special services to bless animals--a blessing, a memorial service and a healing prayer--as well as offering pet adoptions, first aid and CPR for pets from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the church, 5730 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood. Pet owners are asked to bring a photo of their pet instead of the animal if it is easily intimidated or aggressive in unfamiliar settings. Information: (818) 762-1133. An animal blessing service will also be held at 10 a.m. today on the St. Nicholas Episcopal Church patio, 17114 Ventura Blvd., Encino. Information: (818) 788-4486.

COUNTRY FAIR: A country fair and chili cook-off featuring carnival rides, a petting zoo and silent auction will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the First Christian Church of North Hollywood, 4390 Colfax Ave. Information: (818) 763-8218.

100 YEARS OF BROADWAY: “100 Years of Broadway,” a free choral review of the American heritage of musical theater, will showcase such hits as “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” and “Do You Hear the People Sing” at 7:30 p.m. today in the Woodland Hills United Methodist Church sanctuary, 5650 Shoup Ave. Information: (818) 346-6528.

GANDHI DAY: The second annual “Gandhi Day,” sponsored by the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council and the Valley Hindu Temple of Northridge, will celebrate the life, spirit and teachings of Indian spiritual leader Mohandas K. Gandhi from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the Hindu Temple, 18700 Roscoe Blvd., Northridge. A Temple Children’s Choir performance of a selection of Gandhi’s favorite chants will be followed by speeches on truth, simplicity, spirituality and unity, nonviolence, self-realization and social justice. The free event includes a Hindu worship service, complimentary dinner and ceremonial dancing. Information: (818) 718-6460.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE: Sister Joan Marie Sasse will use warmth and humor to lead a mini-retreat titled “Take Charge of Your Life” that aims to equip participants with skills to overcome depression, improve memory, use intuition and creativity, as well as gain a new perspective on healing, from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, 15950 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills. The cost is $10. Information: (818) 360-2658.

ROSARY CRUSADE: The Rosary Groups for Jesus and Mary of the San Fernando and Simi valleys will hold the 14th annual Rosary Crusade beginning with a Mass at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 18115 Sherman Way, Reseda. Highlights include the “living rosary,” a 185-foot-long rosary with six-inch diameter beads, a procession, the crowning of the Blessed Mother and release of balloons and doves. Information: (818) 343-2110.

TODAY’S WOMAN CONFERENCE: Diocesan Episcopal Church Women will sponsor the 17th annual “Today’s Woman” conference from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. next Saturday at St. Michael and All Angels Church, 3646 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Studio City. Keynote speaker Karen Jo Torjesen, chairwoman of the Claremont Graduate School religion department, will discuss women’s heritage of wisdom in a lecture titled “Women’s Spirituality: Learning from Our Foremothers.” Dancing, gardening and meditation are just some of the routes to spirituality that will be discussed at the conference. A wide range of speakers includes dancer and story-teller Susanna Branch, editor Celia De Simonds and Vogue magazine columnist Judith Handelsman. The cost is $15. Child care is available at $5 per child, and features a children’s program tailored for kindergartners through sixth-graders titled “Today’s Children,” which includes crafts and stories about women in the Bible that promise to interest children of both genders. Information: (310) 374-1895.